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saomarathesavage-archived · 6 years ago

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Text messages and phone calls (The Noatak Horror), part 3

Story under readmore (It should go without saying that I’ve never been to the Noatak preserve or Alaska. Sorry if I get so much of this wrong.)

(An hour after Alora’s video, Elisi calls Nadia’s phone.)

Nadia: (in a panic) Hello?!

Elisi: It’s me. So--

Nadia: (shouting) OH MY GOD, ARE YOU AND ALORA ALRIGHT, WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS, WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW, HOW--

Elisi: (during that, groans in annoyance, and barks in a mom voice) HEY!

(Nadia quiets)

Elisi: (calmer tone, sounds tired and 1000% done) What are you going on about?

Nadia: Alora sent me a message on her phone an hour ago. A video. You were both hurt, and surrounded by those things--

Elisi: (still sounds done) She FILMED what happened? Instead of getting us out? Fucking millennial...

Nadia: Elisi, what the hell happened?!

Elisi: (sighs) Give me a second, I’m still patching up my wounds.

Nadia: Wh-you can talk and do that at the same time! Or hand the phone to Alora! Where is she?!

Elisi: No idea. I woke up alone.

Nadia: What?

Elisi: Okay, okay, so... we were taking the gyre to Anchorage, and we hit something big enough to get knocked off the rails and into the wall. We got flung off and I can remember hearing a bunch of squeaks like mice, or my kids when I come home with lunch. Next thing I know, I’m waking up by the river bank with my face covered in my own blood, and a bunch of teeth marks on my legs.

Nadia: Oh my god...

Elisi: What was in the video?

Nadia: Alora got the creatures on video, alive. There were.... she said hundreds maybe thousands of them... and something roared at her down the tunnel and gave chase.

Nadia: Elisi, I think all these small trolls are babies. And whatever chased Alora was a parent.

Elisi: Shit

Nadia: Do you really need to swear?

Elisi: Please tell me the acceptable word I should be saying after learning I have essentially troll mice who are eating everything and everyone in my goddamn nature reserve?!

Nadia:

Elisi:

Nadia: ...not a swear?

Elisi: Whatever. So, what did the babies and mama frograts look like?

Nadia: The babies look like the statues, some were smaller and bigger, they were swarming so Alora was right about them being pack hunters.

Nadia: Couldn’t get a good look at the mother. The footage was grainy and dark. I had to turn the brightness of my phone up to get an outline.

Elisi: Ooooo, lookit the forensic investigator at work, using the high tech gadgets on her phone.

Nadia: Alora’s sarcasm doesn’t look good on you.

Elisi: Sorry. I’m tired and stressed, just caught my breath, trying to calm down and wondering what to do. So, what does she look like?

Nadia: Again, I just have an outline. Large four clawed hands, bigger version of the statues, scaled like bird claws. Covered in fur, not sure about the color. The eyes look to be a head tall and wide, and based on the eyeshine are yellow. The mouth seemed to be the length of the tunnel.

Elisi: There is no goddamn way.

Nadia: I’ve watched the video over and over again, trying to get a good visual. She seems to take up the entire tunnel. If it’s a she. Might be a he. Or neither. Alora thinks it’s a she.

Elisi: Hmm... Either way, none of these sound like trolls I’ve ever heard of. If they’re trolls at all.

Nadia: What about the cadavers? It’s the same as dead trolls exposed to sunlight.

Elisi: See, here’s the thing. I’m on a neighbor’s land, hoping to get a ride to my home. And, um... he’s dead.

Nadia: Oh! Oh no. Elisi, I’m so sorry.

Elisi: So am I, but not as sorry as these frograts are gonna be. The thing is, he doesn’t even look like he was attacked or eaten by a troll. The body is just up the hill. Drained of blood.

Nadia: (horrified and confused) What?

Elisi: DRAINED. OF. BLOOD. He’s a goddamn husk! Just the blood! JUST! THE! BLOOD! I mean, what happened to his dog is normal, it’s been ripped to shreds and the bones are near picked clean. THAT’s troll carnage there; makes sense for a hoard of little ones. But why drain the human and only the human?

Nadia: Elisi?

Elisi: (calms down a bit) Yes?

Nadia: Are you sure? Drained of blood?

