Director Jonathan Liebesman and writers Silka Luisa and Steven Kane delivered the best episode of “Halo” so far last week. It solely focused on Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) and how the knowledge of his past has initiated his psychological unraveling. The gravitas of that plot was only compounded by Makee’s (Charlie Murphy’s) presence, who went to the Reach in an attempt to steal the first piece of the artifact and probably coerce Master Chief into joining her mission. But even she ended up having a profound revelation about her connection to Master Chief. The sub-plots involving Kai (Kate Kennedy), Halsey (Natasche McElhone), and Miranda (Olive Gray) added to this character-focused drama and set up the stage for some interesting exploration of Master Chief’s already complicated journey.
Directed by Jessica Lowrey and written by Steven Kane, Episode 7, titled “Inheritance,” is dedicated to Kwan Ha (Yerin Ha). In a flashback, before the Covenant attack and when everyone in the rebellion was still alive, we see Kwan Ha doing some kind of magic trick with the fire, turning it from yellow to blue and back again. That mirth is short-lived as the dinner table conversation shifts to the future of Madrigal and how Kwan Ha thinks that Jin Ha (Jeong-hwan Kong) is feeding lies to the rebels and that even if they win against the UNSC, their future isn’t bright. Kwan Ha leaves the dinner in a huff, and we cut to the present day, where Kwan Ha is driving into a sand storm. She stops mid-way and is kidnapped by someone as soon as she steps out of her vehicle.
Soren (Bokeem Woodbine) is back at the Rubble, reunited with his family, telling convoluted stories about how he made it off of Madrigal. Soren’s story is challenged by Squirrel (Gábor Nagypál) as he wonders what Soren did with Kwan Ha, especially since there’s a big bounty on her head. Squirrel even accuses Soren of delivering Kwan Ha to Vinsher (Burn Gorman) and keeping the bounty to himself, leaving him to starve. Soren says that Squirrel looks like he’s well-fed. Feeling cornered, Squirrel talks about rumors that Soren isn’t handling his business well. Soren gives him a slight threat, and Squirrel promptly exits the building.
Back in Madrigal, Kwan Ha finds herself in a camp full of women with white hair. She realizes that these women are the seers who told Jin Ha to lead the rebellion in the direction he eventually took it in. The head of this group introduces herself as Desiderata (Josette Simon). Kwan Ha asks what exactly Desiderata told Jin Ha that led him to his death. Desiderata asks Kwan Ha why she wants to know that. Kwan Ha says that it’s because she wants to restart the rebellion and finish Jin Ha’s quest. Desiderata says that there were more before Jin Ha who fought the good fight. Kwan Ha gives a practical answer, saying that all that is left of her family is just her. So, she needs to know what Jin Ha knows. Desiderata says Kwan Ha is not ready. Kwan Ha says she is more than capable. Desiderata says that Kwan Ha is blinded by rage, to which Kwan Ha says that all she has is rage.
Elsewhere in Madrigal, Vinsher gives a beautifully haunting description of the place that’s perfectly delivered by Burn Gorman. Then he asks his driver if Soren is gone from Madrigal. The driver said that he has escaped. Vinsher realizes that that means Kwan Ha is all alone, and they have to attack her in a tough fashion to finish her once and for all. Vinsher also hints at the fact that the witches led by Desiderata are more dangerous than Jin Ha. On the Rubble, Soren has yet another altercation with Squirrel, where Soren apparently admits that he hasn’t appreciated Squirrel enough. He even doubles down on that sentiment by agreeing to assist Squirrel on a heist involving a UNSC cargo ship.
See More: ‘Halo’ Episode 6: Recap And Ending, Explained – Is There A Bond Between Master Chief And Makee?
The shot of the bogie carrying Soren and Squirrel is masterfully match-cut with the light atop Desiderata’s hut, where she’s giving Kwan Ha an education about Madrigal’s history. She talks about how life was a struggle for the first pioneers in Madrigal because food and water were scarce. But Kwan Ha’s forefather’s forefather set off into the desert one day, dug a well, and found the fuel that sustains the entire planet. In addition to that, he apparently met a being who could’ve been a visitor from another time or another plane of existence entirely, who explained to Kwan Ha’s forefather’s forefather his true purpose. That purpose has been passed on from one generation to another. Kwan Ha asks what exactly is that purpose. Desiderata picks up the flame and turns it into liquid. Then she tells Kwan Ha to drink it up and find it out for herself because she says she’s ready.
