Transcript
Speaker: All right, everyone.
Speaker: We are back at Matt Goes to the Movies.
Speaker: It has taken about eight hours of total watch time to get to this point, which isn't a lot.
Speaker: Sometimes it feels like more than eight hours, depending on what the content was.
Speaker: But we are here at episode eight of season two of Halo on Paramount Plus.
Speaker: And the title of the season finale episode is...
Speaker: obviously titled Halo.
Speaker: Was it what we were looking for?
Speaker: Did the trip to the ring world make this all worth it?
Speaker: It's a mixed bag for me out of the gate, but I'm going to save some of that because without just getting into everything that I think about this episode, which I don't want to do yet, I'm going to turn over to Rob and
Speaker: You know, Rob, I've said it many times.
Speaker: I think season two is a definite improvement over season one in every aspect.
Speaker: I think I think that's fair to say it's still not what I wanted.
Speaker: And this episode might be the perfect ending in a way to everything that I've had wrong and everything that I've said I've liked.
Speaker: about season.
Speaker: And I know that I've disliked more than I've liked, but I feel like this episode kind of, it's the perfect summary of my thoughts with what they do in this episode.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I remember us talking last week about, okay, so predicting whether or not we're going to be satisfied with the season finale.
Speaker: I was satisfied with it.
Speaker: I liked it.
Speaker: the action as I have throughout this, this series, when they do it, man, is it good when this show in general gets something right and does something cool, does something interesting.
Speaker: It's they knock it out.
Speaker: They really, really do.
Speaker: And yet when there's something that's kind of dumb or doesn't work and they just don't,
Speaker: beat it to death.
Speaker: It's awful.
Speaker: Um, and it's, it's so bizarre that those two things exist like that, uh, as a yin and yang almost in this, in this show.
Speaker: But there's a lot of fun stuff here.
Speaker: I had a good time with this.
Speaker: I watched it with my son again, as I always do.
Speaker: He was into it as well.
Speaker: He was definitely into the action.
Speaker: He was a little creeped out at one point.
Speaker: And I've got another child upstairs right now who happened to come in at different points of this and was very creeped out by some of the special effects.
Speaker: So, yeah, I'm looking forward to getting into that.
Speaker: Yeah, you know, I...
Speaker: I would say that there's enjoyment in this episode for sure.
Speaker: My biggest problem is what has always been my problem is I think they get some things right.
Speaker: But man, the things that they get wrong are to me are just such a standout that I can't and I can't fully enjoy what I want to.
Speaker: And and that's the problem.
Speaker: Now, part of that has to do with the fact that, you know.
Speaker: I think there's too much back and forth in this episode.
Speaker: The decision in this episode, Rob, to.
Speaker: 100% now we have talked about the fact that this is not the, this is not the story of the first game.
Speaker: This is what they call the silver age timeline in halo.
Speaker: A lot of the stuff from the books and everything like that.
Speaker: And the way that they introduce spoilers here, folks.
Speaker: So for some reason, if you're listening to this, but you haven't like pause this really quick and go figure it out.
Speaker: But yeah,
Speaker: Maybe you don't care, but spoiler really quick.
Speaker: This is the episode that introduces the flood.
Speaker: We know how they got introduced in Halo.
Speaker: And well, I think.
Speaker: They did a very good job of making the flood a threat.
Speaker: And oh, man, what's going to happen here?
Speaker: I do think the execution of how they introduced them was wrong.
Speaker: I think it takes away from what should have been the huge reveal now that Master Chief is on the ring.
Speaker: I feel like they made a mistake in how they introduced them.
Speaker: I like them.
Speaker: I, I think the design, I think you can see how the evolution of the flood is going to happen.
Speaker: And maybe that will be an effective debut when you see them really mutated.
Speaker: But yeah, I think they kind of rob Peter to pay Paul as the old saying goes.
Speaker: Yeah, some things that you could do with this if they're introduced at the same time as you actually meet these enemies in the game, if they had waited until that stage of his journey, yeah, it would take away from some of what's happening now, some of the drama of what you're getting.
Speaker: I think I'm okay with it for now.
Speaker: I want to see what happens now.
Speaker: The third season, to my knowledge, unless you know something I don't, hasn't been greenlit or announced yet.
Speaker: I've got a feeling it's going to happen, though.
Speaker: Just based on what I've been hearing, that overall Paramount's happy.
Speaker: It seems like people are watching the show.
Speaker: It is getting more buzz.
Speaker: It's getting better reviews, generally.
Speaker: I feel like a third season is definitely going to happen.
Speaker: So let's see how they use this new enemy.
Speaker: And and use that to drive things forward.
Speaker: I like the special effects.
Speaker: I liked what they did.
Speaker: I thought I was like, wow, OK, this is this is pretty cool.
Speaker: It's it's not how I thought we'd get them, but cool.
Speaker: Like, all right.
Speaker: I was into it.
Speaker: I'll tell you what I was confused about is is right at the beginning of this.
Speaker: we have Master Chief with his helmet off talking to who was obviously 343 Guilty Spark.
Speaker: I mean, we all kind of caught that right away.
