Season 1, Episode 12

Reminder: I wrote most of these recaps while largely DEAD, and therefore had to use much CAPSLOCKING to resurrect myself. SERIOUSLY. I DIED.

The Skinny: KORRA IS ENDING. WAAAHHH!!

The Setup: IT’S ALL HAPPENING, GUYS. There was absolutely no rest from the action in the second half of the finale, friends. NONE. 

The Breakdown: Jumping right in with a little recap of how Korra and Mako know the truth about Amon, and are on their way to the arena to drop a truth bomb.

But let’s not forget about our fearsome threesome of Bolin, Hoe Cake, and Iroh! We start “Endgame” at Mr. Sato’s airfield. Guys, if the United Forces have any hope at all of saving Republic City, they need to destroy these airplanes, but as they are approaching the hangar, Hoe Cake wonder’s aloud why there are fenceposts but no fence. And then BOOM! ELECTROCUTED. That’s why, kids. It’s a secret electric fence. They are promptly thrown in jail, and it’s not looking good for them.

So that’s at the airfield. Back at the arena, Korra has just spilled the beans about Amon. But OMG WHEN SHE CONFRONTS HIM AT THE RALLY ABOUT HIS IDENTITY, it appears that Tarrlok gave them bad info, because Amon removes his mask to reveal a hideous scar across his face, from when the fire benders allegedly killed his family. The crowd, which had been befuddled and aghast before at Amon’s apparent lies, turns against Korra instead.

Freaky Face has a freaky face under that mask!

AND THEN AMON PLAYS HIS HAND AND SHOWS EVEYRONE THAT HE HAS CAPTURED TENZIN AND HIS KIDS!!! HIS KIDS!! Poor Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo!

Meanwhile, back at the airfield jail, Mr. Sato comes in and taunts Bolin, Iroh, and Asami, but not until AFTER he tells Hoe Cake that he believes that one day she will realize the error of her ways and turn against the people who killed her mother. She confronts her dad and tells him that her mother would hate who he has become, which sets him off on a tirade of threats against Commander Bumi’s fleet. That’s right. Mr. Sato intercepted a communication between Iroh and Bumi, and knows where the fleet is hiding. Dire does not even BEGIN to describe it guys. BUT THEN! Naga and Pabu bust in the jail and TEAR down the cell, freeing Bolin, Iroh, and Hoe Cake to go take down some airplanes. NAGA IS A BADASS. Seriously, she saved their asses a BUNCH of times. I love her.

Then, we bounce back to the arena, where needless to say, Korra is terrified and OUTRAGED that Amon has kidnapped Tenzin and his kids, and she goes into full BAMF mode to free them. Also, just in case we forgot that Mako is a gifted bender himself, he continues to show his special gifts by throwing lightening all over the place.

Korra and Mako get Tenzin and the kids free, and they go off to get Pema and Rohan (ROHIRRIM!!!) out of jail, after Meelo’s ADORABLE “PRISON BREAK!!” rallying cry. Korra and Mako hide in the arena’s backstage area as a diversion for them, drawing Amon away into a search for the Avatar.

NO! ANYTHING BUT THE BENDING!!

Guys? I WAS NOT CALM THIS WHOLE TIME. Basically from this point until the end of the episode, which is still 20 minutes away in TV time. *DEEP BREATHS* Ok. So. Amon captures Korra and Mako (I KNOW!) backstage at the arena and blood bends them (AHHH!!). GUYS!!! THE TENSION WAS UNBELIEVABLE!!! And then, holy @$&!@. He finds Korra in her hiding place under a table, blood bends her out, then Mako, and then…GAAAH!

HE TAKES AWAY KORRA’S BENDING.

OMG. Guys. I can’t even deal. I was SO NOT CALM. THIS WHOLE EPISODE I WAS CRAY. But this was LEGIT bananas. Because it wasn’t a fake out, friends, those little teasers we saw last week, with Amon’s Thumb of Doom hovering over Korra’s forehead. Korra’s bending? GONE. MOTHER EFFING GONE.

After that insanity, we go back to the airfield and the skies above Republic City, where the three good guys go about their mission, earth bending the runways and fire bending the planes. Hoe Cake hops in one of the Mecha tanks and starts using it to beat the CRAP out of the planes still in the hangar. She’s taking out some rage on a plane when her father rolls in, also in a Mecha tank. They argue. He tries to reason with Hoe Cake, but she basically calls out his craziness. Mr. Sato is seriously so far gone that there’s really nothing anyone can do to make him see things differently, so Hoe Cake doesn’t see any other choice. She goes after him, with tears in her eyes, and they fight. GUYS, HE WAS TOTALLY GOING TO TAKE HER OUT. I mean, how terrible, right?

