On one hand, of course Korra should do everything to protect the air benders on a big picture level, however, there’s no telling what unforeseen damage the loss of the Avatar could have on society. For one, there’s the titular ultimatum-Korra must decide whether to give herself up to the Red Lotus (a group of newly minted benders determined to overthrow the government), or risk the destruction of the Air Bender nation by refusing to comply. That being said, it’s a breathlessly paced, exhilarating entry all on its own. In the arc of the show, “Ultimatum” serves as the stepping stone installment for the season finale. The final stretch of episodes in Season Three marks some of the absolute best that Legend of Korra has to offer. While they certainly must sniff out potential threats to the government, where does one step over the line into civil rights violations? Add in the revelation that Tarrlok has mastered the seemingly illegal skill of blood-bending, and the whole episode presents one hell of a curve in the direction of the show. When the not-so-benevolent Tarrlok ends up ordering the arrest of a group of non-bending protestors, Korra finds herself in the middle of a delicate situation. Naturally, in a world divided into those with powers and those without, the benders run the risk of using their abilities to rule over the non-benders. After the first half of the season was spent mostly focused on the team’s pro-bending sports career, and the soap-opera-worthy love (rectangle?) between Korra, Mako, Asami and Bolin, this episode really dives into the meat of the central story as well as the political complications it brings about. What it does represent-for me, at least-is the moment the show properly clicked into place. “When Extremes Meet” may not be the most sophisticated of Korra stories, nor is it the most action-packed.
In celebration of this all too underrated masterpiece of television, here is a very subjective list of the best the show had to offer. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and last Friday marked the conclusion of Legend of Korra’s fourth and final year. Originally slated as a 12-episode miniseries, Korra’s reception garnered it an additional three more seasons. Moreover, the show also gave us an incredible female protagonist in the form of its titular character-a kickass teenage girl who must save the world, all the while going through that all-too-familiar adolescent journey to discover her own inner self.
And despite a few bumps in the road here and there, Legend of Korra more than met these expectations, crafting a relentlessly engaging series of stories that married the whimsy and imagination of Hayao Miyazaki with the kind of complex political intrigue one might find in a typical episode of Game of Thrones. At the Southern Air Temple, Jinora is strongly drawn to the statues of the past avatars, particular that of her grandfather Aang and an unidentified carving of another ancient Avatar.When Avatar: The Last Airbender creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino first announced Legend of Korra-a sequel series set 70 or so years after the events of their beloved original show-they certainly were subjected to no shortage of high expectations.
Returning from the pole, Korra's party discover that Northern Water Tribe have come to occupy the south at Unalaq's direction, to initiate a "reunification" of the two tribes. At the South Pole, Korra succeeds in returning the southern lights by opening a blocked "spirit portal" one of two gateways which allows access to the spirit world and regulates the flow of spiritual energy between the two worlds. When Korra learns that her father was once banished from the Northern Water Tribe for causing a spirit rampage, and that he and Tenzin were responsible for her seclusion in her youth, she insists on Tonraq returning home, and tensions begin to grow between herself and Tenzin. Episode Description: Korra and company journey with Unalaq and his children Desna and Eska to the South Pole, where Korra is to attempt to return the long-absent Southern Lights, at Unalaq's urging.