Amazon's Super-Violent Fallout Series Is Apparently Really Popular With ... Moms?
Amazon Prime Video's new "Fallout" series is worth watching, according to Rotten Tomatoes critics. And one demographic that's singing the show's praises is an unlikely (yet heartwarming) one — people's mothers. This information doesn't come from any kind of scientific poll, but people are sharing anecdotal evidence of watching the post-apocalyptic science-fiction series with their moms and how their parents are actually into the storyline. Just take this story from @chadomalley on X (formerly Twitter): "My mom has absolutely loved the show so far ... As someone who's spent hundreds of hours in ['Fallout 1'] through ['Fallout: New Vegas'], it's super exciting to see someone discover the franchise through a different lens."
Even the occasional wonky logic and world-building of "Fallout" hasn't deterred some mothers, if this post from @TheJDMara is anything to go from: "My mom asked a lot of lore questions and sometimes got confused at the cartoony video game logic of it but genuinely enjoyed herself anyway."
The "Fallout" show has all kinds of things that one wouldn't automatically assume a parent who's completely unfamiliar with the video games would enjoy, including giant bugs, ample gore, and the threat of impending nuclear annihilation. Then again, Walton Goggins is pretty attractive as Cooper Howard (and even the Ghoul a little bit), so maybe that's winning over moms, too. Overall, this seems like a massive win for Prime Video — @RxvenRagnarok enthused, "Congrats ['Fallout'] you made my mom, who [couldn't] care less about games [totally] obsessed with fallout."
Why the Fallout TV series is bringing families together
The easiest explanation for why "Fallout" has caught on with mothers who knew nothing of the property beforehand is that it offers an opportunity for them to connect with their children in a more accessible manner. Watching someone play a video game for 40+ hours may not sound enticing, but watching eight episodes with someone is far more manageable. It's led to some touching moments — @bredlord1 described, "My mom is watching the fallout show and I couldn't be happier. ... This is the closest thing I've gotten to her taking interest in my life obsession." That's what it probably comes down to: Parents want to connect with their kids, and the show allows that chance.
This isn't the first time a television adaptation of a video game has allowed families to connect. Redditor u/Launch-Pad_McQuack shared this about their mom and the TV series "The Last of Us": "She's normally not a fan of shows that are dark and gritty, so I didn't expect her to like The Last Of Us. But to my surprise, she loves it!" The same logic could apply to "Fallout"; it may be dark and violent, but it's good enough for some moms to overlook those qualities to better understand something their kids love.
And for those (now grown) children, it's a chance to teach their parents about something. X user @thealazay shared, "Being able to share my love of Fallout with my mom is like getting to be her little girl again, with her falling asleep to me rambling about everything I know."
"Fallout" needs a Season 2 to pay off that huge tease in the finale. However, it also needs a Season 2 so that families can continue having quality bonding time.