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Legend of Korra Recap | Beyond the Wilds

Dec 8

Episode 9 | Beyond the Wilds

Things are coming to a head in this last season (*sniffles*) of our beloved show. Last week was a great recap of allll the seasons so far, but Episode 9, “Beyond the Wilds,” brings us back to the action in real time. And WOOOO, the THINGS!

So, we begin this episode with our old friend, the hipster airbender, Ryu. They’re apparently leading tours through the spirit wilds in Republic City now, and Ryu is guiding a group that includes his parents. He’s honestly not the best tour guide, and he has to deal with one of those annoying people who asks a ton of questions, but none of them deserve what happens next: the vines go BONKERS and KIDNAP THE WHOLE GROUP, all boa constrictor style. WTF SPIRIT WILDS!

On Air Temple Island, Jinora races to Korra and Opal–who is still understandably freaking out that no one seems to be doing anything to help her rescue her family–because she felt a major energy disturbance in the spirit wilds and she’s getting bad vibes. The girls head over there and are investigating things. Jinora remarks how they should’ve run into Ryu’s tour group by now, but Korra doesn’t place too much confidence in that concern, Ryu being…well, Ryu. Instead, she tries to get reading on the spirit vines and she discovers something pretty awful: Kuvira’s harvesting of the spirit vines in the swamp. Korra figures that this is what’s making the vines in Republic City get sticky fingers for people. She and Opal run off to tell the President while Jinora stays behind to see what she can see.

Meanwhile, the President is holding a council meeting with Tenzin, Wu, and the leader of the Fire Nation. They are discussing how to proceed with regards to Kuvira. Wu offers some hilarious suggestions on how to get Kuvira to relinquish her grip on the Earth Kingdom by, among other things, offering her a fake all-expenses paid trip to the tropics that turns out to be a prison. There is disagreement on whether or not the United Republic should go on the offense or defense. In the midst of “kicking it world leader style,” Korra enters and is about to tell them all what she sensed in the spirit wilds when Bolin and Varrick show up! YAY their road trip is over! President Ryko is on the verge of capturing them when they reveal that Kuvira is making a super secret weapon that would be incredibly deadly and awful. Korra puts it together that Kuvira’s weapon uses the spirit vines, but the world leaders still disagree on how to go after Kuvira. When the leader of the Fire Nation backs out of attacking her, defense wins.

Bolin tries to apologize to Opal, but before he can get very far, Beifong comes out of the meeting and the two agree that they need to go on an unsanctioned mission to save their family. EEP! Bolin, Korra, and Mako have a nice little reunion, too. All of Bolin’s traitorous sins are forgiven and they have a group hug. AWWWW!

Back in the spirit wilds, Jinora is still looking for Ryu when, WATCH OUT, GIRL, the spirit vines come after her and capture her. DUN DUN DUNNNNN. She spirit bends to Korra to say that the vines have taken her.

At the edge of the spirit wilds, Korra offers to go into the spirit wilds to find Jinora. Mako goes with her. The two of them are attacked by a spirit vine but get away. They eventually wind up blockaded into a room where there are these glowing pods suspended in the vines. It’s Jinora and the tour group. When Korra tries to enter the spirit world to find their trapped spirits, she is instead plunged into a memory of her battle with Zahir and is unable to enter the spirit world. She confides in Mako that she’s been unable to enter the spirit world since their battle.

Korra tells Tenzin that she needs to face Zahir to save everyone. Tenzin hesitates, not sure that Korra is ready, but Korra convinces him that this is something she needs to do. Zahir is imprisoned in the mountains and Korra and Mako are going to head there.

Meanwhile, Bolin is FINALLY reunited with Pabu–YAY! And Bolin is still on the path to getting Opal back. He uses Pabu to trick Opal to come to a picnic, but Opal pretty thoroughly shuts him down. These two are NOT in a good place right now. Then the action shifts to President Ryko’s office, where Varrick and Asami are meeting with him. The two bicker a little bit, but Ryko says that he needs the two of them to work together to stop Kuvira’s weapon.

Korra and Mako make it to Zahir’s mountain prison and Korra is eager to face him and get over her fear once and for all. However, Zahir proves that he still holds power over her. Zahir is able to meditate into the spirit world even though Korra is not and she blames him for not being able to access her spiritual gifts. They argue about the powers of the Avatar being limitless until Korra mentions that it was his actions that led to the rise of Kuvira. Zahir says that she has to be stopped and Korra agrees to his offer to let him guide her into the spirit world.

When Korra arrives in the spirit world for the first time in years, she is connected with Raava once again. Raava leads Korra to where the spirit of Jinora is being held. When Korra arrives where her spirit is being held, she protests when Raava says she neds to connect to the spirit energy. Korra believes she has no power in the spirit world, but Raava tells her otherwise. Korra is able to use her spirit energy to release the spirits of Jinora and Ryu and his tour group.

Back in Republic City, Jinora is reunited with Tenzin, who is finally understanding that Korra is still capable and powerful. Mako and Korra have a good talk about how Korra feels better now that she’s confronted Zahir and her past. Is it just me, or did Korra and Mako have some nice little feelings cropping up? I think they did. Bolin sees Opal on her way to Xaofu. He confesses his LOVE for Opal and swears that he’ll do anything to get her back. Opal says the one thing he can do to win her again is go on the secret mission to rescue her family.

