You know, the bulk of this season was rather underwhelming. The cast for Season of the Seraph included not only some of my favorite Destiny characters, but some of my favorite characters in general, and yet it still felt lackluster. Though Spire of the Watcher was a neat dungeon, it’s far from my favorite. Heist Battlegrounds were solid, and I adored the dialogue between the characters, but they often overstayed their welcome. Seraph’s Shield was fascinating, and serves as a phenomenal introduction to Deep Stone Crypt’s mechanics and map layout, but after running it a few times I was bored of it.
So, the question is, why 5 stars? It’s clearly something that was good, but most of the season was rather subpar for me, so why rate it so highly? Well, because of the finale.
Bungie loves to play the long game when it comes to Destiny. Little tidbits and story beats that may seem irrelevant or incomplete, but they have purpose. They have meaning. There is something almost like nostalgia that tugs at my heartstrings when we had to say goodbye to Rasputin. He’s been around ever since Destiny 1, yet watching a machine designed for war, destruction, and even conquest gain humanity, sentience, and learn to love invokes a feeling in me that is equal parts indescribable yet unparalleled. Watching Osiris lecture Ana about the importance of a single cup of tea, and acknowledging the presence and compassion of the person behind it, then later seeing that manifest in Ikora’s speech on the gravity of their situation, and that everyone should stop and spend quality time with their loved ones because they may not have that opportunity again… just, wow. That got me. Not to mention that scene is then followed by a touching, long overdue heart-to-heart between Ana and Elsie. Perfection. And you can’t forget that shot of the Traveler being lifted from Earth’s atmosphere being foreshadowed on the Destiny 1 box-art. It’s simply astounding to me.
So yeah, this season wasn’t perfect but I never expected it to be, and despite its flaws I really loved it. I love Destiny, and I’m so excited for Lightfall!
So, the question is, why 5 stars? It’s clearly something that was good, but most of the season was rather subpar for me, so why rate it so highly? Well, because of the finale.
Bungie loves to play the long game when it comes to Destiny. Little tidbits and story beats that may seem irrelevant or incomplete, but they have purpose. They have meaning. There is something almost like nostalgia that tugs at my heartstrings when we had to say goodbye to Rasputin. He’s been around ever since Destiny 1, yet watching a machine designed for war, destruction, and even conquest gain humanity, sentience, and learn to love invokes a feeling in me that is equal parts indescribable yet unparalleled. Watching Osiris lecture Ana about the importance of a single cup of tea, and acknowledging the presence and compassion of the person behind it, then later seeing that manifest in Ikora’s speech on the gravity of their situation, and that everyone should stop and spend quality time with their loved ones because they may not have that opportunity again… just, wow. That got me. Not to mention that scene is then followed by a touching, long overdue heart-to-heart between Ana and Elsie. Perfection. And you can’t forget that shot of the Traveler being lifted from Earth’s atmosphere being foreshadowed on the Destiny 1 box-art. It’s simply astounding to me.
So yeah, this season wasn’t perfect but I never expected it to be, and despite its flaws I really loved it. I love Destiny, and I’m so excited for Lightfall!