Thoughts on HALO, Picard 2 and Vikings Valhalla.

I'm at least halfway through HALO, and the action and special effects are very good. The graphics of ships, jeeps, Spartans and aliens is just like the video game. When they fight, they do similar things you would see in the game. For example, a Spartan picking up a dropped alien weapon and using it. 

So far, I'm interested, but can't say that I'm totally hooked on the story. A lot of questions remain up in the air. Master Chief (John) has the ability to touch a special object that has some sort of power. When other people touch it, nothing happens. When he touches it, he sometimes activates its power or has flashbacks of his childhood. At a time before he became a Spartan. Spartans are basically humans turned into fighting machines. Their memories are blocked, and emotions toned way down through technology. John is finding out he was converted into a Spartan perhaps without his fully knowing what it meant. Spartans are the only ones who can fight the Covenant Aliens. When an alien encounters a Marine (or any humans), they destroy them in seconds. The humans really need the Spartans. 

The aliens also want the device. A teenage girl is helping them. They call her the "blessed one". She seems to be loyal to the aliens. That's the main plot. There is also some sort of sub plot going on about a teenage girl who wants to restore her people. She tends to cause problems. I will keep watching. 

I'm also still watching Picard Season 2. They go back to fix the timeline that Q messed up. When they arrive in the past 2024, they're like "be careful not to change the timeline, except for the thing we want to change, not that we know what we're looking for."  Then they went out, got into trouble and did so many things that the timeline has to be changed. However, when I think about it, the whole series is just a rehash of other stories. It's similar to the next generation movie "First Contact" where they go back in time because the Borg messed up the timeline. Just like "First Contact" the goal in Picard S2 is to make sure a special flight happens. Was it just easier to recycle old plots or do they think fans want to see the same things rehashed? It's all so confusing, but I will keep watching though. Mainly because I want to see what happens to Picard.  

I've also been watching Vikings Valhalla. It's the first Vikings series I have ever tried, and it's very good, even though I'm not big on the bloody type scenes. Such as someone's head getting chopped off. Yes, it's rated M for Mature. The Vikings have come to England to get revenge on the King for wiping out colonies of their people. However, the old King dies leaving his son (who is about 18 years old) to take over just before the Vikings attack. It has a bit of a fantasy vibe, but it's not really fantasy. This is because of the Pagen things that some of the characters believe in. It reminded me a little of Lord of the Rings without the magic or a ring.