‘Halo’ Episode 8: Recap And Ending, Explained – Why Did Makee Bid Goodbye To Master Chief?

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Episode 7 of “Halo” Season 1 primarily focused on Kwan Ha’s (Yerin Ha) journey on Madrigal and how she is the product of a long line of rebels. This week’s episode is more of a continuation of Episode 6, which established the bond between Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) and Makee (Charlie Murphy). It’s revealed that they can telepathically communicate with each other on a virtual version of a field surrounded by a halo, after touching any of the artifacts. And with the newfound information on how Halsey (Natascha McElhone) and the rest of the UNSC essentially kidnapped kids who were later turned into Spartans, the stage is set for Master Chief to do a complete 180 on them and side with Makee.


Master Chief And Makee Walk In The Park

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman and written by Steven Kane and Justine Juel Gillmer, the episode titled “Allegiance” opens with Master Chief staring at his reflection in a mirror and drawing a circle. It smash-cuts to (an example of some great work by editor Dan Briceno and cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub) Makee staring into the circular mirror in her room, almost as if she can see Master Chief through it. But that quiet moment of contemplation is interrupted by Master Chief himself, who asks her to take a walk with him.

While Halsey reminisces about Master Chief’s childhood, Makee observes Reach City and how it seems fairly similar to the stories her childhood friend used to tell her. Halsey asks Cortana (Jen Taylor) if Master Chief trusts Makee. Cortana says that Master Chief actually doesn’t trust anybody at the moment. Upon realizing that they’re being closely monitored, Master Chief takes Makee to a secluded spot to talk about what they saw together in their vision. Makee reveals the prophecy that essentially guides the Covenant, which talks about the ethnic cleansing of humanity. Master Chief disagrees, because he thinks there’s still hope for humanity.

Admiral Margaret Parangosky (Shabana Azmi) suspects that they’ve lost the old Master Chief since he’s not interrogating Makee for information. Captain Keyes (Danny Sapani) says that Master Chief is a soldier, and he insinuates that all this is a part of his mission. Their helicopter parenting of Master Chief is brought to a halt by the Covenant attack on Criterion, Telmun, and the city of Agade. When the informant of this attack starts talking about survivors, Captain Keyes cuts the feed and states that there’s no saving them. When Master Chief enters the scene, Captain Keyes reprimands him for giving hackneyed directions to catch the Covenant. Master Chief suggests letting Makee try to use the first artifact to locate the second artifact, which is with the Covenant, thereby revealing their location.


See More: ‘Halo’ Episode 7: Recap And Ending, Explained – What Is The Truth Behind Kwan Ha’s Lineage?


Halsey’s Manipulative Tactics

Riz (Natasha Culzac) and Vannak (Bentley Kalu) prepare for their attack on the Covenant while Kai (Kate Kennedy) partakes in some jock-esque behavior. Miranda (Olive Gray) tries to simplify the recording of the Sangheili conversation. Captain Keyes pays her a visit to check if everything she’s doing is on schedule and has a brief moment of realization of how far his daughter has come. Through another beautiful transition, we are transported to Makee’s room, where she’s praying on her own. Master Chief pays her a visit, and they share a few moments of intimacy, which is creepily (and kind of tragically) observed by Cortana. This is subverted by Makee (probably) thinking about stabbing Master Chief with her laser nail, which she then proceeds to take out of her in the gnarliest fashion possible.

Does this mean that Makee is now on Master Chief’s side instead of the other way around? Well, before we get the answer to that, we are taken to Halsey’s quarters, where Cortana spills the beans on Master Chief and Makee’s relationship. Halsey inquires about the timing of Makee’s test with the artifact. Captain Keyes pays Halsey a visit, ordering her to leave Reach by noon. They have a long-drawn argument over it. Halsey realizes that her plan to abduct Makee, Master Chief, and the artifact has to be moved forward. So, she instantly hacks into the UNSC mainframe to get into Makee’s room as a hologram and manipulates her into convincing Master Chief to come to her with the artifact.

