Halo TV series

Paramount's take on the Chief is finally due to hit select streaming services next week – as a primer, here's everything we know about the Halo TV series.

Halo fans will be glad to know that Cortana is actually being played by the same actress who voiced her in the Halo video games. Perhaps the most important thing to note, however, is that this adaptation does not adhere to the canon established in the games. Interestingly, one of the only people who has stuck around since day one is legendary director Steven Spielberg with his production company, Amblin Entertainment. The exact amount of influence Spielberg has had is unknown, although his perseverance through development hell implies he really wants to get this show made. Perhaps one of the most important elements to consider when discussing the Halo TV series is its cast. Whether you’re a die-hard Halo head who wants to digest as many details as possible before launch next week, or you’re just the kind of person who tunes into the vast majority of upcoming sci-fi tv shows, we’ve got you covered. Master Chief has finally made his long-anticipated television debut, so it’s the perfect time to ruminate on everything we know about the Halo TV series as things kick off.

The anticipated Halo TV series drops on Paramount Plus this week. Check out the best ways to stream the new show.

We talked about the characters and the world.” We didn’t talk about the game. When speaking about the creative process behind the series, showrunner Steven Kane told Variety, “We didn’t look at the game.

Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief in “Halo.” (Adrienn Szabo / Paramount+). By Todd MartensGame Critic. March 24 ...

In fact, I’d welcome more of the latter, and it was relief when the Covenant leader looked like a creation inspired by the Jim Henson mold. There’s time for “Halo” to find its groove. And it’s full of transmedia content with a built-in audience that simply wants more. Master Chief is the killing machine with a conscience, Halsey is a most sinister mother figure , the young rebel Kwan Ha (Yerin Ha) serves to instigate Chief’s moral awakening and the Covenant aliens are fighting a theological war no one quite understands yet (but it does lead them to murder, unprovoked, human outposts on random planets). There’s the orchestrator of the super-solider program, far-from-subtle schemer Dr. Catherine Halsey (Natascha McElhone). There’s an alien race known as the Covenant after a powerful relic, which just so happens to be giving Master Chief memories. Master Chief’s fuzzy memory is a common conceit in games, one so clichéd it’s stunning that it still happens.

Halo, the Paramount Plus series based on the Bungie and Microsoft games of the same name, has wiped away the series' lore for the Silver Timeline.

(At least, not the way The Mandalorian can, thanks to the wider familiarity with Star Wars.) Halo surrounds Chief with other faces and a familiar story, one where Chief rebels against the one order he can’t follow, trusting that viewers will want to know what other characters do: Why? And so it gives a face to a faceless man in actor Pablo Schreiber's Master Chief, an act that to some, may be sacrilege in and of itself, despite the fact that it’s necessary for a show that cannot count on its audience’s familiarity with the lore. Halo, the Paramount Plus TV series premiering Thursday, is a continental rift in these two camps — the fans who know all the stuff happening in the greater Halo Universe, and the people who just play the games.

The Halo TV series is here, with the first episode, Contact, leaving a strong impression while laying the groundwork for a show aimed at longtime fans and ...

Time will tell who she is and why this is happening, but the idea the Covenant, in all its religious dogma and manipulation, might possibly work with a human traitor is tantalizing in possibility. He recovers, starting the journey back to the planet Reach with both the device and Kwan in tow. That brevity is nowhere to be found here, outside of a few lines from the ever-stoic Master Chief. Special attention was clearly given to the weapons models and sound effects, as the recharge noise of an energy shield sounds just as satisfying here as in Halo Infinite. It's brutal to watch unfold and comes as something of a grounded shock to reality. Yet danger is imminent for the teenage Kwan Ha Boo (Yerin Ha), as well as her friends and family at the mining station.

Decent sci-fi action and a charismatic new Master Chief make an attempt at breaking the video game adaptation curse.

