I had a blast watching "Fallout" for the first time. It was a random Sunday night, and I thought, "Why not?" I figured I'd watch one episode and call it a night. But wow, was I wrong! I got so hooked that I watched all eight episodes in one go. I'm not a gamer, but "Fallout"? It's a whole other level!
In a nutshell, "Fallout" is an epic adventure set in a world after an apocalypse. When you're crafting a story in a world that's turned to ruins, there are two main things to address: What turned the world into a wasteland, and how do the main characters manage to stay alive?
The TV show gets straight to the point in the first eight minutes: a nuclear war caused the world fall and crumble. As for how the main characters survive, the show dives deep into this through the eyes of three protagonists. Of all the storylines, my top pick is Lucy MacLean’s journey. She's the first female lead, and her story is fascinating.
Lucy is born in this underground safe haven called Vault 33, about 200 years after the world went nuclear. She's never seen the world above the surface and she's smart, kind, and responsible. The bigwigs in Vault 33 choose to marry her to someone from Vault 32 as part of the tradition to keep the gene pool diverse.
But things go sideways when Vault 32 gets attacked during her wedding. The bad guys use the chaos to break into Vault 33 and kidnap Lucy's dad. That kicks off Lucy's epic journey to the surface to find her father.
Up there, she gets a cold, hard dose of reality. Trust is hard to come by, and violence is everywhere. Lucy has to get her head around this new way of life and adapt fast if she is going to survive.
And you know what's really interesting? Lucy's story has a lot of similarities with Scarlett O'Hara's in "Gone with the Wind", but without the fancy gowns and more nuclear fallout.
At the start of "Gone with the Wind", Scarlett is living the high life. But then the war hits and everything changes. She becomes a widow and loses her house. Her mom dies and her dad loses his mind. But just like Lucy, Scarlett steps up her game. She learns to protect her home and no matter what life throws at her, she never quits. She's got this famous line, "After all, tomorrow is another day", which pretty much sums up her fighting spirit.
Lucy's experience echoes Scarlett's. Once a privileged girl, she's thrust into a chaotic and cruel world due to war and misfortune. Similar to Scarlett, who learns to manage a plantation and defend herself, Lucy learns to wield force in the wasteland world. She's been tormented by ghouls and sold to organ traffickers, yet manages to escape each time due to her resilience. Her fighting spirit is unyielding, making her as tenacious as Scarlett.
I'm now judging a female character's subjectivity on her ability to take strong actions. Possibly due to the game's design, Lucy, as the main character, takes full action. She fights and shoots. When betrayed by her fiancé, she immediately goes into combat mode. She decides to leave the shelter, decapitate the scientist, insert a tracker in his head, and infiltrate the raider's base. Through all these actions, she is proactive and does not merely react to the world.
Furthermore, Lucy is kind and innocent, yet far from naive. She thinks and acts with an adult's maturity. It's uncommon to find a female lead with such determination and capability in Hollywood blockbusters. Perhaps Alice from the "Resident Evil" series is an exception. However, Alice's femininity is overly rigid, and her red slit dress and high-heeled boots objectify her rather than highlight her as a formidable protagonist. If I were Alice, I'd choose a practical attire, not a pocketless red gown.
In "Fallout," Lucy conveniently ends up in cargo pants with pockets, presumably carrying survival essentials such as guns, ammo, medicine, water, and food.
The show's comedic elements allow the audience to appreciate the absurdity and fun of the world from this female protagonist's perspective. The scene where Lucy is sentenced to expulsion for breaking into Vault 4 is amusing. Her punishment is exile to the surface world with two weeks' worth of necessities. This not only spares Lucy's life but also introduces a glimmer of hope in this desolate world: there is hope here, so don't give up.
Some critics argue that Lucy, as the female lead in a show adapted from a game IP, isn't beautiful enough. This viewpoint seems to suggest that the "Fallout" audience, whether gamers or moviegoers, demands a beautiful female protagonist. However, beauty would likely be a low priority in a post-apocalyptic world. With the world on the brink of destruction, who has time to maintain attractiveness?
Moreover, in a world where family and faith are persistently challenged, love isn't a primary concern. Lucy experiences marriage, sex, and betrayal in the first episode, and although she develops feelings for Max, this relationship isn't her main motivation. Lucy often acts independently and doesn't change her strategy due to Max. For example, when she chooses to leave with the ghouls and abandon the unconscious Max in the final episode, it's refreshing to see a female protagonist not bound by an injured male's fate.
Overall, my admiration for Lucy is a significant reason why I appreciate "Fallout." If I was living in the "Fallout" world, I would aspire to be like her, boldly exploring a perilous world with confidence.
Do you also have a fondness for "Fallout" and appreciate Lucy the same way? Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts!
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