Halo TV Show

[briantw]

2 minutes ago, Myrddin said:

As someone who has really enjoyed the Witcher show, I'm bored with Halo after two episodes. 

To be fair, I don't understand the following the game has either. When I got Xbox Game Pass last year, I loaded up first Halo to see what I've been missing. After getting off the ring and landing on the surface, I realized the game mechanics were pretty old, so I jumped to the (at the time) latest version. It was the same game except new engine, so I stopped. Then Halo Infinite came out. I figured, ok, now's the time to play! Same story (basically). Start off on ring, go to surface, rescue troopers, take down bases, rescue more troopers, repeat. I did finish Infinite, because the gameplay was fun enough and I figured I might as well finish at least one Halo game. But @lacuna is spot on: story is inch deep and mile wide.

Show feels the same. 

The show is at least making some efforts to turn Master Chief into an actual character with, like, human emotions and stuff.  In the games he’s mostly just a cipher who drops a line here or there but mostly just goes and kills shit silently.  Some probably argue that goes against the story in the games and, while I can’t say they’re wrong, the story in the games has never been anything special and I don’t have the attachment to it or the game’s characters that I have to those in better games.  Alyx from Half-Life 2 is a better character than every Halo character combined. 

[Corvinus85]

Master Chief's storyline continues to be solid. The development of the other Spartans is promising. OTOH, the rebel girl's story is boring and full of tropes I've seen plenty of times. It feels small scale in the grand scheme of things.

[briantw]

39 minutes ago, Corvinus85 said:

OTOH, the rebel girl's story is boring and full of tropes I've seen plenty of times. It feels small scale in the grand scheme of things.

Easily the worst part of the show.  

It's like they asked the question, "How can we make Baby Yoda suck?"

[Werthead]

On 4/13/2022 at 5:47 PM, Myrddin said:

As someone who has really enjoyed the Witcher show, I'm bored with Halo after two episodes. 

To be fair, I don't understand the following the game has either. When I got Xbox Game Pass last year, I loaded up first Halo to see what I've been missing. After getting off the ring and landing on the surface, I realized the game mechanics were pretty old, so I jumped to the (at the time) latest version. It was the same game except new engine, so I stopped. Then Halo Infinite came out. I figured, ok, now's the time to play! Same story (basically). Start off on ring, go to surface, rescue troopers, take down bases, rescue more troopers, repeat. I did finish Infinite, because the gameplay was fun enough and I figured I might as well finish at least one Halo game. But @lacuna is spot on: story is inch deep and mile wide.

Show feels the same. 

Halo was fairly bare bones in terms of story (though it does get more complex as it goes on, and a third enemy joins the fray). Most of deep background story and information was added in spin-off novels, which were then canonised on screen in Halo 2 and 3.

I did find Halo deeply tedious on release (never mind now) but Halo 2 and 3 are much better, stronger games. Reach is okay as well, although short and mainly focused on telling you stuff you already know.

[Spockydog]

Reach is one of my all time favourite games. That ending though.

[Deadlines? What Deadlines?]

Episode 4: I like how this is developing. It's definitely a bit more of a dystopian take on human society than the games. I'm afraid Kai-125 will find a place in my heart before they kill her off. 

ETA: I just noticed Soren-066's armor has nipples. 

Edited April 18, 2022 by Deadlines? What Deadlines?

[Corvinus85]

To all the gamers: ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED? 

A shorter episode, but action packed. I still wish the rebel girl storyline went away. It didn't even go the way I predicted

Spoiler

That the Covenant human girl would run into her and kidnap her, forcing Master Chief to come to her rescue

As I am not familiar with the games, all them Easter eggs meant nothing to me. The big action piece was ok, Master Chief taking asses and kicking names was solid.

[Deadlines? What Deadlines?]

Kai, NOOOOOOoooooo.

Everyone was so mean to her.

[Corvinus85]

No rebel girl storyline this episode! Yay! But it needed more Kai.

They definitely must have exhausted the action budget last episode. Probably got only one more in the finale. 

