Hey youtubers it's Charlie and avatar wisdom is a thing of the past.
I mean book 3 is here.
They aired the first three episodes back to back.
This video will be my review of the first two and instead of a Q&A tomorrow I'm going
to post a review of Episode 3.
Hello to all the new people, if you're just now finding me, I do Legend of Korra videos
every week.
I'm also doing a weekly giveaway for each episode.
All you have to do to participate is be a subscriber and leave a comment on this video.
I'll explain again at the end of this video.
We've got a lot of stuff to talk about so this is what I'm going to do.
I'll start with top 10 moments from episodes 1 and 2, then I'll do a review and then I'll
talk about the biggest stuff coming in Book 3.
So careful for spoilers from the episode if you haven't seen it yet.
But here we go.
Number 10 - Korasami Driving Lessons
I know all the Korasami 'shippers from Books 1 and 2 flipped a little when they realized
how close Korra and Asami were going to be in Book 3.
The driving lessons spells out their dynamic perfectly.
They both like to poke fun at each other but neither is upset about the other one hooking
up with Mako while they were both dating him.
I feel like if you did a Korra power rankings list, Mako would have just shot straight to
the bottom in the first few moments of the episode.
It's not super clear what his character arc is going to be this year, but I feel kind
of bad for him.
I will enjoy Korra and Asami torturing him a little.
What are friends for if not for embarrasing you every chance they get.
Korra also called it out, she's never had a real girl who was a friend she could talk
to.
That's depressing.
But based on the first couple of episodes, it seems like Asami will be spending the most
amount of time with Korra on screen.
Like most of Korra's scenes will also involve Asami.
I'm really glad they didn't just talk about relationships, I feel like on a lot of younger
shows the female characters spend too much time talking about male characters and not
enough about their own interests.
I think one of the best things about Legend of Korra is that it portrays a very positive
female perspective.
For instance, Asami had the idea to use Korra's Dark Spirit calming technique to get the vines
to go away.
And it didn't require a suggestion from a male character.
Number 9 - Tenzin Talking To Aang's Statue
This was just heartwarming, Tenzin speaking to the spirit of Aang while looking at his
Statue in the bay.
It's unclear exactly what happened to Korra's past lives and the spirits of the former avatars,
but you're not really thinking about that in this moment.
Whenever he started talking I instantly thought about the moment where Aang realized that
the entire Air Nation had been killed.
It was so heartbreaking and now, thanks to Korra's actions.
They're coming back.
It's still really unclear why Harmonic Convergence caused people to manifest airbending and no
other bending forms.
I think that will be something it takes all season to find out.
For now though, we get to enjoy the resolution of a plot point that served as the basis for
Avatar The Last Airbender.
Number 8 - Look at this effing Airbending Hipster
This was one of those scenes that makes you want to shoot this kid and laugh out loud
at the same moment.
Not at the same time, we're not psycho's here.
I feel like this is Mike and Bryan and the writers making fun of twenty somethings in
general.
Or maybe they were making fun of themselves for living in their parent's houses way longer
than they should have.
I don't know a lot about Mike and Bryan or the writers before Last Airbender or Korra
started.
The whole idea of people not wanting to become part of the Air Nation was kind of infuriating
and this hipster kid was just the worst of it.
He was nuttier than the farmer who started shouting because he was so angry.
Number 7 - Tenzin Is the World's Worst Salesman
This was one of the most gif'able montages in all of the new episodes.
You get to be a vegetarian, you get tattoos all over your body, you get to give away all
your possessions, you get these amazing robes.
The only one of his pitches that I thought was good was the Giant Air Bison being your
best friend.
I would totally want an air bison as a best friend.
You could name it appa jr.
All of the refusals reminded me of Yoda's quote from Empire Strikes Back, "Too Old To
Begin the Training."
It's a metaphor that once you become an adult you become to closeminded about the idea of
a new reality.
Which was exactly what Zaheer said to the White Lotus guards when he escaped.
It just makes me feel like a big part of Book 3 will be Korra teaching people to open up
to new possibilities.
Number 6 - The Avatar Circus Performers
This really reminded me of the play from Last Airbender.
In that episode the play was based very literally on the adventures of Team Avatar, and on Korra
the play was a closer approximation of her battle with Amon.
Watching this made me realize we need more mustache Bolin, shirtless Tenzin was a little
weird given I keep think of JK Simmons when he talks.
I love how Bolin is still reveling in theatricality like when he was doing Nuktuk.
When all of their main adventures are over and they all start families, I hope Bolin
starts doing Movers full time.
Number 5 - Meet Kai
It's a little surreal thinking about people as airbenders when they're dressed like Earth
Benders.
Last Airbender treated colors and bending styles a little more rigidly, but the whole
idea is that they're searching for airbenders inside the Earth Kingdom.
As of right now Kai is fun, but I don't think he's going to be my favorite new character.
He feels a little less compelling than the evil benders.
I know they're technically not evil, but just to distinguish them for now I'm calling them
that.
Whenever we met Toph she lied about her past to keep people from judging her.
I wonder if Kai will have something similar going on, where his parents were killed as
part of something related to the main story.
It's totally possible that they won't pay that off.
But if he lied about the gold, he could have lied about his parents being killed by raiders,
so we need more information about him before I pass judgement.
