The spaghetti western turns post-apocalyptic in this high-budget production of a gritty tale. We have cringe-worthy but endearing optimists. Antiheroes whose cruelty disfigures them more on the inside than radiation has on the outside. Striving zealots of gleaming order and anarchic savages who'll wipe themselves on the drapes. And that's just the first two episodes.

The show's burnt out 2150s are mirrored by an alternate 1950s. Bing Crosby croons as one of our protagonists walks across endless scorched dust. Johnny Cash sets the pace for a bone-crunching fight. Violence here can be comical, but it's always bloody.

It's a great looking show with money on the screen. Long shots make the world before and after atomic armageddon seem huge. Characters are framed to highlight their interesting faces. Be they natural or prosthetic. The HDR also looks good as it's colour graded in a way that enhances shots and doesn't overwhelm them.

Its story telling is conventional enough to appeal to a wide audience. This was a concern I had when I saw who the show runners were. In the past Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy have been cerebral storytellers. Not as smart as their West World audience as shown when viewer theories nailed plot twists. But this isn't that. This show lacks jigsaw puzzle plotting.

There's no point in turning what happened to the world into the driving mystery of the story. The constraints of the Fallout IP mean anyone who plays a Fallout game will know a lot. Instead we get a call to adventure that sends a capable extrovert into the horrors of a nuclear wasteland. If you know nothing about Fallout you will learn it as she does.

I have several episodes left to finish but I like this show. It has an unusual vibe and a great cast.