Summary
Chief once again fights the UNSC and fellow SPARTANs in a repeat of hated ideas. The adaptation of the Arbiter’s story is a continued lowlight too, butchering a fan-favorite character.
Halo Season 2 continues to slide in quality after a comparatively strong first half, with the writers insisting that audiences watch more of Master Chief fighting against other SPARTANs as if previous attempts at a similar storyline didn’t result in backlash. While the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) aren’t all good, they certainly aren’t treated as bad as the Halo show makes them out to be. There is a more nuanced way to interrogate their flaws without it taking over the show, as it does in Episode 6.
It’s not a repeat of a fundamentally flawed idea that drags this episode down however, but also the continued treatment of the Arbiter, who instead of leading a Sangheili rebellion against the Prophets (San’shyuum) and the Brutes (Jiralhanae) gets to fight his own species who because the Arbiter has defied orders on his own. Kwan’s story continues, revealing that the mysterious idea of the portal from Season 1 hasn’t been dropped at all, and it’s still just as dull and uninteresting.
Episode 6 opens with Corporal Perez on a mission. She’s become a SPARTAN III, which in the Silver Timeline seems to be a mix of SPARTAN IIIs and IVs from the games. SPARTAN IIIs were orphaned children, and while Perez is now an orphan, she was an adult when she undertook SPARTAN training, which is what SPARTAN IVs were trained from. Anyway, she and other SPARTANs are attacking a Covenant Corvette in space. SPARTANs get shot down en route but most make it. They blow a hole in the side and make their way to the bridge, being picked off by unseen Covenant forces.
Training Day
A SPARTAN dies trying to upload a spike to the bridge console. Perez takes over, but an explosion kills her, revealing they’re in a simulation. Perez and the other marines exit their chairs. Kai-125 walks in and begins to chastise them for their inability to work as a team. She also drops some exposition saying that because of the Covenant’s superior shields and targeting systems, uploading a spike to the ship’s console is the best way to kill it. This is what they’re training to do for real. Perez attempts to say her effort would have succeeded had an explosion not killed her, but Kai-125 dismisses this as the randomness of war.
Elsewhere, Parangosky and Ackerson sip tea. Parangosky explains its origins in Sri Lanka, but this batch was lab-made, showing the importance of stories. She then reveals that Halsey and Chief are on the planet, which threatens Ackerson’s lies about Reach. Kai-125 is training in a simulation but is interrupted by Ackerson who tells her to sleep. He knows she’s punishing herself for not fighting on Reach, but others are going through a similar process. Kai-125 says the recruits are struggling with the Corvette scenario and want to know if they’ll return when they do it for real. Ackerson says there can be no guarantee, and it’s up to Kai-125 to make them believe they’re SPARTANs.
Chief Captured; Ackerson Takes Control of the SPARTAN Program
Soren-066 and the others overlook the base. He says this is where it all started. Chief says he’s only heard rumors about this place. Kwan sees the mystic wandering and follows. She spots a team of Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) soldiers. Laera says Halsey has gone, but Soren-066 doesn’t care. Chief urges them to leave as he holds the soldiers off, dispatching several before being captured. Kwan spots a portal structure similar to the one on Madrigal, and drops down, finding a cave system and Halsey. They make their way through.
Chief is brought into custody, and Captain Briggs mocks him and Cobalt Team. Chief incapacitates his captors when she leaves, which is caught on camera. Ackerson and Kai-125 watch, where he says Chief is now working with Makee and the Covenant to steal the other keystone. It’s unbelievable that Kai-125 accepts this, but she does.
Chief sneaks his way to a map room. Kai-125 is there, and Chief explains Ackerson’s lies, but to no avail. The pair fight, again SPARTAN vs SPARTAN, and again Chief refuses to wear armor. Halo 5 and the first season of the show were hated for similar reasons, yet the idea of Chief going rogue still entices creators. Kai-125 leaves Chief on the floor bloodied and bruised. Ackerson and Parangosky watch, and Ackerson gets control of the SPARTAN program.
The Arbiter Continues To Be Mistreated
Halo Season 2 Episode 6 continues to mishandle the Arbiter storyline. Here he marks himself, and a Sangheili Priest called Uto ‘Mdama says they have a comms issue, as they can’t contact High Charity. Arbiter says this is his order as their mission demands silence. The Priest explains that rumors say Makee is now giving orders and goes to kill Makee to silence them, but Arbiter stops him. When the Priest and Arbiter leave, Cortana quietly asks Makee if they know she’s lying about not communing with the Keystone.
Cortana and Makee try to find Halo, and Cortana suggests Makee use the keystone. Makee says it doesn’t work, and Chief must touch it at the same time. Cortana explains she can contact the UNSC to lead Chief to their keystone, and Makee reluctantly agrees.
Parangosky gets a transmission from Cortana. She’s accessed the Covenant systems and sends the heading of their fleet. She warns Parangosky that a UNSC attack is unlikely to succeed, but Parangosky cuts her off. Cortana explains to Makee that her actions can’t be undone.
A mystic shows Halsey and Kwan a portal-like forerunner structure, with UNSC scientists and Miranda Keyes present. Keyes explains they’ve corrected Halsey’s research, while Kwan is awed by the structure. Its purpose is left unexplained for now. Soren-066 and Laera enter a training camp which Soren-066 calls Thermopylae. They find blood, hear a door open, and leave.
How does Halo Season 2 Episode 6 end?
Kai-125 visits the Corvette simulation. Ackerson joins and apologizes for sending her to fight Chief. Kai-125 ignores him, saying the recruits passed the simulation but got off the ship with ease. Ackerson reveals he manipulated it to turn off the fire, saying he wanted to give the SPARTANs hope that they would complete the impossible, indicating he doesn’t care if they die. Kai-125 then confronts him about Reach, and Ackerson says it was inevitable it would fall, so he saved what he could. Exiting the simulation, Kai-125 runs to save Chief, with Ackerson yelling he’s already sent a Black Ops team to stop him.
‘Mdama and his guards attack Makee, accusing her of sending a transmission with Cortana’s platform. Makee accuses him of sending the transmission instead. The Arbiter steps in, igniting his sword, saying that any who are true believers in the Covenant will stand with him. He duels the Priest, and his guards fight each other. Makee sees the keystone is lighting up and moves on to touch it.
Cortana also spoke to Chief, urging him to get up and touch the keystone. She’s able to guide him to it and incapacitate anyone along the way. It lights up as he approaches. He abandons his plans to find Parangosky and Ackerson, but that’s something that the next episode will likely resolve.
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