Fallout season 2's second episode arrives at the best Wasteland location to date as Todd Howard praises the show for taking 'such amazing care to treat locations with this obsessive authenticity'

I loved almost everything about Fallout’s first season, but what truly stood above the rest was how convincingly the Wasteland was brought to life. By leaning heavily on practical sets instead of digital backdrops, the show managed to make every location feel tangible—exactly how I’d always imagined them. With season two heading straight toward New Vegas, my expectations were sky-high. So far, the series hasn’t let me down.

In just the opening episodes, the show has already delivered several standout locations, including Vault 24 and the Starlight Drive-In. But episode two raises the bar with a striking reveal of Area 51, unveiled after the Brotherhood of Steel gains access to cold fusion technology.

The dedication to authenticity is no accident. Executive producer Todd Howard emphasized this attention to detail during an interview, explaining that the world itself is treated as the show’s most important character. He noted how much care goes into making locations feel obsessively accurate, with the majority of environments built practically rather than digitally.

Howard described walking onto sets that felt completely real, down to readable journals and tiny environmental details that most viewers might never consciously notice. According to him, the production team consistently gets both the small details and the large-scale worldbuilding right, which is what makes the setting feel so authentic on screen.

Area 51 itself isn’t exclusive to Fallout lore, but it’s long been steeped in mystery within the series. Referenced in the original game and nearly appearing in Fallout 2, the location has ties to alien technology, flying saucers, and Zetan captives. The show also confirms that by the 2290s, the Brotherhood of Steel had taken control of the site—though for how long remains unclear.

Area 51 is just one example of how ambitious the new season’s sets are. Trailers have repeatedly teased New Vegas, and for good reason. More than just a fan-favorite game, New Vegas is one of the most iconic locations in the entire franchise. Its neon lights, faded glamour, and grimy underbelly perfectly encapsulate what Fallout is all about.

Because players have already spent countless hours exploring New Vegas in-game, the pressure to get it right was immense. Howard acknowledged this, pointing out that unlike earlier vaults, New Vegas is a place fans know intimately. That familiarity raised the stakes for the production team.

Howard described watching New Vegas being constructed piece by piece, praising production designer Howard Cummings and his team. Entire buildings could be shifted or rearranged on a whim to improve a shot—real structures moved simply to widen a frame or enhance a scene.

That level of effort clearly shows in the final result. The series walks a fine line between faithful homage and hollow fan service, but it consistently lands on the right side. That success comes from how seriously everyone involved—actors, writers, designers, and producers—treats the source material.

Howard summed it up by describing the sheer scale of the operation: remote desert locations transformed into fully functioning towns, complete with infrastructure, crew facilities, and living spaces, all to capture a single moment on camera. It’s an enormous undertaking, but one driven by genuine care—and it’s exactly why Fallout’s Wasteland feels so real.