What did you guys think of Beyond the Wilds?

Filed Under: Recap Tagged With: legend of korra, recap, tv

The Legend of Korra | Reunion

Nov 17

Episode 7 • Reunion

Howdy friends! Many apologies for being MIA with the recaps. Thankfully for all of us, Lisa has been KILLING IT. Check out her recap of last week’s episode to get all caught up before diving into Reunion!

So this week starts off in the BEST way possible, you guys because THIS HAPPENED:

Korra returns to Air Temple Island with Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo and is LOVE-TACKLED by Naga. She literally RAN to her. They haven’t seen each other all season, and I DIE. In fact, when I watched this episode, I thought that they were gazing at each other at one point, but it didn’t happen. Let’s just pretend it did, though, k? At any rate, BEST way to start an episode about the Avatar reuniting with her family and friends.

Once Korra escapes from her epic Naga hug, Tenzin breaks the heartwarming welcome vibe by wanting to dive right into business. He wants to know what happened in Zhaofu. Opal fills everyone in by telling them that Kuvira and her entire Earth Empire force has taken control of the city and captured her parents and brothers (minus the Percy-esque Batar Jr.). It’s dire. Korra feels like she got an F at Avatar 101. Opal–and everyone–is worried about Bolin. They don’t know where he is or what’s going on with him.

Never fear, though, friends, because Bolin and Varrick are together once again! Except they probably aren’t cut out for outdoor life right now.

I can’t with these two. They–or Bolin, rather–are tromping through the woods trying to make it to Republic City so that they can tell everyone about Kuvira’s spirit vine weapon. They don’t get two feet from this picture before they are captured, though. They make me LOL.

Back in Repulic City, Korra is finally reunited with Asami. YAY GIRLFRIENDS! They are going to meet up with Mako and his charge, Prince Wu, for lunch. When Korra walks into the restaurant, Mako is all chilling like so:

I still ship this.

Anywho, Mako and Korra share a big hug. Korra meets Wu and he is smarmy as usual. Like hitting on Korra and being totally obnoxious. She’s not interested. During their lunch, Asami asks Korra if she is still unable to go into the Avatar state. Mako perks up because, HELLO, he had no idea Korra COULDN’T. She’d only confided in Asami. It’s a little awk for a while when it comes out that Korra wrote to Asami while she was in the South Pole but not Mako or Bolin. Mako is a little put off that she didn’t reach out to him. Well, actually, he pouts. Asami fills in Korra about her dad and then the girls get into a little spat. Prince Wu gets a little sick of the lack of attention and makes a production of going to the bathroom WITHOUT Mako. LULZ.

Bad decision, though, Wu, because in the bathroom he gets sprayed with some stuff by a bathroom attendant. Wu down. After he’s been gone for a while, Mako–who was still pouting–goes to check on him, only to discover that he’s gone. Korra sees someone suspicious outside and follows him. She gets a glimpse of Wu in the back of a truck before she’s attacked by the attendant and him and his cronies make off with Wu.

Asami and Mako pull up and they go chasing after the truck. They lose the Wu truck for a few seconds and by the time they catch up to it, Wu is gone. They switched him out into another vehicle. WAH. They do find out that he was captured by men loyal to Kuvira, though, and while Mako and Asami are trying to figure out where the bad guys took him, Korra wanders over to a spirit tree and is able to connect with Wu’s energy. She finds out that he’s on a train. When Mako and Asami ask her how she did her little trick, she explains that in her travels she found Toph, who taught her some fab stuff.

Back in the woods, Bolin and Varrick are cut down by a group of rag tag people who they find out are escapees from one of Kuvira’s reeducation camps. They’re from the Fire and Water nations and they aren’t much pleased to meet people from Kuvira’s inner circle. Turns out that Kuvira has been taking non-Earth Empire citizens and sending them off to her camps. This is all news to Bolin and Varrick. The prisoners have a plan to use Bolin and Varrick to get them through a checkpoint and out of Kuvira’s grasp, and they all agree to trust each other. When they get to the checkpoint, it takes a little talking to at first. The soldiers eventually let the group through, but then one of the workers sees Bolin and Varrick’s pictures on a wanted poster. A fight ensues and the Bolin gang emerges victorious with a little help from some tinkering by Varrick and some heroic lava bending by Bolin.

When Mako, Asami, and Korra get to the train station, they take a few minutes to locate Wu in the train car. Mako and Korra bicker a little bit and my feels. It’s not all fun and games, though. They run into some of the Earth Empire guards who were taking Wu to Kuvira, and they all fight on top of the moving train until Korra airbends them away. The three of them have a group hug and MY FEELS AGAIN. Aftewards, Mako takes Wu to Asami’s house, where his grandmother and family are living since they left Ba Sing Se. Grandma Mako has like instant hearts of eyes for Wu. It’s adorable.

Bolin and Varrick are about to say goodbye to their new friends when they’re offered a boat ride north. Varrick protests on the grounds that he’s “allergic to drowning” but eventually relents.

In the last scene, we get our first glimpse this episode of Kuvira. She and Batar Jr. are testing some tree vines for spirit levels and they’ve just hit a MAJOR jackpot. The tree they’re testing has readings off the charts. Kuvira orders her soldiers to cut the whole tree down until there are no vines left.

Look at this tree! *is devastated* But WTF IS THIS SPIRIT VINE BOMB.

