Thoughts on Legend of Korra Season 2 finale (SPOILERS) · 7:21am Nov 20th, 2013
Obvious spoilers for people that didn't see the finale a week early (Srsly, go to the Nick website. The creators were nice enough to post the 1 hour finale a week early than the public release date).
First, I'd like to say I hate the writers. The cheesiness and execution of dialogue almost made me pour bleach on my PC screen, the shipping was all over the place, Asami was treated like a friggin third/fourth wheel, and none of the relationships took it slow, like it did in the original Avatar series, which I prefer. There's this thing called "character development" that the writers apparently completely forgot to place in Legend of Korra.
Oh, and this. Un...for...giveable:
Srsly? At least make them look somewhat like spirits...
Second, I'd like to say that I love the writers. Iroh was fucking back (Not the new one, the old one :3, oh, and National Tea Appreciation Day ftw), which makes me wonder what Zuko's doing right now, since him and Katara are the only ones of the original "Team Avatar" still alive. And, even though the reincarnation cycle of the old Avatar line was completely fucked up when the larger essence, or the Yang of the Yin-Yang, of Rava was "deaded", the writers still left it an option for Korra to start a reincarnation chain of a whole new line of Avatars, and DAT ENDING! Spirits living with humans again? That raises all these questions and possibilities that goes beyond the realm of the mundane plotline that the original series and the first season bolted out. The whole season was filled with quick pacing and just sheer awkwardness in dialogue... but the ending made up for it!
...Well except for that "Titan" fight scene. I didn't find it entertaining IMO.
But, anyway, they left it wide open for a 3rd Book (And it makes me even more anxious that LoK is reaching its 4th confirmed Book closer and closer...), though I'm having trouble even imaging what's going to happen...
So tell me your own thoughts on what you thought of the second season finale, Legend of Korra, or the Avatar universe in general!
I was surprised to see it on the site, thought I had lost track of a week somewhere until you posted this.
Like you, I felt it was very rushed. The ending was full of deus ex machima, and not in a good, meaningful way a la the original series. I am looking forward tomwhat they do next though!
Favorite part: Varrick == Cave Johnson <3
Small hint: you can use the [page_break] tag in blogs to cut it off with a "Read more" link on your user page and blog page. That way you can leave off all that whitespace, and can write large blogs without worrying about them messing up your user page
(Side note: in typical fimfic fashion, that tag works everywhere the blog is listed, except the feed, which has its own cutoff system, and shows the tag as plain text
- on the plus side, that's how I first found out about it 
)
On to the actual episode comments. It's a pity how so much was left ambiguous at the end, yes, but I disagree on the character building. The Last Airbender was very much a coming-of-age story, while the characters in Legend of Korra are already all young adults. They don't need much character development; they're already pretty well-developed (*insert Korra's rack joke here*), and I think the two seasons together did explore them all pretty well.
It would've been nice for them to give some final word on how stuff goes with Asami and Mako, though, and the way Korra and Mako finally actually broke off their relationship in the end was somewhat odd and confusing.
Oh, and what the heck was with Jinora being all deus ex machina in the Titan Battle? That was pretty out of the blue. They never really explained what she did there to help Korra.
As for the actual end, they said light can't exist without darkness and vice versa, so, what happened to Vaatu then? Won't there be a pretty big chance that, fairly soon, he'll spontaneously reappear just as Raava did?
[edit]
The Avatar wiki just reminded me of the neat little information tidbit that in The Last Airbender, it was already said that destroying an Avatar while s/he is in Avatar state was known to break the cycle, meaning the Dark Avatar cycle is indeed broken. So at least the bastard won't be reborn
Also, fun detail: the Dark Avatar was never fully developed: he could only use water bending, since that's all Unalaq ever learned.
1523188
Varrick... I felt was really confusing. I thought for a moment that he was "in" on the whole "Dark Avatar" scheme, but then he said that he was only trying to rally support for the Southern Water Tribe, and THEN I saw that Future Industries' mechs were somehow acquired by Unalaq, which Varrick had ownership of.
i r confuzzled of his motives.
1523236
Lol, I forgot the page break advice I got from you several months back.
Shame on me.
1523188>>1523269
And yeah, dat deus ex machina. Even though I have a feeling that the creators put a shit ton of symbolism in the last episode, Jinora's entrance or assistance should have been more subtle, and less "My people need me *Blast off into the sky*"
And that's true, Nyerguds. Avatar was more coming of age, and Korra was basically already matured *snicker* *snicker* and had control over all 4 elements (or... 5, if you count energybending). And I know that the writers were trying to simulate the crazy "teenage love" stereotype, but like you said, it didn't give any finality or closure. IMO, I felt that the romance subplot became too much involved in the main storyline, or just wasn't executed that well.
And I guess that even though Vaatu couldn't be destroyed completely, he could still be imprisoned till the next Harmonic Convergence, which I'm 90% sure happened (leave it to the creators to say that the last statement was wrong). Hey, ya gotta have some dark in the light somewhere, or else Life would be all hunky-dory and boring
Huh... I half expected MoldyShiskabob to comment on my blog. He's an Avatar nut...
And frankly, is anyone tired of seeing members of the Water Tribe being constantly used as the main antagonists?
1525833
I agree with ya, it was more action driven than the last series.
But here's something I just realized... is the role of an Avatar even relevant anymore? Since there's a portal for spirits and humans to travel through, there isn't a need for a "bridge between two worlds", or better known as the role of an Avatar. Sure, there'll still be need for a diplomat, which I have no doubt Korra will have to fill in the position of, but isn't technically everyone an Avatar now (Except for the reincarnation part and usage of all 4 elements), since they interact with spirits on a daily basis now?
1526001
If I had my way, Toph would still be alive xD
And then again... "Legend of Korra"... Not "Legend of Jinora"
1526207
xD
Very true
1526001
I kinda somewhat expected spirit-Jinora sacrificing herself to save the Avatar, or becoming a replacement for Raava or something, but it seems they didn't want to go with that kind of sads.
1526207
Come now, TLA had a very well-planned run, that was exactly the length it needed.
I liked the whole thing. Unlike the first series this is being written one "book" at a time. The original was all pre-written. The romance thing was awkward, but then again sometimes that's how romances are in the real world. Well, if you take out the amnesia and bending and stuff.
Though I think you are overlooking the variety. Aang's story is very very different from Korra, some of the pacing is the same but that's common in stories. Each story progressed differently.
Also, the titan thing was a much cooler concept. Though it did feel forced. I think if they had spent more time leading up to it than it would have felt better. Still, the idea of one being able to project and fight with their spirit is interesting and opens up a lot of possible story lines, much like blood bending ended up doing.