The long-awaited “Fallout” series has finally graced our screens, and boy, did it deliver a blast of entertainment! Episode one, titled “The End” with a delightfully ironic wink, has critics and fans alike fawning, even though the show is fairly low budget. With its pitch-perfect blend of humorous irreverence and gritty post-apocalyptic grit, the show has set the bar high for an exhilarating season to come.

“The End” thrusts us head-first into a world where the only thing more plentiful than irradiated horrors is the dark humor required to survive them. We follow the misadventures of Lucy MacLean, a wide-eyed vault dweller whose optimism is quickly put to the test by the unforgiving wasteland after her Vault was attacked by raiders, although episode one only shows her going on, it looks promising. It follows multiple characters, such as Maximus, and the Ghoul.

The cast shines bright, although many have been barely seen on screen, either that or not very memorable. The characters breathe life into their irradiated characters with gusto. Ella Purnell is a revelation as Lucy, seamlessly transitioning from naïve vault dweller to brave adventurer. Walton Goggins oozes charisma as the roguish Cooper Howard (The Ghoul), a charming cowboy with secrets, seemingly hated by others for unknown reasons in the episode. And Aaron Moten’s Maximus is a brooding powerhouse, delivering a performance as intense as a heated game of wasteland poker.

From the moment the iconic Vault-Tec logo graces the screen, it’s clear the showrunners have crafted a love letter to the Fallout universe. The retro-futuristic aesthetic is recreated with such loving detail, everything looks like it did in the games.

With its premiere episode, the Fallout series has set the post-apocalyptic entertainment world ablaze. “The End” is a tour-de-force of captivating storytelling, stellar performances, and authentic world-building, all seasoned with a generous helping of dark humor, and some… undesired scenes for most. Whether you’re a veteran wasteland wanderer or a newcomer to the landscapes, this series promises an odyssey of epic proportions.