Netflix Finally Has Paramount’s Exclusive Sci-Fi Series, Better Than Its Reputation

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 1 hour ago

Sometimes, screeching Internet personalities band together to convince you that a solid show is actually terrible. One example of this is Halo (2022), the video game adaptation that got so much bad word of mouth that the show was prematurely canceled.

This series is far better than the haters claim, and you can decide for yourself whether the show’s opponents were right or wrong by streaming Halo on Netflix today.

(Space) Cowboys and Aliens

The premise of Halo is that in the 26th century, humanity is at war with a relentlessly alien empire called the Covenant. One enhanced supersolder may hold the key to winning this war, but only if he can navigate his repressed memories and figure out the secret of his own mysterious past. But that will involve opening some doors that should have remained closed, and before all is said and done, he is going to make discoveries that threaten everything he thought he knew about this topsy-turvy universe.

The cast of Halo includes Pablo Schreiber (best known for the Orange Is the New Black television series), who plays our protagonist, a steel-jawed superhero who must fight his inner demons even while he’s fighting invading aliens. Charlie Murphy (best known for the Peaky Blinders television show) plays a human member of the evil Covenant, making her a bit like a goth-y Juliet to our brooding hero’s Romeo. Finally, Natascha McElhone (best known for Ronin) stars as the secretive scientist destined to help Master Chief unlock secrets from his past.

A Critical Hit

While the Internet was obsessed with endlessly complaining about this TV show, critics decided Halo was a solid slice of sci-fi storytelling. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show has a rating of 80 percent, with critics praising the show for utilizing its potential to deliver a video game adaptation of epic proportions. They gave the second (and, as it turns out, the last) season special credit for improving on the sometimes-derivative storyline of Season 1 to tell a bold, brassy story with occasional flashes of narrative brilliance. 

Halo was a mixed bag with audiences when it came out, garnering different reactions from vastly different audiences. Hardcore fans of the video game franchise were annoyed by perceived changes to Master Chief, the addition of new characters, and the general deviation from original canon. More casual fans, however, generally enjoyed the show for its interesting characters, cool special effects, and killer action set pieces.

It’s Just a Show, I Should Really Just Relax

As for me, I’ve been a fan of the franchise since playing Halo: Combat Evolved on my original Xbox, and all those YouTuber haters prepared me to despise this show because of the earthshaking changes it makes to canon. However, the creators of Halo were clear from the beginning that this show takes place in a different continuity than that of the video game franchise. Once I accepted that fact, it was easier for me to evaluate the show on its own merits rather than comparing it to decades‘ worth of iconic video game storytelling.

In short, the show is really great: it’s admittedly hampered by some derivative tropes, but the series serves as a surprisingly robust character analysis of Master Chief and the rest of the supporting cast. The Halo universe has never felt more lived-in, and I got some real fanboy goosebumps at seeing the different aliens and vehicles (my favorite is the Ghost) brought to life onscreen. Throw in some truly epic battles, and you have one of the most compelling sci-fi dramas in modern television, one that has been all but buried by bad word of mouth.

Will you agree that Halo is far better than its bevy of online haters claim, or would you rather try to survive a sticky grenade than watch both seasons? The only way to find out is to run and gun your way over to the couch, grab the remote, and start streaming on Netflix. Afterward, you’re likely to join the rest of us in hoping that this ambitious sci-fi epic lands on another streamer so we can finally get a Season 3.