Fallout Must Learn From A Crucial Mistake Made In The Walking Dead In Order To Succeed

The worlds of The Walking Dead and Fallout might not seem too familiar initially, but the two television shows have plenty in common. That's mainly because both shows represent an apocalyptic, end-of-the-world disaster, although they do it in slightly different ways.

While The Walking Dead sees the world taken over by zombies, Fallout has a whole host of creatures created by the radiation, from ghouls to Deathclaws, mutants, and everything in between. Because they have that in common, there is a risk that Fallout could end up falling into a trap that The Walking Dead did multiple times.

The Walking Dead Teased A Cure Multiple Times Throughout Its Run

This Became A Source Of Frustration For Fans Who Felt The Story Needed That Direction

The Walking Dead brought many memorable moments throughout the main show's run, which is one of the reasons why it was so successful. However, a mistake the show made multiple times was tease the possibility of a cure, only to then pull it away at the last minute. This happened in the first season when they headed to the CDC, only for it to be revealed that they hadn't worked one out, and the facility ended up being destroyed. The show then teased it again with the introduction of Eugene Porter, who claimed to be a scientist with the knowledge to stop everything. However, that was another false storyline, as he was simply a liar, using the claim for his own advantage to be protected by others.

The decision to tease various cures early in the series became a point of contention for many fans, as they felt like the writers were dangling something in front of them only to pull it away. People want to invest in a storyline when watching a television show, and the fact that the cure teases ultimately ended up resulting in nothing started to become an issue over time. While The Walking Dead spinoffs have come closer to explaining a potential cure, such as using fungus, when it comes to the original series, it was largely just teases that frustrated audiences.

Fallout Should Look To Avoid Finding A Cure And Focus On Characters

Audiences Want To Exist Within The Wasteland Throughout The Amazon Series

While the idea of finding a cure to help bring civilization back to normality has been slightly teased in the Fallout television show with pills and experiments within the vaults, it has yet to become the story's focal point, and it should remain that way. The Walking Dead was at its best when there was a concentrated story of survival for the group, whether that was against other humans or the walkers, and Fallout is going to fall into the same category. Fans know they're signing up for an apocalyptic world when they start viewing the show because that's what the video game series provides. Therefore, pivoting away from that to have the lead characters simply focus on trying to cure the entire situation would be a waste of time, as audiences want to exist within the Wasteland. People want to see the video game world brought to life, including all the different locations that the games explore and the difficult circumstances in which they live. That's the draw for Fallout, as seeing the struggle, the desperate acts of characters, and their moral decisions is what makes it entertaining.

While a worldwide cure might be the end result, if that ever happens, it would ultimately be the culmination of the series, as there's no other story left to be told at that point. This is why it's not something that needs to be teased straight away, because it would have fans desperate for the show to push toward that goal, rather than taking the time to explore the personalities and storylines that already exist. There are so many other characters from the Fallout franchise that cannot be introduced yet, and for a video game with hours upon hours of side missions, it would feel like wasted potential to simply burn through things just to deliver a cure.

Fallout Must Not Provide A Bait And Switch If It Goes Down The Cure Route

Lucy Could Aim To Save The World In The Long Term

There is a chance that Amazon will look to take Fallout down the route of finding a cure to solve everyone's individual problems within that show, and it could end up being the main quest of Lucy and several other lead characters if they all get together on the same page. Right now, that's unnecessary due to how many other storylines are taking place, but this could be done as the ultimate end-goal angle to finish the series. That's a plot that could be interesting to people as it gives them something to invest in for the long term, but that can only happen if they don't provide a bait-and-switch like The Walking Dead did multiple times. The hit zombie series only angered its own audience by teasing them with a potential cure that didn't exist, only to hit the refresh button each time, and Fallout must avoid falling into that trap. If a cure is going to be teased at any point, then it must be something that Amazon is willing to follow through with all the way, giving Fallout the chance to deliver on a promise.