Paramount Brings Halo To Life As A Weekly Series

On the planet Madrigal in the 26th century, some kids run out into the woods to hang out and go exploring. Stumbling across a covenant spaceship along the adventure through the woods, they are soon running for their lives, only one of them to make it home. As the Covenant soldiers follow the soul survivor of the attack to the human settlement and humans are being slaughtered, enter the hero of the story.

A UNSC ship appears overhead, and outcomes Master Chief. Leading his fellow Spartans through the settlement on Madrigal, they dispatch the covenant soldiers in short order, like the heroes they are.

This makes me long for the days my kid was in middle school and I would sit in on some gaming sessions with him and his friends. Halo brought out the inner geek in everyone. Anyone with a taste for science fiction or space that gamed loved Halo.

Halo

Paramount and Halo have given a gift to old gamers that fell in love with Halo. After being introduced to gaming again, I remember playing Halo with my son, and his friends. To see the 26th-century world of the Master Chief come to life has been a nostalgic joy for fans of the games.

At $10 million per episode, not only did the producers spare little expense to bring the series to life, they’ve bet heavily on its’ success. If you’re not sold on checking out Halo, then you probably weren’t a fan of the games or into sci-fi.

Pablo Schreiber, best known for 13 Hours, Den Of Thieves, and Skyscraper stars as Master Chief. Master Chief is a perfect soldier, enhanced to make him the perfect weapon in a war against the alien forces of the Covenant. When he lands on Madrigal and encounters a strange artifact, he starts to remember his life before being a Spartan. Complicating things even more, he starts to question the orders of his commanders, refusing to kill the survivor of the settlement, a teenage girl.

Schreiber does the character of Master Chief justice and has brought it to life in a believable way. He brings a silent stoicism to the Master Chief, has approached the character with the brooding mentality of a weary soldier, and was a great choice to cast as the iconic hero.

The first three episodes are working toward Master Chief finding who he is, understanding the ties between him and the artifact, and meeting Cortana (Jen Taylor).

The inner workings of the UNSC are complex, and it’s revealed early on that the military isn’t always acting in the best interest of humanity. Much like the modern-day issues we all deal with today, the show’s use of the political issues around energy production fits with today's times.

Where the rest of the season is going is still a mystery but with the special effects, well-told story, intriguing characters, and a talented cast that includes Natascha McElhone and Brokeem Woodbine Halo is proving to be an enjoyable ride.

Final Thoughts

As a show on a streaming platform like Paramount Plus, Halo has a better chance than it would on network television. Shows with budgets high enough that they’ll spend $10 million an episode require ratings to be in the 7s and 8s to last. Fox has tried it, as has ABC.

Streaming networks can rank their shows differently compared to mainstream networks and it’s why streaming networks are beginning to challenge more contemporary productions.

Halo could have a good two to three-season run on Paramount if they wanted it to last that long. Or, it could be a one-season adaptation that leads to the events in the games. It’s too soon to tell. For now, after the three episodes we’ve seen so far, I’ll give the series an 8.5 out of 10.

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