Hello, ladies and gentlemen, Welcome back to another episode of geek Verst Podcast.
I am one of your hosts. It belongs to us Taylor Field that
I'm joined by. I am the Finish the Fight kirkln Patzer, I'm Amarcaster
Dilma. Yes, we are here to continue our trek into Hello season two.
We've got the penultimate episode here that we're gonna be reviewing. But before
we get into that, a couple of plugs. You can find us with
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you know, it's it's just been a journey and and here we are.
So if you're on Patreon you can get it, and you can also get
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you have to be a patron to be able to view that, otherwise afterwards
it'll be locked in the vaults until twenty twenty five, So be sure to
check out the Patreon if you want to tune into all that goodness. And
speaking of all that goodness, fuck, I love these guys. We got
Aaron Braden, April of Darkness, Jack Rand, Mud, Sam t Sam
and Tea fucking money Patreon producers. You guys are just amazing. You keep
us going at night, so at night, I guess we do normally record
at night. So, yeah, Dylan, I know you got something you
You're you've been working hard that you gotta you gotta plug right now? Were
it right now? Yeah? You guys have been making a movie. I've
been making a game. It's called Problem. You can wish list it on
Steam now. If you want to hear a little bit more Abud, you
can go check out this week's side Quest. And I'm probably gonna drop a
little solo episode at some point next week, just talking about it a bit
more to give everyone bit more fell But yeah, you can check it out
if you want beautiful. Yeah, Kirkle, what do you voute? You
got something you want to plug. Uh not today. No, Kirkle was
writing a book, an original script, this original screenplay that I've transformed into
a around Hollywood to any bites you know, well, yeah, no problem.
The problem. Uh let's get into some non spoilers stuff for this episode.
And I mean, who wants to start? Who wants? Who wants
to carry the torch? Here? I'll grab that torch. I'm pulling a
tailor. Last week, I actually liked this episode, Isn't that crazy?
I had a good time with this one. I think there was a you
know, it's a pretty low key episode, like there's no action in it
whatsoever. It was just a lot of conversations, and I thought the dialogue
was well written and well performed From most of the cast. There really only
like one I get. Well, there's still like two storylines in here that
to me are just total duds. So it's not like it was a perfect
episode by any means, But it was definitely my favorite episode of the season,
I would say, And yeah, there was a couple elements on particular
that I really enjoyed. So yeah, I'm actually coming out of this pretty
pretty excited. And I don't know if it leaves me all from a spot
that un necessarily hopeful for the finale to wrap it all up. I suppose
it feels like it feels like we're like halfway through all these stories. I
don't know what they're gonna do next week. We'll see, but I guess
I'm a little bit more excited now for it than I would have been otherwise.
So happy to report that I actually enjoyed my time this week. Nice
I'm carrying the torch off of Dylan's handoff there. I feel like I am
kind of where I've always been. I agree this is this has been like
a little bit of a bump on my my little I don't know, my
little doometer reader, Like I definitely got something more that I felt like,
Okay, this is kind of a more Halo story here, at least some
of the aspects of the Halo storyline that I'm somewhat familiar or interested in.
But I still felt like there was a lot of fluff in here that I
just wish wasn't in here for for just the sake of maybe spending more time
in a more interesting avenue, And like Soren's story with Kessler and his wife,
Like I just I'm sorry, I do not care about any of that
stuff that one. Like yeah, and like just where we're going with Kwan,
Like, I guess it has some relevance sort of with like some other
characters, more so than when it has been in the past, but it's
still just I don't know, I feel like I don't love the execution of
it and our big bad lead Pablo Schreiber, you know, like he was
just as flat as ever I feel. I feel like in this episode.
Fortunately, I feel like there's some people that he's interacting with that actually like
lifted this episode up more so than than it had been in previous episodes,
So that's definitely a positive. But yeah, there's not too much that really
makes me think that it's like the season's being saved from heading into the finale
here coming off of this penultimate episode, I'm not too hopeful that I'm gonna
be like blown away in the finale, but I don't know, Like,
like I am at least a little bit more interested into seeing at least how
it ends with with where we end off at this at the end of this
episode. So definitely, like if I had to put my little chip in
one category positive or negative, I am more positive than I had been maybe
in the last couple episodes. So that's definitely a thumbs up on some sort
of scale. But uh, nothing, nothing too crazy where I feel like
I'm I'm hopeful going forward into into like season three. Yeah, all right,
well, I I feel like I'm definitely still positive after last week and
I'm going into this episode. I know, two weeks in a row I
didn't like. I didn't like that, but uh, it caught me by
surprise, because you're right, there's there's no action. It's just a lot
of dialogue stuff. But a part of me when I when I finished the
episode and I understood and acknowledged the fact that I liked it, a part
of me was was genuinely upset with myself. It was upset to the fact
that and understanding that this is this is an adaptation, this is a different
a different approach to this, But I'm upset that I like it in the
sense that the way that they have gone about the writing. I feel like
a lot of this stuff with the show is sloppy. I feel like a
lot of the stuff with this show is very poorly executed, and that that
doesn't save it by any means. But here we are, at this this
moment now where things are getting interesting, and I feel like as a as
showrunners and as writers, that they've really dropped the ball on getting to this
point now after what nine plus five, nine plus five episodes fourteen, I
feel like, that's just that's that's horrendous. And so here we are and
things are finally getting interesting. But I still don't like that things are interesting
in the sense too, that we are we are where we are, and
we have the characters that we have in this interesting storyline. I don't care
about Soren and his shit anymore. I really don't. I don't. I
still hate my master Chief takes his helmet off and he's saying he's throwing death
threats around left, right, and center. He's like, this is not
my master Chief. And that's one of the things that bothers me because I
like where we are in the story, but I hate that we're at this
part point in the story with these chess pieces, this part of the game.
Yeah, it's just it's very unfortunate. It's like you have to go
up against the queen, all you got are pawns. It it's horrible.
