“Get Used To [It]”: Halo Season 2 Will Continue Most Divisive Master Chief Change, Says Star

After it was already a controversial point in the show’s premiere, Pablo Schreiber says Halo season 2 will continue a divisive Master Chief change. Based on the 343 Industries and Bungie franchise of the same name, the Paramount+ show has taken a number of liberties from the video games, one of the biggest being that Schreiber’s central protagonist removing his helmet frequently. These changes were met with mixed reviews from audiences, with Halo season 1’s Rotten Tomatoes score getting a Rotten 52% from said group.

As time draws near for the show’s return, Collider caught up with Schreiber to get some insight on Halo season 2. When asked about the controversial removal of Master Chief’s helmet for much of the show, and how season 2 would address it, the star confirmed that it will continue, and said that viewers who are frustrated by it will have to “get used to [it]“. Check out what Schreiber explained below:

Hmm, well, that one you’ll have to get used to. [Laughs] We established that in the first episode that was going to happen. That’s what our show is about; it’s about exploring the dynamic between John and Master Chief. So, if you’re not on board with that one, you might as well give up. As far as what to say to gamers, come on back and see the differences between Season 1 and Season 2 and see if you like it. And as far as the feedback that came in, it was massive across the board. The show was incredibly well-received internationally, as well as domestically, but the numbers we did internationally for Paramount+ are off the charts and insane. So we’re pretty happy with where we landed in terms of feedback and in terms of business that we did for the network.

Now it’s about creating the kind of show that we all can be the most proud of, and that’s a mission that I never give up on. I’m going to push that until I die, or until I’m asked to leave. I want to make the best show possible, and I want to try to surround myself with people that are helping do that, like this one here. Again, we started the first episode by taking the helmet off. He takes the helmet off throughout the season because that’s the story we’re telling. We’re telling a story about the dynamic between the supersoldier, Master Chief, who’s been stuck in this suit of armor for his entire life, and his burgeoning humanity and his experience with humanity — that’s John. And so to tell that story, you have to have both sides. You have to have access to the actor’s face. You have to create a dual experience for the character. That’s our show.

The video game is a video game. He doesn’t take his helmet off because he’s you. He’s an avatar for you, and you’re supposed to believe, realistically, that that’s you. If you take the helmet off, it blows the illusion, right? So that’s where I talk about how the experience of the video game is very different from the experience of a television show. That’s the show we’re making. It’s the show we’re going to continue to make. I think, if anything, in Season 2 we’ll be a little more careful about the way that the helmet is used.

For me, it’s very important that the scenes when Master Chief is Master Chief, he’s Master Chief, and we experience that. We experience what his experience is, and it doesn’t include taking your helmet off in the middle of a battle or at the end of a battle just so you can get face-time, right? That’s the stuff that I want to do away with, and I think we’re keeping control of that pretty well this season. But you’re gonna have experiences with John because that’s the story we’re telling. We’re telling the story of both sides of this character.

How Halo Season 2 Can Overcome Its Adaptation Backlash

Prior to the show’s release, 343 exec and EP Kiki Wolfkill had clarified that Paramount+’s Halo would be set in what is dubbed the “Silver Timeline”, separating itself from the universe of the games. His helmet removal wasn’t the only major Master Chief that sparked controversy among longtime fans of the source material, as his romantic plot and sex scene with Covenant member Makee led to some of the show’s biggest backlash. Schreiber himself even recently voiced some brutal thoughts on this storyline:

With Halo season 2, however, not only does the creative team behind the show have the opportunity to improve on the overall quality of the show, but make up for season 1’s adaptation backlash. The trailers for the new season have indicated that it will be adapting the events of The Fall of Reach, a book written as a direct prequel to the original 2001 game. By bringing the story closer to that of the games, the writing team wouldn’t have to take the deviating approach to adapting the universe of the games as they did in season 1.

Schreiber has also tried to reigniting interest in the show leading up to Halo season 2’s release, assuring that the feedback from franchise fans was “massive and across the board” and was taken into account by new showrunner, David Wiener. Whether this proves true, or helps propel it to better success than season 1, remains unclear, but a shift towards a more straightforward adaptation is key to saving the show’s future.

Halo

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Action

A live-action adaptation of the video game franchise of the same name, Halo follows Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 (Pablo Schrieber) as he fights his part in a war between humanity’s United Nations Space Command (UNSC) and the Covenant, an alliance of multiple hostile races of aliens intent on destroying the human race. The Master Chief is supported by Cortana (Jen Taylor) – an AI construct based on the personality of Dr. Catherine Halsey, who created the Spartan supersoldier program – implanted in his brain.

Release Date

March 24, 2022

Cast

Jen Taylor , Bokeem Woodbine , Charlie Murphy , Shabana Azmi , Kate Kennedy , Natascha McElhone , Yerin Ha , Bentley Kalu , Pablo Schreiber , Danny Sapani , Olive Gray , Natasha Culzac

Seasons

2

Creator(s)

Kyle Killen , Steven Kane

Writers

Kyle Killen , Silka Luisa , Richard Robbins , Steven Kane , Justine Juel Gillmer

Franchise(s)

Halo

Directors

Otto Bathurst , Jonathan Liebesman , Roel Reiné , Dennie Gordon , Debs Paterson , Craig Zisk , Jessica Lowrey

Showrunner

Kyle Killen

Where To Watch

Paramount+