That seems like a missing and load-bearing emotional pin in the subplot involving Miranda’s father, Jacob Keyes (Danny Sapani), and Halsey. But that can’t be present yet because the show needs to keep Chief’s past a secret. One episode in, Halo as a TV series is off to a competent but dull start. (In the books, Paragonsky oversaw a project to sell weapons to Covenant rebels.) On the other hand, the Spartan program works. Zooming in, the show set out to present Master Chief as more outwardly expressive than in the games, and Pablo Schreiber makes a good first impression. Spartans don’t actually save the civilians in the first scene; Kwan’s survival is essentially an accidental by-product of the Spartans serving as indestructible cameras for the UNSC’s spies. Ultimately, the attempt fails, and the two unlikely shipmates head off into the galaxy to discover the rest of the season (and, presumably, the titular Halo ring). That’s a problem for UNSC scientist Catherine Halsey (Natascha McElhone), the creator of the Spartan program, and Admiral Margaret Paragonsky (Shabana Azmi), UNSC intelligence master. The comparison doesn’t extend to the idea of practical sets or creatures, though. Is the TV show the start of a new golden age for the franchise? But unlike the surface reading of the games, the Spartans aren’t treated as the heroes here. Quick clarification: the TV series is not canon to the games, per se. Although she’s up to teenage hijinks at the start of the episode, it’s not long before her life becomes irrevocably intertwined with Spartan Master Chief John-117 (Pablo Schreiber).

Paramount Plus' biggest original series yet appears to be dividing the most loyal of Halo fans.

It wasn't surprising to see that the bulk of the Redditor reactions to the Halo show are on the other side of the coin. Lastly, let's end on an example of the kind of reaction that some of us expected. All of the discrepancies in the series have led this redditor to note they're not even sure if they'll watch episode 2, noting they "might watch." But that user's Halo fandom shined through when they wrote about how the lack of game series lore was a fail. We're curious if we'll share his reaction once we've seen it, but it would be hard to imagine that the Halo series would be watchable if Schreiber didn't turn in a performance that kept audiences engaged. An even more-positive reaction came from John Quinn, who found the series to meet all of his expectations.

Inspired by the game series by the same name, Halo is an action, adventure, and military science fiction series created by Kyle Killen and Steven Kane. Halo TV ...

The character appears in the game, as well as in the Halo TV series. In the videogame franchise, John’s face was never revealed before the release of Halo 4. The first episode of Halo season one just dropped today, and it was amazing, just like the fans expected.

The Halo TV series is now live across the globe, bringing Microsoft's hit video game franchise to the big screen. Here's how to watch Episode 1 following ...

Paramount Plus is also available in Canada, meaning that Canadians will also have access to the Halo TV show as soon as it launches on March 24. The Halo TV series isn't available in the UK and won't be anytime soon. The first episode of the Halo TV series launched on March 24, with future weekly installments to follow for all members. The best way to watch the Halo TV series today is via a VPN, using the above steps to bypass geographic restrictions. It's easy to sign up and relatively affordable, priced at $4.99 per month in the U. S. Those who choose an annual plan will also get a further 16% off the subscription. It means that for many, watching the new Halo TV series requires a VPN right now. While VPN users might run into trouble when paying for Paramount Plus overseas, a prepaid $25 gift card is the best workaround. The show first launches into Paramount Plus, available in a handful of regions with the service, ahead of a broader rollout over the months to come. That includes the ability to mask your location from websites you visit, accessing content usually blocked in your region. The Halo TV series launched into Paramount Plus on Thursday, taking Microsoft's video game franchise to the big screen with an inaugural nine-part season. While Halo later heads to various European networks outside Paramount Plus, they're not scheduled to broadcast the show until sometime in the second half of 2022. The first episode of Halo is now live via Paramount Plus, with an extended rollout set to follow across the globe throughout 2022.

The "Halo" TV series on Paramount+ kicks off with two strong episodes that humanize series protagonist Master Chief in a way that the Halo video games ...