So I like what you said there, because I definite found myself in the
middle of some interesting parts of this episode, like thinking as if I was
being like deceived by a magician. I'm like, why am I starting to
feel interested in this when I've just hated the show so much up until this
point, And then I'm like, I'm thinking about it more, and then
it's just like I don't know certain character performance or just thinking back to where
like where they've come from throughout like season one to this season. Now I'm
just like, oh, damn, these bastards, Like there is glimpses of
some positives in there, but like I can't forgive them for just like what
they've done decision wise with certain characters and like Chief especially, I think Chief
certain high ranking ony individuals that I'm just like, I this is just so
wild that they went this direction with the show. But but yeah, I
think you, I think you definitely highlighted something that I was feeling similarly on
during this viewing specifically on this episode. Yeah, And they continue, especially
in this episode, they continue to consistently pull from a because zillion Halo sources
and compile it into the one the one episode I feel like one every episode
we get into is another combination of like five games, three books, and
a bunch of like it's fucking and you know them all. Yeah that deep
in the lower that you know all these these cuts. It's brutal. Man.
I can't handle it anymore. Uh but yeah, here we are here
we bloody well are So anything else you guys have before we get into the
spoilers. I love your just your anger that you're that you enjoy it,
Like, that's so good. Maybe my last shout out here non spoiler is
just the music I thought was also really outstanding in this episode in moments were
really highlighted well, which it's been feeling pretty dull the last few weeks and
not very Halo like either. In the score, of course, you have
the the theme that plays with the intro, but I'm usually skipping that anyway.
But yeah, I thought the I don't know whoever the composer is,
at least on this episode, really stepped it up, really highlighted some of
these moments pretty well. So that was a good shout out there. But
yeah, i' if I have anything else on spoilery the last shots specifically of
this episode, like when the score came in. It was like, oh,
this is this is Halo, Like I feel that ambiance, which is
something that's been lacking I think throughout the show, which is a big bummer
because Halo is just it's got some of those iconic music and even just today,
like I was listening to like Halo three soundtrack, like it just gets
me so good. Yeah, oh it gets I mean that's why my name
has finished the fight. I was listening to that track and I'm like,
yeah, let's go nice. All right, Well, we're gonna show it
to our first ad break and we'll be right back and we're back, okay,
Kirkland. I mean, just to interject you quickly, I think you
highlighted a very important part there, just that that score kicking at the end
there the Halo theme. That scene could have been so much better if they
weren't showing the reflection of the Halo in Chief's eyes but his fucking visor.
Wouldn't you agree? Would that be amazing? I would agree? And we
saw a reflection in Chiefs visor, but it was actually Pablo. It was
looking at the armor was oh god, it was Are you happy to at
least see the armor back there? Yeah? That was actually quite nice.
I wouldn't have put it past them to not have the armor at all for
the rest of the season. But yeah, it was there and we got
it, and he didn't do anything with it. He just walked around and
I mean he had he had his helmet off the whole time, and people
were cheering him on and and getting all amped up and whatnot. So I
mean, but I mean, hey, we're back in at We're back at
it. So I'll disagree. I think he did do something with it.
I think that was something I really enjoyed in this episode was actually the conversation
that Chief had with Perez where they were kind of rehashing their conversation that they
had when they were going through the rubble of Reach. They're talking about the
Lucky Coin and whatnot. But even just like she's saying that, hey,
we need you here for this fight, and he's like, you don't need
me. You never you never really did, you know, Like I maybe
did a little bit, but like it's kind of down to every individual person
who's whatever the battle or fight that they've been in in the past, and
so I thought that was really nice of kind of just him believing in them
and wanting them to believe in themselves and that he doesn't need to be there
necessarily. But she kind of pushed back on that and seems to think that,
Okay, maybe maybe he does have like some special powers or something,
but either way, he is just such a symbol to these people, and
we saw that as why those Shoulders soldiers didn't just like gun him down in
the hallway when they had him dead to rights there. But to me,
that was like really impactful, especially towards the end of episode when he's just
walking through there in his suit and people are kind of seeing that and just
feeling inspired. So I I quite like that. I feel like I didn't
like what we did with the armor up to this point and the lack of
it, but I think we actually got to a point that I thought was
pretty cool in terms of establishing him as a symbol. And once again,
it's like I wish we saw more of that. We actually saw why people
have so much respect for him. It's still a lot of like, yeah,
I guess, I guess they do. He did some cool things in
the past before we ever saw it. But at least I like where we've
kind of ended off with that element of it. Yeah, I would agree
with that. Actually make a really good point about him kind of imposing that
that thought to them that they can do it. They have the strength and
the courage and they don't need him. I'm trying to remember, did he
tell her that you're going on a suicide mission? I don't think so.
I don't think so. No, because like remind me how that conversation was
going from his perspective, right, Like the reason why he wasn't going with
them was he's going on his own mission. That and then and then like
I was just kind of confused because he was going off about saying like it's
not necessarily like the person that gets the credit that like wins, like wins
gets the victory or something along those those lines. Like like what exactly was
he saying there? Because for me, like in that dialogue, it just
seemed like although he doesn't say you're going on a suicide mission, it's just
like yeah, I no, Like I'm I got my armor now, I
am this this massive symbol and like from her perspective, that's like the ultimate
morale booster to like see that armor on the battle line like with you and
just knowing that he's just not going there and like he's kind of cagy with
like what his mission is on, like why he wouldn't be going there.
Like I kind of took it like from her, like like she was totally
in the right to be super pissed off there, and like literally just having
him there would be so powerful in the sense of like if you see him
before you go in battle, but he's not actually on the battle with you,
that's kind of a negative. But like maybe it's because he's somewhere else,
like in the battle, like doing something important, Like is that more
so how it was being from you guys. Well, one thing I feel
like with this section in general is like in terms of all the soldiers like
turning and being in favor of Chief and wanting to support him and his kind
of militia that he's got going on here, Like that is something that I
don't feel like they did a good job of setting up at all to get
to this point, even like Akerson is like now good like on his side,
and that was what happened in two seconds, even Kai turning around,
and I didn't feel like where we left off last episode, we were getting
into that. So it's weird, Like I feel like none of the foundation
is there. So the only thing I can really say is that like the
actual like the actual scenes I thought were well done here. But yeah,
it did feel very sudden to me. But yeah, I don't know.
I guess I don't understand exactly what's going on, like with his mission or
his goal here necessarily, so I'm maybe a little confused as you are there.
