Highlights
- Fallout TV show faces criticism, particularly for its ‘woke’ content and female protagonist, but Ella Purnell defends the show’s choices.
- Purnell confronts unfounded criticism on the show’s political narrative, emphasizing the deep societal analysis of the game and maintaining its essence.
- Purnell commends the show’s decision to feature a female lead, highlighting the exploration of women’s capabilities in survival dramas.
Just days away from its premiere, the Fallout TV show continues to receive criticism. Finally, Ella Purnell stepped in to address some of the useless criticism aimed at the show and share her thoughts.
The long-awaited television adaptation of the beloved Fallout game has arrived. However, despite fans’ anticipation, the show has faced criticism, particularly regarding its perceived ‘woke’ content and the decision to center the narrative around a female protagonist. Purnell, portraying Lucy as the protagonist of the series, has finally addressed these concerns, sharing her perspective on the matter.
In an exclusive interview with Refinery29 Australia, Purnell addressed the unfounded criticism surrounding the game’s and TV show’s political narrative. She has also shared her opinion and admiration for the show’s choice to center the story around a female protagonist. The criticism primarily focused on these aspects, with some going so far as to label it as ‘woke’ solely because of these decisions.
Purnell confronted the unfounded criticism surrounding the political narrative of both the game and TV show, asserting, “Fallout is an inherently political game,” emphasizing the game’s deep societal analysis. She affirmed the show’s commitment to this essence, insisting on maintaining a political narrative akin to the game itself. “I really like the mirror it holds up to society and I really liked the comedy,” she elaborated. “They’ve managed to nail the tone of the game so well and blend this mix of comedy and drama. Humans have this way of finding humor and comedy as a coping mechanism to deal with quite heavy topics. It’s what I do at least, when I’m talking about something heavy. I just throw a couple of jokes in there.”
Regarding the other criticisms, Purnell commended the show’s decision to feature a female lead. Although it would seem fitting for writers to center the Fallout TV series around a female protagonist, the show has regrettably encountered an unjustified backlash. Purnell expressed her admiration, saying, “I love seeing women in survival dramas and seeing women sort of explore the very depths and the extent of what they’re capable of in desperation. Really getting into the nitty gritty of what survival means — you’re starving, you’re desperate, you’re exhausted. You’re not this together, pretty picture that films originally depicted women as.” She pointed out that only recently have women been shown to explore the same emotional depths as men, adding, “Seeing women be violent and gory and not shy away from having to make really brutal decisions… Anything that’s smart and, I suppose, political in a way — and I think Fallout hits on all those points.”
Purnell is no stranger to video game adaptations and dystopian worlds. Having previously worked on Netflix’s League of Legends adaptation, Arcane, and portraying Jackie in the acclaimed series Yellowjackets, she brings experience to the table. However, she admits to feeling pressure when tackling adaptations, particularly of well-established franchises. She acknowledges the weight of the responsibility and the importance of treating the source material with reverence, especially with a monumental franchise like Fallout. Her aim is to honor both the devoted fans of the series and the hard work of those involved in creating the games.
Fallout premieres exclusively on Prime Video on April 10th.