Board 8 > watching Avatar: The Legend of Korra - Long Live the Queen [spoilers]

(+) Yeah! (+)

*Kuvira
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why would they make zaheer and kuvira spelled differently dammit
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Because f*** you
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that does seem to be the motto of tlok sometimes
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also damnit
that write-up snuck up on me
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that does seem to be the motto of tlok sometimes

Since CoolCly mentioned Sokka and Bolin...

Korra > Aang and Katara

Bolin < Sokka

Mako < Zuko

Asami < Toph

Tenzin < Iroh

Lin, Su, Tenzin's bro Bumi, Kya > Sokka's master, King Bumi, Old Northern Water Tribe Dude
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Man, the new Team Avatar really is inferior to the old. Though I do like Asami, and though Bolin doesn't quite measure up to Sokka, those are big shoes to fill, and I think he's excellent himself.


Though fighting wise, Asami is the opposite of Mako and Bolin, in that she's actually much better at fighting than Sokka. Though there isn't any real reason for that besides self defense classes as a kid or whatever lol.

If she had gained air bending after harmonic convergence she'd be a god.
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I really like Asami, but she's dangerously close to a Mary Sue. If the story were about her, she definitely would be, so I'm glad she didn't get Airbending.

Maybe I'll give further thoughts on Sokka vs Bolin when I finish the series.
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God I'm hyped for the season finale based on these posts
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Holy crap I'm even feeling like rewatching s4 now.

I told you the villain was a good one.

Also this season completes the political collection:

S1: communism
S2: fundamentalism
S3: anarchism
S4: fascism

And I can say there will be a lot of Varrick. More than in s3.

Wu is incredible, and only gets better as the season goes on.

Yeah, Kai really does get way more tolerable in season 4.

And Varrick is incredible. If you'll pardon the Star Trek comparison, he really is a Ferengi, right down to whichever Rule of Acquisition says "War is good for business".

metalbending hitler hype
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I didn't really like Wu that much tbh. Was kinda annoying, although his place in the story was justified.
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I like Team Aang better than Team Korra, but I don't think it's fair to compare them character by character like that. Other than maybe Bolin and Sokka, all the characters serve different roles.
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Korra has way more and way stronger tertiary characters too (which seabass recognized) so it's also an unfair comparison
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foolm0r0n posted...

God I'm hyped for the season finale based on these posts

tfw the only hype for the season is for an episode 10 down the line

ZeldaTPLink posted...

S4: fascism

so far i'm loving the 'warring states' feel to it!

Not_an_Owl posted...

And Varrick is incredible. If you'll pardon the Star Trek comparison, he really is a Ferengi, right down to whichever Rule of Acquisition says "War is good for business".

next topic series: star trek

BlackDra90n posted...

I didn't really like Wu that much tbh. Was kinda annoying, although his place in the story was justified.

Yeah, he's mega-annoying. But he kinda is mega-annoying in the right way.

Megaman703 posted...

I like Team Aang better than Team Korra, but I don't think it's fair to compare them character by character like that. Other than maybe Bolin and Sokka, all the characters serve different roles.

Will address this when the series finishes, I think!
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Don't get me wrong, the whole season is hype

But I specifically am hyped for the finale for certain reasons
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Never finished this. Prolly should.

KORRA - Season 4, Episode 2

Recap: Korra wanders the Earth and enjoys some flashbacks depicting her slow rehabilitation, the effects of her PTSD, and struggle to regain her identity. She eventually is convinced by a spirit to enter the Swamp... where she runs into Toph.

Well, we all knew Toph was coming. Here's Bad Mom #1! (As far as I can tell, Katara's a decent mother.) Leaving my expectations low - Toph is the best TLA character, but we shouldn't put too much pressure on her here. She's no longer a main character and owes us little.

Korra Alone, like its namesake episode from Season 2 of TLA, has some strong moments and some obligatory/bland moments. Korra isn't as cringe-worthy a character as Zuko, and I appreciate that the show doesn't need to try to make her a more sympathetic character to us.

