In the twelfth episode of the second season of The Legend of Korra, I FEEL VERY BAD ABOUT ALL OF THIS. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch The Legend of Korra.
It’s not that I thought this was a bad episode; on the contrary, this was fantastic. But I am feeling increasingly nervous about where this is leading, and that ending? IT DOESN’T MAKE ME FEEL BETTER.
Let’s discuss.
Camping With Bolin
I want it. I want it so badly.
The Southern Air Temple
Okay, some commentary of substance: I was thankful that this episode featured scenes at the Air Temple. I was worried that after Korra rejected Tenzin, we wouldn’t see any of those characters again. (Which wouldn’t have been fair because we just met Kya for the first time!) BUT NO! Not only are they here, but their story is somehow connected to Korra’s journey, too. I think? At the very least, it was interesting to see Tenzin have to deal with the strangeness of his life. You can tell that this is not what he expected to be doing, but here he is, his family and his children in tow.
WHICH MAKES ME WONDER WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH JINORA. Why her? Why does she sense a presence within the hall of Avatar statues? Why is she drawn to the place again right as Korra activates the spirit portal? Who is the avatar in that statue? WHAT AM I MISSING?
Journey to the South Pole
Here’s what makes this episode so goddamn good: dread. I admit that my own suspicion for happy, easily-resolved stories was at work here, but, like Tonraq told Korra, I also wasn’t sure that Unalaq was right. That’s what the story does to us, though. We’re supposed to wonder if Korra is making the right choice. That’s a difficult thing to do because… well, I wanted her to be happy. I wanted her to have independence. That’s an important value I hold, you know? I’ve been on my own since I was 16, so I utterly understand her stubborn need to do shit all by herself. I support it, I empathize with her, and I know that finding that strength is an important fucking thing.
So why question Unalaq’s assertions? Because we don’t know him. We don’t know his background. We don’t know if he’s got an ulterior motive. We don’t know if he’s leading Korra into a trap or if he’s just sadly misinformed. Our ignorance is then exploited by this script as Korra gets closer and closer to the spirit portal. AND IT’S SO EVIL. (Which is why it’s so great.) Did Unalaq know that a bunch of dark spirits would attack them? Did he know they’d fiercely protect the portal? Did he expect Korra to know what to do? WE. DON’T. KNOW. Thus, I was filled with dread, waiting for inevitable twist that would turn this into a nightmare.
And it never came.
Intentions
Y’all, Tonraq’s story just makes me sad.
As I said in the video, technically all he was doing was trying to protect his home. “Trying” is the key word here, and as tragic as the end result of his backstory is, Tonraq knows that his actions caused true harm to his home in the Northern Water Tribe.
YEAH, NORTHERN. BECAUSE HE WAS GOING TO BE THE CHIEF THERE. OH. OH. Bless Bolin for crassly summarizing the awkwardness between Tonraq and Unalaq. It changes the story so significantly, though! It doesn’t just explain why these two brothers can’t seem to get along; it informs Tonraq’s behavior. It allows us to understand his motivations with his daughter. I found it sensible that he was worried that Korra was about to make a mistake, much like he did, all in the name of doing better. That’s such an important lesson to learn, too, because intentions do not magically create beneficial solutions. Tonraq truly thought that chasing down the bandits who attacked his home was the right thing to do; he discarded concerns about a fight in a spirit forest because he was convinced that capturing these wrongdoers would save the Northern Water Tribe. It did! From those bandits, though, and not from the dark spirits unleashed by the destruction of their home.
This community’s culture elevates shame, so Tonraq never told his daughter what he’d done. In that sense, you can see why he thought he was protecting her, and you can also understand why it would infuriate Korra. I admit my own bias here makes me relate to Korra, since I had overprotective parents whose “best interests” they had in mind were not at all good for me. But what I appreciate from the writing in “The Southern Lights” is that there’s enough sympathy in the story to help us understand why Tonraq acts as he does without explicitly saying that he’s right or wrong. It’s complicated, and that complication makes this more fulfilling to watch.
The Spirit Portal
So, again, I’m repeating what I said in the video for “The Southern Lights”: I AM NOW INSTANTLY SUSPICIOUS OF RESOLUTION. I didn’t expect Korra to find the portal; I didn’t expect her to open it; I didn’t expect her friends and family and her teacher to celebrate her victory and there was no twist to it and everyone is happy and what? What? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING. As far as I can tell – even factoring in the final reveal – Unalaq wasn’t ever lying. The spirit portal really was clogged, so to speak, and Korra’s actions brought the southern lights back into existence.
That’s good, right?
Right?
I DON’T ACTUALLY KNOW, OH GOD.
Korra / Mako
Okay, you know what’s great? Mako and Korra getting a (small) chance to talk openly with one another about support and stress. If this relationship is going to work, these two need to put work into it. That’s the truth of most relationships, platonic or romantic or whatever. So seeing Mako tell Korra that he’s just trying to offer his support, or watching Korra admit that her stress is making her hard to be around, are part of how these two might actually make their partnership work. It’s still a strange thing to watch because the glimpses of chemistry we get are so few and far between, but there’s definitely one of them at the end of this episode.
War
HAHAHAHAAH JUST KIDDING, THERE IS A TWIST, AND IT’S THAT UNALAQ WANTS TO UNITE THE WATER TRIBES.
THROUGH WAR.
There is no positive explanation for those warships. None. THIS IS GOING TO GET FUCKED UP, ISN’T IT?
Oh god.
The video for “The Southern Lights” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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!
