The Legend of Korra: Darkness Falls & Light in the Dark Review

Finally, the Vaatu has come back, to civilization. Man what an episode. I’ve had a week now to sit on my thoughts and figure out how much I valued this two part finale, and whether or not it lived up to the season or exceeded it. This episode was by far the best balanced this season has offered, and brought everything together nicely.

Let’s start with Mako/Bolin Vs. Unalaq/Desna/Eska. What a mismatch. Don’t get me wrong, Mako and Bolin are both accomplished fighters, but Desna/Eska alone have already proven this season that they can hold their own against Korra, and Unalaq has been so emboldened by his recent victories, there was no way Mako/Bolin had a shot at this one. Poor kids, maybe they will have a more important role in the seasons to come other than cannon fodder.

Let’s move to the spirit world, where Tenzin/Bumi/Kya are on the mission to save Jinora. This allowed us to get a deeper insight into this daunting yet charming world. Once again we are introduced to a spirit that has little to no love for humans, but she ended up inadvertently helping our trio. Put into a spirit ‘prison’ Tenzin is confronted with a lot of the complaints that I’ve personally leveled against him since season 1. Tenzin is not centered, not in control of his feelings, not as spiritual as he would like, and does live within his father’s shadow. It’s something that has been apparent since season 1, and something that has always bothered me. What makes all these insecurities meaningful now, is that fact that they led up to the moment where Tenzin must overcome the fog of doubt within in order to save those that he loves. And whether he was able to able to accomplish this with the help of his father, or by himself is immaterial, because Tenzin has grown, and it was necessary if the characters was to ever be depended upon again. Once finally cleared of all that held him down, Tenzin was able to save his family. On a side note, it was great to see a mad Zhao the Moon Killer, and surprising to see just how many humans were trapped in the fog of madness.

Now for the main match, Korra/Raava Vs. Unalaq/Vaatu. I expected this to be a difficult fight. Fighting evil always is, and Korra has had a long journey this season. But when Unalaq and Vaatu fused to become the Dark Avatar, I did not expect them to be as powerful as they were (after all, they were limited to only one form of bending). However, Unalaq fought Korra to a standstill. As seen previously, Yakone brought Aang to his knees, but Aang was able to Avatar State out of that situation. Here, Korra was up against someone who could match her almost power for power, and no Avatar in the known history of this universe has ever had to fight against something as powerful as a Dark Avatar. Korra had no reference point for this. She was truly on her own.

So Vaatu extracted Raava from Korra. Then Vaatu, in a very ultimate evil move, extinguished the light of Raava, seemingly destroying Korra’s connection to her past lives, and left to plunge the world into 10,000 years of darkness. When Amon blocked Korra’s ability to bend earth/water/fire, Korra was really shaken, but she still had air ending, and she still (at the time unknown) had Raava. Now everything she has ever known about herself was taken from her. She gave it her all, lost, and was stripped bare of everything she thought it meant to be Korra. Thankfully, a rejuvenated Tenzin was able to guide her thoughts and help her realize that there is more to her than Raava. It’s a very human problem, trying to reinvent oneself once everything you have ever known fails you, but she lived up to the task in a very Korra way, by becoming a giant blue mecha spirit thingy. With Korra off to fight Vaatu, Jinora off to find the light for Korra, Tenzin, Kya, Mako, Desna, Eska and Bolin are left to protect Korra’s body from an army of dark spirits.

Have you ever been in one of those situations where you are so painfully overwhelmed, that nothing but doubt governs your mind despite the fact that you still have to keep fighting, and no matter how hard you fight you end up losing? I have, and just when I was at my limit, a helping hand came along to ease the burden. That was the role Jinora played in this fight. She was the dark horse, the grand unknown, and ultimately the most important person the Avatar needed in order to ensure victory for peace around the world. Jinora has had an exceptional season, guiding Korra and Tenzin, and if we are to ever see these characters all grown up, I get the feeling that Jinora will be one of the greatest, if not the greatest spiritual leaders this world has ever seen. I’m glad that ultimately victory hinged on a human, and not the Avatar or some spirit.

With Vaatu defeated, Unalaq’s body destroyed, it was time for some housekeeping. Korra may no longer have the connection to her past lives anymore (at least for now), but I’m not so sure if that’s a bad thing. Korra has always been a free spirit, someone unafraid of making big decisions and dealing with the consequences head on, so I feel that now she is free of these shackles, she will do just fine. Korra is the new Avatar Wan for the next 10,000 years of Avatar, and sure, I’m going to miss Aang, a lot, and I can’t even imagine this show without a little Kyoshi, but like Unalaq said, the world is entering a new age, and who better than Korra to lead them through it.

More notes; the always great Varrick sprung outta jail in absolute style; Korra and Mako are thankfully no longer an item (but Asami too has to get over him); Bolin, despite his best(?) efforts could not win Eska back; and Korra chose not to close the spirit portals, allowing the spirits into the human world freely, reversing Wan’s legacy. I’ve said before that I’m not convinced that Wan was a very good Avatar, and I don’t know if what Korra has done is the right thing, but she has shattered the glass ceiling that separated humans and spirits, and now her role in the brave new world will be instrumental in shaping it for the next 10,000 years.

