He's big! He's clever! And he's free on YouTube! Master Chief is currently streaming for free on YouTube, because Paramount Plus has uploaded the entire first season of the Halo live-action TV show to the online service. The series was previously only available on the streamer, so the move to YouTube will potentially bring it to a much bigger audience.
Like may sci-fi shows, especially game adaptations, Halo has had a bit of a mixed reaction from reviewers and from audiences too. It's currently sitting with 70% from the Rotten Tomatoes critics and just 52% from the audience – however, that hasn't stopped us from rating it among the best Paramount Plus shows.
That's partly because a TV show can't go in all guns blazing like the video games do. To make it successful on one of the best streaming services, they needed to build a world and introduce characters, and they need to make Master Chief talk, too.
Is the live action Halo show worth streaming?
I think so. It's no The Last of Us, but it's a fun action show with excellent special effects and enough fan-friendly nods to raise a smile without making the whole thing impenetrable to everybody else.
Empire says that season one is "a worthy adaptation that promises better things to come". Meanwhile, IO9 says that "Halo jukes away from what fans knew of the game's canon, but its literal and metaphorical undressing of its iconic main character is its biggest strength." And the Sydney Morning Herald says: "The premise is familiar but the effects and creature designs are great." Not all reviews are quite so favorable, though. CNN called it "derivative", The Beat said it lacked heart and The Guardian said it was "too slow to load".
For me, I reckon a flawed Halo show is better than no Halo show. And now it's streaming for free you can find out for yourself without committing any cash. Halo is streaming now on Paramount Plus' YouTube channel.
