What you need to know
- The Halo TV series premiered on March 24, 2022.
- In the first episode, Master Chief removed his helmet, which has led to some criticism.
- A community writer for 343 Industries explained the helmet removal in a recap of the first episode of the show.
The first episode of the Halo TV series was the most-watched premiere in the short history of the Paramount Plus streaming service. Near the end of the show's initial episode, Master Chief removed his helmet. The move proved controversial, as the Halo protagonist has never removed his helmet in a game. Alex Wakeford, a community writer for 343 Industries, explained the move in a post recapping the series premiere.
"Television, of course, is a totally different medium to video games. The participatory, interactive aspect that defines gaming is not there, which—much like the books, comics, and other media over the last twenty years—brings its own challenges and opportunities for telling a great Halo story and a great drama," said Wakeford."
"Revealing the Chief's face was one of those things. A moment like this is not a plot point or even explicitly a 'reveal' of what he looks like, but a means to tell his story. It had to be a moment that was earned and meaningful. This is also part of why it happens in the first episode: it's not a twist, it's a mission statement." It seems that the reveal of Master Chief's face was more of a way to tell a narrative than anything else, at least according to Wakeford.
Wakeford also highlighted that Master Chief has removed his helmet in the expanded universe of Halo, such as in The Fall of Reach novel. While not a full-face reveal, you can also see Master Chief's eyes for a moment if you complete Halo 4's campaign on Legendary. While the reaction has proven mixed among fans, it's worth stressing the Halo TV show exists in an alternative universe, dubbed the "Silver Timeline," branching from the events of the main game.
"The first episode juggles trying to appeal to both fans and newcomers, explaining the world and characters for anyone confused while not boring longtime veterans. By and large, it succeeds, with an action-packed episode that's surprisingly gory and makes it clear there are surprises in store," said Windows Central contributor Samuel Tolbert in our Halo TV show review. "Small ripples can have a large effect, however, so we'll have to wait and see exactly how or if the question marks raised here will resolve."
New episodes of the Halo TV show release every Thursday on Paramount Plus.