This season was not as smooth as season 1, but the story it told was easily more important than everything that has come before it. I’m going to hold judgment over the entire season until I watch it again, but this two part finale was really a joy to watch. It was animated beautifully, complimented by a great sound track. It wrapped up a very bold season that undoes many things that this show has set up since debuting in 2005. The rest of Korra is going to be defined by this season, for better or for worse, and if the show continues past Korra, the rest of the series will be held to what happened in Book 2: Spirits, at least until the next big reset. So now we have to wait till the next season, Book 3: Change, in 2014, but until then, I’ll be going back and watching this season, and going back to the beginning of Avatar and re-watching Aang’s adventures once again, because why not.

The Legend of Korra: Harmonic Convergence Review

The second part of this week’s episode brought our main characters to the doorstep of cataclysm, with Harmonic Convergence just hours away, it was time to deal with Unalaq and Vaatu once and for all. And how does the team decide to go about fighting a superior army with literally only 10 or so people? Head on of course, because why not? Sure it was a weak battle plan. They could have tunneled underneath everyone and gotten right to the portal, I mean they have two earth benders, but that would have deprived us of one of the funniest episodes of the season.

Tenzin’s siblings have lived in his shadow for the entire season, and apparently life too if they are to be believed, but in this episode Bumi had his chance to shine. Since his introduction, Bumi has always seemed like he’s compensating. Maybe it’s because he’s older than his siblings and is starting to feel his age, or more likely it’s that he’s the only non-bender in a household that contained four, so he had to be loud and in your face to get some recognition. Regardless of the source of his inner feelings of inadequateness, Bumi is a cheerful spirit, much like Sokka and King Bumi before him. So when everyone else gets caught, only someone who can truly think outside the box could save the day.

Watching Bumi fumble his way past guards and evil spirits was truly enjoyable. He was funny, something the show, especially this season, has lacked to a certain degree. Sokka was always lightening up the mood in the previous series, and Bolin, before his ‘I’m an actor now’ shtick broke the tension more often than not. Varrick had his moments, but when he took a turn to the dark side, his funny antics were put on the back burner for a more sinister approach, so watching Bumi save the day Jack Sparrow style really stood out.

What was great about his rescue mission was how it was foreshadowed the entire episode without you really realizing it. He was constantly telling everyone of his crazy missions when in the army, and all the kind of kooky ways he would save the day. No one took him seriously, and to a certain degree, as the viewer, you couldn’t either. I mean some of the things he was implying were outlandish. But in the end, he saved the day with nothing but his flute, and a stolen mecha tank. It was hilarious to see him angering evil spirits, try to fight them one on one, and eventually lead them on a chase that brought down the entire enemy camp. He truly lived up to the namesake Bumi, and no doubt uncle Sokka taught him a thing or two about quick thinking.

With all free, everyone had a goal. Tenzin, Kia and Bumi were off the find Jinora’s spirit. Mako and Bolin were to hold off Unalaq. Korra was to close the portals and prevent Vaatu from becoming free and Unalaq from becoming the Dark Avatar. Unfortunately for Korra, she was too late. The planets aligned, and Harmonic Convergence commenced, freeing Vaatu. This is a fight 10,000 years in the making, and one I am very excited to see.

This episode was pure fun, and we needed that. It’s been a while since I genuinely laughed without the sense of tension in the background, and one more episode earlier in the season like this might have helped this season flow a little better. It was animated well and had a great soundtrack. I’m going to hold off on publishing my review for the two part finale until they air, even though it is on the Korra site. For the review of part I click here. 

The Legend of Korra: A New Spiritual Age Review

I wrote a review for last week’s episode of Korra, and as I reread after writing it, it came off as so mean spirited that I chose not to publish it; after all, if you have nothing good to say, why say anything at all? However, before I get into this week’s review, here is the most important sentences of what I had wrote; “Once again, like I’ve said in many of my previous reviews, Tenzin proves how much of a poor teacher he is, especially when compared to someone like old General Iroh, who was measured, smart, confident, and above all loving. Tenzin just comes off as a spoiled brat.” I did not like that episode! This week’s, on the other hand, more than made up for it.

The only important thing from last week is the Unalaq and Vaatu are in cahoots.

With Korra and Jinora now in the spirit world, the show finally picks off where Avatar Wan left us. Watching the two kids (yes, I know Korra is 17, and yes, that means she, and possibly you, are still a kid) explore the spirit world for the first time was interesting. Aang was so connected to his spiritual side all this came easy to him. His troubles were with confronting adversary head on, something Korra has no issue with, and something that proved to be her undoing in the spirit world, as seen when she gets overwhelmed by all the spirits.

Jinora taking Korra on a journey.