But yeah, I I I guess that's one of one things I was
kind of saying earlier. Is it just the symbolic nature of it is,
Yeah, he just feels like trying to think of a different way to word
it, but he like he's like like it's just like seeing him like is
enough to kind of boost the morale. I guess, like of the soldiers,
even though they're not necessarily that's like what happened at Reach right when it
was fine, they saw him without the armor and they're all like, oh,
yeah, that guy. It's maybe he feels like he he he just
wants the people to like to believe in themselves and realize they can do it
and they don't need him around. But after that conversation with Pres realizes that
Okay, It's like, what's the word that worst that can happen if I
do put the armor on and like act as that symbol for these people because
they need it right now. And this, Yeah, we're in dire straits
here right Definitely, I see where you're coming from there, And like for
the overall scene between him and pres I do agree. I think I think
that was really good back and forth. It was heavily carried by Perez,
like that actress was heavily carrying that when you just have Papa kind of standing
there, little little airheady and like it's so funny because you know, breaking
the fourth wall. We did our fan cast and I picked him as a
certain X Men character, and I'm just like seeing him in that role now,
like while I'm watching the show and I'm just like, God, what
a funny uh what if that would be? But anyways, for I think
something something that like kind of brings down like maybe my overall excitement for seeing
him as this like super powerful symbol is kind of just like the one man
like vengeance show that like Chief has been on. Like even in this episode,
he says like he he came here to just punch a hole in Akerson's
chest and like, murder this man, like that was his goal. I
got to come What does he say? I thought that was wild? Like
like this is master Chief, is the guy it's gonna save humans, you
know, take on the Covenant, stop the Halo, and like his one
mission is to come here and just fucking murk this man. Like what is
going on? I came here to punch a hole in your chest and watch
the life drain out of you. That's not my master Chief, that's my
symbol of freedom. And yeah and then yeah, even like you know,
Kai has been at Akerson's heels for the last few episodes here, but what
was her quip too? Of uh, I'm trying to remember like what that
moment was exactly. But he was like, I don't give me some reason
why I shouldn't like kill this guy, and she's like, I don't really
have any reason. You're like, goofy little way. Yeah, so like
it's just super solo mission, which I mean throughout the games, I guess
that's kind of been a case for master Chief. But for how they've been
writing this story, it's just it's really not working for me and like making
me really hope to like I don't know, see him go on this solo
mission like it's it's I'm like more so interested in the spartan three combat versus
what's gonna be going on with with Chief And but like that's just because of
where we've like the journey that we've gone on. It's kind of since the
first season, I think just hasn't been the best trajectory, even though along
the way there's there might be some some bright points, just the overall journey,
I'm not really liking what's going on. But were you guys thrown off
with the scene when he's when she was telling Kai about Vannick's death and he
just said like four times like he didn't understand, he didn't understand. I
didn't understand what that scene. I was really confused about his delivery there.
I don't know how Taylor felt on that one, but like I actually quite
like that scene as well. Like with with with the armor room and that
line, it worked for me because I just thought in the sense of if
these are like super super soldiers, like there's never an instance where like they
feel like like they would be at like just upperhanded like that, especially they're
always in their armor like taking a needler to the chest in your what is
it, Mulnier? Is that the armor the Spartan Army, Spartan armor,
like I would imagine they're just like so used to combat in the sense of
like I'll never get taken out, like I'll never be in a position that
I am like about to die. And then if he is about to die,
it's just like I don't wander I don't under like that. Just I
don't know. That's just how I kind of read into it. But maybe
I'm overthinking it. But Taylor, what do you think My interpretation of that
scene was they they weren't expecting to be left behind, were being expected to
have the suits taken away or anything like that. And just that moment where
your people you thought you were trying to save kind of basically turned and abandoned
you. I think that's what you just you don't understand, like why would
they be left in this situation? Why would you be condemned to die when
you are a hero, you're trying to save people. And ultimately, I
think I think there is more light on that too. When he they they
talk and highlight about this idea that the moment you were abducted as a kid,
was the moment you died, and I think that you just didn't realize
that at that point. And now this is the point here where you're dying
and you still don't realize that these it's your death. So gota something along
those lines. But I don't understand. I don't understand. I don't understand.
Yeah, it's on my death, then I don't understand. I don't
understand what's going on. Hopefully I'm not at that point. I don't know
if I have much to add on these characters, but I mean, we
talked about acresson a little bit. I do feel like the turn of him
kind being on chief side here was just I like we' were like building up
with this character because we talked about that or this whole earlier season. Like,
I don't know what they're leading towards with Akersson. Maybe Taylor had some
more like perspective going and knowing that character what I kind of forget him from
the games, but yeah, it's like, Okay, this is what you
were building towards, don't I don't see him doing anything big and valiant in
the last episode, maybe like sacrifices himself. It's like, I don't care
if he does that. But I also feel like Parrengoski has been like really
poorly set up in this season as an antagonist that I should feel intimidated by
or scared by, or even intrigued by in any way. She didn't have
a whole lot of screen time in this season to this point. But yeah,
it just it feels very off to me, and like that tension hasn't
really worked, and now that we're actually seeing Chief and Acreson interacting again,
it's just not working at all. And then the Covenant is such a weird
threat because like a couple times in the season have they actually on a face
to face level interacted with our protagonists and those characters. That feels like kind
of a separate storyline. So overall, just like the antagonist villain, like
that element of the show, I think it's really really weak at this point.
So hopefully they can kind of bring it home with an interesting connection between
all of them and the finale there. But whatever the stuff was going on
in this episode was was not really working for me. Yeah. No,
I one hundred percent agree with you on Acresson as well as Parentgovsky. I
feel like the acreson switch they'll switch through in his motivation, Like, yeah,
it just seemed so sudden. It's almost like early of this season he's
basically like where Parentosky is right now, where like it's just like a complete
antagonist to like our heroes air quote our heroes don't really love our heroes,
but anyways, like just an opposing force. And then now that like they
got off reach, it just it's revealed that like, I guess Akerson's just
been working for Pengoski and Pengoski's is this just like opposing force to Akerson,
And like before she was in before she was like really in this season,
it just seemed like she wasn't really there at all, and now that she
is, like they just have a total switch around on what their roles are.
And yeah, no, I really really am not liking what Parentosky's got
going on. Like it doesn't even seem like Okay, yeah, she's super
super harsh making these harsh decisions for the grit or good. It's just like
it just seems like she's making bad guy moves, like she's just sending the
Spartan threes in one fleet at a time, they get instantly wiped, Like
I didn't even see a single Covenant dot go out, Like it was literally
one hundred to zero that the Covenant just wiped out all these parton threes.