Speaker: I don't think it was, you know, any surprise that that's who that was.
Speaker: And it's almost as though that takes place in the future.
Speaker: And then we see it one or two other times where he's speaking to this, you know, this voice of just a blue light.
Speaker: And then, you know, the final shot is Guilty Spark kind of
Speaker: you know, pissing off to wherever he's going to be.
Speaker: I didn't really understand what the point of that was.
Speaker: And it seemed as though Guilty Spark had been speaking to McKee as well.
Speaker: You know, we get that.
Speaker: I was very confused about that choice, particularly when it's like, no, man, give me give me more of that battle, because there's a moment probably.
Speaker: you know, 20% of the way into this episode where we've got the Spartan threes spiraling in space through a debris field of dead Spartans in space junk.
Speaker: And I just unlocked a new phobia that I never knew I had.
Speaker: Like that's, that's terrifying.
Speaker: Like that's legitimately terrifying.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And man, when this show decides to do something new and different, it nails it.
Speaker: I mean, that was that was a really well executed scene.
Speaker: The visual effects were done well, because, of course, that's all done in computers.
Speaker: The way that the actor that plays Perez was was doing her part.
Speaker: And again, she's only got basically just her eyes and, you know, like just above her mouth, I think, is all the more we really see.
Speaker: to be able to communicate what she's trying to get us to understand about what her character is going through.
Speaker: And it worked.
Speaker: I was into it.
Speaker: I was like, wow, that's absolutely terrifying.
Speaker: Like, and she seems 100% committed to her mission.
Speaker: She is into this.
Speaker: She wants to be a Spartan three.
Speaker: She knows she's cannon fodder and she doesn't give a good goddamn.
Speaker: She's like, okay, let's plant this spike.
Speaker: Let's do this.
Speaker: Like I was, I was bought in.
Speaker: I was into that.
Speaker: I thought that was such a cool bit.
Speaker: Yeah, no, I thought that was really good.
Speaker: I really did.
Speaker: You know, it kind of made me feel for those characters that, you know, this was happening.
Speaker: I thought those effects were good.
Speaker: I enjoyed all of that.
Speaker: And for the most part, there were things that I really enjoyed about this episode.
Speaker: You know, we'll talk a little bit about your comment about Guilty Spark, because
Speaker: It is also interesting because his visor in those shots is cracked, which the last time we see John, we see Master Chief in what we know is him walking into the installation.
Speaker: His helmet visor is not cracked.
Speaker: It's got a weird little spot on the right side, but when we see him at the end of the episode and it's missing the piece, that's on the left side.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I don't know if that was a continuity error or if he gets another helmet from somewhere, which would be weird.
Speaker: If he's in a battle... So there is... To me, there's some... I don't know.
Speaker: There's some confusion.
Speaker: Because why are him and McKee... Where's McKee?
Speaker: How has he not found her?
Speaker: How is... Like...
Speaker: It's weird how you get to that spot because clearly, yes, like.
Speaker: McKee's been met as well, so you both had your opportunity to talk to this this sentient being, you know what I mean?
Speaker: So where is this?
Speaker: How do you get to this point in season three?
Speaker: It's which is a little which was confusing to me.
Speaker: Yeah, it felt unnecessary.
Speaker: If you're going to spend time on this, I guess, was it to get fans excited about Guilty Spark?
Speaker: Because, okay, cool.
Speaker: I don't need that to be excited to see what's going to happen next.
Speaker: You gave me the flood.
Speaker: That's going to really draw interest.
Speaker: You've got Chief on the ring world.
Speaker: You've got him inside.
Speaker: He's entered the Forerunner installation.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: He just beat the crap out of the Arbiter, which was an awesome battle.
Speaker: Okay, see, I want to talk about that, because I feel like you could have saved Guilty Spark for McKee goes in, you know, the Arbiter and Chief are fighting, and McKee already goes into the installation.
Speaker: And then John's going to go after her.
Speaker: You know, we don't know where she is now.
Speaker: But then, you know, we hear like, hello, who are you?
Speaker: Or something.
Speaker: Or, you know, Spartan 117.
Speaker: Like, how do you know me?
Speaker: Like, again, because anybody who hasn't played the games and said, this show is my introduction to Halo.
Speaker: This is what I know about Halo.
Speaker: I'm not looking up anything else.
Speaker: I like it exactly the way it is.
Speaker: You know, again, like,
Speaker: What is your thought process?
Speaker: You're not just sitting there going, well, wait, what the hell is that thing?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Like if you're not familiar with it already, you're very confused.
Speaker: Like he could like, you could have to me saved that to say like, oh, I'd be happy to show you like, I'd be happy to show you around or we have much to discuss.
Speaker: Come with me because we know Rob, you and I that, you know, that's like the big, that's like the biggest twist in the first game.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I feel like, wasn't there a scene that were like a monitor came out of a well in season one.
Speaker: We were like, wait, what is that all about?
Speaker: And they just kind of like, yeah, never did anything with that.
Speaker: Like they just kind of like, let that sort of be an untied up thread.
Speaker: Correct.
Speaker: And you know, I want to talk about the, the arbiter scene in a minute here, but I want to get your opinion because we talked about the flood first.