Guys, I know that I call Asami Hoe Cake because I don’t ship her and Mako. But I really do like her, and I especially felt horribly for her at this moment. Because she basically has to call her father a lunatic to his crazy face, and then battle him in one of those robots in a vicious fight. He GOES AFTER HIS OWN KID, guys, with bad intentions. And she has to ATTACK him in order to save herself. It’s heartbreaking and awful, and I have mad props and respect for her. Bolin helps her out a little bit at the end there, and they seem to capture Mr. Sato. So awful.

Ok. I hope you’re not getting whiplash from all the back and forth because BACK AT THE ARENA, KORRA HAS NO BENDING. Mako resists Amon’s blood bending for a sec and shoots a lightening bolt at him, catching him by surprise long enough to grab Korra and run. But Amon catches them, blood bends Mako to his knees, and is about to take HIS bending away, too.

Korra, in her weakened state, sees this and FREAKS OUT. AND THEN SHE AIR BENDS. YESSSS! SHE AIR BENDS, stops Amon from taking Mako’s bending, and blows him the eff right out a window and into the water below, where his scar make-up washes off, and the people see him for who he really is: a water bender, who uses his water bending to escape. Whew. I’m telling y’all. IN.TENSE.

I DIE from this tear.

Amon goes back to Air Temple Island, where he visits Tarrlok. They have a little chat about their father, and Amon says that they can leave together now and get a fresh start somewhere. Tarrlok seemed so conflicted when his bro proposed that they go away together and start new somewhere. But he went anyway, and guys? I got a little emotional. The two brothers are on a speedboat, leaving Republic City behind. Amon–Noatak–is driving, and seems to be coming down from his crazy, and looking forward to starting over with his brother, just like old times. He’s clueless and sad and probably overwhelmed, totally trusting that his own BROTHER would do him no harm. But Tarrlok is surrounded by chi-blocker gloves, and it’s like he knows the only way to “put an end to this sad story” is to take Noatak out, and thereby himself as well. I feel like he was plotting this the whole time, guys. But he puts on a glove, and sends an electric shock over the gas tank, and entire boat explodes, presumably killing them both. WOW. Nice little redemption for Tarrlok, guys. Also, INTENSE. LIKE I SAID BEFORE. And a little sad, too. There’s no way Korra and Mako are able to take Amon down without the info Tarrlok gave them. Plus, THAT TEAR. I can’t even deal with the fact that Noatak was crying.

WHEW. So after Commander Bumi shows up in Republic City, now that Iroh, Bolin, and Hoe Cake took out all the airplanes, Team Avatar, Beifong (hey girl!), and Tenizin go to the South Pole to see if Katarra can do anything about Korra’s missing bending. She can’t fix anything, though. Korra still has her air bending, but earth, fire, and water? Gone. Korra runs out of the house, followed by a worried and caring Mako. Who–OMG–CONFESSES HIS LOVE TO KORRA. He doesn’t care that she lost her bending and that she isn’t the Avatar anymore (her worries, not his). She runs away anyway, leaving him a little sad. I DIE A MILLION TIMES.

Naga takes Korra to a cliff, where she sits down, looking at the ocean below, and sobs. Someone approaches her from behind in air bender robes, and she assumes it’s Tenzin. She tells him to go away. But it’s not Tenzin. It’s Aang. He tells Korra that by hitting her lowest point, she has finally connected fully with the spiritual side of being the Avatar, and all the Avatars appear to Korra behind him. He goes into the Avatar state, puts his thumb on her forehead, and restores her bending. And Y’ALL? KORRA GOES AVATAR STATE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND IT IS THE MOTHER EFFING BOMB. FOR REAL.

THE MOTHER CUSSING AVATAR

Korra is finally the legit Avatar.

When she finishes, she turns around to see Mako, who followed her and saw her in all her Avatar glory. She jumps on him, and tells him that she loves him, too. SCORE ONE FOR THE SHIPPERS.

Ah, young love. SIGH.

So what’s Korra’s first act as full-fledged Avatar, besides planting a big smooch on Mako? Going Avatar state again and restoring Beifong’s bending. HOLY HELL BAGS I LOVE THIS SHOW.

Guys, this ep was CRAY and heavy and intense and so dramatic and obviously the best ever.

The Lines: “I’m so proud of you, Avatar Korra.” –Tenzin

Guys, I LOVED talking Korra with you! LOVED IT. I’m so sad that it’s over! But don’t worry. I’ll find some way to keep the Korra flame alive on my blog! I can’t wait to do it again, HOPEFULLY SOON. Big hugs to you all for stopping by and sharing the love. xoxo