Elisi: Yeah. Four puncture wounds in his chest, and everything’s there BUT blood. So...

Nadia: This... helps to narrow down what these things are. If the babies kill and maim like trolls, but the adults drain blood... I have to admit, this isn’t something trolls naturally do.

Elisi: Yeah. Look, how about you get in on that research. I’m going to patch up, and find a way to get to my family and make sure they’re alright.

Nadia: What about Alora?

Elisi: Any word from her since the video?

Nadia: No! I’ve called and texted. Nothing.

Elisi: She’s a Shard too, whatever happens, she can’t die. Keep me posted if she answers. I’m sorry, Nadia, I have babies at my house. Babies I need to keep safe above all other forms of life.

Nadia: ...I understand. Call me back when you get there?

Elisi: Okay. Stay strong, sis. We’re going to be okay.

Nadia: Okay. I’ll talk to you soon, Elisi. Please be careful.

Elisi: Yep yep. Talk to you later.

(they both hang up)

(Text sent from Alora’s phone to Nadia’s phone, twenty minutes later)

Alora: Bitch

Alora: btch

Alora: bitch

Alora: Bitch

Nadia: ??? Alora? Are you alright?

Alora: bintch

Alora: No

Alora: typing with one hand

Alora: hurts

Alora: pans

Alora: pain

Alora: fucking spell checks

Nadia: Alora, calm down. Where are you?

Alora: Nest

Nadia: A nest? Of those trolls?

Alora: Yeah

Alora: Eaten

Alora: Again

Alora: Hate it

Nadia: I’ll call Elisi and tell her where you are

Alora: No

Alora: Food

Alora: Me food

Alora: won’t hunt

Alora: Keep her talking

Nadia: Do you mean the mother troll? She can talk?

Alora: Yeah

Alora: First tongue

Nadia: First tongue? She speaks the oldest troll language?

Alora: Yeah

Alora: No English or trail

Alora: Troll

Alora: Saomara

Nadia: Is that her name?

Alora: Yeah

Alora: Told me

Nadia: Old name. First tongue.

Alora: Frozen

Nadia: Frozen?

Alora: Thawed

Alora: Woke up

Alora: Swam

Alora: Eggs

Alora: Hunt

Alora: Basically that

Alora: Tired

Nadia: Okay, listen, I think I can get you out of there. Are you alone right now?

Alora: Nope

Alora: Hatching

Alora: Feeding soon

Nadia: Listen, I can teleport you out just like in Killahead. Give the word. Should I do it now?

Alora: No

Alora: NO

Alora: SHE’S COMING

Nadia: Okay. Stay strong. Give me a signal when you’re ready. I’ll get you home, I promise.

(There’s no further response from Alora)

(Elisi calls Nadia’s phone the next morning)

Nadia: Elisi? Are you okay? Where are you?

Elisi: Home. Everyone’s fine. Nothing even looks out of the ordinary. Piri tended to my wounds. I should regenerate completely by tonight.

Nadia: Oh thank god. And the bad baby trolls?

Elisi: (chuckles) Bad babies?

Nadia: Yes. Any sign of them on your way back?

Elisi: Oh yeah. Lots of them. Looks like they’ve been digging tunnels underground. I found a bunch of holes just off the river banks. Lots of small bones, and more dead frograt statues. I don’t understand why there’s so many dead ones. Like, are they just walking out into the sunlight willy nilly, not knowing what happened?

Nadia: Yes.

Elisi: ...that sounded confident.

Nadia: I found out what they are. If you have a moment I can tell you.

Elisi: Everyone’s asleep and I’m in bed recovering. All I have is time. What did you find?

Nadia: Alora managed to contact me. She’s in the mother’s nest, being used as a food source for the hatching babies.

Elisi: (extremely alarmed) Oh shit! What?! How did she manage to--

Nadia: She’s not a happy camper, I can certainly say that. The good news is that she’s gotten the troll to start talking. It’s name is Saomara--

Elisi: Wow. That’s an ancient name. Like Victoria, or Gladys, or Pepper Pompadour.

Nadia: Older! Like caveman old!

Elisi: Yeah, I know. Go on.

Nadia: She’s indeed female, and she speaks in the First Tongue.

Elisi: ...so it’s a caveman era troll?

