Video game adaptations are becoming commonplace, and one of the biggest is Paramount+‘sHalo. The sci-fi franchise has had a bit of a rocky road to the small screen. First, it started out as a potential feature film, with talent such asPeter Jackson,Neill Blomkamp,and evenGuillermo del Toroattached before things went south. In fact,Halowas supposed to debut on Showtime before switching places withThe Last Man on Earth(though this may have been a moot point asParamount+ and Showtime are now a single service).Halois slated to return for its sophomore season in February,and here is a spoiler-filled breakdown of Season 1’s events.
Aliens threaten human existence in an epic 26th-century showdown.
‘Halo’ Digs Deep Into What Shapes the Master Chief
Like the video game series,Halois centered onsuper soldier John-117, aka Master Chief(Pablo Schreiber). Master Chief and the rest of the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) are fighting a battle against the alien force known as the Covenant; this war has led to the rise of an Insurrectionist force which views the UNSC’s actions as crossing multiple ethical lines.Halokicks off when Master Chief and his Silver Team intercept a Covenant attack on the planet Madrigal.Chief discovers a mysterious artifact that triggers flashbacks to his past life. Those flashbacks include the revelation that Dr. Catherine Halsey (Natascha McElhone) stole him away from his family at a young age and subjected him to the harsh conditions of her Spartan super soldier program. Halsey, under pressure from the UNSC,implants the artificial intelligence Cortana (Jen Taylor) into his mind.Not only is Cortana programmed to keep Chief docile, but she is based on Halsey herself — further underselling the twisted ideal of motherhood at the heart of her science.
Halsey and the UNSC are thrown for a loop when Chief encounters Makee (Charlie Murphy), a mysterious young woman who can also access the alien artifact.Makee is secretly a messianic figure within the Covenant, and she’s on a mission to retrieve the artifact and its twin so that the Covenant can travel to the “Sacred Ring” left behind by the alien Forerunners — or the “Halo,” as they refer to it in their language. Chief and Makee start to form a connection, both emotional and physical, but eventually she absconds with the Forerunner artifact. Chief mobilizes Silver Team, who have discovered Halsey’s machinations, and travels to Raas Kkhotskha to confront Makee. However, during a battle with Covenant forces, he is fatally wounded andhas Cortana assume command of his body—effectively shutting off his personality and reverting him to the stoic figure from the games.
Pablo Schreiber’s Master Chief Makes an Important Future Connection in Season 1
Makee and the Forerunner artifacts aren’t the only catalysts in Master Chief’s transformation. That honor goes to Kwan Ha (Yerin Ha), a young insurrectionist whose life he saves in the Madrigal attack. When he is ordered to kill Kwan,Chief refuses and escapes with her, marking the first time he’s ever disobeyed a direct order. He also takes Kwan to his friend Soren (Bokeem Woodbine). Soren escaped the UNSC years ago and now serves as an Insurrectionist. Seeking help for a fight against the corrupt politician Vinsher Grath (Burn Gorman),Kwan learns that her ancestors were charged with protecting the Forerunner artifacts. Given Soren’s bond with Chief and the revelation of Kwan’s heritage,HaloSeason 2 may see them play a larger role in the overall story.
‘Halo’ Sets Up a Major Event From the Video Games for Season 2
One of the major elements that setsHaloaside from the video games that inspired it is the fact that it takes place in the “Silver Timeline” — meaning thatit’s not fully beholden to the canon of the games. “In both protecting core canon and protecting the television story, and by that I mean being able to give ourselves the chance to evolve both and for both to be what they need to be for their mediums without colliding with each other,“executive producerKiki Wolfhollsaidwhen explaining this decision. Though this led to some friction from fans, particularlywhen Chief kept removing his helmet,HaloSeason 1 set the stage for a pivotal event in the games: the Fall of Reach.
Most ofHaloSeason 1 takes place on the planet of Reach, where the majority of UNSC’s forces are located. In the games’ canon,the Covenant launches a massive attack and devastates the UNSC forces. It was a turning point in the war between the Covenant and humanity, and it set the stage for the very first game. The trailers forHaloSeason 2 all but hint the Fall of Reach will happen, with series directorOtto Bathurststressing its importance last year at CCXP. “It’s a big moment. It’s a really big moment in canon history, and it’s a big event in the world ofHalo,“he told Collider. Having the Fall of Reach take place would bringHalocloser in line with the games and raise the stakes significantly.
Schreiber also expressed howHaloSeason 2 will differ from Season 1. “It’s darker, it’s more dangerous, all of the stunt and action sequences put you into the battle and inside the fighting. To me, it’s a much more effective way to deal with the show,“he told SFX Magazine. Even ifHaloisn’t a direct 1-to-1 translation of the games, it looks like the cast and crew are aiming to deliver the same level of spectacle and emotional devastation that made it a beloved sci-fi staple.
Halois available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
Watch on Paramount+
