I'm the Avatar and You Gotta Deal with It!
September 27, 2014 2:49 PM   Subscribe

Two and a half years ago, we returned to the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender with the premier of Avatar: Legend of Korra. On Friday, October 3rd, the final planned season, Book Four: Balance, will air and conclude the story of Korra, a young woman tested by the most brutal enemies and faced with a world that may or may not need or want an avatar anymore. This is its trailer. On Youtube. Spoilerish break down of previous seasons with trailers beyond the fold!

Book 1: Air began with the introduction of Korra, a teenager from the Southern Water tribe who traveled to Republic City to learn the art of airbending from Tenzin, the son of former Avatar Aang. Once in the city, Korra learned of the threat of Amon and the Equalists, a group who believe that benders, those who can control the elements, take advantage of and oppress the non-bending population. A new Team Avatar formed from the Pro Bending brothers, Mako and Bolin, and non-bender Asami Sato, the daughter of a titan of industry. Together, along with Tenzin, Lin Beifong, and others, stopped Amon's take over of Republic City, despite his terrifying ability to strip the power of bending from those who wield it. Here is Book 1's trailer.


Book 2: Spirits returned Korra to her homeland, the Southern Water Tribe, and the threat of angry spirits. Influenced by her uncle and chief of the Southern and Northern Water Tribes, Unalaq, she ended her study under Tenzin to learn spirit bending from him and is tricked into opening a closed spirit portal which will help commence a once in a ten thousand year event, a battle between light and dark. Taught by the story of Wan, the first Avatar, Korra ultimately had to develop her spirituality and after betrayal by her uncle who aligned himself with the spirit of darkness, lost her connection to her past incarnations (former Avatars) in the battle to defeat him. This is its trailer.


Book 3: Change set Korra and friends on a quest to hunt down new air benders who had appeared in the aftermath of Book 2, and confronted her with the Red Lotus, perhaps her most dangerous foe yet. A renegade faction of the White Lotus, a society dedicated to the protection and education of the Avatar, the Red Lotus sought to return the world to a state of anarchic freedom and to that end, capture Korra and kill her in the Avatar State - which would break the line of Avatars permanently. The Red Lotus succeeded in killing the Queen of the Earth Kingdom, but failed to defeat Korra, but at great physical costs to the Avatar. Victory left Korra wheelchair bound and her purpose in life in doubt. This is its trailer.

Legend of Korra will broadcast on Nickelodeon's Nick.com every Friday starting on October 3. It will also be available for purchase on Amazon and other online video on demand services.

Love the music you hear? The soundtrack for Book 1: Air, by Jeremy Zuckerman, is available for purchase!

And naturally, Legend of Korra and Book 4 will be discussed over on Fanfare! First post will appear on October 3 for Book 4!
posted by Atreides (33 comments total) 15 users marked this as a favorite
 
I can't believe it!
posted by snofoam at 2:59 PM on September 27, 2014


The original avatar was a great adventure, fun and funny. Korra, on the other hand, has mostly been meh. They tried a more sophisticated approach with Korra and it didn't work. Too much teen avatar drama and heavy social issues like urbanization, terrorism and ethnicity. I don't have anything against ambitious and mature animated series but Korra never managed to make it particularly interesting, fun or epic. Did the writers forget they were working on a animated tv series for kids?
posted by Foci for Analysis at 3:23 PM on September 27, 2014 [4 favorites]


I just have to say that watching through Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra has been quite a great bonding experience with my eight year old. I didn't think I'd enjoy it so much, and it's turned into one of the highlights of my TV watching career. It's partly plot, partly action sequences, and very much characters that you grow some affection for. I'm really looking forward to this fourth season as we finish watching the third.

Although when I refer to it as Korra the Explorer, it seems to not win me many brownie points.
posted by SpacemanStix at 3:24 PM on September 27, 2014 [1 favorite]


Korra, on the other hand, has mostly been meh.

big lebowski quote about that being just your opinion, man.
posted by snofoam at 3:27 PM on September 27, 2014 [4 favorites]


Oh thank you, God, I was waiting for you to say it was going to be on Fanfare. I've become such an Avatar nerd recently, listening to the soundtrack, making little phone charms out of perspex, reading all sorts of meta and writing fanfiction shut up I can quit any time.

