Few fans of the first season of Halo would call it an exactly faithful adaptation of Microsoft’s legendary sci-fi video game series. But the series is picking itself up for round two by taking on an iconic moment from the series’ battle for the fate of humanity: the infamous Fall of Reach.
Reach—a major world in humanity’s colonial ambitions and a nexus of military and production might on the practical intergalactic doorstep of Earth itself—appears to be the major focus of Halo season two, as humanity’s war with the alien conglomerate known as the Covenant heats up. As Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) and his fellow Spartans rally to defend the world from a surprise Covenant invasion, desperate hours will see John-117 and his allies look to save humankind from complete devastation by seeking an intergalactic weapon that could stop the Covenant at all costs: the mysterious ringworld known as the Halo.
The Fall of Reach is a major event in Halo canon, one of the most deadliest and decisive defeats humanity faces against the Covenant. First explored in the prequel novel of the same name by Eric Nylund before the release of the original 2001 Xbox game Halo: Combat Evolved, the Covenant’s successful invasion of Reach—home to the Spartan-II program, the crucible that forged Master Chief into the enhanced soldier he is—and its near eradication was eventually adapted once again into the fourth major Halo video game, suitably titled Halo: Reach, the final title in the franchise to be worked on by original Halo developer Bungie. Suffice to say, there is a lot riding on the Halo show to do it justice, especially in the wake of the mixed reception of its debut season.
We won’t have long to wait to find out if it does—Halo returns for season two starting February 8 on Paramount+.
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