Yay! It’s time for another Korra diary entry!
We’re on episode 4, btw. I dunno, it’s hard for me to keep up (what with the premier being eps 1 + 2). I just thought I’d mention it. Geez. Don’t have a cow (I’ve been having a randomly 80’s day).
You know what Korra Diary means – I’m going to have a lot of irrational feelings, shout all capsily at you/in your general direction, and make virtually no sense out of context (#undeadbloggingproblems).
You know you’re excited.
HERE WE GO!
“Only the avatar…” it’s starting it’s starting it’s starting!
Last Episode we learned that Amon can take away people’s bending. PERMANANTLY! Thanks for reminding us, newscaster man!
Oooh. Reed music and blue tones and creepy window rattling and the avatar’s sleeping. Shit’s about to go down, yo.
AND WHO CALLED IT! Now there are chi-blocking-ninjas all up in her room.
Fire bending like awesome!
Chi-blocking like not awesome!
Oh hold on, it’s okay. We’re in a dream.
Hand zooming in on her face, Amon threatening to take your bending away. Korra, your dreams are really unsubtle. Just saying. In mine people are always teeth or pancakes or random stuff like that (but I always know who they are because dreams are effing weird).
Tenzin and other old people are talking about why the Amon/Equalist issue is complicated. It’s complicated because … Amon’s threatening and horrible, but the Equalists kind of have a point about the de facto second-class citizenship for non-benders thing, yo.
“All I’m trying to do is help.” BS! I CALL BS! If Master Tenzin thinks you’re a power-hungry snake, then I think so too! (Tenzin is the wise mentor man, after all).
So the grownups are talking about making committees and whatnot to deal with the Equalists. But my money is on the fact that the avatar’s going to strike out on her own (with her boyfriend and his little brother) to deal with it herself.
…Well, the negotiations were short (a cookie* for the person who can tell me where that line’s from).
Years ago we had another man like Amon? Really? Can someone have a conveniently timed flashback, please?
“YOU ARE NOT GOING TO COMPARE YOURSELF TO AVATAR AANG!” Ooh, Tenzin has daddy issues.
“Vote for this task force, and I will stop Amon before it’s too late.” I wonder if there are any non-benders on this council? They’re all dressed in nation colors, so it’s hard to tell, but Tenzin’s a bender, and this dude in blue (with unexpected dreadlock) just made appeals to family and stuff, so I’m assuming they’re all benders … #partoftheproblem.
Uh-oh. Here’s the vote. Dramatic tense music. Hands slowly going up. EVERYONE VOTES FOR BLUE DREADS MAN EXCEPT TENZIN!!!! NO!!! Poor Tenzin! (also, this means that Tenzin was 100% right about the blue dude being bad news AND things are going to get worse before they get better).
Tenzin makes an angry face.
And we have jazz music – WHEN AMON INTERRUPTS ON THE RADIO!!! Also, I called that the council was all benders and that it would be a problem. Where’s my shot? (I swear, I really would make a drinking game out of this, except I would get so sloshed by the second commercial break that I probably wouldn’t remember how the episode ended).
“The time has come for benders to experience fear.” Amon, you are making Korra feel like she’s in a Hitchcock. I can just tell. First of all, she’s sweating profusely, second of all, there’s violin dissonance crescendo-ing. So, mission accomplished.
Cut to:
Mako struttin’
Mako flippin’ his scarf. Like all the cool boys do.
Republic City has mopeds. Of course they do. Oh, and girl moped riders WHO CRASH INTO MAKO
Random Moped Girl: “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you!”
Mako: “Whaddya mean you didn’t see me?!”
RMG pulls off helmet to sparkles and twinklybeautifulpersonalert music.
So… she didn’t see him because her perfect hair was in the way.
Oh no. Mako is smitten and Korra’s gonna be JELLY when she finds out (and possibly violent as well). Please make Random Moped Girl a secret chi-blocking agent. Because that would be really really great.