As for the Jinora shipping that's going on, I'm not as excited about it as Korasami but
I think it's fine.
It's not something I'm going to be investing a lot of gif making energy into.
Number 4 - The Republic City Spirit
Right at the beginning when Korra is first dealing with the vines the spirit, who was
awesome, completely sets up the premise of the season.
Tenzin did it too, there will probably be several characters like Zaheer who also call
out what the arc of Book 3 is.
"There is no difference between the Spirits and the People, we're all the same.
The Avatar of all people should know that."
The idea is that Korra has to learn this and it's going to take all season for the lesson
to cook inside her brain until it turns into something actionable.
First she learns a new lesson, like achieving true inner peace in Book 1, then she is able
to do something with it.
In that case it was airbending.
In book 3 it could mean a number of things, mostly getting people and spirits used to
living with each other.
Once she's able to do that I expect that visually we'll see the vines stop destroying buildings
in Republic City.
Quick sidenote, we haven't seen a lot of them yet, but there will be tons of really cool
looking spirits floating around the world.
Number 3 - The Twins Are Back
It took a few episodes last year for me to get used to them, it wasn't till after Eska
flipped out and chased after Bolin and Korra that I really started loving her.
Aubrey Plaza is so appropriate for her.
I've seen some shows and movies where she doesn't play that type of flat emotionless
character, but most of all I just picture April from Parks and Rec.
I love that they're ruling the Northern Water Tribe.
I think this is because the leadership there is hereditary.
Did anyone else think they heard Desna called Zuko, Uncle Zuko?
The room I was watching the episode in was really loud so I wasn't sure, but I love the
idea that they would do that.
I think it's true because Zuko said that he built the special underground prison for Ming
Jua with Unalaq, which means he would have had to visit the Northern Water Tribe a long
time ago.
In the trailers there were shots of the twins fighting with everyone when the evil benders
break sparky sparky boom girl out, so maybe we'll see an eventual reunion of Eska and
Bolin.
Number 2 - Zaheer escapes
I loved that this was right as Tenzin gave that hopeful speech about finding new airbenders.
They didn't say it right away, but Zaheer is the leader of the evil bending team and
he was not an airbender until Harmonic Convergence.
His comment about Guru Maheema was a nice callback to Guru Pathik, but he's mostly heralding
the same thing Tenzin was talking about, change is coming.
Not everyone is going to like it.
It's unclear why he wants to kill the Avatar and the Order of the White Lotus.
It's not just another version of what UnaVaatu was doing, helping the spirits dominate the
physical realm.
But I'm hoping that the next couple of episodes spell out their thesis.
I'm talking about episode 3 in a separate video but during that episode, Korra realized
she might be fighting for the wrong side.
In that case it was the Earth Queen versus the people, but I'm wondering if the evil
benders will try to get Korra to believe she's fighting for the wrong cause.
I guess that would be another version of what UnaVaatu was doing, get her to help the spirits
at the expense of helping people.
It's still a little too early to tell.
Who else loved the magneto style prisons all those benders were in.
I'm assuming Zuko built all of them himself with the help of people in each nation.
and my Number 1 Moment - Lord Zuko Returns
Why he waited till after Harmonic Convergence to make an appearance I have no idea, we're
just happy he finally came to the party.
Of all the classic Avatar characters, he's one of my favorite.
And even though Dante Basco isn't voicing him, I still think he's going to be awesome.
I think he'll explain more of what his true mission has been while Korra Books 1 and 2
have been happening.
And it may also explain a little where Toph has been.
I saw a little of young Zuko's temper when he found out the Water Bender had been Freed.
They were in the fire nation, so it makes sense that was were he would first appear,
even though at that point Zaheer had already freed two of the people.
I'm really to hear him fill in a lot of the backstory on those four benders.
But now it's your turn, let me know what your favorite moment was from the first two episodes!
I'll be talking about The Earth Queen and the Dai Li in my video tomorrow, but overall
these first two episodes were worth the wait.
I gave them a solid A for answering some big questions right away and pretty clearly laying
out what the progression of the next several episodes will be.
Team Avatar will try to find and help all the new airbenders, rebuild the air nation
and contain Zaheer's team.
I think that the big challenge will be juggling all the new Lin Beifong stuff we have yet
to see and tie everything together by the end of the season.
One of the big problems with having so many plots is that they all have to connect by
the end.
All the little side stories have to inform the main story.
In book 2 I feel like there were a few things that didn't get paid off, like Varrick.
I feel like his story ultimately wasn't necessary.
Like it was created just to give Mako, Bolin and Asami something to do.
He didn't really have an impact on Harmonic Convergence or the fight against Unavaatu.
The thing I'm really liking about Book 3 so far is that all the major characters have
been established and I can see a couple of ways they'll all come together by the end
of the season.
Korra will have to educate the Earth Queen on treating her people better, she'll help
the people in republic city learn to live with the spirits and she'll make peace with
Zaheer's team.
So like I said, Episode 3 review posting tomorrow.
Be sure to subscribe to get it.
For the giveaway, I'm picking two random subscribers from the comments on this video to give giftcards
to.
And one person from the comments on tomorrow's video.
Right now click here to get that video.
I'll add the annotation as soon as I post it.
And click here for my top 5 book 3 characters so far.
Thanks for watching, I'll see you guys tomorrow.
High Fives!