Speaker: That old lady.
Speaker: I got hints.
Speaker: Because like it's the flood and she's talking about like what their purpose is.
Speaker: The way that she was speaking, it almost felt like we were seeing a hint of Gravemind.
Speaker: To me, it almost felt like.
Speaker: Like she was being controlled by something because you notice her voice got different.
Speaker: And it reminded me of scenes where all of a sudden you started to realize in Halo that Gravemind was not what you thought it was because you're introduced to Gravemind in Halo 2.
Speaker: You don't find out that you don't find out that he's bad right away.
Speaker: So that would actually make me somewhat more interested in the shaman character, because when she started talking, I just kind of tuned out.
Speaker: Gotcha.
Speaker: I honestly didn't really pay that close of attention because I was just like, oh, God, here we go with the mystical shit.
Speaker: Somehow Quan can just like, you know, use the time stone to freeze all of these these flood infected people and just like.
Speaker: mosey on through and then just like, okay, and now we're going to restart time again.
Speaker: Like I was like, Oh God, this, this stupid side plot that I hate.
Speaker: Like if it somehow came out in the third season that the grave mind was somehow controlling this character or had influence or whatever, then I would maybe like some of this a little bit more.
Speaker: Yeah, because the problem is, is they they're almost making it so that too many people are important to the Halo.
Speaker: Like there's McKee, there's John, there's like and what was great about the first game is it was like and this, you know, yeah, but Master Chief was the focus.
Speaker: If.
Speaker: Cause it's almost like master chief could, could just be taken out of the equation and you know, Oh, because Quan knows about the flood or like, why wouldn't she just get super knowledge from her visions that the halo ring is created for a different purpose?
Speaker: Like they're almost making it.
Speaker: So everybody could just be exposable.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Um,
Speaker: I don't want more people landing on the ring world.
Speaker: I guess I want there to be more UNSC characters because that'll give John something to do, I guess.
Speaker: Like if he's got, um, you know, Marines that he's going to try to save or try to interact with, like, um,
Speaker: you know, like that could make this somewhat interesting because I'm not overly into whatever's going on between him and McKee.
Speaker: I don't, I'm not particularly compelled by that.
Speaker: She is, she has gotten worse every episode for me.
Speaker: Every single episode, that character has gotten worse.
Speaker: And especially too, when she walks into the installation, she's like,
Speaker: That I'm also a demon.
Speaker: Oh my God.
Speaker: Oh my God.
Speaker: I was, I literally sat there.
Speaker: I was sitting in my room watching this and I just went, are you freaking kidding me?
Speaker: Like, this is bad.
Speaker: Like this part of the story needs to go immediately.
Speaker: Season three needs to,
Speaker: It needs to get rid of her.
Speaker: She needs to be done.
Speaker: Consumed by the flood.
Speaker: Make it so.
Speaker: Just please.
Speaker: But, you know, you said you liked the battle with the Arbiter.
Speaker: I want you to talk about that because I have a different opinion.
Speaker: I'm not saying the fight was bad, but I have some thoughts.
Speaker: But I want to hear your take on that confrontation.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So I was just glad that we were getting action again, to be honest.
Speaker: And I thought that
Speaker: Did I really want the two of them to have one of them die by the end of it?
Speaker: Well, I didn't actually really want that because of how cool the Arbiter character is.
Speaker: Unless the mantle of the Arbiter is going to pass, like we know that it does, to the character that eventually becomes the one we see in Halo 2.
Speaker: And that's a really interesting character.
Speaker: This one is already competitive.
Speaker: committed heresy.
Speaker: So that would make him kind of interesting as that Arbiter character that we know eventually does blaspheme against the Covenant when he realizes it's all nonsense and he realizes what the Ring world really is and what they're really trying to do.
Speaker: Like that would be really interesting.
Speaker: I even kind of thought like when when Chief is done, like pounding his face in and you see like how they've got like the squid face where it's got like the four different pieces of the jaw, like the Arbiter is missing a piece of that.
Speaker: And when they showed him in the game.
Speaker: And when they showed him at this time, you saw like one of those was broken.
Speaker: And I thought, ah, okay.
Speaker: Um, so I kind of thought, is that a nod to me?
Speaker: The nerd that's like really into this.
Speaker: Um, I thought kind of, maybe that was what it was.
Speaker: I love the brutality of it.
Speaker: Um, because they don't have any of their, you know, really, they don't really have,
Speaker: firearms per se and it's it's mostly just hand to hand and sword combat some of the vfx was a little cartoony but i looked past it it looks it looks stop motion in certain scenes yeah you're probably right but i was i was i was just bought into the brutality
Speaker: Yeah, I enjoyed the fight.
Speaker: My biggest problem, though, is unless you're going to have a different person who drops onto the ring world and then they have him take over like, no, don't like you will take over the role of arbiter.
Speaker: And then that's the one I was like.
Speaker: oh, so we're not going to get like my thought immediately went, OK, yeah.
Speaker: And again, like you rob Peter to pay Paul.
Speaker: So it was like you use the arbiter to have what?
Speaker: Five minutes worth of action back into the ending.