In the first five minutes of the first episode, we discovered what Korra thought was the core of her identity: being the Avatar, i.e. inheriting the title from Aang, who took it from Ozai: Baddest Man on the Planet. Her physicality is everything to her, and she recognizes no self-worth beyond that. It's clearly evident in the deadness of her eyes as she sits in the wheelchair and it's haunting when she bemoans her dependence on others - unable to cook or even dress herself. She begins the series by beating up three Firebenders in sparring. Here, s suspicously similar-looking trio bring her to her knees. The question Korra faces: How can I be the Avatar if I can't fight?

There's no doubt that Korra regains her kick-ass form and the Avatar State by the end of the season, but I'm really hopeful that she manages to answer the question on her own identity, first.

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Apologies in advance for a notes section that probably should have been much better integrated into the main body.

* Love the opening shot in this episode - Korra seeing herself in a cracked mirror. And while it seems like she's going to take time to feel angsty... it's a public toilet, and someone wants IN.

* Korra's got awesome depression eyes.

* I love everything about everyone's letters and Korra's reaction to them - she wants to be happy for her friends, but she can't help the jealousy.

* Korra writes to Asami only. OTP tbqh.

* Always a huge fan of starry nights.

* Random fishmonger guy wants a photo for his 'Wall of Avatars.'

* 'And yes, I am the Avatar, I'm just wearing different clothes and I cut my hair.' Dat classic Korra voice. Love the note of impatience and condescension.

* Dark Korra has all the fighting ability that Korra herself is so insecure about lacking. :(
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toph hype
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Did anyone notice Korra look less defined in this season? My girlfriend pointed it out to me that she had less muscle definition compared to previous seasons. It kinda saw it after she pointed it out but I'm not sure I'm just looking too much into it now.

Would be a nice touch if it was though.
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So far I think she has a bit less muscle than in Season 3, where (especially in the finale) she was massive.

Pretty sure the feral-Avatar-State Korra, i.e. the Korra from the end of S3, looks significantly more muscular than our POV Korra. (And both are less so than the Earthbender who beats her in their cage match.)
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This isn't related to anything currently going on but I've been meaning to bring it up every time you say this, but Zuko is not the Fire Lord.
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Ah, that makes sense. I believe they mention that his daughter actually holds that title. Does Zuko have an official rank currently?
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SeabassDebeste posted...

Ah, that makes sense. I believe they mention that his daughter actually holds that title. Does Zuko have an official rank currently?

Jolly Heat Wizard
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Tag
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The wait between writeups is almost as painful as the wait between episodes was back when this show was still coming out.
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draggin' it out for the ratingz

nah, i just finished buffy recently, and i've been busy this weekend. writeup should be coming soon!
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KORRA - Season 4, Episode 3

Recap: A peaceful transfer of power is ruled out - Kuvira has very publicly declared that she'll be holding onto her acquisitions. Toph has fun with her chew toy, but is displeased to find it poisonous.

Well, that was more sudden and explicit than I'd expected, but again, this isn't a universe known for letting good political intrigue marinate for particularly long. Here we go! The lines are really getting drawn now as brother may go against brother - Bolin's belief seems genuine.. And again, I love that Kuvira is popular. We're not talking about the Fire Nation coming in and stomping everyone as outsiders; we're talking about an
Earth Nation native trying to Make the Earth Nation Great Again. And how about dat power play charisma? 'Something you should know about me. I always get what I want.' Another classic power play: when Su Yin is chatting with Bolin, but Kuvira wants to talk in private: 'Can you give us the room please?' Never seen that happen in real life, but it's always a show of dominance on TV.

Wu is even more over the top this episode, and I can only presume that he'll experience something of a non-violent version of Zuko's arc. He's overflowing with flaws - his cluelessness, his sloth, his vanity, his sense of entitlement. And yet his path to redemption is there - he has no desire to do evil or inflict pain, the importance of which cannot be understated. He's largely innocent - sure, he's extremely bratty about ruining a kid's birthday for the sake of his ego, but what doesn't ring true about his wail that the kid will have a birthday every year... while he'll only ever have this one coronation day? Also, dude loves Mako. Must be great to be so good-looking and broody - dude puts less than zero effort into being liked by others, yet Asami, Korra, and now Wu all go nuts for him. That's the richest girl in the world, the freaking Avatar, and the Prince of the Earth Nation that he's banged. Not bad. He's also now spurred Wu's development, especially on the ignorance front. Just look how Wu reacts: 'What have you ever done for your people?'

