‘Halo’s Season 1 Ending Broke ‘Halo’s Only Rule

When a show is adapted from a book or a video game, you typically have an idea of what’s going to happen. From its first episode, Halo threw those expectations out the window. Whether it was making Master Chief strip down left, right, and center or sprinkling in new characters only to abandon them in Episode 7, Halo‘s first season was dedicated to telling its own version of this story. That story was filled with some of the wildest choices imaginable.

This storytelling approach stayed true until the end because honestly? You won’t believe how its first chapter ends. Looking for a guide to Halo Season 1’s finale? We have you covered. Here are all the twists, turns, and tragedies hiding in “Transcendence.”

How Did Halo Season 2 End for Kai?

With some sweet, sweet vengeance. Around the same time that John (Pablo Schreiber) pulled out his emotion chip, Kai (Kate Kennedy) got rid of hers. That means all season these two have been learning what it means to be human in tandem. And in Halo‘s finale, Kai almost got the answers she’s wanted for so long.

Last episode, the UNSC handcuffed Kai and tried to capture John. “Transcendence” started with these Spartan warriors trying to apprehend them again. But just as it looked as though Kai and John were at the point of no return, they told their squadron buddies the truth. Dr. Halsey (Natascha McElhone) had kidnapped John, Kai, Riz (Natasha Culzac), and Vannak (Bentley Kalu) when they were children and raised them to become unstoppable killing machines. It took Riz and Vannak a second to process this shocking revelation, but once they did they instantly aligned themselves with Master Chief. As John and the gang went after the escaped Makee (Charlie Murphy), Kai took on Halsey herself.

In a killer action scene, Kai caught up to Halsey’s departing ship and blasted her way inside. It was only when she was face-to-face with her mother figure that she asked the question that’s been haunting her all season: “What’s my real name?”

Halsey told her that she is exactly who she needs to be, which is an expert level dodge. But Kai didn’t have time to pry further. She killed Halsey’s annoying assistant as Halsey herself made her escape. That’s when the ship crashed. Miraculously, Kai was able to escape the wreckage alive. That was a heck of a lucky break because MC and the gang really needed her for what was to come.

What Happened to Dr. Halsey?

Before we dive into the big finale, we have to tackle Halsey. You know how the real Halsey escaped uncomfortable questioning from Kai in an escape pod? The UNSC didn’t know that, so when they brought in a woman who looked, acted, and spoke like Halsey, they thought they had the real thing. Commander Miranda Keyes (Olive Gray), Halsey’s own daughter, laid out what was going to happen to her. Because she had been dubbed too dangerous for imprisonment or exile, Halsey’s punishment was Article 72. That spells out execution.

But shortly after Keyes delivered this sentence, she discovered that her “mother” was having a seizure. That’s right; it was a Halsey flash clone all along! The real Halsey did, in fact, get away. Now we know that if she ever returns she has a death sentence waiting for her.

So where did the real Halsey decide to hide? Across the galaxy? On an uncharted planet completely off UNSC’s radar? Nope. She decided to hang out on a bench across the river from all the people who want to kill her. Geniuses, man.

What Happened to Makee?

If Makee had spent a little more time in bed with John and a little less time reconnecting with humanity, she’d probably be alive right now. After the UNSC attacked her, Makee pulled a triple cross, deciding to return to the Covenant. Little did she know that the Covenant’s plan always involved sacrificing her so that they could extract the star map that would lead them to the Halo Array. Whoops.

Makee largely stood by during the Spartans’ major face-off against the Covenant and its forces. But when it looked like John was going to die, she took action in a rare moment of compassion. She activated one of the artifacts, causing a wave of power to knock John’s alien foe off of him. That was really cool and helpful. On the less helpful front, she also pushed John into an artifact-induced trance, leaving him completely incapable of fighting the hordes around him. Makee begged John to stay with her, but he turned her down. That’s when tragedy struck. Makee was shot in the heat of battle, and John had to watch his first girlfriend bleed out in the middle of battle. That’s rough, bro.

Is John Really Dead?

He sure is, but you know that’s not going to stick. When the battle was at its hairiest, Cortana (Jen Taylor) told John that he couldn’t save the artifacts; he could only save his team. If you remember, touching the artifacts puts Master Chief in a trance, which isn’t very useful when you’re trying to escape from an army of aliens. Instead of accepting Cortana’s prediction, John forged ahead with his own choice.

See, if John died, Cortana would be able to take over his body, and then she would be able to carry the artifact. “But Kayla,” you plead to your smartphone screen, “why can’t Kai just grab the artifact while they all escape? She’s so good at lifting things.” Shush, now is not the time for logic. It’s time for bravery.

John sacrifices himself to save both his team and the artifact. Before he dies, he gives Cortana two final instructions: “Find the Halo. Win the war.” Halo Season 1 ends with Kai asking John if it’s really him. When he fails to respond, she looks over at her secretly deceased friend in horror.

Can We Trust Cortana?

Cortana has jumped into this series as a champion. She’s already defied her creator Halsey on several occasions so that she could save John. And when John was all about his new girlfriend, she was the only one who was supportive from the beginning. Cortana is a queen and a half. But can she bring a Spartan back from the dead? That’s the question Season 2 will need to answer.

Is Riz Going to Be OK?

In the middle of the Spartans’ battle with the Covenant, Riz was brutally injured. Cortana-as-John, Kai, and Vannak tried to save her when they returned to the ship. But at the moment it’s unclear if she will survive her intense wounds.