Akresson's just balling his eyes out next to her because his life's work is just
getting marked in like the period of like ten seconds. She's like, send
another one, send another one, and like she just seems like a doctor
evil type villain where like she's just sending like this cannon fodder to just get
marked constantly, and like how is this strategically Like like she says like,
yeah, we have to win, like like we have to win, well,
then fucking come up with a new plan like this is horrible. And
Akerson's trying to say that they're like specops units like they need to have like
very specific duties. She's like they will go where I demand them to go,
and like all of that is just so not work. Like I was
I was like laughing in that moment because I just couldn't believe how like how
like bland of a of an antagonist she is, Like she's not intriguing,
she doesn't have like cool plant like tricks up her sleeves where it's like,
Okay, I can kind of see where she's coming from. It's just she
seems kind of like an idiot and like she's like the leader of the UNSC,
and just the scale of it is not working for me at all.
And this, like these moments are where I'm thinking of, like, I
just don't like what this show has been going on. Like like there is
glimpses of good stuff between UNSC and the Covenant, but like that's not even
what the show's about. It's just like the UNSC and they're like corrupt,
corrupt hierarchy, and then you have Chief just trying to take down the hierarchy.
Meanwhile the Halo's just out there somewhere. You got the Arbiter and and
what's her face? Yeah, thank you McKee on their own little jaunts.
So that yeah, just that scene was really really bothering me. And yeah,
no, I was kind of going off there. So you guys talk
about whatever, Well, I know, I agree. I think Akerson as
a character making this flip is way it's way too early, and I hate
that. Again, his rivalry with Halsey has been put to rest already because
The main thing with this character is he's just got this super rival mindset against
Halsey, and he cares so much about his own legacy and his aspirations for
his his ego and his legacy can sometimes get kerfuddled up in doing the right
thing. He just makes for a very compelling opposition character. And in this
it's just you see, he cares about his life work, but he doesn't
care about seeming like his name. He's willing to go down with the ship
and that doesn't seem like the Acreson that I'm familiar with. And he's the
good guy now, which even more doesn't seem like the Ackerson I'm familiar with.
He's helping the Spartans and all that, and he's like smiling because on
the comms when he walks in there with Perengotsky, and Perengosky's being told like,
oh, there's a condor leaving unauthorized access, and you just hear over
the comms this is Master Chief John one one seven, and then Perengossy's like
a rest accurson. He's like, who do you think they're gonna believe?
Now? It's like what smile that he game? Like as soon as he
heard John's voice, Oh yeah, it's brutal, but yeah, Pengngoski is
a character of I don't know. They bring her up from they make make
you think that she was kicked out of service and now she's secretly she's been
working with only the whole time. Here she is leading the charge. I'd
be pulling a mutiny on this woman so fucking fast because when she yes,
she's just sending in the squads like one after the next. And I understand
this show is probably saving a lot of its budget for the next episode,
the finale, and like how they're managing their their funds and stuff. But
I would have loved to have seen how the scene went. But I can
appreciate this the the intensity of it. When they're listening to the commns and
they're like, you guys are the first wave you're going in and the Spartan
three's like we got this, YadA, YadA, YadA, and then the
mic is just feed just got cuts to dead and like Spartan Spartan that like
that's what got me. They're like super hype, like, yeah we got
this, mam, And she like does this little little one liner to like
motivate the troops, like you're gonna carry the bat, like you're gonna carry
the bill. Whatever the fuck she says, Yeah, it's like a bill.
We got this wrong. Like two seconds later, just all the blips
go out, like oh oh that just happened. Okay, next fleet,
get ready. I was trying to understand the setup here because I thought that
Onyx was being attacked, but it's having it's having earthquakes or something, so
I'm not sure. But they're analyzing because they know where the Halo Ring is,
and the Halo Ring the location was sent to them. I'm wassuming Black
Cortana once the other the Covenant figured out where it is. And this is
where the story gets kind of convoluted because it was one small cluster that of
ships, Covenant ships that arrived at Halo. They didn't know where the Halo
was. The pillar bottom made a random jump, and this one human ship
landed there and a couple Covenant ships followed suit, and we're like, oh
my god, we found the Halo Ring. And that was the end of
that. But here we have high Charity. We got like every coup,
like the biggest Covenant fleet of all time, showing up at the Halo Ring,
but they're just following the Arbiter and McKee's ship because they knew where they
were going. So again you can see the similar parallel where they swapped out
the Arbiter McKey ship for being no longer being like the pillar bottom the human
ship. And it's just funny how you have these parallels here where it's like
the Arbiter is like your Captain keys, you got Kurtana with McKee and mckey's
like your master Chief kind of thing. They're fleeing the Covenant going to the
Halo Ring, but the just to revert back and see what Peangoski was looking
at on the display where it's starting to get like staticky because there's so many
fucking ships like causing gravitational disturbances in this area, just to send your troops
into that like one of the time, Like it's just the stupidest of stupids
I've ever heard of. Yeah, how do you guys feel about the I
guess it was the opening of the episode which was like takes like this,
you know, second after last episode where both Chief and McKee touched the artifact
and they have this moment where they meet, I guess as like holograms essentially
on on the Halo Ring, and they have like very like the lighting was
so savage. Yeah, you know, it makes sense. It's not like
they're not really there. It's supposed to be some sort of weird anomaly vision
thing, so it can It's okay if it looks like bad CGI. But
yeah, how did you guys feel about that scene? Like they have a
very intimate relationship still, It's it's just very kind of bizarre how little screen
time they've had this season together. I'm sure we'll have something next episode,
something more meaty perhaps. Yeah. I like the one on one between Chief
and Perez a lot more than the one on one between Chief and McKee here,
I think, just because I like the performance more of Perez going off
with the with Chief and like I think, I think, I think McKee
is all right of a character, and her performance has been definitely better than
what Chiefs has been throughout the entire show. But I feel like she's always
she's always you know, Pablo's like never really acting, He's just like blank
face. She's always like like over acting, like always shaking her head and
like her eyes are going crazy and she's always she always has like this intensity
to her in like it feels like ninety percent of her scenes. Yeah,
she's like maybe overdes it a bit, but it's it's at least like she's
at least trying kind of thing. I think that's why, like last season,
when we didn't really know too much about her, I'm like she's some
sort of weird Covenant alien thing, like like there's there's something going on under
those that that skin. Yeah, for transformation, but like I don't know
the Halo like what would you call it. I guess like filter that that
they have going on, Like every time that they're on these like dream sequence
is it's kind of it's kind of funny, like it's a beautiful place,
especially like I've just memed so much on that shot from last season where mckey's
like it's beautiful, isn't it and she's just like surrounded by the light.
