When Hate Season 2 lastly coated the autumn of the planet Attain – a seminal, emotional second in Hate custom—I assumed I'd write a couple of phrases of reward about it. However then I noticed the episode after “Aleria,” and that episode, not “Attain,” is the one that basically delivers a Hate expertise worthy of video games, however so splendidly in contrast to them.
Spoilers for Hate season 2 is coming
One of many lacking components Hate season 1 was the camaraderie between the spartans. The primary half of HateHis second season additional developed and outlined the relationships of Crew Silver (Grasp Chief Petty Officer John-117, Riz-028, Kai-125 and Vannak-134); specifically, Riz-028 (Natasha Culzac) and Vannak-134 (Bentley Kalu), who had been all however uncared for in Season 1, actually received their moments to shine in Season 2. Riz, after struggling a debilitating harm, struggling to maintain up with the bodily and emotional calls for of being a Spartan. In the meantime, Vannak, having eliminated his emotion regulation chip, cultivates a quiet life past Mjolnir's armor.
It was touching and humorous to see Vannak come throughout as an animal reality man who likes to feed the native pigeons, whereas Riz suffers a little bit of embarrassment realizing that the man she fell for is in a relationship severe. However Hate it is usually a battle story. And relating to the planet Attain within the type of a devastating shock assault, Riz, Vannak and the remainder of Crew Silver are known as into motion – and a few of them fail.
I used to be anticipating the dying of some notable characters within the episode “Attain”. It damage a little bit to see Vannak go as a result of viewers got treasured little time with him. The dying of Captain Keyes (Danny Sapani) additionally shocked me since that character dies elsewhere within the video games and I didn't suppose the present would kill him off so quickly. Ultimately, “Attain” was an honest episode with some actually good motion, but it surely lacked the emotional weight of an episode based mostly on one in every of THE moments in Hate Lore ought to have.
The subsequent episode, “Aleria,” picks up proper the place “Attain” left off, with the remaining Spartans and Dr. Halsey surrounded by Covenant troopers with no probability of escape. However then, as occurs so typically on this collection, Hate gave hope.
As everybody piled onto the ship, the Covenant continued to shut in. Riz, although wounded and with out her armor (nobody has armor as a result of plot) jumped off the ship with nothing however weapons, apparently to maintain the Covenant at bay to provide the ship time to take off safely.
I began screaming, livid that the present was about to kill off one other character I had come to look after.
Riz returned carrying Vannak's physique, and my indignant screams become equally loud sobs. It was not her noble suicidal sacrifice. She simply got here again for her good friend, her companion, her brother.
At that time, Riz-028 offered the perfect portrayal of a Spartan seen exterior of many video games within the collection, whereas the present itself underwhelmed my expectations.
I used to be prepared to just accept Riz's dying as I had Vannak's and Keyes's. In spite of everything, she is a black character, as are Vannak and Keyes, whereas a earlier heroic dying within the episode “Attain” featured yet one more black character. In a media local weather the place black characters are sometimes sacrificed as a strategy to increase the stakes or heighten feelings with out threatening a present's “extra invaluable” white stars, Riz's dying would have been becoming. Plus, Riz is a Spartan – so long as she's not John-117, she's expendable.
Afterwards, as everybody regroups and recovers on the planet Aleria, Riz decides to remain behind whereas John vows revenge on the navy leaders answerable for abandoning the Attain to its destiny. John vehemently objects, making an attempt to get her to query what she plans to do with the planet and their misplaced companions.
“I'm going to stay,” she says.
For Hatethat is deep.
Spartans are at all times preventing. All the time. There’s an in-universe navy directive that forces Spartans to by no means be declared “KIA” however “lacking in motion”, not simply to strengthen their fantasy as an invincible soldier, however a perpetual one – one who’s at all times there, nonetheless preventing .
When unable to struggle, like Spartans who survived rising up completely disabled, they nonetheless serve within the navy in some capability. Even when there are not any extra battles to struggle, Grasp Chief himself by no means places down his weapon, famously telling Cortana on the finish Halo three to wake him up when wanted once more. And after we see Spartans die, it's at all times within the service of the mission.
However the TV Hate, for the primary time within the collection, he dares to think about one thing completely different for a Spartan: life, one past battle, service or dying. And it was lovely to see.