150 replies to this topic

[DarkJuno]

Hey! That new Ninja Turtles show is actually pretty good and well above mediocre, and despite being part of a franchise with lots of merch is being show run by a bunch of guys who really love it and are all in on making the story arcs and characterization matter and grow.

[JRPomazon]

I'll give you that one DJ, although that still leaves 2 out of three cartoons that should have long since ended their runs.

[Selena]

New clip:

 

http://www.nick.com/...a-215-clip.html

 

 

 

 

So, Korra's off to the Southern Water Tribe with her family (and Kya). And is still traumatized. Seems to take place shortly after the Book 3 finale, but exact time is not known. Maybe to be treated by Katara and other expert water-healers?

 

Everyone else is staying in Republic City for the time being.

[JRPomazon]

Spoiler

i have learned too much of Korra's production status. Will post information if safe to do so.

Edited by JRPomazon, 19 September 2014 - 06:27 PM.

[Selena]

Helllllll yes. Just put it under a spoiler if it's got spoiler-y things.

[JRPomazon]

Ok, this I can say with certainty. Season four of Korra has a few more weeks of post production left before it's ready. The voice acting, animation and such have been done for a while now, around the time book 3 was showing online. The online model that they've been doing might have something to do with how quickly things are progressing but as I said before in my last post before switching words, book four is official premiering this October, 3rd if memory serves.

Sooooo get hype.

Edited by JRPomazon, 20 September 2014 - 11:32 AM.

[Selena]

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOPH.

[Jasi]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

I love that hairstyle, she's got a Rashida Jones look goin on

 

Edited by Jasi, 26 September 2014 - 03:02 PM.

[Egann]

Season 4: The Avatar/ Gundam Wing Crossover.
 
Three years is a heck of a time-skip. Korra's now what? 20-21? I'm not sure if I like the flying squirrel outfits, but mechs is always a good addition. Also, Mrs. I-Will-Be-Important-Dammit is all over that trailer. Villain?

Edited by Egann, 26 September 2014 - 07:25 PM.

[Selena]

Well. Episode 1 provides a fascinating start to the new season. Lots of conflicts, and it looks like we're finally gonna dive into Korra's sense of purpose and self-worth and identity in an age where the Avatar is becoming less necessary.

 

Earth Kingdom splintered. And there's no clear-cut good guy. Kuvira is using underhanded means to bring regions under her direct control, but she's actively supplying them with food and protection. The new Earth King is a pompous douche who seems to care little for his people, and restoring the 'rightful heir' seems like it'll bring more discord than peace due to his ineptitude. This is only made worse by the in-team division between Bolin (who now has a purpose) and Opal (who recognizes the darker side of Kuvira's land grabbing). A good, complex problem.

 

As for Korra, everyone's moved up in life except for her -- because she's actively running from her past. The trailers made it seem like she was gonna be on her own for a while, and the writers said she was effectively gonna have a whole episode to herself (probably a flashback of how she got to where she is now). I'm excited to see an exploration of her purpose and identity, given that so far the series has continually beat up her sense of self. The Avatar has become less relevant, and less necessary, and I'm looking forward to her embracing her most basic non-superpowered identity. 

[Egann]

Wasn't really as strong a start as I'd hoped. The devastation going through the Earth Kingdom is actually a pretty cool fallout, but most of the interesting stuff happens to walk-ons. The stuff with the named characters drags, especially in Republic City. The best part is definitely the ending, which saves an otherwise unremarkable build-up episode.

 

Misc Notes in Spoiler:

 

Spoiler

Unlike Lena, I am convinced Kuvira is now the villain and this won't be a "complex situation." Arguably her power-grab can be rationalized as being hard like most Earth Benders are, but I seriously doubt that the bandits just happened to have a plane. The food Opal and Kai were shuttling really wasn't worth the risk or effort to steal from a bandit's perspective. It makes perfect sense for Kuvira to steal it to force the village leader's hand. Expect reveal in 3-5 episodes.