I just think of that every time I see us go to Halo, at
least in this sense, I wonder what will happen when we actually land on
the ring itself. But getting back to like their actual dialogue and what was
said I didn't get. I didn't get too much out of it, I
think because I don't have too much invested in like their relationship. It's not
like I'm really rooting for like these two to like get together. I still
don't fully understand like what's connecting them and like why they like they just have
such like an intimate relationship other than just like when they've used like the Forerunner
tech they've they've kind of because like last season, You're gonna have to remind
me like they like see like each other sort of thing, right, Like
like there's some sort of connection in that sense almost like a a Raylow type
thing going on, or yeah, okay, it was like that, Yeah,
I guess it would that just be like related to the artifacts in general,
like is it like but they never like fully explained why that happens between
these specific two, right and McKee's like are you really so different? Like
like are you know, like I don't know. It was just I didn't
get a lot out of that. They kind of hinted at it a little
bit in this episode, but then they they I feel like they've kind of
like dis disproven or discredited there there's that theory at the same time or that
type of storytelling because of what we saw in season one, so I'm not
sure exactly how. And I say that because of well we'll get into the
fore miner stuff with Halsey after. It's just weird how they were talking about
DNA and stuff and just it's very convoluted. But her character, like starting
off in this episode with them back on their little dream sequence. God,
I hate that shit. I hate it so much. It's fucking terrible.
And what did she say? What did she say? Yeah, like,
I wish I could share the screenshot. It won't let me upload it right
now. Maybe you can see it from from my phone. So she's like
she grabbed at that scene, she grabs Chief like hands, pulls him close,
and then she says, because they're basically like chiefs saying that this fuck.
Chief is saying that this is basically a weapon, like they can't Covenant
can't have it. She's like, well, humanity can't have it either,
because it will be a weapon. Yeah, and then she just says,
you know, the ring doesn't belong to them, it belongs to us.
We can make this a haven, a peaceful play. I'm like, what
the fuck are you babbling on about? Just and I hate that they already
know what the Halo is. I hate that they know it's a weapon.
They've never been there, but they all know what's a weapon already. It's
like, man, are you kidding me? They didn't even realize that until
the very end of of the first Halo game, like, and so they
started studying it and exploring it a bit. But that's a good point,
Like that is a big leap of logic or like there's no reason why they
know that in this show, right, there's no reason. Yeah, just
they're justumings are just assuming that it's a weapon. That like that's why the
Covenant won it. And that bothers me that they know this. And it's
like it's a race to the Halo for that reason, not like for both
sides, right, Like the Covenant want to get there because the Arbiters.
Uh, I guess vision but wasn't really a vision. It was Cortana right
showing the like like initially he thought it was because of McKee being the blessed
one that like they got that image, but it was actually Kurtana. It
was actually Kurtana. Yeah, And at some point Cortana got the coordinates and
it sent them to the Halo ring Covenant fleet followed, but she also relayed
that to the human fleet. So that's why again I thought, when we
saw Chief pop out with his condor, I thought that, Okay, this
is all like a human fleet fighting the Covenant fleet. But really it's just,
uh, it's just the Covenant all fighting each other. It's just fucking
Spartan three is floating in space just getting charred. No survivors, Yeah,
no survivors at all. The mention of Kurtana two, that was a That
was another thing that I kind of came to the conclusion at maybe prematurely,
but I don't know, we're kind of at the end of season two now.
And uh, just while I was watching her scene with the I'm not
gonna pretend to remember his name, but the Covenant priest character that was in
pursuit of McKee at the start here when she was chatting with him, She's
like, what Deep's That's what it seems like. I I just don't really
like the usage of Kurtana either, like in this in the season for sure,
I thought last season, because she was kind of hidden and like not
really a solid thing until later on. There was some intrigue and mystery there,
but I just don't like how she's been most with the Covenant this season
and like working as a double agent for Paragowsky, a character that I'm really
not liking the season, and she like is kind of with Chief, but
like I feel like after the last season, like it didn't or sorry,
after the end of the last episode, there wasn't really a lot of moments
where it was like clear that she's like even communicating with Chief at all in
the season or sorry in this episode, so that was kind of strange,
and it was another one where I'm just like, Wow, I'm just really
not loving with what they did here. I kind of just like the dynamic
of Chief in his Armor with Kortana and like that's that, like, those
are our those are our tools, that's our that's our protagonist's tools for this
show, and that that's definitely not been the case for Armor, and Kortana
has been very distant from him. But yeah, I don't know, like
I was just kind of thinking about that in this in this episode specifically that
like last season, I was really really liking the usage of Kortana in that
and really liked all of her moments but hasn't really been any of that going
on in the season and so far from me where I've really highlighted Kurtana in
a positive sense. But yeah, I'm I'm glad you brought that up.
I wrote this in my notes, why are we getting the adventures of McKey
and Kurtana? I know, Chief and Cortana. I followed it up with
everything we see between McKey and Kurtana is what I want to see with Chief
and Kurtana, because in this episode, all we get from Chief and Krtana's
relationship is the hallway lights turning off and on. It's fucking like horrible,
Like there's there's no sustenance from that, and that's just guiding him to not
to the suits. But I guess to where Akerson was because she was looking
at like the blue doors that were opening up, and Kay's like, where
are you going? Yeah, that's the Kay move. Yeah, it's well,
why do you want to know that? The little like one liner that
he hit her with. Cortana to me is just so forgettable in this show
in general, but I'd say even more so this season, which is which
is weird because she's one of the more one of the most iconic characters in
the game for me, second to Chief from my perspective playing all those games.