In the show previously, from The Last Air Bender up to The Legend of Korra, it has always been apparent that spirits are extremely powerful beings. We have seen them crush armies, steal faces, swallow up libraries, while humans have been constantly at their mercy. This still holds true in this episode, but they have one glaring weakness; they are hugely dependent upon the moods of people, and more so with the Avatar. As soon as Korra goes on the defensive against a bunch of confronting spirits, Korra did what comes naturally, takes a stand and try to force them away from her. This proved to be wrong, instantly turning them ‘evil’, and that’s when I realized that quite possibly humans might be worse for spirits than spirits are for humans. But who’s to know for sure, spirits did force humans to live on the backs of the Lion Turtles!

From here, the two are separated. Jinora, much like Aang, is quite confident and happy with the spirits, finding a companion quickly thus moving her adventure along. Korra however, reverts back to a childlike state, feeling overwhelmed, scared, unsure, and sad. It’s in this moment where she needs the guidance of someone wise, measured, smart, and competent. Enter a character I did not realize I had been missing for so long; the one true General Iroh.

Oh how I have missed you good sir.

I almost cried when I saw Iroh again. Maybe it was because of the great characters his original voice actor Mako portrayed, or because after Toph, Iroh was the best character on the old show, but watching him come into frame made me very nostalgic for the old show, and reminded me of how much I miss the old Gaang, and how much more I actually prefer them (sacrilege)! It’s not because Korra is doing her best impression Harry Potter during The Order of the Phoenix , or that I just don’t like Mako, or that I find Bolin to be increasingly one note, or that I don’t know why Asami still has a thing for Mako, but it’s exactly all of that actually. I found the Gaang more interesting.

Iroh, in his brief 10 to 15 minutes of show time, helped Korra more with his advice that Tenzin has been able to help Korra since the first season. And I love that fact that once he was done with the material world (translation – died!) he transcended into the spirit world to live with them. Of course, none of this is surprising if you know the good General’s history, and it was so good to finally have a steadying hand guide the Avatar, she’s been in desperate need of someone competent for quite a while now. With Iroh guiding her, Korra was able to find strength from within, and help a bunch of spirits too in the process.

Jinor, on the other hand, put her trust in the wrong spirit. Wan Shi Tong was an arrogant, mean spirit, who I always personally blamed for the theft of Appa, because blaming Toph is unfair, and blaming Sokka is like being annoyed at a baby for being cute. So when he reared his ugly face on screen, I knew we were in for trouble. Sure he was going to side with Unalaq (I mean he has a sinister sounding voice), and sure Jinora was going to get caught, how else was Korra going to be forced to open the last spirit portal, but I hope this doesn’t cause Jinora to distrust spirits. She is light years ahead of anyone else we have been introduced to this series in terms of spirituality, and she has the potential to be one of the greatest Air benders because of this connection. I’m sure this experience will inform her moving forward, but I doubt that it will have a lasting negative affect (that is if she survives!).

A face even a mother couldn't love!

So with Jinora trapped, Korra forced to open the spirit portal and almost caught herself, and harmonic convergence only days away, this episode helped move the plot along far more competently that last week’s effort. We now have purpose. Tenzin needs to get Jinora back. Korra needs to stop Unalaq and Vaatu, and Mako (uhg) needs to something something Varrick. This season has been interesting thus far. When it’s all said and done, I am very much looking forward to going back and re-watching it from beginning to end. Whereas each episode from the first season could stand alone with characters making tough, yet smart decisions, this season has thus far come off as a little messy and questionable at times. But like season 4 of Arrested Development, it’s very possible that it all comes together in the end to prove just how smart it was all along. Time will tell. This episode was great, both the animation and music brought this episode alive organically, like ‘leaves from the vine, falling so slow’.

The Legend of Korra, Beginnings Parts 1 & 2 Review.

When I sat down to watch this episode of Korra, I was a little worried about it. Origin stories, after the fact, are always a little difficult to do well, and now we are getting the origin story of the Avatar. Was this guy going to be a brave warrior who learnt to bend all the elements at once? Was he a king, a spiritual leader, a learned man? The answer, none of the above. He was just some Joe Schmo who was going to tell Korra his journey so that it may help her.

A young Wan largely unaware of the outside world.

For the first part of this episode, I did not like Wan. Sure he was the down on his luck street kid like Aladdin, but unlike Aladdin, he didn’t come off as a brave street smart kid who looked out for the innocent and helpless. He lied and stole and cheated, and by the time he was banished I didn’t feel too sorry for the young Avatar in the making. Hailing from the pseudo Fire Nation on the back of the Lion Turtle, Wan gains the element of fire, and chooses to keep it instead of gifting it back. However, this all leads to his banishment, and it’s from this point out, with Wan free of the shackles of his village, his story really comes to life.

Fire Lion Turtle gifting the element of Fire.

First thing first. Spirits, living along side with human, was awesome. Their designs were really interesting to look at, and I got the impression that each one had distinct personalities to go with their odd shapes. Their general dislike of humans was an interesting choice for them. After all, it was the human’s world first, and the spirits came into the world and forced the humans to live on the back of Lion Turtles. It’s not really surprising that the humans did not like these invading spirits, and the fact that they live in distrust of one another kept an undercurrent of tension throughout the episode that manifested into fighting and death on more than one occasion.