As for the other subplot of the episode: 'You want to hug something, go hug a tree.' OH YES TOPH IS BACK. I didn't want to get my expectations high, but this Toph is far beyond the faded Katara, the unrecognizable Aang, or the awkward shadow of Iroh we've gotten. She retains everything that made her Toph, but unlike Iroh, she's no time capsule - this is a woman that's very clearly faced a lot since TLA. When she fights, the directors still lavish attention upon her magnificent footwork. She's still prickly, and when Korra complains about getting smashed, Toph is beyond enthused: 'I KNOW! Imagine me in my prime - I could have DESTROYED you!'

And of course, how about dropping characterization continuity hints on DAT episode from Season 3? Toph spends no effort on convincing Korra to relax. There's no nonsense in her diagnosis of lingering poison, no putzing about with what Korra needs to do. The moment Korra fails to relax, Toph gives up. It's a wonderful look at a character who was clearly not nurturing enough even to her own daughters to have the patience to deal with Korra's s***. Is her psychological diagnosis on Korra correct, that she's just making excuses? Who can say. But you can see Toph in all her beautiful, post-TLA glory: still a badass... whose badassness itself might have prevented her from becoming a badass parent.
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* Mako and Bolin's 'secret handshake' involves ducking past each other as if in a pro bending match. Awesome.

* That paragraph got way too long, but specific characterization details of Wu were really on point - what riles him up most is that there's no glitz and glamor at his coronation; the applause for him is very smattered; he's forced to have an 'intimate' ceremony.

* 'I see you have replaced me with a new girlfriend. She seems very threatening. Well done.'

* Little details in world-building: a neighborhood in Republic City known as 'Little Ba Sing Se.' Hell yeah.

* 'Pathetic! Of all the Avatar's I've worked with, you're by far the worst!'
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also Zuko's daughter was there!
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SeabassDebeste posted...

* 'I see you have replaced me with a new girlfriend. She seems very threatening. Well done.'

best
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htaeD posted...

also Zuko's daughter was there!

seems a quick rewatch is in order
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Zuko's daughter most boring/disappointing character of the series
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yeah, if I remember right the show's website had info about the fact that Zuko's daughter was Fire Lord back in like season one. I was excited for her appearance all that time, but she's definitely underwhelming
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Did you read TLA comics yet?
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She's even less developed than her son, unfortunately. Which isn't that big of a deal, there's no need for it besides Zuko fanservice. I think it's actually kind of neat that they didn't devote a ton of time to TLA character fanservice. They could have done all kinds of stuff. I remember rumours of a search for Sokka's Space Sword being an important plot point, but that never panned out. (no idea if that happens in comics or something though)

Toph is really the only TLA character that was actually interesting in Korra. It's extraordinary how good she is. She's not just Toph in an old body. She's clearly grown in all sorts of ways. Toph was always a next level bender, and had a much deeper perception of her surroundings than others, but her whole thing about understanding how connected the world is and how she sees everything that's happening from the swamp just seems totally believable for her. Her personality also just feels exactly right for how Toph would be after a lifetime. So good.
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Yeah Toph was definitely the biggest fanservice, but the sort of cynical hermit spiritualism she settled into is really perfect.

She's also really good in the comics but she's still a kid obviously.
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I think the fact that Toph works because of her daughters' conflict. Most of the TLA cast evidently settled into the lives they always wanted (did Sokka ever have kids? We don't hear about Tenzin's cousins, but presumably that's not a very important detail). But Toph... she's happy, but she left scars. She's still very imperfect, and I love that.

