Halo: The Series Season 2 Discussion Thread

[SgtSaint]

s02e07

I enjoyed that immensely.
Really liked ||The Kai+John v. Ackerson scenes.||
Still not so much liking ||Throwing away all the current S-II yet still doing S-II program development with the new batch.||
And I've never been a fan of ||magic in sci-fi. Pick a genre for Pete's sake.|| But that's a personal thing.

 

[SgtSaint]

I thought that's what I saw...

That's an old Earth, America, quarter. Not the UNSC coin from season 1. So the one Perez got on Reach at the antique shop before it fell.

 

[RCSRex]

S2E07

It's getting interesting alright. I was kinda half expecting the flood to show up in that cave Kai, Halsey, and Miranda were in when the forerunner looking city started revealing itself lol

 

[Lojak]

I think the show has found what makes Halo work.

Spoiler: The Right Stuff

This last episode seems to be grounding show back into the elements that make Halo, well Halo and not a different SciFi story. There is the introduction of the spooky looming threat of a new dangerous zombie like alien species that neither the Covenant or UNSC are ready for. Tapping a bit into that ancient forgotten mystery (that should never have been explained IMO). There is callous disregard for the Spartan III's, because ends justify the means (Though the UNSC really really need to hire some new strategists). Getting some more Covenant inner dynamics brewing. The Master Chief being a hero that humanity needs.

As of right now, nothing that has happened on the Rubble has really impacted the greater story beyond a place where some characters talked and pointed each other to the next plot point. If one of the pirates suddenly popped up and said, "hey the Rubble is now rubble." it would have zero impact.

I do think the show doesn't need to keep Cortana and Chief a part anymore. That is probably the main pillar of the main narrative of Halo. I'm ready for them to riff off each other.

This is where the show should have started flavor wise a long time ago.

But will it stay there?

 

[SgtSaint]

I agree. Now think about this.
9 episodes of season 1, and this was episode 7 of season 2. So episode 16 overall.
Had this been a show with normal length seasons we'd be 3/4th the way through the first season. What would the fanbase reaction be then? Without the huge year between. If this had flowed as one contiguous season.

Of course counter to that - Had this all been shot as one season they wouldn't have had the benefit of a year to SEE the fan reaction to the direction they went with the first 9 episodes and course-correct.

As for my personal feelings on magic in sci-fi and the Ha family genetic dynasty stuff...
I know I have to be more lenient. If I will accept being genetically keyed to work the artifact then here has to be some tolerance. For me, personally, one guy, the artifacts also being a communication method to project the user to a shared virtual space on the Halo world is about as far as I can stretch that. I'm even okay with the hologram map/star key etc. as that's still within the realm of "Any sufficiently advanced technology will appear like magic to a more primitive culture". But they loose me at the season 1 hallucinations/visionquest & season 2 guiding spirits. I would have accepted the same plot device if it were glowing stones in the wall only Kwan could see just like the star in the vault door. That would mesh with the map technology -AND- give a nice parallel to Cortana opening the doors for John. The ancients leading Kwan and Cortana leading John.

 

[SgtSaint]

S2E07

It's getting interesting alright. I was kinda half expecting the flood to show up in that cave Kai, Halsey, and Miranda were in when the forerunner looking city started revealing itself lol

Totally.
I kind of expected it to come out of the black container when Amanda opened it. Its only an assumption that it was the scientists notes. Totally reckless to think a plexiglass box and rubber gloves is good enough. Heck it could have been The Andromeda Strain and eaten through that without even considering what a totally alien compound could do. Instead of research notes what if that was the worst of the worst sample and the science died before getting it to the nuclear incinerator? I expect better thinking even from TV show scientists. There should have been another half season of R&D on that before even attempting to open it. I think they needed to give the audience a little push to help ensure demand for a season 3.

 

[Caboose1993]

Well that episode was wow!

Spoiler

The Flood was a little different than I was expecting but still pretty cool. Fitting that Paraongosky got got by the Flood.

The action in this episode was awesome! I want more episodes to see how the story continues

 

[Lojak]

Strong finish for season 2. A solid foundation for a season 3. I hope they get a chance to tell their story.

Update:
Wow I just can't not have follow up thoughts apparently

Spoiler: Why must brain be this way

As much as I'm feeling better about the direction of the show and that the cart if finally on the rails, it does feel rather shaky. I think the show really need to telegraph "this story ends when..." Because next season, if they follow Halo CE at all, will be all "Yay! they stopped the flood and did fire Halo." Then what? Back to just fighting the Covenant as always?