No spirit stood out more than Aye-Aye. He was just pure fun to watch. His opinion of humans was so low, it was comical to see him interact with then as if he was dealing with an unwanted ugly pet. Jason Marsden (his voice actor) did such a great job bringing this charming character to life. Aye-Aye came off as intelligent, wise, kind to spirits, but overtly arrogant and hateful of humans. But as Wan tore down Aye-Aye’s distrust, wanting to live along with the spirits and learn from them, Aye-Aye went from mean bully to reluctant teacher. He had an interesting journey, and is integral in the development of the Avatar. I would like to know what fate befell the big eared spirit.

The charming Aye-Aye.

With Wan spending two years learning from the spirits, I expected him to achieve a level of knowledge and spirituality that would allow him to solve great problems and end calamities. However, the first thing he did once on his own again was unleash ultimate evil. It was such a rookie mistake I was surprised he fell for Vaatu’s trick. Why he was never told of Vaatu the spirit of chaos and darkness or Raava the spirit of peace and light is a glaring omission on Aye-Aye’s behalf, but the fact that Wan couldn’t determine a sinister looking being based purely on looks alone shows just how little Wan had developed in his two years of banishment. It was worrying.

Raava and Vaatu locked in eternal battle.

With Wan’s unleashing of evil, he finally had a goal. To right his wrongs, Wan chose to find the other Lion Turtle cities and gain the elements from then. The first stop was the Air Nomads, and it was wonderful to see that they weren’t as distrustful of the spirits as those on the Fire Turtle. Spirits lived with them in peace and harmony, and it spoke volumes about the nature of the various humans in this world, and what their descendants would become. It seems that the people of Fire are predestined to be violent, seeking fights, whereas the Air Nomads were a gentle people who were already a very well developed culture at this point. Sadly we didn’t get to see too much of the Water Turtle of Earth Turtle villages, but it would have been very interesting to see what they were like too.

The fact that in order to gain the elements, humans had to go to the Lion Turtles and be gifted the power was not what I was expecting. I always assumed that the humans of this world had this power naturally, but it seems that there was a point in the planet’s history when no human could bend any element, and the world may have been better off. It reminded me of Prometheus’ story of ancient Greek mythology. The Lion Turtles, who genuinely love the humans, had good intentions, but in gifting the elements gave the humans a powerful tool to cause more harm than good to one another, and no appreciation for that power.

Before the final fight with Vaatu, Wan tried to prevent a battle between the spirits and fellow outcasts from his villiage, but once again failed. Vaatu’s influence was too great, and the spirits lead by Aye-Aye slaughtered the humans, and Wan was left with the knowledge that he had been the cause of it all. It’s like he can do nothing right. Teaming up with Raava, Wan took on Vaatu in the spirit realm, and one of the best duels in the Avatar universe took place. The bending of this era was so elemental. Great cloud gusts that made up air, fire and water looked primordial, and earth was big, blocky, and not done with the finesse that Toph would bend. However, despite his training, Wan was not making any ground against Vaatu.

Wan staring down Vaatu.

Vaatu was powerful, and in a world full of distrust and hate he was in his prime. Thus Wan and Raava became one, and for the first time, the Avatar came into being. Avatar Wan’s power was great. I got the impression that even he was unaware of its full extent, but once he got a grasp of the basics, he overwhelmed Vaatu and locked him up. Wan then makes the executive decision to close the spirit portals and declare that he will dedicate his life to bring about peace to the world. After this, I have no doubt that Unalaq is not the big baddie, and that Vaatu is pulling all the strings. It also highlights how much of Wan’s work Korra had undone this season thus far, but with her memories back, and the knowledge of Wan’s life, Korra has some powerful tools at her disposal.

Raava moments before binding with Wan forever.

In the end, Wan didn’t solve some great calamity. He didn’t bring about peace to the world. He died old, broken, and all alone on a battle field, apologizing to Raava for his failures, lamenting the choices he’s made. It was sad to watch. Almost difficult. But from his life, we got Korra, Aang, and the always great Kyoshi. So he may not have had an easy, carefree life, and he may have caused more problems than he solved, but Avatar Wan had a good soul, and it was a sad ending to a man of good intentions.

Wan's dying breath.

This episode was beautiful to watch. It was like watching a painting come to life. The music was really well done, complementing the ancient vibe of this episode. As Korra goes on break into November, there is still so much left unanswered, and I can’t wait for its return. This was a truly great episode, easily the best in the entire Avatar series. 

The Legend of Korra: The Sting Review

This week, Korra barely shows up so everyone else had to pick up her slack. This episode was really well done. It had the slow methodical pace of a detective serial of old while bringing in the inter policing rivalries of more modern shows. Throughout the episode, Maco gathered and examined clues to seemingly uncover the mystery behind all the terrorist attacks that have been going on. Finally, Mako had something to do besides getting yelled at by Korra and Lin.