My biggest problem is that my laptop has overheating issues, so I can't watch the episodes on here. I can watch them on my tablet, but then I have to work out a particular time, because the husband's only seen up to Season 1, and aw maaaaaaaaaaaaan so much is in that trailer, and it's just killing me.

So here we go, the piles of feelings:

Korra's new hair: ♥♥♥♥♥♥
Asami kicking ass and taking names: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
The Air Nation's flying squirrel outfits! Meelo with hair! Jinora's hair with her tattoos!
Bolin joining up with the metalbending tribe!
Korra going into the swamps!
Zuko next to his daughter the Fire Lord of awesome!
Kuvira's mighty fascist army - oh my god, the second I saw that Suyin's metal clan was all art deco and refined beauty and modernist living, I knew there'd be some fascism coming up.
MECHA SUITS. MOTHERFUCKING MECHA SUITS.

ZHU LI, DO THE THING. IN YOUR MECHA SUIT.

And then that final bit! Oh sweet baby sky bison, are we actually going to get Toph here?

Okay, I'm calming down again. But damn, this is going to be delightful.
posted by Katemonkey at 3:35 PM on September 27, 2014 [8 favorites]


Where can I go to start binge-watching Korra? (in Canada)

Avatar is the best saturday morning cartoon ever made. Korra doesn't quite live up to that standard, in some peoples' opinion? So it's merely outstanding then?

Trying to make a life for oneself in the shadow of greatness seems to be an actual theme of the show!
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 3:41 PM on September 27, 2014 [4 favorites]


Where can I go to start binge-watching Korra? (in Canada)

We've been watching it on Amazon. The first two seasons were free with Prime, and we're paying for the third one.
posted by SpacemanStix at 3:48 PM on September 27, 2014


I was pretty meh on the first two seasons, but Season Three has *more* than made up for that with sheer concentrated awesome. (First person to figure out a convincing Ming-Hua cosplay wins my eternal adoration!)
posted by nonasuch at 4:05 PM on September 27, 2014 [1 favorite]


aaaaaaaaaaaa so much sooner than I'd expected

Same weekend as the new Tomino-directed Gundam series, too aaaaaaaaaaaaa
posted by DoctorFedora at 4:06 PM on September 27, 2014


(First person to figure out a convincing Ming-Hua cosplay wins my eternal adoration!)

nonasuch: We have a winner.

(Have I mentioned how amazing Bryan Konietzko's Tumblr is? Because it is.)
posted by Katemonkey at 4:18 PM on September 27, 2014


I am pretty much unable to disagree with Celly's review(s) of book 3.
posted by Auz at 4:20 PM on September 27, 2014


All the episodes for the entire show (or 99% of them) appear to be available on Nick.com, here. I dunno if they offer the same access to the Dominion in the North, tho'! Also, the organization is wonky. You may also be able to watch them on one of the Nickeloden apps. That's another platform they're pushing.

One can also kind of catch up or get an analysis from the Republic City Dispatch, a podcast which covers every Korra episode with great commentators.

I'm probably going to explode in some crazy post about the trailer in a bit. In short, though, my mind literally was left running on high octane last night as I lay in bed thinking about everything I noticed and the implications of such. If Book 4 is as good as Book 3, the show will end on top.
posted by Atreides at 4:35 PM on September 27, 2014 [1 favorite]


Whatever one thins of this series versus Avatar, I'll never get bored of revisiting the old characters from Avatar in Korra, either as flashbacks or in person. You get glimpses of them as grownups, which is pretty satisfying, and you can see how unique things about their personalities influenced the culture in pretty significant ways. Also, they are often flawed characters, as they didn't always grown up to be paragons of perfect virtue. Half the fun is also trying to figure out the familial relations between characters now versus then.
posted by SpacemanStix at 4:42 PM on September 27, 2014 [1 favorite]


oh man that is A+ cosplay, but eventually someone will figure out a way to do the water arms and it will be EVEN BETTER.

