Summary
After a letdown of an opening, Episode 3 has little to offer other than a few standout moments with Joseph Morgan’s James Ackerson. The episode ends on a chilling note, promising for real this time that the Covenant is on Reach.
The first two episodes of Halo Season 2 have steadily built up anticipation of the Covenant’s arrival on the planet Reach, with the tension building up to breaking point. After hinting that Episode 3 is when the invasion would begin in earnest, fans were no doubt excited for the fighting to start, especially at Visegrád Relay, the same place the Covenant first invaded in the video game Halo: Reach.
Unfortunately, this is just a disappointing misdirection, with more tension-building in store. And, while there are some stand-out scenes, this episode felt padded out to hammer home the coming Covenant invasion in Episode 4.
Kicking off at Visegrád Relay, Master Chief and Silver Team land just outside the comms station, expecting to hit heavy resistance. But as they creep closer, and into the relay itself, all they find is empty darkness, with no sign of the Covenant or Cobalt Team. They hear a door slamming when they turn the power on, but UNSC forces arrest them before they can properly investigate, and even when Chief defiantly opens the door, there’s nothing there. Which is a shame, deflating the blood-pumping anticipation that the Chief’s declaration that the Covenant was on Reach built.
Corporal Perez attempts to search for a message in the recording from Sanctuary but has fallen asleep. In typical fashion, this is when the computer finds what she’s been looking for, prompting her to wake up.
Ackerson makes a promise to his father
Cutting to Ackerson, he’s tending to his father in a care home, and his dad is trying to make him laugh with an old story. Ackerson doesn’t, and explains to his dad he’ll be leaving, and he can’t take his dad with him, despite what he’s done for Reach. It causes his dad to reminisce about building the main bridge in the city, talking about walking it with Ackerson’s mother and sister, Julia. He asks when Julia is coming to visit him, and Ackerson painfully reminds him that Julia is gone. His dad gets defensive over his memory issues, saying he knows that. When Ackerson leaves, his dad makes him promise that he won’t let the Covenant take him alive.
At Fleetcom, Chief and Silver Team are being reprimanded by Admiral Keyes. When Chief demands to know about Cobalt Team, Keyes produces a falsified flight plan that the Team went on, and once again reminds Silver Team they’re grounded. For Chief specifically, he orders him to complete a full psychiatric evaluation, which angers Chief more. Once the others leave, Kai-125 says that he’s out of control.
On the Rubble, Laera walks the streets. Kwan ambushes her, warning her that as Soren-066’s crew has mutinied, and she and Kessler are in danger. Laera hurries home to find Soren-066’s crew playing with Kessler, where she tenses. The crew reveal the ship has now been repaired, contradicting what they said about repairs taking days. They want to take her to the ship now, but when Laera protests about getting her things, the crew begrudgingly leaves.
Master Chief Goes Rogue
Two Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) guards begin walking Chief down to his mental evaluation, but in the lift, Chief knocks them out and escapes. Elsewhere in the building, Kai-125 is again talking to Ackerson, selfishly begging him to let her go on deployment on her own, only until Chief is better. Ackerson implies this may never happen, revealing that Chief has escaped and demanding to know if Kai-125 knows what’s happened and why she’s not commented on his erratic behavior before. Kai-125 is shocked, unable to comprehend what’s happening.
Laera, Kwan, and Kessler somehow manage to sneak onto Soren-066’s ship and attempt to escape. They don’t get far, as the bay doors get shuttered. Laera makes Kwan promise she’ll protect Kessler and get him to a transport ship while she surrenders. Kwan heads for the ship, but when dropping Kessler off she goes back for Laera.
Will Ackerson fight for Reach?
Keyes looks over the dead bodies of Cobalt Team, plasma burns adorning their necks. An ONI member recounts how they were found in the trees, and never knew what hit them. When asked what to do with the bodies, Ackerson ominously says “There are no bodies” and to list Cobalt as Missing In Action. Keyes demands to know if Ackerson knew he was sending Cobalt Team into a hostile area. Ackerson explains it was only a matter of time before the Covenant found Reach. And Command knows this.
Keyes demands Ackerson to activate Winter Contingency to fight and begin evacuating the millions of citizens, only to be rebuffed by Ackerson saying there’s no point, the Covenant fleet is already on its way. ONI will quietly save what they can, which could include Keyes. Rejecting this, Keyes says he will fight, telling Ackerson exactly what he can do with himself.
In the city, Chief meets Margret Parangosky to let her know that the Covenant is on Reach, though she doesn’t seem particularly interested. She asks Chief why he fights, only to tell him that he does so because he’s ordered to. He needs to go back to Fleetcom and grovel. Chief realizes Parangosky never left the ONI, and he leaves. It’s a bizarre conclusion to this story thread, seemingly going nowhere.
Why does Ackerson hate the SPARTANs?
Ackerson visits Halsey to taunt her on how broken she made the SPARTAN-IIs. But, he says, they’ll become the foundation for something better (SPARTAN-IIIs?), but Halsey won’t see that future. Halsey turns this around, taunting Ackerson with how his sister Julia died during SPARTAN-II augmentation, revealing why Ackerson hates them. Ackerson smiles, and briefly leaves, returning only to bring Soren-066 to her prison.
In space, Laera is questioned by Soren-066’s crew about the treasure from Madrigal. Laera tells the truth, but she’s not believed, and the crew moves her to the airlock, threatening to choke her. Before they can, Kwan kills them all, saving Laera. They’re now somewhere in space, far from Kessler.
Ackerson visits his dad again, telling him that as he doesn’t want to be left alive, he has a pill that his dad can kill himself with. Just as he takes it, Ackerson says that Julia is back, bringing in a flash clone. The clone and his dad die together, a scene that demonstrates a caring yet duplicitous nature.
What is the Covenant’s message from Sanctuary?
Chief finds Perez at a church, terrified and praying. She reveals that the Covenant’s message was a prayer, giving Chief the recording. Translating it, Perez says:
“People of Reach…I bring you blessings. Know that I’ve come without mercy. Without pity. Know that I am the instrument of your extinction. I bring this planet [Sanctuary] forth as a burnt offering. Upon this altar, I place the head of the Demon. May his blood mark the way to the Sacred Ring, and consecrate the Great Journey of my people. Know that I am Var ‘Gatanai. Know that I am…Death.”
As it’s read, the camera pans across Reach, showing Ackerson fleeing the planet, Riz-028 relaxing with her instructor, and the bustling city. Once Perez concludes, she whispers that Covenant is on Reach. Before Chief can respond, the church explodes, properly beginning the Fall of Reach.
What did you think of Halo Season 2, Episode 3? Comment below.
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