Starting off with a raid on one of Asami’s shipments to the South, things quickly escalate to espionage, betrayal, a full on Bond style water chase between ships, ending with the ‘bad guy’ seemingly getting the upper hand. Throughout the episode Mako tried hard to stay ahead of all the sleight of hand and trickery afoot, but with no one on his side, he remained a step behind. It didn’t help that Chief Be Fong was so unwilling to listen to him. I get it that he’s a rookie, but come on, has she never seen… read, any of the numerous stories where the rookie cop is proven right at the end? Come on BatLin, I hold you to a higher standard than this.

Good work officer. One day you'll make detective.

Through and through, Mako did as a good job as he could. He followed, clues, believed his gut, and was not motivated by trying to prove Korra wrong or win Asami back. He was doing it all for the truth, and because of that he put the clues together leading him right to Varrick. Not Varrick!

Like I said last week, there is far more to this eccentric man than meets the eyes, and I’m sure his ultimate goal is not just gaining a controlling share in a competitors company. I’m sure money is a huge motivator for him, but I’m beginning to get the feeling that he might be in cahoots with Unalaq. Like he said, ‘if you can’t make money during a war, you can’t make money period’. He may be a source of endlessly great quotes, but the man is sly as a fox, and has wiggled his way into a very powerful position. And it doesn’t hurt that he likes to play both sides. At least Mako’s on to him.

There's no way it can be me, right?

On the B side of this episode, Bolin has found the celebrity side of life to his liking. With a lot of money now at his disposal he gets to buy frivolous items. He’s also doing a good job of playing the vain celeb, ignoring Mako in his time of need (and eye for and eye leaves all but one blind). Meanwhile, Unalaq seems to be getting some sort of direction for his actions from some unseen force. He is openly entering and leaving the spirit portal at will while his children wait for him. I’m sure some evil entity is pulling the strings here, and ultimately he’s going to be as powerless as cabbage man. But for now, his plan has a set back as he believes the Avatar is dead.

Just Bolin, doing his Nuktuk thing.

Speaking of which, it was nice of Korra to show up at the end. Or was it her? She certainly no longer knows, but at least she’s with people who know who she is. She’s had a tough season thus far, especially seeing how she just came off her biggest challenge last season; I guess no one ever said being the Avatar would be easy. So as Korra tries to remember who she is (at least she knows she can bend, and for some reason chose to air bend over water bend!) the shot panned out and lingered over the water which seemed to be hiding something beneath the surface. Possibly one of these so called ‘evil spirits’ which might not be as evil as they have been purported to be (all speculation here).

This was not only a very well done episode, but one I believe will ultimately prove vastly important to the series. It was different from what’s come before on the show. It was both slower and more intelligent, and didn’t feel the need to hit the view over the head with the obvious. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and can’t wait for the two parter next week. 

The Legend of Korra: Peacekeepers Review

Korra this week returned the show to Republic city to deal with the fallout of the Water Tribe civil war. From the start, we are once again reminded just how little Bolin has developed. As the rest of Team Avatar leave to go complete an important task, Bolin is left to wonder what his fate should be. I really felt for him. It reminded me of when I graduated college, looked back at where I’d been, and realized I’ve spent most of my life thus far in school and not really sure how the real world works. And as I tried to figure it out, I spent the first couple of months in a daze caught between two very distinct lives, and not sure if I was ready to leave one for the other. It feels like Bolin too is trying to discover his groove now that his pro-bending days with Mako are essentially over and each member of Team Avatar doing their own thing. Lucky for him, the always great Varrick was at hand to accompany Bolin in his search for self-discovery.

Varrick has been great. Whether he’s giving another great quote ('being famous is like getting hit with a rock all the time'), or the fact that I’m becoming increasingly more convinced that the eccentric billionaire inventor persona he embodies is just a shtick he uses to throw everyone off the fact that he is not only very intelligent, but also very observant and cunning, but once again Varrick stole the show. Between propaganda movies and shoes for hands, Varrick is a treasure trove of endless possibilities, and I hope that he doesn’t have a turn to the sinister before the series end.

We're ditching the girl kid and going to have some great adventures!

On a lighter note, Korra and Mako make huge waves throughout the episode. Caught between being loyal to his girl or his job, Mako’s forced to make choices that are neither easy nor clear cut. Korra desperately wants to liberate her people from the invading forces, and is using all her influence and karma she’s built up to get the help she needs. But it would have been easier for her to get help by yelling at a brick wall. The newly elected President of the United Republic is unwilling to drag his nation into a war that doesn’t really involve them. Further complicating matters is Mako going against Korra and giving the president inside information of her movements. When she went to Gen II Iroh, the President nipped any ‘effort’ to assist in the bud.

This final shut door forced Korra to head to the Fire Nation to seek help from the Fire Lord. However, her journey there was thwarted by the wonder twins and an evil spirit. When Unalaq ordered his children to go retrieve the Avatar I was left a little surprised. Very few benders could hold their own against an Avatar. Both Yakone and Noatak were incredibly powerful benders, but were still unable to best the Avatars. So what makes these two so special? And why are they so confident in their abilities that there were initially going into this fight with the intent to kill! Clearly there is more to these two than meets the eye. However, they are unsuccessful in capturing Korra. That honor goes to the evil spirit who seemingly swallowed Korra, despite her Avatar Stating and trying to calm said spirit.

