When Halo season 2 lastly lined the autumn of the planet Attain — a foundational, emotional second in Halo lore — I figured that I’d write a couple of phrases of reward about it. However then I noticed the episode after, “Aleria,” and that episode, not “Attain,” is the one that really delivers a Halo expertise worthy of the video games but so splendidly not like them.
Spoilers for Halo season 2 to observe
One of many components lacking from Halo season 1 was the camaraderie between Spartans. The primary half of Halo’s second season higher developed and outlined the relationships of Silver Staff (Grasp Chief Petty Officer John-117, Riz-028, Kai-125, and Vannak-134); particularly, Riz-028 (Natasha Culzac) and Vannak-134 (Bentley Kalu), who have been all however uncared for in season 1, actually acquired moments to shine in season 2. Riz, after struggling a debilitating harm, struggles with maintaining with the bodily and emotional calls for of being a Spartan. In the meantime, Vannak, after eradicating his emotion regulator chip, is cultivating a peaceable life for himself past his Mjolnir armor.
It was touching and humorous to see Vannak showcase as an animal info man who likes to feed the native pigeons whereas Riz suffers a little bit of embarrassment realizing the man she’s developed a crush on is in a dedicated relationship. However Halo can also be a narrative of warfare. And on the subject of the planet Attain, within the type of a devastating shock assault, Riz, Vannak, and the remainder of Staff Silver are known as into motion — and a few of them don’t make it.
I anticipated the deaths of notable characters within the “Attain” episode. It pained me just a little bit to see Vannak go as a result of viewers got such treasured little time with him. Captain Keyes’ (Danny Sapani) loss of life additionally stunned me since that character dies elsewhere within the video games, and I didn’t suppose the present would kill him off so quickly. In the end, “Attain” was an honest episode with bits of actually good motion however lacked the emotional weight an episode primarily based on considered one of the moments in Halo lore ought to have.
The following episode, “Aleria,” picks up proper the place “Attain” ended, with the remaining Spartans and Dr. Halsey surrounded by Covenant troopers with no likelihood of escape. However then, as so usually occurs on this sequence, Halo delivered hope.
As everybody piled onto the ship, the Covenant stored getting nearer. Riz, although injured and with out her armor (no person has any armor as a result of plot) jumped off the ship with naught however pistols, ostensibly to maintain the Covenant at bay to present the ship time to take off safely.
I began screaming, incensed that the present was about to kill yet one more character I had come to look after.
Riz returned carrying Vannak’s physique, and my indignant screams morphed into equally loud sobs. That wasn’t her noble sacrifice suicide run. She simply went again for her good friend, her comrade, her brother.
In that second, Riz-028 delivered the very best portrayal of a Spartan seen exterior the sequence’ many video games, whereas the present itself subverted my expectations.
I used to be able to begrudgingly settle for Riz’s loss of life as I had Vannak’s and Keyes’. In spite of everything, she’s a Black character, as have been Vannak and Keyes, whereas a earlier heroic loss of life within the “Attain” episode featured yet one more Black character. In a media local weather the place characters of shade are sometimes sacrificed as a strategy to elevate stakes or heighten emotion with out threatening a present’s “extra priceless” white stars, Riz’s loss of life would’ve match proper in. Moreover, Riz is a Spartan — as long as she’s not John-117, she’s expendable.
Afterward, as everybody regroups and recovers on the planet Aleria, Riz decides to remain behind as John swears vengeance on the navy leaders liable for abandoning Attain to its destiny. John vehemently opposes this, trying to guilt her by asking what she intends to do about their misplaced planet and comrades.
“I’m going to dwell,” she says.
For Halo, that’s profound.
Spartans are all the time combating. All the time. There’s an in-universe navy directive that mandates Spartans by no means be declared “KIA” however “lacking in motion,” not solely to strengthen their mythos because the invincible soldier however a perpetual one as effectively — one who’s all the time nonetheless on the market, nonetheless combating.
Once they can’t struggle, just like the Spartans who survived augmentation with everlasting disabilities, they nonetheless serve within the navy in some capability. Even when there are not any extra battles to struggle, Grasp Chief himself by no means places down his gun, famously telling Cortana on the finish of Halo 3 to wake him when he’s wanted once more. And once we see Spartans die, it’s all the time in service of the mission.
However TV Halo, for the primary time within the sequence, dares to think about one thing completely different for a Spartan: life, one past combating, serving, or loss of life. And it was lovely to see.
