The 10 Best 'Halo' Episodes, Ranked (2024)

The era of the videogame adaptation is truly upon us. The Last of Us, The Witcher, Arcane, Fallout, Gran Turismo, Borderlands on the way - they're everywhere. These adaptations draw on a preexisting fan base, often translating into big viewerships. In this regard, they seem to be filling the role once played predominantly by superhero movies. Halo represents 343 Industries' attempt to get on in the trend.

The show is based on the sci-fi game franchise developed by Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios, dating back to 2001. Like the game, the series is a straightforward tale of space-age action, replete with aliens, high-tech armor, and energy swords. It doesn't break much new ground, but it makes for a casual watch that ought to appeal to gamers and fans of the genre in general (although some devotees of the games might not like all the deviations from the source material). Here are Halo's ten best episodes, ranked.

Halo

TV-14

Sci-Fi

Action

Adventure

See Also

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Release Date

March 24, 2022

Creator

Steven Kane, Kyle Killen

Cast

Pablo Schreiber , Natascha McElhone , Shabana Azmi , Bokeem Woodbine

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Seasons

2

10 "Sanctuary"

Season 2, Episode 1

"I got you, Marine, I got you." Season 2 kicks off with an evacuation mission on the planet Sanctuary, where forces of the Covenant unleash a vicious gas attack. There, ancient technologies and hidden secrets hint at a dark past that some would rather keep keep hidden. At the same time, changes in the military leadership of the UNSC pose a threat to John (Pablo Schreiber) and his plans.

"Sanctuary" dives straight into the action, with an epic fight scene in the fog between John and an alien warrior wielding a giant energy sword. There are also great spacewalk scenes, showing off what looks like a bigger budget. The CGI is slicker and more immersive than it was in Season 1, making Halo one of the best-looking sci-fi shows around currently. The characterization also gets a little deeper and bleaker, as John reveals himself to be deeply damaged and still reeling from last season's events.

9 "Allegiance"

Season 1, Episode 8

"He is connected to something beyond all of us." This episode is an important one for John and Makee's (Charlie Murphy) relationship. They have a connection, in that they are both superhuman and were raised by organizations that sought to use them as a weapon. After some mutual suspicion, they bond, and a romance blooms between them. Unfortunately, their relationship won't be a smooth one, especially since Halsey (Natascha McElhone) is still scheming in the shadows.

There's one great scene where the two have a dramatic conversation, gorgeously shot against a backdrop of flowers (a refreshing contrast with most of the metallic, gloomy settings). However, Makee still isn't telling him everything. For example, at one point, we see her gruesomely shedding fingernails like Sharlto Copley in District 9. The highlight of the episode, however, is the sequence where the Master Chief is forced to do battle with some of his comrade Spartans, showing off his superior abilities.

8 "Onyx"

Season 2, Episode 6

"One battle doesn't make you a veteran." In this one, John willingly allows himself to be captured, so that Soren (Bokeem Woodbine) and Laera (Fiona O'Shaughnessy) can infiltrate the ONI facility. In a parallel storyline, one of the Covenant leaders orders Makee to be executed, but the warriors side with Makee instead, giving her a chance to fight another day.

While in custody, John has some fantastic, action-packed moments, like when he fights his captors without armor or a weapon but still wrecks them. It's enjoyable to watch the Master Chief kicking ass the old-fashioned way. John also does battle with fellow Spartan Kai (Kate Kennedy), leading to some intriguing exchanges about duty and honor. "An order's an order," he says grimly. Plus, Cortana (Jen Taylor) also has a few funny lines in this episode and shows off her skill at deception. Despite being an AI, she's one of the most complicated and most human characters on the show.

7 "Thermopylae"

Season 2, Episode 7

"Somebody always pays. This time it's you." 'Thermopylae' is an episode of confrontations and revelations. Halsey, Miranda (Olive Gray), and Kwan (Yerin Ha) access the ancient laboratory, where Kwan finds confirmation that the monster in her visions is real. In a parallel, John and Makee meet in a shared vision, where they clash over what needs to be done to save the universe.

"Thermopylae" is thus a pretty intriguing episode. The scenes in the laboratory are well done and unsettling, and John has an awesome moment where he snarls, "Where. Is. My. Armor?" Then there are also lighter moments, like Soren reminiscing about his younger days training with John. None of these elements is particularly original, however. Halo largely recycles ideas from all across the sci-fi genre; it's like a mishmash of Alien, Elysium, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Nevertheless, the show packages the tropes nicely, so it's still enjoyable viewing for sci-fi fanatics.

6 "Solace"

Season 1, Episode 6

"The Halo is uncharted and very likely dangerous." "Solace" is the first episode that establishes the link between John and Makee. Both have the power to activate Forerunner technology. It's here that the viewer really learns about John's dark backstory. As a child, he was taken in by the UNSC and raised to be a super-soldier as part of Halsey's Messianic plan to save the universe. Worst of all, the UNSC essentially stole children from their families for the project, replacing them with terminally ill clones that would soon die.

