Avatar: The Legend of Korra

**Akranadas** · 22nd Jun 12 11:59 PM

Please. I don't care who Korra ends up with, I just hate lazy writing.

No it's not lazy writing, it's pretty much how teenagers act these days (I have a younger brother and sister who basically life the whole relationship thing atm)

**Shuma** · 23rd Jun 12 12:03 AM

It's clear that there's something going on between Amon and Mustache guy, otherwise he would've fired him by now. Just saiyan.

**Recaso** · 23rd Jun 12 8:29 AM

Spoiler

**Misiok** · 23rd Jun 12 8:40 AM

I hope you're lying.

**Recaso** · 23rd Jun 12 8:53 AM

Spoiler

Watching a stream, the season is kinda over now.

**Vintage** · 23rd Jun 12 9:02 AM

Oh fuck me I thought you were joking and that your spoilers were just speculations. Please label your spoilers, if this turns out to be true then it just ruined some of the fun for me.

**Recaso** · 23rd Jun 12 9:07 AM

I don't know how to lable my spoilers, but heres an ending spoiler SO DONT CLICK IT IF YOU DONT WANT TO KNOW.

Spoiler

@And sorry Vintage, didn't wan't to ruin anything, just wanted to get it out before i exploded. Ohh and \co\ is exploding too.

**sporty** · 23rd Jun 12 9:27 AM

A conclusion that left many questions unanswered/barely answered.
Don't really care though, it really got to me in the end. Goosebumps

**Vintage** · 23rd Jun 12 9:39 AM

@Recaso

(spoiler=stuff) text (/spoiler)

Whatever you type in the "stuff" spot will be the label of your spoiler. Obviously use [ ] instead of ( ).

And because I've not seen the episode yet I'll bow out of this thread until later tonight when I get a chance to watch it. Had I realized it was Saturday I never would have entered in the first place so it's mostly my fault for seeing that spoiler anyway.

**Shuma** · 23rd Jun 12 11:59 AM

AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH

Everything was pretty disappointing in my opinion.

**Derivative** · 23rd Jun 12 12:29 PM

That ending was... Well it left a lot of unanswered questions.

**Shuma** · 23rd Jun 12 1:00 PM

I just love how

Spoiler

**Kronoch** · 23rd Jun 12 3:40 PM

It felt... rushed.

Spoiler

**Akranadas** · 23rd Jun 12 4:36 PM

I think it finished well.

Was a shame we didn't get to see more of Bumi

**Gorb** · 23rd Jun 12 5:02 PM

Spoilers aside, he's still fecking alive?

**Shuma** · 23rd Jun 12 6:01 PM

Different Bumi.

**Lautaro** · 23rd Jun 12 10:50 PM

@Kronoch:

Yeah I thought the same.... *sigh wasted potential.

**Weavern** · 24th Jun 12 12:02 AM

Am i the only one who was dissapointed at this episode? They way over focused on the relationship and it felt like they were trying to hedge agianst not getting a season 2. So much dues ex.

**sporty** · 24th Jun 12 12:31 AM

Two things to consider:
It was planned as a self-contained season.
It's still a children's cartoon first and foremost.

Really would've liked seeing it play out like Kronoch described, but those weren't realistic expectations. Have to take it for what it is, a clichéd kitschy happy end, but just like the end of the first series, it was enough to make me feel warm and fuzzy. Happy enough with that.

**Paladin** · 24th Jun 12 1:51 AM

I quite liked it actually... Considering that the Avatar series has always suffered from American cartoon syndrome (Must be pitched at kids, must be episodic), it was still quite good. I liked the Tarrlok/Noatok bit, and the way their little story came to a close was honestly a bit touching... Certainly a bit darker than you'd usually see on a kids series (And no matter what we may think about it, they're very, very clearly pitching these at little kids), so I was a bit impressed.

Also, Mako was incredibly impressive in this episode, showing that he's really a very, very good firebender. Actually putting Ammon down for a bit while in the grip of bloodbending... That's serious skill from what we know of the Avatar universe. Also, Korra shrugging off blood bending was impressive as she starts to really come into her power.

Iroh's performance was simply off the charts of course. But one would expect that from a presumptive descendant of Zuko, who was a hell of a master at it by the end of the first series.

So yeah, a lot of cool moments, and as I said, I liked the Tarrlok/Noatok subplot.

**Kronoch** · 24th Jun 12 4:18 AM

Don't get me wrong, I didn't think it was a bad episode at all. I thought it was fine overall, but that the events that occured felt like they should have happened over a longer period of time. To me it's like there should have been one more episode in this season, or that some plot threads were meant to be in the second season. I'm disappointed at how it played out, but it wasn't a bad episode. Just a sloppy one.

I'll go into some of the issues I had, but I warn you, there's some major nitpicking ahead.

Spoiler

There were a few things I thought didn't work in this episode.

A) The more dramatic moments, like Tenzin and his family. Why were they there? How and when did Ammon capture them? And them being at Ammon's mercy was completely pointless since they were rescued about five seconds later. It could have been the people from the council or some random group of benders and it would have had just a as much impact. But whatever, it was just kind of pointless. Fleet attacks, fleet destroyed. Heroes captured, heroes freed. Family captured, family freed. Korra loses her powers, Korra regains her powers. We lost the battle, no problem second fleet on the way. Morse code our message, really out of place comedic relief hobo. The highs and lows followed up each other so fast none of them any real impact. It's all over the place. I never really felt the drama of Korra losing her powers because she got them back within minutes.

B) Aang. I was fine with Korra suddenly airbending to save the day, it was a great plot twist. I was not fine with Aang's explanation of the event and him fixing her. It is at our lowest we are closest to our spiritual side. That sounds really profound, but it didn't have anything to do with what actually happened. And then he does... something and she suddenly she's healed. What I think he should have said was "in your desperation to save your friend you broke through the barriers that blocked your airbending". That would have made sense, and I think that is what he really means to say. Airbending is about peace, inner calm, moderation, spirituality and all that jazz. I fail to see what is so spiritual or calm about desperately flailing to save your friend. And also, I would have preferred it if the other avatars gave her some good advice or told her that Ammon could never sever the connections permanently, you know, shown her the way rather than repair the damage for her.

C) Ammon. Did he just forget about her airbending, or what? He must have known, didn't he care? Could he only sever the active connections, not the potential ones? How did he do it, and how did he find out that you could do it? Did he learn chi-blocking and developed it from there? We'll never know.

D) The Equalists. Did they just give up when Ammon was exposed as a liar? There were some serious issues between benders and non-benders, did those just disappear with Ammon? A lot of them were fanatics, I have a hard believing the entire movement fell apart there and then. Did the second fleet have to fight for the city, or did they just roll in without any opposition?

If they'd spent one extra episode dealing with the aftermath of Ammon's disappearence, Korra regaining her powers and the city, it would have been perfect. Again, I don't think the story they decided to tell was bad, but that they tried to cram too much into 45 minutes of storytelling. It just needed a little extra time to flesh things out.

**n0z3k1ll3r** · 24th Jun 12 8:28 AM

Spoiler

**Shuma** · 24th Jun 12 10:18 AM

Spoiler

Overall, yeah it was rushed and disappointing, but as long as there's more(and there will be a season 2) i'm not complaining. Unless everyone is still doing nothing in Republic city.

**Derivative** · 24th Jun 12 12:48 PM

Spoiler

**Lautaro** · 24th Jun 12 1:24 PM

I'm dissapointed that they manage to create a really good villain with a strong rebellion following him (and a mature conflict to set the story) and then bam! all ends in one episode.

It wasn't a ME3-level-disappointment but it's still disappointment.

**Paladin** · 24th Jun 12 2:47 PM

Spoiler

A) The more dramatic moments, like Tenzin and his family. Why were they there? How and when did Ammon capture them? And them being at Ammon's mercy was completely pointless since they were rescued about five seconds later. It could have been the people from the council or some random group of benders and it would have had just a as much impact. But whatever, it was just kind of pointless.

Not really... I mean, if it had been anyone else, Korra and Mako might have left them. Mako tries to convince Korra to retreat even knowing it is Tenzin's family. They were utterly outmatched, two benders against an entire arena full of Equalists, and if the victims had been anyone else, the safety of the Avatar might have seemed more important, especially since they already felt like their reason for being there had failed.

But Tenzin and his family... Besides being personal friends and at least spiritual kin to Korra (They're Aang's family, after all), they're the only airbenders in the world. If Ammon took their bending away...

I think that was the only thing that could have forced Korra to stand and fight, certainly the only way to make charging into that hopeless of a fight plausible to the audience, so it made sense.