They are being sickeningly meet-cute trope-y right now. I can’t even handle it. She vaguely recognizes him, he admits his pro-athlete status. She’s SOOOO EMBARRASED. Her name’s Asami and she wants to MAKE IT UP TO HIM (of course she does. Although to be fair, all snarkery aside, that is a perfectly rational and sane response post-runningsomeoneoverwithyourmoped) by TAKING HIM OUT TO DINNER. Gag me with a spoon.
The place she wants to take him too is apparently too classy for him. She says she’ll take care of it. MY DREAMS OF HER AS A CHI-BLOCKING UNDERCOVER AGENT LIVE!!!
RMG/Asami: “So…. it’s a date?”
Mako: “I … I guess so.”
I mean. … We all knew that. Even those of us who’re still hoping it’ll actually just be an abduction operation (just me? C’mon guys, where’s your sense of fun?). Oh, and now he’s actually excreting those little hearts. Le sigh. Dumb boy. She’s going to hand you over to Amon (I hope). And even if she doesn’t, she’s so clearly not your endgame!
Why can’t fictional characters see what I see?
We’re at the Tenzin table. And Tarlok (the blue dreads man) says, “I’m not interrupting, am I?” as Tenzin’s getting ready to eat. OF FLIPPIN’ COURSE YOU’RE INTERRUPTING. And you know it. And you’re enjoying it. Ick. Hate you.
Tarlok just invited himself to dinner by making Tenzin be all uber Buddhist and giving and crap.
Tenzin’s wife is making the best angry pout face I have ever seen.
Councilman Tarlok introducing himself to Korra. Korra’s being very grown up about it. BORING. Okay, so apparently he’s the rep from the Northern Water Tribe. Why does the Southern Water Tribe still not have a rep?
“WHY DO YOU HAVE THREE PONYTAILS? AND HOW COME YOU SMELL LIKE A LADY? YOU’RE WEIRD.” Sweetie pie, you read my mind.
Eww. Tarlok’s really patronizing and horrible. Oh no! He’s appealing to Korra’s devastating (utterly accurate) teenage/human need to be praised and loved (and in her case, recognized as a superhero). DON’T FALL FOR IT, KORRA!!!
OOOOH! Can Tarlok be secretly working with Amon, please?! That would be awesome!
“Enough with the flattery, Tarlok. What do you want with Korra?” Oooh. Tenzin’s got yo’ number, Tarlok. He sees you. He looks like he might even return you to Ewah pretty soon (yeah, remember that movie? Horrible. Don’t worry, shan’t bring it up again).
Tarlok’s face kind of looks like Gaston. Maybe it’s just that his smarm is obscuring my vision.
Oh. He wants Korra to join his task force to kick Equalist butt.
You COULD do that, Korra. But I’d be willing to bet big money that his task force is rife with all kinds of police brutality/HE COULD STILL SECRETLY BE WORKING FOR AMON!!!
Korra: “I can’t.”
…wait, what?
Korra: “I came to Republic City to finish my training with Tenzin. Right now, I just need to focus on that.”
Is it because you’re actually paralyzed with fear? (that’s what I’m guessing. But then Mako will be captured and she’ll join the task force to save him! DUN DUN DUN!!!)
Tenzin’s kicking Tarlok out. Yay!
“I’m not giving up on you just yet. You’ll be hearing from me soon.” You know what I’m taking that to mean? TWO ABDUCTION PLOTS IN ONE EPISODE!!!!
“BYE-BYE, PONYTAIL MAN!!!”
Cut to:
Mako’s getting styled at the fancy restaurant. Except for his Seneca Crane eyebrows (no, really, look at them) he’s practically unrecognizable. So he puts his scarf back on. The valet (thanks, Downton Abbey) tries to touch it.
Mako: “The. Scarf. Stays.”
….okay, then.
Date time.
They’re in a booth.