 

I'm still not sure how I feel about giving Korra a wandering the desert arc in the last season. It just feels like the series will need some serious cooldown after that, and one of Korra's weakest points is that the denouement is really minimal, in part because 20 minute episodes aren't good at that and Avatar has always run with a pulpy thriller style. It feels like its going to be a lot like the Wan episodes, which were great episodes, but they were connected to the rest of the story via mounting putty.

 

Also a few character design things.

 

I almost didn't recognize Asami. Her hair isn't really that different, but the styling isn't nearly as high-class and luxurious as she sported in past seasons. It says "beautiful peasant in her 30's" not "elite businesswoman in her early 20's." Maybe a change to make a 1% character more relatable? We'll have to see. It may not even be permanent.

 

The airbender jumpsuits really, REALLY bug me, though. It pushes Avatar away from its Hong Kong Kung Fu flick background and towards superhero movies, and my gut says marketing pushed this on the writers because superheroes are quite popular these days. Except that the Kung Fu flick feel is fundamental to Avatar's flavor. The mix of martial arts and high fantasy is what makes Avatar unique, and mixing those two with steampunk is what makes Korra unique. In marketing you NEVER EVER trade off your unique selling proposition for anything.

 

I hope I'm wrong, but this looks like the first truly "bad call" the Korra team has made. At least it looks to be a nitpick and not a major fault.

[Selena]

That all seems really really really nitpicky.

 

 

 

A lot of people like to tell the writers what their world "should be." I really don't see how the wingsuits are so world-breaking. They're practical and aerodynamic -- suits with the air staff built right into them. And unlike the traditional monk robes, they're probably at least a little padded/armored. Which makes practical sense given the airbenders new role as action oriented peace-keepers. 

 

I don't particularly like Asami's new clothes compared to the old one, but it's hardly a negative. Perfectly recognizable, just not as flashy.

 

 

 

As for Kuvira, we don't know her motivations at all yet. I will be sorely disappointed if it's as bad as you think it'll be, but I also don't assume it will go that way. The writers said they were excited to put Korra up against someone "a lot like herself." Which more likely means that Kuvira is well intentioned, but -- like Korra -- is more than happy to muscle people into submission without thinking about ethics. A Knight Templar type. If they go from "heroic captain of the guard" to "MWAHAHA I WILL BE A TYRANNICAL QUEEN" in one season change, they'd damn well better have a reasonable explanation.

 

Her using the bandits against the villages is obvious. Doesn't mean she's not going to be complex or any less well-intentioned. It's a good way to bluff a population into submission without actually attacking anyone. That's why the situation is complex. Because she would be using cruel tactics to achieve peace, whereas Prince Wu is the rightful and legal heir to the throne, but -- like all Earth monarchs -- will probably suck at his job.

 

 

 

Regarding Korra, this is the perfect time to have her go find herself -- the whole show has been about breaking down her elevated confidence and bravado. Now she's at the bottom. And needs to find herself. Separate from her Avatar identity. Aang's quote in S1: "We we reach our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change." Last book was Change. This book is Balance. THEMES! 

 

It is, however, a very unconventional story arc. I find that refreshing.

[Egann]

Oh, I admit the jumpsuit thing is a nitpick. I even said as much in the post. It's just a nitpick that ruins my immersion. The problem, though, is that there's not much an airbender can do with a wingsuit that they couldn't already have done with a glider. The glider served a martial arts purpose on top of being a walking stick, and it added a definite flavor, too, because we don't use kites shaped like that anymore.

 

The wingsuit, however, has a futuristic feel to it which plays against the other tropes going on. If Korra were set in a parallel year 2000+ technology world, I would be miffed, but fine, but Korra is going for a gilded age feel and Batman Beyond / Nightwing wings feel out of place. This is a good example of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." I'm (mostly) fine with redesigning airbender clothes, even if they're a bit too sleek, and the wingsuit makes sense as a backup or as padding. But the glider has been part of Avatar since the first episode, and it makes more sense to redesign it rather than abandon it.

 

Or at least that's what I think.

[Selena]

Ohhh, this week's episode was great. Hit me right in the feels, as the hip happenin' kids say these days. A whole episode dedicated to Korra's struggle with health (mental and physical) and her sense of purpose. All the others are moving on with their lives, and she feels like she's useless. It's introspective without lacking action, by way of "Phantom Korra" haunting her every move. 

