Tarron Kayalackakom

Great start, now if they can stick the landing I'll be genuinely impressed.

Absolutely spectacular. A slow burn, ever deepening mystery that unravels slowly episode by episode. This is definitely one that you have to be actively watching or you will miss out on many subtleties that hint at what is actually going on. Severance proves that you don't need a big budget, amazing CGI or well established actors (although there are a couple here) to carry a show. All you need is an interesting story and the ability to convey that story faithfully and at a pace that never drags (recent tv proves that this is far easier said than done). If I had to compare it to a TV show I would say that it currently feels a little bit like the first season of Lost mixed with Black Mirror. This is one that sticks with you long after the credits roll and has you pondering things from the meaning of life to the very fabric of the reality in which we inhabit. It induced a level of existential dread in me that I haven't felt since I finished reading House of Leaves. My only hope is that subsequent seasons maintain this level of quality and mystery building and that the show is not dragged out for more seasons than it needs to be.

I'm editing my original review in light of what I've seen. I went into the show with low expectations and the first episode managed to exceed them. However, after having watched every episode currently out (up to episode 8 as of now) I am pretty disappointed. I'm still going to watch the whole show but as of now instead of having it playing on my main monitor and paying full attention I have it on a second monitor going in the background while I do other things. If you go into this show expecting a faithful adaptation of the Halo universe you will be sorely disappointed. I can forgive straying from the script of the original series and treading new ground, what I cannot forgive is the blatant disregard for character personas inasmuch as many of these characters are literally nothing like their game or even book counterparts. This is essentially poorly written Halo fanfiction at this point. If you go into this show expecting a generic sci-fi show that is 'set' in the Halo universe then you may enjoy it. It is very clear that the showrunners are trying to give this show as much mass appeal as possible and probably thought gamers were too niche of an audience to build a show for, the result is a show that veers so drastically from its core identity that what is left is a hodgepodge mishmash of generic ideas created to appeal to the widest audience possible while ultimately satisfying nobody. I'm giving it a 3/5 stars because it is not unwatchable as a purely sci-fi tv show but that is about all the praise I can muster. ORIGINAL REVIEW: (See above for my current thoughts) I've played all the main Halo games and I'd consider myself a pretty big fan of the series overall. I played Halo: combat evolved on the original Xbox on release day for gods sake. I'm about to make a pretty hot take here but I think the Halo games alone, would make for a pretty lousy story. There just isn't enough meat in between all the action set pieces to make a compelling tv series. One of the biggest flaws of the games storywise is that there are no stakes. Master Chief is a boring, unkillable, emotionless, faceless protagonist who essentially serves as a self insert for the player. The days since the announcement of the show were quite a rollercoaster ride, from being super excited when it was first announced to expecting a complete garbage fire after reading early reviews, to actually looking forward to episode 2 after watching the first episode. To people worried about the show being unfaithful to the games, all the costumes, sets, vehicles etc. are obviously wholly inspired by the games and are basically ripped off almost 1:1, very little artistic liberty is taken which means that either the artists somehow miraculously came to exactly the same conclusion as 343/Bungie when designing these things or they have taken inspiration from the games. Storywise, obviously the show differs, but I think this is a good thing. From a casting perspective I don't really have any particular complaints, some of the actors do a stellar job, others not so much but nobody stands out as abjectly terrible. I don't believe this deserves a 5/5, in my opinion it is sitting closer to a 4 for now, however, I'm giving it a 5 just to balance out the people reviewbombing it because it is "not muh Halo."

An unbelievably high quality production in every regard, from the animation, to the voice acting, to the writing and world building. It starts off a little slow, but ramps up to a stunning and emotional final act that will leave you broken yet simultaneously craving more. It is good enough that I feel comfortable recommending it to both league veterans and newcomers alike. I cannot wait until the second arc releases this weekend!

Some of the episodes can definitely be hit or miss but overall it is a thought provoking visual spectacle unhindered by the rules which govern network television. It pushes boundaries on many fronts, from animation, to content and largely accomplishes what it sets out to do, make you think. Episode 7 (Beyond the Aquila Rift) deserves a special mention, it is a stand out episode in a stand out series.

It may not have had oscarworthy acting, editing, directing or a mind blowing plot. But it was entertaining from start to finish. If you loved John Wick then this should be right up your alley.