DISCLAIMER: This recap of Beacon 23 Season 1 Episode 5, “Rocky,” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
I’ll take a scotch … on the rocks. Just not the glowy blue ones, please, and thank you. Beacon 23 finally answers some long-held questions while introducing new threads. Stephen Root delivers a memorable turn as Solomon, churning in the best performance in the episode.
“Rocky” is the strongest outing thus far, breaking the pattern of bumpy episodes and inconsistencies. It injects new life into the narrative and feels closer to what the show is meant to be. We’re finally tapping into that potential. I’m also really digging The Expanse vibes in this episode. Protomolecule, there’s a new potentially sentient alien being in town.
Ready to delve into “Rocky”? Let’s get to it.
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In the Aftermath
We open with Aster (Lena Headey) sitting alone after killing Coley. Halan (Stephan James) thanks her for having his back. However, Aster believes she didn’t do it solely for Halan. She’s also unsure how she feels about, you know, murdering her friend/lover. After chatting with Halan for a spell, Harmony (Natasha Mumba) confronts Aster regarding her seeming lack of remorse.
She also encourages Aster to keep Coley’s suit as it contains the footage from the late QTA manager’s fight with Halan. That could be utilized as evidence. Harmony believes Aster can evade punishment if the latter claims it was self-defense. Aster finds a photo of her sleeping among Coley’s belongings. Of course, this doesn’t make matters easier.
Halan’s Past
Next, Aster accesses the footage from Halan’s suit to get insight into what transpired on DX-113. Aster explains to Halan that this is possible thanks to Harmony’s capabilities and Aster’s ISA ranking. Halan spots Gashade (Bo Martynowska) in the footage. He reveals this is the last thing he recalls before his memories went fuzzy. Suddenly, Aster and Halan spot the same luminous blue substance on DX-113 as what’s on Solomon’s rocks. Halan appears to inhale it, which could explain his incessant hallucinations.
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Then, Harmony informs the pair that the QTA is en route to Beacon 23. A representative will arrive in 14 hours. Aster’s knee-jerk reaction is to run. She plans to take the mineral deposits with her. However, Harmony doesn’t believe this is the best course of action. Still, while Aster leaves to grab the rocks, Halan starts hallucinating. After waking on the floor, Halan shouts for Aster, Harmony and Bart. He appears to be alone. Halan heads to the GWB, where he spots Gashade with her back turned. She claims she’s here to help.
Next, Gashade kisses him. Halan is bewildered. How is she here if she’s dead? At one point, Halan overhears Gashade saying something in Aster’s voice. Then, Halan spots Gashade at the bar in the kitchen. She states she has something to tell him. Unfortunately, when she opens her mouth, only gibberish comes out. Halan can’t understand her.
In Conversation With a Rock
After this peculiar interaction, Halan encounters something stranger — a talking rock. Yes, the shiny blue mineral deposit has a full-on conversation with Halan. The rock claims it’s “all about the rocks” and urges Halan to ask Aster about it. Harmony informs Halan regarding Aster’s whereabouts. Halan returns to the GWB, only to find Aster floating outside in space. Uh-oh.
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Halan orders Bart (Wade Bogert-O’Brien) to open the doors. At that moment, the real Harmony tells the real Aster that Halan is outside without a suit. His implants only allow him to remain out there for three minutes before he loses oxygen. Aster brings him back inside. After he wakes up in med bay, Aster chats with him about his most intense hallucination yet. Perhaps the talking rock and Gashade are trying to tell him something important. It’s all connected, like the MCU.
Next, Harmony discloses a new development regarding Halan. He has some kind of brain virus. It could’ve come on via exposure to the silicate. Aster insists there’s a magical component to all this, but Harmony wholeheartedly believes in the science. Halan has a virus in his brain that’s causing his hallucinations.
Telling Solomon’s Story
Later, Bart endeavors to provide Solomon’s side of the story. He still asserts that Halan killed Solomon, which Harmony continuously disputes. Bart states that Solomon discovered and studied the mineral deposits before reporting them to QTA. This is when we see a flashback featuring Solomon (Root) himself.
