Halo TV Show (SPOILERS)

[The Arbiter]

Anyone besides me see it yet? Any thoughts? Where would you approximately place the Spartans and Elites so far in terms of theat level?

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Anyone besides me see it yet? Any thoughts? Where would you approximately place the Spartans and Elites so far in terms of theat level?

In the trash.

[The Arbiter]

In the trash.

Yeah I'm not a big fan of how they decided to do the story. I get it. Its blatantly not canon. They warned us. But still.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Yeah I'm not a big fan of how they decided to do the story. I get it. Its blatantly not canon. They warned us. But still.

Were a lot more warnings like, "we didn't play the games." and Spielberg, who was heavily involved with the script saying that when you "pick up a controller, the heart turns off." implying that they sort of hated this from the outset, they just needed the branding to pull an audience.

[Jackalope89]

The action was good. Practically straight from the games.

...I waited 10 years for a Halo movie or series, and this is what they make? They literally have a dozen video games and even more books to choose from to adapt. I got 3/4 of the way through episode 1 before I had to just stop torturing myself. I thought I would be able to sit through an "original telling" of Halo. Nope. The characters I know from the games are pretty much absent from this.

[Nik Hasta]

I have nothing to add but this felt appropriate:

[Sharpandpointies]

*sighs* Sorry, everyone, I know how this goes.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

The action was good. Practically straight from the games.

Yes, straight from 2001.

...I waited 10 years for a Halo movie or series, and this is what they make? They literally have a dozen video games and even more books to choose from to adapt. I got 3/4 of the way through episode 1 before I had to just stop torturing myself. I thought I would be able to sit through an "original telling" of Halo. Nope. The characters I know from the games are pretty much absent from this.

Spared yourself the episode where Master Chief runs around without a helmet on.

[Iron_Legion87]

I haven't watch yet and I have seen the mixed reviews from critics and fans on the pilot episode. I willing to give the show a chance and though I am mixed on the idea of the show not being canon. However, from a television and film standpoint, I see why they choose to do their own thing and not be tied down to retelling the story of the games beat for beat. I just feel this show is about 10-15 years too late as Halo isn't quiet as popular as it once was. It's been in development hell for YEARS with many directors like Peter Jackson being attached but now Steven Spielberg is a producer for this show. But the show could definitely get better as it goes on. We shall see out this goes.

[Iron_Legion87]

Were a lot more warnings like, "we didn't play the games." and Spielberg, who was heavily involved with the script saying that when you "pick up a controller, the heart turns off." implying that they sort of hated this from the outset, they just needed the branding to pull an audience.

I would disagree with Spielberg as much as I respect him as a filmmaker. I know gaming isn't for everyone but I would challenge him to look at some of the strong single player games with engaging, emotional, movie quality stories like Last of Us, Uncharted, Horizon Forbidden West, or even Gears of War.

[Sharpandpointies]

…Mass Effect…

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

I know gaming isn't for everyone but I would challenge him to look at some of the strong single player games with engaging, emotional, movie quality stories

They stripped all of that out of this show.

[Jcogginsa]

As far as their combat capabilities go, it's a bit hard to say.

The Aliens force fields eat sustained gunfire from dozens of people with machine guns including one guy with a jeep mounted gun, but then get taken out by the Spartan Guns pretty quickly, which suggests that the Spartan guns are much stronger. But then Master Chield picks up the jeep mounted gun and that's suddenly an effective weapon

[Captain Craig]

I have a friend who liked this and recommended to me as "just a sci-fi show", knowing that I've never once played a HALO game.
So, having read the prior posts in this small thread it would seem that the show deviates somewhat from canon. By a lot or little is that debatable?
Was it a let down in terms of adaption(some it seems), casting or some of it misplaced expectations?

I've just watched all 9 episodes of S1. Do we know if there will be a S2 yet? It sure was set up for one, the story is not complete by a long shot.
Dr. Halsey is on her own crusade.
John/Master Chief/117 is now.....not himself. Is Cortana essentially piloting a corpse or can she repair him given time?
The Covenant "High Priests" have a design element that reminds me of a species from Star Wars that I can't quite place my finger on right now.
Makee is dead most likely or there may be Covenant tricks to revive her??