Nadia: Exactly! She was frozen in a glacier thousands upon thousands of years ago! But the ice melted a couple of years ago. She must have come from Syberia or somewhere in that area, because she swam the Berring Straight to get here.

Elisi: ....to fucking Noatak?!

Nadia: But the hundreds to thousands of babies, big enough to fill the gyre tunnels, Syberia, frozen for thousands of years, AND can drain blood? I’ve found what she is!

Elisi: Well, don’t keep me in suspense, woman!

Nadia: She’s an Evlakeel!

Elisi: ...

Nadia: ???

Elisi: ...what’s that?

Nadia: It’s a tribe of prehistoric trolls. Just like what you’ve seen, they breed like rabbits, but they don’t care for the hatchlings until they reach a certain age. Because of this, the babies tend to die off in droves! The mother only cares for those who’ve managed to survive on their own.

Elisi: Ugh. That’s awful.

Nadia: They’re an extremely aggressive species and because they can multiply so fast and grow their territory so quickly, they would become a huge nuisance to everyone around them. They would eat any animal, person, or troll they came across, not caring for conservation or any other form of life. Left unchecked, they could strip the world of everything in a matter of months.

Elisi: Sounds like Gunmar. Only one who just keeps making babies by the sound of it.

Nadia: Yes! A female will lay up to one million eggs a season! Almost non stop! For the entire season! The good news is that the chance of survival due to non parenting is very bad for the little ones. One in a thousand make it to the next stage of development, THEN she will start caring for them, and will do so VERY protectively. So, once she stops laying, the number of her brood should drop to.... maybe a hundred?

Elisi: Still doesn’t sound much better. I need to get these prehistoric pests off my land!

Nadia: I do hear you. The species is supposed to be extinct; hunted by other tribes of trolls because of their natural overpopulation. Looks like this one survived somehow.

Elisi: It’s not unheard of for trolls to be frozen solid in ice, or petrified deep within the earth. Survival stories do happen. Jeez... why this one, though? This one sucks.

Nadia: Yeah. So, now we know what we’re up against. Now we just need a plan of attack.

Elisi: How did the trolls from the past exterminate the Evlakeel?

Nadia: I assume how they killed other things. Primitive weapons, larger numbers, fire, larger trolls... Must have looked like a much messier Battle of Killahead. Only it wasn’t a war. It was genocide.

Elisi: I mean... if they’re gonna be assholes about what they do...

Nadia: What I am thinking is if she can talk, she can be reasoned with. We could try talking to her and maybe try to find a peaceful solution.

Elisi: No.

Nadia: I-- what? But--

Elisi: If she doesn’t control her brood, they’re going to wipe out every animal, fish, bird, insect, plant, AND human by the end of summer! THEY won’t be reasoned with. It’s my responsibility to make sure NONE of those unholy vermin survive. And once they’re all gone, I’ll deal with the mother personally.

Nadia: Listen to yourself. If you go after the older brood, the mother will come after you!

Elisi: GOOD! Lemme kill the source of the eggs first, then mop up the mess over the summer. Sounds GREAT!

Nadia: Elisi--

Elisi: WHY WOULD YOU REASON WITH THIS MONSTER?! YOU NEVER CAME HERE! YOU HAVEN’T SEEN WHAT I’VE SEEN! YOU’VE NEVER EVEN SEEN MY HOME! THIS BASIN IS MY HOME! I’VE RAISED SIXTEEN GENERATIONS OF WHELPS HERE! I HAVE A HOME AND FAMILY TO PROTECT AND IF YOU CAN’T RESPECT THAT--

Nadia: Elisi!

Elisi: --THEN I’M NOT LISTENING TO ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED TO SAY! IF YOU WON’T HELP, THEN DON’T CALL AGAIN!

Nadia: I WILL HELP!

Elisi: Yeah, how?

Nadia: You’re right. The babies can’t be reasoned with. They all have to be exterminated. It may be possible to move the mother somewhere else. Or determine a way to find her at her weakest. Elisi, I will help you. I’ll help save your family and your home. I’m just trying to find the fastest solution.

Elisi: (after a minute of silence) Fine. Just find your fast solution FAST!

Nadia: I’ll do a bit more research and get back to you. I also need to see to Alora. I don’t think she’s going to last much longer.

Elisi: Alright.