(If you doubt me, there's a dude who comes to Dragoncon in a Big Daddy suit with working drill arm. Cosplayers are fucking dedicated.)
posted by nonasuch at 4:46 PM on September 27, 2014


I am not kidding about the dedication.
posted by nonasuch at 4:48 PM on September 27, 2014 [1 favorite]


Season 3 was miles and miles better than Season 1 and 2. Korra grew and matured immensely as a character and it was so much more enjoyable with less teen angst drama (really, none at all). I'm looking forward to Season 4.
posted by Anonymous at 5:04 PM on September 27, 2014


I love Legends of Korra and The Last Airbender! YAY! I am excited and happy.
posted by xarnop at 5:54 PM on September 27, 2014


Woooo!

The show isn't perfect -- I STILL have some major reservations about how Book I ended -- but overall, it's a landmark for American animation. I can appreciate it as an adult in between watching Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and Hannibal, but i can only imagine how freaking obsessed i would have been with a show like this as a kid. Sure, we all loved the '80s toons we grew up with, but compare an episode of Korra to an episode of Thundercats or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the difference in quality is staggering.
posted by ELF Radio at 6:30 PM on September 27, 2014 [6 favorites]


Speaking of big daddy, those mecha-suits sure seem to be referencing that.
posted by emptythought at 6:33 PM on September 27, 2014


Zhu Li!

Do the thing!
posted by ELF Radio at 8:58 PM on September 27, 2014 [1 favorite]


So, having not watched Avatar at all, can Korra be enjoyed on its own, or should one begin with the original show?
posted by bouvin at 2:38 AM on September 28, 2014


Wow, this got me really excited to watch some Korra again, after the let-down that was season 1! Although I live in the UK, so, I suppose, if I want to do it legally, I might be able to get a box set of the thing about a decade after it's finished (season 2 isn't out on DVD here, and season 3 isn't on iTunes... but I can finally get a UK box set of the original Aang Gang!).

This is literally a 'leaving money on the table' position that Nickelodeon are taking, and it doesn't make any sense. Got a highly anticipated, critically acclaimed series that is only getting better with each season? Why not bury it in a field at midnight so nobody can watch the dang thing?
posted by The River Ivel at 6:29 AM on September 28, 2014


So, having not watched Avatar at all, can Korra be enjoyed on its own, or should one begin with the original show?

While there are callbacks to characters (and occasional appearances) of them from the first show, Korra can be enjoyed entirely on its own because the weight of the show is balanced on the shoulders of the characters introduced in Korra. There has been nothing of significance that watchers have had to rely upon knowledge of the previous show that has been crucial or essential in any of the seasons.

The trailer is a great example of this setup. Everything highlighted in the show has been built upon the characters of the shows. There's two exceptions and their importance doesn't require much, if any previous knowledge. We see a shot of Katara, a main character from the first show, healing someone for a split second. Katara's healing abilities are grounded in Korra, so you're introduced to this fact and don't need to know it to appreciate she's the best of the best (Season 1 of Korra). The other is the only line spoken in the trailer, in which Korra asks something along the lines of, "Toph, is that you?" Toph is a main character from the first show, who is increasingly referenced in Korra (mainly in Seasons 1 and 3), but with those references we learn why she's important in the first place.

So for approximately 4 to 5 seconds in a 2:23 second trailer, there are callbacks to the original show and everything else is grounded entirely in the storylines and characters developed in Korra. Then, those callbacks are also grounded and establish in Korra, as well, so previous knowledge is not required.

It's kind of like having a big ice cream sundae with sprinkles. You don't need the sprinkles to really enjoy the sundae, but they're a nice additional little treat if you do have them.

This is literally a 'leaving money on the table' position that Nickelodeon are taking, and it doesn't make any sense. Got a highly anticipated, critically acclaimed series that is only getting better with each season? Why not bury it in a field at midnight so nobody can watch the dang thing?

Legend of Korra exists entirely for the purpose of selling advil to people slamming their heads into keyboards and desktops over how many missed chances to make money Nickelodeon has had with the show. I checked Amazon.uk and saw only Book 1 was available in digital format, Book 2 only on dvd/blu ray. For a reason yet to be explained, Nickelodeon took all Avatar Everything off of iTunes last summer. Presumably, there's a dispute over licensing fees or who knows what, but it's never been made clear. I'm lucky to have Amazon to purchase digital copies, but I still intend to complete my Korra via blu-ray discs as well. Redundancy!
posted by Atreides at 8:31 AM on September 28, 2014


This last season of Korra has been truly amazing. The production uncertainties of the first season that made it so uneven are behind us, looking forward to friday!
posted by eustatic at 8:19 PM on September 28, 2014 [1 favorite]


bouvin: Yes it's possible I started watching Book 1 of Korra w/o watching the entirety of AtLA series. They do a quick summary for each episode and apart from a few cameo scenes most of the cast is new.

Later on I did watch AtLA and it's actually a lot stronger of a story than Korra's Book 1 and Book 2. The animation is still lovely but different than the current update. I didn't read the comic book series though.

Side note: The last few episodes in Book 3 are going in a grimdark direction so it's not really a children's show. I would rate it appropriate for ages 15+ if such a rating existed for animated series.

I am excited for the final conclusion and the time skip looks interesting now that everyone is closer to my age orz.
posted by chrono_rabbit at 10:10 PM on September 28, 2014


Just found out that Jeremy Zuckerman, the composer for Korra's awesome soundtrack, has a SoundCloud page, which includes the music from the trailer.

I am not jumping up and down in delight. No, sir.
posted by Katemonkey at 2:06 AM on September 29, 2014 [2 favorites]


I'm looking forward to watching this, if only to get it over with! I do hope that if the Avatar world is continued, it's done by better writers who have a more cohesive story to tell.
posted by rebent at 8:21 AM on September 29, 2014


I enjoyed season one and then wandered off during the beginning of season two amongst the dull dull dull rote teenage romance. That and the hurr hurr hurr isn't stalking and partner abuse funny when the target is male? Look, this guy is afraid to break off a relationship because he's afraid his girlfriend might beat him half to death - hilarious! That turned me off so much that I couldn't wade through that for the adventure and delightful family dynamics with Aang's descendants. I hear so much good about season three that I'm thinking of going back to it.
posted by Karmakaze at 8:22 AM on September 29, 2014


Trailer breakdown time!

So our first 18 to 20 seconds is dedicated to flashback to Book 3, generally what Korra suffered at the hands of the Red Lotus and the state she was left in at its conclusion: in a wheelchair obviously depressed and weakened. Then we get the unexpected, WOWZA, time jump of three years! Let's get diggin'!

0:21ish - It appears Korra, before a river, is cutting her hair with something like a spear blade or an odd dagger. First, this throws us back to Book 2 of Last Airbender, when Zuko and Iroh, after realizing that they are now considered enemies of the Fire Nation, cut their hair before a river. This act preceded Zuko's personal journey which helped take him from "bad guy" to future ally of Aang. But why the hair cutting? Symbolism! This is generally seen in Japanese/Asian culture as breaking from the past, or if you might recall from Princess Mononoke, leaving behind one's home. The creators choose to hit us first with this short moment as the first footage for Book 4 because it's a significant decision and moment for Korra. A lot of her journey in Book 4 may be leaving behind the role of Avatar.

Immediately after we get the title page for Book 4 in front of the Metal Clan symbol or a Metal Clan stylized Earth Kingdom. Cue up the fact we should expect to see a season involving the Metal Clan (later pretty well established in the trailer).

0:45ish - Korra awakes from troubled sleep, which as some may know from the clip that was released, has been a reoccurring problem.

0:46ish - Flying Air benders! We have Kai and possibly, Opal, essentially zooming around like flying squirrels. Yes, Air benders have found a new way to fly that doesn't involve Guru Laghima and entering the void.

0:48ish - Kuvira! You may remember Kuvira from two points in Book 3. First, in the episode, "Metal Clan" where she's one of the dancers practicing with Suyin with the metal lotus flower and then in the last episode, as one of the Metal Clan soldiers told specifically by Suyin to stay with the air benders. In this instance, she's firing metal blades off her wrist. We have a quick cut away to Korra.

0:49ish - Korra is swinging her fist forward. This is past the point when she cut her hair and she's dressed in what looks like the same green tunic. In the background, there appear to be soldiers lined up and at least one mech suit. Did I mention mech?

