“Fallout” is a TV series based on the popular video game franchise (of the same title) from Bethesda Game Studios. The director at Bethesda, Todd Howard, serves as an executive producer on the show, and Bethesda Game Studios co-produces the show. It was co-created by Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet. Behind it all, you have director and executive producer Jonathan Nolan, brother of Christopher Nolan. His company, Kilter Films, produces the show. Jonathan is best known for adapting the “Westworld” TV series (2016), as well as co-writing the screenplays for the films “The Prestige” (2006) and “The Dark Knight” (2008) — which his brother Christopher co-wrote and directed. The show, primarily an Amazon MGM Studios production, airs on the Amazon Prime subscription streaming service.

The first season includes eight episodes:

• Episode 1 – “The End”
• Episode 2 – “The Target”
• Episode 3 – “The Head”
• Episode 4 – “The Ghouls”
• Episode 5 – “The Past”
• Episode 6 – “The Trap”
• Episode 7 – “The Radio”
• Episode 8 – “The Beginning”

The time things start is a bit like the 1950s era, and fallout bunkers are all the rage. Technology is evolving, and it’s not just the nuclear bomb. Long story short, a nuclear war breaks out, and the planet is left as a wasteland. Fast forward, and 200 years have passed. The primary story plot. Vault-Tec is a company with a gimmick of selling vaults, and there may possibly be dishonest reasoning behind that. The show’s main three protagonists include first “Lucy” (Ella Purnell) from Vault 33. She’s lived a sheltered life and has no clue about the outside world, literally.

The second protagonist is a young man serving as a recruit in the “Brotherhood of Steel” named “Maximus” (Aaron Moten). He’s trying to just make his way through being in a military-like organization that uses “Power Armor” suits and gets around in “Vertibird” flying machines. He will go from serving as a scribe to having his suit of power armor throughout the first season.

Then, your final protagonist is referred to as “The Ghoul” (Walton Goggins). He’s what is referred to in this world as a “ghoul” exposed to radiation, who has been living since the nuclear bombs dropped 200 years ago. His backstory goes very deep as you’ll later find out. These three characters will all come together in this first season of the series.

4K UHD Blu-ray Screenshots

Audio Quality

Physical Extras in this Amazon Exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Limited Edition set include:

• Collectible Art Cards – 6 in total.

Bonus materials on this release are presented in HD (high definition) video. They come with Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray includes the following bonus materials, listed below, sorted by disc.

Disc 1:

• Audio Commentary for Episode 1 “The End” by Director Jonathan Nolan and Actor Walton Goggins. This is the audio form. You’ll get a video version of this commentary on disc 3.

Disc 3:

• Video Commentary: Inside Episode 1 – “The End” with Jonathan Nolan and Walton Goggins (1 hour, 8 minutes, 3 seconds – HD). This is a must-see after you’ve watched the first season. You get the show’s executive producer and director of the episode, along with one of the show’s stars.
• “Inside Season One” (18 minutes, 2 seconds – HD). This includes lots of behind-the-scenes on-set footage as well as interviews. Those interviewed include: Walton Goggins (“The Ghoul”/”Cooper Howard”), Jonathan Nolan (director/executive producer), Graham Wagner (showrunner/executive producer), Geneva Robertson-Dworet (showrunner/executive producer), Todd Howard (executive producer/Bethesda Game Studios), Howard Cummings (production designer), Stuart Dryburgh (director of photography), Mike Harvey (makeup department head), Tod Maitland (sound mixer), Amy Westcott (costume designer), Trygge Toven (music supervisor), Ramon Djawadi (composer), Ali Comperchio (editor), Ella Purnell (“Lucy”), Keith Rogers (re-recording mixer), Andrea Knoll (visual effects producer), Jay Worth (VFX supervisor), Aaron Moten (“Maximus”), Adam Shippey (stunt performer), Vincent Van Dyke (ghoul prosthetic effects designer), and Jacob Garber (prosthetic department head).
• “Creating the Wasteland” (3 minutes, 46 seconds – HD) features behind-the-scenes footage as well as interviews. Those interviewed here include: Jonathan Nolan (director/executive producer), Jay Worth (VFX supervisor), Andrea Knoll (visual effects producer), Ben Grossman (CEO Magnopus), Aaron Moten (“Maximus”), Jamie Stanley (Gravity Jet Suit Pilot), and Walton Goggins (“The Ghoul”).
• “Safe and Sound” (2 minutes, 37 seconds – HD) focuses on the editing, sound design, and music. This includes interviews with: Ali Comperchio (editor), Ramon Djawadi (composer), Tom Maitland (sound mixer), Keith Rogers (re-recording mixer), Jonathan Nolan (director/executive producer), and Trygge Toven (music supervisor).
• “Set Your Sights on 2296” (2 minutes, 23 seconds – HD) focuses on the future time setting in which the show takes place. This includes lots of behind-the-scenes glimpses of on-set footage. It also features interviews with: Jonathan Nolan (director/executive producer), Howard Cummings (production designer), Stuart Dryburgh (director of photography), and Walton Goggins (“The Ghoul”).
• “The Costumes of Fallout“ (2 minutes, 43 seconds – HD) focuses on the costume design, as the title would suggest. This includes interviews with: Jonathan Nolan (director/executive producer), Todd Howard (executive producer/Bethesda Game Studios), Ella Purnell (“Lucy”), Walton Goggins (“The Ghoul”), Amy Westcott (costume designer), Aaron Moten (“Maximus”), and Frances Tuner (“Barb”).
• “Writing for the Wasteland” (2 minutes, 26 seconds – HD) focuses on the writers for the show, adapting what is a video game franchise set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. This includes interviews with: Graham Wagner (showrunner/executive producer), Geneva Robertson-Dworet (showrunner/executive producer), Jonathan Nolan (director/executive producer), Ella Purnell (“Lucy”), Aaron Moten (“Maximus”), and Kyle MacLachlan (“Hank”).
• “Meet the Filmmaker (and Fanatic) Jonathan Nolan” (3 minutes, 4 seconds – HD) is a must-see. It’s quite obvious Nolan is a fan of the “Fallout” video game franchise and wanted to work on this project for a very long time. His enthusiasm not only seems authentic, but it seems to be fueling this show. Aside from Jonathan, here you’ll also get interviews with: Todd Howard (executive producer/Bethesda Game Studios), Graham Wagner (showrunner/executive producer), Geneva Robertson-Dworet (showrunner/executive producer), Ella Purnell (“Lucy”), Mike Harvey (makeup department head), Peter Gelfman (prop master), Damon Weathers (Legacy Effects), Cary Gunnar Lee (Legacy Effects), Howard Cummings (production designer), Jay Worth (VFX supervisor), Ben Grossman (CEO Magnopus), Ramon Djawadi (composer), and Annabel O’Hagan (“Steph”).
• “Prosthetics & Makeup Gone Nuclear” (2 minutes, 47 seconds – HD) focuses on the makeup for the “ghouls” on the show. This includes interviews with: Jonathan Nolan (director/executive producer), Mike Harvey (makeup department head), Ella Purnell (“Lucy”), Walton Goggins (“The Ghoul”), Vincent Van Dyke (ghoul prosthetic effects designer), and Jacob Garber (prosthetic department head).
• “Becoming The Ghoul“ (2 minutes, 8 seconds – HD) gives you a glimpse at the makeup application that star Walton Goggins went through to become his character we see him mostly as in the show. Aside from Walton, here you get interviews with: Jacob Garber (prosthetic department head), Jonathan Nolan (director/executive producer), and Ella Purnell (“Lucy”).
• “Console to Camera” (2 minutes, 52 seconds – HD) talks about adapting the video game franchise and how it remains true to that. It includes interviews with: Todd Howard (executive producer/Bethesda Game Studios), James Altman (executive producer), Aaron Moten (“Maximus”), Walton Goggins (“The Ghoul”), Ella Purnell (“Lucy”), Adam Shippey (stunt performer), Michael Jortner (property master), Jonathan Nolan (director/executive producer), Graham Wagner (showrunner/executive producer), and Geneva Robertson-Dworet (showrunner/executive producer).
• “Welcome to the World of Fallout“ (2 minutes, 41 seconds – HD) focuses on the video game franchise and how it now is also a television series carrying on that legacy of the story. It includes interviews with: Jonathan Nolan (director/executive producer), Graham Wagner (showrunner/executive producer), Geneva Robertson-Dworet (showrunner/executive producer), Ella Purnell (“Lucy”), Walton Goggins (“The Ghoul”), Aaron Moten (“Maximus”), and Kyle MacLachlan (“Hank”).
• “Vault Seller’s Survival Guide – Animated Shorts” (17 minutes, 28 seconds – HD). These come with a ‘play all’ option and include the following shorts:
  • “The Winning Team!”
  • “Follow Your No’s!”
  • “Welcome Home!”
  • “Meet Me in Coswald!”
  • “Step on the Gas!”
  • “Steer the Ship!”
  • “Bud’s Buds!”

The bonus materials here for the first season of the show in its 4K release are rather impressive. You get a huge amount of extras. Namely, one amazing audio and video commentary for the first episode. The bonus materials, as well as physical extras (with the 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook), all prove to be worthwhile.

Bonus Materials Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)