She’s his biggest fan. But she didn’t recognize him when she ran him over (It’s cool. I probably wouldn’t recognize Parise or Elias if I ran them down on my moped either. Sports with Helmets = poor facial recognition of players by laypeople).
Aw. He’s having trouble telling his heiress girlfriend about his money problems/not being able to be in the pro-bending championships because he’s poor. This is a real thing. Also, he’s managing to handle it much more maturely than a lot of adults I know would have (but he also has the benefit of being edited and fictional and stuff).
Also, did he turn his scarf into an ascot when I wasn’t looking?
“Miss Sato? As in… Hiroshi Sato, the creator of the Satomobile?”
“That’s my dad.”
I WASN’T EVEN TRYING WITH THE HEIRESS THING!!! I’m psychic. This is an amazing revelation in my life, and I should try my hand at the lottery now, I guess.
Or tell Harry his future, or something.
Oh, he’s going to meet her dad. Awkward.
BO!!!! Oh how I’ve missed you!!! Yay!!!
“So, I haven’t seen you at practice this week…”
Korra, seriously?! You are not allowed to be a pro athlete and miss that much practice just because you’ve been having night terrors about Amon.
Bo gives her a rose and a cake, saying “Ta-Da!”
Korra: “What’s that for?”
Bo: “Oh, hold on, I can’t remember. Oh yeah. YOU SAVED ME FROM AMON!”
Now he’s staggering around like a Frankenstein impression recounting Amon and his creepy mask thing. He’s the bestbestbestbestbestbestbest.
Aw, Bo has the night terrors too. Poor Bo.
And now Tarlok is trying to bribe Korra with the most gargantuan gift basket that has ever existed.
Bo: “WHO’S THIS TARLOK GUY? IS HE BOTHERING YOU? ‘CAUSE I COULD HAVE A WORD WITH HIM”
You are such a cupcake. And my favorite by sooooo much.
Uh-oh. Does Bo have a crush on her? Oh please no. I can’t bear to see his little marshmallow feelings get smooshed.
Mr. Sato and Mako are meeting.
Mr. Sato: “So. I understand you’re dirt poor.”
Well. That was blunt.
Also: Mako’s most prized possession is a red scarf. Yes, he is dirt poor, and a little confused about menswear.
Sato: “Young man, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I started off as a shoeshiner.” Blah blah blah. Pulling self up by bootstraps and all that jazz. Sweeping music. Gilded era and American/FourNations Dream. Etc etc etc.
Sato’s going to sponsor them for the pro-bending championship. This should be awesome. But instead it’s going to be the start of modern commercial sponsorships. They have to wear the future industries logo.
Mako: “I’ll tattoo it on my chest, if you want, sir.”
Mako, you are a meathead. Also, that’s what you say now. But WAIT UNTIL HIS DAUGHTER REVEALS HER EQUALIST CHI-BLOCKING!!!
I have no reason to believe that this will ever happen/that she’s an Equalist chi-blocking assassin, but a girl can dream, can’t she?
Tenzin’s kids are friggin’ adorable.
Also, Tarlok’s trying to buy Korra with a car?! Dude, chill out. She’s the avatar. She’s noble and stuff. You’re probably not going to be able to buy her with a car.
Korra’s not okay, Tenzin. She’s got night terrors about Amon!
Thankfully, Tenzin is like the somewhat younger Mr. Feeny of The Four Nations, and he can sense that something’s wrong.
Korra: “I’m just really focused on my airbending right now.”
BS!!!! But Tenzin says is nicer.
Tenzin: “Rrrrrright. That’s what you said. … You know it’s okay to be frightened. The whole city is frightened by what’s going on. The important thing is to talk about our fears. Otherwise they can throw us out of balance. …I’m always here to talk.”
Oh Tenzin. You’re a great wise mentor. And you deserve more hugs.
Ooh. Korra’s fear is throwing her out of balance. She just knocked Tarlok’s messenger around. YOU DON’T SHOOT THE MESSENGER!!! It’s not their fault. Geez. Get your fear in balance!