 

And then the last scene! Gahh! ;-;

[JRPomazon]

Posting this from my earlier trip to California, specifically, Nickelodeon studios:

 

 

[Selena]

....So, anyone still watching?

 

 

 

I'm impressed by Korra's new story arc this season, though I would understand why more action-oriented people might find this season frustrating or boring. It's still an intriguing inversion of the journey Aang took -- starting meek, then getting progressively stronger until he accepts his destiny as Avatar-messiah. Korra started out loving her role as the Avatar, to the point of it being the better part of her character. She was brash. She was confident to the point of arrogance. She solved problems with brawn rather than with brains, because she had fully embraced the Avatar's super-bending powers.

 

And now she's completely broken down.

 

The metal that lingered in her body was just one part of her problem. The main problem is her PTSD, which keeps triggering even when her body is fully healed. Her problems are entirely mental. She doesn't engage with the aggression she used to. She has associated the Avatar State with pain and trauma, and now she can no longer maintain it. 

 

Which I appreciate, because few stories -- especially ones intended for younger audiences -- ever deal with main characters having PTSD after going through the inevitable trauma of their quests. Most heroes are immune to the effects of violence-related trauma. This show is actually showing that violence brings trauma, and "getting better" is not simply achieved by handwaving an ailment away. It's mental. And it can take a while, even if you think you're getting better. 

 

Meanwhile, Kuvira mirrors a younger Korra -- arrogant, solves her problems with force, taunts her opponents during fights, and shows complete mastery of her bending. Kuvira is foil to show how much Korra has changed since season 1. Korra is now softer, less aggressive, more prone to use diplomacy, and feeling increasingly useless. Accentuated by Kuvira saying that she was the one who brought "peace" to the Earth Kingdom while Korra disappeared. 

 

It's just a nice change of pace from most other young adult shows. It's a nice change of pace from Korra's early seasons. Sometimes the plot takes a while to come full circle, but for however choppy the writing is in some spots, I've been very impressed with Korra's characterization now that we're nearing the end of the series. 

 

 

 

(Wish I could say the same for the other heroes -- the cast in Korra is way too large to properly flesh out and manage. It's even larger than Atla's, and that had way more episodes to work with.)

[Wolf O'Donnell]

Out of interest, how far into Season 4 are you? Because Season 2 only finished around end of Summer. Haven't even seen Season 3 yet.

[Selena]

We're roughly at the midpoint of Book 4. I think there's seven episodes left.

[Egann]

Oh, I'm definitely still watching.

 

Thusfar this is the weakest Korra season by a fair bit. The character stuff with Korra is actually pretty good, but the rest of the plot....I can't call it bad because it isn't. At worst it's acceptable, but it feels watered down compared to Korra's previous highs. I seriously hope they'll straighten this out in the next few episodes. Again, it feels like I'm holding Korra to a higher standard than other shows because I probably am.

 

The problem is that Kuvira is just a weak villain. I get that she's supposed to be a dark parallel to Korra's violent nature, but that's being undercommunicated and the new Korra is already reluctant enough to fight it doesn't feel like it fits.

 

There are three threads I like which are going on; Mako and Prince Wu are likely going good places, albeit predictable ones, Asami is actually getting a character arc with her father (although I have to wonder if it has any bearing on the plot) and Bolin and Varrick always make me laugh, especially when they're stuffed together playing with high explosives.

 

Also, calling it in advance:

 

Spoiler

Zhu Li is playing the double agent.

 

Now on the upside Korra seasons always have rocky starts and great finishes, so I hope the next few episodes will start moving us toward a meaningful climax.

[Selena]

Yeah, most people seem to be in agreement about the spoiler-thing.

 

 

I don't imagine Book 4 will have a plot to rival the others. It feels more like it'll keep focusing on character. Which I'm fine with. Sometimes smaller, more personal stories are more emotionally fulfilling than big epics. But it definitely feels like we're still in the build-up phase. As you said, though, sometimes the Books take a while to get going.

 

It feels like the Rocky 3 of the series. Washed up hero challenged by seemingly superior newcomer. But a little thin on plot, and more focused on overcoming personal demons/ailments.

