Season 1 episode 6 of the science fiction series Halo follows Master Chief as he tries to find out more about Halsey’s involvement in his life while Makee puts her destructive plans into action. The series is currently streaming on Paramount+.
Recap
Kai was seriously injured during the Covenant attack. John and the other Spartans help her as she wails in pain.
Captain Jacob tells John that they weren’t able to track the Covenant ship’s vector. Before fainting, Makee told Miranda she was kidnapped as a child by the Covenant.
Angry with Halsey for lying to him his entire life, John locks her inside her lab and deactivates the UV contamination system threatening Halsey with radiation exposure. As Halsey helplessly tries to open the door, Cortana requests John.
John asks Cortana to make him open the door but she responds by saying that she can only block his neural pathways sending him into a state of stasis. She cannot control him. Just at the last moment, John opens the door and rescues Halsey. He just wanted to test Cortana’s limits.
Things get tense among the UNSC as Admiral Hood starts considering putting the Spartans directly under UNSC command removing them from Admiral Parangosky’s supervision. They decide to get Master Chief to debrief Makee per her demand.
Makee tells John about the dangers they face if the second keystone is with them. She also tells him that the Covenant could have taken the keystone to Raas Kkhotskha, a holy place for the Covenant. But John doesn’t trust Makee.
It’s this moment when Makee tells him about her identity as the Hirajo, the blessed one, among the Covenant and how they both are the same in the manner they bring the keystone to life. This reminds John of Reth’s words.
Based on what Makee has revealed to John, Captain Keyes sends his forces out to start looking for Raas Kkhotskha.
On the other hand, Admiral Parangosky has decided to make Halsey the scapegoat for the failure of the mission.
But just as she was being questioned by Major Ira Halal from the Judge Advocate General’s office, Master Chief interrupts and asks the Major to leave. Captain Keyes and Admiral Parangosky are witnessing this conversation but the Chief remains unaware of it.
John questions Halsey about the Spartan programme. Halsey reveals that the children, including John, were replaced with cloned babies, who would die soon, to mislead the parents who weren’t ready to voluntarily give up their children for the programme.
Miranda, who had also joined the captain and admiral, witnesses the whole conversation and gets shocked by Halsey’s revelations.
John tells Kai about his recent discoveries. Meanwhile, Admiral Parangosky revokes Halsey’s authority and transfers the Spartan programme to Miranda. Halsey is forced to continue her research in another lab without any contact with Cortana or Chief.
Miranda finds a gene anomaly which John shares with Makee making them both unique. Makee tells John that the keystone has been making him sick. But if he allows her to touch the keystone, she can locate the other one as she has learnt to use the keystones.
John decides to test the artefact himself to locate the other keystone. Halsey, who has bugged Miranda, can follow her steps. Cortana, who has been able to bypass the UNSC firewall and reach Halsey, helps Halsey see what’s happening with John.
When John touches the artefact, Makee goes through a seizure while John experiences visions of his childhood. In the end, both Makee and John meet each other on Halo before John wakes up.
Halsey notices an abnormal similarity between Makee and John’s vitals at this moment which possibly hints at a deeper connection between the two.
Review
- The action has settled down after the last episode, but the tension and suspense become the compelling factors of this episode.
- Halsey’s character shows some colour of emotion finally after carrying on with the crude utilitarian persona for so long. It will be interesting to see the shift her character takes from here.
- Chief finally receives the answers he’s been looking for. The episode provides a clear background to Master Chief and Halsey’s relationship.
- The Halo is finally revealed with a major cliffhanger indicating a deeper connection between Makee and John. The constantly changing dynamics between the various characters provide the engaging moments of the episode.
Rating: 4/5
Also Read: Halo season 1 episode 5 recap & review: Reckoning