0:50ish - Mechs! We have two mech suits with Metal Clan insignias duking it out. Previously in the world of Avatar, we had something kind of like a mech suit which was invented by the industrialist Sato as an anti-bender weapon. It had a cockpit and moved around on treads. It could also serve as a nifty fork lift substitute (book 2).

0:51ish - Back to Korra fighting, but now in a completely different setting. Our avatar is in an arena and fighting professional bending old school style. We met Toph in Last Airbender in a similar setup in Book 2 of that show. Incidentally, one of the inspirations for Korra's character were professional MMA (mixed martial arts) fighters, so this is likely not really a coincidental parallel. If Korra is fighting in a pro-bending fight (underground possibly?) it's not likely she's doing her job as the Avatar. Reminiscent of Rambo III?

0:52ish - We see an air bison being pulled down by vines. Due to the lemur that flies away as it's pulled down, and the shape of one fellow's head, this could be Tenzin's children. Perhaps looking for Korra? Blueberry Spicehead?!

0:53ish - Kuvira bending something!

0:54ish - We have Korra in the Avatar State in a similar jungle environment as the one where the air bison was. I am wondering based on a scene later in this trailer, if this is really Korra or if it's just a vision of a Korra that haunts our current Korra.

0:55ish - We cut back to our present Korra in the same swamp fighting back against something with water bending. Which immediately segues to Bolin...

0:56ish - Bolin dodging a lightning attack from an unknown fire bender or a mech with an electric attack of some sort. There's lava on the ground, so Bolin is apparently very much still using lava bending (which he uses later in the trailer). Note! Bolin is wearing something that appears to be a Metal Clan uniform. Has he joined the Metal Clan? Did he marry Opal? Are they still together? Questions!

0:57ish - A cut to Suyin in profile not looking happy, in fact, almost defeated. She has a man to her right, perhaps a son, and a woman to her left (Kuvira?). They all three appear to be in some kind of metal suit - perhaps the mech suits with the top off?

0:59ish - Metal Clan military grouping in preparation for attack? Invasion? Tons of mech suits! I can't recall right now of the Metal Clan airships, but as a matter of perception, the creators did use much of the same design of the airships that Future Industries built for the Equalists/Amon in Book 1.

1:00ish - What looks to be Bolin leaping off a cliff!

1:02ish - Korra in a puddle metallic fluid or something other than water that's pulling her down into it. We have to ask ourselves, is it a dream or is it a spirit? Is she in the spirit world or a spirit grove? Are the spirit wilds re-establishing themselves in the material world?

1:04ish - The same woman air bender from before with Kai, who again, I think is Opal doing some fancy departure moves off an air bison before Air Flying Squirrel Bending. It could very well be from the same scene as before, but just before it.

1:05ish - Mech suits forcing their way through strong winds. Who uses strong winds? Air Benders do! Could this be a glimpse of Air Benders trying to stop the Metal Clan's invasion/military force...unsuccessfully?

1:06ish - An underground chamber opens up to Korra. POINT: This is present Korra with her new haircut, but dressed in her customarily water tribe outfit. This may represent that Korra returning to the role of the Avatar. The underground chamber is probably Earth Kingdom due to the green crystal lighting.

1:07ish - The same present day Korra, but now fighting in the streets of Republic City (still draped with spirit vines).

1:08ish - A very fascist victory shot of Kuvira with her commanding officers in front of a torii draped with a Metal Clan banner. We don't drape banners over things unless we've won, so Kuvira is celebrating some kind of victory. Just a small speck in the background, it appears to be Tenzin in his red robe, or another airbender, walking away from the proceedings. Perhaps the air benders had been trying to stop the Metal Clan from taking this town and failed.

1:10ish - Jungle Korra fire bending. In the background there's an air bender watching. This could be from the same scene where we first see Jungle Korra punching at something before the cut away to Kuvira.

1:11ish - A dude swinging on a rope, perhaps from an airship, but he is armed with a weapon that has the same general appearance as the blade that Korra uses to cut her hair earlier in the episode. He's also wearing a similar green outfit.

