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Halo - General Discussion


BetterButter
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Halo is a 10 episode live-action TV adaptation of the Halo Video Game that will air on Paramount Plus. Steven Kane is the showrunner and series executive producer.

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Set in the 26th century, the series takes place in a moment in history when humanity is entangled in an intergalactic war against an alien menace known as the Covenant. To win the war, the brilliant scientist Dr. Halsey created the Spartans, super-soldiers genetically and technologically enhanced to improve their physical and mental capabilities. The series follows the story of Master Chief Spartan John-117, the commander of a Spartan unity.

Master Chief Spartan John-117 will be played by Pablo Schrieber
Natascha McElhone plays Dr. Catherine Halsey
Jen Taylor plays Cortana 
Shabana Azmi plays Admiral Margaret Parangosky
Bokeem Woodbine plays Soren-066
Charlie Murphy plays Makee
Kate Kennedy plays Kai-125
Natasha Culzac plays Riz-028
Bentley Kalu plays Vannak-134
Olive Gray 
Yerin Ha 
Danny Sapani
Ryan McParland 
Burn Gorman 
Fiona O’Shaughnessy 

Edited by AnimeMania
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Soren-066      Spartan-II warrior

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Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey      UNSC and Office of Naval Intelligence scientist

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Kwan       human civilian

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(L-R) Yerin Ha as Kwan Ha, Natascha McElhone as Halsey, Bokeem Woodbine as Soren, Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief, Kate Kennedy as Kai, Natasha Culzac as Riz and Bentley Kalu as Vannak. 

 

Edited by AnimeMania
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Halo         S01.E01: Contact

In the year 2552, humans on the planet Madrigal have been fighting for independence from Earth, but a fatal encounter with the Alien Covenant complicates things. Master Chief John 117 and his super-soldier “Spartans” join the fight. After the battle, Master Chief heads to his home planet of Reach with a Madrigal survivor and a mysterious object he discovered on the planet. But a controversial order has John questioning his mission, and himself.    

Original Airdate: March 24, 2022
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So, am I supposed to like or root for Quan? Because LOL! No.

It was a bad writing decision having her run out on those kids to supposedly "do something" only to do absolutely jack shit and need to get saved twice. The second rescue got her dad killed. Better to have her fighting and somehow surviving; her dad did, so it wasn't impossible. That way they still get to kill all the kids and not have Quan look like a coward and an idiot.

Then she strong-arms the government into cutting a deal they absolutely didn't need to make to free the colonies. Because the perfect time to be playing games with a fucking totalitarian regime that's been stomping on your neck for a hundred years is when a genocidal alien race wants to wipe out humanity. Yeah, that's smart. I know the writers think it makes Quan look badass and important, but it doesn't, it just makes her look selfish, unreasonable, short-sighted, and dumb. And if they want to use the: "She's just a kid" excuse, get an actor who actually is, or at least looks like a real child.  Yerin Ha is 24, looks it, and I can only suspend my disbelief for so long.

The show wants to justify her presence, I get it, but they went about it in a badly written way. I shouldn't be hoping she dies every time I see her on screen. And that a lot of the plot seems to be driven by her being around does not bode well.

Give me more of the Spartans, please, not the Scrappy.

 

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I enjoyed the first episode.  I know nothing about the game.   Yes, Quan is stupid.   She's a teenager who I guess was  privileged due to her father's position.  I am interested in finding out more about the Master Chief.

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Halo       S01.E02: Unbound

John takes Kwan to an old friend and learns more about the mystery object, which the Covenant and Makee are determined to steal. With the alien threat growing, Dr. Halsey has a plan to deal with John’s unpredictable behavior.

Original Airdate: March 31, 2022
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Has a little bit of a Space: Above & Beyond feel. I’ve enjoyed the first two episodes. I don’t know why Kwan exists. I guess to prompt his memories and compassion. But they could have lost her right after. 

His old buddy is kind of a dick.

Edited by Ottis
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I think its weird the Covenant would have a human in their group.  I don't really understand what they are or what they want.   I hope Kwan stays at wherever she is.   I love Burn Gorman and he is a bad guy as he usually is!