Speaker: But you just potentially like you're robbing us of.
Speaker: the story of the Arbiter and Chief, which is amazing, which could have carried your entire third season, basically almost like it could carry the majority of your episodes, that dynamic.
Speaker: Think about who Chief's foils are, the characters that he can play against that you're interested in.
Speaker: Yes, him and Cortana were interested in that.
Speaker: That's the basis of a lot of the games.
Speaker: but they haven't really given us that much so that they haven't done that in the show.
Speaker: He and Kai have been really interesting together for me.
Speaker: And it seems as though they had Kai pull a Haldo maneuver.
Speaker: And, uh, it seems like she's probably not going to be in the show anymore after, after that, he and McKee are not an interesting, like I'm, I'm done with that.
Speaker: I'm like you said, I'm, I'm over it.
Speaker: I don't think it's good.
Speaker: I don't care about it.
Speaker: Um, he and parent Goski, you know, that's done now.
Speaker: Cause she got flooded.
Speaker: so yeah, the opportunity for him to have somebody where he shares a scene with, where it's not just action and combat, because you need that to drive a show forward.
Speaker: The Arbiter could be that guy, could be that other character in the scene for him to play off of and have something that they're competing with or they're working together, whatever it is.
Speaker: And if they're not going to,
Speaker: kind of carry the mantle down.
Speaker: It's a waste of using that character.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And again, like that's the thing.
Speaker: It feels, it feels weighed down.
Speaker: Even some of the, again, I like it, but even, even some of the, the flood stuff, I just went, man, like,
Speaker: I feel like you robbed us of what should be the great reveal.
Speaker: And even if we get that reveal on the halo ring, is it as impactful?
Speaker: Will it be more impactful because it will be the flood that you and I know?
Speaker: Because again, if you look back and you think about now, granted, the graphics were not all that great back then.
Speaker: So when you look at it now, because I went and Googled it on YouTube and
Speaker: When you, if you look up the reveal of the flood in Halo 1, it's amazing.
Speaker: It's an eerie, eerie, eerie presence.
Speaker: It's a great scene on the video game.
Speaker: And I am not saying... You can hear the music in your head right now, too, right?
Speaker: You can hear that music.
Speaker: And I am not saying, again, that the show did a bad job.
Speaker: I think they did a good job.
Speaker: But...
Speaker: Again, it just feels like, well, wait a minute.
Speaker: Like.
Speaker: I love steak, but I want a few potatoes on there as well.
Speaker: And I just feel like, again, they set the steak on the table.
Speaker: But I'm still a little bit hungry here.
Speaker: Yeah, listen, I don't think you're wrong for feeling that way.
Speaker: I don't think that that's an incorrect take on this.
Speaker: I think that for a season finale, when you don't necessarily have a third season that's publicly been greenlit,
Speaker: If you're trying to get people excited.
Speaker: Now, what I would really love to do is I would love to talk to somebody who has no knowledge of the source material.
Speaker: And I would love to find out if they think that this zombie twist at the end, because that's functionally what the flood are, right?
Speaker: Is, is kind of, uh, this, this IPs version of zombies.
Speaker: if they feel like that's a shark jumping moment where like, okay, come on.
Speaker: Like you've got sci-fi, you've got aliens, you've got mystical stuff.
Speaker: And now you're adding zombies into this too.
Speaker: What's next?
Speaker: Vampires?
Speaker: Like, is there somebody out there who's having that reaction?
Speaker: I would love to kind of know if somebody is out there thinking that because you wouldn't necessarily be wrong.
Speaker: They do kind of show up sort of out of nowhere.
Speaker: Like, but it's, it's, I think,
Speaker: the way that they built this up and the way that, you know, they found this forerunner, you know, kind of mummified person with this object.
Speaker: And that's how it spreads.
Speaker: Like they, they sealed that off for a reason.
Speaker: They were in a lab like that kind of, it feels like that was built well to me.
Speaker: I guess if I'm, if I'm not thinking about, you know, my own knowledge of the flood, it feels like that was okay.
Speaker: Like, I don't, I don't know that I think it, it wasn't set up well.
Speaker: Yeah, I did see I did see a lot of places sit there and say, like, it kind of turned into a generic Resident Evil on a spaceship.
Speaker: The way that the flood kind of gets introduced.
Speaker: Now, I didn't feel that way.
Speaker: I did not feel that it they just felt like zombies.
Speaker: I did think that, again, I thought they they did good.
Speaker: Like the scene of the bridge just getting overrun.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I thought they did a good job.
Speaker: So I'm not completely, I'm not disappointed.
Speaker: Again, my whole point about this episode and this season is you did good, but the blueprint was there for great.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You have all the ingredients, but for some, you missed one in the bowl.
Speaker: You only used two eggs instead of three, and that made all the difference.
Speaker: That's my biggest complaint.
Speaker: You get a moment where Chief looks back and he says, you have no idea what I can do.
Speaker: And then he puts his helmet on.
Speaker: He looks out the open bay door and you can see the reflection on his visor of that door opening.
Speaker: That is so badass.
Speaker: I loved it.
Speaker: I love that.
