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Halo Season 2 Episode 1 Review

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Halo season 2 opens much like the first. A seemingly mundane scenario on a faraway planet breaks into a brutal action set piece ripped from the games. It wants to summarize the series' creative direction in its opening sequence but can't live up to the promise. In season one, John saved a local. This time, he watches one choose to die rather than lose her home. While not enough has changed, the season premiere suggests a better show hiding behind season one's derivative mess.

Halo's second season brings new talent to the show. "Sanctuary" comes from director Debs Paterson and writer David Wiener. Paterson gained notoriety with a series of moving short films in 2008 before moving on to several television projects, including two episodes of Disney's ill-fated Willow series. Wiener is the credited showrunner for the second season, a role he previously occupied on Peacock's Brave New World.

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As "Sanctuary" begins, Halo quickly dispenses with the overarching question of the previous season's ambiguous finale. The final episode sees Cortana briefly take command of John's body to save the Silver Team, leaving the soldier's fate unspecified. John wakes up in a hospital bed and quickly returns to his new normal, sans his favorite AI. John, Riz, Vannak, and Kai supervise an evacuation on a planet destined for Covenant invasion, but the locals don't want to leave. When John detects a disturbance, he marches into the thick fog to save a few UNSC grunts. The ensuing fight scene immediately ranks among the best in the series. John struggles against Covenant soldiers armed with energy swords in low visibility, creating a vibe between Starship Troopers and Predator. Just as he prepares to face death, the Covenant Elites leave casually and bombard the planet with orbital lasers. Master Chief is left to watch as a local priest walks confidently into the flames. It's an excellent opening. It would have made a near-flawless short film. It's the best part of this episode, as the remaining runtime slips into less engaging fare.

With Catherine Halsey in the wind, Halo season 2 introduces a new shady boardroom antagonist. Enter Joseph Morgan (The Vampire Diaries) as James Ackerson, an ambitious political shark angling to dominate the Office of Naval Intelligence. His role in the series is bizarre. On one hand, his tense negotiations with John are the most compelling sequences in which no one shoots anything. On the other, his stated goal is to deny, bury, and ignore the show's plot and action elements. Ackerson immediately offends the Silver Team before accusing John of fabricating events. His campaign to avoid talking about aliens will likely detract from his appeal. Fans who hated how much of season one was spent talking in boardrooms will have their new least favorite character. Those who enjoy the often half-hearted themes will likely enjoy his presence.

"Sanctuary" boasts a C-plot involving Bokeem Woodbine's Soren-066 hunting Dr. Halsey. Woodbine remains one of the most engaging presences in the series. He's excellent in concept and better in execution. The renegade Spartan-turned-pirate endures mean looks and faithless speeches from his crew. His partner thinks he's either gone soft enough to let the other families challenge him or hard enough that his rudeness is alienating his allies. Either way, her bizarre middle-management routine falls flat. Soren isn't in a noble industry. There's an encouraging thread in Soren actively hunting the woman who turned him into a weapon, but it goes bizarrely unmentioned. He frames his search for Halsey as a profit-seeking venture until it goes downhill. Soren remains compelling, but he'll overstay his welcome if the writers don't find something for him to do.

Halo season 2 still hasn't fixed its tone. The most enjoyable characters in Halo games and novels tend to be teams of Spartan warriors. Every group is different, but their dynamics tend to keep the story afloat. Silver Team could create that atmosphere, varying wildly between the Space Marines from Aliens and more philosophical warrior poets. Most of the team earned little in the first season. Kai got a few narrative beats, but it never led to much. The battle in "Sanctuary" opens with a few fun exchanges of gallows humor between soldiers. John delivers snarky punchlines while Vannak unpacks his newfound love of nature shows. These scenes could be the beating heart of the series if Halo finds a way to avoid tonal whiplash.

Halo season 2 shows some signs of improvement over its predecessor, but it continues to fall into bad habits. The first season irked fans through its refusal to follow canon, but it would have been celebrated if its new narrative remained compelling. Season 2 has a chance to double down on the emerging assets and abandon the weaker elements. Halo season 2 has new weapons in its arsenal, but it still misses its mark too often to become an elite.