Halo Episode 6 Recap: Master Chief beats Moon Knight at his own game

The latest episodes of moon knight and gloriole both struggle with repressed childhood trauma and demonic mothers. One is held back by the desire for as wide an audience as possible to keep the heavy material and its potential emotional impact at bay. The other is Gloriole.

Master Chief/John and Marc Spector/Steven Grant finally face the emotional scars of their childhood as they come to terms with the reality of who their mother figures actually are, rather than what they perceived them to be. Both also have a second person in mind that they often fight and who has a very different relationship to said mother figure.

But while Marvel’s house style stands in the way of Moon Knight’s efforts, gloriole shines – not only through its leading actors, but also through its willingness to lean in with flashy editing and sound design to enhance its protagonist’s fractured experience. In “Solace,” the sixth installment of the Paramount Plus show, Pablo Schreiber plays the character with all the anger and confusion of a child who has just discovered how messed up the world is. His outstanding lead performance – coupled with the show’s strongest command of cinematic language to date – makes “Solace” a standout episode and a compelling argument for skeptical viewers to give the sci-fi series another try.

[Ed. note: Spoilers for episode 6 of Halo]

Photo: Adrienn Szabo / Paramount +

In “Solace” John (Pablo Schreiber) is not doing well. After a fatal attack by the Covenant in the fifth episode and the ongoing unraveling of his suppressed childhood memories, he is visibly shaken and is quick to lash out at those around him (many of whom simply ask him if he’s okay).

But the episode shows its downward spiral with delicate care and a keen eye. “Solace” begins softly on John’s face against a black background with blood all over his uniform. He is tormented and deep in thought, his face twitching as he reflects on his newfound memories of his childhood abduction by Dr. Halsey ponders (Natascha McElhone, who is clearly having the time of her life playing one of TV’s most obnoxious antagonists). Despite the presence of people, the room around him is dead silent – all we can hear are his memories and a painful ringing. His hand trembles as he thinks of the artifact, and he responds to a smile from Halsey with a look of pure murder.

Suddenly a hand grabs his arm and the scene we are in comes to life. Kai-125 (Kate Kennedy) lies on an operating room bed after being injured in the previous episode. Images and sounds from the chaos pop up immediately and overwhelm us as much as they overwhelm John. People scream in pain, machines beep. It’s eventually enough to wake John up, only for a moment when he squeezes Kai’s hand. But then he’s back in his own head when Cortana tells him he’s sick and needs medical attention.

Photo: Adrienn Szabo / Paramount +

“Solace” effectively depicts John’s inner struggle through a disturbing approach that often transports us straight into his head, with harrowing juxtapositions between his childhood memories and his experiences in the present. Combine that with the tangibility of real costumes and get started gloriole (and in contrast to the MCU’s heavy reliance on visual effects and green screens) and gloriole feels like an actual TV show – which shouldn’t be given such high praise, but that’s where we are.

Despite being on the brink of a breakdown, John takes no time for his own well-being as he is trapped in his past with a mystery to be solved. He’ll stop at nothing to find out how he got to where he is and what happened to his family, including nearly killing Halsey, just to test Cortana’s limits. When he finally finds his answers, it brings him no comfort, only misery. But misery loves company, and the ending of “Solace” suggests that John might have found that in fellow “Blessed One” Makee (Charlie Murphy).

gloriole was counted out by many (even here at Polygon) after the first few episodes, as the show juggled multiple storylines with no clear sense of identity. While invoking video game lore, it seemed intent on building something entirely new, leaving audiences little to latch on to. But now that John’s story has come more clearly into focus, the series has streamlined its storytelling, both in plot and in its use of harrowing cuts to unsettle viewers and immerse them in his inner turmoil. As John learns more and more about his past, he learns more about who he is and who he wants to be, and the show seems to learn the same lessons about itself with him.

After a shaky start gloriole has made its move with a strong, battle-filled Episode 5 and a standout, suspense-packed Episode 6, making it one of the most entertaining action shows this season. If you’ve decided to pass after the first few slow episodes, you should try again.