#SXSW22: ‘Halo’ Preview, Episodes 1 and 2

The Paramount+ series Halo premieres on March 24, 2022. In advance of the series premiere, fans attending 2022’s SXSW Festival got a first look at the first two episodes. Based upon the massively popular videogame of the same name, the first two episodes have a lot to unpack.

If you’ve never played the game itself, like me, there may be much to love as seen in the first two episodes. The story is set in 2552, when humans from Madrigal have been fighting for independence and also have to fight Aliens known as the Covenant.

The series features Master Chief/John 117, the leader of super-soldier “Spartans”. The beginning of the series sees Master Chief returns to his home planet of Reach with a Madrigal survivor and a mysterious object he discovered on the planet.

Pablo Schreiber leads the cast as Master Chief. It’s clear from the first two episodes that in spite of the macho nature of his set-up, this is a character designed for the female gaze. He’s soft-spoken, protective, and unobtrusive even when conducting missions. He has a tragic backstory, which we get hints of in the first two episodes.

The first two episodes are told mainly through the perspective of Kwan Ha Boo (Yerin Ha). She’s a compelling character in her own right. She and Master Chief play so well off of each other. Hopefully, the series will continue to explore this character’s perspective as it’s an interesting one.

The violence and effects in the first two episodes definitely leave the viewer with the sense of being in a videogame themselves. We also get hints that themes of religious extremism, colonialism and imperialism, bioethics and trauma will be explored. Clearly, there are many stories within this universe to explore.

The first two episodes are called “Contact” and “Unbound” respectively.

Check out photos from Paramount+’s upcoming series, Halo: