One of the screenings that were on the top of our list for SXSW 2022 was the screening of the first episode of the Paramount Halo Series. I will hold off on the spoilers until the show’s official release on March 24th but viewers have a lot to look forward to. I will say that there will be some things that veterans of the series will notice that aren’t canon. We already know that we are going to see Master Chief’s face at some point and I am interested to see how more people are going to react to that.
The first episode starts during what many fans know as The Insurrection which means we are dealing with a younger Master Chief than many fans know. This is a conflict between independent colonies and the UNSC and takes place before the Covenant enters the picture. I think that this was a great choice. It is a time that many know about but there is a lot of flexibility and creative liberty that can be taken with the story details. The series wastes no time getting to the action and I can say that the show is going to have a lot more gore than the games. Initially, it was a little jarring but you get used to it fairly quickly. The visual FX are great at some points and they stick out a little in others. Once you get into the show, you stop nitpicking at things like this. I believe once we get into the more alien and technologically advanced settings, things will look more cohesive.
Overall, the first episode of the Halo TV series was great in my opinion. The new voice of Master Chief will take some getting used to but that is something that long-time fans will have to look past to really enjoy the show. It is great that series veterans like Jen Taylor are still involved in the project. During the Q and A, there were many times when she was emotional but very happy to see a project like this finally come to fruition after years and many failed attempts. Choosing to go the route of a series instead of a two-hour movie may have been the best choice for a world that has been in development for over 20 years. So far, all the acting is pretty good and I can say Pablo Schreiber plays a good spartan. It is going to take a few more episodes to see if he is able to fill the shoes of Master Chief.
We got the exciting news that Paramount’s Halo series is already confirmed for a second season. I have some ideas on where this first season will take us and as a Halo fan, I am excited. The series will launch on Paramount+ starting March 24th. If you are a Gamepass Ultimate subscriber, you can expect to get a free month of the service. For full reviews of each episode, stay tuned to The Game Fanatics.