Speaker: I was like, ah, this is what we want.
Speaker: And it's like you have those moments.
Speaker: You have the moment where Perez is dual wielding needlers.
Speaker: I was, I was really, really excited about that.
Speaker: I was, I was hard.
Speaker: It was hard for me to sit down during that moment.
Speaker: You have those kinds of things that just like, it's just work.
Speaker: They're, they're just great.
Speaker: And yet, you know, then they're kind of offset by some, by some other stuff.
Speaker: I have, I have a question.
Speaker: Maybe I missed something.
Speaker: I'm hoping maybe you can explain this to me.
Speaker: So the Spartan threes, their mission, they've been training for, they've been doing all this sim work.
Speaker: Was to try to drive this spike into the Covenant ship to try to blow it up, right?
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: And Kai had been training them for that.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: So they're getting their butts kicked.
Speaker: She has the opportunity to finish the mission and just decides not to.
Speaker: What was the point of that?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Like I was like, wait, why didn't you, you had the spike.
Speaker: Why did you not do it?
Speaker: Like, cause John's there now too, but you knew he was there when you took, when you started the mission.
Speaker: So you knew that if you did that, when you went into it, it was going to blow him up too.
Speaker: So then when he gets there and, and has that great, just like in the fog, just completely thrashing all of those elites, just doing master chief stuff.
Speaker: Like you, you finally see the reason why everybody reveres him as this, as this like God figure.
Speaker: amongst them the super soldier you get to see some of that stuff um so he does all that and then you're like oh should we complete the mission nah what did i miss yeah i i don't know man like and i ask you that question sometimes because i'm like wait a minute like what happened here like
Speaker: So here's the other question I have.
Speaker: How did Chief know Cortana was on that ship?
Speaker: And how did he know what piece of scrap metal on the floor to look for where she would be?
Speaker: Yeah, that's... Yeah, um...
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: There are those things where I'm like, what happened here?
Speaker: Why is this the way that it is?
Speaker: I've got one more question.
Speaker: When the flood attacks and there's clearly pandemonium going on and Miranda and Halsey are just kind of like having a conversation.
Speaker: why were there no alarms of any kind going off to alert everybody in that facility that there was a major issue going on and they had probably no alarms of any kind.
Speaker: They're just still kind of like just having a conversation.
Speaker: They're just chatting.
Speaker: I was like, what is going on here?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Um, I also, I don't know.
Speaker: And I say this wouldn't happen.
Speaker: I just, I can't imagine, but yeah, it's like with Halsey, um,
Speaker: She's you're that focused.
Speaker: I just I don't understand her reaction.
Speaker: Like, I don't understand what it is with you.
Speaker: Like, we're basically here and like you want.
Speaker: Yeah, I want to frickin live, you goddamn idiot.
Speaker: Like, I don't understand Halsey.
Speaker: I don't understand how anybody in that situation would react like that and be totally almost nonchalant.
Speaker: But is that because she was infected?
Speaker: Like, is it?
Speaker: Yeah, I kind of had that same thought.
Speaker: Like, this is this isn't lining up.
Speaker: Like, yeah, I understand she's kind of the detached scientist figure that doesn't.
Speaker: do well with like, she's not Sheldon Cooper level of, of being detached emotionally from how other people feel.
Speaker: And for the sake of just, you know, research and science and everything, but it's like, that's kind of how they presented her a little bit.
Speaker: But that was like, okay, come on.
Speaker: Like you have to understand how this works.
Speaker: Like you've been around enough normal people and observed enough normal people doing normal people reactions to stuff where you would have to understand that.
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, you just saw people literally like it's implied that they were getting ripped to shreds.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: They could have been a lot more graphic, I think, but the show chose not to, which I think was probably a good move on their part.
Speaker: It's not.
Speaker: I feel like it was not necessary.
Speaker: No, I don't think it was necessary.
Speaker: I feel like they showed the right amount.
Speaker: The sometimes the thought is better than the reality, so to speak.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You know, there's more that you can think like it's more disturbing to not know.
Speaker: It's just like in it.
Speaker: It's like in the Dark Knight Rises for me.
Speaker: The fight between Bane and Batman in the beginning is so good because it's raw.
Speaker: There's no music to accompany it.
Speaker: And it just it shows the pure physicality of Bane.
Speaker: which I having the music out, I think enhances that fight so much because it's just, it's, it's down to the core of what Bane represents.
Speaker: And I, I think here again, it's okay.
Speaker: These, this flood is terrifying.
Speaker: you know what's going on.
Speaker: Like what would the extra blood and graphics do?
Speaker: That's not what this show needs to be.
Speaker: So I think they did a really good job of showing you exactly what you needed to see to go.
Speaker: This isn't a joke.
Speaker: Like this is, this is terrifying.
Speaker: If this thing gets loose without going all the way into horror genre, you know, like, like you said to a resident evil kind of style show or, um,
Speaker: you know, something like the walking dead, for example.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Exactly.
Speaker: So, yeah, I thought again, regardless of whether I think overall, it was the best choice.
Speaker: I do think the way that they within their story represented these choices.
