Beacon 23 – Season 1 Episode 7 “End Transmission” Recap & Review

End Transmission

Episode 7 of Beacon 23 begins with a brief flashback that shows the time when Solomon first arrived at the beacon. As opposed to the first view we had about him, Solomon is a villainous character. He was the one who deleted all of Bart’s memory, which is why he had no memory of events before him. Solomon explained his actions banking on ISA rules and regulations, which Bart did not follow properly. It is also revealed to the viewers that Farut was caught on a transport ship after he had left the beacon. But nothing about Grisham is said.

In the present, we see Halan and Aster taking turns in a rigorous schedule to track the sudden appearance of the Artefact. Both the AIs – Harmony and Bart – are still unable to recognize the lightning mass. Harmony shows Halan the Amboyna, his spaceship, that entered the drone perimeter. Although Aster doesn’t remember much and Bart is of no help, she gets a refresher when she hallucinates a childhood version of herself in the cupola. Aster’s memory comes rushing back as she goes through Farut and Ree’s notes.

Neither Halan nor the AIs are quite ready to believe Aster’s story, instead thinking she might have had a stroke. While scanning the vicinity, Harmony finds a commercial ship out of Vega with unknown occupants approaching B23. The moment we hear the voice of its captain, we recognize it as Keir. Aster permits him to dock, not realizing his real plan. Since Bart does not recognize him, there is an air of suspicion. However, his knowledge of the relic and the events of the past give credibility to what he says.

Keir is trying to distract the pair from his compatriots, Finch and Saldana, who enter the beacon superstitiously. They attack Aster and Halan and tie them up. Saldana takes the beacon’s key from Halan and gains control of its communication systems. She even sends a message to QTA, which says that everything is alight. Finch’s past is unclear but it looks like he is also a rogue military operative. He accesses Bart’s systems to gain control over it. He is looking for cues about the Artefact.  

Both of them are shown to be against Keir’s methods. He believes that the Artefact was trying to talk to Aster and she has a special connection to it. The reason why she was drawn toward the ship is the mystery of the Artefact. Saldana agrees to give Keir one hour to complete the task his way until she will take over to handle matters. For now, both Aster and Halan are set free, although they don’t need the trio’s help to do so.

Bart regains control from Finch by feigning a scenario where he gets his memory back. He does have some insights for Keir and Aster that would help them locate the Artefact when it shows up next. Saldana tries to tempt Halan into joining the Column, where he would be able to help thousands of people with his skill set. However, all Halan want at this point is to desert the beacon with Aster. In the meanwhile, Saldana and Keir have a fight. 

She wants to get off the beacon as soon as possible, and as per Okun’s instructions, take Aster with them. We don’t know who Okun is but I am guessing he is The Column’s leader. Finch detects the entry of two QTA Cutters in the orbit. Halan remarks that it would be impossible for them to outrun them. Halan decides to leave alone as Aster tells him she is staying. He takes a Picker to reach the Amboyna, which still has Solomon’s dead body. 

Bart helps Halan escape as a final act of generosity. He talks about “burning it all down” and Aster looks at him funny. With the ambient temperature rising, Finch feels the heat. The beacon’s drone shield is also failing, which will make it easier for QTA to access it. The group senses that it is Bart’s doing. The AI is trying to destroy itself and the beacon with it. Aster and Keir try to convince Bart not to destroy itself. However, Bart has made up its mind. It cites how it was once a warm companion to Aster and it could never become that. 

After Bart is gone, Harmony remarks that the beacon and its surrounding space have a poisonous effect on anyone with a mind. She urges Aster to continue her journey. In the cupola, she finally spots the Artefact showing up again, as the trio from the Column fight with each other and the Cutters approach the beacon. It looks like Halan goes after the Cutters, although nothing is certain. 

The Episode Review

If the finale picks up – and stays the course – from where Episode 7 ends, Beacon 23 will finish on an underwhelming note. This is because we have yet another episode where a distraction is introduced. The storytelling has been very wayward and indirect as Aster’s connection with the Artefact is too tightly wound. The episode occasioned an explanation but we are left stranded going into the finale. 

The only encouraging thing from Episode 7 is how Bart’s arc is concluded. Humanizing it through Episode 4 and its connection with Sophie was a very smart narrative choice. It has resulted in a character worthy of discussion given AI’s emergence in today’s landscape. The detailing of Bart’s progression after Solomon’s betrayal – put into perspective by Episode 7 – is a triumph that the writers can pat themselves on the back for.

Episode 7 doesn’t tie up the narrative, though, which remains ambiguous. I don’t particularly like how the creators have managed information in the show. It has played out in a haphazard manner which has made the story less accessible and more complex than it is.