GamesRadar+ VerdictMaster Chief is back – but even he can’t save Halo from itself in an episode that starts slow and never really clicks into place. Still, all the pieces are there for what could prove to be a pulsating finale
GamesRadar+ Verdict
GamesRadar+ Verdict
Master Chief is back – but even he can’t save Halo from itself in an episode that starts slow and never really clicks into place. Still, all the pieces are there for what could prove to be a pulsating finale
Master Chief is back – but even he can’t save Halo from itself in an episode that starts slow and never really clicks into place. Still, all the pieces are there for what could prove to be a pulsating finale
Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy.
Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy.
The review containsspoilersfor Halo season 2, episode 7.
The battle for the Halo, the universe-rupturing ring structure first glimpsed in the season one finale, is on in ‘Thermopylae.’
Unfortunately for those watching, Halo sure takes its time getting there – progressing a handful of storylines before the main event in a slow, plodding affair that wouldn’t look out of place in the divisive first season. That’s not a compliment.
Master Chief actor Pablo Schreiberhas been vocalabout his issues with the John/Makee relationship in the first season, calling it a “huge mistake.” This scene feels like leftover remnants of that partnership brought kicking and screaming into the second season, but pulled back just enough to placate its lead. The result? A bizarre, stilted interaction that carries no real emotional weight and only serves as a reminder of the show’s past sins.
At least John powers his way through the rest of the episode, acting as an emotional wrecking ball and deciding to step back into his iconic armor to disrupt the best-laid plans of Ackerson and Admiral Parangosky.
Speaking of the UNSC/ONI coalition, ‘Thermopylae’ uncovers some horrible truths about Parangosky, namely that she is content with sending SPARTAN-IIIs as lambs to the slaughter against the Covenant fleet, all in aid of tricking her soldiers into causing an explosion a “million miles” wide.
To achieve her goals, Ackerson – complicit, but never truly in control – becomes the fall guy. It’s a nice rug pull, also acting as a neat commentary on the processes of power and who isreallypulling the strings.
Put a ring on it
(Image credit: Paramount)
Unlike last week, Halsey and Soren’s side stories get a little more attention. Halsey, Kwan Ha, and Miranda Keyes eventually uncover a star ‘map’ (“It’s not a map, it’s a clock,” Kwan Ha notes) which unlocks a door. It’s not only interesting to Halsey and Keyes, it’s exciting for Halo fans too: this sure looks like a Forerunner facility. So far, so very promising.
The fleshing out of Forerunner DNA – only really ever additive material inBungie’s original game trilogy, so perfect for an expansion here – and the teasing of the Flood feel like glimpses of seasons to come. Ordinarily, that would be all fine and dandy but, in an episode that flags as this one does, you can’t help but hope the parasitic lifeforms shake things up sooner rather than later.
Soren gets to partially tie up his loose plot thread, too. After weeks of going around in circles, he eventually catches up to his son and brutally retaliates against the same program that once turned him into a Spartan. It doesn’t end there, however, as Kessler backs away from his father and into the loving arms of his mother – the pair getting lost in the smoke and confusion. File this one, frustratingly, under ‘unresolved.’ Maybe next week we’ll get some answers?
(Image credit: Paramount)
Despite its faults, ‘Thermopylae’ ends strongly. Master Chief, once again back in his armor, strides through the corridors and into his next mission to stop the Covenant. Just for a moment, all of Halo’s issues melt away. Everything is reduced to its simplest, basest form: the hero fighting against evil. In this case, it’s a gaming icon we’ve been wanting to see do his thing for some time.
If nothing else, the last few minutes here sets up what should be a formidable finale – mostly because the show is, at the very least, intent on putting all of its focus on the titular Halo ring.
Halo always works best when it’s a little more streamlined. With Halsey and Soren’s plots close to wrapping up (for the most part, anyway), it’s time to eagerly await Master Chief once again pulling off the impossible and saving the universe. It’s been that way for over 20 years. It’s a mystery why it’s taken so long for Halo to figure out that’s the best way forward here.
Halo season 2 is streaming on Paramount Plus, with new episodes available weekly.
For what else is on the way, check out all of theupcoming video game adaptationsto look forward to.
More info
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23 years later and Halo: CE speedrunning is about to change forever with newly-discovered glitches that add playable Flood and a flyable Pelican
23 years later and Halo: CE speedrunning is about to change forever with newly-discovered glitches that add playable Flood and a flyable Pelican
After admitting he was a Master Chief fanboy years ago, Atelier Yumia producer says the crafting JRPG’s “biggest reference” is Halo
After admitting he was a Master Chief fanboy years ago, Atelier Yumia producer says the crafting JRPG’s “biggest reference” is Halo
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I didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tasty
I didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tasty
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”