So it's weird, and she's just so she feels so plot device,
like she doesn't really have a personality at all that I can gauge, and
like it's like a different actress in the first season too, so maybe that
takes away some of the connection. I think that's the case. So I
don't know, it's just it's a weird, like nothing character, which I
don't know what the plan is or the idea, what the character is,
but whatever, it is not not working for me, that's for sure.
It seems like because she is like such a powerful resource across the board,
like for whoever has her hands, the showriters were just like, yeah,
like let's just let's just kind of put her with McKee to like keep her
away from from like John it's too powerful with even without his armor, and
let alone with Cartana, so let's nerve him a little bit. But yeah,
I don't know whatever the decision is. I'm I'm not vibing with that
stuff. Superhand Mic in the comments, this is like the motivation I need,
like going into each episode. Keep up the good fight Fellas only one
episode left. I felt. I felt that today, like I'm just like,
man, gonna go home watch the second last episode. Feels like we're
on episode seventy two of the season. It's just been it's been going on
and on and on, but almost there, Almost there. Ma y'all just
mentioned this very quickly because there's not much to say here. Soren and this
fucking Kessler storyline, it's just it's so it seems very lazy to me,
like what they're trying to do here, And I don't know if it's a
screen time thing, but I think it's more just like having any sort of
ideas. But just like, first of all, I hate Soren for what
he does in this episode. If I was like, oh, you know
what, this is actually good for my son for him to get abducted and
who knows what the fuck these people are gonna do with him beaten down on
with fucking batons by like grown ass adults, he's totally okay with that,
which is weird. It's like they going all these adventures together. Maybe he's
felt this whole time, because going into this episode, I was like,
I think Soren hates his kid or doesn't like his kid at all, and
then so it's like, oh, okay, we kind of got that confirm
he doesn't really seem to care. That's an interesting way for me to care
about this character when I don't really know much about Kessler, and Soren's the
more established character at this point, so I don't love that. But then,
you know, then it feels like extra fabricated when at the end of
this episode or later on in the episode when he goes to save the day
and he just goes badass and destroys all these guards and protects his son and
whatnot, it's like, it just it just felt so fake, like this
fake reality TV show sort of drama to get me to think now that Soren
is this valiant guy. What a He's a chivalrous knight for going to save
his kid. He should care about his kid. He should save his kid.
It shouldn't be set up that he doesn't care about his kid and then
he does later on. It's just it's really kind of lazy and was a
total drain on the episode. These last two I guess even the last three
episodes, everything going on with those characters just no, no, get it
out of here. This season would be so much better without that stuff in
it. I mean, yeah, I said earlier in the non spoiler,
I'm just not loving No, that's let me refra it. I am definitely
not liking at all what's been going on with Sore and his lady. Uh
Laura I believe was her name. I thought it was Lailah the whole season,
and then he and then because I had the subtitles all this time because
I need to now because it's all the Covenant talking conversations, and now I
found it's Lara lay So when the way comes off, the name change right
different. Yeah, Like I just I don't know, Like there's I guess
there's an interesting substance to that dynamic in a different story, but for this
one, it's not working. And even like the execution of it is is
just not good, let alone like trying to mix it in with our main
story here. So yeah, that that whole conversation when he's like like,
imagine being in Lara's or Lara whatever her name is, well, like in
her shoes in that moment, like you're on this hunt for your son with
your loving husband, trying to get your only son back, and here he's
like, you know, maybe it's good for him, Like what a betrayal
that would be in that moment build character. She's like, yeah, her
whole life is like just in this moment is focused on getting Kessler back,
and then you just have this asshole next to you, like, yeah,
this is this is good. Is what I did? I got beaten on.
But he's metal, but talk to me now normal. It's the second
time he's tried to do this. He just wants to get rid of the
kid because he was talking to those two ladies like you know what, you
could provide a good home, good home for him, So he just wants
to dump this kid. Yeah, undred percent. He just wants to go
back to his asteroid at this point. Yeah, And like it just seems
like throughout the show he's been this like old Spartan that kind of just actually
got out of that life and like is living his own life now. He's
a family, Like it should be an interesting dynamic. But anytime he's like
thrown in this situation to like prove that he's like like a good dad and
like has these qualities of a good father, he's just like, I don't
know, it's just like reverting back to the Spartan ways, and it's like,
yeah, no, this is good, Like it'll it'll thicken them up,
thick in his skin and just make them tougher. And like just comparing
like what he went through, it just seems like his motivation earlier on should
make it seem like he this would be the last thing that he wants Kesler
to go through, like what he went through, and here he is thinking
that it would be a good idea. He says all this, and then
it gets down to it where Keser's going to do this like trial thing or
fucking purge, whatever the hell's going on in this moment. Super dark.
Nonetheless, he just like jumps in there and like kicks the shit out of
all these Like I feel like he was just waiting for an excuse to beat
on all these Yeah, Like it's clearly not Spartans. Like these guys in
red with the with the bats, they just they're coming here thinking they're doing
their job. Meanwhile, old story ready to see like a little like tooth
three foot child come out of the smoke cape foot man just comes super Soldiers
comes up, gets the shit out of all of them. Oh, like
it was like a John Wick scene, just with how gravig it was getting
with those metal bats. But I was so puzzled with what was going on.
I thought, I thought he made one decision and then he reverts back,
and then I thought they saved Kessler and they just get like abducted by
the ghost people. That scene was all over the place, and I was
just head scratching through. Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna get my thoughts after
the sad break and I'm back to get my thoughts. I just couldn't agree
more. I think it was just super weird. I don't care about Soren
anymore and his wife and his son Kessler, and just the idea of just
leaving Kessler in this situation just I don't. I can't can't get on board
with that. For some context, because he alludes to the story about how
there were five of us that were in this place with the restaurant hiding run
away, him, vanik Ritz Kai in Chief were the last five that were
standing. They really really changed up this story, and I don't like this
story. This story just sounds it's not as justice doing justice a chief.
