It’s time for exposition, and a lot of fans might state that they’re not even mad since the way that Halo kicked off the week before with its premiere episode was the type of insane and impressive action that a lot of people were hoping for. But with Unbound, it might be fair to say that a lot of fans are still going to be wondering what’s going on and how it’s meant to line up with the actual lore of the Halo story. Considering that this already happened with the first episode it’s not too hard to think that people are going to be pointing out what they think isn’t right and what might fit with their expectations. This tends to happen when a popular game, comic, or book is given a live-action show or movie, and it’s bound to happen throughout the entirety of the show. But while the first episode was an impressive introduction into the world of Halo and Master Chief, Unbound is showing us a little more of his personal world and what helped to shape him into the person he’s become.
Starting with a flashback set 22 years in the past that shows John confronting a former Spartan, Soren-066, over his desertion is a good way to see just how serious John is about his place in the UNSC. John gives Soren five minutes to make his getaway but does not go with him. Snapping back to the present time, John and Kwan find themselves in an asteroid field that hides The Rubble, a spaceport for refugees and those that are on the run from the law. In essence, the place is there to cater to the toughest individuals in the galaxy that don’t adhere to the authority of others. When John and Kwan enter the common area, however, it’s evident that his status as a Spartan does not make him a popular person among the residents.
When they attempt to block John and Kwan from moving forward with a forklift, however, it’s easy to think that John could have calmly walked around it, but in a baller move, John decided to physically push the forklift out of the way to make it clear that he didn’t feel threatened. When Soren made his appearance he made it clear that had John wanted them dead, they would have been. There’s not much evidence to deny this, and the looks on the faces of those with the guns made it clear that they might have believed it. But after speaking with Soren for a while, and discovering that he had a wife and son, it would appear that John was conflicted, especially when Soren makes it clear how he feels about the UNSC. While John is UNSC all the way, Soren’s claims that the changes that were forced upon them were to make them better soldiers and deaden their feelings and emotions, John still appeared to be a bit too indoctrinated to believe what he was hearing. His resentment toward Soren for running off was still evident, while Soren’s belief that John was allowing himself to remain blind was still just as strong as it had been when they were younger.
Meanwhile, the military minds that were seeking to find the reason why John went AWOL were plotting to discover how they might bring John back into the fold, and make him compliant once again. Dr. Halsey brings up the idea of Cortana, as she explains how this will bring John back under their way, as he’s too valuable to the UNSC to simply dispose of him whenever he’s retrieved. While some harbor doubts about this, John’s fellow Spartans are of the mind that the Master Chief has a plan, as he always does, though they’re just as much in the dark as anyone. At this point, Unbound has become the greatest amount of exposition thus far and makes it clear that not just anyone can make the Covenant device work, as John’s mere touch sets it into operation. The problem is that while the visible effects aren’t hard to note, the purpose behind them, and why John is the only one, so far, that can activate it, has yet to be revealed.
As it was with the first episode, those that have not been fans of Halo for the duration of its existence might be more impressed than the actual fans, since those that don’t know enough about the story aren’t looking to see what’s accurate and what’s not. But even the fans have to admit that the story is so far compelling and that the effects are kind of impressive. Those that want to nitpick at the CGI and the settings that have been erected might need to stick to the games and relax just a bit.
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