History YMMV / Halo2022

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: In true ''Halo'' tradition, the score to this series is phenomenal. Sean Callery manages to capture the essence of the original score by Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori, especially with the opening title's rendition of the famous Gregorian chant. Season 2's take on it is no slouch either, as it makes the chant more pronounced for an even more epic effect, this time provided by none other than ''Music/BearMccreary.''

** In "Halo", [[spoiler:Admiral Paragonsky is left to die at the hands of the Flood. Cue ''Halo'' fans rejoicing everywhere as the franchise's resident HateSink in both canons finally gets some well-earned dose of LaserGuidedKarma--this one especially for having callously abandoned Reach to the Covenant, and sending all the [=SPARTAN-IIIs=] to die a pointless death.]] Bonus points for the fact that [[spoiler:one of the most iconic aspects of the franchise singlehandedly eliminated the biggest source of complaints from the first season.]]

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: In true ''Halo'' tradition, the score to this series is phenomenal. Sean Callery manages to capture the essence of the original score by Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori, especially with the opening title's rendition of the famous Gregorian chant. Season 2's take on it is no slouch either, as it makes the chant more pronounced for an even more epic effect.

** In "Halo", [[spoiler:Admiral Paragonsky is left to die at the hands of the Flood. Cue ''Halo'' fans rejoicing everywhere as the franchise's resident HateSink in both canons finally gets some well-earned dose of LaserGuidedKarma--this one especially for having callously abandoned Reach to the Covenant, and sending all the [=SPARTAN-IIIs=] to die a pointless death.]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic:
** Kwan Ha in Season 1, despite suffering a lot of tragedy in a short time that should make her sympathetic, behaves in such an irrational and impulsive manner that any sympathy the audience might have had for her is quickly exhausted. When the UNSC rescue her and ask her to help convince other insurrectionists to stand down in light of the threat the Covenant poses, she instead [[BullyingADragon threatens to blame them for the whole thing]]. To no one's surprise, they [[spoiler:put out a hit on her]], and she's lucky that the Master Chief [[spoiler:grew a conscience and refused to carry out the order]]. Though perhaps understandable under the circumstances, she continues to press for Madrigal's independence in spite of everyone making it clear there's no appetite for it now that the Covenant are an acknowledged threat, only serving to make her look horribly naive and single-minded. Luckily, Season 2 would take the steps to make her mature and accept her responsibility in the coming conflict, [[TookALevelInBadass become a more competent fighter]], and [[spoiler:pave way for the Flood to enter into the fold.]]

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: [[SpecialEffectsFailure Foibles with some aspects]] aside, the show really does capture the look and feel of the ''Halo'' universe beautifully, with expansive landscapes, futuristic technology, and a faithful rendition of many of the elements from the games.

* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: Kwan Ha was highly disliked in season one, with an awful lot of time dedicated to political machinations on Madrigal that had little canon basis. Season two opens with Madrigal being one of many planets already glassed by the Covenant in the TimeSkip, and Kwan is instead folded into being a supporting character of the subplots of other characters. An unexpected turn, and appreciated by fans, was that she ended up [[spoiler: being the one to build up the lore of The Flood and inadvertently discover them]].

** After Season 1 faced heavy criticism for focusing too much on the UNSC's internal politics and increased focus on their morally dubious actions, Season 2 provides a {{Deconstruction}} that shows said actions giving a more tragic fate to the Fall of Reach. ONI [[spoiler:knew the Covenant would inevitably invade Reach, but hid the truth and pulled everyone out they considered needed for the war (with the hint it was more or less covering their own butts), while gaslighting Chief and screwing over everyone on Reach in the process. In doing so, their actions leave Chief rogue and out of armor, Silver Team demoralized and with no faith in their leader, and Keyes outraged and at odds with ONI, leaving humanity on a disunited front with the enemy at their doorsteps.]]

* TrappedByMountainLions: Episode 8 focuses on Kwan going on a spiritual journey and trying to liberate her homeworld of Madrigal from a power-hungry politician. Aside from a glimpse of a [[spoiler:Forerunner Monitor]], this episode has nothing to do with the greater UNSC vs Covenant conflict and protagonist Master Chief only appears as an illusion.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Kwan Ha, despite suffering a lot of tragedy in a short time that should make her sympathetic, behaves in such an irrational and impulsive manner that any sympathy the audience might have had for her is quickly exhausted. When the UNSC rescue her and ask her to help convince other insurrectionists to stand down in light of the threat the Covenant poses, she instead [[BullyingADragon threatens to blame them for the whole thing]]. To no one's surprise, they [[spoiler:put out a hit on her]], and she's lucky that the Master Chief [[spoiler:grew a conscience and refused to carry out the order]]. Though perhaps understandable under the circumstances, she continues to press for Madrigal's independence in spite of everyone making it clear there's no appetite for it now that the Covenant are an acknowledged threat, only serving to make her look horribly naive and single-minded.

