Now that I have seen more episodes of the Halo series, I want to revisit my initial assessment. Halo is a good show if you have never seen a sci-fi show before. Otherwise, it is a generic and unimpressive attempt at sci-fi with a halo skin. If you are a fan of the game, don’t bother. It has been a while since I’ve played any of the campaigns, but even I can see that this isn’t the show you were hoping for.
My biggest issue with this show is that none of its narratives are interesting. I don’t care about the space pirates, the UNSC, the spartan project, the rebellions, or the covenant. Every storyline serves as a reminder to the audience of a better show they could be watching. The build-up to the inevitable release of the flood is so drawn out that it left me apathetic to its various important story beats. This is the flashiest show you won’t care about.
The only good that comes from this show is some of the designs. Some of the costumes, weapons, and monsters are cool to see on screen. The problem is that they rely too heavily on the audience having rudimentary knowledge about the series. There are moments where the story stops to show off its famous iconography, but it does little to the story. Instead, they are shameless reminders that this show is somehow Halo, despite how far it has diverted from its source.
If you are a fan of sci-fi, don’t waste your time. If you are new to sci-fi, there are better ones out there. Watch Star Wars Rebels if you want something with a familiar IP that is well done. But for those who don’t believe me, watch it over on Paramount plus.
