Halo's New Showrunner Wanted to Create "An 8-Episode War Movie" in Season 2

The first episodes of Halo Season 2 have now arrived on Paramount+, and one of the things that's been noted by reviewers so far is that the tone is much different from the first season. A lot of viewers felt that the first season didn't properly capture the tone of the Xbox games that inspired it, but it seems things will be much different in Season 2. Speaking to ComicBook.com, Halo star Pablo Schreiber talked about the new tone, and the changes that have come about as a result of new showrunner David Wiener.

"I think one of the big changes from first to second season is the tone of the show. It's a little darker, it's more gritty, it's more subjective in terms of the point of view, and especially when we're in battle sequences we want you to feel like you're in the battle with the soldiers. We want you to feel like it's immediate and dangerous and you're right there," said Schreiber. "And so that was an opportunity to start the season off in that way by establishing that new camera vocabulary and art department vocabulary where there's always mist and fog and you can't quite see what's just beyond the next corner. The new showrunner, David Wiener, was adamant that he wanted to make an eight episode war movie basically, and this was kind of the best way to kick that off."

Halo's New Tone

Wiener's approach to handling Halo as a "eight episode war movie" is evident to anyone that has seen the trailers for Season 2. While reception to the first season was mixed, the trailers for the new season have been getting a lot of praise. Many fans noted just how slim the odds looked for the show's heroes, and how daunting the threat of The Covenant comes across. It remains to be seen whether the entirety of this season will be able to capture that tone, but things seem to be off to a promising start. 

Halo Season 2 Start Date

The new season of Halo begins today (February 8th) on Paramount+. The first two episodes are now available on the streaming platform, with a new episode set to release every Thursday. This season will consist of 8 episodes in total. For those that subscribe to Xbox Game Pass but not Paramount+, a new perk was made available this week, allowing subscribers to get a free, 30-day trial for the streaming service. The offer is only good for those that have never had a Paramount+ subscription, and can only be redeemed by users located in the United States. More details about the promotion can be found right here. 

Are you planning to check out the new season of Halo on Paramount+? What do you think of Season 2 so far? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!