I went into this show with very little optimism, considering 343 Industries’ track record with the Halo franchise. In my view, handing Halo over to 343 after Bungie left was what led to the series' decline; it just felt lifeless and uninspired. I loved playing as Master Chief, but the essence of Halo seemed to disappear once someone else took control. To put it mildly, I expected this TV series to be terrible. Surprisingly, though, it wasn’t that bad. They did skip over some plot points, rush through others, and altered a few details, but overall, it felt as close to the spirit of Halo as a television show could possibly get. Pablo Schreiber was an excellent choice for Master Chief. Initially, I couldn't separate him from his role in *Orange Is the New Black*, but after about two episodes, he genuinely started to feel more like Master Chief than any version I’d experienced in the games. His mannerisms and delivery throughout the series perfectly mirrored those of the character from the game franchise, even down to how he held his weapon; he was truly perfect for the part. I really took a liking to Spartan 125, also known as Kai. From effortlessly handling a warthog to facing off against numerous Elites and challenging established authority, she proved herself to be quite formidable. I was somewhat disappointed by how much they changed the characters of Commander Keyes and Miranda Keyes. That said, the actors who portrayed them were very good, and I appreciated bringing Jen back to voice Cortana. The first Covenant we see in this series are the Elites, although their importance seemed a bit diminished compared to what’s shown in the games; otherwise, they looked fantastic. They absolutely nailed the Prophets. If you thought the Brutes were ugly in the game, prepare yourself for what you'll see on screen—and yes, I still intensely dislike Brutes. Jackals and Grunts don’t make a significant appearance until the final episode, but their depiction was well done. The Hunters are only featured in one brief scene, where we mostly see them as separate worm-like forms scattering and eliminating Marines at Meekee's request. If you weren’t familiar with Halo lore, you likely wouldn’t have recognized them; I did, and it got me excited. We only glimpse the Halo ring when Master Chief or MeeKee are interacting with artifacts, and it’s just a fleeting moment. But if that’s indicative of what's to come in future seasons (if there are any), then I think the Halo TV series is in capable hands—though, let me correct myself: I think the Halo TV series is in good hands because 343 Industries can go away. There’s only one other thing that bothered me about the series: Master Chief seemed to act out of character and have an intimate encounter while Cortana was watching. That wasn't something anyone needed to witness, but since it wasn't an overly explicit scene, I’m willing to overlook it. Overall, if you're a Halo fan, this TV series isn't bad; give it a try. We haven't explored that much of the lore or games yet, so there’s still plenty more to see coming down the line. There’s Johnson to look forward to (hopefully), Scarabs, the actual Halo rings, the Flood, and the Forerunners. If they decide to continue the series, it could be huge. Let's just hope they keep going—finish the fight.

Source on TMDB