B) Aang. I was fine with Korra suddenly airbending to save the day, it was a great plot twist. I was not fine with Aang's explanation of the event and him fixing her. It is at our lowest we are closest to our spiritual side. That sounds really profound, but it didn't have anything to do with what actually happened. And then he does... something and she suddenly she's healed. What I think he should have said was "in your desperation to save your friend you broke through the barriers that blocked your airbending". That would have made sense, and I think that is what he really means to say. Airbending is about peace, inner calm, moderation, spirituality and all that jazz. I fail to see what is so spiritual or calm about desperately flailing to save your friend. And also, I would have preferred it if the other avatars gave her some good advice or told her that Ammon could never sever the connections permanently, you know, shown her the way rather than repair the damage for her.

Aang's not talking about her airbending at all here. He's talking about her lowest point, when she finally accepts that she's lost her bending and breaks down and cries. She's given up her need to be in control by accepting that there's something she can't control, and thereby becomes open to the spiritual. At least, that's what I think they were trying to say. She was at that peaceful, calm moment that comes when you finally fully accept a loss or tragedy. It's a sad moment, but it's a still moment.

C) Ammon. Did he just forget about her airbending, or what? He must have known, didn't he care? Could he only sever the active connections, not the potential ones? How did he do it, and how did he find out that you could do it? Did he learn chi-blocking and developed it from there? We'll never know.

I don't think he had that refined a control of his technique to block bending. I think when he blocked someone he just took away whatever bending they had. But Korra wasn't an airbender at the time. She hadn't ever managed to connect to air, so there was no connection for Ammon to sever. So she still had the ability to make that connection, and her utter and complete desperation as Mako's about to be killed (It seemed like Ammon was pissed and planned to kill, rather than de-power him) allowed her to finally connect to air and bring Ammon down.

D) The Equalists. Did they just give up when Ammon was exposed as a liar? There were some serious issues between benders and non-benders, did those just disappear with Ammon? A lot of them were fanatics, I have a hard believing the entire movement fell apart there and then. Did the second fleet have to fight for the city, or did they just roll in without any opposition?

Without Ammon's leadership, and without even his lieutenant (Who's either dead or seriously injured and almost certainly questioning everything he's believed in up till now), they'd be utterly disorganized, and without Hiroshi's toys, the Equalist forces would have lost their major advantages pretty much overnight. If there was any resistance it would have been disorganized and easily quashed. Mobs are simple for an organized military force to defeat.

Besides, I assume that the fallout will be the subject of the second season. You usually end a season by resolving some conflicts but leaving others open for next year.

That murder/suicide was pretty cold blooded. And on a kid's show!

Honestly, it didn't feel cold blooded to me.

Noatok had been beaten, everything he'd worked for was ruined... He could never be accepted by the Equalists again. If he'd admitted to his abilities on stage, there would have been a chance to convince his soldiers that he was still a believer in the cause, and planned to remove all bending from the world, including his own, when the crusade was finished. Lying baldly to them and having his deception revealed burned every possible bridge.

Both he and Tarrlok had, at that moment, accepted that their lives had been shaped by their father's abuse, even though both had attempted to break free from it in their own ways. Both of them had lost everything, and in accepting their respective failures and defeats, they had managed to recover their love for one another as brothers. Tarrlok realized that Noatok was still too powerful to be allowed to exist, his bloodbending ability was too strong, and the temptation would always be there, ready to corrupt him. After all, he himself had been unable to resist using it against Korra. He's not killing Noatok out of spite, or to get back at him for his own defeat. He's doing what he asked Korra to do, bringing their sad story to a close, and doing it at a moment when the two of them were reconciled and at peace. It was an act of kindness.

And when the camera cuts to Noatok's face as Tarrlok is putting on the gauntlet, we see him weeping and we are meant to realize that he knows that Tarrlok is going to try to kill him somehow, even if he doesn't know how exactly, and he's not planning to fight back. He's tired of what he's become and the life he's lived, and he just wants to die with his brother as friends again.

I mean, I may be reading too much into it, but that's how I saw it, and it wouldn't have been appropriate to have them spell it out in dialogue, because that's not how brothers interact. 75% of what passes between brothers passes unspoken.

So I thought it was a surprisingly well executed and believable moment of cathartic redemption for two characters that were previously genuinely horrible people. I was impressed by the accomplishment, actually, and it made the whole episode for me.

**Shuma** · 24th Jun 12 3:40 PM

You know, i just realized.

Spoiler

**Misiok** · 24th Jun 12 9:54 PM

Oh, at least Shuma we didn't pay 60$ to watch it, thus making the show highly more enjoyable and worth it's 'money' than DA2 ever was and will be.