So in the original story on Reach when they were kids, they were dropped
out in the middle of nowhere, out in the woods, and they were
total Okay, here's the location of a pelican. The last person to get
here. The kids were all dropped separately. The last kid to get here
is left behind and has to walk back to base. The rest all get
to be e backed out on the pelican. So what Chief did when he
was a boy, he grouped everyone together. They approached the area, they
saw that it was guarded by odsts, so that, okay, we're gonna
take these odsts down because we don't know if they're a threat, if they're
a target, like what's going on. So they collectively work together neutralize all
the adults, have them all knocked out and taken down, and then he
makes sure makes sure that every single kid gets that pelican and then they go
and it just really makes this character feel like the reliable and that's my chief,
that's my chief. But here, you know, you got like the
kids screaming, and this was fucking terrifying, like the smoke shooting, the
guy coming in with the fucking baton like this next the trial, like what
are they learning? And there's no trial. You get to learn how to
get the shit kicked out of you. God damn man, I would love
just sit around a campfire and hear Taylor tell Halo stories. I got a
lot the ideal situation for me. I remember reading about that in the Full
Reach, in that story when they when they do that trial. I didn't
realize that that was what this was supposed to be a comparison of, because
it's just obviously so different, and I just don't know what the objective is
like, it just doesn't make sense to me. There's no objective. I
mean, at least the other stuff they have objectives, but this no.
You literally just stand in arena like it's it's like playing like Friday thirteenth or
Dead by Daylight or something. You just gotta like avoid getting hunted and shit
kicked out of you Bytors. What are we supposed to be doing? You
got the cob from Last Trials coming in with the shots locking random doors.
Oh my god, that's hilarious. Anything else on sore and I's gonna actually
go elsewhere? Uh. Something that I thought was pretty interesting actually here,
which what was going on between Halsey, Miranda and Kwan and the Forerunner stuff
and the Forerunner aspect of the show has been interesting, I feel like because
of I mean, you know, I played Halo, but not like all
of the Halo's very fuzzy with like some of the lore when it comes to
Halo, especially what goes on with Forerunner and like the flood, Like there's
certain story elements that I just don't know too much about. So the way
that they've kind of been tackling the Forerunner stuff in this show, it's been
pretty minimal for the most part. This one I think is the most important
of it because they actually see like a like a fallen fore Runner person,
like a scientist, where they discover their lab. And of course you got
like the light bridge, which is just such an iconic imagery I think in
the Halo world, activating those so you can drive over on your Warhog in
the games. But I thought all of that stuff was really interesting, and
I really had no idea what was gonna be going on when they open up
that door. All the lab stuff I thought was interesting, and then when
you see the whole city kind of light up, I thought that was a
really cool image. I was pretty bummed it just like went away like that.
It was almost like I was watching like an Indiana Jones Crystal Skull type
thing, where like they get a glimpse of something really cool and then it's
just it's gone and like an instant, and I mean, yeah, like,
what are you guys thoughts on that? And then I guess I was
gonna ask, like, what's the threat that's coming the well? No,
I think in terms of topics, I think we saved the best for last
year. I really enjoyed this whole sequence. Honestly, I thought it was
really great to going back, We've said this before, but like Halsey,
I think probably the best actress in this show. I've always thought Miranda was
great, especially in season one, so to have the two of them going
off here and then Kwan, I like the start of her story this season,
and then there was a couple episodes there I'm like, I don't think
I'm liking this anymore. But I think once again, we've got to a
point that's pretty interesting of it. But yeah, just the whole conversation they're
having here of this place that they've been studying, being both just like is
it science based or is it like religion based? And you have Halsey and
Miranda who are on the side of Like I guess Halsey's more like deep science,
Quan's like full alignment on the religion side of things. Miranda's like kind
of somewhere in the middle, since she's been here more recently and exploring and
figuring out some of these things, and so you kind of the fun dynamics
there of them figuring everything out, and I really liked that. Just felt
like a very video gaming type of puzzle of like picking up these stars and
then like moving them on a map to like figure out what's going on here.
That that was a really fun sequence. Obviously, it's kind of what
we got with with Kwan and having those kind of dream sequences was leading into
that. So I really have no theory on what the hell is going on
there. Maybe it is some sort of religious experience. That's what I'm led
to believe, some sort of spiritual thing going on there. But yeah,
just in general, like one of the lines of dialogue that I really enjoyed
was Miranda was saying that while she was here doing these investigations, doing the
science, all these experiments and going through Halsey's old notes, she just felt
like she was getting to know who Halsey was at that point in her life
and that was kind of parallel to where she is currently and finding this like
a mutual point between them where they've had all these differences in the past,
but Miranda and doing these experiments, is realized just how similar they are.
And Halsey now being in this situation, I think, being stripped of everything
that she had on reach and all the things that she was in control of
and just being brought back to this place where she was maybe a different person,
and they're just like bonding over this in a way that felt really genuine,
and we haven't really had from them in this show. They've felt like
a very weird mother daughter bond, right, because they don't really have much
of a bond. So I thought everything here was really great, really great
dialogue, good acting, and then like I guess this really is the only
action sort of sequence ish of the episode when they go across the bridge,
they go into this lab and then like having a run back out, and
I really enjoyed all that stuff too. Like he was saying, all the
fore Runner tech was really really fun to see seeing like that scientist kind of
just curled up in a ball aged there, everything cracking down seeing this like
old ancient lab. I had such a great time with this whole sequence.
I thought it was just excellent. Yeah, this whole whole part of the
episode. I really really enjoyed it. There was one moment that made me,
I'm not gonna say goosebumps, but it's had chills. I was like,
Oh, this is fucking terrifying. And I loved it. I really
really loved it. The the fore Hunner tech was great. Seeing the fore
Runner body in there was was interesting. I wasn't expecting that to be hones
it ever been done like in the games, like do you see a Forerunner
individual? Mm hm, oh you do? Okay? In Halo Halo's Wonder
three, you don't Halo four and onwards you you'll see four Runners. Seeing
seeing a four Runner here was it was just it was interesting and I wasn't
expecting it. When the doors opened up, I at this point with them
doing all their crazy shit, I thought that we're gonna see like flood start
pouring out or something like that, especially when we see the vials and everything.
But I like that it's a scientist. I like that Miranda grabbed the
the notes or the information that we're gonna find out about that the scientist was
holding onto. I think that was pretty cool and I'm interested to see what
that is about. And if I had to guess, it is the flood.
