Episodes 1 and 2 of the new Halo TV show are out soon on Paramount Plus, but the critics have weighed in early, looking at how things are shaping up thus far. We're pretty intrigued by this one, given how long the TV show has been in development.
Well, after the lengthy wait, impressions are finally here! The series will launch publicly on March 24th, but for now, here's what some critics are saying about the show's first two episodes:
IGN (7/10)
"Given how integral the massive battles between humanity and the Covenant are to the appeal of the Halo franchise, the lackluster action in the Halo premiere is cause for concern. However, the series gets enough else right in its first outing to make up for that shortcoming. As much as the premiere focuses on capturing the iconic weapons and technology from the games, it also shows a willingness to move its story in dramatically different directions. This is hardly a 1:1 adaptation of the games, and that's really the show's biggest selling point right now."
Polygon (No Score)
"I’m of the mind that Halo will be best served as a series because the show isn’t adapted exactly to the games. I don’t want a shot for shot retelling of what I’ve already seen or read. I want to love Halo in a new way, and to live in parts that I hadn’t had a chance to before. So while the first episode was a bit lackluster, the second episode actually picked up a bit."
Variety (No Score)
"Seeing the world through a vacant perspective might work for a game in which the audience has its own agency, but not for a show that requires its own point of view. In its first two episodes, 'Halo' doesn’t quite have that yet. But as another entrant in the ever expanding 'Halo' universe, it at least has enough ambition to make it worth a closer look."
Entertainment Weekly (C-)
"So it's worrisome to count zero moments of real awe in the two episodes Paramount+ made available to critics. After 21 years, Halo has enough history for its own endless prequel circling. This first season (with a second already incoming) seems to be slowly inching its way toward where everything started in 2001. Master Chief discovers a mysterious artifact, which upends his opinions about his military superiors — and himself."
The Hollywood Reporter (No Score)
"Visually, Halo has a little scale and the occasional eye-popping piece of imagery, ranging from Covenant’s glowing interstellar hub — like a jellyfish or a brain, complete with a spinal stem — to the colorful, pulsing evocation of the franchise’s “slipspace” travel. But if you’re making a sci-fi world-building comparison, there isn’t a second here that comes close to what something like Apple TV+’s Foundation delivered on a weekly basis."
Collider ( B- )
"Just as Master Chief is only able to scratch the surface of what has happened to him, the show feels like it is only beginning to uncover the vastness of its world. What we see is intriguing and demonstrates how there is a lot of potential for this Halo adaptation to thrive where many other forgotten attempts have failed.
It mostly succeeds in this regard, with the relationship between Quan and John proving to be the show’s saving grace. They offer a hopeful glimpse at a future where they both help each face off against a universe that is dead set on using them for their own means. Even when everything else around them struggles to come together, they remain the glue that holds it all in place."
So, this is looking like one where its introduction intrigues, but how the show develops into the season remains to be seen. We know we're getting at least two seasons anyway, as the Halo show has already been renewed beyond season 1.
Will you be checking out the Halo TV show later this month? Let us know in the comments below.
Comments 11
Can I (legally) watch this anywhere in the UK or is this US only at the moment? Really wanna try this out! 😁😁
I dont like reading reviews... I will watch what i like to watch and make my own decisions on if something is good or not.
Ok I'll admit it I'm that guy ....I've never actually played a halo game ( watched but not played ) so I don't know anything about the story ....do I need to play the games or can I just jump into the series ?
Folks watch what you like. I find that movie reviews are the worst of it all. The amount of critically acclaimed shows/movies that are trash is crazy. Manodo and Boba Fett are weak as well but still acclaimed and enjoyable. This i imagine will be similar to those show's. It will fall short of it's potential but still be enjoyable.
I'll wait until the season is done so i can binge it on a free trial vs going off to legal path
@Martsmall the series is not going to follow existing story so not having played the games will likely make it easier
@Krzzystuff good guess I'll b watching it then, thank you
From the trailer, we all could see that the show was not going to be something spectacular. It's just another political story using famous franchises to get views.
@fox_mattcloud VPN is your best friend there
@fox_mattcloud I asked this on another page here. Apparently Paramount+ is coming to UK in the summer. So legally you can't watch it until the summer.
@blockfight @fox_mattcloud I read that it's coming to Sky as Comcast have the Paramount rights.
https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/how-to-watch-paramount-plus-uk/
"Upon launch in the UK, Paramount Plus will be available at no extra cost to existing Sky Cinema subscribers, which includes Sky Q customers."
@MattWithoutFear I'm assuming it will come to Now TV too so since that's owned by Sky. Nice one, thanks.
I'm of the view that all you can really tell from 2 episodes are the production values, the SFX, the spoken script and the quality of the acting. Most series have a series long arching storyline, meaning you don't get the full picture until you have watched all the episodes. So 2 episodes is far to few to offer proper judgement, in my opinion.
Also, yes, this is something that Halo fans are looking forward to (maybe with a bit of trepidation!), but again, other than having a bit of insight into certain things, I always approach this type of thing with an open mind. The series is its own entity, and should be watched as such. It shouldn't have to stick absolutely rigidly with the lore, if the lore doesn't work with the series. Better to have a good series, than to be upset because something is the not as occurred in the games. I'm pretty sure that the series will, for the most part, be true to the games, but where it isn't, don't let it upset you. Just watch the series with an open mind, as if you have you haven't played the games, and enjoy it for what it is. And if the pacing seems a bit slow at the start because they are telling you things you already know, having played the games, just remember than not everyone will have done so (indeed, the majority of viewers are likely to not have done so) and so people and the story will need to be explained so that they are on the same page as you.
Finally, if you really are insistent on listening to a reviewers opinion (something I rarely do), I would suggest being advised by someone that has not played the games, as their opinions will be based purely on the quality of the show, rather the visual appearance of Cortana, for example...
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