Summary
The penultimate episode, “Allegiance”, is one of Halo‘s most exciting since the premiere.
This recap of Paramount+ series Halo season 1, episode 8, “Allegiance,” contains spoilers.
Read the season 1 review of Halo.
Halo season 1, episode 8 recap
This Master Chief and Makee-centered episode opens with the suddenly helmetless one in some haze. Yes, he is out of the shower. Thankfully, he has a towel on, staring into the mirror with steam hovering around him. The Master Chief keeps thinking about when they were transported to another place (or even time?). He gets dressed, walks into Makee’s room, and they look at each other. He hands her a uniform. They walk through the UNSC headquarters, where Makee stops. Master Chief looks back, tells her not to be afraid, and takes her hand.
They take a walk outside, and under what appears to be an orchard of cherry blossom trees. They now talk about how they feel this connection to “the ring” and admit they saw each other there. Frankly, the whole thing seems like a metaphor for their romantic relationship. Makee flashes back to when she kissed a boy when she was younger and was taken by the Covenant. I thought this might be Master Chief years prior, and now I wonder if this is the case and part of the connection. Or, the bond they talk about maybe the allure of evil.
But, of course, Makee and her Nazi blond short haircut ruin it. She tells him how the ring is sacred to the Covenant. And those who are worthy will be swept by a great wind there, etc. Master Chief asks her a question: what about the ones that are not worthy?
“Cleansed,” Makee replies. What a psycho.
Meanwhile, the Covenant has taken down three cities. The latest is Agade, and 11 million people have been killed. Admiral Parangosky says they cannot simply sit back and wait for the Covenant to come to them. Master Chief agrees with her. He wants to use Makee to use both artifacts to locate the killer alien race to make a strike. Why? Because she is human. (Insert Homer Simpson GIF, “Doh!”).
Of course, Master Chief is no longer thinking with his brain but with his other head. He and Makee start comparing scars like Lorna and Riggs in Lethal Weapon 3. They make love while Cortana watches creepily like a perverted Tinker Bell, waiting in the wings. The digital AI reports back to Dr. Halsey and says John is no longer alone. The excellent doctor replies that he was never alone and he had her. (This seems like the relationship between Buster Bluth and his mother would have ended if Lucielle had been an AI development expert and quantum theory).
Surprisingly, Makee wakes up and feels guilty about her association with the Covenant. She goes to the bathroom and pulls out her fingernail, tricked into a weapon. All while Master Chief sleeps like a baby.
Captain Keyes then notifies Dr. Halsey the admiral is kicking her off the planet. She has initiated Zed Protocol, where the Spartans go offline and only talk to her. She also tells them that they need to grab Master Chief and Makee. Of course, Kai has an issue with it, and Hasley has her attacked and secured. Finally, the plan is to take out John once Makee and Cortana take over Master Chief’s role.
The ending
Cortana warns Master Chief of the plan to capture him. He fights Riz and Vannak, with his digital friend giving him gaming advice on countering their armor and shield protection. Meanwhile, John sends Makee up to warn the admiral and captain what Halsey is up to. Once Master Chief is on his last legs, Kai escapes and comes to his aid.
When Makee reaches the artifact to warn the others of Halsey’s plan, they are skeptical but are now looking for Halsey. When Miranda shows up to tell them, Makee is the one on the recording. She tries to explain she has no choice, but one of the guards knocks her down and begins to burn her with his weapon. This brings back memories of humans abusing her as a child, and when the admiral tells her she will pay for this, she tells her no, they will.
Makee grabs the small artifact, which sends a shock wave that kills the guard and knocks over the officers, and the Spartans, including Master Chief. He has then transported again to the ring and sees Makee there. She tells him goodbye. He reaches for her, and then he is back lying on the floor of UNSC headquarters.
Makee is no longer confused — the humans are the problem.
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