The Skinny
Korra has opened the spirit portal in the South Pole at the instruction of her new spiritual advisor, her uncle Unalaq, the leader of the Water Tribe. Upon their return to the Southern Water Tribe city, though, she observes her uncle’s entire northern fleet in the harbor. She’s mad at her dad for lying to her about being banished from the north, and her uncle’s motivations and plans are a TOTAL UNKNOWN. TENSIONS ALL AROUND!
The Breakdown
We open up this week’s episode on the streets of the Southern Water Tribe city, where Northern Tribe naval officers are marching around, telling everyone to go home. When no one moves, they do some sick water bending to set up ice wall barriers so that the military men can pass through the crowd. RUH ROH. No word on why, exactly, the southern people are being told to return home. But at the same time, we see an ice wall barrier of much bigger proportions BLOCK OFF the harbor entirely. No ships can get in or out. WTF, guys?
Korra asks her uncle why he brought her troops to the south and he tells her that they need to protect the south and the south pole from people who would do harm now that Korra has opened the spirit portal. When Korra tells her uncle that she can protect everyone and everything, Unalaq tells her that he needs her for something else: There is an identical spirit portal in the north and he needs Korra to open it so that spirits and man can move freely between both places. Even when Korra is all, “but the solstice is over,” her uncle says that they won’t need it in the north. The spiritual vibes are stronger there anyway, and now that Korra has opened the southern portal, her powers are stronger as well. The Water Tribes will be united once more–or, as Unalaq points out, the WORLD will be united. Umm, no. Basically everything out of Unalaq’s mouth sounds shady as hell. I don’t trust him. Why does he care about the WORLD being united? WHAT SCHEME IS THIS?!
At the Southern Air Temple, Tenzin is chillaxing with his family. Now that he doesn’t have to worry about Korra, he’s living the life. His brother, Bumi, keeps things from being TOTALLY peaceful, but all in all, Tenzin is enjoying his vacation. Until he starts reminiscing with his siblings about all the things they did when they were growing up with their father. Except it turns out that Bumi and Kya kind of got the shaft when it came to going cool places with Aang. He only took Tenzin with him because Tenzin is the only air bender. Tenzin has no memory of his siblings not being with them and it’s a sore spot.
Then, Meelo and Jinora roll up and Pema asks where Ikki is. When Pema grills them about whether or not they were teasing Ikki again, they fess up and Milo tells the grown-ups that she ran away. The search party is on–Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi set off to find her.
Back in the South, Tonraq is hosting a gathering in his home. Varrick is there. EVERYONE is pissed about the harbor blockage, especially Varrick, who can’t get a shipload of halibut out to his buyers. He’s unhappy with the way Unalaq has just shown up and taken charge and is bossing people around and ruining all the things. Korra tells Varrick that Unalaq wants to restore balance with the spirits and blah blah party line. Varrick is firing the gathering up about independence while Korra talks about the unification of the tribes. Varrick disagrees and threatens to fight Unalaq unless he leaves, and Tonraq reminds Korra that it was her uncle who started this mess. He asks Korra to talk to Unalaq as a favor to him, but she says she’ll do it for the tribe. They are NOT on the same page, friends.
Haha Bolin is pulling a rickshaw with Eska and Desna in it, who are talking about how great it will be when they can leave and go back home. They have THE CREEPIEST, WEIRDEST laughs. I can’t even deal. Once Bolin has pulled them to their destination, Eska tells him that she’ll be taking him back north with her and Bolin looks TERRIFIED. Mako shows up and Bolin is freaking out. He’s over Eska, big time. Mako tells him to just break up with her and gives Bolin some tips.
Meanwhile, Unalaq is sitting in the castle/mansion/chief’s house, like, sleeping. Korra approaches him to talk about the way the northern troops are giving southerners the wrong vibes. Korra tells him about the meeting at Tonraq’s house and how the people are bristling under Unalaq’s presence and what seems to be almost marshal law. Korra says that if things don’t shape up, there could be a war between the tribes and Unalaq says that if the water tribes fight each other, the other tribes would choose sides and the spirits would grow even more powerful from all the bad feelings and fighting. This would lead to a catastrophic battle between man and spirit. Unalaq tells Korra that only the Avatar could stop that fight. The entire time Unalaq was talking about this stuff, I was thinking, “So…is THIS your big plan, actually? Are you waiting for the whole world to start fighting so that you can send Korra to fix it and do her harm? Huh? HUH?!”
