Halo Season 2 Review: Better Equipped for the Fight

Halo returns for Season 2 on Paramount+ after what can only be described as a turbulent first season. Behind-the-scenes issues resulted in a live-action TV series experience that Halo game fans were disappointed in, while mainstream viewers had trouble accessing the series and its mythology – which only got more convoluted in its TV adaptation. More than anything, there was clear unevenness in the production of Halo Season 1, with showrunner Kyle Killen dropping out before filming even began, and showrunner Steven Kane having to then steer the show, before exiting himself. By the Season 1 finale of Halo, it was clear the series needed new creative energy – but has it been enough? 

Halo Season 2 showrunner/executive producer David Weiner wastes no time putting his stamp on the show, with director Debs Paterson (Willow TV series) helping him lead the charge. The Halo Season 2 premiere "Sanctuary" gets right into it with the kind of Halo battle sequences that fans of the game love to see. It's made clear from the initial action and character beats that this new creative team is working smarter when it comes to measuring out the visual effects and camerawork, using fog, and Covenant elite active camouflage to create an atmosphere of real dread, danger, and edge-of-your seat tension (while saving on VFX). The same proves true as the season rolls on, with each episode offering at least a taste of some compelling action and stuntwork, again indicating a smarter overall game plan as to how the season is being budgeted and paced. There are much more loyal and detailed nods to the Halo games in the battle sequences, staging, props, and overall design work and production on Season 2.

While the opening sequence is a good starting point, Halo Season 2 is not free from the obligation of servicing the story that came before in Season 1. That means the initial thrust of action must inevitably take a backseat to the first couple of episodes catching us up with the extensive web of characters from Season 1 and all their arcs – while also introducing new elements, like James Ackerson (Joseph Morgan), the new intelligence officer overseeing the Spartan program. 

Episode 2 is more of a "moving the pieces" story, with far more drama than action – but even those "slower" portions tend to be more focused and compelling in Season 2, with each character feeling more interesting and fully formed – especially the Spartan unit, whose banter and connections already give Season 2 a stronger emotional core. Longtime Halo game fans will likely be happier with how Master Chief (Pablo Schrieber) is depicted – even if there is still a substantial time of Schrieber appearing outside of the iconic character's armor. 

On the whole, the creative team behind Halo Season 2 gets through the clean-up effort from Season 1 pretty quickly and sets a much cleaner and more accessible premise for Season 2: The Covenant is gathering its might in the shadows and striking out with impunity and no one believes Master Chief about the dire level of threat that's coming, so the Spartans need to prove it before it's too late. Everything beyond that is kept vague or implied enough for viewers to lock into and sets up an arc that's basic yet dynamic enough to keep viewers coming back each week for more reveals and the exciting battles we already know are coming by the end of Episode 2. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Halo Season 2 is streaming new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+.