[Deadlines? What Deadlines?]

I liked this episode. Cool "Blade Runner-esque" score. The story is actually going somewhere interesting.  

[ithanos]

Yeah, if they kill off Kai-125 I'd be pissed off. Must say they physically cast the Spartans well (no Tom Cruise/Jack Reacher shenanigans here). Master Chief and Vannak-134 actors are both 6'5", Kai-125 is 6'3" and Riz-028 is 6'1'. Poor Bokeem Woodbine (Soren-066) is a paltry 6' - no wonder he escaped the programme. The Spartan armour, for all of them, looks magnificent by the way. 

Edited May 1, 2022 by ithanos

[Corvinus85]

Ha, you were happy that last week's episode was devoted solely to the main storyline with Mast Chief. Well suckers, here's payback!!! 

[IFR]

The most recent episode has an imdb rating of 3.6. It seems as though people really, really hated it.

Too bad. The concept sounded interesting. Genre shows seem to be spending 100+ million dollars a season, but apparently none of this money is allocated to hire a decent writing staff.

[Myrddin]

I watched 4-5 episodes before my P+ subscription ended and was pretty underwhelmed with the show's story. The battle scenes were well produced, but other than Kai, I didn't find any of the characters compelling. Schrieber is a solid actor. I just don't find Master Chief's story interesting.

[Deadlines? What Deadlines?]

On 5/5/2022 at 7:15 PM, Corvinus85 said:

Ha, you were happy that last week's episode was devoted solely to the main storyline with Mast Chief. Well suckers, here's payback!!! 

You finally got that rebel girl heavy episode you've been asking for. 

[Corvinus85]

And back to the main storyline. Honestly, if the rebel girl storyline had been completely cut, this would have been a 6-7 tightly paced show.

I enjoyed this episode even if it borrowed from other stuff: Order 66 + Smeagol turning back to Gollum + spy thriller and topped off with a kick-ass fight.

[Relic]

On 5/6/2022 at 6:09 PM, IFR said:

 but apparently none of this money is allocated to hire a decent writing staff.

What else is new? 

[Deadlines? What Deadlines?]

Solid episode. I'm sure the relationship sub plot has the nerd rage rising.

Apparently John's new friend's conversion was sincere... until it wasn't. I like how this is developing.

Hawlsey is possibly more evil than in the games. 

Are there actually only 4 Spartans in this?

[TormundsWoman]

Initially I was sure Makee was some long lost sibling or cousin of John’s or something. I didn’t actually thought they’ll go for any romance between them but it turns out, I thought it decent. Go figure. Good bye as I’m dead or good bye as in see you later alligator humanity’s a joke (?)

Dude who’s Halley’s assistant couldn’t be more creepy if he tried.

Kai was a goddess in every way and Zed Protocol sounded like something out of Zod’s kneel before me absolute power. Of course it would be the final protocol as the final letter, and that would give Halsey unlimited power of the Spartans which are considered the ultimate human weapons.

I found it just as hilarious as Halsey did that she was blind to the fact that if Cortana’s original wish was to possess John’s body, that would mean Cortana does have feelings. Want in itself a feeling, a desire to have something. Halsey is bad at recognizing them though because she’s fucked up.

I personally like the series so far. Not sure when Soren and Kwan Ha’s storyline intersects John’s again but I’m assuming it has to do with the portal on Madrigal and we’ll see it before the season finale is done. Fingers crossed they do as it seems so odd to have eps focused on completely different storylines.

[TormundsWoman]

On 4/2/2022 at 12:30 PM, briantw said:

Watching episode two.  Nice to see them bring in Murphy from The Expanse, and in basically the exact same role. 

To be honest he does it so well  I think he’ll be typecast for a bit on TV since he’s done the Gin Alley killer in GoT then the Expanse’s Murtry and now this. Actor has though that Shakespearean dramatic bit on every role I’ve seen him in that it makes me wonder if he wasn’t at some point mainly a stage actor. I like him in everything.