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Halo    S01.E03: Emergence

John meets his new partner, and he discovers secrets inside his own memory. Kwan wants to return to Madrigal to continue her people’s fight for independence, but Soren has other plans for her. Makee initiates her plan to retrieve the Madrigal object, with deadly consequences.

Original Airdate: April 7, 2022
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Episode 3 is better. Much, much better than the first two episodes. There's still some stilted dialog and awkward performances, but there's definite improvement all around.

Pablo Schreiber also got real naked. That was pretty nice.

Cortana is great! A real highlight. I like how her relationship with Master Chief is developing and the inherent conflict that comes with it. Very promising.

Yeah, if I was Makee I'd be very pro 'fuck all humans,' too.

Quan still suuuuuuucks! She's complete garbage. I mean, wow, is she really supposed to be likable? Or is she going to get a character arc to make her less of an asshole? If she is, then the show needs to hurry that shit along. Stat!

And I knew Halsey's assistant? Lab tech? Fellow? was a creep from jump!

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Halo    S01.E04: Homecoming 

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Guided by his visions, John takes Halsey and Cortana back to where it all began, looking for answers from his past. With Soren along for protection, Kwan goes in search of an army. Meanwhile John’s behavior inspires another Spartan to begin a journey of self-discovery. And Miranda discovers a possible link between the artifact and something much larger.

Original Airdate: April 14, 2022
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I liked the Spartans interactions with Miranda. It was surprisingly cute. All the pet slaughter notwithstanding.

Quan... Ugh. Just... Really? Your father didn't die fighting for freedom, he died protecting your dumb ass. Did she even warn her people, or her aunt about the Covenant? I wouldn't know, because I started fast forwarding through her scenes after she threw a temper tantrum like a five year old. I literally hate her face!

That assassin lady is pretty badass.

And I see Burn Gorman is keeping it tight.

Master Chief's plot was kind of boring, but not unwatchable. Not enough Cortana for one, and the search for the artifacts isn't all that interesting. At least not yet.

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Waiting for the 'when will Master Chief find out what Halsey's been hiding from him' shoe to drop is just painful. As are all the sly looks just outside of his periphery vision and the risky bite-size conversations just out of his earshot, which he appears utterly oblivious to - I mean really, how convenient yet gratingly irritating as a viewer. I'm really wondering whether they purposely want to make him look dumb AF by doing all this nonsense?

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2 hours ago, SilverStormm said:

I'm really wondering whether they purposely want to make him look dumb AF by doing all this nonsense?

When I say 'dumb' I'm actually using dumb here as shorthand for un-astute, oblivious, naive, non-shrewd. Which, surely, as the seemingly revered 'Master Chief' he ought to be none of those things, in fact, quite the opposite? But what do I know? Perhaps I'm wrong; I've never played the games and know nothing about the backstory/plot, but to my mind that just seems like a common sense assumption, for a character in his position, as a show-only viewer. I'm finding it somewhat annoying that he's being played by Halsey as if he's a complete chump. He was self-aware enough to not only question but defy the order to execute Kwan, yet then goes back and allows an AI to be put into his brain with no qualms until after the fact? I know soldiers are trained to obey orders without question etc...BUT we already saw him disobey a direct order, therefore, it's a fair assumption that we're supposed to extrapolate from that that he isn't a mindless drone... except when the plot needs him to be? 

It smacks to me of that old, tired & lazy writing device of making a character smart/strong whenever the plot needs it and then dumb/weak whenever the plot needs it, yawn.

As for Kwan, ^eyeroll^, that plot is so stupid and ridiculous my brain refuses to absorb most of what's going on, I try but my brain says 'NOPE, CAN'T DO IT SORRY, BYE!'.  I mean, "I promised I'd protect you!" So, I'll take you to a place where you're wanted and put you at risk because you said you'd pay me to do so... WTF, and we're supposed to take that logic seriously? 

I want to like this show, but show, you're making it difficult. Stop making it difficult.

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I'm a huge fan of the video game franchise and it's still a bit weird to see it on screen - but the show is growing on me weekly. Still not my favorite show, but entertaining enough. 