There is something seriously not right about these two.

Other main points to touch upon are Unalaq revealing that he needs Korra to open the spirit gate up north. I’m beginning to think that he’s getting his orders from someone else, but I could be wrong. An attack on the Southern Water Tribe cultural center looks to inflame a war. Mako is investigating the terrorist attack believing that it was not perpetrated by Northern Water Tribesmen. And at the air temple, Tenzin releases the inner monster within Meelo (his words, not mine!), as he continues his personal time with each of his kids. I assume Jinora is next. This was a very fun episode. The animation and music were once again great. Oh, and the BatLin returned! More BatLin please. 

Just give us the Lin Bei Fong show we deserve!

The Legend of Korra: Civil Wars Part 2 Review

“The only way to deal with crazy women is to lie big and leave fast”. That was the quote that made me realize that not only is this a better, far more coherent episode than last week’s, but possibly the best episode of the season thus far. By the way, I didn't realize just how funny Varrick was going to be until this week, but man, I’m glad he’s in the show and along for the ride.

Just the kind of funny I was missing.

This episode moved everything forward. Jinora was found and made peace with her siblings. Tenzin made peace with his siblings and was able to see past the happy haze surrounding his father. Kya and Bumi realized that they can’t take out frustration over Aang on Tenzin. Finally, Aang’s descendants were able to find peace will all stories nicely wrapped up.

So onto the crux of the matter, the Civil War. You see, the South wants to live the way they’ve always practiced, while the North believes that their behavior is detrimental to society and needs to be reformed. Thus, Abraham Lincoln is moving to … sorry, wrong Civil War. This one is more in the line of Cain Vs. Able, or if you’d rather, Mufasa Vs. Scar.

What's up with brothers always fighting.

It basically boils down to Unalaq being jealous of his older, stronger, more handsome brother Tonraq. And like all jealous brothers who can’t move past their own insecurities, it seems Unalaq decided to dedicate his life to undermining any sense of peace and stability Tonraq could muster. His job was made easier by Tonraq’s unwillingness to discuss what happened with anyone (possibly he told his wife?) or dig deeper to find out the truth of his banishment. Thankfully for him, Korra suffers from a little case of the headstrongs and hot bloodedness that most teens seem to come down with. Good thing too.

Korra really felt like Robert De Niro in the Godfather Part II; bold, strong, and unafraid to get her hands dirty. It was great watching her interrogate the magistrate with Naga. It was genuinely fearful. I knew that she wouldn’t kill the man, but the line between good and bad could have easily been crossed. There is an episode of the Justice League cartoon when Superman kills President Lex Luthor after Luthor kills the Flash. Superman has been pushed to his brink, and he decides to fall on the darker side of temptation. The obvious difference is that Superman has had years of being the good guy and became jaded, but if Korra embraces the temptation of abusing power (something I’m sure at least one previous Avatar must have done), this seemingly badass act could be indicative of something darker. But I doubt that she will ever go down that path.

Moments before turning Lex into a pile of ash. And he's supposed to be the boy scout!

This was a very fun, and very good episode. It was, once again, animated beautifully. The sound was pitch perfect. The dialogue was natural, funny, and poignant. This was exactly the right kind of follow up that the first part needed. Where part 1 fell flat, part 2 really brought it home. A great episode, and it looks like we are heading back to Republic City. I can’t wait!

The Legend Of Korra: Civil Wars Part I Review

The first thing I thought once the episode was over is that I can’t fully judge it without its second part. As things stand, we've only gotten one side of a conversation, and now have to wait a whole week till the next. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but if I am to judge this episode on its own merits, I can’t judge it fairly. It was ok, moves the water tribe story line further along, but does little else.

Korra still struggles with her role as not only an Avatar, but a peace keeper, a member of the water tribes, and the fact that she’s from the currently occupied south. There is some interesting interplay between herself, her father, and her uncle, but no major revelations are made. She comes to terms with her father’s past just in time for Unalaq to stand between them. I’m still not fully convinced that he is a baddie for the season, but he has no doubt overreached far beyond any good intentions he may have had.

I could be wrong, he does suffer from a severe case of shifty eye syndrome!

Of course, the Southerners resistance to the occupation is justified. One minute they were living day to day as free men and women and the next they are told to go indoors and stay out of the military’s way. From their point of view, some spiritual zealot they see once a year has come to their town and forcibly taken control. And what are his justifications? From his point of view they were a hedonistic society that was leaving their spiritual past behind. It’s a nice message to send to the people you are trying to get cooperation out of.

So what of Unalaq’s plan? His desire to reopen both water tribe spirit portals to calm the angered spirits seems to be the right thing to do, but what of this travel portal it will open? Not sure how this fits into his plan, but I’m sure there is some ulterior motive behind it all. And how long have these portals been sealed, and why were they sealed in the first place? If Korra stopped to think for a minute, she should remember that just six months ago she was able to converse with Aang and gain her powers back. Maybe she could get some invaluable advice from him! But as seen before, she’s more of a doer than a thinker, but it does eventually come to her.

