: Maybe I'm projecting, but I always saw that as a pivotal change in Lasky's
: feelings toward the Master Chief, and one of a handful of really excellent
: character moments in Halo 4. He *used* to see the Chief as a saintly hero,
: but in that moment he realized that the Chief is really just a grown-up
: child soldier without a full-fledged understanding of the world - someone
: to be pitied, not idolized. That's not to say this is an entirely fair
: summation of John, but it's what Lasky was plainly thinking.

I think that would be a valid interpretation if the Chief did not change or react. He clearly heard the statement, and it clearly had an effect on him. There was an understanding between both of them at the conclusion of that cutscene, rather than a parting of ways.