Halo - Paramount + TV Series (was originally going to be on Showtime)

[squirtle]

Yeah, enjoying this, but the bit on the asteroid, with that music, made me think I was suddenly watching some kind of Mass Effect show. Still, I'm intrigued where this is going.

[MardiganX]

I've not been able to watch this yet but it seems to lean into the books as much, if not more, than the games in how its setting things up. Is that right? For anyone who has read the related books and watched the show of course. I always loved how they introduced the Mjolnir suits and then Cortana in the books so hoping the show pays some attention to that side of things.

 

I'm a huge fan of Pablo Scheiber so good to hear he is doing The Chief justice here.

[Lorfarius]

1 hour ago, MardiganX said:

I've not been able to watch this yet but it seems to lean into the books as much, if not more, than the games in how its setting things up. Is that right? For anyone who has read the related books and watched the show of course. I always loved how they introduced the Mjolnir suits and then Cortana in the books so hoping the show pays some attention to that side of things.

 

I'm a huge fan of Pablo Scheiber so good to hear he is doing The Chief justice here.

 

No, its different to the books. Really is its own thing,suspect they will stick to things like the fall of Reach at some point.

[5R7]

well, Jen Taylor's voice has finally arrived!

least it now sounds a bit more correct!

[Opinionated Ham Scarecrow]

Really enjoying this so far, I'm surprised to say.

[Spartan]

Just to add, I've just watched the latest episode of Picard and anyone that says Halo is a bad show needs to go watch that festering pile of shite and have good, long look in the mirror because holy fuck.

[Harsin]

A bad show that’s less bad than a spectacularly awful show doesn't automatically equal good.

[Spartan]

Latest ep is out

 

Much improved on last week and that sequence near the end was amazingly brutal

 

 

 

[Lorfarius]

I'm still enjoying it.

[Treble]

I watched the first two then completely forgot about its existence. Will try getting back on bored... sorry, board... but it's not exactly enticing. And I sat through the whole of season one of Wheel of Time 😳

[yakumo]

Should be called Mastercheeks.

[cavalcade]

I thought the first episode of this was surprisingly good. When someone literally fucking exploded and splattered someone's face with blood I did a double take and then things got even darker (I assumed the younglings Jedi temple bit wasn't going to happen, but it did). Compared to the dull processional yawnfests that are Manadalorian/Boba and the absolutely weapons grade shit acting in Expanse I thought it was fine. It did seem like the showrunners had tried their absolute best to make essentially unfilmable bullshit (the Halo universe) into a credible TV series and had put their hearts and souls into it. I'd watch more of it, which I never thought I'd say after some of the trailers.  

[fasteasyfree]

I'm loving how visceral the Covenant's weapons are compared to the game. Especially the needler and subsequent pink mist.

[Stig]

Onto episode 6 now and still really enjoying this. End of episode 5 was really great.

[5R7]

gotta be honest...this started a bit naff...but...ite really grown on me and i cant wait for more!

 

and that last ep!!!

 

[The Grand Pursuivant]

40 minutes ago, 5R7 said:

gotta be honest...this started a bit naff...but...ite really grown on me and i cant wait for more!

 

and that last ep!!!

 

 

Came in here to post the same.

 

Only started watching it because Pablo Schreider is in it. The beginning was very ploddy, but it wasn't bad and over the series it's gone from not bad to ok, to sort of good, to mostly good, to just really damn enjoyable.

 

It's not doing anything special, and it's not particularly clever, but whoever the showrunners are, they clearly understanding plotting, pacing and character development. They've also done the incredibly simple, but often ignored, method of setting rules for the universe and then, you know, actually following them. The characters have believable motives and act in the ways you'd expect when confronted with difficult choices. It's so basic but it means they've somehow managed to make a competent show out of the total mess that is the Halo canon.

 

The most recent episode was just brilliant stupid sci-fi fun the whole way through.

 

I'm definitely in for another season. Never thought I'd be saying that when it was announced.

[Lorfarius]

I've enjoyed it so far and most of the action was great but that bit where

Spoiler

Cortana just took over his body really rubbed me the wrong way. The Chief is just an awesome super soldier and supposed to be better than that, should have been him with her assisting in his ear. Really felt like they removed his agency.

 

[Gommy]

I habe enjoyed it overall though i'm not sure it's that great in many ways.

 

Spoiler

Power levels are all over the place, the Covenant are either a threat or not a threat.

 

Making him god level (despite his vitals failing?) cause Cortana is in charge?  The Pelican coming in cheers Cortana.

 

I can see why they had Cortana takeover because it really allowed them to not kill him, but leave it in peoples minds as a potential death of sorts, and they could decide to have him as game MC next season or play with it a bit, but at the same time not a fan.

