Halo (2022–…): Season 0, Episode 0 - Homecoming - full transcript

Previously on Halo.

I want to go back
to Madrigal.

Vinsher's taking over.

I have to join the resistance.

I promised John
I'd keep you safe.

I don't see any reason
to break that promise.

This isn't necessary.

I don't need a babysitter.

This is an upgrade.

She's gonna make you
even better.

Hello, Master Chief.



I'm Cortana.

So it answers
to my command?

I see it as more
of a partnership.

I want you to lead a team

in analyzing this artifact.

Determine what it is,
what it does,

and if in fact it's part
of some kind of weapon.

I could kill you for trying
to steal my favorite ship.

- My family is rich.
- How rich?

Deuterium rich.

All you have to do is get me
to them and you get paid.

- I don't feel anything.
- The hormonal pellet

in your spine suppresses
emotional responses.

It's part of what makes you
a Spartan.



Lose the pellet...

and it's like
opening your eyes

for the first time
after living in the dark.

They're memories of my family.

- Another one?
- See how they go together?

There are two artifacts.

I saw it as a child...

on Eridanus II.

I'm going.

And if returning to Eridanus

brings back other memories,

the truth could bring us
all down.

That is what Cortana is for.

Left! Left!
Left, right, left!

Stay in formation!

Do not fall behind!

There is no pain in service!

Only pride!

Left! Left! Left, right, left!

Eyes forward!
Come on, move your feet!

Left! Left! Left!

- Who are you?
- Spartans!

- I can't hear you!
- Spartans!

Louder!

Spartans!

Who are you?

Spartans!

- Louder!
- Spartans!

- I can't hear you!
- Spartans!

Senior Chief Mendez tells me
you tried to run away again.

John, what is the issue?

I want to go home.

This is your home.

It wasn't always.

I see.

And what do you know
about that?

Jai told me.

He said we were all forced
to come here.

Do you feel like
you were forced?

I can't remember.

You were asked
to join us.

And do you know why?

Because you are special,

and you have a mission.

Of all the young Spartans,

I believe that you have
the skills

and the natural ability
to be their leader.

In fact...

I'm counting on it.

You're going
to save all of us.

How's he doing?

Definitely un-Spartan-like.

It's odd that a weapon could
cause this kind of behavior.

I'm not convinced
it is a weapon.

Take the Madrigal object.

Clearly it's capable
of emitting

enormous amounts
of energy.

But to John's touch,

it seems to act with
a kind of agency or purpose,

either responding
to John's needs,

or anticipating
what the situation requires,

which must mean that--

So there is an intelligence
behind it.

Yes.

And if that's connected

to a greater intelligence
somewhere,

then I want to meet it.

Why John?

Why did it choose him?

What makes him so special?

I've been asking myself that
same question since I met him.

I've gone over his original
blood samples from before...

Master Chief,

we're 17 minutes
out of Eridanus II.

Where will we start our search
for the second artifact?

Chief?

Looks different.

What, exactly?

Slipspace.

Actually, the human eye
is not capable

of perceiving
slipspace.

What you think you are seeing
is in fact

a ten-dimensional
mobius navigation equation

with evolving exit
and mass-shadowed spacetime--

You're ruining it.

Your blood pressure,
heart rate,

and electrodermal activity
are all elevated.

So what?

My data suggests
you are experiencing anxiety.

Is this what anxious
feels like?

Technically.

I'm going home.

Any sign of Vinsher's ships?

You know there are radar
sentries all over the place.

I know how to avoid detection.

Trust me.

"Trust me,"
says the pirate.

Don't knock pirating.

Speaking of which,

you know you're not just paying
for the security, right?

Meter started running
at breakfast.

I'll pay extra
if you stop talking.

Please.

Somebody needs some more sleep.

I can't sleep.

Bad memories.

When I first escaped
the Spartan program,

I had no memory
of anything.

My mind was wiped
completely.

- That sounds amazing.

- Actually, it was awful.

Without it, I was lost.

Did the memories
ever come back?

Bit by bit.

It was a year before I
remembered that my father died.

Another year...

before I remembered that I
was the one who killed him.

Oh.

Memory's what
lets you know who you are

and reminds you
what's important to you.

Kai.

- What are you doing?
- Nothing.

Have you seen
Master Chief?

