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“Halo” Episode 5 Reaction
“On the run and out of options, Kwan and Soren have a difference of opinion. With the possibility of finding the mysterious Halo on everyone’s minds, John makes a horrible […]
“On the run and out of options, Kwan and Soren have a difference of opinion. With the possibility of finding the mysterious Halo on everyone’s minds, John makes a horrible discovery. And the war rears its ugly head.”
We have reached the best rated episode of Halo. It is the first time in a long time. First time in over a month and a half. Remembering back as to why I took such a long pause…well it is because the show is not very good.
While I enjoyed episode five, entitled Reckoning, the ugly parts of the series still rear their ugly heads.
Before watching this episode, I was most grateful for the episode recap. I needed the soft reminder that Kai took out her inhibitor chip after seeing the Master Chief do so. Also John (Master Chief) is on his home planet with Dr. Catherine Halsey and last episode they found a second artifact.
At the start of this episode, some time has passed because Dr. Miranda Keyes is on the planet with her father and the captain Jacob Keyes. They are at odds with Halsey…or should I say that Miranda is. She asks to help her mother, Halsey, with the research but she is shunned away. Then Miranda is taken off the project of the artifacts completely after Halsey tells her late husband that Master Chief has remembered that she kidnapped him from his parents. Master Chief doesn’t know that the captain was there as well, but that revelation is coming quickly.
I should say Halsey and Jacob are not the most amicable exes. Or were they ever together, really? Was it all a sham? Was Miranda just a side effect of them needing to be partners to recruit Spartans? Let’s dig into the conspiracy well, shall we? However, with that being said, the captain did not get too-too upset when Halsey starting blackmailing the commander and bringing up Admiral Hood as a way to get what she wants.
With lies being tossed around on various different levels, our hero is still trying to deal with Cortana talking in his ear and the little things called feelings. While he is overseeing the camp, he can tell that Kai is acting differently and he confronts her about her chip being removed. Despite her calling the him her inspiration, John calls for Kai to be grounded. I am balking at how hypocritical that is, and thankfully Kai calls him out on it.
Now in the long run it may have been the right decision, as we see later in the episode, but come on Master Chief. You finally had a friend who was feeling the same things you were feeling but that wasn’t enough reason for you treat her an equal in that moment.
The momentum inducing event of the episode comes after the artifact seemingly explodes and connects with the other artifact. It is a bit of communication, and The Covenant with their blessed one Makee (Charlie Murphy) are on Madrigal to see it and the connection. Makee touches the wall and sees where this awakened second artifact is. Start the countdown to conflict.
When this artifact emotes its signal, there is a massive shriek that effects everyone and everything around it. Well, everyone but Master Chief. He is able to just walk up to the artifact and have a quizzical “what the fuck” face .
A lot happens for Master Chief by this artifact. He doesn’t get affected by the noise. He learns more about his kidnapping. He learns that Cortana can shut down his neural pathways and turn him into a comatose potato on command. That is not very fair at all, and Master Chief agrees! When he got shut down, it was an immediate sign that something was going to happen on this planet. I thought it would be the classic hero waking up just in time to save the day.
Master Chief wakes up before The Covenant comes, but the Covenant does come. This is part of the problems with this show, and any science fictional, planetary shows. The very on-the-nose timing and very quick travel. I know there was a bit of hyper jumping in pervious episodes if I recall, like the rainbow looking journey. We know it is possible in the world, but still write it in a little bit better.
The UNSC gets completely overwhelmed by their interplanetary foes. It is not even a competition. The Covenant takes down the massive UNSC ship The Pioneer and also dismantle the transport for The Artifact. Now we can not have this part of a massive weapon get in the hands of the bad guys, so SPARTANS, ASSEMBLE!!
Kai gets back into the fight and the Spartans take over a warthog and begin transporting the Artifact toward an appropriate ship to be escorted out. There are various Covenant foes in the path of the armored warriors, but only one Spartan is having truly bad personal struggles. Kai is getting pummeled. She has the classic overwhelmed on the battlefield and she freezes. She begins getting pelted with lasers, and soon she finds herself on the ground near death.
Not on Master Chief’s watch.
He takes it upon himself to jump ONTO a Banshee, steers it toward a horde of baddies and then crashes with the flying vehicle into the ground. Then we get a giant slo-motion moment of him arising from the ashes and still being functional enough to fight…to fight even a Berserker.
This is an instance where it seems as if master Chief can not die. Hard to make a character worth being invested in when he seemingly can never die. But this is a question we knew about going into the show and that is why the show runners have tried to import more personal stories.
It is admittedly very cool when Master Chief and the Spartans are kicking ass. During the final 20 minutes of the episode we get a ton of exciting moments, including but not limited to a nasty Needler death, a cool pistol plasma charging as well. THe best visual of the violent sequence was the bloody hand of Master Chief after he beat the living shit out of an enemy while protecting Kai. She sees him going towards the deep end. Also Master Chief senses he is slipping as well.
At the end of the episode two major events happen. The Covenant has the second artifact now and that is hugely important. But there was seemingly a trade; the artifact goes up, and Makee comes down. Why does this Blessed One come down? Does she want to know more about Master Chief? Are they intertwined?
It also should be noted that there were a few cutaways this episode to Kwan and Soren on Madrigal (I remember this planet!) trying to get to the place where they can get another ship to get off the island. The last thing we see is Kwan zap Soren and stun him so she can stay on the planet and free it. Soren meanwhile just wanted to go home.
This is by far the worst storyline of the show. It is boring every time it appears on screen.
Until next time Paramount+ app. Until next time.
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