Nadia: Get some rest. I’ll give you a call tonight, okay?

Elisi: Yeah.

Nadia: Rest well, sister.

Elisi: Yeah, you too. (hangs up)

(Texts sent from Alora’s phone to Nadia’s during the phone conversation)

Alora: Bitch

Alora: bitch

Alora: binch

Alora: btch

Alora: super bitch

Alora: super bitchy

Alora: bitch

Alora: gonna eat my hands

(The texts stop)

#Shard sisters #The Noatak Horror #Saomara's backstory #TO BE CONTINUED!

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orpelia · 6 years ago

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Air: “Endgame”

Eleven episodes and a two-week hiatus later (oops!)~~

My praise, my wishes, and my feelings of the season finale of Book I.

[Heart eyes.]

Oh, Bo. What would we do without you.

As always, he gifted us with his silly and endearing humor,

but he also starred in some fantastic collabs.

Bolin x Naga

Bolin x General Iroh

Honestly, Bolin x Any Character <--- now that’s my kind of ship.

General Iroh is just as stupidly fearsome and heroic as his grandfather.

This is fact.

His stunt with the planes?

Cray.

I’m looking forward to seeing more of him in the future, preferably in the same scene(s) as Zuko because that’s something I desperately need in my life.

My favorite Mako: protective and powerful.

Let’s not forget, he can break free of Noatak’s bloodbending!!!

Korra---the freakin’ Avatar---couldn’t even do that! At least, not at first.

Amon admits it himself: “I'm impressed. No one has ever gotten the better of me like that. It is almost a shame to take the bending of someone so talented.”

I hope Mako’s talents become focal points in the next books. Please, oh please don’t revert him back to a frustrating, lovesick puppy who can’t make up his damn mind. It really doesn’t do his character justice.

Speaking of lovesick puppies...

Without a doubt, Mako and Korra had the most compelling scenes of the entire episode (and not because they were fighting Noatak).

Canon couple or not, these two make a great team. They obviously care about each other, but they’re fiercely protective of one another as well, and that’s what makes their chemistry so palpable.

Although I wasn’t over the moon about dropping the love bombs, even I recognize how heartwarming their moments were.

Take, for example, the penultimate scene of the finale:

Recap: Mako tells Korra he loves her, Korra dramatically runs away with Naga, and Tenzin tells Mako they have to be patient with her, which is old people code for “give her some space.”

If you ask me, that’s shitty advice.

In real life, I want someone to go after me, even if I say I want to be alone or I tell people to go away.

Yes, I am that person.

So you best believe my heart SOARED when the boy chased after the girl:

At first, Mako’s shocked.

No surprise there.

He just witnessed Korra in the Avatar State, which means 1) her bending is back and 2) the Avatar State is no joke!! The glowing eyes!! The command of the four elements at your fingertips!! That’s hardcore, bro!!

But then he fondly smiles at her, which I wholeheartedly interpret as “Ah, yes. That’s my girl.”

And look at her face!!

These two aren’t endgame, so I’m allowing myself to savor in the swoon.

FYI: If there’s anything you should know about me, it’s that I’m a sucker for cheek caresses.

Twirling hugs also make me a lil weak in the knees.

Running to someone and barreling into their arms is just stupid cute.

[Heavy sigh.]

I was really rooting for Asami.

After Chapter 7, I thought we were going to see how Asami was coping with the reveal of her father’s conspiring nature. Instead, her character seemed to revolve more around the love triangle (or whatever shape you want to call the ridiculous Asami x Mako x Korra situation). When Asami does mention her father, it’s only a sparse comment every other episode or so.

Thus, the showdown between father and daughter lacks an emotional weight, and it’s partly because we haven’t explored enough of their relationship to truly feel for these characters.

That isn’t to say their sequence doesn’t have powerful moments.

I just want to take a moment to holla at ma boy @Jeremy Zuckerman, sole music composer.

Your music is always stunning, but the accompanying track in Asami and Hiroshi’s showdown (plus the music in the boat scene and everything in the third act) is what carries the entire segment.

Your melodies tugged at my heartstrings in ways the story couldn’t.

Their final fight, for instance:

Asami is so caught up in the battle---defending herself against her father, no less---that you think she might actually do it, she might actually hurt him.