He's with Halsey.

On a mission.

You okay?

Fine. Yeah.

I'll... see you later.

Only six Reach for Life
installations

survived their pilot stages.

This was one of them.

Fertile forests built into
an otherwise hostile planet.

This colony was led
by your parents.

They were heroes...

just like their son.

That's my house.

There was a clear line
of sight...

from where my father
dug the hole to the balcony.

Where my mother was.

Let's have this be the end
of all this nonsense, John.

Bury it, son.

She was...

No, I don't want to do it!

Mom!

Around here.

Let's start digging.

You couldn't get us
any closer?

You may be paying the bills,
but we're gonna do this my way.

I made a promise to John
to keep you safe,

and I plan to honor it.

So, keep your head down
and your mouth shut.

Ah, Jong Sook.

How is business?

Governor Vinsher.

- Ladies.
- Governor Vinsher.

Heavy lies the head.

Get in line!

Behind me.

This is a real, official
bona fide UNSC helmet, okay?

- Look, look, look, huh?
- No, too much.

See? Come on.

You have to buy it
now, sahib.

I'll give it to you
half price.

Okay, just go.
You're wasting...

Wait.

Attu.

Kwan?

You're alive?

Where are the others?

Who leads the militia now?

I can't talk to you--

- Attu...
- Not so fast.

People are looking for you.
We shouldn't be here.

Please, if anyone
sees us together--

I'm here to help.

I just need to find
my dad's generals.

Where are they?

I, um...

Come to the memorial tonight,
for your father.

- Stay safe.
- Attu...

Attu, wait, Attu.
Attu, wait.

Please! Attu!

Hey, kid.

Hope you know
what you're doing.

Wow.

Okay. Hello, Spartans.

Thank you for coming.

Dr. Keyes,
you have orders for us?

Yes. Uh, I won't keep you long.

I just wanted to do
some biometric tests--

That's the object
Master Chief and I saw

in the cave on Madrigal.

Is that what
this is all about?

Partially.

I need to see how
the object reacts to you

in order to determine what,
if anything,

makes John so special.

He's the Master Chief.

Yes, he is.

I'll go first, ma'am.

Great.

Riz 0-2-8, I'll be directing you
from behind the safety glass.

You guys want to go outside?

You all right there,
Kai 1-2-5?

Yes, ma'am.
One hundred percent.

- Okay. Let's get to it.

Helmet off, please.

Found something.

The artifact?

Drawings.

Mine.

I don't recognize this one.

They're all identical.

John, is there anything here
that can tell us

where the larger object is,
or what it does?

John, do you hear me?

I asked you what you're drawing.

I think we should
head back to the ship,

and we can analyze
the drawings there.

John? John?

This is all my father gets?

After all he did for his people,

the whole city
should have turned out.

Uh-huh.

That's Agatha.

She's one of my dad's generals.

Agatha.

Oh, Kwan!

Oh, Kwan!

I thought we'd lost you too.

It's dangerous here.
If Vinsher finds you--

I know.

Tell me, what's the plan?

The plan?

Raphael wasn't
at the outpost

when we were attacked.

Is he leading the resistance?
What about the others?

Kwan, Raphael is dead.

Vinsher made an example
of him.

Along with Arwan,
Sook, Kim, Divali...

My God.

The attack on the outpost
changed everything, Kwan.

Everything.

The people are frightened.

All they want now is protection
from the Covenant.

And Vinsher's
offering that?

Yes. And he has
the UNSC's support.

- He has the Marines--
- But we can't just give up.

We need to fight!

I'm sorry, Kwan.

Vinsher allowed us to collect
our dead from the outpost,

but the revolution is over.

Okay, all right,

well, thank you very much
for your help.

Let's go.

No, no, no, wait.

Agatha, you were
my dad's most loyal friend.

If anyone was going to take over
the rebel forces, it was you.

And yet you're the only one
Vinsher didn't kill.

How much is Vinsher paying you
to sell out the rebellion?

You need to go.

- You're putting us all at risk--
- You're a traitor!

All of you!
My dad fought and died

so you could all be free.

And now you stand and pray,

and you claim to honor him,

but you're all cowards!

- Security forces!

Let's go.

Okay, Vannak,

place your right hand
on the artifact.

Slowly, please.