 

 

There are three threads I like which are going on; Mako and Prince Wu are likely going good places, albeit predictable ones, Asami is actually getting a character arc with her father (although I have to wonder if it has any bearing on the plot) and Bolin and Varrick always make me laugh, especially when they're stuffed together playing with high explosives.

 

I am definitely hoping that Asami's subplot will factor in to the overall story (teaming up with Hiroshi to design something that will combat Kuvira's mecha suits?). I like what Asami is supposed to be, and she's the most mature member of the main team, so it's a shame she hasn't gotten more screentime and development. Especially due to all the stuff she can bring to the table. Kung-fu loving engineer who drives racecars and flies planes, while also being a charming and gorgeous high-class lady who occasionally shocks people with a taser-gauntlet. There is/was so much potential. 

 

As with Book 2, everything with Korra is pretty well done, but the rest of the team is just kind of... there. The Air family and Beifongs have taken plot precedence over "the main team." It often feels like they writers fell more in love with the other supporting characters, and Mako/Bolin/Asami are just given various little subplots to keep them busy. Which may or may not tie back in to the main story.

 

 

 

The problem is that Kuvira is just a weak villain. I get that she's supposed to be a dark parallel to Korra's violent nature, but that's being undercommunicated and the new Korra is already reluctant enough to fight it doesn't feel like it fits.

 

I don't know how it's undercommunicated? I mean........

 

(* you're >:C)

 

 

.........I don't think it can get any more blunt unless someone writes a note reading "Kuvira represents Korra's former self" on a cinder block and then throws that cinder block into someone's face. Korra's reluctance to fight is precisely why that works. It's not about two aggressive people going head-to-head; it's a metaphor for Korra facing her past self. Which is the whole theme of the Book.

 

I highly doubt that Kuvira will be properly fleshed out -- since none of the other LoK villains were. A downside to the villain-of-the-season setup. Not enough time to really flesh them out the way they could with Atla's villains. 

 

Although I don't think she's that awful a villain. She's a lot like Azula was during Book 2. Domineering, a master bender, and a strategist who is capable of winning a fight without even throwing a punch. ...And they're both out of conquer the Earth Kingdom! She may not be quite as charismatic as Azula, but the parallels are there. Azula was never fully fleshed out until Book 3 -- until then she was just a mustache-twirling conqueror. She just had amazing screen presence and damn, did it work. 

[Jasi]

I'm still watching! I just didn't have anything worthwhile to say so I was just listening  

 

I just watched the newest episode last night and something about it didn't seem great to me. I guess it's more of a setup episode for the next one though. I felt like Korra and Kuvira's dialogue/duel was pretty forced and cheesy compared to how artistic other recent episodes have been. The choreography didn't seem exciting enough to me, but it is fun to watch Kuvira's precise metalbending style. It definitely freaked me out when Kuvira "became" Avatar Korra at the end of the fight, too! But I still felt a little underwhelmed.

 

I'm withholding larger judgment until I see what they follow it up with.

[SteveT]

Yeah, also hanging on.  I've been having a lot of trouble mustering the energy to get excited this season, in either direction.  It's lacking the off-the-wall unfettered badness of Book 2 and the surprising goodness of Book 3.  I like how they're actually dealing with the ending of Book 3.  So far, we've seen Korra being torn down more and more.  I look forward to seeing her be rebuilt, and hope the execution is better than I've come to expect.

 

Kuvira as a villain has failed to impress me.  On one hand, I like the idea of showing a fascist empire rising in this world set.  It makes sense and fits with progressing of the setting.  On the other, Kuvira hasn't really sold herself as someone who can form a devoted army and conquer the world.  It's hinted that she has some sort of cult of personality, but she completely lacks the charisma you'd need.  Maybe she just hasn't gotten enough screen time, or maybe the voice actor is letting us down, but I expect some long-winded inspiring speeches and painfully scripted interactions from the common folk from my fascist dictators.  I expect to see some mayor say, "Hey, joining your empire sounds like a great idea," while under zero duress.  I want to see how she convinced Bolin to go along with her.  So maybe my issue is that they skipped the early formation of her Empire rather than showing the tipping point of when she became a problem for the rest of the world.  Like Selena said, she's like Azula without any charisma.