Thoughts on episode 7, guys?

Filed Under: Recap Tagged With: legend of korra, recap

The Legend of Korra Recap | Korra Alone

Oct 13

Check out Lisa’s recap of Episode One to get all caught up on Team Avatar!

This week, we get to spend some quality time with our beloved, in crisis Avatar. Korra is looking beat up, friends. She’s doing some underground bending matches and, umm, losing. After she cleans herself up following her most recent loss, she wanders out into an alleyway–not exactly sure where she is–and sees…DUN DUN DUNNN…HERSELF. Avatar-state Korra, pre-haircut, pre-downward spiral, pre-new wardrobe of khaki green. And apparently this isn’t the first time down-on-her-luck Korra has seen her. They fight, until some kindly neighborhood folks come upon the scene, only to see just the one Korra, flat on her ass. It’s clear that something isn’t right in Korra’s melon.

Broken Avatar is broken. Sad face.

We go into flashback mode to Korra leaving Republic City. Team Avatar is saying their farewells before Korra leaves to go to the South Pole three years ago. She only meant to be gone for a few weeks, apparently. Tenzin assures Korra that the airbenders will handle anything that comes up, and Team Avatar tells her to get better soon and stay in touch. Something is rotten in the state of the Avatar, you guys.

In the Southern Water Tribe lands, Korra has nightmares of her final face off with Zaheer. She has a heart-to-heart with her mother, who doesn’t see any improvement in Korra’s state of mind or her recovery. She promises her mother that she’ll visit Katara.

The poison from Zaheer did lots of damage, obvs, but Katara tells Korra something that I’m sure is going to feature prominently in her recovery: In the end, whether or not Korra gets better is squarely on her own shoulders. Korra sounds very frustrated. I guess she hasn’t been able to move her lower body? Did we know this, friends? Anyway, in the middle of her sessions with Katara, she has flashbacks and gives up.

Emo Korra writing to Asami

All of Team Avatar are writing to her, and Korra reads her letters from them. Bolin even DRAWS HER PICTURES like a kindergartener. I love him. HE IS EVERYTHING. But even their friendship from afar doesn’t seem to break through Korra’s mental and physical blocks. She yells at Katara and seems to be losing hope, and lonely. Katara reminds her of the suffering Aang endured when the Air Kingdom was destroyed, and says that he turned his suffering into motivation and found peace. Something tells me that Korra just isn’t there yet, you guys. But she manages to have a breakthrough in her physical therapy. WORD. YOU CAN DO THIS, GIRL.

Bolin’s picture.

Back to present-day Korra walking down a shady street by herself. She sees a little puppy behind her and then, AVATAR KORRA is there. The puppy starts growling ADORABLY. (Seriously, this dog is super cute.) It’s little growls make Avatar Korra go away. Korra follows the puppy.

Another flashback sees Tenzin visiting Korra. She has improved tremendously from before and is putting on a fire-bending demonstration. In the midst of it, she has a flashback of Zaheer. Tenzin assures her that rushing things won’t help anyone, but Korra is worried about the Earth Kingdom. Tenzin says that things there are under control, thanks to Kuvira. As always, Korra remains impatient. She writes a letter to Asami and says that she’s getting a lot better but still cannot go into the Avatar state without having visions of Zaheer. Then she asks Asami not to tell Mako and Bolin that she’s written to her instead of them, but that it’s easier to talk to her. I LOVE THIS FRIENDSHIP FOREVER.

After talking to her parents, Korra tells them she wants to go back to Republic City, but that she wants to go alone. SHE LEAVES NAGA I DIE. NOT NAGA. I HAS THE SADS. Korra winds up in some tropical-looking place that is most certainly NOT Republic City. She gets caught up in chasing down some thieves who are, of course, benders, and she can’t stop them.

As Korra is arriving in Republic City, she sees the vision of Avatar-state Korra on a cliff and turns around. She docks somewhere, removes her trademark Water Tribe clothes and hacks off her hair. Avatar identity crisis is in full swing.

Korra winds up at the Northern Water Tribe lands and visits the spirit portal. Some spirits see her meditating and wonder aloud if she’s ACTUALLY the Avatar because they don’t sense any Ravaa energy. Korra hasn’t been able to connect to the Avatar’s energy for two years at this point and won’t accept help from the spirits. She’s determined to figure things out for herself. She sends a letter to her parents lying, saying she’s in Republic City, when in fact, she’s wandering the desert trying to find herself. The Avatar-state Korra follows her everywhere, which seems to include the Earth Kingdom, where Korra now lives.

Back in real time, the puppy has brought Korra to the swamp, and it turns out to be one of the spirits she met at the Northern spirit portal. In the swamp, she finds Avatar-state Korra. They fight again, and Korra is on the defense for most of the early going. Then Avatar-state Korra pulls her into this weird puddle of white…stuff and Korra goes under.

When Korra wakes up, she’s in an underground cave with an old woman who says that she knew the Avatar in one of her previous lives. Then, YOU GUYS, she turns out to be OMFG TOPH BEIFONG. I CANNOT I CANNOT I CANNOT. KORRA HAS FOUND TOPH BEIFONG. THIS IS ALL THE THINGS.

korra4x02_1556

What did you guys think of this episode? I died, personally.