But then he’s looking at her like this,

and she starts to hesitate (this is her father after all),

which is the exact moment Hiroshi strikes.

In the end, Asami captures her father, but not without remorse: “You really are a horrible father.”

Dear Creators,

Please give your characters the emotional depth they deserve and explore the nuances of their relationships.

Trust me: they can lift the weight of their stories just fine.

I am unbelievably disappointed in Noatak’s arc.

I just---

I mean---

How?

How are you going to build the foundation of a character on a lie?

How are you going to develop that character’s arc for ten episodes, then discredit almost everything with deceit??

How are you going to completely undermine your character like that???

And to add insult to injury, Noatak keeps lying, going so far as to reveal a fake, painted scar:

Here’s the thing: Zuko is my world.

Of all the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender, I found pieces of myself in his story the most. Scars, then, are sore subjects for me; sometimes, I feel like I’m as sensitive about his scar as he was.

Yes, I jumped in my seat upon first seeing Noatak’s “scar,” but make no mistake---I’d rip that lie off his face in a heartbeat.

Undermining your character with lies is bad enough, but this shit felt like mockery, and while I’m certain that wasn’t the creators’ intents, I’m taking it personally anyway.

However, attention should be paid to Noatak’s last scene:

Again, the music is so beautifully somber, but the dialogue here is probably some of the episode’s best.

From Noatak’s “I had almost forgotten the sound of my own name,” to Tarrlok’s "It will be just like the good old days.”

From the tear that rolls down Noatak’s cheek,

to Tarrlok's decision to sacrifice them both.

It doesn’t make up for butchering Noatak’s arc, but this was, quite simply, a beautiful ending to a sad story.

Dear Creators,

Please don’t make the same mistake twice.

You compromised the integrity of your character the moment you sacrificed a fleshed out plot for woaw!shock factor.

Villain or not, he deserved better.

Also, I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU.

It was at this moment that I wanted to jump into the screen and rescue Tenzin and his beautiful children myself.

LOOK AT THEIR FACES.

I WAS SO MAD.

LIKE:

HOW COULD YOU.

It should be said: I loved Korra in this episode.

I mean, she was pretty daft to think that hiding under a table would keep her safe from a bloodbender. A bloodbender (a psychic one at that) can feel your blood, Korra, of course he knows you’re under there.

So just for that:

Yeah, don’t you look all silly and fuzzy.

Aside from this idiotic little slip, she was pretty badass, unlocking her airbending and fighting against Noatak’s bloodbending:

What a crappy screenshot of her airbending, haha. Would you believe me if I said this was genuinely the best I could do?

And unlike Asami and her father, I actually felt for Korra. I was devastated when Katara couldn’t repair her severed connection to the other three elements.

Though I wonder if I felt more for Korra because she acted just as I would. That is, she’s clearly distraught over losing her bending, but she wants to spare her friends and family the trouble of making a scene:

So she waits until she’s alone to let it all go:

:’-(

As I said, I loved and felt for Korra in the finale, and I don’t have a problem with her...

I have a problem with the writing.

Korra’s airbending was very badass, but I completely forgot about her airbending struggles.

The first four episodes show Korra’s conflict with the element (i.e., it’s literally the plot line of Chapter 2). If anything, these episodes have small moments that remind us of Korra’s airbending training---practicing in the temple’s courtyard or doing exercises with the kids, to name a few examples.

Then, in Chapter 8, Tarrlok insults her with the “half-baked Avatar” comment, snidely remarking on her less than satisfactory airbending. It’s in this same episode that Korra reminds Tenzin---and the audience---that she’s never been able to connect with her spiritual side. (More on this later!)

And... that’s it.

After the eighth episode, she’s kidnapped by Tarrlok, who reveals himself as a bloodbender; she’s rescued but then Amon and Hiroshi attack Republic City, separating Korra and the teens from Tenzin, his family, and Lin; Korra decides to take Amon on her own (but not really because Mako decides to tag along) and the two of them bump into Tarrlok, who reveals that Amon is actually his long-lost, waterbending, psychic bloodbending brother, Noatak.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing. If the creators were prioritizing awe! and shock! and woaw!, then unlocking Korra’s airbending this way definitely did the job. But it felt a little too... convenient? Plus, there was no explanation for why her airbending worked when it did.