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We see Solomon cooking in the kitchen. He belittles and mocks Bart while chatting with the AI. After dinner, Solomon heads outside. Following that, Bart informs Solomon about an approaching vessel needing assistance. Solomon orders Bart to turn this person away. We hear it’s Halan, flying toward Beacon 23 in the Amboyna. Halan claims his oxygen levels are critical and won’t reach the next base. Bart pushes against Solomon’s decision to reject Halan before reluctantly carrying out his wishes.
Next, Solomon exits the shower to find Halan, the man he turned away, in the beacon. He doesn’t look too happy. Solomon makes dinner for Halan, which he hates. While Halan sleeps, Solomon surreptitiously extracts a few qubits to send a distress message to the QTA. Unfortunately, Halan catches him in the act. Halan deletes the message and claims he now has control of communications.
Sound the Alarm
Then, Halan and Solomon head upstairs to hear Bart sounding an alarm. Bart reveals that the GWB is off, and there are two incoming ships, a supply vessel and corporate transport. If the GWB remains off, said ships will be forced to come out of FTL (faster-than-light). Halan orders Bart to turn the beacon back on — lives depend on it. He starts flipping switches and pressing buttons, which Solomon doesn’t like. Bart finally tells Halan how to turn on the GWB after Halan grabs Solomon by the throat.
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Once that crisis is averted, Halan leads Solomon downstairs, chaining him to a mattress on the floor. Side note: Solomon’s painted nails are fab. Please let that be Stephen Root’s character choice. Later, Solomon and Halan chat about the latter’s past and what brought him to Beacon 23. Bart shows Halan that the AWOL soldier really went out of his way to arrive here. Why? Solomon wonders if Halan wants to steal the silicate. Those rocks are worth a fortune.
Flee the Scene
Solomon tosses his notebook at a table, knocking one of the rocks off it. The exposure to said rock causes Halan to pass out. Solomon steals the key from Halan and orchestrates his escape. Bart begs Solomon to accompany him. However, Solomon hops into Amboyna, Halan’s ship, and flees. When Halan wakes up, he informs Bart that he used up the last of his oxygen to get to Beacon 23. Meaning, Solomon will die in Amboyna. Bart urges Solomon to turn back but to no avail.
Bart spews venom at Halan, vowing to make the latter’s life a living hell. Thankfully, Halan knows how to restrict Bart’s access and press that big red “mute” button. I don’t blame him.
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Later, we return to the present. Bart begs Harmony to let him send a message about Halan. Bart believes Halan deserves to be court-martialed, even though the latter didn’t kill Solomon. Harmony pretends to strike a deal with Bart but pulls out of it. After learning about Halan and Solomon’s story, Aster decides to depart the beacon with the mineral deposits. She plans to leave Halan behind. Aster insists that the QTA has the best medical team. Naturally, Halan is disappointed with Aster for abandoning him.
Release the Rocks
Next, Aster and Harmony say their goodbyes. Harmony cannot follow Aster since she’s essentially leaving the QTA behind. Harmony is bound to the QTA. Outside Aster’s quarters, Halan lays on a hammock while listening to Solomon’s music. He wonders if he’s hallucinating again when Harmony materializes. She whispers something in his ear. Clearly, he is seeing things. His rock pal reappears. This time, he wants Halan to do something drastic.
Halan releases all of Solomon’s rocks. Harmony witnesses the rocks soar into space. There’s one moment here where she claims she’s being inundated with too much info. Sensory overload is real, Harm. Then, Aster and Halan return to the GWB to watch the rocks as they dance through space. They take the shape of a swirling, circular-esque entity. Halan and Aster clasp hands, both in awe of the display. Aster claims she’s seen this before. We hear a child laugh. Methinks she was exposed to this as a kid. Interesting.
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What do you think the rocks are? Is Halan’s brain virus the result of breathing in these rocks? Does Aster have a deeper connection to them? Will the QTA punish her? Only time (and three more episodes) will tell.
Beacon 23 drops new episodes every Sunday on MGM+.
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