Now, just as a "SCI-FI SHOW" my grade is: A-

I was entertained and would watch more.

[Jackalope89]

I have a friend who liked this and recommended to me as "just a sci-fi show", knowing that I've never once played a HALO game.
So, having read the prior posts in this small thread it would seem that the show deviates somewhat from canon. By a lot or little is that debatable?
Was it a let down in terms of adaption(some it seems), casting or some of it misplaced expectations?

I've just watched all 9 episodes of S1. Do we know if there will be a S2 yet? It sure was set up for one, the story is not complete by a long shot.
Dr. Halsey is on her own crusade.
John/Master Chief/117 is now.....not himself. Is Cortana essentially piloting a corpse or can she repair him given time?
The Covenant "High Priests" have a design element that reminds me of a species from Star Wars that I can't quite place my finger on right now.
Makee is dead most likely or there may be Covenant tricks to revive her??

Now, just as a "SCI-FI SHOW" my grade is: A-

I was entertained and would watch more.

Well, John 117, Cortana, Dr. Halsey, Miranda and Jacob Keyes, and Parangosky all exist in the video games and books...

As characterizations, even the military as a whole, and as an adaptation, boy does it fail.

First of all, the creators of the show went on record saying they never touched the video games. Which are the main part of the series most fans know (a smaller part also know the books, which follow the games and fill in gaps).

Next; the Spartan IIs (John and friends) all REMEMBER from the start that they were taken from their families at a very young age and put into the program. And not a one of them holds it against Halsey. What's more, Halsey would NEVER endanger the Spartans, especially John. She sees them as her own kids (though, she was not exactly around to raise Miranda).

The Covenant are treated as a side threat in the show, whereas in the main lore, they are waging a campaign of genocide against humans. So, the first 20 minutes of the show are actually right in line with what the Covenant does; wipe out every human they encounter. But, the show acts like they haven't glassed hundreds of colonized worlds, resulting in countless billions of people lost. On the ground, humans can win hard fought battles. But in space, the Covenant are simply to advanced. Even heavily outnumbering a Covenant fleet, a fleet of a hundred human vessels would only "win" after something like 70% casualty rate or greater, against a force a third or smaller than their size. Oh, and the Covenant would NEVER take in a human. Maybe as food for the Brutes and Jackals, but not in a position of power.

John 117/Master Chief in the games, is actually a lot like the Mandalorian, from what I've heard. Well, its not that he has a "culture" of not taking off his helmet, its just the fans are never shown it. And the Spartan IIs practically live in their armor. Not shed it for 2/3s of each episode or more. Also, John is far more stoic, but not above a snarky remark here and there, but is not a talker. And the way Cortana took over in the last episode? Yeah, that's how Chief should be, normally. But he often wonders if he's more machine than man.

Cortana, from what I know of the show, is okay. Personality wise, that is. Function wise, no. That is wrong, very wrong. Her "deleting" John's consciousness is not a thing. She cannot pilot his body. She can help enhance his reaction time, hack almost everything, and be the conversationalist between the two. But she does NOT take over his body. Not even in more recent games that made her more controversial.

Jacob and Miranda... Yeah. Their names are the only thing they have in common with their main counterparts.

And no Sgt. Johnson was mind blowing. Just look up some videos of the guy and you'll see why. In fact, the guy playing Jacob Keyes looked almost exactly like Johnson, that its a shame he wasn't cast as such.

Makee and the rest of Silver Team simply don't exist in main Halo. Especially Qwan and whatever side quest thing she had.

Also, the main military, are actually the good guys. The Covenant are committing genocide on a galactic scale. And the Insurrectionists (like Qwan's people) are straight up terrorists that go to overly extreme measures like mass car bombings, rigging civilian ships to explode in space, etc. The less extreme ones, by the time of Halo, joined the UNSC. But hardcore factions have even tried to ally themselves with the Covenant or kept attacking everyone not them in the middle of their race being wiped out.

For game/book fans, don't expect many to give the show a passing grade. Or to root for Makee to be revived somehow.