Fallout Triumphs Over The Last of Us With Season 2 Return

The premiere of Fallout Season 2 aired overnight and despite just one episode out of nine currently being available, it seems as though HBO’s The Last of Us has some clear competition.

First airing back in 2024, Prime Video’s Fallout was an instant hit with its second season (and since its third) immediately being greenlit.

Inspired by the hit Bethesda RPG series, Fallout follows the story of Lucy who leaves her home of Vault 33 in order to venture out into the barren wasteland in search of her father, who she learns has been kidnapped by raiders.

Along the way she teams up with Brotherhood of Steel’s Maximus and legendary ghoul and bounty hunter Cooper Howard.

The second season kicks off where Season 1 left off with Lucy and Cooper heading to the infamous New Vegas which fans will know and love from 2010’s Fallout: New Vegas.

Fallout the TV series (Prime Video)

With just its first episode aired, Fallout has already found itself sitting at a 98% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes and a 95% rating for its Popcornmeter.

Put simply, critics have scored the show 98% positive whilst audiences as a whole, including the general public, have rated it 95%.

To summarise, these are incredibly impressive numbers, especially considering Fallout Season 2 is expected to air weekly up until 4 February 2026.

Although I do not like to compare, especially when decent video game adaptations are few and far between, fans have been comparing Fallout Season 2 to The Last of Us Season 2 which aired back in April.

HBO

The Numbers Don't Lie

Despite the first season of HBO’s The Last of Us receiving rave reviews, it is safe to say that its second season did not get the same treatment and, as a result, it sits at a 92 percent critic rating and a mere 37 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

With fans criticising its weak writing, plot holes, pacing issues and character portrayals, such as Ellie’s complete change of tone from Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us, it was not received well and fans have been left feeling unsure about the future of the television adaptation.

Nevertheless, a third season is on the cards but with Fallout showing how it is done when it comes to live-action adaptations, The Last of Us will have a lot to live up to.

Fallout Season 2’s second episode is set to air on Prime Video on 24 December 2025, with episodes released weekly.