* TheScrappy: Kwan Ha is universally considered the weakest link in the entire show. For much of the show, she makes irrational decisions like roping Soren into her mission, rejecting a truce offer from the UNSC and prioritizing Madrigal's independence over humanity's survival against the genocidal Covenant. It also doesn't help that she has an entire episode to herself that's unconnected to the greater story.

* CatharsisFactor: Ackerson gaslights Silver Team throughout the first third of Season 2 and is depicted as responsible for the plan to [[spoiler:abandon Reach and Silver Team to the Covenant]]. Even after he's become much more sympathetic in ''Thermopylae'', it's still ''very'' satisfying when the Master Chief finally gets his hands on him.

* GrowingTheBeard: While the first season did faithfully adapt many elements from the ''Halo'' lore, and was praised for its casting choices, fans took umbrage with its heavy departures from its source material (such as giving more focus to internal UNSC politics and not on the war with the Covenant, as well as Kwan Ha's subplot having little to do with either), questionable characterization (notably Chief's attempts to rediscover his humanity and Halsey's AdaptationalVillainy), and some subpar special effects. Season 2 would undergo a soft retooling that didn't drop any of the stories from Season 1, but took them in an entirely different direction to be more in line with the games and novels, including refocusing on the Covenant War, making Chief and Halsey more like their personalities from the original canon, and outright deconstructing much of the internal strife from before to create a more tragic take on the Fall of Reach in Episode 4. These efforts have been highly appreciated by fans, who've felt Season 2 is a strong improvement over the first.

* {{Squick}}: Makee removing her nail blade is utterly agonizing.

** Dr. James Ackerson is a ManipulativeBastard of the highest order, and an all-too effective gaslighter who runs the Office of Naval Intelligence as a means to achieve his own ambitions. But as "Visegrad" reveals, [[spoiler:his sister died as a result of the Spartan augmentations thanks to Halsey]]. Even if he is horrible, you can't help but feel sorry for him.

** The stars turning red in the Forerunner starmap is in-universe NightmareFuel for Kwan Ha, who bolts out of the room as soon as she sees them. For fans of the games, either possibility of what they represent is just as terrifying.

* HarsherInHindsight: Vannak expresses an admiration for the Covenant's Needler. [[spoiler:He winds up dying in "Reach" at the hands of one thanks to The Arbiter.]]

** Many fans were surprised to see Master Chief taking his helmet off and revealing his face even though showing and describing the Chief's face isn't exactly ''new''. The novels often have him interacting with others without his armor and he has well-defined facial features. His face has even been visually depicted many times by several comics, advertising and the animated adaptation of ''Literature/HaloTheFallOfReach''. While it is unusual to see his face as an adult, keeping his helmet on was a tradition in the games alone and not an iron clad rule for the franchise.

* RomanticPlotTumor: A major complaint is about the amount of time spent on the romance between Chief and [[spoiler:Makee]] at the expense of the action that some fans who put up with the series were wanting to see, making the series seem more like a soap opera rather than a Sci-Fi action series. This romance is especially weird for fans who know that one of the side effects of the super soldier treatment for SPARTAN-II super soldiers in the original continuity is a suppressed sex drive; in the series, this suppression is established beforehand to be another side effect of the pellets the Spartans are implanted with.

** Master Chief is given a major character arc of learning the immorality of the Spartan Program, being irritable and emotional throughout in contrast to the original character always in DangerDeadpan and a ConsummateProfessional, resulting in [[spoiler: an infamous sex scene with Makee]]. Dr. Halsey is treated as the [[AdaptationalVillainy most villainous figure]] in the UNSC, who is abusing her position for her own secret goals. Season two cleans up both with [[CharacterRerailment stronger characterization]], Chief being AFatherToHisMen is given more focus while Dr. Halsey is caught in the crossfire of other ONI factions [[ALighterShadeOfGrey competing for things FAR worse than what she did]]. This sets up a dramatic take on the eventual downfall of Reach.

* TaintedByThePreview: To say that longtime fans of ''Halo'' have been put off by how the series will occur in another reality would be an understatement. Trepidations increased when an in-depth ''[[https://variety.com/2022/tv/features/halo-series-paramount-plus-master-chief-1235205361/amp/ Variety]]'' article was {{Quote Mine}}d out of showrunner Steven Kane's words about "not looking at the game" and instead focusing on its lore and characters, which led to some accusing the crew of being ignorant.

