When it comes to video game adaptations, we’ve seen some particularly great ones in recent years – The Last of Us and Castlevania come to mind. But Paramount’s “Halo,” which brings the saga of Master Chief and the alien Covenant to the small screen, only loosely adapts what we’ve seen in the video games for a brand new “Silver Timeline.” For this reason, the first season received a cool response from viewers and critics alike.
In short, it wasn’t very good – at least for most viewers, including die-hard fans who could only really muster “meh” about the live-action series. The first season, which consisted of nine episodes, debuted last March with a moderate 70% on Rotten Tomatoes from 71 reviewers. Audiences were even less forgiving, giving it a less-than-stellar score of 52% from over 2,500 reviews.
But it seems that the tide is turning towards a more favorable second season, as the new version of “Halo” this time scored a surprising 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 16 critics so far, after just two episodes. Has the series turned around? Does it captivate viewers and provide a tight plot that will delight both fans of the series and newcomers?
Here’s what you need to know before embarking on an intergalactic adventure and confronting the Pact in Halo.
What is the second season of “Halo” about?
Set in the 26th century, “Halo” follows a genetically engineered super soldier codenamed “Spartan-117” or Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) as he works with the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) to resolve the conflict between humanity and… The Pact, an alliance of three alien races searching for a special artifact that will ultimately give them access to a powerful, sacred ring – the titular Halo.
This outing follows on from the Season 1 finale of “Halo” and sees Master Chief continuing his bitter battle with the Alliance after suffering a near-fatal blow that resulted in the AI construct Cortana (Christina Bennington ) merged with him and saved his life. However, he must face more than just the pact that lies before him: the fabled Fall of Reach, one of the most important events in the “Halo” continuity.
Reach is the main USNC stronghold in this series and other “Halo” storylines. If it actually fails (which is certainly the case in other “Halo” media), then that means the Alliance is essentially free to accept its mission and invade humanity. The Battle of Reach leads to some pretty intense complications, providing an interesting setting for another round of episodes.
What the critics say
criticism from various media outlets have so far expressed their thoughts on the second season of “Halo” and the response has been mostly positive. From all appearances, the new series of episodes seems to be a hit.
IGN’s Hayden Mears clarified that the show was still “too stuffy” and “heavy” to be called fun, but noted that “the action, the paranoia and the performances elevate this sophomore effort in a truly exciting way.” take it to a new level.”
On the other end of the spectrum, Slashfilm’s Jeremy Mathai was the only dissenter so far to offer that the “Halo” streaming version of Master Chief “should be given a reprieve.”
The Verge’s Ash Parrish found that the showrunners have “finally understood” that they don’t need to be too closely associated with “Halo” to “tell a good ‘Halo’ story” – although it is “worthwhile” to have some knowledge of the game.
Total Film’s Bradley Russell proclaimed, “For those who give ‘Halo’ a second chance, there’s a lot to like here.”
Those who have seen the first few episodes of the series seem to agree that Paramount is definitely doing something right this time.
Has ‘Halo’ been renewed for season 3?
The second season of “Halo” just premiered on February 8th. However, a third season is very likely. Paramount has invested a lot of money into this series and it will likely take a very different direction than its game, novel and comic counterparts. Due to the overwhelming response from fans to the fact that there was even a Halo series on the way, the second season was renewed before the first season premiered.
However, that didn’t happen here, and Paramount is likely waiting to see what the reaction is before moving forward with another season order. There is no official information about what to expect next, so fans will currently have to wait and see if they get more episodes of the sci-fi series.
If there is a “Halo” season 3, the renewal will likely occur after the end of the second season. The best thing fans can do is watch the episodes and prove that there is demand – and wait to see if there is in the end.