All right. Now your left.

Same as Riz.

Kai 1-2-5,
you're up next.

You're going to need
to remove your helmet.

Can't risk frying
the electronics.

You just know Halsey'll
send me the bill.

Okay.

Is there anything wrong,
ma'am?

Your hair.
Did you do that to yourself?

Yes.

Great.

You don't care for us,
do you, Doctor?

Gives you that idea?

Just a hunch.

I didn't know Spartans
had hunches.

Hunches win battles.

From the age of 6,
I've studied military strategy,

from Sun Tzu
to Preston Cole.

Riz speaks the languages
and dialects

of every colonized planet.

Vannak's battlefield discoveries
on the physics of plasma swords

helped the Marines
develop stronger shielded vests.

You see us as machines.

But if you really want
to understand how we work,

you're gonna have to dig
a little deeper.

Wait!

Any other tests, ma'am?

Cortana?

Can you show me what the house
used to look like?

If I have enough
visual data,

I can interpolate
and recreate

a realistic facsimile
of the environment

inside your heads-up display.

Do it.

Just a word of warning.

There's no telling
what kind of frightening

and jumbled images might
emerge from your past.

Remember, not
everything you recall

is reflective
of real events.

I understand.

Okay.

I'm assembling
the visual data now.

No.

That table was over there.

Dad's plant lab.

Mom hung my drawings over here.

My bedroom's this way.

I remember.

And what about in this room?

Cortana...

- I'm not seeing it.
- I'm sorry, John.

I'm afraid there's too much
destruction.

I don't have enough data
on that space

to make an accurate
representation.

Perhaps if we go back
to the drawings, John.

Hang on.

Come on, Ellie.

Careful, Johnny!

Mom.

John, come here.

Check this out.

We're creating new life, John.

Wow.

And if the plants can live here,
then guess what?

We can live here too.

You smell like soap.

And you smell
like mud, goofball.

Where were you
playing today, anyway?

I don't know.

- Just running around with Ellie.
- Yeah?

Well, then I guess it's worth

getting a little dirty for.

Come on, let's get cleaned up
for dinner.

Over here. Over here.

What are you drawing?

Don't go too far, John.

Be careful.

Come on, Ellie.

John, do you hear me?
I asked you what you're drawing.

Can I see it?

- Are you controlling this?
- I've stopped projecting.

Whatever he's seeing
isn't coming from me.

No, this one!

Heads.

Correct again?
That's ten in a row.

- Shall we try again?
- Yeah.

Eagle up.

Well, aren't you
the lucky one?

Do you know what I think?

Actually, I think
I'm the lucky one.

Can I see you again?

Sure.

- Can it be our secret?
- Yes.

John, are you all right?

That concludes testing

on the three Spartans
and the artifact.

Spartan 1-1-7 appears
to possess a unique quality

not shared by the other
Spartans.

Further testing,
perhaps on the level of DNA,

will be needed in order
to determine--

- Oh, Riz, check this out.
- Whoa, whoa, Kai.

It's my favorite
Covenant weapon.

- Can you put that down, please?
- It's all right.

See these holes
on the top plate?

That's where the needle rounds
are primed.

You pull the trigger,

somehow they just know
how to target living tissue.

As close as you get
to "fire and forget," ma'am.

Soon as the needles
hit the target,

they super-combine and bam,

all you see
is a big pink mist

of blood and evaporating
body fluids.

- Massive damage.
- I know what a Needler is, Kai.

Well, the Covenant
have another word for it.

What is it again?

- Qkhep'os.
- Oh, yeah, that's it.

Qkhep'os. Qkhep'os.

Correct.

How-- How do you know that?

That's what they say
when we turn it on them.

Though I guess
it could just mean,

"Shit,
please don't kill me."

Also correct.

Have you ever heard
a grunt beg for his life?

Pathetic.

Kind of funny, actually.

Oh, the Covenant
have the best tech.

No question.

That Phantom we flew back
from Madrigal, that was unreal.

Can you say that again?
The Covenant word for Needler.

Qkhep'os.

Qkhep'os.

Of course.

You Spartans have spent
more time with the Covenant

than anyone.

Ma'am?

What other Sangheili words
do you know?

What the...?

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

What the hell are you doing?

I'm getting my ship
and going home.

