REVIEW: ‘Halo’ Season 2 Episode 5 — “Aleria”

Halo Season 2 has shaped up into an entirely new series and one that has shown its capability to handle action and poignant character moments. Last episode, we saw the Fall of Reach. We saw the fire and the fear as Silver Team, minus Kai-125 (Kate Kennedy), made their last stand. Admiral Keyes sacrificed himself, Vannak was killed, and the newly introduced couple of Louis-036 (Marvin Jones III) and Danilo (Christian Ochoa Lavernia) were killed in action. Episode 4 removed the plot armor while building up the narrative weight of losing friends and how it feels like losing a part of yourself. Now, with Halo Season 2 Episode 5, “Aleria,” Silver Team has to process all of the loss. More importantly, John-117 (Pablo Schreiber) has to handle the tragedy of Reach, the cowardice of the UNSC and Ackerson (Joseph Morgan), and a grief he hasn’t truly felt before.

Halo Season 2 Episode 5 takes place in the aftermath of defeat. The only people left are John, Riz-028 (Natasha Culzac), and Soren-066 (Bokeem Woodbine), fighting side by side with the last remaining soldiers. With Kwan Ha swooping in with Soren’s wife Laera (Fiona O’Shaughnessy) to evacuate the survivors—which includes Dr. Catherine Halsey (Natascha McElhone)—the Spartans have to do what they don’t know how to do. Run.

Opening with a fight sequence, Riz is again injured by the Covenant. She is not injured while fighting, but by bringing back Vannak’s body. While the sequence preceding this emotional moment is one that banks on the spectacle of the largest the Covenant has to offer, it’s not undercut.

As they leave Reach, the survivors struggle to pick up the pieces of everything they left behind. On the desolate planet of Aleria, John grapples with an unprecedented loss. It’s the most human we have seen because the myth of Master Chief surrounds him. He’s reminded of his resilience that inspires people to fight the Covenant, but he only wants to grieve but doesn’t know how.

As Vannak’s body lies waiting to be buried, John can’t do it. While he verbalizes that Spartans don’t receive burials because their lives are not theirs, his face gives him away. He doesn’t really believe that, but he needs to keep moving forward. But John’s quiet grief is balanced by Soren’s resiliency. He can’t be sad or scared about Reach because he has to keep moving. But his Laera begs him to join her in her vulnerability. Both have to endure the reality that life isn’t fight or die, and that’s a massive weight to carry.

While Soren and John must carry their grief for Reach, Riz has to grieve Vannak and who she was. A second injury after one that shattered her body is an end to her life as a soldier. She can’t be a Spartan if she can’t fight, and if she can’t be a Spartan, who is she?

The series delves into the humanity of its characters in Halo Season 2 Episode 5, and it’s better for it. With Halsey playing savior instead of evil scientist, she is a logical undercurrent, forcing John and Riz to see their mental pain. At the same time, John and Riz must tackle how they got to this place in their lives to begin with the doctor by their side.

Kwan Ha also has her best moment of the series. As she says, “This isn’t death. It’s loss.” That sharp distinction between the death that John’s life has been surrounded with as a soldier is not the same as the loss of someone he holds close. Reckoning with that is vital to choosing his next steps and accepting who he has become through it all.

When John does accept Vannak’s death and allows himself to grieve, he corrects Halsey’s eulogy. He isn’t his last name. The family he was taken from wasn’t a part of him. John and Silver Team were his family, and when John acknowledges this, it’s striking. It’s about retribution, and it’s about love. John is grieving, but he meets that grief with anger and a promise. But Vannak isn’t all that he’s lost. While Riz may still be his family, she isn’t his soldier. That rejection of service leaves John alone and holding a pain he doesn’t know how to manage.

At the same time, Soren and Laera are trying desperately to get their son back. Soren is calm and collected, assured of his ability to retrieve his son. Laera, on the other hand, is emotional, scared, and unsure why her husband can’t just show his emotions. Confidence against vulnerability is key to how their section of the episode plays out. That said, it’s far less endearing or engaging than what happens with John and Riz. Soren’s retelling of his life is heartbreaking. However, it doesn’t capture the depth that the other story beats in Halo Season 2 Episode 5 do in the other parts of Aleria.

Halo Season 2 Episode 5 may close with Makee (Charlie Murphy); she remains the least interesting part of the series, a remnant of a Season 1 choice that doesn’t do much to add depth. Her inclusion and Soren’s may be connecting the dots for the series finale in two episodes, but after deep emotion, switching to her feels extremely empty, even with a revelation that will be recognizable to fans of the Halo video games.

As a whole, Halo Season 2 Episode 5 adds a quiet power to the series. Its stillness is its strength, and choosing to turn inwards with the characters pays off completely. They’re dynamic and intriguing, but they also shine a light on how much we never got to experience with Vannak. This is another fantastic episode in a series that keeps building on its franchise without being in its iconic shadow. Now, John is alone. Vannak is dead. Riz is no longer a Spartan. And Kai, well, she betrayed them.

Halo Season 2 Episode 5 is streaming now, exclusively on Paramount+, with new episodes every Thursday.