* TrappedByMountainLions: Episode 8 focuses on Kwan going on a spiritual journey and trying to liberate her homeworld of Madrigal from a power-hungry politician. Aside from a glimpse of a forerunner artifact, this episode has nothing to do with the greater UNSC vs Covenant conflict and protagonist Master Chief only appears as an illusion.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Kwan Ha, despite suffering a lot of tragedy in a short time that should make her sympathetic, behaves in such an irrational and impulsive manner that any sympathy the audience might have had for her is quickly exhausted. When the UNSC rescue her and ask her to help convince other insurrectionists to stand down in light of the threat the Covenant poses, she instead [[BullyingADragon threatens to blame them for the whole thing]]. To no one's surprise, they [[spoiler:put out a hit on her]], and she's lucky that Master Chief [[spoiler:grew a conscience and refused to carry out the order]]. Though perhaps understandable under the circumstances, she continues to press for Madrigal's independence in spite of everyone making it clear there's no appetite for it now that the Covenant are an acknowledged threat, only serving to make her look horribly naive and single-minded.
* VideoGameMoviesSuck: Despite the amount of money put into the show and it’s visual effects, it still ended up receiving middling to negative reviews from both critics and fans for its cliche plot, terrible writing and the amount of unnecessary changes it made from the games. The sheer vitriol caused by these controversies behind the decisions of first season ultimately would inspire a {{Retool}} in the second season that more closely follows the original canon over the "departure" the first season explored. It's safe to say this worked, as Season 2 has been getting much higher praise from critics and fans for making things more in line with the games.

** Season 1 placed an odd amount of focus on some CanonForeigner characters and minor settings [[FourLinesSomeWaiting given their own dedicated subplot]]. Season 2 tightens its focus by using a TimeSkip and retooling many of Season 1's arcs. Kwan Ha remains in the show but used a lot less and only when she intersects with other story arcs. Soren's family is used to provide perspective of outskirt characters and refugees from the war. Neither are in every episode and may only take up a few minutes, allowing for a better balance with the main plot.

** Season 1 as a whole wound up marking the show as an InNameOnly adaptation of the games, heavily changing much of the key events that lead towards the Fall of Reach and the eventual discovery of Halo. Season 2 tightens its focus by retooling many of Season 1's arcs (Kwan Ha's fight for Madrigal's independence, Dr. Halsey's [[spoiler:going rogue]], and Chief [[spoiler:being taken control of by Cortana at the apparent expense of his rediscovered humanity]]) into unexpected directions instead of outright ignoring them ([[spoiler:Madrigal being destroyed by the Covenant, Halsey being taken prisoner by Ackerson, and Chief having Cortana removed while his role as AFatherToHisMen is given more focus]]), and sets up for a more faithful take towards the eventual downfall of Reach.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: In true ''Halo'' tradition, the score to this series is phenomenal. Sean Callery manages to capture the essence of the original score by Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori, especially with the opening title's rendition of the famous Gregorian chant.

* ClicheStorm: One of the biggest criticisms of the series is that it does very little to distinguish itself from other sci-fi series from recent memory. Such plot beats include the helmeted lead protagonist learning to rediscover his humanity (''Series/TheMandalorian''), and a GreyAndGreyMorality Earth Government dealing with the uprising of a traditionally-suppressed minority of humans living on the fringes of space (''Series/TheExpanse'').

* EvilIsCool: Vinsher Grath is probably supposed to be a HateSink, but Creator/BurnGorman turns in such a charismatic, over the top performance it is hard not to like him even though he's a scumbag.

* GrowingTheBeard: The first season had numerous pain points, while generally praised for the performances, production design and the attention to lore it had several questionable story choices and inconsistent visual effects. Season two was something of a SoftReboot, it didn't drop any character or plotline but repackaged everything into something more consistent, better paced and more likely to satisfy fans. This culminated in episode 4 "Reach" which was an intense, breathless series of battles as they fight off the Covenant and learn of betrayals from the upper command.

* SoOkayItsAverage: The general response to the series. While it has good production values, some cool action scenes and a competent cast, the series suffers from inconsistent storytelling, questionable characterization, [[InNameOnly having little to do with the games]], and a generic feeling.

* UnexpectedCharacter: Few expected the main cast to include Soren-066, a one-off Spartan character who appeared in a single ''Literature/HaloEvolutions'' short story that seemingly kills him at the end.

* VideoGameMoviesSuck: Despite the amount of money put into the show and it’s visual effects, it still ended up receiving middling to negative reviews from both critics and fans for its cliche plot, terrible writing and the amount of unnecessary changes it made from the games. The sheer vitriol caused by these controversies behind the decisions of first season ultimately would inspire a {{Retool}} in the second season that more closely follows the original canon over the "departure" the first season explored.

* CharacterRerailment: The first season focuses on Master Chief rediscovering his humanity while also confronting the truth about the Spartan Project. This made him very irritable and emotional, culminating with [[spoiler: having sex with Makee]] which was criticized by most fans. Notably, [[CreatorBacklash Pablo Schrieber said he was also against some aspects]] while praising season two for being more on point. Indeed, when season two came out Master Chief is a lot more [[TheStoic stoic]] while highlighting his commitment to defend humanity, in addition to more emphasis given to [[AFatherToHisMen his relationships with other Spartans]].

* EnsembleDarkhorse: TheCaptain of ''UNSC Gladius'' gets a lot of credit from viewers for his compassion towards Makee whilst thinking she is a prisoner of the Covenant, and [[DefiantToTheEnd for basically telling her to screw off when she tries to get information from him.]] The general impression seems to be that he was pretty awesome for a RedShirt.