Filed Under: Fangirl, Recap Tagged With: fangirl!, legend of korra, recap, tv

Legend of Korra Recap | Episodes 9 & 10

Aug 13

Recaps of Episodes 9 and 10 coming atcha, where LOTS of things happened!

Episode 9 • The Stakeout

So this episode begins with Team Avatar chasing down the traitor, Aiwei. Naga–super pet–tracks him through a middle-of-nowhere town in the desert. The team walks into a bar to get some info and Bolin gets all excited when he thinks that his WANTED poster is, in fact, some display of the locals’ fandom of his movies. Alas. Anywho, turns out that they are all wanted by the Earth Queen and the locals aren’t super friendly. Also, no Aiwei just yet. MOVING ON.

Back in Xaofu, Lin and Su have a spat about the fact that Su let Team Avatar go to hunt down Aiwei. Lighten up, Lin. Just a little bit?

Meanwhile, Naga tracks Aiwei to ANOTHER town in the middle of the desert, the Misty Palms Oasis, but this time, her nose knows. Team Avatar finds Aiwei’s jeep abandoned behind some rocks. Mako and Bolin head into town to see if they can find Aiwei while Asami and Korra stay on the outskirts to wait. While they’re waiting, Korra wonders what Zaheer has up his sleeve and Asami finds a clue about a potential meeting place between Aiwei and Zaheer in the jeep. However, when the girls try to find the place on a map, they can’t. OOH.

In town, Mako and Bolin ask a few questions and have some success until two bounty hunters spot them and they try to hide from them. BUT THEN! They spot Aiwei walking down the street and they follow him. When they go back to get the girls, they all share their info. Korra wants to go in guns blazing, but Mako advocates a stakeout instead.

Team Avatar rents a room in the same inn as Aiwei and waits for him to leave for his meeting with Zaheer. Things are dragging out and getting boring when Korra gets fed up with waiting and she storms over to Aiwei’s room. When she busts in she finds Aiwei mediating on his bed. Turns out that his meeting with Zaheer is in the spirit world. Korra goes to join him, leaving Mako, Bolin, and Asami to guard their bodies.

In the spirit world, Korra finds Zaheer and Aiwei meeting. Zaheer is telling Aiwei that he’s compromised the operation and left a loose end. Zaheer finds out where Aiwei’s body is located and throws him over a cliff in the spirit world. Korra confronts him and asks him WTF he wants. Zaheer is pretty forthcoming.

He tells Korra that he and his group are part of the Red Lotus, people who want to restore freedom to the world. They’re basically anarchists. Zaheer says that her kidnapping attempt was her uncle, Unalaq’s idea. He has some pretty negative thoughts on Avatar Wan and Korra determines that the Red Lotus wanted to kidnap her so that she could open the spirit portals and free Vatuu. The mission of the Red Lotus? To restore balance, but the kind that eradicates all governments and keeps people from being truly equal. They believe that disorder is the only natural order. EEP!

Meanwhile, Zaheer manages to both meditate and tell his cronies where Aiwei’s body–and Korra’s–is. Pa-Li sends Gazan and Ming-Hua to grab Korra. When they arrive in Misty Palms, Asami makes off with Korra’s body on Naga while Mako and Bolin stay to fight. It doesn’t go well for them. Like, at all. Mako and Bolin are captured by Zaheer’s group, and it looks like Asami and Korra are going to make it, but they are also captured, but not by Gazan and Ming-Hua. They are captured instead by the Earth Queen’s forces and are being taken back to Ba Sing Se. Zaheer and his baddies take Mako and Bolin and head to Ba Sing Se themselves.

Episode 10 • Long Live the Queen

Korra and Asami are being loaded onto an airship to head back to Ba Sing Se. Korra is trying to warn the Earth Queen’s forces about Zaheer, but they think she’s cray. Asami, who is such a BAMF, manages to break free of her bonds and says that she can get them off the airship because it’s been crappily made. She runs off to get the keys to Korra’s bonds.

Meanwhile, Mako and Bolin are in a van with Zaheer. Bolin is hilariously making friendly small talk with Gazan and Ming-Hua when they arrive in Ba Sing Se.

In the Earth Queen’s throne room, she’s getting a briefing from her servant on the arrival time of Korra’s airship when Zaheer is granted an audience by saying that they know where to find her missing airbenders. Zaheer is trying to negotiate the Earth Queen handing the Avatar over to them to avoid an international incident in return for information about the airbenders. The Earth Queen agrees to their terms. She sends Mako and Bolin to the dungeon.

Back on the airship, Korra creates a diversion for Asami to unlock her chains and the two try to take over the ship. Instead, the ship crashes in the desert and winds up having to deal with a SUPER huge sand monster. EEP. The sand monster gives the crew some motivation to let Korra and Asami help them put the ship back together so they can get to Ba Sing Se.

Back in the throne room, the Earth Queen gets word of the airship crash and the potential escape of Korra. Zaheer and his group decided that they aren’t going to chase Korra anymore; she’s going to come to them. They walk into the throne room and after a tense conversation about showing respect for the crown, Zaheer attacks the Earth Queen by LITERALLY STEALING HER BREATH. RIGHT OUT OF HER MOUTH. HE KILLS THE EARTH QUEEN. OMG OMG.