 

I was discussing the season with a friend, and a really good point came up.  The writers have completely missed a chance to use Bolin better.  Look at Bolin's story through Book 4.  He's an orphan who grew up on the streets, launched a successful pro bending career, was this world's first movie star, is a top-tier earthbender (as evidenced by his lava-bending), and has been at Korra's side for three major crises.  This dude should be a world-famous celebrity with his own fan club, and yet the entire world sees him as "dude who knows the Avatar."  Recruiting him should have been a major PR move for Kuvira.  He should be her poster boy, but she treats him as just one more soldier in her Empire.  And that is a perfect example of what's wrong with Korra as a series.  There's good ideas, you can read good ideas into the subtext, but on the whole, the writers suffer from a chronic case of poor execution, cop-outs, and haphazard world-building.  When the show is good, it seems to be good on accident.

[Egann]

 

 

 

The problem is that Kuvira is just a weak villain. I get that she's supposed to be a dark parallel to Korra's violent nature, but that's being undercommunicated and the new Korra is already reluctant enough to fight it doesn't feel like it fits.

 

I don't know how it's undercommunicated? I mean........

 

(* you're >:C)

 

 

.........I don't think it can get any more blunt unless someone writes a note reading "Kuvira represents Korra's former self" on a cinder block and then throws that cinder block into someone's face. Korra's reluctance to fight is precisely why that works. It's not about two aggressive people going head-to-head; it's a metaphor for Korra facing her past self. Which is the whole theme of the Book.

 

I highly doubt that Kuvira will be properly fleshed out -- since none of the other LoK villains were. A downside to the villain-of-the-season setup. Not enough time to really flesh them out the way they could with Atla's villains. 

 

Although I don't think she's that awful a villain. She's a lot like Azula was during Book 2. Domineering, a master bender, and a strategist who is capable of winning a fight without even throwing a punch. ...And they're both out of conquer the Earth Kingdom! She may not be quite as charismatic as Azula, but the parallels are there. Azula was never fully fleshed out until Book 3 -- until then she was just a mustache-twirling conqueror. She just had amazing screen presence and damn, did it work. 

 

The problem I have with Kuvira is that she doesn't reflect Korra's personality. She's intelligent, charismatic, and Machiavellian.  Korra's not stupid, but she's not the brains of Team Avatar, either, she's often barely able to keep that team together, and she's never been lacking for heart.

 

I cannot understand why I'm supposed to see Korra inside Kuvira (which is what obviously threw Korra at the end of the fight.) Kuvira throws people who disagree with her into reeducation camps. Korra took Tarrlok to task for turning the power off during a crisis. Maybe it's because Korra doesn't know there are reeducation camps, but all I can think as a fan is "Korra is right, Kuvira is wrong."

 

Also, fighting Kuvira isn't a good idea because you aren't at 100% and Kuvira's a badass. Not because talking with your fists in the past made you evil. It's like the script writers are determined to make Korra the Vanilla Avatar. This is what I meant by undercommunicated; the writers see a connection between the characters which I can't.

 

What made Azula an amazing villain was how much show, don't tell we got from her. One of the first times we saw Azula--before she ever became a villain for Aang--she lit the safety net under Ty Lee on fire. We were never supposed to like Azula. We were supposed to be shocked at how cruel she is to her own friends and how dead opposite to Aang she was.

 

Most of the ATLA villains worked with the dead opposite principle. Zuko, for instance, was always a source of overwhelming determination when Aang was wishy washy.

Edited by Egann, 10 November 2014 - 12:09 PM.

[JRPomazon]

Waiting to binge on this season when it wraps up. I have nothing but high expectations.

[Selena]

I was discussing the season with a friend, and a really good point came up.  The writers have completely missed a chance to use Bolin better. [..]

 
Oh, yes. Bolin's been misused practically since his introductory episode. He initially came across as the most publicly beloved Fire Ferret and fairly charming with girls, then rapidly became an insecure adorkable buffoon. He's been stuck as easily-fooled comic relief since then. They could have done so much with him -- and all the other members of Team Avatar.
 