Oh, it’s a Gala invitation. …Weird. It’s a gala in Korra’s honor. Shouldn’t people get permission for that sort of thing beforehand? That’s weird.
Korra’s formal wear is mostly fine, except for her little bun hat.
“MILO, THAT IS NOT A TOILET!!” Yeah, that happens when they’re still at the gala.
Oh great. Now she’s meeting Sato. And Mako and Asami together.
Bo is playing exposition fairy.
I was right. Korra’s majorly jelly. Although appropriately concerned about Mako’s physical wellbeing upon hearing that he was HIT BY A FRICKIN’ MOPED (due to the size and average speed of the moped, I doubt those accidents are usually fatal. But still, no fun, I’m sure). Korra and Mako are endgame. I’m not really worried about it.
Korra’s had all the fun and happiness sucked out of her. #pressuresofbeingavatar
Chief Beifong isn’t helping. Also, am I the only one who desperately wants to know who Toph married? BECAUSE I DESPERATELY WANT TO KNOW.
Tarlok’s feeding Korra to the press core, pushing her into joining the task force.
Smarmy jerkface.
Cut to:
Meeting in the task force war room.
The Equalists train chi-blocking in cellars underneath a bookstore? THAT IS SINISTER!!! No. I’m serious. Bookstores and libraries should be safe havens. That is all.
And now they’re about to go in. Korra’s so not ready for this. Still having Nam flashbacks and stuff.
Also, how is taking out a bunch of trainees going to actually help stop Amon?
Well, they win. …I guess. But I think I’m more or less right about the police brutality thing. I don’t see any due process happening here.
Cut to:
The training area.
Poor Bo (and I guess Mako too). No Korra to train with.
BECAUSE KORRA IS PUBLICLY CHALLENGING AMON TO A DUEL?!
WHAT?!!! Why?! What kind of moron are you, Korra?!
This will not end well!
Mako and Asami are being atrocious. By which I mean they’re acting like two teenagers on a date in a carriage.
SHE BOUGHT HIM A NEW SILK SCARF!!! BUT HE’S NOT WEARING IT!
Oh. The scarf has a dead parents story. OF COURSE THE SCARF HAS A FRIGGIN’ TRAGIC STORY. It belonged to his dad. And he feels like it keeps him safe.
She lost her mom. Of frakkin’ course she did.
He grabs her hand because SHE UNDERSTANDS.
MopedGirl/Asami: “I feel so safe with you.”
I FEEL SO SAFE WITH YOU?!
I can’t handle this. I hate this sappy ridiculousness.
…AREN’T YOU GUYS DONE YET?!!
Korra’s going to her dumbass duel. Alone. Like the too-noble-for-life hero that she is.
But she’s scared enough to practically wet her pants when the clock chimes. She’s a great character.
AMON’S GOT A WHOLE CREW OF CHI-BLOCKERS IN THERE!
Amon’s letting her go so that she doesn’t become a martyr. …But he’s coming for her. Later. When the time is right (like, the end of this season? Or possible next season?)
Yo, Korra’s night sweats aren’t for nothing. He is one cold, scary dude.
TENZIN’S THERE TO SAVE HER AND FOR HER TO CRY ON.
Because he’s the best father figure in this show.
Poor Korra. It’s break down and admit your fears time. I do really like her so much.
THAT’S WHERE IT ENDS?!!!!.
Well… I’ll see you next week.
Good lord. I don’t know if I can wait.
I really want to know what Amon’s plan is (because he’s clearly an evil crazypants, but he’s also really smart so far. AND I STILL BELIEVE THAT HE’S A SECRET BENDER OR SOMETHING TWISTY AND AWESOME). Best villain ever. And we’ll get more Bo, and hopefully Asami will turn out to be horrible, or die or something (because if they honestly do two fire nation pairs in a row, it’ll feel really fishy). Oh yeah, and Korra being awesome, and Tenzin being wise and wonderful. All that good stuff.
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