My biggest gripe is Kwan. Why do so many shows insist on writing the SAME massively annoying, "I'm ready to fight and make awful decisions!" teenager trope? I'm sick & tired of seeing "the kid" of the show written only with "spunk" and no smarts. Now that she's gotten her last remaining family member killed, maybe she'll grow some new brain cells? 

Edited by Lunula
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Halo    S01.E05: Reckoning
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On the run and out of options, Kwan and Soren have a difference of opinion. With the possibility of finding the mysterious Halo on everyone's minds, John makes a horrible discovery. And the war rears its ugly head.
Original Airdate: April 21, 2022
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I too am so tired of Kwan.   I keep hoping she's killed.   Halsey is boring to me, how is she the same age if she was around when John was a kid?  I feel sorry for her daughter.  She has rotten parents.   I'd like to know more about how the Spartans were picked or stolen as kids.  What is the human with the Covenants plan?  I can't remember her name.   I hope they don't fall for the poor female routine.

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Halo      S01.E06: Solace

Survivors from battle return to Reach. John confronts Dr. Halsey, and the lies of his past. The new prisoner seems to know John better than he knows himself. Determined to understand more, John turns back to the mystery artifact, which shows him something truly startling.

Original Airdate: April 28, 2022
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Two of the three series plots so far are annoying tropes. The Blessed One enemy pretending to be a hostage means we now have to wait until everyone else figures it out, and Kwan is just beyond irritating. The only interesting story is the overall war and John, and even the aspect of John and how he became a Spartan is cliched. Even if the Blessed One and a freed Marigal end up being key to the war, the path there will be long and irritating. 

Edited by Ottis
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(edited)

I binged all the available episodes. As a game player and book reader, it's just interesting to see it on the screen, tropes and all. Especially when I know where it ends up.

Someone will have to correct me, but I think they are playing fast and loose with some of the canon regarding Halo itself. Unless they use the mind-wipe trope.

They threw in some blatant game references that fell flat. Yes, Kwan sucks, but I want to know where Makee got her snake friends.

Jen Taylor is excellent, as she has been in most everything she does.

They couldn't scan the ground to find out where he buried the box?  And they should've known right away it wasn't the artifact. It wasn't big enough to hold the smaller piece.

 

Edited by Tachi Rocinante
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Halo    S01.E07: Inheritance
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Kwan's journey to uncover her family's "true purpose" takes her deep into the deserts of Madrigal. Soren obsesses over unfinished business.

Original Airdate: May 5, 2022

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Halo    S01.E08: Allegiance
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John and Makee come to terms with their shared vision. Halsey has one last chance to save her mission, and herself. As things come to a head, everyone must choose a side.

Original Airdate: May 12, 2022
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On 5/12/2022 at 2:28 AM, AnimeMania said:

Halo    S01.E08: Allegiance
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John and Makee come to terms with their shared vision. Halsey has one last chance to save her mission, and herself. As things come to a head, everyone must choose a side.

Original Airdate: May 12, 2022
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I’m not even sure what the sides are. Halsey with her own agenda. Programmed Spartans vs. no longer programmed Spartans. Covenant vs Humans. Makee vs John… maybe? Cortana can’t make up her mind. Various people people claiming to be what they are not. I don’t know who I should root for. Though I enjoy Makee’s Irish accent. 

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Scrolling up the topic a bit was the first time I realized Kwan wasn't in this episode at all. That shows how much I don't miss her when she's not in an episode. I am only really interested in the plots abouth the alien artifacts with John, Halsey, Miranda, Makee and the various supporting characters involved in that part of the show.

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Halo    S01.E09: Transcendence

Season Finale

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Beaten, battered, and betrayed, John 117 leads the Spartans on a suicide mission to find the Halo and save humanity. But at what price?

Original Airdate: May 19, 2022
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(edited)

Well that was, something, I guess.  Halsey could have at least dyed her hair.

Spoiler

Makee was created specifically for this show as a plot device.  She is not canon in the books or the game.

Yes, Halo is a weapon.  But both sides are clueless to it's real purpose.

 

Edited by Tachi Rocinante
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