The world of Fallout is one of extremes. Vault Dwellers spend their entire lives in one place, confined beneath the ground, while those in the wastelands above contend with dangerous mutants, toxic radiation, raiders, scavengers, and the constant struggle for resources. The upcoming Fallout television series, which tells an original story set in the world of the beloved game series, portrays that extreme world while also keeping focus on character relationships and how they develop and change in a world struggling to hold on.

Relationships are at the core of the show's first season, which tells the story of Lucy (Ella Purnell), a Vault Dweller who leaves the Vault against the wishes of her father, Vault Overseer Hank (Kyle MacLachlan.) While exploring the Wasteland searching for truth and answers, Lucy encounters a number of figures including the mutated Ghoul Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins), the Brotherhood of Steel squire Maximus (Aaron Moten), and the secret-holding wanderer Wilzig (Michael Emerson.) In a conversation with Game ZXC, these actors discussed how the characters' relationships grow and change as they journey through the wasteland.

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Hank And Lucy's Father-Daughter Bond Is Challenged

Kyle MacLachlan, who plays Vault Overseer and Lucy's father, Hank, feels that the relationship between the two of them changes quite dramatically as Lucy leaves the Vault to explore the wider world. He explains that the pair are initially quite close, describing them as "two peas in a pod," but that Hank's leadership role within the Vault does put a strain on the relationship from the beginning. When asked if the secrets Hank's Overseer position saddles him with are part of what causes the relationship to change, MacLachlan immediately and enthusiastically agreed.

In Hank's case, he does have some very big secrets that he keeps not only from his family, but from the community at large. And we are going to discover them towards the end of the season. And they're pretty earth-shattering.

Ella Purnell, who plays Lucy, agreed that her character's relationships are changed and challenged by her experiences in the Wasteland. She describes Lucy as someone who, over the course of the series, becomes determined to find the truth and answers at any cost. "I don't think she would ever sleep again if she couldn't get the answers that she needs," said Purnell. The secrets Hank and others hide from her may be earth-shattering, but Lucy will not give up in her pursuit of them.

Maximus Brings A Totally Different Perspective

Maximus, a squire of the Brotherhood of Steel, approaches the situation from a different direction. Unlike the Vault Dwellers, he has spent much time in the wasteland, and is accustomed to the way of life there. Actor Aaron Moten describes Maximus as a conflicted character, who represents both the good and bad sides of ambition.

I know I've taken something from Julius Caesar, the Shakespeare play. He describes Cassius with his ambition as "like a hungry dog." And I really loved that image for Maximus. It's a constant tension. He's fighting himself a lot, because of his motivators being such different things.

Moten feels that Maximus, too, is changed and challenged throughout the series through his interactions with characters like Lucy and the Ghoul. He explains that a key source of conflict for Maximus comes from the fact that he does not look out for himself, and puts his work and the Brotherhood's goals above himself. "Who's looking out for Maximus?" Moten asked. He then paused, deliberately leaving the question unanswered. Ultimately, wherever Maximus, Lucy, Hank, and other characters wind up at the end of Fallout's first season, it will be a very different place, both physically, mentally, and in terms of their relationships with one another, from where they started.

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