The revelation blurs the line between the so-called 'good' team and their alleged enemies. John is naturally furious and demands answers. He taps into his ruthless side, locking Halsey in a decontamination unit and threatening to roast her alive unless she tells him the truth. This scene is good because it reveals John's darker side, proving that he's not just a one-dimensional hero.

Season 1, Episode 1

"I want him unconscious, not dead." Pilots have a lot of work to do. They need to quickly introduce the central characters, establish the fundamentals of the fictional universe, and dive into the drama, all while maintaining enough tension to keep the viewer engaged. This is a challenging feat, but Halo's first episode does a solid job, economically setting the stage for the rest of the season without relying on too much expository dialogue.

Mostly, it succeeds because it throws a ton of action at the audience. There are gunfights, duels with laser swords, and invisibility suits like something out of Predator. Some of the effects look a little flimsy, but most of them are great, especially for a TV show. Stylistically, the episode also includes a lot of POV shots where the viewer sees combat through the digitally enhanced Spartan visors. This is a nice gesture towards the games, recreating the Halo player experience.

4 "Transcendence"

Season 1, Episode 9

"When you walk into the battlefield, John must not exist. Only the master chief." "Transcendence" brings the drama to a well-designed, Egypt-inspired desert planet, where the Covenant intends to activate eldritch technology. There, John has an awesome showdown with an alien warrior wielding a ridiculously big mace. On the more positive side, Cortana proves her loyalty to John, defying direct orders to sabotage him.

At the same time, the tables turn against Halsey. She is replaced as head of her project and taken into custody. But then, in a nice twist, it turns out that she actually got away, and the UNSC has only imprisoned one of her clones. McElhone, perhaps most well-known for her major role in Californication, is surprisingly good at playing a devious scientist. Halsey's not necessarily evil; just very warped in her moral calculations. "She wants to defeat the Covenant, so she's willing to do anything, a sort of short-term pain, long-term gain, and has this kind of utilitarian attitude," McElhone explains.

3 "Reckoning"

Season 1, Episode 5

"Cortana, I'm gonna need a weapon." "Reckoning" delivers further revelations and flashbacks about John's childhood, while also teasing the power of the keystone. The stone is in UNSC's possession, but it sends out an energy signal that alerts the Covenant to its location. They launch a surprise attack and steal the artifact back.

The production values in this episode are solid; the sets and effects are a treat to look at (all that Microsoft money is fully on display). Only the CGI of some of the monsters is a little disappointing. The episode compensates by picking up the pace story-wise and setting up the season's climax. Season 1, Episode 5 also leads the viewer to wonder if Cortana is actually working against John, making it all the more sweet when she firmly sides with him later in the season. Cortana is the Microsoft virtual assistant in real life, making her appearance here a genius commercial for the software.

2 "Halo"

Season 2, Episode 8

"What are you doing here? I thought you had to save humanity." The Season 2 finale strongly demonstrates John's character development. At the beginning of the show, he is an obedient soldier; now he's a full-blown rebel, thinking for himself and taking matters into his own hands. It's satisfying when he tells his erstwhile superiors, "I'm done taking orders from you."

Indeed, "Halo" is a rollercoaster all around, pivoting between action drama and even horror. Spores are accidentally released, turning people into hideous, tentacled zombies a la Dead Space. The stakes continue to escalate, with massive shootouts and space battles, piling effect upon effect. The imprisoned military boss (Joseph Morgan) saves a few of the main characters, proving that he's not just a stock villain. John and Cortana's friendship deepens, leading to some touching exchanges. "You're loyal. It's a virtue. And a problem," Makee tells Cortana. Finally, the episode tops it all off with an intense fight between John and an alien warrior on a beautiful forest planet. These are sci-fi thrills done right.

1 "Reach"

Season 2, Episode 4

"Show those scaly bastards they f---ed with the wrong planet!" The most memorable Halo episode is "Reach," in which the Covenant invades the titular planet and the High Command abandons its troops to face the onslaught alone. Multiple characters die in the mayhem. John himself is grievously wounded, but Makee intervenes to save him. In short, it's the series as its most nail-biting.

The episode is just cranked to the max on all fronts. It features scores of extras and the largest setpieces yet. There's chaos all around: big shootouts, explosions galore, and a fantastic battle across a series of hallways and staircases shot in a CGI-enhanced oner. The combat is rapid and compelling, using POV shots and a mobile, handheld camera to place the viewer right in the heart of the action. One almost feels like one's playing the game. Halo is far from perfect, but episodes like this are a ton of fun and a reason to give the show a try. Hopefully, Season 3 delivers more like it.

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