Seriously, this only happened six months ago. Remember?

So with Korra’s father in trouble, Unalaq gaining more ground, and a little side story of Bolin’s girl troubles, the only other story worth talking of is the infighting between Aang’s kids. It seems Aang was about as good a father as most other fathers. I’m sure he did his best, but it’s never good enough. With Kya and Bumi believing Aang played favorites with Tenzin (and it seems they might have a point), tension seeps its way from the Water Tribe to the Air Temple. Sure it’s sibling rivalry at its base, but there is a bite to it all. It seems that Tenzin’s siblings have always had a resentment to his preferential treatment from Aang, and could possibly explain why they picked on him. It seems to ultimately be a minor story, but it’s interesting to know that the little kid who saved the world and idolized by so many was fallible.

So that was it. Animation once again was very good, as was the sound. But without the second part, I'm not sure what to make of this episode. I’ll reserve judgment until next week when I have the full story.

The Legend of Korra: The Southern Lights Review

So after a probing part one, where was the season two premiere of Korra to take us? Of course, with tension already high, the journey to the South Pole was not going to be smooth. Sure Bolin, Maco, and Korra’s very weird cousins provided some laughs, but it’s obvious from the get go that the emotion bubbling to the surface was threatening to boil over. Korra’s father has little to no respect/care for the spirits. He’s a practical man, someone who works only with what he sees, and later we learn the cost of this line of thought. It would also help to explain not only Korra’s strong will, but her struggle with connecting with the spirits.

It is too late to call shotgun?

As Unalaq leads the group, spirits attack stealing all the camping gear and leaving most of the equipment useless. Forced to take shelter in a cave, it’s at this point where the animosity between Unalaq and his brother, Korra’s dad Tonraq, is revealed. Years ago the young General Tonraq, chasing a group of bandits out of the Northern Water Tribe, angered the spirits. In the end, it was Unalaq who saved the tribe, and Tonraq was banished. With Tonraq exiled to the Southern Water Tribe, Unalaq ascended to the throne. With all this revealed, a very upset Korra decides it’s time her father makes like Tenzin and leaves.

Angered spirits attach the Northern Water Tribe.

With all this information hitting her, Korra has every right to be upset. Her role in the world is to be the bridge between the spirit world and mankind. The fact that her father angered spirits in his youth should have been brought to her attention. If there is anything we've learnt about spirits from Aang it’s that they don’t forget their interactions with humans (see Koh the face Steeler and Wan Shi Tong). Both those spirits had poor interactions with humans and both didn't care too much for Aang’s role as the Avatar. They still held him accountable for mankind’s actions, and the fact that Korra’s dad angered them by destroying a holy site would cause some animosity between the spirits and the young Avatar.

As Oscar Wilde once said: 'Children begin by loving their parents, after some time they judge them, rarely if ever, do they forgive them.' Sorry Tonraq.

Meanwhile, a deflated Tenzin is taking his family, including his siblings Bumi and Kya, on a tour of the air temples. However, it seems that Jinora gets a chance to have her moment in the sun. Jinora has always seemed better in tune with not only air-bending but also the spiritual side of the air nomad life compared to her siblings. While in the temple room full of Avatar statues, mesmerized by Aang’s statue, she seems to have a connection with the spirit world. It’s a very brief moment, but it speaks to a larger arc for the character. We know from the original series that General Iroh, after the death of his son, somehow managed to connect with the spirit world. Could Jinora, at such a young age, be connecting with it too?

Books? Where you're going, you won't need books.

Back to Korra, we arrive at the source of spiritual turmoil at the South Pole, and Korra, alone, enters a frozen forest to calm the spirits. With some difficulties, including a spirit snake monster restraining her, Korra releases the forest and restores balance, for now, to the Southern Water Tribe. I say for now because we see at the end an ‘invasion’ force of the Northern army entering the Southern Tribe, and this aggressive act by Unalaq cannot bode well for both Water Tribes. But before I end, I want to touch on what I believe to be the most important part of the episode. While Korra is freeing the frozen forest, Jiniro is awoken, and seemingly drawn to the statue room where she ends up at a very old statue that begins to light up. It seems to be the statue of the first Avatar Wan.

Falcon Punch!

When I first heard of Wan, I assumed that it would be Korra who connects and learns from him. But after this episode, I get the impression that not only is Wan going to teach Jinora a thing of two about the spirits, but she is the one who will be teaching Korra all she learns from the first Avatar. I could be wrong, but Korra herself has stated how the Avatar used to travel and learn from different masters. Maybe Tenzin isn't the right teacher for her. He’s a good steadying hand, but Jinora seems to be at a whole different level that even Tenzin might not comprehend, and with Korra’s time with Unalaq seemingly coming to an end, it’s possible that Jinora will teach the Avatar all she needs to know.

Spirits continue their onslaught on Korra.

