While the first season of Halo was met with a fair amount of criticism from fans of the original games and new viewers, it’s possible that season 2 could be the saving grace of the series. Thanks to some dramatic leaks on YouTube, a second season of Halo has been seemingly confirmed, with producer Kiki Wolfkill promising to take viewers’ qualms with the series into consideration. Despite a rocky start, the Paramount+ original series isn’t so far from saving that a few key inclusions in season 2 couldn’t redeem the show in the eyes of the franchise’s die-hard fan base.
Simply put, the first season of Halo moved too slowly, taking too much time to set up future events at a glacial pace. Not only that, but the series took some heavy liberties in adapting the lore of the beloved first-person shooter series, introducing new concepts such as the Blessed Ones and their relationship to the Keystones while moving around events more true to the games in the established timeline. If Halo hopes to earn back the trust of its audience, it will have to make some critical inclusions in season 2.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Halo season 1.
10 The Appearance Of A Scarab
One of the Covenant’s most feared battle units
The Halo series did manage to show off an impressive number of the games’ aliens, with a vast array of Covenant species making appearances despite the limited budget. One such inclusion were the Lekgolo worms Makee used to rip apart the crew of the Gladius, better known for combining their efforts to form the deadly Hunters in the games. These creatures are also capable of piloting massive weapons platforms known as Scarabs, which could make for an excellent action showpiece for the second season of the show to utilize.
9 ODST Troopers Work Alongside The Spartans
Feet first into hell
The Spartans may be the UNSC’s premiere warriors, but the spec ops ODST soldiers are close behind them in terms of recognition. Standing for Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, the ODST units of the Halo series are an iconic staple of the UNSC’s military forces, even having their own dedicated game with Halo 3: ODST. The introduction of some ODST troopers as secondary protagonists to fight alongside Master Chief and the rest of the Spartans would be a welcome bit of fan service that could help the show win back some viewers.
8 The Covenant Is Made More Prominent
Halo can’t continue to spurn the series most prominent villain
One of the biggest complaints leveled against the Halo TV show’s adaptation of the games is the overall lack of presence the Covenant had. The coalition of zealous aliens are the most iconic antagonists of the entire series, and while budgetary restraints are understandable, human infighting isn’t what those tuning in to the series are looking for. Luckily, the season 1 finale suggested a larger presence of the invaders going forward with a climactic, full-scale battle.
7 How Much Of Master Chief’s Consciousness Remains Is Explored
Season 1’s biggest cliffhanger needs to be addressed
Exhausted in the final battle with the Covenant in season 1, Master Chief allows Cortana to take over his body in order to preserve the best chance of victory. While this decision ultimately helped the UNSC stay in the fight long enough for the Spartans to mount a retreat, the lasting effects of Cortana’s influence on John-117’s mind are unknown, as fellow Spartan Kai-125 nervously asks Chief if he’s alright, only to be met with a blank stare from his featureless visor. Season 2 will have to address this, ideally through a slow-burn character study that lets Chief keep his helmet on for longer this time around.
6 The Reveal Of Where The Madrigal Portal Leads
Kwan Ha’s legacy can’t remain a mystery
Kwan Ha’s story line was criticized by many as being an overly slow, unnecessary side plot that pulled the action away from the more intriguing narrative of Master Chief, Makee, and Dr. Halsey. Yet for all the time Halo already spent developing her B-Story with the Madrigals, it would be worse if season 2 didn’t pay off the mystery as to where the Forerunner portal Kwan’s lineage was tasked with protecting led. Hopefully, Halo had a satisfying answer in mind from the beginning, which could pay off dividends as a mid-season reveal for season 2.
5 The Introduction Of Sergeant Johnson
The fan-favorite commander would be a sight for sore eyes
If there’s one character from the games whose inclusion could sway fans who swore off the Halo series to return, it’s Sergeant Johnson. The wisecracking, cigar-chomping, highly-decorated hero of the Human-Covenant War could inject some sorely-needed comic levity into the largely humorless series while simultaneously drawing in previously uninterested fans. Sgt. Johnson would also be a good way to redeem the UNSC somewhat in the show’s narrative, progressing them from straight-up villains to a morally-bankrupt military organization that at least has good intentions.
4 Master Chief Makes Landfall On The Halo Array
Halo needs to live up to its name
Season 1 of Halo has thus far only teased the titular superstructures, having Master Chief and Makee share visions of the distant ring worlds. It would serve season 2 well to pick up the pace, enough so that Master Chief and company can at least make landfall on a Halo installation in earnest by the end of the season. After all, with the activation of the Keystone on High Charity likely guiding the Covenant towards them, it would be in the UNSC’s best interests to head for the super weapons as soon as possible.
3 The Glassing Of Reach
Season 2 needs to make good on season 1’s tease
Considering season 1 includes Reach, an important human homeworld in the Halo lore famous for being razed by the Covenant, it’s baffling that the planet’s iconic destruction wasn’t in the cards. The Covenant is known for scouring the surfaces of enemy worlds with massive energy beams in a process known as glassing, and Reach is one of the most famous victims of these attacks in the games. Luckily, a trailer released for Halo‘s second season is teasing Reach’s fall already, meaning fans can finally look forward to witnessing this turning point in the Halo mythos.
2 Soren Fulfills The Role Of Noble 6
Mission objective: Survive
Before the surface of Reach is destroyed, it’s treated to a full-scale invasion from the Covenant, portrayed in the events of the prequel game, Halo: Reach. The hopeless war ends with the Spartan player character Noble 6 singlehandedly holding off hordes of Covenant forces before finally falling after being given a simple directive: Survive. In the show, this iconic moment could be re-created with Soren standing in for the silent protagonist, perhaps dying in defense of The Rubble rather than Reach.
1 The Appearance Of The Flood
Humanity and the Covenant must meet their mutual enemy
The impetus behind the creation of the Halo rings, The Flood are a parasitic race of aliens that nearly consumed all sentient life in the galaxy in an ancient war between themselves and the Forerunners. The re-emergence of The Flood is a critical threat to both humanity and The Covenant as early as the first Halo game, making the species’ absence in the show a glaring question mark. Considering that the Halo rings were built specifically to contain The Flood, their importance to the series can’t be understated, and season 2 of the TV show would be wise to at least introduce them.