As soon as Kwan Ha drinks up the liquid, she goes into a trance and wakes up in Master Chief’s ship, which was taking her to the Reach. Just like in the first episode, she tries to get through to Master Chief, but he cold-shoulders her. They land on Madrigal and walk their way to Desiderata’s hut, where Kwan Ha is greeted by Reth (Johann Myers). While Reth asks everyone to form a circle around Master Chief and Kwan Ha, Desiderata crosses her but doesn’t respond to Kwan Ha’s questions. As the camera turns around to Kwan Ha, Reth reveals that she is supposed to fight Master Chief to know her truth. She tries her best but dies in the dream state quite a few times. When she feels defeated, Master Chief (this time with his helmet off) extends a helping hand and takes her to a well. Yes, it’s the well that Kwan Ha’s forefather’s forefather found. Master Chief leaves the scene while the mysterious figure tells Kwan Ha that she’s going to meet him again.
Kwan Ha’s ancestor tells Kwan Ha that Master Chief will eventually come back to Madrigal, and she’ll show him the way to the well where they’re standing around. When Kwan Ha wonders who that person is, he starts to walk toward Kwan Ha. The figure starts to break into every single ancestor of Kwan Ha until it becomes Jin Ha. It’s truly one of the simplest and yet one of the most profoundly emotional moments of the entire show. They hug each other. Kwan Ha admits she has wasted so much time being angry, but Jin Ha tells her that despite being blinded by rage, she found him. Jin Ha admits that he has wronged Kwan Ha by not telling her the truth about her lineage because he thought, by doing so, he was protecting her. Jin Ha reveals that the well is a portal powered by fuel in Madrigal. Kwan Ha naturally asks where the portal leads to. Jin Ha says that that won’t be revealed until Madrigal is safe, and that’s why Madrigal must be protected. Kwan Ha wonders how she’s going to do that without an army. Jin Ha tells her to let the enemy come and meet them on their terms by using the environment around her instead of trying to control it.
See More: ‘Halo’ Episode 5: Recap And Ending, Explained – Why Did Makee Surrender? What Happened To The Artifact?
Kwan Ha wakes up from the dream state and realizes that she has to go back to where it all began, i.e., the rebel base that the Covenant aliens attacked. On the Rubble, Soren teaches Squirrel a lesson so that he doesn’t try any tricks again. Soren and Laera (Fiona O’Shaughnessy) start talking about Kwan Ha, and it seems that Soren has started to care about Kwan Ha. He tries to quell his sentiments towards Kwan Ha by imagining that she is dead. But Laera tells him that Kwan Ha is alive and that the triple bounty put on her head by Vinsher is proof of that. In Madrigal, Vinsher corners Agatha (Nila Aalia) to find out about the rebellion and the whereabouts of Kwan Ha. So, of course, Vinsher kills Agatha and goes after Kwan Ha after finding out her location.
Kwan Ha finds a scroll at the rebel base and is subsequently cornered by Vinsher and his army. Soren comes to the rescue of Kwan Ha before that and agrees to help her get out of this pickle and, ideally, kill Vinsher in the process. What ensues after that is essentially “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)” or “Sholay (1975)” in space, as Soren and Kwan Ha employ explosives and a whole lot of gun-slinging to stay alive. Kwan Ha tells Soren to keep Vinsher, and his goons distracted until she gets the fuel flowing through the pipes in the rebel base. Once that’s done, Soren has to shoot the main gas line pipe and blow everything to kingdom come. That mostly goes to plan, but Soren gets grievously wounded. But just when things look dire, Kwan sets off the explosion.
Vinsher looks very dead. Desiderata looks at the carnage from a distance. And the episode concludes with Kwan Ha and Soren enjoying a sudden burst of rainfall, an occurrence that hasn’t happened on Madrigal for centuries. Eventually, Soren and Kwan Ha part ways. Kwan Ha gives Soren some of the money that was stashed in the rebel base. Kwan Ha tries to make Soren stay for her mission. But Soren leaves with the ship Kwan Ha “gifts” him. Kwan Ha, with an expression of confidence, begins her journey as the protector of Madrigal.
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