The season two trailer for the Halo series on Paramount Plus was released today, and while fans of the series and the game appear to be impressed, many still can’t get past the decision for Master Chief to remove his helmet.
The discussion around Chief’s helmet is nothing new given that the show saw Master Chief, or John-117, remove his iconic helmet as early as the very first episode of the first season. As the second season trailer shows, fans will see more of Master Chief’s face, portrayed by actor Pablo Schreiber, when the second season officially debuts on Feb. 8, 2024.
The decision to remove his helmet has long been a point of contention among longtime fans of the Halo series given that Master Chief never once removes it in the games, aside from a secret Halo 4 ending for players who beat the campaign on Legendary that shows just a brief glimpse of his physically and emotionally battle-scarred face.
In particular, fans took issue with the season one decision to have Master Chief show his face so early and to someone he just met, considering he wouldn’t even show it to anyone, even good friends, in the games. Many compared and contrasted that aspect of the show with The Mandalorian, where we don’t see him remove his helmet until the last two episodes of the show’s second season.
Despite the ongoing debate regarding his helmet, it does look like there is genuine excitement for the show’s second season after mixed reviews for season one. Kinda Funny’s Parris Lilly said it’s “looking like the live action Halo I’ve been wanting to see.” Forbes games writer Paul Tassi, who’s criticized the series in the past, was surprised to get “literal chills” from the season two trailer.
The first two episodes of season two will both be available to stream on Paramount Plus on Feb. 8. The show’s second season isn’t the only new Halo media coming up, though, as its own tabletop miniatures game is expected to release later this year.
