In the first episode of the second season of The Legend of Korra, I’M SO THRILLED TO BE WATCHING THIS AGAIN.
I normally don’t ever get to do anything like this.
I mentioned in the video for “Rebel Spirit†that it’s almost like The Legend of Korra ended for me. It’s been two and a half years since I last watched “Endgame,†and clearly, a lot of shit has happened since then. (This is as good of a time as any to warn everyone: I AM STILL NOT SPOILED FOR THIS SHOW. I know that’s a Herculean feat of sorts, but I honestly missed whatever spoiler broke the world last year. DO NOT SPOIL ME.) For me, this is like a beautiful gift: a show that long ago went away has come back, and I’ve now got FORTY episodes of this show to watch. Forty!!!
And by gods, I missed it. I missed the sense of humor. I missed the gorgeously drawn scenery. I missed these CHARACTERS. Of course, it’s kinda ridiculous to come back to this show and the first thing I get is a GIANT SQUID SPIRIT MURDERING TWO FISHERMEN. Yeah, hi, welcome back. That aside, this truly felt like The Legend of Korra was giving me a hug. Bolin! New Fire Ferrets! Mako is now a police officer! Asami is running her father’s business now! KORRA IS CASUALLY USING THE AVATAR STATE TO WIN AIR SCOOTER RACES. The best? THE ACTUAL BEST. And even in that moment, which was a hilarious way to re-introduce these characters, we still have moral quandaries. We still have conflict. For the most part, that’s one of the best parts of this episode. There’s a very clear conflict for multiple characters, and it’s established fairly quickly.
Unsurprisingly, Korra’s own stubbornness plays a part of that. What I hope this season does is respect that her nature isn’t inherently bad, and there shouldn’t necessarily be anything wrong with a young woman asserting her right to choose what she wants. I think that dynamic can be frustrating at times, and I don’t think that “Rebel Spirit†shies away from showing us how Korra’s rejection of Tenzin is painful for him. It’s uncomfortable! I mean, so is most of this episode. With the arrival of Unalaq, the introduction of the spirit attacks, and Korra’s problems with Mako, it’s clear that there’s a massive struggle ahead for Korra.
I’m excited for most of it. I am pretty bored with the Mako/Korra relationship, and that’s simply because… well, they’re just not that great together. They are quick to fight; it’s difficult for them to have emotionally heavy conversations with one another; they seem to want different things from the relationship. It’s hard to watch because they just shouldn’t be in a romantic relationship if they’re going to clash as much as they do. It’s weird to watch because I’ve never found that dynamic appealing, and I see it all the time in real life. Honestly! (For what it’s worth, I also see it way more in heterosexual relationships than in those that are not. No idea why that is.) The trope of a bickering, unhappy couple is prominent in our culture, but it’s not just something that appears in fiction. I’ve met more couples than I’d care to that do this shit. WHY ARE YOU TOGETHER IF YOU’RE SO MISERABLE ALL THE TIME?
Which is not to suggest that these two are miserable, but they just seem mismatched. Is that intentional? Are we moving in a direction where Korra and Mako won’t be in a relationship? Or are we supposed to think that this is nothing more than a momentary setback for them? I’m not entirely sure, but it’s early. It’s only the first episode of the season! I AM WILLING TO SEE WHERE THIS GOES.
But let’s discuss the main conflict introduced here, which I’m guessing will focus almost entirely on the two Water Tribes. Unalaq’s arrival in the South brings one hell of a conflict. Namely? The Southern Water Tribe has long ignored and diluted the great cultural traditions of their people. We’ve got a clear divergence between the Northern and Southern Water Tribes, and Korra ends up right in the middle of it. She was raised with a very specific idea of who the spirits were. On top of that, she feels like she’s reached an impasse with her airbender training. While I do agree with her that too much of her life has been controlled by others, I also worry that her rejection of Tenzin’s teaching is going to backfire. She’s good at airbending, but she does have a lot more she can learn.
So the resurgence of the vengeful spirits has provided Korra with an immediate reason to go with Unalaq. Of course, you can’t ignore how important it is that Korra found out that it was Tonraq and Tenzin who kept her in the compound in the Southern Water Tribe. I think that’s half of the reference in the title; Korra is a rebel spirit, and her protectors have kept her too close.
Now I’m curious. Is Unalaq’s contention – that the Southern Water Tribe’s lack of traditional culture – correct? Is this truly what’s causing these restful spirits to lash out at the water tribe? I suppose it makes sense, and Unalaq’s demonstration of his spirit-bending (IS THAT WHAT IT’S CALLED???) powers lends credence. But look, I am now about to reach my sixth year of Mark Does Stuff, and I AM MUCH SAVVIER THAN I ONCE WAS. I don’t exactly trust this. I think Unalaq’s hiding something, right? And I don’t know that I buy his explanation for the spirits’ return. I have no theories to offer up, though. But I’ve got my eye on you, Unalaq!
The video for “Rebel Spirit” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Please note: The scheduling for Korra posts will be erratic over the next three months. On May 22 – 24, I’ll be at ConQuesT in Kansas City, where I’ll be the Fan Guest of Honor alongside George R.R. Martin and Brandon Sanderson. (WHAT IS MY LIFE.) When I return home from that, I’ll need to begin a very ambitious binge-write because I’ll be in Europe on tour for a month, followed by MOVING TO NEW YORK, followed by GeekyCon, followed by TRYING TO FIND AN APARTMENT IN NYC, followed by Sasquan, followed by… well, you get the idea. I’m going to do my best to at LEAST get season 2 finished before the chaos hits, but my primary concern post-ConQuesT is to get the regular posts for Mark Reads and Mark Watches written through the end of August. I need to do this so that I don’t have to struggle with trying to find a way to write on tour or while moving.
Basically: I will do my best. There may be times when Double Features here go away. I’ll probably record some videos and write some reviews in Europe. You can always follow me on Twitter in order to know when they go up! I’m @MarkDoesStuff there, and I promise to keep y’all updated. I’ll also make sure to put all completed posts up on my Master Schedule. Thanks for understanding! It’s really quite hectic in my life right now.
Mark Links Stuff
– The Mark Does Stuff Tour 2015 is now live and includes dates across the U.S., Canada, Europe, the U.K., and Ireland. Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches will be the remainder of The Legend of Korra, series 8 of Doctor Who, and Kings. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series will replace the Emelan books.
- Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook! I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!
– If you would like to support this website and keep Mark Does Stuff running, I’ve put up a detailed post explaining how you can!
– Please check out the MarkDoesStuff.com. All Mark Watches videos for past shows/season are now archived there!
