Korra 4.10

[psocoptera]

WHERE TO START. Suyin vs Kuvira mentor/mentee throwdown. The rumble as they're surrounded which you know means OH SHIT TOPH IN THE HOUSE. Although I am not thrilled with how they chose to present Toph's choice not to fight (her *back*, seriously?) and her comments about Katara, given the Old Masters episode in the original series where 115 year old King Bumi is kicking ass all over the place. (Seriously, Toph, didn't you once argue with Bumi over who was a better bender? You basically just kinda... let him win that, in one way.) I mean, I get that for narrative reasons we don't want to either have Toph lose or have her steal Korra's fight, but... I thought the Old Masters situation of having them fight on a different front was a better way to handle that.

But anyways. Bolin mostly annoyed me in this ep but flat-out asking about Lin's dad was PRICELESS. Canonically not Zuko, I guess, although if I wanted to tinhat I'd point out that she could have been lying. And I like that they didn't say anything about Su's. ::grin:: With Bolin and Opal getting resolved in the 4th last ep here (I want to say "quarterfinals" but that's not quite right), something tells me we're not seeing any more Jinora/Kai, Bolin being a more major character, which... makes me a little sad, but I guess that's what fic is for.

Meanwhile, in Republic City, Mako and Wu delighted the hearts of the Wuko shippers, Korra patched a lingering plot hole, and Asami has now designed a flying mecha suit, so I'm reviving my theory that she's Iron Man rather than Batman.

Also there is now a literal giant can(n)on that shoots holes in things. Ahahahaha. (Strategically, it seems like the cannon being one object is its weakness, and you only need one really good, say, tidal wave, to take it out. (My new theory is that part of how Korra is going to win in the finale is by remembering that she was born Water Tribe. When she fought Kuvira she used a lot of fire and earthbending and I don't think water at all. Kuvira may be unbeatable in her own element, but she has much less experience with any other. I'm sure in the end Korra will also pull out some crazy Avatar-state meta energybending business but I want to see some epic-level water action first.))

Comments

[sildra.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with all of that, but I think Lin should have said some of that rather than hugging Toph. Hugging Toph does not say "pragmatic acceptance and peace" it says "peace and forgiveness and love".

[q10.livejournal.com]

i think yes to love, but no to forgiveness.

[sildra.livejournal.com]

Do you mean the gesture or how Lin should (or does) feel about it?

[q10.livejournal.com]

the gesture, or how i read the gesture.

i mean, i don't stop hugging beloved immediate family because there is shit i still think they are majorly getting wrong, even if it's stuff that has adversely affected me, or is continuing to do so.

[fiddledragon.livejournal.com]

Agree, though I feel like in this situation the data point we need is how often Toph and Lin used to hug in the first place. A military handshake seems maybe more in character for both of them.

[q10.livejournal.com]

i mean, they may hug, but they still sign off with each other as ‘chief’. i think that that's an important bit of balance.