“The Legend of Korra” 4.1 – After All These Years (8.5 out of 10) – Created by Michael Dante Dimartino and Bryan Konietzko. Starting Janet Varney, P.J. Byrne, David Faustino… Rated TV Y7 Aired on nick.com 10/3/14. 

Only a month after Book Three ends we have the premiere of Book Four and it does not disappoint. The show opens with a commercial for Republic City. It was a great way to show that three years has past since we last saw the city and also let us know what is going on. The biggest change to the city is the completion of Varrick’s magent-powered rail system, which was only an idea he had mentioned in last season. This by itself let us know that time has passed and the world has changed.

As promised by Tenzin at the end of Book Three the Air Nomads are going out from city to city protecting the towns and helping not only Air Benders but the citizens of the Earth Kingdom as well. They’re sporting new outfits as well; instead of long robes that we have seen in the past they are wearing jumpsuits that have flaps to help them glide along the air currents. These have replaced the sticks that turned into air gliders and even though I’m so used to seeing air benders with a staff it’s a welcome change.

The episode catches us up on Team Avatar quickly but in stages as well. Mako has become the bodyguard to Prince Wu, future leader of the Earth Kingdom, Mako hasn’t changed that much at least not in the little we saw but in his new role there is a lot of room for his character to grow as a leader not only to Prince Wu but the Earth Kingdom as well. Speaking of Prince Wu, this is a character that you immediately hate. It might be because he seems just like his Aunt the former leader of the Earth Kingdom. When she died in Book Three I was extremely happy and while at first I wanted the same for her nephew but after some thought I’m hoping he becomes a character that does a complete 180.

Bolin is working for a new character Captain Kuvira, voiced by Zelda Williams, he simply wants to help and feels this is the best way to do it. However it becomes pretty clear early on that Captain Kuvira is a “rule by the iron fist or suffer” type. She has soldiers and resources to help each town but refuses to give aid unless they swear loyalty to her. Though we didn’t see it happen in “Avatar: The Last Airbender” part of me thinks this is how Firelord Ozai operated. I don’t think that Kuvira is evil just that she goes about things the wrong way. The road to hell is paved with the best intentions and all that. 

Returning this season is also Kai and Opal. We got to know Kai briefly during last season and he quickly became one of my favorite characters. What we know about Opal is very small and other than her becoming an Air Bender and having a crush on Bolin we didn’t get to see much from her. This is where the three year time jump really worked its magic. We know that Bolin and Opal are together, it’s not confirmed yet but I assume that Kai and Jinora are as well, and we got to skip the beginning of romance stuff we have seen through out the series. The time jump also fleshed out the characters without having to show us every step. This allows the writers to progress this seasons story but also do flash backs to let us know what happened in the past to make them this way. It’s a different story telling aspect to Legend of Korra that worked well in episodes past.

The only person we didn’t get to see much of was the Avatar herself. Her Father’s ship shows up from the Southern Watertribe, which is where Korra was supposed to be, only to tell Tenzin that Korra left home six months ago to come to Republic City. With her father and mentor having no idea where she is we jump to a scene of her in a cage match of sorts, sporting a new haircut, against an Earth Bender. She looses the fight and clearly doesn’t want anyone knowing she’s the Avatar. This is a vast improvement over where we left her last season, in a wheelchair and crying, but it’s clear that she’s not up to full strength physical and mentally.

I’m excited to see what happens this season and find out what has been going on the last three years. I think Toph will play a big part this season helping to shape the Avatar back into her role and helping her discover that her aliments are not limits but strengths but only time will tell.

Overall the first episode this season was great. A little more bending would have been cool but setting the stage for what is to come was more important and the episode did that in a way that was entertaining and well paced.                                                                                      

The trailer for the final season of “The Legend of Korra” is here and it look amazing. The trailer gives us a lot of info but doesn’t say much about the main villain. We know that three years have past since the end of season three; Team Avatar has grown up and are sporting new looks including Korra’s short hair, new gliders for Airbenders and Bolin wearing what looks like a military uniform. It looks like from the trailer that it’s almost a machine vs nature type of war that is going on. Book Four is titled “Balance” and Korra struggling to create balance between the world man has created and the elements she controls would be a pretty awesome plot. The best part of the trailer is at the end. Korra meets Toph! What state the mother of metal bending is in we don’t know but from the look on Korra’s face it cant be good. 

Book Four season premier airs on nick.com October 3 2014.

Confirmation that several “Legend of Korra: Book 3 – Change” episodes leaking yesterday (in Spanish) has spun up the internet into a frenzy over what will be happening in the upcoming season. As usual, torrents ripped through cyberspace as fans tried to consume as much as possible before Nick managed to get most of the leaked episodes removed. This brings up the question: who was the source of the leak, and why did they do it? 

