Ella Purnell, the leading lady of Prime’s Fallout TV show, has commented on when the project might return, and the news is frustratingly familiar at this point. The landscape of the TV industry has changed a lot since the advent of streaming services, and the changes have intensified since those platforms started to produce original content. While traditionally-made network TV shows often return each year like clockwork, steamers like Prime don’t tend to stick to the same schedules. Because of this, viewers – and sometimes those making the shows – can become a little annoyed.

Prime’s apocalyptic drama is a creative addition to the world of Fallout. Instead of adapting the source material from the video games, Amazon has made the inspired decision to set its original show within the same continuity as the Bethesda game series. This means several Fallout moments only make sense because of the game rules, but that just makes the experience even more enthralling. The cast of Fallout season 1 did such a great job bringing their characters to life that a second season was ordered very quickly. Unfortunately, it may not appear for a while.

It Sounds Like There’ll Be At Least Two Years Between Fallout Season 1 & 2

Prime is in no hurry to continue the adaptation

Although Fallout season 2 is confirmed, Purnell’s recent comments about the production schedule suggest there’s still a notable length of time to get through before she reprises the role of Fallout‘s Lucy MacLean. Even after the next episodes are shot, post-production isn’t a short process either. With Fallout season 1 ending six months ago, the fact there’s been very little movement on a second installment means there will probably be around two years from the season 1 finale to wait to see how Lucy’s story continues – if not longer.

“I’ve read nothing. I’m so unprepared. My only preparation so far is that I’m attempting to work out — and that’s just me knowing that in six months I’m going to be running up a hill 500 times and trying not to have an asthma attack.”

Speaking with Variety, Purnell’s claim that she has “read nothing” of the Fallout season 2 scripts suggests they may not have been completed yet. However, her comment about being “so unprepared” could mean that the scripts do exist, but she just hadn’t gotten around to reading them yet. Regardless, stating she has “six months” to get ready is the most damning part of the interview. If her timetable is accurate, Fallout season 2 won’t start shooting until a full year after season 1 was released. This pretty much guarantees a very long wait until new episodes can be watched.

Longer Gaps Between Seasons Is Increasingly A Problem With Streaming Shows

Prime isn’t the only platform making its audience wait

Prime isn’t alone in its lack of urgency when it comes to a show’s release schedule. Netflix, Apple TV+, and other competitors have also left multi-year waits between seasons. What was once a wonderfully predictable fallow period when a show would be on a break over the summer has turned into an unwinnable guessing game for a huge number of streaming projects. Although it can certainly build anticipation, there are huge downsides to being forced to wait so long. For instance, one of the most obvious disadvantages is forgetting what happened in the previous season.

Another negative effect of the long waits caused by steamers’ production delays is a much bigger risk to the platforms themselves. In short, it’s always possible that a show could lose followers because the story takes so long to continue. Unless the show’s first season is incredibly strong and compelling, there’s always a risk that viewers will forget about it and not care anymore when it returns years later.

Prime made Invincible fans wait two and half years for season 2 to materialize – despite the huge success of season 1.

There is one streaming platform that stands out from the rest when it comes to regularly renewing shows and bringing them back every year. Hulu sets itself apart in this respect. For example, since Hulu first aired Solar Opposites season 1 in 2020, there has been a new batch of episodes each year without fail, and other Hulu shows have enjoyed this level of consistency too. Meanwhile, Prime made Invincible fans wait two and half years for season 2 to materialize – despite the huge success of season 1.

Fallout Season 1 At Least Suggests Season 2 Will Be Worth The Wait

Lucy MacLean’s return will be anticipated by many

Fallout is very fortunate, in that its inaugural run was incredible, and it did well with fans and critics alike. Its innovative approach and creative premise allowed the project to immediately succeed – even if it did fumble some of the franchise lore. While its renewal for a second season was a no-brainer, that hasn’t stopped it from falling victim to the dreaded delays of the streaming world. There is one thing for certain, though: the wait for Fallout season 2 won’t seem so long by the time it arrives.

All can often be forgiven for a long wait between seasons, and this will be the case for Fallout – unless something goes horribly wrong.

All can often be forgiven for a long wait between seasons, and this will be the case for Fallout – unless something goes horribly wrong. The season 1 finale left all the characters in exciting places that promise a rewarding continuation, and there is still plenty of the Wasteland to explore in the coming run of episodes. It doesn’t particularly make the wait any easier to tolerate, but at least it’s something.

What Ella Purnell Is Doing Between Fallout Seasons 1 & 2

The Fallout star has plenty to keep her occupied

Purnell was already well on her way to becoming a huge star before Fallout, but her portrayal of Lucy MacLean has boosted her profile even more. As a result of her brilliant performance in Fallout, Purnell has been kept very busy since season 1 ended. She is incredibly adept at voice work as well as acting in front of the camera, which broadens her opportunities even further. She has continued to voice Gwyndala as part of the Star Trek: Prodigy cast, and she has even had a cameo in Invincible​​​​​​.

Purnell has also recently voiced a character called Raina in Zack Snyder’s the Seneschal – a prequel podcast that’s part of the writer/director’s Rebel Moon saga.

Purnell has also recently voiced a character called Raina in Zack Snyder’s the Seneschal – a prequel podcast that’s part of the writer/director’s Rebel Moon saga. Most recently, however, she played Rhiannon in all six episodes of the Sweetpea miniseries. Her upcoming projects are a little more sparse than they should have been, as her planned reprisal of Kate Ward in Snyder’s Army-verse has been canceled after the upcoming sequel was pulled by Netflix.

That being said, Purnell will still be far from bored. Not only is she coming back as Jinx when Arcane season 2 drops in November, but she’s also part of the cast of The Scurry – a comedy/horror movie that’s currently in post-production. She’ll likely be thankful to have any downtime before Fallout season 2 resumes filming, and returning to the role after so long will surely be even more fulfilling.