Halsey tries to bond with Makee over their shared hatred for humanity. Halsey says that she loves humanity, but humans are the problem. She thinks that humans are stuck in a loop and, on top of that, they are venal, selfish creatures who create misery and pain wherever they go. She says that if the halo is a weapon, she is certain that humans will use it and destroy themselves in the process. Makee says that John won’t let that happen. Halsey says that there’s no John, only Master Chief, which means that John’s humanity is gone and he is only a weapon of mass destruction. Halsey says that both Master Chief and Makee have been used, and in order to not be used further, she should come with the artifact and John to her and escape on the aircraft that’s waiting for her on the tarmac. Makee, apparently unable to take any more of Halsey’s provocative words, severs the line and cuts the call.


‘Halo’ Episode 8: Ending Explained – Whose Side Is Makee Really On?

As soon as Halsey becomes clear about the fact that Makee is not going to help her voluntarily, she employs the Zed Protocol, which opens a backchannel to the Spartans and cuts off all other communications. It allows her to exclusively talk to them, and Halsey orders Kai, Vannak, and Riz to get Master Chief, Makee, and the artifact and get it to Halsey. When Kai protests, because she doesn’t have the emotion-suppressing pellet, Halsey cuts her off and orders Vannak and Riz to neutralize Kai and carry on with the plan on their own. When Halsey tells Cortana that soon she’ll be able to fully control Master Chief, which is the dream, Cortana exhibits some hesitation despite saying that she isn’t sentimental.

Master Chief arrives to take Makee for the test. Miranda starts to decipher that the voice in the Covenant recording is Makee’s, which means that she’s an imposter. Unable to get through to anyone, Miranda makes a run for it so that she can reach the testing facility in time and prevent Makee from getting close to the artifact. Master Chief and Makee make their way into a trap set by Riz and Vannak. Halsey tells Cortana to be ready to drop Master Chief and take control of his bodily functions. Cortana betrays Halsey and warns Master Chief to not walk into the trap that has been set for him. Then Cortana cuts off the link between Halsey and the UNSC and disappears to help Master Chief. Master Chief orders Makee to find a Marine and get to Parangosky while he takes on Riz and Vannak.

Minus his armor, Master Chief gets the living hell kicked out of him. Kai escapes from the bathroom where she was locked up by Riz and Vannak, and the first thing she does is order the UNSC to not let Halsey and her ship escape. Makee makes her way to the room with the artifact in it and immediately starts to talk in Sangheili. Kai comes to Master Chief’s rescue. Miranda reaches the artifact room to reveal the truth about Makee. Appalled, Parangosky says that Makee will pay the price for this betrayal. Makee says that it’s the UNSC that’ll pay, and she touches the artifact, sending a massive shock wave throughout the Reach, knocking everyone out.

Master Chief finds himself in the halo field with Makee, who approaches him and bids him goodbye. Did Makee do this for the Covenant? Or has her allegiance changed, and she’s doing this for Master Chief and herself? It can be either way. All of it could be an act to throw us off the scent that she’s doing it for the Covenant. Or maybe she is actually in love with Master Chief, and she did this to keep the UNSC and the Covenant busy so that she could take off with the artifact and deal with it on her own. Maybe that’s what she meant by her last words to Master Chief. Well, there’s one last episode left in “Halo” Season 1, and the truth behind Makee’s intentions will certainly be disclosed then.


See More: ‘Halo’ Season 1: Ending, Explained – Has Cortana Taken Over Master Chief’s Consciousness?


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Pramit Chatterjee
Pramit Chatterjee
Pramit loves to write about movies, television shows, short films, and basically anything that emerges from the world of entertainment. He occasionally talks to people, and judges them on the basis of their love for Edgar Wright, Ryan Gosling, Keanu Reeves, and the best television series ever made, Dark.

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