Zaheer then makes an announcement to all of Ba Sing Se, telling them that he took down the Earth Queen, but that he’s not trying to take over the Earth Kingdom and that all the citizens of Ba Sing Se are free, and Gazan earth bends down the wall that surrounds the city. Mako and Bolin are still stuck in the dungeon. Bolin tries to metal bend to get them out, but he isn’t able to do it. No worries, though, because Zaheer shows up and breaks them out with a message for Korra.

Korra and Asami and their sand sailer eventually make it back to Ba Sing Se just in time to meet up with Lin, Korra’s dad, and Lord Zuko (HAI!), who have tracked Team Avatar their. Korra finds out that the Earth Queen has been killed and she tells her father and Lin that it’s the Red Lotus. DUN DUN DUNN.

Whew! This season is shaping up nicely in terms of the drama, although I have to say that I miss the romance a little bit. But I like this Red Lotus angle and I can’t believe that they KILLED the Earth Queen! DANG! Now I’m ready for more air bender goodness, so let’s hope that we see some more of them next week!

Filed Under: Recap Tagged With: fangirl!, legend of korra, recap, tv

The Legend of Korra Recap | Episode 8

Jul 29

So let’s start off this week with some Legend of Korra news: This episode that I’m recapping for you RIGHT NOW is the last Korra episode that will be on TV. GASP!!!! I know. I feel you. But! Emphasis on the “be on TV” part, because the remaining episodes of this season will ALL appear online. So we dodged a bullet there, friends, and it’s a good thing too because Episode 8 returns us to our standard one half-hour episode with the standard AWESOMENESS as well.

Don’t forget to check out our past recaps to get caught up!

Episodes 1-3

Episodes 4-5

Episodes 6-7

Episode 8 • The Terror Within

We begin this episode in Xaofu, where Korra and Bolin are practicing their metal bending. Well, Korra is practicing it. Bolin is struggling to actually DO it. But Korra manages to get a win, whereas Bolin resorts to earth bending in a fit of frustration before Asami REALLY craps on his day and reminds him that tonight is Opal’s going away dinner. GUYS. BUT I SHIP IT. I have complete confidence that these two are NOT DONE.

Also, remember how Varick is still around? He’s created an airbender finder. But LOL it doesn’t work. Anywho, everyone says goodbye to Opal and the rest of Team Avatar + Lin Beifong prepare to go search for more airbenders the next day.

BUT LO! Something is rotten in the state of Xaofu! That night, while everyone sleeps, ZAHIR AND HIS CRONIES ARE SNEAKING IN. HOW IS THIS HAPPENING. Pabu begins FA-REAKING out and trying to wake up Bolin, who wants no part of it. Ming-Hua does some water bending thing with the glass of Korra’s bedroom window, and then the bastards SHOOT NAGA WITH TRANQUILIZERS. DO. NOT. MESS. WITH. NAGA. Korra wakes up and tries to fight them off but is hit with a dart herself and passes out. Zahir grabs Korra and leaves. THANKFULLY, Bolin chooses now to listen to Pabu’s warnings, wakes up, and sees Zahir running off with Korra over his shoulder.

A HUGE fight ensues. Like, HUGE. ALL the benders get into it, including Su & Lin. Zahir, Gazan, Ming-Hua, and Pa-Li put up an insanely good fight, shooting things with their minds, lava bending, and trying to use an air glider. Bolin gets in a great shot as well that saves the day. It really looks dire for them for a while, and they almost make off with Korra anyway before Su and Lin are able to grab Korra from them and airlift her to safety using their metal bending. Team Zahir manages to airbend all of them away without a trace.

The next day, Team Avatar, Su, Lin, and the truth-seer, Aiwei, try and figure out how Zahir and his gang even got into Xaofu. They determine that one of the guards must have let them in and Aiwei begins questioning them all–even Varick (lol not him) and Su, at Lin’s request (obvs these two still have some things to work on)–until one young guard sits down and Aiwei deems him the GUILTY ONE. Except he doesn’t look it at all.

Team Avatar begins searching the guard’s home and finds a suspicious note and the guard logbooks. Not looking good for the kid. Mako wants to question him right away, but Aiwei wants to let him stew. Mako instantly throws shade at Aiwei and is frustrated that they aren’t confronting the guard. Mako begins to question the guard’s guilt and then Varick shows up and he posits that PERHAPS the guilty person isn’t the guard, but AIWEI HIMSELF.

When Team Avatar goes to Aiwei’s home to do some sleuthing, they aren’t very successful at first, but then they find a bookcase that MOVES, and Su’s advisor all of a sudden seems SUPER shady. And of course, he shows up while Team Avatar is still there. Aiwei says he’ll talk to them over some tea when Korra mentions that things aren’t “adding up.” Aiwei manages to talk around their questions and then asks them who they think is the traitor if not the guard. Silence fills the room as it becomes clear that Team Avatar suspects Aiwei, and then he says, “You have no idea what’s coming for you, Avatar.” And then he sneaks out of his home using the secret hideaway behind the bookcase. When Team Avatar manages to make it back there as well, they see that Aiwei has rigged a bomb and it EXPLODES OMG.

Thankfully, Korra and her airbending save Team Avatar. But Aiwei has escaped through a tunnel behind his home. Korra tells Su that Aiwei is guilty, which is a huge blow. He was her number one advisor. They determine that Zahir and his team got into Xaofu through the tunnel in Aiwei’s home, but despite more searching, he’s already gone.