1:12ish - Jinora! With hair! Swooping down through a spirit grove in Republic City. This adds to the question if Korra sought refuge in the spirit groves.

1:13ish - Korra fighting, attempting to bend. By the stance, one might reckon she's trying to stone/metal bend, but it's anyone's guess. It could be from the same series of fight scenes mentioned above.

1:14ish - Back to Korra fighting in Republic City. Probably a precursor to the scene we just glimpsed. Jumping from a moving car, it appears Asami is driving. There's a fellow I don't recognize well in the passenger seat - a son of Suyin? He's in some kind of uniform.

1:15ish - Jungle Korra. We can kind of gauge where Korra is in jungle terms by the scenes where she's wearing a backpack. In those scenes she seems to be fighting or trying to evade/deal with something.

1:16ish - Asami kicking some unknown dude's butt on the top of a moving train. That's the Asami we know and love! Of note, the dude is wearing a Metal Clan uniform.

1:18ish - Present day Korra glancing over her shoulder. The room appears to be underground and there are gears. Presumably from the same episode where she appears in an underground chamber.

1:19ish - Mech with flamethrower!

1:20ish - Bolin lava bending! FIRE FIRE FIRE! Bolin is in the Metal Clan uniform, so probably from the same fight that leaves him leaping off a cliff.

1:21ish - Present day Korra in her water tribe out fit, fighting someone on a train with Asami in the background. She's dodging metal daggers, which I'd pay good money on the premise that they're being thrown by a Metal Clan member. Probably the same train that Asami was kicking butt on just before.

1:22ish - Kuvira counter attacking from a flame attack of some sort - flame mecha or fire bender?

1:23ish - Bolin, it seems, leaping out or over a Mech that's being demolished by some form of electrical/lightning attack.

1:24ish - Another shot of Kuvira fighting! Yay?

1:25ish - Present day Korra in WTO (Water Tribe Outfit) ripping open a truck on the streets of Republic City. Probably same scene from before. OF NOTE: There appears to be a raised railroad track/road to her right. Republic City did not have those a few years earlier. Varrick's magnetic technology put to work? Verra-Mag-Lev?

1:26ish - Mako! Defending some dude with fire bending. It looks like Mako has a new haircut, so that actually may have been him in the car with Asami. He's dressed in something like a uniform.

1:27ish - Kuvira dodging both a wind attack and earth attack. This could either mean a united band of benders, or she's fighting an avatar who controls all the elements!

1:28ish - Present day Korra in WTO and a guy (Mako?) entering an overgrown building. It looks like it might actually be the old Republic City police department or city hall. Hard to say.

1:29ish - Bolin still engaged in that fight. It must be a doozy.

1:32ish - Awesome sight of Tenzin's kids flying squirreling through the air with an air bison. We're just going to assume its Blueberry Spicehead. Jinora looks so happy. Squee time? And as mentioned earlier in the post - MEELO WITH HAIR. Looks just like Aang's when it grew in!

1:35ish - Avatar State Spirit Korra vanishing before a street scene.

1:36ish - Korra walking toward a spirit portal. Is this where our avatar flees home to hide, the spirit realm? Incidentally, this is the Northern Spirit Portal, not the Southern. Take that for what you will. Her hair is cut, though, so even more confusing. She's wearing what might be her regular water tribe pants, but a green parka.

1:39 - Jungle Korra walking through vines.

1:42 - Korra in her wheelchair staring at parallel bars for rehabilitation. She's learning to walk again, hence we get a great idea of how terrible her injuries really were at the end of Book 3. Presumably, we are going to start off with this in the first episode and then jump our three years.

1:43 - Jungle Korra splashing in the water in a jungle...

1:44ish - Jungle Korra sitting on a root in a jungle looking pensive.

1:45ish - General Kuvira reviewing the troops! Notice the mountains in the background? That background looks identical to the scene where the Mechs are forcing their way through heavy winds. Me thinks they are getting ready to fight some air benders in a moment.

1:48ish - Opal in her Air Flying Squirrel suit looking sad. Around her are a bunch of Earth Kingdom folks who are cheering. It appears that the Metal Clan just walked into this town as liberators.

