“Rise from the fall.” That’s the tagline for Halo season 2 (streaming Feb. 8 on Paramount+), and it seems the live-action sci-fi series based on the Xbox video game franchise does just that: the eight-episode second season is now higher rated than the first season on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics released the first Halo season 2 reactions on the review aggregator, where the new batch of episodes boast an 89% “fresh” on the Tomatometer — a better critical reception than season 1, which scored a still-fresh 70%.
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There’s no critical consensus just yet, but early reviews seem to agree that season 2 of Halo is bigger and better than the first season that left something to be desired for fans of the video games (season 1 has just a 52% approval from audiences).
“If you liked Season 1, you’ll certainly love the new episodes. If you haven’t tuned in yet, you won’t regret starting it now,” reads an excerpt from Collider. A review from Total Film remarks that season 2 “hits the reset button,” adding: “For those who are giving Halo a second chance, there’s a lot to likehere. The doubters likely won’t be won over, but the engaging early[Joseph Morgan’s James Ackerson] plotline, the increased presence of the Covenant, and anever-charismatic Pablo Schreiber makes this mea-culpa-of-sorts a decentjumping-on point for newcomers and returnees alike.”
“Halo‘s second season aims to partially reset those expectationsand they succeed. With more action and a tone closer to that of thegames, Halo is finally the series we have been waiting for,” according to an excerpt from Joblo that hails Halo season 2 as “a substantial improvement overthe first …delivering a more balanced blend of action sequences along withcharacter development that reminded me as much of the Halo video gamesas it did top-tier genre television series.”
In season two, Master ChiefJohn-117 (Pablo Schreiber) leads his team of elite Spartans against thealien threat known as the Covenant. In the wake of a shocking event on adesolate planet, John cannot shake the feeling that his war is about tochange and risks everything to prove what no one else will believe –that the Covenant is preparing to attack humanity’s greatest stronghold.With the galaxy on the brink, John embarks on a journey to find the keyto humankind’s salvation, or its extinction: the Halo.
The new season stars Schreiber (American Gods) as Master Chief, Spartan-117 and Natascha McElhone (Californication) as Dr. Halsey, who also both serve as producers this season. Returning cast members include Jen Taylor (HALO game series, RWBY), Bokeem Woodbine (Fargo), Shabana Azmi (Fire), Natasha Culzac (The Witcher), Olive Gray (Half Moon Investigations), Yerin Ha (Reef Break), Bentley Kalu (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Kate Kennedy (Catastrophe), Charlie Murphy (Peaky Blinders) and Danny Sapani (Penny Dreadful); new additions to the cast this season include Joseph Morgan (Vampire Diaries, The Originals), Cristina Rodlo (No One Gets Out of Here Alive, The Homeless World Cup) and Christina Bennington (Midsomer Murders). Fiona O’Shaughnessy (The Forgiven) and Tylan Bailey also return as series regulars in season two.
The complete Halo season 1 is now available to stream on Paramount+; season 2 premieres February 8.