I mean, saving Mako obviously had something to do with it, and they didn’t have time to get into the details because, duh, they were trying to restore Korra’s bending.

Still, the audience shouldn’t have to interpret everything.

(Or perhaps I’m just being petty, lol.)

For a book titled after the element, I guess I just expected more.

Ultimately, I wish we saw Korra practicing more airbending; I wish we got an explanation for how and why she airbended when she did; I wish her success in unlocking her final element had not been overshadowed by the loss of her water-, earth-, and firebending.

Which brings me here, to this special moment:

I cried.

100%.

And the gentle, yet all too familiar Avatar theme playing in the background? Yeah, I was a puddle of tears.

However, as nostalgic as this was, I wasn’t too pleased at how quickly Korra’s bending was restored because it felt like the creators were taking shortcuts again.

For the record, I like that Noatak took Korra’s bending away (though I would have liked a more epic battle?), as it debunked the whole “the Avatar is invincible” concept. But, really? A quick touch of Aang’s fingers and her bending is restored, just like that?

Maybe it’s just me, but I would’ve loved to see Korra struggling to get her bending back. Perhaps we could’ve seen her retraining and relearning the other elements, which is something I still feel we were robbed of.

Furthermore, as much as I enjoyed seeing Aang and all the former Avatar reincarnations, I didn’t like that this was also the moment Korra connected with her spiritual side. Similar to her airbending moment, I forgot about her spiritual struggles; the issue is last mentioned in Chapter 8 and, before that, all the way back in Chapter 1. But, honestly, I think the ease and convenience of this moment lends to the problematic pacing of Book I as a whole.

Dear Creators,

While I thank you for restoring Korra and Lin’s bending, please don’t resort to convenient endings. I recognize that you only had twelve episodes, but please, no more shortcuts.

Your story will suffer.

Your characters will suffer, too.

p.s., I’m sorry for being so mean to you. I have a lot of feelings, is all.

Cheers to Book II, though!

Parting Thoughts

Before sitting down to write the finale’s review, I took a two-week break.

In that time, I rewatched (and re-rewatched) the entire first book.

I even had time to indulge in the fifth season of The Great British Baking Show.

Shameless Plug:

I absolutely recommend this charming baking competition.

You learn quite a lot about the science and precision of baking, endure (but also adore) countless baking puns, and witness what true competition looks like. That is, genuine camaraderie, rooting for your fellow bakers to succeed, and sometimes, lending them a hand if they’re pressed for time.

Warning: do not watch late at night. You will reach for a baguette.

And yet, I still feel meh about Book I.

The season has its share of success: the music is as impeccable as ever and the technological and industrial components of the Avatar-Korra universe are developing and expanding nicely.

However, it will always come down to the story, and the writing just wasn’t up to par.

Truthfully, the real triumphs are the characters, who---after only twelve episodes---have built a home for themselves in my heart:

Although, our bright, blue-eyed Avatar still has much to learn.

(i.e., how to stop being an impatient little dumdum)

But take heart...

Her story’s only just begun.

From Beginning to End:

“Thanks for looking out for me, Aang.”

credits

#legend of korra #book 1 #1x12

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orpelia · 6 years ago

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Spirits: “The Southern Lights”

What’s got Bo so spooked?

Korra and Co. are traveling South in Book II, Chapter 2, and there’s definitely something lurking in the wind.

As for Tenzin and family, they’ve gone to see where Grandpa Aang was born. Let the shenanigans and the feels commence.

Graphic content featured; I’ll give you a warning in case that’s not your thing.

Bro vs. Bro

Ah, yes.

Another flashback to another pair of Northern Water Tribe brothers. Only this time, we get the flashback very early into the season so their stories actually (hopefully) have time to grow.

Can you tell there’s still some salt for the “Amon/Noatak is my brother” reveal?

Man, do I love being petty~~

Tonraq, Korra’s father, was a general for the Northern Water Tribe.

To keep their city protected, he drove barbarians to an ancient forest,

and the ensuing battle destroyed the hallow grounds.

As punishment for disturbing their dwelling, angry spirits laid siege to the city.

Only Unalaq, Korra’s uncle, could tame the spirits and guide them back to their homes.

Ultimately, Tonraq was banished from the North and he looked to the South to start anew.