The first two hours of Halo do exactly what a brand new TV show should do: They introduce the world, the key characters, and the dominant themes. When his human side begins to resurface in a way that leaves him at odds with his commanders, Cortana is mentioned as a possible fix — a way to bring the absent Spartan back into the UNSC fold as an obedient and rule-following tool of destruction. But by the end of episode 2, the Covenant's motives (beyond just not liking humans all that much) remain a mystery. Dr. Catherine Halsey (Natascha McElhone), a scientist and the creator of the Spartan program, is at odds with Admiral Margaret Parangosky (Shabana Azmi), who runs the military's intelligence division. There's Soren-006 (Bokeem Woodbine), a Spartan program dropout who has some personal history with Chief from the days before he put on his helmet. It's here that we meet Kwan Ha Boo (Yerin Ha), only daughter of the local resistance leader and a person who is about to have a truly awful day when alien forces invade. The opening two hours pack in a tremendous amount of world-building, even visiting locations gamers have never seen before and introducing known characters with far more complexity and nuance than their digital counterparts. The intro also packs in a crucial amount of vital exposition and scene-setting, just for good measure. It still feels like we're in character and story setup mode after the second hour, especially with regard to people not named Kwan Ha or Master Chief. There's a cast of intriguing characters arrayed around those two, and all of them seemingly tie to subplots that will shape our journey through Halo's debut season. The tide only turns when Master Chief and his squad of fellow Spartans show up to save the day. You'll understand why far-flung colonists aren't the UNSC's greatest fans, and you'll see the origins of whatever grand space adventure lies ahead for Kwan Ha. You'll also get your first glimpse of the deeper mystery at play when Chief discovers an ancient alien artifact that unlocks... Master Chief is a relic from a different era in video games, a time when seemingly all the heroes were gruff white men who spoke through their weapons more than their mouths.

The early episodes of Paramount+'s much-delayed new adaptation of the classic video game series miss their target, though the streamer appears to be giving ...

The series has already been renewed for a second season under a new showrunner, David Wiener (who developed the one-and-done drama Brave New World for Peacock). That renewal could reflect confidence in how the first season proceeds, or it could be a product of the time and fortune invested in this project, and the potential payoff (and small-screen spinoff universe) that awaits if it finds a large and loyal audience. In its exterior spaceship shots and its depiction of downtrodden colonies and an off-the-grid asteroid-field hideout, Halo seems to be aiming for The Expanse and its conflict between Belters and Inners, but its politics and power struggles aren’t as rich right out of the gate. Kiki Wolfkill, an executive producer of the series and a studio head at Microsoft-owned Halo game maker 343 Industries (which worked closely with Paramount+ on the production), has likened its scope, assortment of settings, and interlinked cast of characters to that of Game of Thrones, but Halo’s themes, dialogue, and characters aren’t exactly HBO-caliber. “What’s the point of saving humanity if we’re gonna give up our own?” one character laments, summing up a central tension of not only this series, but every other series about a world (or worlds) at war. A plot that provides a different reason for Chief and Cortana to arrive at Alpha Halo may make the mythology worth revisiting for fans who’ve worn out their Master Chief Collection, though for a series that tries to stand on its own, the adaptation doesn’t always hold the hands of Halo noobs as it lays out the state of civilization in 2552. Aside from a divisive new look for Cortana (who’s voiced by video game holdover Jen Taylor), Halo nails the looks of its legacy guns, vehicles, and characters. (Nor does it need to; one can already play Halo on the same screen.) Although those comments could alienate some portion of the player base that believes the minds behind the series should be lifelong, hardcore fans, a perfectly faithful adaptation would be largely redundant (and let’s be honest, fellow fans of Halo—not always close to coherent). Two similar-but-different versions of Halo canon coexisting could be confusing at times, but Halo has always been confusing, and sci-fi/superhero fans’ brains are already broken by multiverse creep. At the start of the episode, his task is to kill the Covenant and help quell an insurrection on the strategically valuable colony world of Madrigal; by the end of the episode, he’s interfacing with a Covenant artifact, dredging up his hidden past, and defying orders for the first time to protect a survivor from Madrigal whom he’s been told to execute. They may not be Mando and Grogu in terms of meme potential, but Schreiber and Ha have the presence and chemistry to capture as much of the audience’s attention as the script permits. The premiere establishes that 26th-century humanity is at war with an implacable enemy whose origins and desires it doesn’t understand; that Chief and his fellow psychologically conditioned and physically augmented Spartans are the tip of the UNSC’s spear and its PR campaign; that the UNSC has a heavy hand in keeping colonies in line; and that Chief has special, mystical abilities, repressed childhood memories, and a long-suppressed conscience. To Halo’s credit, the series doesn’t slow-roll its plot: Within the first episode, Chief goes from perceived faceless enforcer for the United Nations Space Command to perceived savior of the species in its struggle against the Covenant back to merciless, unquestioning killer, and then to manipulated, sympathetic pawn and righteous rogue who rejects an immoral mission. It’s impossible to pass a definitive verdict after seeing only the two episodes sent to critics in advance of the nine-episode season’s start, but in the early going, at least, the series maps a middle path that may fail to fully satisfy either Halo diehards or nongamers in search of nuanced, cerebral, inventive sci-fi. Video game adaptations have made an evolutionary leap in the past few years, but at least one ironclad rule remains from the dark days of the 2000s: If you’re going to make a movie or TV version of a first-person shooter, you have to show some shooting from a first-person perspective.