There's too many of them.

Nah, there's just enough.

You leave now,
you don't get paid.

We had a deal.

The deal was that I help you
find the resistance.

We did that.

They just got their asses
kicked by Vinsher,

- thanks to you.
- No, no, no.

There are people in Madrigal

still loyal to
my dad, I know it!

If we can get to them, I can
convince them to stand up--

Kwan...

no one's gonna step up.

You need to face reality.

There are no more heroes.

My aunt.

We need to see my aunt.

She's the one who controls
the family money.

I know where to find her.

Has she got enough
to buy back my ship?

Hmm?

You leave now,
you go home with nothing.

What kind of pirate are you?

You're late.

My sister was late
to watch the kids.

With what I pay you,

you should invest
in proper childcare.

Hello, Franco.

You need me, Vinsher?

Not me, my dear.

The UNSC and the people
of Madrigal.

Peace of our fair planet
is under threat

by the arrival
of a troublemaker.

An instigator.

A rabble-rouser.

I need her removed
before she rouses the rabble.

Who?

Kwan Ha.

She's just a girl.

Well, some girls grow up
to be trouble.

She brought someone along
for protection.

Soren.

The pirate?

He's nothing you can't handle.

There's already
a bounty on her, yes?

There's too much rebel blood

running through this planet.

The last thing I need
is another Ha martyr.

This must be done quietly
and discreetly.

This requires a professional.

You want me to handle it.

What the hell are you--? No!

- Enough!

- Kwan.
- Aunt Soojin.

I heard rumors.

Let me look at you.

Auntie, we need your help.

Kwan, you should not
have returned.

Come with me quickly.

You mustn't be seen.

I've worked very hard for this.

I've paid my dues.

Played all the angles.

It's my time.

Fix this for me, Franco.

I need to clean my ledger.

In here.

Stop.

Are you sure you want
to go through

all that embarrassment again?

It's okay, Soren.
I'm safe with Aunt Soojin.

You get the money.

I'm gonna go see a man
about a ship.

Six new alien intonations.

Dozens of phonemes, logograms.

I can't believe
we didn't do this years ago.

Well, due respect, ma'am,

this is the first
you've spoken a word to us.

Well, my mother
never let me near you.

I always used to wonder
why she preferred you over me.

I probably thought it was
'cause you were more fun.

That must have been
difficult for you.

Uh, anyway, um...

I'm not getting a sense that fun
was a part of your training.

- Oh, we had fun.
- Oh, yeah?

At one point
we were each given pets.

I had a puppy. Cody.

- Riz, you had a cat.
- Eloise.

You're kidding.

Vannak, you had a pig.

- Ivan.
- Ivan.

Ivan the Terrible.

See, we were studying
the strategies of the wolf pack.

And Dr. Halsey would make teams.

The hunted
and the hunters.

Sounds like a blast.

Two days in the woods,

tracking, eating whatever
you could find,

and stalking
and killing your prey.

Whichever side failed
lost their pets.

What, she took them
away from you?

No. She had us eliminate them.

Come on.

Every failure carries
consequences.

I was on the winning side
nine times before I lost.

I failed on my third mission.

I never lost.

So you got to keep Ivan.

Dr. Halsey eliminated it.

Spartans must be bonded
to one another,

and nothing else.

I warned you triggering memories
from your past

would destabilize you.

I'm now concerned that...

that you're having visions

even when you're not
in the presence of the artifact.

We need to get you home

so we can study
the drawings--

I saw you.

I was a boy.

And you were with me.

- Of course I was with you--
- No.

Not at the orphanage. Here.

In my house.

My parents
were still alive.

Why were you here?

It's natural.

Memories get muddled,

particularly where
trauma's involved.

You were so young when we met,
and so overwhelmed with grief.

I took care of you.

I have been with you ever since,

and I am still here
for you now.

- Well?
- Bad news, friend.

What do you mean, bad news?

I mean, how much could they
possibly want for my ship?

Money isn't the problem.

Your ship's scrapped.

Guts ripped out, wings already
on their way to Sedra.

Those filthy animals.

If you're looking for
the fastest way off Madrigal,

transport ships take off
every night for New Carthage

at 11:00 Local Mean
Solar Time.

Where do these ships
take off from?

Granada, 200 miles due south.