So I’m, like, 92% sure Unalaq is the big bad of the season.

(I also may or may not know some spoils.)

Reminiscent of Yakone, if I do say so myself:

If he is the big bad, then he’s totes schemin’.

Look at him, establishing a bond and forging a trust with Korra:

All potential villain-ness aside, this scene had great dialogue:

Unalaq: You have to believe in yourself, like I believe in you. Korra: I guess I’m just so used to people telling me how to do things that I forgot what it was like to have someone trust in me. Unalaq: Korra, all the past Avatars live on inside of you. Let them guide you. Let them help you find the light in the dark.

// By the way, I love when stories integrate the concept of light and dark. For one, it gives me all the Kingdom Hearts feels, but it’s also such a universally applicable idea. I cannot wait to see how this theme will play out in the rest of Book II.

But look at him, and tell me there isn’t something sinister about that smile:

So while Unalaq’s plan seems to be on the horizon,

I’m still trying to figure out how Tonraq fits into all of this.

I know Bo made light of the situation---

Bolin: Whoa, so you [Gestures to Tonraq.] were supposed to be chief, then he [Gestures to Unalaq.] became chief. No wonder you guys don’t like each other. [Mako elbows him.] Ow! What? Isn’t that what happened?

---but perhaps this is one of the central conflicts of the season.

Naturally, as both daughter to Tonraq and niece to Unalaq (as well as a member of the Water Tribes), Korra will be caught in the middle. But as the Avatar, she is also responsible for keeping balance in the world, and I suspect this bro-on-bro feud may upset the nature of both physical and spiritual worlds.

Yeesh.

I wish you luck, Korra.

Dark Unbalanced Spirits

This episode’s writing was solid.

One of the reasons for its success is that it built upon concepts that have long been established in the Avatar-Korra universe, most notably balance, separation, and good vs. evil (or, in this case, light vs. dark).

In defense of the spirits, Unalaq claims, “There are no evil spirits, there is light and dark in them all. But when they’re unbalanced, the darkness takes over.”

Tonraq confesses, “I don’t want [Korra] to make the same mistake I made. I should never have gone into that forest, and we shouldn’t be going to the South Pole now. Spirits and the physical world should remain separate.

To rebut, Korra exclaims, “Dad, it’s my job to be the bridge between the spirits and the physical world, and I finally have a chance to live up to my potential.

In further defense, Unalaq reminds them: “There used to be lights at the South as well, but during the Hundred Year War, the South was thrown out of balance and the lights disappeared. When the War ended, the North helped to rebuild you physically as a nation, but we have not rebuilt you spiritually.”

So many juicy bits; let’s break it down:

Light and Dark

The writers are playing to one of A:TLA’s (and now, hopefully LOK’s) strengths: refusing black and white story lines and plunging head first into those grey, murky middles.

Just as there is no such thing as a person who is wholly good or wholly evil, there is also no such thing as a person who is entirely made of light or entirely made of dark. Instead, it is our actions---our choices---that reflect who our true characters are.

But what if it’s not your actions or your choices that cause you to turn to darkness, which is potentially the case with the Southern spirits? It’ll be interesting, then, to see how Korra and the others atone for causing the spirits’ disarray.

Separation

Given his experience with spirits, Tonraq sides with logic: the physical world and the spiritual world should remain separate.

But Korra is the Avatar; it’s literally her job to harmoniously bridge two separate worlds. Besides, I would think it’s pretty normal to have spirits living among them.

Whose to say spirits don’t live among us in our world, too?👀

As we first learned in “The Guru”: “the greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separation.” Thus, it would be super dope (and super consistent!) if they extended that same wisdom to the story here.

Balance

This.

The concept of balance is probably what grounds the entire Avatar-Korra franchise, so it’s no surprise that the spirits are struggling with their states of unbalance.

Can I just say, I loved the callback to the Hundred Year War. This is what I’m talking about; write episodes that build upon ideas the audience already knows! Referencing the War serves to fill in the missing gaps from when Aang’s journey ended and Korra’s began, but it also helps propel Korra’s story forward.

There was also a nice throwback to the “Winter Solstice, Part 1: The Spirit World,” where we learn that a spirit named Hei Bai is terrorizing a village to retaliate against the Fire Nation soldiers who destroyed its home in the forest. We see the same scenario play out when Tonraq and his men annihilate the sacred woods; consequently, the spirits attack the Northern Water Tribe.

