Beacon 23 Season 1 Episode 6 Recap: Is Avalon Dead?

In Episode 4, Milan Aleph, a founding member of the QTA, visited the space lighthouse to learn more about the research of the first keeper. This keeper, revealed as Doctor Ree Avalon in Episode 6, arrived at the lighthouse two centuries ago after witnessing a peculiar comet near Beacon 23. The QTA and ISA teamed up to create space lighthouses for detecting dark matter and ensuring safe space travel. Avalon, who crafted the Beacon AI system (represented by Bart), was one of the last humans born on Earth. She brought a picture of a lighthouse, placed in the cupola of Beacon 23, symbolizing hope and nostalgia for her home. This same picture provided solace to Halan, offering a sense of belonging in a world unfamiliar to him. Whether in space or on Earth, the lighthouse became a symbol of hope for these travelers.

When Avalon began her job at the lighthouse, she noticed something weird that she couldn't explain. The odd part was, Bart's detection system couldn't see it, proving only human eyes could. Bart had mentioned earlier that they hired people based on their ability to see these strange things, and Milan Aleph confirmed AI or holograms couldn't see them. This made Aleph join Beacon 23 to see the phenomenon for himself. The QTA was super interested in these relics, thinking they could revolutionize their studies.

Soon, Avalon got really into these strange happenings and started seeing things, kind of like Halan. It seemed like these relics messed with people's minds, making them see stuff that wasn't real. It made them mix up what was real and what they imagined. Avalon wanted to learn more about the light reflections and space rocks, but Bart's system still couldn't pick up on anything weird.

Avalon somehow pd out where these strange rocks were showing up. She decided to go out there and get a sample for her research. Bart knew it was a really risky move and tried hard to talk her out of it, but Avalon didn't listen. In the end, she got caught up in her hallucinations. Under their influence, she opened her space suit helmet and stepped out to touch the artifacts. Something weird happened, and Avalon just disappeared, along with the artifacts. Bart looked for her everywhere nearby, but she was nowhere to be found. It's like these rocks might be from an alien species or some kind of portal that took Avalon to another place. We can't say for sure, but we hope she's still out there somewhere. These rocks seemed to be trying to talk to her in her visions, which is probably why she got so obsessed. Maybe Avalon will come back on the show and tell us what she saw in that unknown white light.

Bart told the stranger another story about a couple, Grisha and Farut, who came to work at Beacon 23. Over the years, lots of keepers had arguments and left their posts because it was tough to live in such isolation. It was like they chose a kind of self-imposed prison to make some money. Some wanted AI-operated beacons, but ISA and unions were against it. We think QTA was too, as they knew only humans could see the strange things they were studying. To mix things up, ISA sent a romantic couple, Grisha and Farut, to the lighthouse. But they made sure the couple couldn't have kids in space to save resource.

Because of those weird artifacts, Grisha got pregnant. Bart quickly told them about ISA rules, saying they might lose their job if they kept the baby. But the couple chose to have their daughter and asked Bart to keep it a secret. They planned to leave Beacon a bit before their assignment ended, taking their daughter on a supply ship to start a family outside the station.

Farut, like the previous keepers, saw the strange stuff, but he didn't pay much attention. He was busy raising his daughter, Parsim. About five years later, Parsim started seeing the artifacts a lot and became obsessed with them. She even sang in a language Bart couldn't understand. Bart thought maybe the artifacts were from an alien group trying to talk to humans, but he didn't have enough proof, and he couldn't detect them. Grisha tried to protect Parsim, but she got violent over time, so the mom decided they had to leave the lighthouse as soon as possible.

Like Avalon, Farut became obsessed with the artifacts, risking his family for his research. Grisha had to destroy the artifacts to protect their daughter, Parsim. She used space drones to smash the rocks, stopping the artifacts' effects on Parsim. But destroying the drones got the attention of ISA, who were coming for an inspection. The parents had to send Parsim away for her safety.

Bart knew Parsim wouldn't remember him, so he gave her a pendant with a symbol like the relics' structure. It's still a mystery how he analyzed them without seeing them. Before leaving, Grisha gave Parsim a new name, Aster Calyx, to hide from ISA. Aster mentioned Menelaus in the second episode, hinting that she might be safe there. The episode didn't say what happened to Aster's parents. They probably left the lighthouse with her, starting a new life on Menelaus. Maybe the next episode will tell us more about what happened to them.

Aster told Halan that her mom gave her the pendant, hinting she didn't remember much about her time on Beacon 23, just like Bart thought. But when Aster came back to the same lighthouse a few years later, Bart should have remembered her. Maybe the machine lost the data over the years, as Bart's had trouble accessing his own info since the series started. But did Bart know Aster would return? Or did Aster somehow feel a connection to the relics and Beacon 23 that brought her back to her birthplace?

To get answers to these questions, we'll have to wait for Episode 7, scheduled to be released on December 17, 2023. Stay tuned for more updates from us!