When Halo came out in 2022, only two episodes were screened for critics. The pilot reportedly cost $200 million alone. Visually, the episode was worth every penny, but the rest of the season marked a reduction in quality compared to the pilot. While the finale rebounded nicely, many wondered if Halo could rebound in its sophomore season.
If there’s any indication, Halo is starting to give us The Empire Strikes Back vibes. Halo’s story is darker, with real depth, and the series scripts are tighter (though the mythology and canon will still probably rub hardcore fans the wrong way). The tone and pace are seamless, with a breakneck and torrid pace that leads to an overall season that is pulse-pounding and intense.
Paramount+’s Halo Season 2 Review and Plot Summary
The sophomore effort is a reboot in a way (while still sticking with how the first season ended) in surgery. The series then jumps ahead to where the UNSC Marine Corps attempts to displace a race of people to “save” them. Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) then races to give support into the fog to the UNSC communication group cut off from the rest of the squadron.
Something emerges from the mist, ready to attack the small band of warriors. After three are killed, the Master Chief protects Talia Perez (Cristina Rodio), a linguistics specialist, against a couple dozen alien Covenant members. The aliens walk away just as Spartan-118 and Talia think they are doomed. They also see a silhouette of a woman in the distance, who then disappears.
Halo’s new season is pulse-pounding and intense.
Season one failed because of significant inconsistencies, which may have been why the original showrunner, Kyle Killen, left. Now, after putting the Fall of Reach on full display as an important plot point from the game, the first four episodes are an example of escapism, meeting the expectations of a passionate fanbase.
That’s because the team here stopped trying to push the envelope of modernizing the game to mainstream standards. The action scenes now have a gritty realism and are less like a video game. The hand-to-hand combat is in your face. The characters, also portrayed by Schreiber’s Master Chief and Rodio’s Perez, are allowed to foster real connections that make the stakes greater.
Is Halo Season 2 Worth Watching?
Halo’s second season is worth watching because it’s the most improved series of 2024. The series works as a stand-alone season or a continuation of a subpar first year. The action has a cinematic quality, an epic storytelling quality that never lets up. Including episode four, titled “Reach,” which is the best the series has ever done.
Also, deciding to have Natascha McElhone’s Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey take a back seat at the beginning of the season helps reset the franchise and pick their spots with a storyline that pays off in surprising ways. Also, the addition of Joseph Morgan as James Ackerson makes for a more complex, three-dimensional villain than the show has had.
Where the second season goes remains to be seen, but all indications are that the Paramount+ series has been revived and is still standing.
What did you think of the second season of Halo? Let us know in the comments below!
You can stream the film Bosco only on Paramount+
Grade: 8/10