I probably would have liked Mako if his character hadn't been dragged through the dirt with all that love triangle business. Love triangle removed? The dude basically acted as surrogate parent for Bolin, does all the cooking, fusses over people, and passionately defends his loved ones. He actually fulfills a lot of Katara's old role, just with the brooding firebender thing going on. But the really forced love triangle stuff left a sour taste in everyone's mouth. Especially when it happened again in Book 2. 
 
And Asami has a ton of potential skill-wise -- she's practically Bruce Wayne and/or Tony Stark -- but she just never got utilized ever. 
 
 

And that is a perfect example of what's wrong with Korra as a series.  There's good ideas, you can read good ideas into the subtext, but on the whole, the writers suffer from a chronic case of poor execution, cop-outs, and haphazard world-building.  When the show is good, it seems to be good on accident.

 
This has always been my chief complaint too. Amazing ideas, poor execution. On all levels.
 
I mean, I still enjoy it more than 90% of shows on TV right now, but the fact that it could have been more is the main source of disappointment. 
 
 

 

I cannot understand why I'm supposed to see Korra inside Kuvira (which is what obviously threw Korra at the end of the fight.)

 

 

 

 

Foils don't have to perfectly replicate every aspect of the other character. They are two distinct people, but share many key traits -- specifically, traits many fans hated about Korra in Book 1. 

 

When faced with a political crisis, they both prefer to use brute force to subdue the perceived threat. They are ends-justify-the-means characters. They don't really care about ethics; they care about winning. They are both extremely arrogant. They are both braggarts. They both taunt and try to belittle their enemies. When someone doesn't cooperate with their initially calm demands, they react with threats and physical violence. They will keep the peace, even if they have to beat people into submission to do it.

 

They have differences -- as they should. Kuvira is more restrained. More controlled. But the core thematic behaviors are still similar. Going back to the Rocky 3 comparison, Mister T had very little in common with Rocky personality-wise, but mirrored old-Rocky's dedication to being in the ring and hunger for victory. Which Rocky had lost. Soon follows the Eye of the Tiger training montage. 

 

I see it, anyway.

 

 

 

 On the other, Kuvira hasn't really sold herself as someone who can form a devoted army and conquer the world.  It's hinted that she has some sort of cult of personality, but she completely lacks the charisma you'd need.  Maybe she just hasn't gotten enough screen time, or maybe the voice actor is letting us down, but I expect some long-winded inspiring speeches and painfully scripted interactions from the common folk from my fascist dictators.  I expect to see some mayor say, "Hey, joining your empire sounds like a great idea," while under zero duress.  I want to see how she convinced Bolin to go along with her.  So maybe my issue is that they skipped the early formation of her Empire rather than showing the tipping point of when she became a problem for the rest of the world.  Like Selena said, she's like Azula without any charisma.

 

 

This is a related issue -- we still don't really know much about Kuvira herself, and I'm seriously hoping the writers will be so dense as to not dig into her past and thought process. Making the foil thing work properly hinges on how Kuvira is fleshed out. So far, she's the least fleshed out of the villains and felt the need to become Empress of the Earth Empire because.... of reasons?

 

The fact that she was apparently an orphan before Su took her in is ideally an avenue to explore -- there could be all kinds of reasons behind her actions. But then we get back to the "good ideas, poor execution" thing. 

[SteveT]

Foils don't have to perfectly replicate every aspect of the other character. They are two distinct people, but share many key traits -- specifically, traits many fans hated about Korra in Book 1. 

 

When faced with a political crisis, they both prefer to use brute force to subdue the perceived threat. They are ends-justify-the-means characters. They don't really care about ethics; they care about winning. They are both extremely arrogant. They are both braggarts. They both taunt and try to belittle their enemies. When someone doesn't cooperate with their initially calm demands, they react with threats and physical violence. They will keep the peace, even if they have to beat people into submission to do it.

 

They have differences -- as they should. Kuvira is more restrained. More controlled. But the core thematic behaviors are still similar. Going back to the Rocky 3 comparison, Mister T had very little in common with Rocky personality-wise, but mirrored old-Rocky's dedication to being in the ring and hunger for victory. Which Rocky had lost. Soon follows the Eye of the Tiger training montage. 