I have to avoid posting the leaked images here… but you could certainly surf over to this blog if you want to check them out for yourself ((WARNING – THIS LINK CONTAINS POTENTIAL SPOILERS!)).

The official air date of the upcoming season has yet to be announced, but for a non-spoilery preview, here’s a fan made trailer put together from the leaked footage by a Youtube user. I’m particularly interested in what appears to be a three-eyed Firebender…

 Can’t get enough Korra action? Check out this amazing (no spoilers), Book 1 fan-video set to Madeon’s “Finale.” 

Via Nostalgia Critic and Hypable.

“The Avatar will come to you.”

 Image from tv.com

  Image from tv.com

“We are Bonded Forever.”

Quick review of last week’s “The Sting”
I loved the episode because it wrapped up the few loose ends from the previous episode and for what I thought was going to be a filler episode it was very enjoyable. One of the funniest episodes so far and incredibly well written for an episode that didn’t feature Korra until the very end. It ended once again on a cliff hanger and set up “Beginnings Part 1 & 2” beautitfully.

Review (spoiler free)

“Beginnnings Part 1 & 2” are exciting all the way through. What I loved the most (aside from the beautiful writing) was the georgous new style of animation that we were introduced to. It had a more fable or legend feel to the story and because it was used to tell a back story it brought a completely different feel to the episodes. I’m not saying that the current animation style is bad, quite the opposite in fact. But switching the styles left me with a feeling of awe and wonder because it went hand and hand with the emotions that the episodes were telling. 

Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead) brought a new depth to Wan that I haven’t seen since Kevin Conroy as Batman. The voice and the character fit together perfectly and the performance made the episode that much better. I look forward to other episodes with Wan. As  whole: phenomenal action, a solid plot, and rewarding story made this the best episode of the season by far.

image from hypeable

Summary (spoilers)

We start out where we left off with Korra’s memory being gone, because of this she is getting help from an elder at the fire templ. She is watching, if you will her past life. In fact her first past life which is of Wan the first Avatar. The mythology that we are introduced to here is very heavy and complex but Beginnings Part 1 & 2 did a great job of making it clear. All humans and spirits are enimies and the humans live on floating lion turtles backs thinking they are the last human city around. Wan is a mere thief who steals food and eventually steals fire bending from the lion turtle, and ventures off into spirit-filled wilderness. Wan meets some friendly spirits and learns they aren’t all bad. Because of his discovery he ends up spliting the spirits of good and evil apart. In so doing he starts the end of the world and teams up with the good spirit Raava to fight her evil counter part Vaatu.

Because the elments can fend off the spirts Wan travles the world and learns all four elements from different lion turtles. This is all done very quickly even though that story alone could be turned into a movie of it’s own series in the future. It’s one I would watch simpily because I wanted to see more of Wan and Raava’s travels and the relationship that they form come to fruition. After learning all 4 elements Wan and Raava (who is now very small because as darkness grows light dims) enter the portal at the South Pole to enter the spirit world and fight Vaatu in a final battle. This is the same portal Korra opens earlier in the season. As it turns out this battle is one that Raava and Vaatu have every 10,000 years and Raava always wins but because of Wan splitting them apart Vaatu is now stronger and will defeat Raava easily. The reason it happens every 10,000 years is because that is when the spirit world and the human world are combined as one.

Wan tells Vaatu that in order to get to Raava he has to go through him first. Which is pretty awesome considering this is a 100 foot tall spirit. Wan tries to fight but simply isn’t strong enough, he then combines energies with Raava creating the Avatar and the Avatar State. Vaatu is impprisoned inbetween the two portals and is left unreleasable by man. The episode ends with an aged Wan apologizing to Raava for not bringing peace to the human world. Since Raava and Wan will be together for all of his liftimes, the spirit is not too concerned. Korra wakes up and jumps on her new sky byson to go and seal the portal before Vaatu can be released.

I’ve said it before in other reviews but I think that Unalaq is somehow in comuntication with Vaatu and not only wants to release him but combine energies as well, forming some sort of “Evil Avatar”. That would be a fight worth watching!

This is a guest post from RAMcon5000

“Peacekeepers” does a great job of riding the highs of last week and taking them higher. We even  see new characters shine and are left with a cliff-hanger.

Summary: (SPOILER ALERT)

Now that the Water Tribes are in the middle of a civil war Korra and team head back to Republic City. During a peaceful protest against the Northern Water Tribe a bomb goes off in the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center. Mako is front and center for the bomb and after fire bending the explosion around him, (in a word ‘sweet’!) we see his potential as a character for the season.