1:50ish - Zuko! Zuko's daughter! The United Republic President....cause we're always glad to see him...and Tenzin! Behind them stand what appear to be a line of Republic City Police Metal Benders. We have four high ranking representatives, so this is a big deal moment. Someone or something important is happening. Inauguration of a new president? A New Earth Kingdom ruler? New form of Earth Kingdom government? Metal Clan celebration?

1:52ish - Jungle Korra in front of Metal Clan troops with spooky helmets and goggles, very reminiscent of the anime "Jin-roh: Wolf Brigade movie/manga. She may be challenging Kuvira at this point.

1:53ish - Air bison flying along with someone.

1:54ish - Katara water bending/healing Korra. Korra still has her pony tail so this must be during her rehab stage.

1:55ish - Someone in the desert. Perhaps Korra walking away after defeat?

1:56ish - Kuvira! Again! But she looks younger somehow. Perhaps before her rise to military glory.

1:57ish - Present Kora in WTO recoiling over something in that same underground chamber.

1:58ish - Zhu li in a Mech wearing a cute Metal Clan uniform hat. I think she may have finally decided to do her own thing.

2:00ish - Present day Korra in WTO, with someone else (maybe Mako?), about to enter a giant door into an underground/mountain complex. Of note, it looks like White Lotus guards are standing guard at the doorway. A White Lotus headquarters? Library? Archives? Does the White Lotus have a secret that will shock our avatar?

2:01ish - Korra walking past volcanoes. Right, here we go, she's lost to Kuvira and we have an epic montage of her walking to the Northern Spirit portal to enter the spirit world to find herself after her defeat. What good is an avatar who can't even beat another bender one on one?

2:02ish - Varrick looking rather uncomfortable/straining in a very strange room. Has he been creating batteries for the mechs?

2:03ish - Kai blowing wind at what appears to be a Metal Clan jeep. Likely in that same village they take over.

2:03ish - Present Korra in WTO, in the spirit realm or at least dreaming of being there. The trees are actually very similar to the first trees she sees when she travels there with Jinora in Book 2.

2:14ish - The big reveal. Jungle Korra, looking a bit beat up, asking if it's Toph she sees before her. Perhaps her journey to the spirit world was in search of Toph in the first place?

And there's your trailer break down, unwanted or not, and likely not anywhere near 100% accurate. I apologize for any weird typos or word strings, I didn't have much sleep last night.
posted by Atreides at 8:41 AM on September 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


I have times too where I'll be watching Korra, and the scenes are really beautiful. The way that they've depicted Republic city with the lighting at night is really very striking, too. One of the few shows where I'll watch through the credits as they pan over the water heading into the city.
posted by SpacemanStix at 9:32 AM on September 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


The first two minutes of the first episode.

When I heard about the time jump my first thought was, no lie, "Thank god, no more shots of Meelo picking his nose!" But no: there is literally a shot of Meelo picking his nose within the first minute of Book 4.
posted by Ian A.T. at 10:29 AM on September 29, 2014 [2 favorites]


So, thoughts on what's coming. Where A:tLA was about an external threat to the world, The Legend of Korra has been about threats to the Avatar itself, and the stakes have risen in each season. So let's consider Korra in this light: in Season 3, Korra was thoroughly defeated, physically and mentally. Pretty much nothing she tried to do succeeded, she got captured and had to be rescued multiple times, and even at the end someone else had to save her or the Avatar State itself would have been destroyed. And now: there's a revitalized airbender nation to handle her policing duties, an Airbender prodigy who the spirits like to handle negotiations with the spirits, and she isn't even needed to enter the spirit realm, since there's two physical entrances, and anyone with enough training can enter the other realm.

So this is the challenge I think is facing her: is the Avatar even needed any more? What purpose is there for an avatar when others can do her duties? On the other hand, there's the fact that Tenzin, master of the bad idea, came up with the Airbender force. It's my speculation that they are gong to end up either being completely unable to stop an upcoming war involving a militaristic Earth nation, or that they themselves trigger it. So, I see two parts to this series: One, Korra's attempt to find balance in herself, and her need t bring balance to a world of contentious humans. Unfortnately I don't think she's going to get the leisure to do one after the other.
posted by happyroach at 12:01 AM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]




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