Streaming Service: Paramount+
Release Date: 3/24/2022
Rating: 7.5/10
Description: In 2014, Microsoft announced they were collaborating with Director Steven Spielberg to create a live-action Halo TV show. After many difficulties and bumps in the development process, the first episode finally released in 2022.
Before you watch this show, if you are a Halo fan who has paid attention to the lore, I'm going to ask that you completely ignore it. This series is non-canon, which basically means we might watch a totally different Halo universe develop in this show. The only thing similar to the games is the setting, along with certain characters.
We begin at the same point we did in the games: 2552. It starts on the planet Madrigal, which was home to Insurrectionists rebelling against the UNSC, the universes' military order. I actually like the fact that this show displays how the UNSC wasn't always the good guy. They have killed other humans in the past, and that includes Master Chief, the main character.
There are many differences between this show and the games, and I don't think that it's a bad thing. Captain Keyes and his daughter Miranda Keyes are African American. Doctor Halsey has an accent. Master Chief talks more than he ever did in the games.
This first episode took me by surprise because it wasn't about fighting the covenant or the flood, who are the games' usual villains. Instead it was about the conflict between Master Chief and his commanders in the UNSC. Spartans were not made to fight the covenant. These emotionless, superhuman warriors were made to oppress the rebel Insurrectionists on Planets like Madrigal.
While Halo 5 did tackle a situation where Chief rebelled against the UNSC, it was only to save Cortana, while in this series, a reclaimer artifact gave him flashbacks of his childhood. Memories, that were erased when he entered the Spartan II program as a child.
The only thing that truly shocked me was the fact that a human was among the Covenants highest ranking officials: the prophets. For as long as we've known them, the prophets have absolutely hated humans. While I did say to ignore the previous set lore, this was hard to not comment on.
All in all, I think that this series has potential to be something special and unique, without relying on Chief fighting aliens. While the first episode includes plenty of fighting to appeal to more common fans, it also did a good job of establishing what Master Chief's character arc is going to be in this show.
So should you give this show a chance? Yes. In my opinion this series has an opportunity to be something interesting, weaving in lore while putting a new spin on things. So if you like Halo, or even just sci-fi, give it a shot.
Reviewer Name: Eric Trujillo
Date of Review: 3/30/2022