Korra wants to suspend the search for more airbenders to look for Aiwei and find out what’s going on with Zahir and his gang, but Lin wants nothing to do with it. She wants to take Korra back to Republic City, but Lin says it’s too dangerous. Su agrees with Lin and Korra backs down. They prepare once again to leave the next morning.

Exceptttt…in the middle of the night, Su shows up in Korra’s room with the keys to her jeep. She tells Korra to take Naga and the Team and go find Aiwei, saying that she’ll deal with Lin. Team Avatar heads off into the night to hunt down Aiwei.

So, this episode was great because one, it took place entirely with one storyline. I kind of love those episodes sometimes. Also, I love that Team Avatar was able to defeat Team Zahir this time, although it makes me nervous thinking how desperate this will make them. Also, what is this ominous “you have no idea what’s coming for you” business? And can I tell you that, even though I’m really enjoying this season, I’m missing some of the romance feels. But I’m also really digging the action! What do you guys think?

Filed Under: Recap Tagged With: fangirl!, legend of korra, recap, tv

The Legend of Korra Recap | Episodes 4 & 5

Jul 14

Slight change of plans, friends: Lisa was unexpectedly drawn away to do some top-secret superhero work this weekend and isn’t able to recap for us. I’ll be taking care of this week’s Legend of Korra double header, where lots of important, awesome things went down. Check out my recaps of last week’s episodes to refresh!

Episode 4 • In Harm’s Way

We begin Episode 4 in the Northern Water Tribe lands, where we left off last week. The band of very powerful bending criminals, led by new airbender Zahir, are on their way to break his girlfriend out of jail. Pa-Li is a really powerful firebender, and when we join up with Lord Zuko, Tonraq, Desna, Eska, and the other Water tribesmen, Zahir and his benders are approaching. A pretty legit fight ensues between everyone, but it’s the waterbender, Ming-Hua, who makes it down to Pa-Li’s cell and breaks her free. (I still CANNOT with her water arms.)

Pa-Li. Look at that crazy, you guys. Source

Pa-Li has this weird eye-looking thing on her forehead that was covered while she was imprisoned, so methinks it is important to her gifts. When she is finally freed and goes to make her way to the escape truck thing, she is beset by Lord Zuko’s BAMF dragon. BUT OMG she is able to fend off DRAGONFIRE and deals the dragon a blow. It looks like she can use her head, or at least that thing on it, to shoot what look like bullets at people. DAMN! But I swear, if she killed that dragon….

Bottom line, all the benders escape, their next stop unknown. At least Pa-Li and Zahir get some kissy-face on to make up for lost time.

Back in Ba Sing Se, Mako and Bolin’s family help them secure documents that will grant them passage back to the upper ring, where Korra is working out her frustrations with the Earth Queen by sparring with Asami. Korra knows that something is up with the Earth Queen’s denial of airbenders in Ba Sing Se. When Mako and Bolin show up–and after much huzzahing on their return–they boys tell the ladies that there are rumors that the Earth Queen is capturing airbenders and hiding them somewhere to create an airbender army.

The Earth Queen arrives and tells Team Avatar about some reports of airbenders in another town and basically kicks them out. Asami buys them some time so that they can try and locate the hidden airbender prisoners, but not much. They have only a day.

Jinora gets some time to shine, thanks to her knowledge of all kinds of secret places in Ba Sing Se as well as her spiritual gifts. She lets her spirit travel to a few different places to investigate, but she doesn’t find the airbenders. Korra then suggests that she use her connection to Kai to find him, assuming as they are that he is one of the kidnapped airbenders. Jinora does, and she finds Kai in a prison underneath the Earth Queen’s temple.

Things are NOT going super hot for Kai and the other prisoners. They are subjected to some hardore training, and when Kai tries to take it easy on a weaker prisoner, the guards give him crap and lock him in solitary confinement. He’s still there when Jinora’s spirit finds him, and when Team Avatar goes to break the prisoners out.

Awwwww, look at these two!! #ishipit. Source

While Team Avatar are making their plans to break the prisoners out, Beifong shows up. HAAAY GIRL! She says that Korra needs to be on the red-eye out of Ba Sing Se because her life is in danger from Zahir et al. And THIS is where we get some pretty important back story and FINALLY learn some of what’s going on with this season’s Big Bads.

Turns out that, right after Korra was born, Zahir, Pa-Li, Gazan, and Ming-Hua made a kidnapping attempt on the Avatar. Tenzin, Lord Zuko, Tonraq, and Sokka (miss you, buddy) stopped them and put them each in prison. But even after 13 years of jail time, none of them ever divulged any details about their motives. No one has any idea why they wanted Korra then, or why they want her now.

Korra, of course, refuses to leave until she rescues the airbenders. There’s another bending fight when the Earth Queen shows up just as everyone is getting ready to leave–I swear, I’ll never get tired of seeing these–but Tenzin, Korra, and the gang make off with all of the her airbenders. This is going to turn out badly FOR SURE. Tenzin takes the airbenders who want to go with him back to the Northern Air Temple to train, and Korra, Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Beifong head off to find more airbenders.

