Inspired by the iconic Xbox videogame series, HALO: SEASON ONE tells the epic story of humanity’s struggle against the Covenant, an alien threat seeking to destroy the human world. As the infamous Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber, “Orange is the New Black”) uncovers the true ambitions of the Covenant, he realizes he must find a way to stop it once and for all.

For in-depth thoughts on Halo: The Complete First Season, please see my colleague Elijah Boxhill’s review from its streaming debut here.

For a look at the SteelBook packaging of Halo: The Complete First Season, please check our unboxing video:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3wOqqKi1aY]

Video Quality

Halo debuts with a stunning 4K UHD Blu-Ray in its original aspect ratio which proves to be a highlight of the format. This particular release does not come with any Blu-Ray discs, so the exact level of upgrade is difficult to ascertain, but the quality throughout is pretty unreal. The implementation of Dolby Vision is stellar from the more nuanced colors to dazzling highlights in specific settings. The brighter landscapes remain stable and do not suffer from banding or blooming. The black levels are extremely deep with no hint of crush or compression artifacts to ruin the aesthetic. The precision of shadow detail achieved will leave you with your jaw on the floor. Every hue and display of stark contrast seems so much more lifelike and true to the environment.

Clarity and detail is simply phenomenal, exposing details otherwise imperceptible due to the limitations of the lesser formats. Everything looks natural from the skin tones to the colors of the armor, clothing and the landscapes. Subtle details in the production design that might blend in with the background are incredibly clear and well defined. Most elements have a greater sense of texture in this format. This series is one that benefits immensely from 4K UHD with improvements to image stability and deeper black levels that make this is must own for fans. A great amount of depth is gained with this transfer, both in close-up and long shots. This 4K UHD transfer brings richness to the series that a simple Blu-ray cannot replicate.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray set offers a substantial upgrade in the form of an intense Dolby Atmos presentation that handles the action unceasingly well. This track is not simply impressive because it is loud or busy, what truly leaves you stunned is the nuance that is employed in the sound design. Directionality of sound is never an issue with this series, and dialogue is reproduced with impeccable clarity. The track also offers expert level immersion into the various environments so that even the most discrete elements are represented.

The Atmos presentation takes full advantage of the expanded channel allotment. During scenes of battle, you get some pulse-pounding moments of height immersion from overhead channels. Overhead sounds during action sequences may be expected, but it makes you cheer nonetheless. Environmental effects are engaged consistently even when the scene is more character-driven. All of the sounds are balanced without issue during kinetic sequences that are plentiful throughout the season. This show offers up countless opportunities to get things shaking in the low end. The audio presentation is a memorable experience from start to finish. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Halo The Series – Declassified: Every episode is given a terrific post-show assessment hosted by Sydnee Goodman as she takes you through all of the highlights of the episodes, chats with some of the cast and creative team, shows some behind-the-scenes content, offers fan reactions and more that makes for a good time. Needless to say, each of these post-show explorations come with a spoiler alert for the episode in question.

- 101 – Contact (19:49)

- 102 – Unbound (20:37)

- 103 – Emergence (22:36)

- 104 – Homecoming (27:01)

- 105 – Reckoning (27:47)

- 106 – Solace (24:55)

- 107 – Inheritance (26:38)

- 108 – Allegiance (32:10)

- 109 – Transcendence (36:36)

Dissecting The Battle Of Madrigal: A ten-minute exploration of the opening assault which shows the intense care put into making the battle a reality, the practical elements, how it ties into the overall plot, attempting to stay true to the original games and more.

The World Of Halo: A nine-minute look at the overall franchise that started off in the early 2000s, the intricate universe that has been built up, translate the story into an episodic medium, the themes that are explored, the challenges faced by the cast and creative team, and much more.

The Culture Of The Covenant: A ten-minute featurette which explores the new character of Makee and how she opens up the world to the audience, referencing character designs from the series when bringing the Covenant characters to life, working with the fictional language, the production design and more.

Adapting Halo: A 13-minute piece which looks at the creation of the various different worlds adapted for the show from a production design perspective.

Becoming Spartans: An eight-minute look into the Spartan characters, the performers who bring them to life, the changes from the games, the introduction of new characters and more.

Creating The Costumes Of Halo: A nearly ten-minute exploration of the costume designs of the series and how they function within this world.

Weapons and Vehicles Of Halo: A nearly 11-minute piece on the props, artifacts and vehicles created for the show.

The Making Of Cortana: A five-minute exploration of how the series went about bringing the fan favorite character of Cortana to life in the performance from Jen Taylor, the logistics of interacting on set, the visual effects work and more.

The Lake Of Eternal Life – A Song From Halo’s Score: A three-minute look at the creation of a key piece of music from episode three.

Final Thoughts

It is important to note that when approaching this big budget adaption of Halo, this particular reviewer has never played through the storylines of the Halo games, and at best has only watched the odd episode of Red vs. Blue. Without the larger knowledge of the Halo lore hanging overhead, this series does impress in a number of ways. Visually, this is one of the more thoughtfully crafted shows around today both in production design and visual effects. There are also some action set pieces that really get your blood pumping. Otherwise, this show tends to fall in the category of passable sci-fi entertainment. The plotting and pacing is a bit inconsistent, and the series does not do enough to truly get you invested in most of these characters. While this first season is far from a disaster, there is room for improvement moving forward. CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment have delivered a 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a splendid A/V presentation and a great collection of special features. Fans of the television series will be delighted by the visual treat that is in store for them. Recommended

Halo: The Complete First Season is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray (Standard or SteelBook), Blu-Ray and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment have supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.