An hour without Master Chief front and center was always going to face an uphill battle.
For a series built on Master Chief, there was a severe lack of our superpowered hero on HALO Season 1 Episode 7.
Kwan’s journey throughout HALO Season 1 has been tedious, to say the least.
Her storyline has been so far away from everything else going on that it almost feels like it belongs in a different series.
The deep dive into Kwan’s past was fun because it finally lifted the lid on how she was when we met her on HALO Season 1 Episode 1.
She’s young, she makes mistakes, but she wants revenge on those who killed everyone she knows most of all.
It was never going to be easy for her, but thankfully, the events of “Inheritance” gave her the time to stand on her own two feet, and while it wasn’t the best episode, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
Kwan is resourceful, but she realized that believing in herself was the only way to weather this storm.
The meeting with the witches in the desert was chilling, primarily because the teenager knew there were some deeply-rooted family secrets she wasn’t privy to.
How do you move on when the people who can tell you the answers have been brutally murdered?
At least the meeting gave her a renewed sense of purpose, especially with Vinsher closing in.
Vinsher has been portrayed as this all-seeing menacing individual that could upend the entire world, so it was laughable that he was taken out so quickly.
Kwan’s mission with Soren to blow up the settlement made for some tension, but the writers could have done a better job of working through the believability factor of it all.
There were so many moments Soren should have been killed. Yes, Vinsher got a good shot near the end, but ultimately, it’s hard to believe Soren avoided so many bullets before getting hit.
The series has proven to be a cutthroat addition to the HALO universe, but having characters evade so many life-or-death scenarios cheapens its impact.
The only good thing about Soren’s plot armor was that he got to go back to the Rubble with a lot of money.
Will we see him again? Probably. He’s still tied to the UNSC plot because of his past, but maybe we won’t see him for a while.
The big surprise was that Soren returned to the Rubble before making his way back to Madrigal.
I’m not sure we needed to see that sub-plot on Rubble. When you’re inching towards the finish line, you need to make every moment count.
Soren is a decent enough character, but after the way HALO Season 1 Episode 6 concluded, side-stepping the aftermath to tell this tale didn’t land well at all.
Vinsher’s death will undoubtedly shake things up because the news will make its way back to the UNSC, who will not be impressed about it.
Then again, it’s also possible that Vinsher somehow escaped. There’s a wealth of technology in this universe, and it might be the case that some of it saved him.
A part of me wants the character to come back from the dead because the death felt like it was for shock value instead of advancing the story.
It was a highly unsatisfying way for him to go, but when you consider his actions throughout the installment, there is a case to be made for him being struck down now.
Kwan will be surprised that she managed to survive the incident, but she seems to have a way of getting out of the stickiest of situations.
That bodes well for whatever comes next for her.
Hopefully, she will join forces with Master Chief again. More than anything, they’ve both learned a lot about their respective pasts since their first meeting.
John also saved Kwan when she least expected it, so there will always be a bond between them.
However, John will still try to make sense of everything he learned about Halo.
We last saw him and Mackee meeting in this mystical place, but we need to know what comes next.
The inconsistent pacing of HALO Season 1 truly struck again with “Inheritance,” and while it wasn’t a bad episode, it suffered because it didn’t address some of the most important plots.
Going forward, the series needs to find a balance in telling these smaller stories and give them the appropriate screentime.
Over to you, HALO Fanatics!
What did you think of this Kwan-centric installment?
Do you think the show needs to have John in every episode (as himself, not some kind of vision!)?
What is your take on Vinsher’s death?
Do you think the series made a big mistake by writing him out so soon?
What are your thoughts on Soren’s survival?
Hit the comments.
HALO continues Thursdays, only on Paramount+.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