Episode 5 • The Metal Clan

NAGA!! Source

YAY!! First shot of Episode 5 is of NAGA!! My favorite pet!! She and Korra are playing fetch while taking a break from the search for more airbenders. Beifong doesn’t approve of the fun having and won’t play with Naga. CHILL, GIRL. While she’s brooding about Korra wasting time, Asami and Mako let everyone know that they’ve gotten another report of an airbender in Xaofu, the home of the Metal Clan. Since Beifong is a METAL bender, they ask her if she’s heard of it. She says no, but in a way that is obviously a lie that none of them pick up on. They head off to Xaofu despite Beifong’s protests.

Xaofu is kind of GORGEOUS. Team Avatar is greeted on the ground by Aiwei, a servant slash. Beifong refuses to get off the ship and orders Korra to tell no one that she’s there. She is in a BAD mood right now.

Xaofu. Source

On their way to meet the new airbender, Team Avatar is kind of agog at Xaofu. They pass a statue of Toph Beifong, Lin’s mother, and everyone is appropriately awed. But as much as Team Avatar wants to MEET Toph, no one has seen or heard from her in years. I don’t know about you guys, but with the return of Zuko, I’m feeling a reunion coming on. (OMG DIESSSSSS.)

The leader of the Metal Clan is a woman named Su. Her house is GORGEOUSSSS and we get to see some absolutely beautiful metal bending dance. She knows all of Team Avatar before they are introduced and I LOVE HER IMMEDIATELY. Also, Aiwei has a surprise up his sleeve: he is a truth seer and knows Korra was lying about no one else traveling with her group to Xaofu. It comes out that the other passenger on their ship is Lin Beifong, and then Su drops a BOMB: She is Beifong’s sister. When Korra brings Su to the airship to confronts Beifong about it, Lin is irritable and nasty, and we find out that Toph’s daughters don’t have the same dad. Get some, Toph! Thirty years ago, Lin and Su had some EPIC falling out and no longer speak, even though Su seems to be open to it.

Aaaanyway, turns out that Su’s daughter, Opal, is the airbender Team Avatar came to see. They all spend some time in Xaofu, meeting Su’s family–she has five kids and an architect husband. Bolin and Opal have this REALLLY cute flirty thing going on and I am a BIG FAN of it. I ship it. Opal is adorable, but Lin is just not having it. Also, Su wants Opal to train in Xaofu, even though Korra’s plan was to take her to the air temple. And do you know who shows up for dinner? VARRICK. NO LIE. WOW. Turns out he’s trying to develop what basically sounds like a monorail. It involves magnets. Lin can’t take the small talk or the company and storms off. Korra brings Opal to her later to try and get her out of her funk, but no dice. Opal winds up crying, Korra yells at Lin for being bitter, and Lin gets upset. A conversation between Korra and Su doesn’t really shed too much light on what got between the two girls, but it did make me love Su even more.

I mean…. How adorable could Bolin and Opal be? INFINITY ADORABLE. Source

Meanwhile, at the Air Temple Island, the new airbenders are getting acquainted with their surroundings when a guy, Yuru, shows up. He seems nice and all, and tells everyone he’s a new airbender. Immediately don’t like him. Especially when he’s the only “new” airbender who can make it through those spinning screens that Korra destroyed when she first came to Air Temple Island to train with Tenzin. Yuru = Shadyus Maximus. His shadyness is TRIPLED AT LEAST when Kya says that Tenzin wants the new airbenders to go to the Northern Air Temple with him and Yuru asks if the Avatar is going to be there. Kya tells him no and he’s pretty bummed.

Yuru. THIS GUY. Source

Later, when the other airbenders are asleep, Ikki finds Yuru in Tenzin’s office reading a poem by an old airbender. She tells him that no one is allowed in her father’s study. Kya shows up and starts asking him questions. She’s obvs suspicious. It takes her a second to recognize Yuru as ZAHIR OMG. How Kya recognized him, I do not know, but they eventually get into a pretty legit bending fight where Kya does the same water arms thing that Ming-Hua does. I LOOOOVED that Kya got to show off her bending skills, which were legit! Alas, they are not enough to stop Zahir from escaping. He flies off on his air glider.

So what did you guys think? I LOOOVED getting to meet Su and Beifong’s family. I adore Beifong and cannot wait until next week when we get to really dive into it. This is some deep family business and I just want Beifong to be happy, you guys. I hope that all of this time with Beifong’s family in Xaofu means we get to see Toph. I’m also very intrigued–as I was last week–about why Zahir and his bender cronies want Korra. WHAT IS GOING ON?!? I have to agree with Kya when she remarked at how proficient “Yuru” seemed at airbending for someone who is supposedly new at it–How does Zahir seem so good at it already?

I’ll try and update this post with the usual screencaps when the site where I grab them posts some. Until then, let’s chat it up in the comments! Lisa will have your recap next week!

Filed Under: Fangirl, Recap Tagged With: fangirl!, recap, The Legend of Korra, tv

June Recap

Jul 1

Source

June Recap

This summer is just getting away from me! I don’t like it! I mean, I love summer but not when it goes so fast! I’ve had a pretty great month despite the speed with which is blew past me. I am, as always, incredibly excited about my books, though. PLUS! This month saw the return of one of my favorite nerd-tastic TV shows, The Legend of Korra, which I will be jointly recapping with my girl, Lisa. WOO HOO!!