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to see Korra bring the spirits balance and find that balance for herself as well.

In the meantime, Korra’s got to work on her “spirit fighting”:

And I still don’t understand why the spirits have to 1) look super freaky and 2) look like the Demogorgon!!

Graphic Warning

Tell me I’m wrong:

Yes, Bitch.

Korra had her irritating moments, especially when she was quick to accuse people who were just trying to protect, trust, and love her.

But she was bad. ass. this episode:

Badass Example #1:

This one always gets me.

She ruthlessly, unflinchingly shoves her entire arm down the spirit’s mouth and then sets her fist on fire.

Biiiiiih.

Badass Example #2:

I think this marks the beginning of Korra starting to believe in herself as the Avatar,

and it makes a mama proud.

All the Hollas

@Jeremy Zuckerman, the music was on point.

@The Animation Team, the scenery in this episode was something else.

Bolin: It’s beautiful.

My thoughts exactly, Bo.

Parting Thoughts

Alright, girl.

What’s good?

Why are you waking up in the middle of the night,

wandering the halls of the temple,

stumbling upon unknown Avatars,

who mysteriously and simultaneously light up when Korra opens the South’s spirit portal?

And why only you, my dear Jinora?

It has to be said: I’m so happy our eldest airbender might have more of an arc in this book. Her two siblings definitely overshadowed her last season, but only because they have such big personalities!

Still, Papa Tenzin: please keep your little girl safe!!

Favorites

Tenzin took his little airbending family on a field trip!

(Aunt Kya and Uncle Bumi also tagged along and they proved very helpful by unloading Oogi.

No, seriously. They were mistaken for servants, haha.

I told you Tenzin would get his payback for all of last episode’s teasing.)

There were so many giggly moments with my favorite family today!

How to Be Polite (ft. Tenzin):

Abbot Shung: This is an ancient airbender head shaver we’ve refurbished just for you.

Tenzin: Oh. Okay?

How to Be Polite (ft. Pema):

Abbot Shung: These flowers once filled the mountainside! Now, they can brighten up your room.

Pema: That’s... sweet? Y-you didn’t have to.

I know this moment is a funny one, but thank you for recognizing Pema for birthing, nurturing, and loving her beautiful, yet all over the place children.

Which reminds me...

These kids are the best kinds of headaches:

Meelo: Mommy, Daddy, look! I finally got a lemur! I’m gonna name him---Poki!

Poki! Come back!

Ikki: No! That gift is mine! Jinora: You don’t even like to read! Ikki:

No actual dialogue in this scene and yet their sleeping positions say so much.

I’m sure Papa Tenzin would agree:

Tenzin: Where are your brother and sister?

Meelo: You can’t catch me! I’m the greatest air scooter-er of all time!

Tenzin: Meelo!!

... maybe not.

The Dork and the Deadpan

As always, we have Bo being Bo:

^dork.

And how are things coming along with Eska, you ask?

Eska: Does this sidecar have the capacity for two passengers?

Bolin: [Flirting.] Sure does. But, uh... who’s gonna drive?

Mako: [Teasing.] Well, what do you know? Looks like---

Bolin: Go away, Mako.

I have to say, the surprise of the episode is definitely Eska!

She’s hilariously deadpan, especially when she’s protective

Bolin: Can we not talk about dark spirits, please?

Eska: Don’t worry. I will protect you, my feeble turtle duck.

Bolin: Oh, it's in the engine! Ahhhh! I can’t stop it!

Eska: I’ll save you.

Bolin: I’m a raft!

[...]

Bolin: Uh, can someone please deflate me?

Thank you.

or jealous of Bo:

Eska: Why are you initiating physical contact with another woman?

Bolin:

Hate to break it to ya, Bo, but it looks like Eska’s wearing the pants in this relationship.

(And there ain’t nothing wrong with that.)

Quote(s) of the Episode

Mako: You never cease to amaze me.

Korra: Thanks. By the way, I’m really sorry for being a total pain. Things were really stressful and pretty confusing... It’s hard being the Avatar. Mako: [Jokingly.] It’s harder being the Avatar’s boyfriend.