**Paladin** · 24th Jun 12 11:08 PM

You know, I just realized there are serious parallels between the Tarrlok/Noatok plotline and Zuko's plotline. Abusive father, primary antagonists who are redeemed at the end...

I think one of the writers has daddy issues.

**Akranadas** · 25th Jun 12 12:08 AM

I think its a view for the teens who might have daddy issues : P

**sporty** · 25th Jun 12 1:10 AM

While I didn't like the belated exposition via the long flashback, the Tarlok-Noatauk relation was probably the most impressive aspect of the finale. Didn't come totally out of the blue due to the ambiguous Aang flashbacks, Amon personally carrying Tarlok away, and the bloodbending resistance. Wouldn't say the suicide completely redeemed them, since in my opinion they took this route when realising they were beyond redemption.

Also thought the imprisoned Airbenders didn't make too much sense, you bring up some good reasons for their inclusion, but Korra is (was?) so headstrong that a less dramatic motivation would've been acceptable. Would've liked a better explanation for something that completely invalidates Lin's heroic sacrifice as well. Maybe Amon needed them to practise airbending removal, since he evidently didn't know how to do that

As for the easy/cheap way out of the Equalist uprising, I do agree with that, but couldn't come up with a better alternative given the constraints of the show. Thought it was inspired by the political situation in early 20th century Europe, with rising political extremism (Equalists and Tarlok's authoritarian regime) threatening society, fuelled by inequality, oppression, and terror, and each of them heavily discriminating the other one. In my opinion that's a proper bitch to resolve (as it was historically), even if you'd take the whole season for it. With social issues like unemployment completely dropped after a few references in earlier episodes, I didn't expect that to happen.
Instead we got the "simpler" contrast on the personal level, with Amon, Tarlok, and Hiroshi driven by their past, and good guys like Asami and Lin successfully overcoming it.

Since Bumi lead the second fleet, I assume that he liberated the city single-handedly, just like his namesake. He probably would've dealt with those petty planes as well, but Iroh had to show off a bit

**Misiok** · 25th Jun 12 5:33 AM

Well, hell. I felt dissatisfied. I expected more, even after reading your filthy spoilers. Also, Iroh is awesome, Mako is awesome too. Anyone who can shoot lightning out of their fingertips without much difficulty is awesome. Korra was okay, I thought she'll go into random avatar state at the fight with Amon, and sadly she didn't, darn.

Called it on her bringing back others' bending, hah!

Amons' ideology was stupid, no reason to start doing what he was doing, the whole plot point felt weak. And yeah, it is a kiddie show, so I guess the plot twist can be forgiven, seeing as kids might not guess it.

Anyway, I wonder what'll they think of as the main baddie in season 2!

**holyknight** · 2nd Jul 12 12:30 AM

i don't know, i thought it was pretty darn sweet. i thought it was super epic and sad at the Tarrlok/Noatok ending, made me kind of teary, seeing Noatok's tears in the end and making me go "oh snap, none of these guys are evil, they are just unfortunate kids..."

**Vintage** · 2nd Jul 12 1:53 AM

Originally Posted by Sporty

Wouldn't say the suicide completely redeemed them, since in my opinion they took this route when realising they were beyond redemption.

I don't think they committed suicide for redemption, or even cared about redemption. Paladin's spoiler sums up the motives behind the murder suicide perfectly. They truly were tragic characters, and they really made the season.

**PetarB** · 2nd Jul 12 3:26 PM

I had not seen the original series. But I really enjoyed this one. The ending episode did feel a little rushed, but the rest was fantastic.

**Derivative** · 2nd Jul 12 5:30 PM

Originally Posted by Misiok

Anyway, I wonder what'll they think of as the main baddie in season 2!

It'll have to be something really powerful, as Korra can now go in and out of the avatar state at will. Or go to a monster a week format. I vote against the latter. Maybe something really powerful from Space!

**n0z3k1ll3r** · 2nd Jul 12 5:34 PM

I'm guessing spirit stuff. Based on the book titles:

The Last Airbender:
Book 1: Water
Book 2: Earth
Book 3: Fire

The Legend of Korra:
Book 1: Air
Book 2: ?

Spirit's the only thing that really fits the theme.

**Derivative** · 2nd Jul 12 5:54 PM

Space it is then. 'cause everybody knows spirits come from space.

**Akranadas** · 2nd Jul 12 6:08 PM

She'll fight the Giant Lion Turtle invasion :3

Avatar: The Legend of Korra

Thread Tools

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

Posting Permissions