Speaker: Well, regardless whether or not I completely agree with them, this episode does things right.
Speaker: It,
Speaker: It did make me care.
Speaker: It made me care about John getting on the ring.
Speaker: It made me care him getting to the installation.
Speaker: Now, once again, the only thing that I'm really I'm really lacking on.
Speaker: I'm lacking on the relationship between John and Cortana.
Speaker: Yeah, it it just I don't feel it there.
Speaker: I just not yet.
Speaker: I just don't.
Speaker: And I feel like, you know, this is where I say the show wants to have its cake and eat it, too.
Speaker: It wants to say, well, we're not giving you directly the Halo game.
Speaker: We're doing this interpretation.
Speaker: We're adding these elements.
Speaker: We're still in Halo lore.
Speaker: It's again, Silver Age timeline.
Speaker: But you just need to care about their relationship because it's Halo and Cortana.
Speaker: And again, I don't know how.
Speaker: I don't know how a casual viewer cares about the relationship between John and Cortana, especially like because again, and maybe I need to go back and rewatch something of season one to find out where I'm supposed.
Speaker: And again, I know she was with him at the end, but.
Speaker: trying to figure out where that super connection between the two of them came from.
Speaker: I know he ended up trusting her, but it doesn't feel like to the degree that they want us or even the dialogue that he like, it's so good to have you back or however he exactly says that.
Speaker: It's like, I don't feel that.
Speaker: You got to imagine what happened in those six months that she was, uh,
Speaker: or maybe it wasn't six months, whatever the period of time was that she was basically in control of his functions.
Speaker: They had to surgically remove her from him.
Speaker: They didn't show us much of that time.
Speaker: They really showed us none of it.
Speaker: Just a tiny little bit in the finale of season one.
Speaker: What actually happened in that period of time?
Speaker: I guess we're supposed to assume that that's where the connection comes from, but I would rather see it not
Speaker: assume it, I suppose, I guess is where I'm at.
Speaker: Um, you know, we've really not at all talked about Kessler, Lara, uh, Ackerson.
Speaker: Um, well, how did you feel about Lara's kind of,
Speaker: her, you know, her, her sealing herself off and revealing that she'd been bitten as opposed to, you know, traditional zombie lore where you hide it as long as you can.
Speaker: And then, you know, your loved ones have to take you out when you finally turn.
Speaker: Um, see, here's the thing.
Speaker: It still felt very typical because I've, I've seen that result in a bunch of other stuff too.
Speaker: What are you doing?
Speaker: What are you doing?
Speaker: Well, I'm not going to make it.
Speaker: Like, eh, okay.
Speaker: Maybe it's because I felt she was so bad and I was like, well, it didn't really seem like you gave a shit where your kid was.
Speaker: You didn't seem to be in a hurry.
Speaker: You know, part of me did feel something like...
Speaker: damn, that sucks.
Speaker: The family's broken up.
Speaker: But part of me also just went, yeah, okay.
Speaker: Am I surprised?
Speaker: I'm not shocked.
Speaker: I'm not like, oh, God, no.
Speaker: Yeah, I just felt like, all right.
Speaker: Yeah, that's kind of sad.
Speaker: But again, it didn't give me the emotion that I'm sure they wanted the reaction to be.
Speaker: Yeah, for a season finale, having a side character die off that you'd spent a lot of time this season focusing on, it meant nothing to me.
Speaker: The only way that that had...
Speaker: the only way I regard her character's death as, as having any meaning is just the way that it affects Kessler because he's a, he's a kid and I feel bad, you know, like naturally it's just my thing.
Speaker: Like when, when he's, when he's shown to be affected by that, like that's the impact her death had on me was through his, it's impact on him, not on me.
Speaker: So like that was kind of where that was.
Speaker: I am curious about,
Speaker: where Ackerson is going to end up in the future.
Speaker: Is he, where, where are his loyalties?
Speaker: Where, who will, who will he be trying to help?
Speaker: Who will he be an ally to?
Speaker: Will he be playing both sides of things?
Speaker: I am somewhat interested to see what happens with him.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Um, I do think, uh, yeah,
Speaker: he will be interesting again.
Speaker: I like him.
Speaker: Um, I, I do like his character overall.
Speaker: I, I think he had some missteps.
Speaker: Uh, I, I was impressed with what they were able to do with him.
Speaker: I thought he gave, especially because the actor portraying him, I do like him.
Speaker: I think he has a pretty good presence.
Speaker: He has very good charisma.
Speaker: Um,
Speaker: So I'm I'm I'm curious to see him.
Speaker: I don't want to see Quan anymore.
Speaker: I just I'm tired of it.
Speaker: I was better this season.
Speaker: She was because she was pretty low a focus.
Speaker: She was way too much of a focus.
Speaker: But again, they're just setting up where it's like she almost feels like she's going to go back to her season one role in season three where she is going to be more important.
Speaker: You know, I, yeah, she's going to, she like, she's going to be the one that drops on halo and is running to John to be like, don't open it.
Speaker: It's the foot like, and oh, great.
Speaker: We get to see her save the day.
Speaker: Like, please don't.
Speaker: Like, please, please don't.