Photo – Merdock1993 tumblr

While Korra and the rest of the city blame the Northern Water Tribe, Mako doesn’t believe it could be them. His opinion however leads yet another fight with Korra, which ends in their break-up. This is the best or worst thing depending on whom you talk to.

This break up is the perfect mechanism to move the characters story forward.

Korra’s path is leading her closer to the Spirit World, a place that Mako could never hope to go. Whereas Mako’s path is keeping him grounded here on earth. This investigation only has good places to go.

We also get to meet President Raiko in this episode. He agrees with Mako about the Water Tribes innocence and though he refuses to send troops, helps negotiate a diplomatic solution. Korra is upset and decides to take matter into her hands. Now I think that the President is in cahoots with Unalaq. Simply because everyone else thinks it was also the North who planted the bomb so why shouldn’t the President? Because he’s evil that’s why! Only time will tell, but you know I’m right. 

To balance out the heavy stuff in the episode we have Bolin and Meelo. Bolin and Varrick hit the town and Varrick shows him the “real” Republic City at night. Meelo has caught his lemur Pokey and started training him (making him a Pokey Trainer…) Tenzin steps in and shows him the “right” way to train a lemur and he ends up “catching them all.”  I hope you’re ready to see Meelo as the lemur king, because it is happening folks. 

REVIEW: (Spoiler Free)

Overall the episode was great. From the scheming to the break up it kept me enthralled. Props to Mako for having the stones to break up with The Avatar! Though getting his desk air kicked across room was as Lin Beifong put it “getting off easy.” We also got to see some an awesome bending fight between Korra and her cousins Eska and Desna as The Avatar is heading to the Fire Nation. This fight was particularly different because it all took place on the ocean surface. Then you add in the giant evil spirit, Unalaq sent which I think or it’s just a giant coincidence that the spirit finds Korra the same time the twins do. The episode ending with Korra almost “spirit bending” the demon into submission and instead being swallowed whole was a great way to finish it and admittedly not something I saw coming. Now the question remains is Korra in the Spirit World or will she bust out of the foes belly and resume her trip to the Fire Nation?

Photo – Meelo via K Pop Stars

I have to end with a nod towards the writers for the last two episodes. Though Tenzin’s story arcs with his kids are short we get to really see who the real Tenzin is by the lessons he teaches and learns from his kids. Last week was Ikki and this week was Meelo. To me the way Tenzin feels about being a Air Bending Master is summed up when his son whispers sadly, “being the alpha lemur is lonely.” To this Tenzin replies “I know…” I think Tenzin regrets how hard he was on Korra and vows to fix it when he tells Meelo to forget about training and just go play instead. Though none of this is spoon feed to us I think that is where the genius in the writing really shines.

Sidenote: if you have heard that the time Korra will air has changed Nickelodeon has confirmed via their Twitter that “The Legend of Korra” season 2 will remain on Fridays, but will air at 8:30 pm EST instead of 7:00 pm EST.

Can’t wait for next week!

This is a guest post from RAMcon5000

SPOILER ALERT

“Civil Wars Part 2” does a good job of tying up the loose ends from last weeks episode. We see the confrontations between Tenzin and his siblings, as well as Ikki and her family get resolved.  But unlike last week’s episode the highlight of this episode was Korra.

Finally we see Korra really stand up for what she believes when her father is thrown in jail. The scene that follows is by far the greatest moment of the season. Korra chases the judge who gave the sentence down on Naga, her polar bear dog. After Naga rips the door off the car and Korra holds the judges head in Naga’s mouth she says, “it’s not about what I want, it’s about what Naga wants” does she learn the truth about her uncle. Of course that truth is that he is corrupt and planned out Tonraq’s banishment as well as his imprisonment. Korra saves her dad as well as the other prisoners from the fleeing ship after some impressive fire and water bending to get past the Northern Water Tribes blockade and under her father’s instruction makes plans to petition the President to assemble the United Forces in order to fight her uncle.

The episode overall was slow at the start but picked up half way through and gave us that golden moment with Korra getting things done her way.  I found myself really laughing at the jokes involving Varrick in the platypus bear costume, and as juvenile as it was to have the bear “poop” money to cause a distraction I still loved it. Wrapping up Bolin’s escape from his forced engagement to Eska was very enjoyable with the crowning moment being Varrick’s advice of “The only way to deal with crazy women is to lie big and leave fast!” Which is simply a great secret to life that everyone should live by.

The downside to the episode was the conclusion to the Tenzin and family arc was very short and seemed rushed compared to the focus of last week’s episode. Also the “twist” of Unalaq being evil fell flat to me as the show was really going out of its way to make him appear untrustworthy from the start.