I'm a little sad that we'll never see a reconciliation between mother and daughters (other than perhaps some whatever fanservice in the finale), but that really added to it for me.
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SeabassDebeste posted...

(did Sokka ever have kids? We don't hear about Tenzin's cousins, but presumably that's not a very important detail)

Sokka may or may not have ever had kids. But Wang Fire has descendants all over the world.
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Nanis23 posted...

Did you read TLA comics yet?

no, and i probably won't until they're all complete

even then maybe not
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The Search has like one of the best stories in the universe
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I read the first comic and iot was kind of bad.

Haven't returned to them ever since.

SeabassDebeste posted...

Nanis23 posted...

Did you read TLA comics yet?

no, and i probably won't until they're all complete

even then maybe not

Your loss
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KORRA - Season 4, Episode 4

Recap: Tenzin's children track Korra, who vows to rediscover her inner badass - starting by reuniting with those crazy kids and by evicting the poison from her body personally. Reunited, the kids and Korra leave the Swamp.

f*** Meelo. Is this what I get for admitting that Kai has become tolerable with age? Meelo is a f***ing cancer on the show, an abomination with literally every single line. Instead of alleged roguish charm, Meelo is just straight-up bad and unfunny every single time he appears on the screen.

S3 Kai was bad largely because of the enforced importance he took on. Meelo, on the other hand, is just awful to look at. That's before you take into consideration how annoying his voice is and how inexcusable his dialogue is, too. The net effect of Meelo, as it was for Kai, is to bring down the degree to which you can seriously watch this show. This is a universe that, once again, featured mega-badass twelve-year-olds that I accepted without blinking. So why does it have such an issue with young children?

It's all the more tragic, because Meelo single-handedly s***s all over an otherwise excellent episode. Iki has a rare moment in the spotlight, and her brattiness is of the far more tolerable type - possibly because her voice isn't so f***ing annoying and because looking at her doesn't give me cataracts. Her bonding scene with her Earth Kingdom captors is by far the highlight in the Graangchildren's storyline. Jinora ironically takes a back seat as the Master Airbender here, but she's solid, too.

Toph might be a little too articulate in diagnosing Korra's problems here. Korra is back on her feet and she's regained access to the Avatar State. I like Korra, so I'm happy that she's got some mojo back. On the other hand, I'm concerned that regaining mobility is going to stunt her internal growth. Besides showing some flashbacks, I'm not convinced Korra has learned anything from her downtime - have we short-circuited her learning experience by restoring her strength? Hopefully she shows that she's grown besides just becoming a physical badass again.

The power of spectacle is strong here, though. Korra connecting with Jinora through the Bando Tree's roots is a major highlight of the episode, as we follow the burst of energy through the swamp. 'The fight is over. Release the fear.'

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* 'The Avatar? We still have one of those? Haven't seen her, kid.'

* Toph still OP. On teaching Aang Earthbending: 'What's there to tell? I threw some rocks at the Avatar, he got all whiny, and Sokka fell in a hole.' On beating the Fire Lord: 'Oh, yeah! It was hot. I was on a blimp. And I think a giant turtle showed up.' On being told she's a bad storyteller: 'You're terrible at listening!'

* 'This is Tenzin's kid, and she's looking for the Avatar. Do you know what that means?' / 'No, but try this macaroon.' RANDOM MINOR ENEMY BANTER THE BEST. Quietly, it's also horrific to think that in Kuvira's Earth Kingdom, you can legit be captured just for being an Airbender. Fortunately it seems like these two mooks were just opportunists rather than enforcing an Earth Nationalist policy... or are they?

* Meelo gets pretty ill by eating purple berries that stain his mouth. Feel like it's a callback to the purple berries that Katara used to fake illness in 'The Painted Lady.'

* 'Who cares! I'd rather hang out with you guys! Hit me with one of those macaroons!' (guard tosses one, Iki catches it in her mouth, guard pumps fist, other guard steams)
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i like meelo =)
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Ikki so underrated (btw you misspelled that one too)
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ikki was how i spelled it in my notes but i backed down like a coward dammit
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best guards
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Up
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