The live-action Halo series on Paramount+ has proved to be pretty divisive amongst fans of the show, and the most recent episode appears to have ramped up the criticism further.
Episode 8 of the show's first ever season dropped on 12th May, and the main talking point has been the main character Master Chief losing his virginity to Makee, a brand new character that wasn't in the games who is played by Charlie Murphy.
Check out the trailer for the controversial episode here if you want to watch before reading on:
The series has already faced criticism from fans for making a number of changes to the established mythology of the games, but Master Chief losing his virginity would appear to be the biggest change yet.
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In the games, he is depicted as a single-minded super soldier who only shows any kind of sentimentality towards his holographic companion Cortana, and has likely never had sex due to being raised as a Spartan warrior from childhood.
So as you can imagine, when he had sex with Makee - who never appeared in the games - it was bound to cause some level of controversy. Fans have been quick to share their reactions on Twitter:
It hasn't gone down completely badly, with one fan saying: "Just because we did not see it in the Halo game franchise, it does not mean that Master Chief can blow off some steam after fending Brutes, Grunts, Jackals and the like!"
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It's far from the first controversial moment in the series involving Master Chief, who's played by Pablo Schreiber. The first episode featured the character, also known as John-117, removing his helmet multiple times - something he didn't do once in the games.
343 Industries, who is responsible for the Halo games, released a lengthy blog post when the first episode dropped in response to the controversy the reveal caused.
"For fans of our expanded universe, who have read The Fall of Reach and other media centred around the Master Chief, taking the helmet off is something that they're actually quite used to - our literature and comic formats have allowed for that kind of storytelling," the post said.
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"This was an interesting creative decision to grapple with for the Halo television series, as we look to the legacy of the Halo franchise and see thoughts scattered all over the map as to whether this is a thing that should even be done.
"A moment like this is not a plot point or even explicitly a 'reveal' of what he looks like, but a means to tell his story. It had to be a moment that was earned and meaningful. This is also part of why it happens in the first episode: it's not a twist, it's a mission statement." the post concluded.
Halo's first season ends with its next episode, which airs on 19th May. The show has already been renewed for a second season.
Featured Image Credit: Paramount+Topics: GAMING, Entertainement