Unalaq tells Korra that, as Avatar, she needs to be neutral and that she can’t play favorites between the tribes. Korra expresses some doubts about being ready to be the Avatar, but Unalaq tells her not to be cray and that Tenzin didn’t believe in her enough.
Back out on the streets, a group of northern tribe naval officers are walking along, looking mean, when a bunch of kids throw snowballs at them. KIDS! The officers GO AFTER THE KIDS until a group of southern citizens call out to them to pick on people their own size. There’s about to be a throwdown when Korra shows up and tries to diffuse the situation. No one listens to her, and the southerners call Korra a traitor. A little girl throws snowballs at her and calls her the worst Avatar. Tonraq arrives and tells everyone to go home. They do. He tries to talk to Korra, but she’s already ridden Naga away.
The search for Ikki at the Southern Air Temple is not going very well. Tenzin, Bumi, and Kya can’t find her. Tenzin offers that it’s probably his fault, but I don’t think he expects Kya to agree and tell him it’s probably because he’d been spending so much time working in Republic City and training Korra. This starts a fight about Aang when Tenzin says he needs to be more like Aang, whom he remembers as a wonderful father. Kya disabuses him of that notion, saying he’s TOO MUCH like Aang, and that’s the problem.
Korra and Naga show up at Mako’s place, and he asks her how her day was. OMG HE CALLS HER SWEETIE. I love them. Korra basically goes on a rant and Mako wisely asks if she actually wants him to advise her. Three guesses as to her answer. Instead, he offers up date night, which is just what Korra needs.
Except. Date night is ruined by Bolin, Eska, and Desna. (WHY is Desna there?! WHY?! THIS IS CREEPY!! It’s like Bolin is in a relationship with BOTH TWINS EEEW.) When the creep twins get up from the table–together, obvs–Bolin is frantic for Mako and Korra to help him ditch Eska (and Desna). Turns out he tried to dump her like Mako suggested but it didn’t even take at all.
Korra comes home from date night and her mother is there. Her mom wants to talk about the bad blood between Korra and her father. When Korra says it’s because Tonraq lied to her about his banishment, her mother admits that she knew all along, and that the reason they kept Korra from leaving the tribe to train once they knew she was the Avatar was because they wanted her to have a normal life. Korra said that all she ever wanted was to be the Avatar. She says that Unalaq is the only one who believes in her. Korra is not dealing with the pressure of being Avatar very well. Her mother tells Korra that this whole North-South thing might be beyond Korra’s ability to help. Then she says that Varrick is plotting a rebellion and he asked Tonraq to join him. Korra storms out to stop them from doing anything stupid.
At the water chief’s mansion, Korra sees men taking an unconscious Unalaq outside. The one carrying him is her father’s build, but his face is covered. Korra engages them and there’s bending back and forth, even though Korra tells them that she doesn’t want to hurt her fellow southern tribesmen. She eventually bests them and discovers that her father wasn’t there at all. The men call Tonraq and Korra traitors. Unalaq arrests the men and calls for Varrick’s arrest as well. Korra convinces Unalaq to let the men stand trial instead of rotting in prison and he agrees.
Tenzin, Bumi, and Kyra are still looking for Ikki. It’s full night and they haven’t found her yet. Lots of sibling issues getting aired out right now. Bottom line: Ikki is still missing. Tenzin tells them both to go back to the temple so he can keep looking on his own.
Korra and Naga show up at her parent’s hut. Tonraq and Korra’s mom are there. Korra starts crying and gives her father a hug. She’s so glad that her father wasn’t part of the rebellion. Korra and her dad apologize and make amends. But their sweet family moment is RUINED when Unalaq shows up. He drops A BOMBBBBBBB: Tonraq and Senna are under arrest and will go to trial for CONSPIRING TO ASSASSINATE UNALAQ. UMM OMG WHAT?
This recap is SUPER LONG so I’m going to forgo the usual closing sections and just leave you all with: HOLY WTF UNALAQ?! What are the chances that there is no civil war now? Also, WHERE YOU AT, IKKI?!
