The following will contain spoilers for the season finale of ‘Halo.’ For a recap of episode 8, click here.
The season finale of Halo picks up right where the previous episode left off. John slowly comes to in a pile of rubble and runs to see what became of Makee and the artifact. Learning she escaped with the artifact, John tries to catch up with her only to come across Vannak and Riz holding Kai at gunpoint. John, Kai, and Jacob Keyes explain to the remaining members of Silver Team what Halsey did to them all of those years ago. John, Vannak, and Riz go after Makee, while Kai goes after Halsey. In a fit of rage, Kai kills Halsey’s assimpstant, Adun, and Halsey escapes in a pod.
John, Cortana, Admiral Parangosky, and Miranda search for the Covenant homeworld. Once found, John tells Parangosky to send Silver Team in. She tells him that he needs to be Master Chief on the battlefield and put John to rest. As the season has progressed, it’s become more apparent that this season is John’s origin story. Giving him a tragic backstory, personal relationships, and even a vendetta, the character now has more depth in the future rather than just a “one-man army.” The intentions were pure, but the execution has left little to be desired.
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As Silver Teams flies after Makee, Halsey is brought into custody. Miranda comes to tell her there was a military tribunal to determine her fate. While they talk, Jacob Keyes listens in secretly. Later, Halsey begins seizing on the table, and Miranda realizes it’s a flash-clone. The Miranda/Halsey relationship was one of those that deserved much more screentime than it got. Halsey being distant and wrapped up in her work at the cost of her daughter, was told, not shown. The downward spiral of Halsey could have benefitted from showing the strained relationship she’s caused with her daughter.
John and Silver Team arrive at the Keystone Temple and begin fighting their way to Makee. This is what Halo fans have been waiting for. A firefight with the four Spartans of Silver Team versus hordes and hordes of Covenant warriors. John goes down, and to save him, Makee activates the Keystones. While on the ring, Makee tells John they can ascend together and be happy.
Meanwhile, Silver Team is getting pushed back and losing the fight. Kai decides to shoot Makee and bring John back. Seeing an unwinnable situation, John tells Cortana to take control of his body, despite not knowing if she can bring him back. Cortana (in John’s body) is able to hold back the Covenant, save Silver Team and grab the Keystone.
With Halsey on the run, Cortana in control of John’s body, and a single building on Planet Reach being a little messy, this season of Halo comes to a close.
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The season of Halo ends on a whimper. The show wrapped up most loose ends but at a frantic pace. Halo as a media property has such a dense lore with rich stories to mine from. The creatives behind the show cherry-picked some of the best stuff while interweaving in original ideas. The final result was a season that never truly knew what it wanted to be. Pablo Schreiber was as good as a live-action Master Chief could get. He had the stoicism and gruffness of a battle-hardened soldier while also delivering some of the more emotional moments throughout the series. However, the character that has been written for him should be put to rest.
If you’re a fan of Halo, whether hardcore or casual, you’ll be better off watching a fight compilation on YouTube. Here’s to hoping the new showrunners on season 2 can course-correct.
Episode Rating: 5/10
Season Rating: 6.4/10
‘Halo’ is streaming on Paramount+