Speaker: Could you, could you not?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Like.
Speaker: What if you didn't?
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: What if you, yeah.
Speaker: What just, what if we didn't?
Speaker: It's going to be interesting.
Speaker: I can't imagine season three doesn't get greenlit.
Speaker: For every single metric, this show is better than the first.
Speaker: Reviews, numbers, like, and not even just better, being better than other things that are on Paramount+.
Speaker: The most watched, like, first episode.
Speaker: The most views for, you know, for a show on Paramount+.
Speaker: Like, this is...
Speaker: A success for Paramount Plus.
Speaker: Now, I don't know how these shows actually justify being made based on numbers because of the fact that it's like, what was it?
Speaker: Season one was like $80 million to make.
Speaker: Like, it was like, what?
Speaker: $10 million.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It was like, you know, if you broke it down, it would.
Speaker: Cause yeah, because I remember saying like, okay, like that means they spent $10 million an episode.
Speaker: Like if you just broke it down, like, okay, there's $80 million spent to make this show.
Speaker: There's eight episodes.
Speaker: That's $10 million an episode.
Speaker: Obviously, probably each episode didn't cost $10 million or however that works.
Speaker: But I am curious as to how it's like, how do you justify that $80 million?
Speaker: Like where is the revenue?
Speaker: Because I don't think you're making $80 million off Paramount Plus subscriptions for Halo.
Speaker: That's not where you get your revenue from.
Speaker: There's no way you're getting $80 million in signups.
Speaker: I don't think.
Speaker: I mean, if you think about what actually people subscribe to Paramount Plus for.
Speaker: Again, really into like CBS shows, I guess.
Speaker: Star Trek Discovery was kind of, I think, their biggest card.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: They have Transformers Rise of the Beast.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I mean, the reason my parents signed up for it was for seal team.
Speaker: Cause that was on CBS and then they moved it to Paramount plus and they wanted to finish watching it.
Speaker: So that's, that's why my parents signed up for it.
Speaker: But like, there's not like, if you had to really guess, like what's their marquee series, you know, there's, there's not a lot that's on here.
Speaker: And even when you sit there and like, again, you go to movies and it's like, you know, Paramount plus is more for,
Speaker: a lot of the times obscure stuff like, you know, what first when, when everything was sitting there and going, okay, you're going to go like, it's going straight to what's it called?
Speaker: It's going straight to streaming when theaters were down and stuff like that.
Speaker: It's like, what movies were, um,
Speaker: streaming same day as in theaters or, you know, like wonder woman 84 released on HBO max.
Speaker: What, what it was called at the time, like what launches on paramount plus now, I'm not saying there's not good movies on here.
Speaker: Like there's the mission impossible movies.
Speaker: There's the new star Trek.
Speaker: Well, I say new, but you know, the new star Trek movies with Chris Pines on here.
Speaker: Um,
Speaker: the jackass movies, a quiet place part two.
Speaker: Like I'm just looking through some of this stuff.
Speaker: Um, like if you're already subscribed to this, you'll find stuff.
Speaker: If you're like, if this is the only service you have, you'll find enough stuff to keep you entertained.
Speaker: But I'm, I'm like, unless you're really into star Trek, cause there's also a bunch of stuff that you have to pay extra to have showtime, the, the, the showtime app on this as well.
Speaker: And it's like, yeah, yeah.
Speaker: So, yeah, it just I can't imagine the season three just doesn't get done.
Speaker: But again, I just go, man, how in the heck?
Speaker: Like, what pays for it?
Speaker: They need the content to keep the platform relevant.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: So but, yeah, I mean, look, again, overall, because I don't I don't have really anything else to say about this episode.
Speaker: So I'm going to.
Speaker: divulge back to you about, you know, was there anything else that happened in this episode that, that you had your notes on that I'm, that I'm missing?
Speaker: I think, I think I'm ready to rate the episode and rate the season.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So yeah, my popcorn time review is for this episode, I'm going to, I'm going to give this three and a half because again, it,
Speaker: Even though it does some things really well, I think, again, like I've said, they left things on the table.
Speaker: And not just because they need to have another season.
Speaker: I just feel like they left things on the table that could have had a bigger payoff.
Speaker: I think having the fight of the Arbiter.
Speaker: Now, again, maybe in Season 3, somebody's going to get that title and we're going to get that Arbiter relationship.
Speaker: that we know from the games, which I think would even compel brand new fans.
Speaker: That relationship would be something that compels people who are aloof to the halo franchise other than the show.
Speaker: That's all they know.
Speaker: I think there's much more there.
Speaker: I think the reveal of the flood on the halo ring would have been a much stronger reveal, even though I think this reveal is good.
Speaker: I think it's effective.
Speaker: Um,
Speaker: And it's been my whole problem with the season, but specifically for this episode, it is strong.
Speaker: I did enjoy it.
Speaker: But it's still it's still plagued by everything that I think is wrong with the show in general since season one.
Speaker: So for me, the episode is a three and a half.
Speaker: Honestly, the season as a whole, based on all of my scores, I would have to say that this overall season.
Speaker: is a two and a half for me for season two.
