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- Halsey, under pressure from the UNSC, implants the artificial intelligence Cortana (Jen Taylor) into his mind. Not only is Cortana programmed to keep Chief docile, but she is based on Halsey herself — further underselling the twisted ideal of motherhood at the heart of her science.
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Cortana is to fully integrate herself into the Master Chief to optimize his physical and mental performance. But Dr. Halsey has prevented her from doing this temporarily because they still need to see how the artifact affects him and, when she integrates, affects her.
- TV-14
Apr 7, 2022 · In the final 15 minutes of “Halo” episode 3, Master Chief is found locating the planet that looks the most like the ones in his visions. Cortana offers help. Master Chief rejects Cortana.
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- Halo: The TV Series Episode 3 Review - "Emergence"
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By Jesse Schedeen
Updated: Apr 7, 2022 10:04 pm
Posted: Apr 7, 2022 4:12 pm
Warning: this review contains full spoilers for Halo Episode 3! If you need a refresher on where we left off, here's our review of Episode 2.
Paramount+'s Halo series has so far proven to be a solid adaptation of the source material, but there's definitely been a Cortana-shaped hole in the first two episodes. What good is Master Chief without his trusty digital sidekick? Thankfully, that omission is finally addressed in Episode 3, which provides the full, satisfying origin story of this Xbox icon.
This series is very pointedly not part of the same continuity as the games, but Cortana is so far the one character who is still played by the same actor (I'm holding out hope Keith David will voice The Arbiter when he inevitably shows up). Beyond being a welcome nod to the source material, there's really no reason not to retain Jen Taylor as the voice of Cortana. She's perfected that role over the course of numerous games, and she knows exactly what's required from Master Chief's better half.
Granted, there is a bit of an adjustment period when it comes to Cortana's redesigned appearance. No doubt the goal was to shift Cortana away from "semi-naked blue lady" to something a bit more grounded and reflective of Dr. Halsey's own personality. She looks more human now, which is both a little strange and probably for the best in the long run. Cortana suffers from the same Uncanny Valley effect as most of the all-CGI characters in the show, but at least in her case that's by design.
More importantly, Cortana quickly becomes the foil Master Chief has been needing. She injects some much-needed humor into his world as she becomes the pesky helper he neither asked for nor wants. And even at this early stage, we can see the seeds of the deep bond they share in the games. Both characters mirror each other in a lot of ways. They're both basically blank slates who are beginning to form real personalities as they venture outside the parameters of their UNSC programming. This series is already managing to give John some added layers compared to the straightforward protagonist he is in the games. It's encouraging to see the show successfully adapting the Master Chief/Cortana relationship on top of that.
Yes, I've played all of them
Yes, I've played one or two
The TV show will be my first Halo experience
No, I'm not interested in playing the games
That all being said, Halsey has quickly become the most fascinating character in this series. Cortana's introduction pays off in that area, as well. We see even more of Halsey's ruthless side as she interacts with her clone and effectively condemns herself to death for the sake of her research. Natascha McElhone's performance is reminiscent of her haunting work in 2002's Solaris. You can see why the Spartans are fanatically loyal to their surrogate mother, even as we can't help but be repulsed by her actions. Even Cortana seems unsure of how much to trust her creator. That's another point in favor of her new look. She may lack the trademark blue skin, but this version of Cortana emotes well enough that we can sense her inner conflict without it needing to be voiced aloud.
Episode 3 also helps build up Makee as a credible threat to the UNSC and a compelling character in her own right. The series is really making the most of its flashback sequences, with this episode's opening sequence revealing everything we need to know about Makee's past and why she sides against her own kind. Plus, it's just cool seeing her control a colony of Lekgolo and slaughter a an entire ship. We'll see if that particular Covenant foe has the same visual impact when Master Chief squares off against a Hunter.
Halo loses none of its early momentum in its third episode. The series has already proven its ability to add new layers to the source material and blaze its own trail. Episode 3, on the other hand, shows it can do justice to the all-important Master Chief/Cortana dynamic that anchors most of the games. Cortana may look a bit odd in the jump to live...
Review scoring
great
Halo adds a crucial new character to the mix in Episode 3, and the series is all the better for the debut of Jen Taylor's Cortana.
Jesse Schedeen
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Cortana is the UNSC's and Halsey's answer to that. If they can't control John directly, they'll do it through Cortana. You can see in EP3 that Cortana is herself being controlled by both the UNSC and Halsey. Her desire to override John's mind is not her choice, but the UNSC's directive that she's been given.
Apr 7, 2022 · Cortana instructs John on removing the emotional inhibitor chip implanted in his body by the Spartan program, allowing him to travel around the potentallly doomed planet Reach and genuinely witness the beauty of the culture for the first time.
- Host / Interviewer
Apr 8, 2022 · Episode 3 finally introduces Master Chief’s AI companion Cortana, sets up conflict for the future – and even gets viewers acquainted with Master Chief’s rear end. It truly is everything Halo fans have been waiting for.
Apr 7, 2022 · With Cortana in tow, the bulk of the episode revolves around Master Chief’s wistfully coming to terms with his newfound humanity, sans emotional repression pellet.
