Warning: This article contains spoilers for Halo episode 2.
The Master Chief continues to be seen without his helmet and now the rest of his armor in Halo episode 2, making the controversial decision to reveal what he looks like so early in the series even worse. Many were surprised when the iconic Master Chief character revealed his face in the very first episode, given that he had always been fully suited up in his armor in the video game. The Halo television show does not strictly follow the canon of its video game series predecessor, but it does include a number of characters that those already acquainted with the franchise will recognize. Those characters are ones that players of the video games have certainly been watching closely to see what adjustments the television show is making to them. Not all changes have been well-received, and the Master Chief’s early face reveal continues to be a problem for many who love the Halo video games.
The Paramount+ television series is based on the video game series by the same name and centers on the Master Chief and his team of Spartans. The Master Chief’s helmet came off in Halo episode 1 in order to gain the trust of Kwan Ha and though the action was jarring to some, the reasoning was a humanistic one. Still, for a character that had always been seen wearing a full suit of armor, the Master Chief taking it all off in episode 2 has felt a bit premature.
Master Chief spends most of his time in Halo episode 2 without his helmet on, and often without most of his armor as well. While it made sense in episode 1 to lose the helmet in order to gain the trust of Kwan, the reasoning for him not wearing his armor in episode 2 feels less clear. Master Chief has been having visions that are putting him more in touch with his human feelings, but now removing his helmet and armor feels less meaningful, as he’s hardly seen with it on at all. Had there been even just a little more build up to him shedding his armor, the impact would have been greater for veterans of the Halo franchise and newcomers alike.
In retrospect, Master Chief removing his helmet in Halo episode 1 does not feel all that unusual given the circumstances in which he did this. He was trying to gain the trust of Kwan and was simultaneously becoming acquainted with these feelings that have been laying dormant within him all these years. Although getting comfortable with his old friend Soren, once known as Spartan 066, on The Rubble also makes sense - as does not wearing his armor when he’s brought into custody by the UNSC - by having Master Chief wear his armor for so little time in the show so far, it diminishes his role as an accomplished Spartan. His story is an interesting one, and the idea that this artifact from Madrigal is making him feel and question things is a fascinating direction to go in for a character who has been devoid of such thoughts for so long, but a delay in removing his helmet would have set this plot line up even better.
The creators of the Halo television series have made it very clear that their story does not follow the one set forth by the video games, so some variations on the characters that many may have been expected going into the series is perhaps to be expected. That said, Master Chief’s helmet controversy in Halo episode 2 is now beginning to undermine who this character is, and what his overall character arc is seemingly supposed to be. Hopefully as Halo continues, a careful balance between the character's authority as the Master Chief and his identity as a real person is achieved.