Halo Season 2 is available to stream right now with a Paramount+ subscription, and the popular consensus thus far is the series is a step up from Season 1. Between Master Chief looking at everything differently and the ongoing struggles of his new boss, James Ackerson, we're getting a lot of insight into what it means to be a Spartan. The new season will dive deeper into the super soldier as it continues, and showrunner David Wiener and EP Kiki Wolfkill shared a bit with CinemaBlend about that.
I spoke to Wiener and Wolfkill ahead of Season 2's premiere and asked specifically about the importance of showing struggles with Spartans. Specifically, I wondered about the significance of the storyline with Riz, which showed her vulnerability about no longer being able to perform at the elite level required of Spartans. David Wiener was happy to break it down for me and talk about how this season draws in on an important theme throughout the episodes:
I think one of the thematic touch points of this season is this idea of why do we fight, right? What is it, what does it mean? And for Spartans, obviously, who have been conditioned to be these super soldiers from such a young age, it's a really key component of their identity. And so as this season, we try to look at the totality of those characters. What is their emotional life like? What is the other parts of them that maybe haven't been given a chance to develop? Who are they without? There's Spartan this and I think ultimately drives us to a better understanding of what it means to be a Spartan.
Based on that response, it's easy to see why Pablo Schreiber believes Season 2 improves on Season 1. In the video games, there's never a reason to ask what Spartans get up to in their lives when they aren't fighting but to completely exclude that from a series like this wouldn't work. Stories like Riz's struggles further inform us of the struggles Spartans go through to find purpose outside of their primary motivations and how they're impacted by that.
Kiki Wolfkill noted that there's a philosophical question for the audience in Halo Season 2. It's clear that Spartans were created for the purpose of taking on the Covenant, but is that all they exist to be? Wolfkill talks about that and the varying perspectives it's explored from:
Are they weapons or are they warriors either from an external perspective or their own? Right? It lets you really explore that question.
It might've taken fans complaining about nude Master Chief and maybe Pablo Schreiber dropping some truth bombs about Season 1, but Season 2 of Halo finally feels to be in line with what the dedicated fans wanted. Those familiar with the lore likely know where Season 2 is headed and what the arrival of the Covenant on Reach means.
For those who don't know but saw the latest episode, it's obvious the tension is mounting for all major characters involved. As a longtime fan of the Halo franchise, I can only hope that the back half of the season delivers on the premise promised so far and that enough people are watching to see the story get rolling in a potential Season 3.
With a lull in the schedule for upcoming Star Trek shows, Halo is putting in the work to give Paramount+ subscribers the sci-fi quality that they crave. As someone who was cynical about the new season, I've been pleasantly surprised by the new season and very much looking forward to new episodes this week. Here's hoping I continue to be impressed and that we learn more about the Spartans along the way.
Halo Season 2 streams new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+. Keep watching to see John try to continue the fight against the Covenant despite being sidelined and what that means for humanity at large as he is constantly railroaded.