Speaker: I don't remember what I gave season one.
Speaker: If listeners, if I graded season one higher than two, maybe I need to go back and rethink my review of season one because I can't remember my overall score.
Speaker: But even though this is much better than season one, I think it's still just...
Speaker: it again, my final thought is it's not what I want.
Speaker: You had more material that you could have drawn from that.
Speaker: I thought would have gave you more compelling episodes, more compelling stories.
Speaker: Like I said, I can't imagine season three won't happen.
Speaker: And maybe that's where they really adapt the first game and go from there.
Speaker: But I think it's been a very rocky road to get to where we ended.
Speaker: So I'm going four and a quarter for the episode.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: So I had a thought as you were talking about, you know, just the Arbiter and things like that.
Speaker: And if they're going to carry on the mantle, I think they've got a chance to do something really, really cool as a, as a little bit of fan service and it would, it would actually really improve the show.
Speaker: They pass the mantle of the Arbiter on to another Sangheili who is voiced by Keith David.
Speaker: Oh yeah.
Speaker: If they do that, I,
Speaker: Um, we will rejoice.
Speaker: I mean, listen, they, they've already shown they're willing to get Jen Taylor and she's fantastic as reprising Cortana.
Speaker: We love that.
Speaker: If we can get Keith David to voice the arbiter, um, I will be, I will be very, very excited about that.
Speaker: Um, so that's, that's my, um,
Speaker: prediction slash wish for season three.
Speaker: Season as a whole, I liked it better than you did.
Speaker: I'm going 3.75.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Optimistically, just because I, for some reason, weirdly focus more on the parts of this that I like.
Speaker: And I think I kind of laugh at the parts that I dislike more and just acknowledge that it's stupid and ridiculous at times and just kind of laugh it off a little bit better.
Speaker: So that's where I'm at.
Speaker: Four and a quarter for this episode, three and three quarters for the season as a whole.
Speaker: And yes, I will be interested.
Speaker: Hopefully it doesn't take two years because that's how long we had to wait in between one and two.
Speaker: I'm hoping that it doesn't take, you know, two full years to get a season three, because I think, you know, you just lose so much momentum on a show, particularly on a streaming service that doesn't have a whole lot else.
Speaker: Like you got to wonder, like the people who were watching this, how many of them, you know, now, especially now that football season's over,
Speaker: have disconnected their Paramount Plus subscription and will wait until they need it again, or maybe, you know, sign up for it for a seven day trial with a second alternate email address and then just binge the whole series once it's available.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Um, I'll be interested to see where we go.
Speaker: Um, again, I would, I would watch season three.
Speaker: I think,
Speaker: season two was better let's see what happens maybe we won't have to wait as long because based on everything i can't see why they wouldn't keep what they have with season two i know they changed um you know showrunners and stuff from season one to season two because of some backlash but um i can't imagine it would take as long but maybe it does just to get all of this stuff together who knows um
Speaker: Especially with what they're maybe preparing to do in season three, because if they're going to follow the first game, a lot of special effects.
Speaker: Maybe it's practical, so you've got to design all that stuff.
Speaker: Because there's a lot.
Speaker: There's a lot that could have to happen there, and it might take two and a half years to get all that together.
Speaker: So we'll see what happens.
Speaker: But it's been it's been an interesting ride for season two, to say the least.
Speaker: So, Rob, I'm going to let you do the closing.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: So listeners, if you've enjoyed this season, if you think Matt's been too harsh on it, you can tell us by email.
Speaker: You can send an email to the show at MGTTM podcast at gmail.com.
Speaker: Just simply the initials of Matt goes to the movies podcast at gmail.com.
Speaker: Make sure you connect with the show on all of your favorite social media platforms.
Speaker: If you've enjoyed this, uh,
Speaker: particular series, let us know if you've enjoyed our other series that we've been doing runs of.
Speaker: We're working on Ghostbusters right now.
Speaker: X-Men, the animated series is out now.
Speaker: The reprisal, they're calling it X-Men 97.
Speaker: We're going to be talking about it.
Speaker: And we've got a three-parter coming up where we're going to review the first three episodes as a whole.
Speaker: So that's going to be like one mega episode, putting the first three together.
Speaker: The episodes themselves are pretty quick.
Speaker: So
Speaker: It kind of feels like it makes more sense to kind of look at chunks at a time of it.
Speaker: So we're really looking forward to that.
Speaker: Full of nostalgia.
Speaker: I've already, you know, I've both already seen the first two episodes, tons of nostalgia there.
Speaker: I think there's a decent amount to talk about with it.
Speaker: So we're really looking forward to that.
Speaker: Some other fun stuff coming up too.
Speaker: So make sure you stay subscribed to Matt goes to the movies, wherever you get podcasts.
Speaker: And if you're, while you're at it, like go ahead and leave the show review, put like five stars, you know, just for fun.
Speaker: See what happens.
Speaker: Yeah, no.
Speaker: Thank you very much, listeners.
Speaker: Thank you for sticking with us through Halo Season 2 and every other movie show that is coming to the podcast.
Speaker: So we will be back very soon with more reviews.
Speaker: Thanks, listeners.