 

I see it, anyway.

 

I think that's a fair comparison.  Kuvira's negotiating style is proof enough.  Notice how no one ever believes her when she says, "Oh hi.  I'm here for some peaceful negotiations.  I brought my army...to the peaceful negotiations"

 

Just like how every time Korra tries to negotiate, her best attempts to be friendly include an underlying threat because she has a reputation as a brash, violent, and impatient Avatar.

 

And for either of them, it only takes one mild disappointment to escalate the situation.  No patience.  No compromise.  Just brute force threats.

[Egann]

 

Foils don't have to perfectly replicate every aspect of the other character. They are two distinct people, but share many key traits -- specifically, traits many fans hated about Korra in Book 1. 

 

When faced with a political crisis, they both prefer to use brute force to subdue the perceived threat. They are ends-justify-the-means characters. They don't really care about ethics; they care about winning. They are both extremely arrogant. They are both braggarts. They both taunt and try to belittle their enemies. When someone doesn't cooperate with their initially calm demands, they react with threats and physical violence. They will keep the peace, even if they have to beat people into submission to do it.

 

They have differences -- as they should. Kuvira is more restrained. More controlled. But the core thematic behaviors are still similar. Going back to the Rocky 3 comparison, Mister T had very little in common with Rocky personality-wise, but mirrored old-Rocky's dedication to being in the ring and hunger for victory. Which Rocky had lost. Soon follows the Eye of the Tiger training montage. 

 

I see it, anyway.

 

I think that's a fair comparison.  Kuvira's negotiating style is proof enough.  Notice how no one ever believes her when she says, "Oh hi.  I'm here for some peaceful negotiations.  I brought my army...to the peaceful negotiations"

 

Just like how every time Korra tries to negotiate, her best attempts to be friendly include an underlying threat because she has a reputation as a brash, violent, and impatient Avatar.

 

And for either of them, it only takes one mild disappointment to escalate the situation.  No patience.  No compromise.  Just brute force threats.

 

 

I disagree. Korra might be more willing to come to fisticuffs and threats than Aang ever was, but except for that one dude in the very first episode I really can't think of her doing it completely unprovoked. Usually she wound up fighting them, anyway.

 

It's just that this season she's been almost out of character passive and "let's talk first." It's this odd mix of Kuvira is supposed to teach Korra a lesson, but it's half-learned already, and it degrades Korra's existing character. At least that's what I think.

 

 

In any case, good episode. HOORAY. Prince Wu is still an ass, but at least he and Korra have some entertaining "this-group-hug-is-not-for-you" chemistry, and I can't hate any episode Asami gets a KO in.

 

I expect the problem I had with the first few episodes is they let Korra hang on her own about an episode and a half too long. Korra's time alone was important character stuff, but it more served to fill the season more than change Korra. About the only thing it did was give Korra plot-sense spirit powers...which I hope will get toned back after this.

[SteveT]

I disagree. Korra might be more willing to come to fisticuffs and threats than Aang ever was, but except for that one dude in the very first episode I really can't think of her doing it completely unprovoked. Usually she wound up fighting them, anyway.

 

It's just that this season she's been almost out of character passive and "let's talk first." It's this odd mix of Kuvira is supposed to teach Korra a lesson, but it's half-learned already, and it degrades Korra's existing character. At least that's what I think.

 

 

I'm not talking about unprovoked violent outbursts.  I'm talking about the underlying threat and her tendency to escalate tense situations.  See her interactions with Tarrlok and Unalaq in particular.  As you say, she's backed off that in Book 4, and even Book 3, so Kuvira represents not who Korra currently is, but how she views her past and the path she used to be on.

 

The new episode has shown me that I mostly watch the show for Bolin at this point.  It was a good day for Korra/Asami shippers, too.

[Selena]

 

 It was a good day for Korra/Asami shippers, too.

 

 

 

 

heck yeah it was

 

 

 

Show still taking a long time to get rolling, but the prospect of Toph vs. Kuvira's army excites me. 

 

Battle theme:

 

 

[Jasi]

Hahahahahahahahah omg Lena that's amazing