After the latest episode of Halo on Paramount+, we’ve finally gotten the opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with Cortana, a familiar face from the video game series. Of course, she’s not quite the same as many will remember from Halo’s numerous games. Still, having her finally make her appearance makes it seem as though even bigger things are coming.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Halo Season 1, Episode 3. If you’ve yet to watch the latest installment on Paramount+, this is your final warning.
Cortana has not only arrived, but has been uploaded into Master Chief’s (Pablo Schreiber) brain. Of course, the dynamic so familiar from the games is absent, given how fresh their relationship is, and chances are it’s going to stay that way for a while.
Speaking to GameSpot, Cortana actress Jen Taylor admitted, “They’re in a very different part of their relationship, and they are going to definitely have some pretty intense growing pains. One of them is really not happy that the other is there. And so, there needs to be a lot of trust established that has not been established yet. Part of the journey is them learning to love each other. And I say that in a familial way–basically to become more comfortable with each other and to figure out who they are.
Taylor is, of course, no stranger to Cortana, having voiced the character since the initial game back in 2001. Now, though, she’s getting to play a version of Cortana she’s never inhabited before–not only because the games have yet to explore this particular period of time, but because the series exists in its own timeline. Still, the actress says, “It truly feels like a great gift to continue this exploration of this character.”
And in that exploration, Schreiber is excited to see how things evolve between the Spartan soldier and the AI that lives in his head.
“We have an opportunity to view the birth of Cortana essentially, and the beginning of the Chief/Cortana relationship, which is a very fun thing to get to explore when audiences who are familiar with the game will know their relationship so well,” he explained. “It’s a very different relationship because it’s at the beginning. If you can imagine, you’re a super soldier defending humanity against the Covenant and you’re told that a very advanced AI is going to be inserted into your consciousness, there may be some uncomfortable feelings around that.”
If what we saw in the latest episode of Halo is any indication, those uncomfortable feelings are going to be pretty entertaining for those watching at home. What else could you expect in a situation where a piece of artificial intelligence seemingly has an opinion on everything you do–and can summon itself at will.
Still, while we may be in for a bumpy ride, the dynamic between Chief and Cortana is iconic and, should the show get to the point in time where they work in tandem, should be exciting to watch grow.
New episodes of Halo stream Thursdays on Paramount+.
Source: Gamespot
