Halo review: “Solace” mixes exciting with boring
After losing the second artifact in a battle on Eridanus II with Covenant forces, Master Chief and the UNSC evaluate their next steps, including what to make of the arrival of the Blessed One, left behind as the enemy took off. With a possible new enemy in their midst, Master Chief becomes paranoid that he is surrounded by foes posing as friends. With so many questions and few answers, is there anyone Master Chief can come to trust? Perhaps he’ll find out in the newest episode of Halo, “Solace.”
Story-wise, “Solace” is a bit of a mixed bag, but the high points are really high. Take the start of the episode: returning from the mission on Eridanus II, Chief has lost all faith in Halsey and Cortana. In particular, he does not appreciate the both of them having a failsafe off switch on him. This ties in to Chief’s monologue about the importance of failsafes in science before he traps Dr. Halsey in a chamber to expose her to deadly radiation, a situation for which there is no failsafe. Chief, whose main objective is learning how much control Cortona has over his body, rescues Dr. Halsey at the last moment, after Cortona exposes her limitations.
Pretty damn good scene: suspenseful, develops characters, and has strong subtext. You couldn’t ask for a better opener.
The latest episode of Halo drags us through boring parts before getting to the good stuff
Unfortunately, the episode can’t maintain that peak throughout. The rest of “Solace” isn’t bad, just boring. We get more administrative stuff with the higher-ups at the UNSC, a sort of mind projection scene I didn’t really understand, and the Blessed One meeting Chief. Laying the foundation for future events like this is important, but the show didn’t manage to make it particularly interesting.
But the ending makes its way back up the mountain; after being told by the Blessed One that the only way for him to find peace is through the keystones, Chief makes further physical contact with the artifact. At first he and the Blessed One’s heart rates and vitals skyrocket like they are going to die. Then, the next second, their entire beings turn calm, as though they have achieved nirvana. For a moment, John finds himself in a different world, a blue-skied pristine paradise. The Blessed One stands across from him, underlining how their destinies are linked.
Meanwhile, Kwan and Soren are…wait, hold on. They aren’t in this episode.
And that’s all I’ve got on this one folks. Some boring parts with sharp spikes of excitement, but not a ton worth putting under the microscope.
Grade: C+
Next. Review: “Reckoning” is the best episode of Halo yet. dark
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