This was another great episode. The animation was beautifully fluid, the music and sound effects spot on, and it opened the door perfectly for the second season. There are plenty of questions asked, and hopefully we’ll get some answers, but for now I eagerly await the next episode. And with the next two episodes called ‘Civil Wars’, I guess we are going to see just how far Unalaq and Korra’s journey goes. And how long till Avatar Wan enters the picture and just how far is Jinora’s development going to go? A great season opener. I only wish this were a Netflix show so I don’t have to wait for more!

Review of part 1 here. My first ever (and poorly written) Korra review here. Some reflections on Korra season 1 here. And finally, some fun guess work about season 1 that turned out to be wrong here.

The Need for a New Lead – Part 1

Video games have come a long way since its humble origin; graphics have improved, game design has become more intricate, and consoles/pc has become vastly more complicated to develop for. However, in all this time, the protagonists of the games we play have stayed mostly the same. Not that there is anything wrong with the generic male lead, but I believe it’s time for more diversity. It’s time to bolster up the female leads, but not at the expense of personality, and there are examples within the industry already to learn from.

Samus, at the very end of Metroid

Makoto Kano probably didn’t realize what a big deal he was going to make in 1986 when writing Metroid. He just helped to create a game with a strong lead going up against insurmountable odds. The player was taken on a journey with Samus, and when you finally got to the end of the game it no longer mattered that she turned out to be a woman. She was strong, bold, fearless, and thanks to the trials during the adventure, the gamer had an affinity with her. She has attained lasting fame, not only by being the first, but also by having a mostly great series of games (We'll ignore Metroid Other M). Nintendo has treated her, and the Metroid series, with tremendous respect, and this helps to explain why after 26 years she has remained relevant.

This is how a badass dual wields

Nariko from HeavenlySword (voiced and modeled after the wonderful Anna Torv), was another female character cut from the same cloth as Samus. She was strong, brave, and driven to protect her people. With her fiery red hair, she cut through the enemy, despite the physical toll it took on her. It was because of this sense of tragedy that the player got to care for her; she was trying to save her people at the cost of her life, and everything the player did hastened her death. She knew what she was getting into, but she showed such strength of character doing all she could to protect those she loved. These simple acts speak volumes, far more than Marcus Fenix’s four letter words and bulging muscles. I one day hope for her return, outside of an assumed All Star’s appearance.

There can only be one

But not all characters are created equal; Tomb Raider’s Lara was… different. She had big boobs and short shorts, and, that was kinda it. She was sold on sex appeal, and whatever personality she may have had was forgettable, but the game play was good for the time, and her world was intriguing. This may change in 2013’s reboot, but only time will tell. The Boss (we need a solo game with her), Alyx Vance, and Zelda are all great characters, but they are not leads. So those were some of the strong female leads that have graced video games, but the industry needs not only look within; film and TV is a great place to get inspiration from too.

Out in the wilds of fan fiction, these two must be kicking ass together

Ripley (portrayed by Sigourney Weaver) from the Aliens universe and Olivia (not surprisingly performed by Anna Torv) from Fringe are great female leads. Like some of the others mentioned above, they’re bold, strong, brave, and extraordinarily protective of those around them. When put into tough situations, they have the fortitude and patience to think things through, and act with deliberation, most time outsmarting their advisories. They’re honest and hardworking, almost to a fault, and they don’t compromise their core beliefs on a whim or fancy. They have constantly been the best part of their respective universes, and please note, carrying big guns or having superpowers are not a defining trait, just incredibly cool.

Korra, just doing her Avatar thing

Recently the show The Legend of Korra not only had a female lead character, but one that was a minority too. And unlike Japanese anime, Korra was not a caricature of a strong female lead. She didn’t need over sized boobs, tight barely visible clothing, and big luscious lips to be strong. She was independent, trying to discover who she is and where she fit in into her world. It was a fascinating and honest journey (who hasn’t struggled with their identity while growing up), and handled with integrity. And she isn’t the only strong female lead this show has offered. LinBeifong, and her mother Toph were just as well rounded as the young Avatar.  

Hey, what about us?

There are plenty of female characters I didn’t mention (Jade from Beyond Good and Evil, Chell from Portal and Buffy the Vampire Slayer), but there is plenty of room for more games with strong engaging female leads. Most of these women are strong, brave, smart, and willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. You could write nonsense about it only being maternal instinct, but it’s deeper than that. These leads are good people who have been thrust into difficult circumstances, but managed to rise to the occasion. It just so happens they are women. This industry needs more diversity, something the movie industry and the TV world has, by and large, failed at; for every Ripley, Korra and Olivia, you get hundreds of male leads. It’s time for the video game industry to move beyond the limitations that have defined other forms of entertainment, and take bold steps. Gamers are intelligent (you need to be for games like Portal), and I have no doubt that we can handle a shift to more diversity, so bring it on, I would welcome this opportunity. Next month I’ll write about the need for stronger, better fleshed out and engaging minority leads.

Click here for articles on Dishonored, Metal Gear, and E3 2012.