Halo season 2 will ditch romance plot as character makes shock return

Makee, who developed a romantic relationship with John in season 1, was presumed dead after she was shot in the brutal final episode.

However, season 2 episode 2 confirms the character is very much alive, with Schreiber teasing how their journey will continue.

Schreiber, who's made no secret of the fact that he didn't enjoy the romantic aspect to John and Makee's relationship, told RadioTimes.com: "I wasn't surprised to find that Charlie Murphy was coming back. I love Charlie, I think she's a fantastic actress, I was an advocate for her to come back.

"I've gone on record already to say that I wasn't a big supporter of the relationship between Makee and John being romantic. I always wanted Charlie to be a part of the show, I think Makee's a great character, I think it's a great foil for John, I think it's a great motivator, and they learn a lot about each other through the characters.

"I just don't think it should have been romantic. So we've taken a lot of that out for the second season. And so her being around, there's still unfinished business between them, and it certainly won't be romantic."

Schreiber continued: "I think the relationship in the first season could have been quite useful without the romance, I think they were sort of mirrors of each other, they had the same experience, and I don't think you needed the romance for it to be impactful.

"I think they could have taught each other a lot about each other and their experiences without adding that element. And so now in the second season, she's a bit more of a foil, she has her own journey going on. I'd say she's almost a bit more like a villain in a way, she's more directly aligned with the Covenant – she's made that clear, that's become obvious.

"So I think we missed the opportunity for some of this stuff in the first season. But we have a really, really strong and fantastic writer, David Wiener, as the showrunner this year, and I really liked what he did with the character and the relationship."

Showrunner Wiener added to RadioTimes.com: "At the outset of making the story for season 2, it became really apparent that Charlie's a world-class performer and it felt like she brought so much to the show that I really would have felt the absence.

"She also provides us this really fascinating lens into the Covenant, into their psychology, into their faith. And it's such a unique, important character that to remove that pillar of the story just felt less exciting.

"She does get shot at the end of the first season but it's a really, I think, satisfying journey that she goes on this season. And I love having her back. There's no way to do it without her, I felt. It was hard to tell that Covenant story without having a human perspective."

Elsewhere in season 2, Schreiber has teased a "tragic event" to come – so buckle in!

Halo season 2 continues on Thursdays on Paramount Plus. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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