During the next season - which I genuinely hope they get, truly - I think they need to get in some messaging of "This war needs to end, and we need to take the problem of possible flood out breaks and goofing around with forerunner tech seriously." That way when the Heirarchs keep pushing to find the next sacred ring like the goobers they are, the audience can really be sympathizing and cheering for our protagonists post resolutions of Halo 1. At least thats how I remember feeling during Halo 2 and why it didn't feel like a repeat of Halo 1 - for that and mean other reasons.

Also also, please showtime studios, please, have Thel 'Vadaam set up as the main antagonist of season 3! that way in season 4 - or 3.5 - he can become the arbiter, and we get some sweet sweet Arby and Chief action to finish out the show. Also also also, lots of Cortana Chief time.

 

[ThreeEvening158]

And my reviews are completed! The review of Episode 8 is out now at Halo Season 2: Weekly Reviews
I'm really proud of the work I've done throughout the series.

 

[FalseShepherd]

I felt like both episodes 7 and 8 were awesome. I loved both of them. I think this season has really done a good job focusing the story away from the stuff nobody liked.

Spoiler: spoiler

Madrigal is gone, along with the whole evil warlord who is the new governor thing, the rubble is not part of it anymore, but we kept the main characters like Soren and his family (who I actually like quite a bit). Kwan is still here, but they have given her a purpose connecting her to the flood. I still maintain that this whole thing could have been done with Makee remaining dead. She doesn't add anything to the story in my opinion. I still think they should have left the flood until the finale of the third season (or like late 3rd season). That way they could have the realization about the flood after learning about the ring, and destruction of the flood (or at least presumed destruction) with the destruction of the first ring (like in the games). Also, they still have the opportunity, and I am going to place my bet now that season 3 finale is going to involve a warthog run along the ring as it explodes. That (hopefully) will be awesome.

Also, I will now begin morning for Kai. Not as much as I morn for Vannik, but she got a honorable death, that I thought was very fitting. I think she is actually one of the better written and acted characters. I like her "discovering her humanity" arc way more than the chief's.

All in all, I think this season has gotten really good. I hate that we had to lose the other Spartans but I feel like it was necessary to get the Chief on his solo adventure with Cortana as we know and love him. I will definitely be rewatching this season many times while I wait anxiously for season 3. Also, Paramount has a show about the popular video game ARK Survival Evolved which is very good. Anyone who likes that game should definitely give it a shot.

 

[SgtSaint]

Also, I will now begin morning for Kai. Not as much as I morn for Vannik, but she got a honorable death, that I thought was very fitting.

I'm holding out hope.
I'm not convinced she's dead.
1 - Her suit/armor is still in tact. And she and John have both survive ship crashes while in their armor. Kai crashed Halsey's ship then scaled the side of the FleetCom building in season 1. And
2 - In the after show (Halo: Declassified) they had good-bye sessions with both Vannik and Riz actors. They did _not_ do a farewell interview with Kate Kennedy.
So until season 3 and they proclaim her dead, in my mind she's alive but unconscious and just needs a SpaceUber to pick her up.

 

[BHE Photos]

I think the final episode was a decent, but 2 seasons in and the "save all the cool stuff for the season finale" is already getting old. I liked this season better than the last, but I'm still basically just watching it because it's Halo, not because it's engaging.

Spoiler: Things I liked about the final episode(s):

Seeing the Flood was cool. It feels premature in the grand scheme of things, but if they're not going to focus on any Human vs Covenant conflicts with any seriousness, they might as well kick off the Flood.

Chief was finally being Chief. I feel like they were trying to create their "Sir, giving the Covenant back their bomb" moment for the show during the space battle. I don't think they hit their mark, but it was still pretty cool.

The fight between Chief and the Arbiter was cool, ignoring the dumb "I'm gonna toss away my sword so I can punch the Demon instead" scene. The CGI felt oddly uncanny valley though, I hope they can improve that later. The background looked great, but I feel like there was a step missing in the production that I can't really put my finger on.

Finally on a Halo.

Spoiler: Things I didn't like about the final episode(s):

The Spartan III plotline felt pointless with no real payoff and could have been massively cut down or out to get to more interesting stuff. Kai could have simply been convinced to go along with Ackerson out of a sense of duty, and she would have sacrificed herself to take out the Covenant cruiser under countless easy to create circumstances. Even though I don't think Kai is dead, I don't see her returning to train more Spartan IIIs or the handful of remaining ones having anyone around to give them enhancements. I suppose Keyes could, but that would require either a "we have to do this quick and dirty on the ship" scene where Perez pops out of the med bay as a Super Soldier to save the day, or a major pause on the Flood plotline to revisit the Spartan IIIs getting enhanced, which I don't think would be a good use of run time.

