The "Keystone" artifact sets up the season's primary drive: what is Halo, and why does it respond to John?
The initial skirmish is high-octane and doesn't shy away from the visceral gore of war.
John-117, played by Pablo Schreiber, is presented as the ultimate weapon of the UNSC. However, " Contact " pivots quickly from a sci-fi war story to a character study. By touching a mysterious artifact, John begins to recover repressed memories, leading to his pivotal—and much-debated—decision to remove his helmet.
"Contact" serves as a solid foundation for a more political, character-driven version of the Halo universe. It asks a central question that follows John throughout the season: Is he a man, or just a machine of the UNSC?