Halo Season 2 Makes A Strong Case For Its Most Controversial Season 1 Decision

Spoilers are ahead for Halo season 2, episode 2, “Sword.”

It’s no secret that the Paramount+ adaptation of Halo featured some rather controversial plot points in its first season. From Halo‘s “blessed ones” thread to Cortana’s non-canonical construct design, Halo season 1 firmly cemented itself as an alternative timeline to the series that began with Bungie’s 2001 hit Halo: Combat Evolved. Despite David Wiener joining Halo‘s ranks as the sophomore season’s showrunner, the divisive sci-fi series doubles down on one of its most contentious decisions. Although Halo‘s second outing shows more promise, it’s evident that Paramount+’s series will never be traditional Halo fare.

In Halo season 1’s ending, Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber), a.k.a. John-117, learns to trust Cortana (Jen Taylor). The Chief’s A.I. implant was conceived by Natascha McElhone’s Dr. Catherine Halsey, creator of the Spartan program, in the hopes that Cortana would take over Master Chief’s mind and body. By erasing John’s humanity, Dr. Halsey believed she’d finally have the ultimate fighting machine at her disposal. Ironically, the Chief realizes Cortana needs to take control in the season’s final skirmish — a decision that results in Cortana being separated from Master Chief between Halo‘s two seasons.

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Pablo Schreiber’s Master Chief Continues To Spend More Time Out Of His Spartan Helmet

First introduced in Halo: Combat Evolved, John-117 has become something of a pop-cultural icon. As a child, he was abducted and transformed into a supersoldier as part of Dr. Halsey’s Spartan program — a life path that’s made him understandably stoic. Bungie, the team behind the first few Halo games, reduced the Chief’s number of voiced lines and kept him hidden in his Spartan armor and helmet. From an interactive storytelling perspective, the decision makes sense: players could more easily project themselves onto Halo‘s protagonist as they assumed control of Master Chief in the Human-Covenant War.

Even though Halo‘s Spartan MJOLNIR armor has become inseparable from Master Chief’s identity — both in the games and in pop culture at large — the Paramount+ series decided to take a different route. In season 1, Schreiber seemed to spend more time out of his Spartan helmet than in it, which prompted fan backlash. The Halo series hadn’t just made a small adjustment, but completely messed with one of Master Chief’s core traits. While Schreiber and co. have argued that removing the Chief’s helmet is a narrative must, The Mandalorian‘s success has worsened Halo‘s helmet controversy.

Master Chief’s Scenes With Ackerson Benefit From No Helmet

Ahead of season 2’s release, Schreiber clarified his stance on Halo‘s helmet decision: “Get used to it,” he said during an interview. Interestingly, Halo season 2 makes a much stronger case for keeping Master Chief out of his armor. The sophomore outing introduces viewers to Joseph Morgan’s James Ackerson, who’s Dr. Halsey’s replacement and the new head of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). A formidable intelligence operative who’s seen combat, Ackerson gets off on the wrong foot with John-117 by refusing to believe what the Spartan saw on Sanctuary and grounding Chief’s Silver Team.

Ackerson believes Master Chief’s trauma is clouding his judgment. Morgan’s character even goes so far as to suggest that losing Cortana has had a residual impact on John’s mental state. At least that’s what Ackerson tells the Spartan; clearly, the new head of ONI has some yet-to-be-divulged scheme in the works that requires him to ground Silver Team and dismiss John’s fears that the Covenant are already on Reach. The uneasy dynamic between Ackerson and Master Chief is easily one of Halo season 2’s best elements, and seeing John’s facial expressions does help strengthen those scenes.

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John’s Mental State Requires Viewers To See The Character’s Face

After Cortana assumes control of Master Chief in season 1’s ending, the Chief’s fellow Spartan Kai (Kate Kennedy) asks John if it’s really still him beneath the helmet. Even though Halo’s first outing opened the door to an ambiguous narrative and the possibility that a Cortana-controlled John might act more like the Halo games’ Master Chief, season 2 decided to take a different approach. Viewers learn that Cortana was removed from the Chief between seasons and implies that the dissolution of that relationship had a profound impact on John’s mental well-being.

In Halo season 2, episode 1, “Sanctuary,” John wonders if part of Cortana is still wedged inside his mind. He even confesses to Kai that he saw the late Makee (Charlie Murphy) before Sanctuary was glassed. While Makee does end up being alive by the end of Halo season 2, episode 2, the series uses John’s traumatic experiences to sew seeds of distrust between the members of Silver Team as well as the Spartans and the UNSC at large. That said, seeing John’s face as he grapples with the fallout is a huge boon to Halo season 2 (for now).