 

The previous episode was so full of unworthy plot emotional development for no reason. He could have not slept with Makee and still had a conflicted emotional connection.  Didn't help for me that I saw her very much as a child still, she was abducted as a kid against the covenant height wise she still comes across like she could be quite a bit his junior, and maybe the years add up but who can remember them.

 

[MardiganX]

So this is on Sky at some point through its deal with Paramount+ yeah? Avoiding all the spoilers but great to see the encouraging views at this has progressed. Absolutely love Pablo Scheiber and cant wait to see his as The Chief. Helmet or not Helmet  

[RubberJohnny]

Can't help feel like people coming off Picard saying this is great is like when people coming off BF2042 praised Halo Infinite into GOTY even though both were below average. It's another terrible Kurtzmann show where it's just a series of things that happen to fill the amount of allocated time, most of them copied from other things he's seen, and none of it builds to anything or reinforces any sort of themes.

 

It's like a version of Boba Fett where in addition to being mostly boring it's by someone who didn't care for the IP and so whenever he pulls out his blaster he refers to it as "my lightsaber" and when he kills an assassin his last words are "Captain Kirk sends his regards". That level of "fucking nerds, who cares" is the only way I can work out how we got this weird mashup of the Hunger Games, the Expanse, Dune and Mandalorian offcuts, just something from top to bottom that's made by corporate to fill a #Content slot and so needs to be as stereotypically "scifi show" as possible, right down to half the dialogue being technobabble. I think the second post-Covid half is slightly better since it has a consistent showrunner, it develops a schlocky direct-to-DVD action movie vibe that at least works for it, even if it isn't 'good', y'know?

 

And boy the special effects in that last episode, I think even the Star Wars Prequels would have said "nah man":

 

[Mogster]

The effects are all over the place, and some of the shots in that last battle looked like an old videogame. Sometimes it looks good though, and the action tends to be well directed.

 

I enjoyed the series overall. It's far from prestige TV, but it was fun and I'm looking forward to seeing where things go in season 2. I think they've judged things perfectly in how much recognisably Halo stuff they use while telling their own story.

[Bacon Horsemeat]

Just finished this, I love it. There were a few handful of battle scenes - notably in the first and last episodes - which I loved. Just felt and looked very Halo. And Jen Taylor is there too. They also explained why MC in the games is so unlike him here.

 

Obviously a TV show has to pad out things from a game centred around shooting for hours. They've done really well, and looking forward to the next season!

 

 

[Stig]

The effect in episode 9 were terrible in parts but god damn if I didn't love 

Spoiler

Cheif fighting the Brute and the Halo music playing in the background. Think thats the first time we've heard it all season.

 

[IcEBuRN]

This was awesome! The effects are indeed, all over the place. From amazing covenant faces, to 2006 cgi scenery. However, (I'm not trying to flex here btw) the 4k HDR episodes look awesome. Far better than Marvel and Lucasarts have turned out recently. Strange new worlds is the only new thing that looks as good.

 

Recommended/10 (if you can get hold of it!)

[Alex W.]

Just saw an advert that it’s coming to one of the Five channels.

[The Boatman]

Just the first episode as a taster - for the full series you’ll still need to subscribe.

 

https://www.cordbusters.co.uk/halo-tv-series-coming-to-channel-5/

[Popo]

This is bad. It’s boring, the characters are boring, the effects are ropey, the sets look like cheap sets - it’s unfathomably bad. 

[WibbleWorldGiddy]

Wait. Didn't it cost £9 million per episode or something insane?

[K]

I don't think £9m per episode is that much, if the point of comparison is films. I mean, a 45 min episode is roughly equivalent to somewhere between a half and a third of a feature film in terms of running time, and I don't think £18m - £27m is a particularly big budget for a feature film, especially if you're trying to portray a galactic war.

 

Game of Thrones had a huge budget, but I remember reading somewhere that it was stretched so thin that they couldn't afford to do ADR, and had to record all the dialogue on-set (complete with bird noises and crew dropping things in the background).

[MardiganX]

The general theme in here seems to be that it starts ropey and improves as it progresses. Well… I’ve just watched the first 15 minutes of episode 1 and if that is a ropey start then whatever is to come must be absolutely incredible.

 

It’s clear they have had to cut corners in some of the effects but the important stuff, specifically the Spartans appears brilliantly staged and choreographed. I love the games. I loved the EU books even more, so I am absolutely delighted with how it’s started. 
 

Spoiler

The opening attack of the Elites shook me up a little as it was shockingly graphic, which I was NOT expecting. The way it sets things up before the Spartans arrive was very well measured as it captured the threat the Covenant pose and the power / legend of the Spartans in just a few minutes. Little touches like the Elite calling John “Demon” and the shield recharge sound made me grin like a little kid.