The first season of Paramount+’s Halo series is a lot of fun and features a few excellent performances when judged on its own terms. There are a few little problems here and there, including the speed and the way the story discards individuals who seem to be significant, but overall, the series’ advantages outweigh its drawbacks.
Despite this, Redditors tend to lean in the opposite direction most of the time. Any departure from the game’s lore is immediately impermissible, and compliments are frequently given reluctantly and are often received with hostility.
It’s A Good ‘What If?’
Master Chief in the Halo TV Series Thaneros2 views Halo as an alternate world programme similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe series What If? on Disney+. Although some Redditors disagree, they downvote the remark from positive three to negative three. That’s a completely appropriate mindset from which to enjoy the show.
“I’ve been loving the series and pretty much consider it as a What If…?” the Reddit user wrote. The upside is that they truly did their homework because each episode features a tonne of references that only lore fans would know, despite the fact that the programme diverges from the games and novels. Then Spuzaw entered with the upvote. There are numerous allusions to the games in the Resident Evil films as well. They still aren’t good because of that.
It’s Better Than The Game
Character armour and weapons in the Halo television series are remarkably accurate to those in the video games. But almost everyone on Reddit feels that it doesn’t adhere to the source material closely enough. Fewer yet believe it to be better than the original, with _ryanhxc standing out as someone who wrote, “It’s better than the game.”
TheRed Knight would disagree, having initiated the thread with a thorough study. They summarised their opinions as follows: “This programme is merely a terrible Halo adaption. It mutilates the lore, the major and minor characters, and the cosmos for no apparent artistic purpose. Back in 2009–10, you should have just let Neil Blomkamp do his thing. It would have been wiser to act quickly, and with Blomkamp and Peter Jackson on board, there’s no doubt it would have been a huge success.
It’s Good At All
Baransevim, a Redditor, just said they “thought it was good.” TheRed Knight, the original poster, responded, “Well, it’s not, but you have every right to appreciate the show; God knows we all have trash we like. Objectively, though, it’s a shoddy piece of writing, production, and directing.
The OP didn’t like the first Redditor’s opinion, and they didn’t like the second Redditor’s response either. Using the word “objectively,” Reddishcarp123 commented, “Definitely not speaking with any bias at all.” It’s hard to call a show “crap” with a 70% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. No one is claiming that the programme is flawless, but it is the first season of a high-budget video game adaptation, a subgenre that has never received positive reviews from critics.
Natascha McElhone’s Acting Is Weak
One Redditor critiqued a certain performer’s work and received a downvote to a negative two on a thread that was primarily dedicated to criticising Halo’s character development. The actress that plays Halsey is also a f***** terrible actor, according to TocTheElder. A one line delivery cannot be taken seriously.
Natascha McElhone, who plays Halsey, offers one of Halo’s strongest performances, despite the fact that many Redditors point out that the adversarial character’s line of reasoning sometimes lacks logic. McElhone also excelled in the 1998 films Ronin, The Truman Show, and Californication (2007-2014).
Not Following Canon Is No Big Deal
The Master Chief character and several United Nations Space Command personnel undergo significant changes in the Halo series (UNSC). Most fans consider any changes to be at best a diversion, especially when it comes to the brand-new Makee persona.
However, SeconddayTV has no problem with it, adding, “I don’t mind them at all not following the canon. Why would I want to see the same thing again after finishing the games?
Removing The Helmet Ruined Master Chief’s Persona
Some gamers are so fixated on the game’s mythology that Master Chief taking off his helmet is an unpardonable offence. However, since the protagonist must be able to express emotion visibly, it works for the programme. A now-deleted user, for instance, claimed that “Schreiber said a lot without uttering a word when he pulled off his helmet. He clearly has a lot of potential to be Chief, in my opinion.
The character and the show, in particular, were destroyed, according to TurtleChomps, who stated: “When he pulled his helmet off, I thought it killed the whole persona of Master Chief…felt weak and not super soldier at all.” While it’s obvious the Redditor is not the only one who thinks the huge scene from Halo’s pilot episode is important, their assessment of how it will affect the show is overblown.
The Show Looks Like A Fanmade YouTube Movie
Sergeant Johnson might not be present in the Halo television series, but Master Chief has arrived to shoot Needlers and ride Banshees. According to space thief on Reddit, “I think practical effects/CGI could work for live-action Halo, but the current show looks like a fanmade YouTube movie lol.” both he and the futuristic world around him are not depicted well.
The Redditor’s perspective received a downvote, which is most likely attributable to the later half rather than the former. Halo is ideally suited for an adaptation that combines prosthetics and computer effects, much like Star Wars. But even some of the series’ loudest critics concede that the special effects are a strong point and significantly superior to a fan-made YouTube movie.
The Show Should Have Gone With Halo 4’s Armor Design
Halo’s Silver Team armour is not a favourite among all Reddit users, so Thraggs wrote a thread to explain what they ought to have done instead: The armour from Halo 4 or 5 has less armour, which is why some fans don’t like it, but for a live-action series, I think it’d be perfect and allow actors for more fluid movement. “The series should have gone with Halo 4’s armour design,” says one fan. “It looks like movement is a bit stiff and cosplay-ish.”
The Redditor makes a good point about the necessity of smooth movement, and fortunately, during the first season, the performers didn’t come across as overly uneasy while wearing armour. Hurtfulfriend0 responded to the OP with a direct message that said, “That is unpopular, and while it is your opinion it’s also WRONG.”
The Special Effects For Cortana Are Poor
One of many Halo characters who appears flawless in the Paramount+ series is Cortana. She was generally regarded by viewers as a high point of the show, especially the way that she was represented digitally. Jen Taylor’s return to the position she has held since Halo: Combat Evolved was beneficial (2001).
In his thorough analysis of the programme, MikeTheActorMan mentioned Taylor’s return, but believed the special effects let her down: “It’s nice to hear her speak, but what have they done to her? Basically, she resides in the uncanny valley.
The Writing’s Not Bad
The dialogue in the programme is one of the most commonly mentioned problems by Redditors. It’s typical of science fiction programming, though seldom particularly intricate or stunning. Nevertheless, SnooBananas3995’s post “Don’t know what people mean when they claim awful writing” received a downvote to negative three.
“The entire plot only occurs because characters are dumber than bricks,” TheRed Knight retorted. A notion was then put out by TheTWP, who wrote, “This merely strengthens the impression that the show was based on a s***** sci-fi story that was dug out of a rubbish drawer and they just slapped Halo on the cover.” It may sound harsh, but everyone has the right to their own opinion, and many viewers will find Paramount+’s series to be a delightful action-filled diversion.