I don't like Ackerson becoming "a good guy". His flip to caring about the Spartan IIIs felt incredibly forced. "Enemies to friends" is certainly a common trope, but I don't feel like this is a good redemption arc.

Killing off the Arbiter was annoying. We never found out what his shame was, his rebellion was even shorter than the Fall of Reach (that's a wild statement), and now we don't have any named connections to the Covenant besides Makee. The Covenant will hopefully be a major player in Season 3, and now they're going to have to bring in completely new characters again. I wish Makee would have betrayed the Arbiter or been separated from him so that Season 3 could have had an easy "in" with other Covenant cast.

Spoiler: S3 Predictions

I don't think Kai is dead and I don't think we've seen the last of Parangosky either.

Kai will almost certainly be picked up by a Human ship or maybe even snatched by a Covenant ship as a prisoner but break free. I suspect she'll pop up an episode or two into S3 to save the Chief or some other important character as a surprise reveal, followed by a flashback showing how she survived.

Parangosky's death was pretty weak for the villain they were trying to make her out to be, I'm disappointed in it. We also didn't really see much, other than all the infected people piling on her. If they treat this as her actually being dead to the Flood, I suspect she'll become a Gravemind-type, occupying the control room and being the side-plot for Kwan.
I could potentially see them saving her with a flashback of some Marine showing up immediately after Halsey leaves and headshotting everyone to save her. I'd rather they didn't though, I really wasn't a fan of her character.

I suspect that the Chief will pursue Makee into the Forerunner facility and they'll encounter Guilty Spark (or whatever the Silver timeline version is that we were shown). GS will separate them and decide to side with Makee because her mission aligns with his better.
Kwan's storyline will end up centering around a Gravemind forming on Onyx using Parangosky's body (similar to Keyes in CE). Perez will be her muscle and Keyes will be the brains, with Kwan fulfilling some spiritual connection to talk to Gravemind and have it's plan "revealed" to her. Gravemind will be planning to use Onyx/the Human and Covenant ships to destroy the Halo (with Chief still on it) and then take over the galaxy and go after Earth. Kwan, Perez, and Keyes will defeat the Gravemind (or at least thwart the plans) to save Chief.

I think Soren is going to end up sacrificing himself at some point during Season 3 to wrap up his redemption arc. Maybe saving Halsey somehow? Maybe the Flood are pushing through the facility and Soren has a last stand to buy time for the Kwan/Perez/Keyes trio to unthaw her with a cure/fix (time to lose that arm?). Make it an emotional scene of the trio "looking to Soren" like Halsey described the Spartans doing during training.

Kai gets picked up by a Covenant ship (perhaps that's how we are introduced to the important Covenant for the season) on their way down to the Halo. She gets free after they land and ends up saving Chief and teaming up with him as he's pursuing Makee and Guilty Spark.

I think Season 3 will end with the Flood escaping Onyx (hijacking a ship and making an unknown slipspace jump with implications that they're going after Earth), Chief and Kai racing against the clock to stop Makee and Guilty Spark, and the Covenant and Flood on Halo trying to stop all of them. Ideally we get an absolutely sick Warthog scene with Kai driving and Chief mowing down Covenant and Flood. I'm not holding my breath though.

No clue what they're going to do with Ackerson.

 

[MicaHusky]

That last episode was AMAZING. the entire episode had me *screaming* at my TV "no ******* way!!!!! NOOOO ******* WAYYYY OH MY GOD!!!".....I may have cried a little bit.

I cannot WAIT for season 3. Hopefully we hear on if it's being renewed sooner rather than later. I'd hope so because it seems that Halo might be one of their biggest draws to the Paramount+ platform as far as "exclusives" go.

 

[SgtSaint]

For those that did enjoy season two - some of us excited for a season 3 - Looks like we have to hope that Halo The Series finds a new streaming home.

Halo the series - cancelled

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/halo-canceled-paramount-plus-2-seasons-1235952581/ I hope they find a new distributor. Ya know this has to be related to P+ loosing hundreds of millions last year and more the year before and now being sold to Skydance. I bet by the end of 2025...

www.405th.com

 

[BHE Photos]

As someone that didn't enjoy the overall direction of the show, I think a hasty cancelation was probably one of the best results we could hope for, and the timing is arguably perfect for it.

As long as Paramount+ was running it, nobody else would even consider or attempt to compete. Now that they've given up, other streaming services can either save this exact show or pursue a total reboot.

I don't think the current setup is beyond saving. Realistically the end of this season is lined up pretty well for where another company could take a more game/book-accurate approach and get pretty close. They'd have to adapt a few things about how the Flood is revealed and kill off a few characters quickly, but they would be picking up pretty much right where Halo CE started if they wanted to make it that way.