Summary
While there are moments of intrigue, Episode 7 is a slog to get through. It unceremoniously dumps Chief’s revenge plotline, hastily pivoting to the UNSC’s final confrontation at the Halo.
Episode 7 of Halo Season 2 marginally improves on Episode 6, though it’s still an effort to get through. Much of it is focused on maneuvering Chief out of his supposed revenge plot against Ackerson and Parangosky, leading to a flat resolution.
There are a few moments of intrigue hinting at the arrival of the Flood, but they are scant in an episode that will bore viewers to sleep. Things are looking up for the finale, with the end of the episode teasing a spectacle that could rival Episode 4‘s intense action.
Opening on a projection of Halo, Chief and Makee meet. He confronts her about Reach’s destruction, but she brushes off the death of millions by saying it is war’s fault. Chief would raze High Charity if he could. Makee attempts to say there are no sides, but Chief disagrees.
War and Peace
He realizes Makee is leading the Covenant to Halo and begs her not to as they will annihilate humans, but Makee says humans will do the same to the Covenant. She urges Chief to build a world of peace with her, but Chief rejects this. Both are interrupted, Makee by the Sangheili and Chief by soldiers. When Chief takes his hands off the keystone, a shockwave knocks the soldiers out.
This shockwave is felt across the base. Underground, Miranda Keyes orders everyone to leave as the cave shakes. Makee doesn’t cause a shockwave on the Covenant ship. Uto ‘Mdama chases Makee as she tries to flee. Cortana helps Makee kill him.
Parangosky deploys the SPARTAN IIIs
Ackerson catches up with Parangosky, to find she’s displeased with Chief escaping him. She threatens him with what will happen if word of what went down on Reach becomes public knowledge. She’s interrupted by the Covenant First Fleet of Solemn Accord exiting slipspace in the Soell system. She orders a United Nations Space Command (UNSC) fleet to respond and to send the SPARTAN IIIs. This horrifies Ackerson, who says they were only meant to be used in special missions, but Parangosky ignores him.
Parangosky and Ackerson watch as the first wave of SPARTAN IIIs gets annihilated. She orders a second wave, again to Ackerson’s horror. He urges her to reconsider, but she says she’s willing to sacrifice all of them to prevent the Covenant from taking Halo. If they did, it would lead to humanity’s extinction.
Chief walks around the base, and is surrounded by Captain Briggs and her men. She orders them to shoot him, but Chief convinces them to stand down, and Kai-125 knocks out Briggs.
Underground, Halsey explains the chamber is like a library, but Keyes argues it’s a religious site. Halsey then asks Keyes where she went wrong in her research, and Keyes says she overlooked the fact that the chamber isn’t just mathematical, it’s also linguistic.
At Thermopylae, Soren-066 explains to Laera the SPARTAN training. As kids, they had to defend the pass against soldiers with batons. He explains that the test revealed what kind of person you were, whether you ran or fought. One night, only him, Riz-028, Vannak-134, Kai-125, and Chief were left, and while they fought together, they lost. Laera asks him about Kessler, but Soren-066 wants to let his son go through this training. Laera’s shocked at this and leaves him to find Kessler.
Perez sees a scared SPARTAN III and reassures her that in the heat of battle, she won’t be scared, and they both need to look out for each other. Elsewhere, Chief and Kai-125 bicker about who is in the wrong for their current situation, with Chief saying Kai-125 sided with people who wanted him dead. Kai-125 asks where they’re headed, and Chief says Cortana is leading him to his armor.
Ackerson runs a simulation on the spike, realizing that it can turn a Covenant ship into a huge bomb. He tries to leave but Chief ambushes and threatens to kill him. Chief demands his amour, which Ackerson says he’ll get. He reveals the truth of the spike, that the explosion will destroy the Covenant, the UNSC, and possibly even Halo. Parangosky just needs one SPARTAN to succeed. When Chief asks why he suddenly cares about SPARTANs, Ackerson says they’re his life’s work. This justification might have held more weight if the SPARTAN IIIs weren’t disposable and faceless, and if Ackerson had shown some care towards the SPARTAN IIIs.
Ackerson leads the pair to their suits, as Chief explains that Ackerson will explain his part in Parangosky’s lies. Chief being alive will be proof. Ackerson begrudgingly agrees, complaining it will ruin him. This never actually happens. As Ackerson leaves, Chief says Parangosky’s plan is suddenly right, and Kai-125 says she will go with her SPARTAN IIIs.
What were the Forerunners researching in their lab?
Halsey explains to Keyes that her dad died on Reach as Kwan activates a star map. She plots known constellations, but nothing happens. She then realizes the stars would have been different millions of years ago and rearranges them. A door opens, and a light bridge activates. Another door is at the other end, and Keyes says the symbols could mean growth or decay. Halsey opens the door, and they all realize they’re in a lab.
They find a dead Forerunner scientist, but as Halsey tries to grab an item in its hand, the room collapses. They all flee, with Halsey stopping to gaze at the Forerunner city. In the main chamber, the star map turns orange. Halsey thinks it’s the expansion of the Forerunners, but Kwan doesn’t agree and runs away. Keyes reveals she grabbed the item.
While it’s not said, it’s likely the Forerunners were researching ways to stop the Flood, a powerful alien race in Halo.
How does Halo Season 2 Episode 7 end?
On a Covenant ship, the Arbiter says to Makee that the Priest’s allies are dead. Makee makes her way to mark herself like the Arbiter, saying she’s bound to him. Soren-066 watches a group of kids (including Kessler) start their brutal training, but intervenes when Laera does. Laera gets Kessler, but both are captured.
Chief sees Perez, who wants to know if he’s coming with them. He disappoints her by saying he has a different mission. Perez then explains that Chief is special, that’s how he knows the result of a coin flip. They both leave. As Chief walks through the corridor in his armor, he draws awed stares.
Parangosky reveals she knows Ackerson betrayed her, but is interrupted by a rogue Condor. It’s Chief. Ackerson says that people will believe him when the story of Reach is told and is detained. Kai-125 inspects the SPARTAN IIIs for the coming battle and orders them to be ready.
Chief flies to the Soell system, and when he exits slipspace he sees the Covenant and UNSC fleet. Looking up, ethereal music plays as he spots the Halo.
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