The much-hyped adaptation of the phenomenally successful video game crash lands on TV with impressive visuals but not much else.

This is despite the show giving him ample opportunity to remove his helmet, which rarely happens in the game. The game and TV show seem to borrow from all the good places in modern sci-fi. Luminaries such as Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson and District 9’s Neill Blomkamp have all been involved in trying to get a film based on the explosive exploits of Masterchief across the line for the best part of two decades, yet to no avail.

"Halo" isn't the first videogame to become a movie or TV show, and it certainly won't be the last. But the series faces a formidable challenge crafting a ...

Halo" has gone through a series of creative contortions through the years -- including plans for a movie, then a series, and input from different showrunners -- before landing at Paramount+, and that history appears evident in the hodgepodge nature of the enterprise. The producers (a long roster that includes Steven Spielberg) also incorporate a nod to what's come before by casting "2001: A Space Odyssey" star Keir Dullea in a supporting role, as Master Chief returns to his home planet, Reach, and a new set of bureaucracy and challenges." The mission brings the Spartan leader, Master Chief John 117 ("The Wire's" Pablo Schreiber), into contact with a strange artifact that risks jolting him out of his carefully programmed stupor.

Watch Halo free on Paramount Plus and enjoy Pablo Schreiber's turn as Master Chief from wherever you are. Halo premiere date, start time, TV channel, ...

Remember to use a VPN to access your Paramount+ account when travelling outside of Australia. Make sure you use a VPN to access your account when travelling outside of Canada. Paramount Plus will also be the place to stream Top Gun: Maverick in 2022. People are exhausted but also excited to take forward what we learned [on season 1] or the ideas we didn't get to implement. US citizens can use a VPN to watch Halo on Paramount+ when travelling abroad. "You know, not unlike a game you finish, you immediately have lots of things we want to do. Mission: Impossible 7 will premiere within 45 days of showing in theatres, for example. Bad news: Halo won't premiere in the UK until summer 2022. For Halo, you may wish to choose 'USA' for Paramount+. Away from the US at the moment? Make sure you know how to watch the Halo TV series on Paramount+ from anywhere in the world. Halo, the brand new TV series based on the iconic video game, featuring Master Chief, makes its US debut shortly, in the small hours very early on Thursday 24th March 2022.

Commentary: Fans may freak out at [slight spoiler], but the Paramount Plus television version of Halo takes John 117 to new dimensions of character depth.

Halo, as popular as it is, doesn't have the same mass appeal of Star Wars. Kids grow up learning about lightsabers, Tatooine, jumping to lightspeed and all that lore (including prominent helmeted characters like Boba Fett and Darth Vader). The Mandalorian was set up as a western, with a faceless gunslinger caring for an uber-adorable, melt-your-heart sidekick. The growing bond between Master Chief and Ha draws comparisons to The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda, but there are some key differences. It's a clear signal that this show breaks from the game's canon in a lot of big ways. The TV show introduces complexities that make the story more compelling, even if it turns what Halo fans know and love on their head. Maybe. But seeing this war-weary face, of a man questioning the military authority he's been raised to obey, is key for the show given how much the other characters, the story, and really the entire universe, hinges upon this one character. Halo will need to educate many viewers on the different races, worlds and political dynamics, and it does that through John's eyes.