Like so many episodes before it, this one starts in the past. Kwan is doing a trick for a young boy. We get to see surrounded by her family in a happier time. All this is 2 years before everything that's happened so far. Even then, there was tension between her and her father. A newly joined recruit was shown, creating some emphasis of the lack of change. It just alters who is in charge of the planet, if not just the town. She leaves after telling off her father, and plainly wanting more to change than what could happen from him. After that, we go to present day, with Kwan in a dune buggy driving straight into the dust storm. In the depths of hit, we come across some hidden figures before she gets a sack over her head for her troubles.

We jump back to Soren, who's made his way back to the Rubble without Kwan. Soren has to deal with some matters within the Rubble. He helps pull off a big job for the rubble. He helps one of his associates with a job, getting the Rubble a big score. The thing is he also needs to make a statement to him. And making a statement is easy when you can drop a pallet on someone's foot. It is later with his wife, we see what is actually bothering Soren: his promise to John, and that little bit of either admiration or respect for Kwan Ha. There is something more than just the promise of money from her. It was clear when he was talking with his wife. He is thinking about Kwan and her safety.

Kwan did manage to find the Mystics that gave guidance to her father. On top of that, a number of her family has a connection here. She has little more than rage now. But it is throughout the time with the mystics that she learns more about her family history. The Mystics guide her to drink so she can learn what her family is her for. Ultimately, what they want to protect. On top of that, just the reality of what she has and her duty on Madrigal. This made for a touching scene, giving development (and some needed maturity) to her. It helps ease the unresolved issues that she had. She gets told to go back to where it all began. This is exactly what she does. In the end, she's back at the rig where the series started: where she lost her family. Here, she wanders, collecting a few things as well as finding a letter from her father. We got to see the previous Protectors in her family. On top of that, we got to see a Spark (what the construct calls itself is unknown) appear from the well that her family has taken to protecting. This gives her a very different drive. Her rage has been vented, and she's “safely” seen that it would have just gotten her killed (again and again and again). This realization gave her the space that she needed to grow up just a little bit more.

Vinsher gets to have some screen time in this episode. He continues to be more isolated from the populace. Him and his bodyguard are searching for Kwan Ha (she does not understand low-profile). He is very strategic and thoughtful as well. But he is brutal as well. He will burn a contact as soon as they prove either useless or defiant. There is something wonderful about how Burn Gorman gets to portray this antagonist. Easily a favorite of mine for what he gets to show on screen here. Probably for the pompous nature and haughty attitude. Plus just a good aesthetic overall.

Should give credit to the rest of the cast of the episode as well. Everyone got a chance to shine in their own ways. Soren got a great stealth/loud fighting sequence. Kwan got to fight, as well as be smart, using her knowledge of the area and equipment. Soren shows a lot of that Spartan skill we've seen from Kai and John. Soren got to do what he is good at. He got a solid robbery in earlier and now is taking on impossible odds. He also easily got the best quote when dealing with Vinsher, quoting Shakespeare, “A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool” from As You Like It.A perfect foil to the faux intellectual we got with Vinsher. Just before Kwan takes another step forward and pulls off an impressive shot to deal a massive blow to Vinsher's forces and the UNSC influence over Madgrial.

For everything I've been enjoying about this show, Soren's arm has been bugging me. Just the way it has been sitting, it's off from the rest of Soren's body. He's supposed to be able to use fairly well from the look of things (or with some difficulty) but it never really seems like it. Just let Soren get something like a bulkier jacket arm and a modified glove and you're in business without all the make up and prosthetics. Probably because the rest of the effects have been so good, this one that's at a lower standard is standing out more.

After all the time with John-117, learning more about Makee, and just everything happening with them on the way to Reach and getting there, it is good to see the other characters. This is something a TV show can do better than a video game can. More characters, just more diversity in general, about what you see without pulling away the player's agency. With a show, you are just along for the ride, always. That needed to happen and it gave us all something to appreciate. Kwan becomes less of the angsty teen she's been and actually matures. Soren gets a nice little conclusion with Kwan as well. He gets a new ship and the money he was promised (and a fair bit extra apparently).

Just a reminder, this all is taking place in the Silver Timeline. This completely separate from the Books, Comics, and the Games. The protector, the portal, that is something very different. It draws plenty of parallels, but it breaks more than enough for me to know to keep thinking about separately. And the entire purpose of this last paragraph. It is not meant to be the Halo from the games or books or comics. This is supposed to be something new, inspired from those.