Sanctuary (TV episode)

Sanctuary is the first episode of the second season of Halo. It premiered on February 8, 2024 on Paramount+.
== Synopsis ==
A deadly evacuation mission signals a shift in Master Chief's war with the Covenant. On Reach, a new regime takes the reins at FLEETCOM. John senses a looming threat close to home.
==Plot==
UNSC specialists desperately try to save Master Chief’s life. They worry they’re losing him as he lays on the table. They sever the connection between him and AI Cortana after she took control of his body.
At Sanctuary, in the Branta System the Spartans and Master Chief have a mission. They try to evacuate a group of civilians but they have an issue when a Shaman, with a long white haired braid, doesn’t want to comply. The Spartans and soldiers try to force her to comply but get pulled away. They try to reason with her, explaining that their village will be destroyed and that they’re just trying to save them. She responds and says she heard the same before but that instead of being saved their people were scattered across different colonies instead.
Covenant forces come and kill many of the civilians. The planet starts to crumble and everyone screams and runs. The soldiers and Spartans desperately try to save whomever the can before making their escape. The Shaman tells John to find his faith because she has seen his death and it comes soon. She and her people then walk away and watch their planet be destroyed before it takes them too. John and the others fly away in time.
Back at Reach headquarters, the Spartans get an update on Covenant activity. They find out that they destroyed many planets and plan to destroy even more. Ackerson introduces himself as Dr. Halsey’s replacement in running the Spartan program. He’s the new boss. Ackerson lets them know that he wants to use them to their full potential and that he won’t take down anything that Halsey built.
Meanwhile, a crowd gathers on the planet Rubble. Minnie, an announcer with a microphone, introduces two men- one, Felix, a young redheaded man, and another criminal. A selection is made to save one of the two men from being released into space and to instead serve as an indentured slave for two years. The people choose to save the criminal man. Felix, in shock, says he has something they want in an attempt to be saved. He claims to know the location of something valuable- the location of Dr. Halsey, who he claims has survived. When asked why he wouldn’t collect the bounty himself he explains he isn’t a bounty hunter but just a merchant. They laugh at him and Felix gets taken away.
Back at headquarters, John goes to find Ackerson in his office. Ackerson compliment’s John’s team and tells him there is no need to be so formal. John tells him that UNSC is missing the bigger picture. He suspects the Covenant is preparing for something bigger. Ackerson asks John if he gets hallucinations and presses him about unauthorized projects under Dr. Halsey. He asks about the AI Cortana and John tells him it was taken out.
Laera expresses her worries to Soren about the galaxy, pointing out that the planets out there are burning and that they might be in more danger than he thinks. She tells him to be kinder to his crew. She tells him “we’re slipping” and that the other families aren’t afraid of him.
Soren says goodbye to his son before going on a mission. Soren goes to interrogate Felix about his claims about Dr. Halsey. Felix leads Soren and his pirate crew into space. They go to a destroyed ship, which they decide to investigate. They enter but it’s a trap set up by Felix, who intended to arrest Soren to get the bounty on his head.
Back at Reach, John puts up his hood and finds Admiral Margaret Parangosky, who tells him to be more careful. She tells him she’s just a private citizen now. He tells her what happened at Sanctuary. He asks her about Ackerson and she tells him he’s not interested in controversy. She asks him to find more evidence of Covenant’s plans and to bring it to her. In return, she promises to believe him.
John speaks with an AI who looks like Cortana. John seems discouraged and tells her there might be something wrong with him - a part missing. She asks him if he misses her (Cortana) and tries to be more like her for him but he gets frustrated and leaves.
== Cast ==
=== Starring ===
*Pablo Schreiber as John-117
*Natascha McElhone as Catherine Halsey (Credit only)
*Joseph Morgan as James Ackerson
*Shabana Azmi as Margaret Parangosky
*Christina Bennington as Cortana
*Natasha Culzac as Riz-028
*Olive Gray as Dr. Miranda Keyes (Credit only)
*Yerin Ha as Kwan Ha
*Bentley Kalu as Vannak-134
*Kate Kennedy as Kai-125
*Charlie Murphy as Makee
*Fiona O'Shaughnessy as Laera
*Cristina Rodlo as Talia Perez
*Danny Sapani as Admiral Jacob Keyes
*Jen Taylor as Cortana (voice)
*Viktor Åkerblom as The Arbiter
*Tylan Bailey as Kessler
*Bokeem Woodbine as Soren-066
===Additional Cast===
*Luke Polie as Captain Nix
*Benjamin Wainwright as Gunnery Sgt. Boone
*Olwen Fouéré as The Mother
*Sam Gittins as Corporal Sims
*Micah Karns as Corporal Fisk
*Genesis Lynea as Lance Corporal Bowman
*Luke Davis as Private Rand
*Blake Patrick Anderson as Felix
*Josie Lawrence as Minnie
*Ashwin Varma as Refugee Husband
*Vivien Nagy as Refugee Wife
*Tomi May as Baz
*Kamilla Szász as Vera
*Juliette Motamed as Carina
*Franc Ashman as Ruby Ann
*David Crowley as Castor
*Iliasz Shweirif as Virgil
*Ivanno Jeremiah as Antares
*Maria Luisa Costa as Manuela Perez
*Sebastian Orozco as Cousin Ant
*Eliseo Barrionuevo as Cousin Mateo
*Maria Jose Bavio as Aunt Lucia
*Thomas Dominique as Val-015
*Karen Connell as Yaz-112
*Nathan Wiley as Karim-002
*Jessica Chisnall as Virtual Companion
==Locations==
* Branta System
** Sanctuary
* Reach
* The Rubble
==Trivia==
* Vannak removed his pellet three weeks before Sanctuary and now watches programs about animals.
==Gallery==
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==References==
Category:Halo TV show
Category:Episodes (TV show)
Category:Halo TV show (Season 2)