Halo TV Series: Episode 9 “Transcendence” Recap

Episode 9 of Halo, which is the finale for Season 1 and is titled “Transcendence,” picks up immediately where the previous episode left off. Master Chief is in the process of trying to understand what happened after the artifact caused an explosion within UNSC headquarters. He quickly learns that Makee took the artifact and is trying to take it to the Covenant. 

While searching for Makee, Chief runs into Vannak and Riz who are holding Kai at gunpoint. Master Chief tries to tell Vannak and Riz the truth about Silver Team and how Halsey kidnapped them all as children. Vannak doesn’t want to believe that this is true, but Jacob Keyes enters the area and reaffirms that what Chief has said is legitimate. Now on the same page, Silver Team splits up with one group chasing down Halsey and the other pursuing Makee. 

Chief, Vannak, and Riz happen to get to the hangar after it’s too late and witness Makee fly off in a Phantom. Kai, in turn, is able to get to Halsey’s ship and jump aboard before she leaves the UNSC base on Reach. Kai makes her way inside and begins demanding answers from Halsey about her past. After being distracted by Halsey’s associate, Kai loses track of Halsey who ejects herself in an escape pod. The ship that Kai finds herself on is now in the process of crashing to the surface of Reach. Kai isn’t able to stop the ship from crashing and, fortunately, is able to survive the impact. 

After regrouping with other members of the UNSC, Master Chief decides that he and the rest of Silver Team will pursue Makee to attempt to retrieve the artifact. As for Halsey, the UNSC is able to track where her escape pod landed and takes her into custody. While pursuing Makee, Cortana and Chief are able to converse with one another and come to an understanding of how to better work together. Even though he was once greatly put off by her, Master Chief has now started to trust Cortana.

Back on Reach, Miranda Keyes approaches her mother, Halsey, who is in holding. Miranda reveals that the UNSC committee has essentially decided that she will be put to her death for her crimes. Halsey tries to apologize to Miranda, but Miranda seems to take satisfaction in knowing that she’ll die. Not long after this conversation, Halsey begins having a seizure. Miranda recalls that this is one of the symptoms that Halsey mentioned previously that comes to flash clones that she has created. Essentially, the version of Halsey that the UNSC has in lockdown is a clone, with the real Halsey residing somewhere else. 

Meanwhile, Master Chief and Silver Team are able to track down Makee and the Covenant, who have started to perform a ritual involving both artifacts. Silver Team is discovered by the Covenant which leads to a massive battle breaking out. Master Chief is quickly overwhelmed by a number of Brutes that attack while he is attempting to protect Riz. After nearly being killed, Makee interacts with both of the artifacts which causes a star map to appear in the air. 

Master Chief then begins talking with Makee in the Halo-like world where they’ve both seen one another in the past. He tries to convince her to stop communicating with the artifact and come back to the real world. Kai, who is being bombarded by Covenant forces, realizes that Makee’s interaction with the artifact is distracting Chief from the battle at hand. She then proceeds to shoot Makee, which jolts Chief awake from the vision. 

With the members of Silver Team barely remaining alive, Master Chief implores Cortana to take control of his body so that he can fight back against the Covenant and save his team. Cortana is hesitant to do so, but eventually listens to his orders. With Cortana now in control, Chief is able to thwart off the Covenant and take both of the artifacts on board his ship. All of the members of Silver Team also escape and Cortana, who is still controlling Chief, is able to keep Riz from dying.

In the episode’s final moments, it is confirmed that Halsey is indeed still alive and is desiring to learn more about the Halo. In turn, the UNSC is actively hunting her down but doesn’t know her whereabouts. The season then concludes with Master Chief, still being fully controlled by Cortana, sitting in the cockpit of the ship. Kai enters and asks if John is still in there somewhere. He doesn’t respond, making it clear that the John/human part of Master Chief is gone for the time being. 

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Halo is streaming now exclusively on Paramount+. Season 1 is now available to watch in full with a second season coming to Paramount+ at some point in the future.