DISCLAIMER: This recap of Beacon 23 Season 2 Episode 3, “Iris,” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
“Iris” finally brings Ellen Wong into the fold as the next lead character behind Halan. Real talk? I like her. She’s a by-the-book Beacon Keeper with an ardent devotion to the ISA but no love for Aleph and the QTA. Her hatred for Aleph will fuel her motivation to join Halan in whatever journey awaits them.
This outing delivers on the character front for Iris as we get to know her and how she comes into play regarding the seasonal narrative. The writers organically incorporate her. “Iris” doesn’t significantly move the needle, but it cements Iris in the story and creates a potentially intriguing mystery with that cliffhanger. I hope the season takes off after this. I’m remaining cautiously optimistic even though this show has burned us before.
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Beacon 67
We open with shots of Beacon 67, which looks pristine and homey compared to our titular beacon. Iris (Wong) pulls her sourdough bread out of the oven. She’s bringing back the “sourdough starter” era of the 2020 quarantine. We see a montage featuring Iris as she goes about her day-to-day life. She plays her clarinet, does yoga and meditates in the zero-g well. Iris also prays to her late grandmother, laying an offering of bread at an altar.
Next, Iris’s AI, Jiang, informs her of five incoming vessels. Iris helps them navigate and tends to their needs like a pro. It’s nice to see someone actually performing their Beacon Keeper duties. Then, Jiang has a heart-to-heart with Iris while she eats. Iris’s performance review is coming up. If Iris wants a promotion, she must work harder and step outside her comfort zone.

While Iris does want a promotion, she’s more excited about her upcoming “date” with the Beacon Keeper of Beacon 174. Iris chats with him via the Quantum Tunneler. He asks how her sourdough bread and clarinet lessons are coming along. After some light flirting (this is giving 2000s AIM vibes), Jiang pulls Iris away to Command.
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Protect the Mothership
Transport ship Pico Tellex is dangerously close to colliding with Springer 55A, a military personnel vessel. They only have one minute until impact. Iris deftly assists in ensuring both vehicles avoid a collision. She learns that Springer 55A was redirected from Beacon 23. Iris asks Springer why they were brought to Beacon 67. The pilot says it was to protect the QTA Mothership, which just arrived in Beacon 23’s airspace.
Iris tells Jiang she wants lane alerts from all redirects from Beacon 23. Later, Iris reads the Beacon Keeper Handbook. She flips to the section about intimate relationships. Basically, don’t have ’em. Jiang reminds Iris that ISA can monitor her messages with Beacon 174, which can affect her performance review.
B174
Next, Iris asks B174 to clarify their “relationship.” He states that it’s to exchange valuable information regarding beacon keeping and hold each other accountable to ensure they adhere to those values. Then, B174 urges Iris to go to one of the windows. She peers outside at The Artifact as it explodes from afar (well, as Halan launches Aster’s pod into said Artifact).
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After that, B174 reveals he wants to know Iris’s name. However, that’s expressly against ISA protocols. They can’t disclose personal information. Iris refrains from giving her name but states she has something better in mind. Next, we see Iris boasting a beautiful light blue silk dress with delicate white flowers. She sits in what looks like a restaurant booth with a glass of wine.

Iris urges B174 to find a window and look 70 degrees starboard of the Galactic Meridian. Now, he’s facing her. She closes her eyes and extends her hand, pretending she’s touching his hand. Jiang rattles Iris out of her reverie to reveal an incident at Beacon 23.
Thermal Incident
Iris reads a report about a thermal incident from QTA. However, said incident is purportedly under control and to resume regular operations. Iris wonders why QTA is responding to internal ISA messages. This isn’t their purview. The development prompts Iris to send a message to Beacon 23. Unfortunately, it doesn’t reach Halan. She switches gears, messaging the Beacon Keepers in her sector. The responses prove to be disconcerting as everyone claims all is well at Beacon 23. QTA has it under control.
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Later, Iris resumes her chat with B174. She divulges her concerns regarding B23 and QTA’s suspicious involvement, and B174 echoes them. Iris decides to take action. B174 worries she’ll get hurt, so to allay his fears, Iris uploads the song she’s been practicing on her clarinet. Jiang tries to stop Iris as she dons her EVA suit. The AI claims Iris is abandoning her post. Iris declares that she’s helping a Beacon Keeper in need.

Upon her arrival in B23’s airspace, Iris notices the cracked GWB atop it and the swirling storm in front of her. That doesn’t bode well. Then, Iris enters B23 to discover the AI is out of commission and seemingly empty. She notices its state of disrepair. Suddenly, Halan (Stephan James) appears with an axe. Remember in episode two when he took said axe to the beacon’s interface? Iris explains she’s the Beacon Keeper from B67 and is here to help.
Free Harmony
After their abrupt meeting, Iris learns Aleph trapped Harmony inside the beacon’s AI drone, aka the late Bart (RIP). Iris helps Halan hook up the drone. It seems to work. However, the drone flies a few feet; Harmony says, “Halan,” and it drops, smashing into pieces on the ground. Iris admits her ignorance regarding QTA totems but knows quite a bit about beacons. She wanders to the beacon’s control tower to find the requisite parts to free Harmony.
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Thankfully, it works: Harmony (Natasha Mumba) appears as a glitchy hologram. Her reunion with Halan is short-lived, though, and she vanishes. Iris reassures Halan that Harmony isn’t gone; she simply needs to charge. Iris will reroute the beacon’s power to revitalize her.

While Harmony charges, Iris and Halan set about cleaning up the beacon and repairing its systems. Halan impresses Iris with his ability (courtesy of being a pilot) to put the beacon on its side. While they fix ‘er up, Halan and Iris get to know each other. He introduces himself as Halan, but Iris refuses to disclose her name because, you know, ISA protocols.
Bonding Over Hatred of Aleph
Next, the pair chats about Aleph and the QTA. Iris harbors no love for Aleph, who views himself as an algorithmic god. She and Halan agree that he’s a murderer. She tells Halan that he killed Milan (who Aleph used to be) — the creator of the beacons. Iris gushes about Milan.
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Later, Iris takes her sourdough out of the oven. I love her already. Everyone should be armed with a sourdough starter regardless of whether the situation calls for one. Iris asks Halan about Aster. Halan already told Iris that Aleph essentially killed Aster. She assumes he and Aster were in love. Halan dodges the question. After a spell, Halan offers Iris his bunk so she can wait out the storm, which won’t let up any time soon.

Then, Iris utilizes Halan’s Quantum Tunneler to chat with B174. That’s when she discovers that he plans to meet her at Beacon 23. Halan and Iris look for B174’s vessel as the storm rages outside their window. Halan informs Iris that B174 won’t land because of the storm’s severity. He apologizes, to which Iris responds with her name.
What’s Out There?
Suddenly, we hear something smacking against the beacon as it rocks Iris and Halan. Halan asks Harmony for a status report. She states she detected an impact “upon docking.” Halan orders Harmony to seal the hatch behind him as he heads out to investigate. Iris insists on accompanying him as both don their EVA suits. What if it’s Beacon Keeper 174? Harmony tells them that the vessel bears no life signs. However, it does boast an anomaly for which she cannot account.
We hear banging noises, seemingly from outside the beacon.
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What do you think Halan and Iris will find outside? Will Harmony recharge fully? When will we see Aleph again? Will The Artifact return? Only time (and more episodes) will tell.
Beacon 23 drops new episodes every Sunday at 9/8c on MGM+.
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