Netgalley

The Fire Wish: The Jinni Wars #1 • Amber Lough | Before You • Amber Hart | Threats of Sky and Sea: Threats of Sky and Sea #1 • Jennifer Ellision | Egg & Spoon • Gregory Maguire | The Young World: The Young World Trilogy #1 • Chris Weitz | Torn Away • Jennifer Brown

Kindle

The Name of the Wind: The Kingkiller Chronicle #1 • Patrick Rothfuss | The Glass Sentence: The Mapmakers Trilogy #1 • S.E. Grove | Tease: The Ivy Chronicles #1 • Sophie Jordan | Foreplay: The Ivy Chronicles #2 • Sophie Jordan | Poison Dance: The Midnight Thief #0.5 • Livia Blackburne | The Wise Man’s Fear: The Kingkiller Chronicle #2 • Patrick Rothfuss

Bought/ARC for Review

The Half Life of Molly Pierce • Katrina Leno (Thanks, Shelf Awareness!) | The Penderwicks #1-3 • Jeanne Birdsall | Ruin & Rising: The Grisha Trilogy #3 • Leigh Bardugo (this is the regular hardcover and the B&N special edition) | Written in My Own Heart’s Blood: Outlander #8 • Diana Gabaldon

Looking for an excellent summer read? Look no further than OPEN ROAD SUMMER by Emery Lord.

THE CHAPEL WARS by Lindsey Leavitt was a little disappointing for me, friends. *sad face*

WHOA, THE FALCONER by Elizabeth May was an excellent historical fantasy about faeries.

Mermaids and I continue to have a little bit of a challenging relationship, but I liked DEEP BLUE by Jennifer Donnelly well enough.

The Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld is LEGIT. EVERYONE READ IT.

On the Same Page this month is LANDLINE by Rainbow Rowell!

These are the top ten books I want to read if I’m hanging out at the beach.

I’ve read lots of great books this year, but these ten are my favorites so far!

Summer time is the right time for reading, and these ten books are on my summer reading list!

Cover trends! I think I maybe I didn’t read this topic 100% correctly, but I love these cover trends anyway.

OBVIOUSLY I’m looking forward to THE SLOW REGARD OF SILENT THINGS by Patrick Rothfuss. Anytime I can get more of his world, I’m in.

The cover for A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU by Claudia Gray is glorious. NEED IT.

THE ACCIDENTAL HIGHWAYMAN by Ben Tripp just sounds completely up my alley.

The Legend of Korra season 3 begins!! Recap of the first THREE EPISODES!

That was my month! How were YOUR Junes?

Filed Under: Recap Tagged With: June, recap

The Legend of Korra Recap | Season 3 Premiere

Jun 29

The Legend of Korra Season 3 Premiere: Episodes 1-3

WELCOME, FRIENDS! It’s time for a new season of The Legend of Korra!! I love how this awesomeness was basically dropped on us with almost no warning or waiting. Like, BOOM KORRA NEXT WEEK. *dances like a lunatic* I’m always ready for more Korra and Team Avatar. Always.

So obviously the great news is that there are new episodes of The Legend of Korra to recap! HUZZAH! But the BEST news is that the founder of these recaps, Lisa @ Lisa is Busy Nerding, has returned to us and will be recapping along with me! YAYY!! Since, you know, she started them in the first place and is gracious and awesome enough to share. We will be alternating weeks, so I’m starting us off and then Lisa will have you covered for next week’s Episode 4, and so on.

Now, usually we get two new episodes smooshed together at the start of each season, but this time around the awesome people at Nickelodeon decided to give us THREE. AN HOUR AND A HALF OF KORRA. For the fangirls like me, this is excellent. For the recapper, WHEW, that’s lots of recapping. Especially when I usually go heavy on the details. So in order to keep myself from going nuts and to keep you guys from going blind reading my recap, I’m going to try and keep this one as short as possible. When I pick up again for Episode 5, things should be business as usual. Sound good? GREAT! I love you guys.

With all of the housekeeping out of the way, let’s get down to recapping!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Recap Tagged With: Avatar, recap, The Legend of Korra, tv

May Recap

Jun 1

May Recap

THIS MONTH, friends. SO bananas. I was planning for BEA, which was crazy and awesome and tiring and fabulous, and busy on the weekends and AHHH! May went by so fast! But it was still a wonderful month: I got a few days off of work, I got to eat my first watermelon of the summer, I saw my besties at BEA, and am–as always–so excited about books. I’ll have a rundown of BEA later this week, but for now, here’s what happened around the blog this past month!

NETGALLEY

Take Me On: Pushing the Limits #4 • Katie McGarry | Hook’s Revenge • Heidi Schulz | I’ll Give You the Sun • Jandy Nelson | Heir of Fire: Throne of Glass #3 • Sarah J. Maas

Breathe, Annie, Breathe: Hundred Oaks #5 • Miranda Kenneally | Shield and Crocus • Michael R. Underwood | Copper Magic • Julia Mary Gibson | Mary: The Summoning: Blood Mary #1 • Hillary Monahan

KINDLE

Just One Night: Just One Day #2.5 • Gayle Forman | The Art of Lainey • Paula Stokes

ARCS FOR REVIEW/WON

Trial by Fire: The Worldwalker Trilogy #1 • Josephine Angelini | The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place • Julie Berry | Lailah: The Styclar Saga #1 • Nikki Kelly | Adrenaline Crush • Laurie Boyle Crompton | Starry Night • Isabel Gillies | Talon: Talon #1 • Julie Kagawa