- Two hundred miles?
- Through the desert.

For the, uh, right price
I can take you there.

Hmm.

That's a nice lid.

Real stylish.

I'll take the bike too.

Dad started with only
50 fighters.

We can find at least that many,
and with the family's money--

There is nothing left, Kwan.

Your father spent everything
we had on the revolution.

And when the money ran out,
so did the people.

They're scared
and they're desperate,

but we can beat Vinsher.

The people just need
to be reminded

of what they were
fighting for.

Come. My men will get you
out of town safely

and you will stay far away--

I can't let him down.

He died to save me.

I have to pick up
where he left off.

No! I will not allow it.

I can fight just as he did.

Your father
fought for a lie!

What are you talking about?

I never wanted to ruin your
father's image in your heart.

Tell me.

Years ago,
before the war,

your father visited
a group in the desert.

Mystics.

When he returned,

everything was different.

He was different.

What did they tell him?

He never said.

But he returned convinced
it was his responsibility

to free Madrigal.

He told me it was the only way
for the Ha family's

true purpose to be revealed.

What true purpose?

Our real reason
for being on Madrigal,

and the reason we fight,

according to the desert people.

And he believed them.

Your father believed
what he wanted to believe.

Where can I find these mystics?

- Kwan, no.

What was that?

Kwan, go!

Hello, Kwan.

What are you doing here?

Cleaning up
your father's mess.

As usual.
Where's your friend?

Aunt Soojin!

- No!

Hey!

Aunt Soojin.

Shit! Never should have
left the Rubble.

Cost me my ship too.
Come on.

We're about to have Vinsher's
entire army on our ass.

Come on.

Let's go.

- Stay down!

Go! Go! Go!

- Behind you.

Go!

Dr. Halsey.

Cortana's analysis of
Master Chief's brain scans

from earlier today.

Hmm.

I mean, you were right.

He's reopened neural clusters
in his amygdala.

Yeah, emotions mixed
with memory.

Yeah.

And it's impossible to determine

what's hidden
in any given neural cluster,

so there's no way of knowing
exactly what he remembered.

I remember.

The second object is here...

on Eridanus.

And I know where it is.

Stop it right there.

Yeah, what--
what do you have for that?

At first I had "foundation,"

but that other syllable
changes it, doesn't it?

Yeah.

Oq-- Oq'ogakha.

It's, uh,
"keystone," maybe?

Could that
be the artifact?

Do you have access
to the HUD data from the cave?

Yeah, um, hold on.

You haven't been completely
honest with me.

What-- What do you mean?

My hair.

It's awful.

- No.
- I just don't know

what came over me.

A small act of rebellion,
maybe, against Halsey.

Well, against
a lot of things, maybe.

Retrieving now.

- Wow.
- What?

This word, from the Sangheili
broadcast.

Ch'anggagomo.

I have "sacred ring."

Look.

Sacred ring.

"Halo."

Do you think that's what
the Covenant are talking about?

Uh...

I know that you report
directly to Halsey, but...

can we just keep this
between us?

At least for now, until
I figure out what all this--

Yeah, no problem.

It's our secret.

You know, the way I see it,

we're sort of like sisters.

I gotta say,
Petty Officer...

there's something
very odd about you.

Ma'am?

Dr. Halsey designed everything

to her specifications.

When her creations
behave in unexpected ways,

she gets uncomfortable.

Well, what does it mean
to behave in unexpected ways?

Like a human...

I suppose.

To Dr. Halsey,
human beings are messy,

irrational, chaotic.

They make decisions
based on emotion, passion.

Halsey is different.

She sees the world
as a set of data

to be optimized, regardless

of the short-term pain
or sacrifice.

Next to this level
of dedication,

the rest of us
ultimately fall short.

And when people let her down,

Dr. Halsey has a way
of cutting them

out of her life.

But Halsey never stops.

She just keeps pushing forward,

determined to bend us towards
her vision of the future.

She's convinced
there's something out there

just beyond our reach.

An answer to our
eternal questions.

Who are we?

Where are we heading?
What is our true potential?

She's dedicated her life's work
to finding those answers.

And she'll never give up...

no matter the cost.

Kai, your act of rebellion
could just be a glitch.

But if I know Dr. Halsey...

she doesn't tolerate glitches.