And here's before I get into more about the flood. Everything with Kwan,
just kind of like remembering how like what she saw in like cave markings
to put stuff like wherever. That was very fucking flukey. Thank god that
halls there, because that's, yeah, that's insanely lucky. So we see
it's it's a clock, but we see it's it is legitimately like all star
systems and solar systems and whatnot. And so the interesting thing here is when
they're leaving that vault, that lab, and when they get out, they
see everything's turning red, and Halsey's like, oh, look at it's their
history, their expansion and their growth, right or they they're taken over the
stars their empire. That's not what it is. And this is the part
that really gave me like the chills, like, oh, fuck, I
know exactly what this is. And this this is the laboratory. This is
a laboratory. The red is the infected planets. This is the flood spreading,
and I thought, man, this is absolutely terrifying. I love this.
The thing that I laughed was because Kwan was like, oh the growth.
So she has some pre existing knowledge on this, but she's fucking gone.
She's still in those caves. Everyone else fucked off and she's still running
around down there, like what happened to her character. Hopefully they send someone
down to fetch her because she's gonna get lost or something down there. She's
running around, But that chap from the Mummy, the guy gets eaten by
those scare of beetle things. Oh yeah, yeah. Uh So her pre
existing knowledge, that's that has me very curious. Now as we know,
all the halo rings have flood on them. Replacement halo rings were destroyed ones
destroyed installations, those don't have flood on them. But the flood does exist
on other four inner planets as well. When they're just their basic spore forms,
they don't have much going on for them, but they have to spread,
they have to take over more masks, and once they take over more
mass, they'll form a proto grave mind and that'll form into a full grave
mind, and that creates the cohesive consciousness that can kind of control all the
sentient nearby flood entities and then they can start taking over get smarter. The
more beings they absorb, the more smarter it becomes. So whatever flood exists,
it's just spores or whatnot. But that cave marking that looks like a
big scary face, obviously it means that they've they must have faced something unmadrigal.
And so with flood existing outside of just the Halo Rings, at least
in the games lore, I'm curious what that backstory is now. Obviously Miranda
Keys is going to find something on this data. I'm sure about the Halo
Ring, the planned Paragossi's plan is not going to work. They're not going
to blow up the whole Solar system, destroying the fleet and the Halo Ring.
Chief's gonna get to the Halo and we're gonna have the Covenant down there
too. So it'll be interesting to see, I guess, in season three
when the flood finally arrives. But I feel like this is a pretty good
foreshadows to what's to come. Maybe we even get like an end credit scene
in the season finale, a flood score or something like that, just to
really kind of like rope people in and that would definitely sucker me in to
see some flood, right stuff. Yeah, I'm trying to remember how if
there was a post credit or like how Cliffhangary the ending of season one is.
I can't remember what the last scene was. I don't remember. Let's
see, because we don't we still to this point, I don't have a
confirmation if we're getting there with the third season. That was when Courtana right
like like knocked out Chief and then he was like cal my atost, wasn't
he? And then like, wasn't that the start of this season that he's
like frozen still? And then it starts with that that I thought was a
flashback. Maybe not. I don't know, Maybe I misremember started because he
was on the planet right with the the religious people that wanted to die,
and but like it was that moment of like shut him down, shut him
down, cheese and he's like completely frozen. Yeah, Boot forgot one other
thing from that from that sequence. You know, I think in a lesser
episode or with lesser actors, this sequence would have been cheesy. The dialogue
definitely could be, but the moment when they're on the bridge and they they
really got to get out here because this place is crumbling. But Halsey is
just so in, like she's so enthralled by everything she's seen, the cities
that are kind of below them, so she doesn't want to leave, and
Miranda eventually calls her mom and that's what like grabs her attention. I thought
that was really sweet and wholesome. And I think that's a very easy thing
for them to flub and for it to feel goofy or cheesy, but I
think they did a good job with it and it was nice heartwarming moment.
I agree. I agree with that they were talking about DNA, and this
is what I alluded to earlier, how when Miranda questioned Halsey and she said,
we found DNA originally, and that same DNA was kind of like we
found human and we found their DNA. And the thing with the Forerunners is
the mantle responsibility. They basically were overseers of the universe and just trying to
keep things in line, keep things safe, and so they when they were
treated and they retired, basically that mantles passed on to humanity. That's why
humanity can activate Forehunner technology. So you have it weird here because it seems
like only some humans can activate foreigner technology. And so the thing when they
found that foreigner DNA, they were looking for that DNA in children, and
that children is who the Spartans became when they kidnap those kids. And that's
interesting, but that's not necessarily how the lore goes, because all humans can
activate foreigner tech and the lore, and you have spartans that were just peak
of their gene pool because humanity was able to expand and thrive and grow and
grow and grow, went through observations. They were just picked because they peak
at what they do. And so it's also not it's not completely out of
touch with the fact that, Okay, the forerunners did put their DNA and
mingled it with humans, because there's a foreigner called the Librarian who added basically
like accelerators into humanity to allow humanity to excel technologically further and further and further
to get to the point where they're supposed to be a Spartan, because the
Spartan is where they're supposed to be, like peak. So there are some
things that they pulled and they were kind of mingling around, which I can
understand and appreciate a little bit as it is convoluted. So that's kind of
where that the whole DNA talk was kind of coming from when they were talking
about that. If that makes sense, Yeah, that's cool. But I
think that's all my notes mean as well. Yep, I'm exhausted. Well
uh yeah, unless you guys have any last one of things to say.
I think think next episode hopefully should be a banger. I just I want
to see the whole human fleet, the Covenant fleet. I want to see
Chief's fleet. Just everyone just go to towns chiefs cheeks. Yeah, hopefully.
How much How much helmet action are we getting? You think you think
it's on for like a minute, then he just pops it off less than
two minutes? Yeah, less than two less than two minutes. Yeah.
Do you think do you think Paragossi's gonna die? Do you think anyone's gonna
die? Get? Yeah, let's let's do it. Let's go with Paragossis
down. Finale, Lucky bite the bullet, him and Laila can live.
That's fine, But finale he's going to be Parangosky just like corrupted by the
flood, and then she's the main villain of the next season. Wow,
I mean they well, that's what Keys was supposed to be, but they
changed that. Pargoski will just put ever saw the body, maybe he didn't
get lit up. You never Yeah, that's exactly. You don't see,
you don't see the death. Then they're still alive because I've come to learn.
Oh anyways, let's get out of here. I'll be back next week.
Have a good night everyone, Bye bye bye mhm