History Headscratchers / TheLegendOfKorraTeamAvatar

** The Red Lotus apparently weren't a problem. Three people aren't going to do jack that the whole new nation of Airbenders isn't already doing. OneHourWorkWeek is clearly not in evidence in this series, as we're shown directly that Mako's time with the police keeps him busy -- to the point he's sleeping in his office at times and has to specifically get time off to go to the South Pole in Book 2 -- and Asami has to rebuild her company more or less by herself. And Mako and Bolin ''do'' fight for others -- as a cop and as one of Kuvira's people, albeit Bolin realizes he's misguided, he's trying. They had plenty of chance, and did, become their own people when Korra was away. Again, these are adults with lives and responsibilities other than being Korra's partners, especially when Korra isn't there. And that is really what "Team Avatar" is.\\\

** Actually, there were things Asami, Mako, and Bolin could have done as a team--hunt down the rest of the Red Lotus, or go to various villages to curb crime that resulted from the anarchy. In the series, things like the OneHourWorkWeek trope is almost always in effect, as it is in most fiction. I mean, just like Asami, Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark had companies to run yet they still have time to be with their respective teams. Plus, doesn't the structure of the story send a BrokenAesop about teamwork? It feels like they don't give others a chance to be heroes and let Korra hog the spotlight. A major lesson Korra's been trying to learn is that it's not always about her, and the fact that the writers don't make people call for "Team Avatar" kinda sends a negative implication that Korra's companions are nothing but mere sidekicks, and from what we've seen, they're more than that. One of the messages the writers frequently give out is that you don't have to be the Avatar, or a bender, to be a hero. Doesn't not giving the other members a chance defeat that message?

** First of all, Korra used the name "Team Avatar" in Season 3 as if it were official by pushing Mako to come with her by telling him "he's part of Team Avatar" during one of the first episodes of that season. Bolin talked about it as if it were official in Book 2, and Asami talked about it as if it were official in Book 4. Also, wouldn't Korra being injured or depressed be her reason for giving Asami leadership? If a leader were in that same position as Korra, he'd give leadership to whoever he can trust, and thinking tactically is more Asami's thing. Korra, being injured, could just simply say the words "Asami...Team Avatar...is in your hands". Plus, knowing Asami and her loyalty, it's what she'd do to honor Korra. Don't members of Team Avatar fight, not ''for'' Korra, but rather because Korra gave them a sense of purpose and something to believe in? Mako said Korra inspired him to live and fight for others because it's the right thing to do, Bolin believes in [[WeHelpTheHelpless helping the helpless]], and wanted to continue doing that, and Asami has [[UndyingLoyalty]] to her cause. Wouldn't their beliefs and determination have been enough to make the group stronger than any individual that makes it, including the Avatar? There's a saying that the whole of a team is greater than the sum of its parts.

** First of all, Korra used the name "Team Avatar" in Season 3 as if it were official by pushing Mako to come with her by telling him "he's part of Team Avatar" during one of the first episodes of that season. Also, wouldn't Korra being injured or depressed be her reason for giving Asami leadership? If a leader were in that same position as Korra, he'd give leadership to whoever he can trust, and thinking tactically is more Asami's thing. Korra, being injured, could just simply say "Asami...Team Avatar...is in your hands". Plus, knowing Asami and her loyalty, it's what she'd do to honor Korra. Don't members of Team Avatar fight because Korra gave them something to believe in? Mako said Korra inspired him to fight for others because it's the right thing to do, Bolin believes in [[WeHelpTheHelpless helping the helpless]], and Asami is [[UndyingLoyalty undyingly loyal]]. Wouldn't their beliefs and determination be enough to make the group stronger than any individual that makes it, including the Avatar?

* I don't understand why Korra just didn't give leadership of Team Avatar to Asami while she recovered. To begin with, it became pretty clear the world needed a dream team of Team Avatar's unique skills to take on the world, especially more than ever due to the chaos in the Earth Kingdom, or the Red Lotus threat, considering that Team Avatar is the closest the Avatar World has to the Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica or Franchise/TheAvengers. Besides that, it just seemed like a missed opportunity to test Asami's leadership skills, given that she's always sidelined and hardly accomplishing anything on her own onscreen. Asami could have brought Team Avatar in a new direction, she could have led them on missions to prove she is more than just Avatar Korra's "Second In Command" as well as showing she can be an accomplished hero without the Avatar. Doing so would have made a great AuthorsSavingThrow, especially given the reception Asami has received for being sidelined and such. Plus, it just seemed like disbanding Team Avatar was done as an afterthought.

* I don't understand why Korra just didn't give leadership of Team Avatar to Asami while she recovered. To begin with, it became pretty clear the world needed a dream team of Team Avatar's unique skills to take on the world, especially more than ever due to the chaos in the Earth Kingdom, or the Red Lotus threat, considering that Team Avatar is the closest the Avatar World has to the [[Franchise/TheJusticeLeagueOfAmerica]] or [[ComicBook/The Avengers]]. Besides that, it just seemed like a missed opportunity to test Asami's leadership skills, given that she's always sidelined and hardly accomplishing anything on her own onscreen. Asami could have brought Team Avatar in a new direction, she could have led them on missions to prove she is more than just Avatar Korra's "Second In Command" as well as showing she can be an accomplished hero without the Avatar. Doing so would have made a great AuthorsSavingThrow, especially given the reception Asami has received for being sidelined and such. Plus, it just seemed like disbanding Team Avatar was done as an afterthought.

** The modern lightningbending motions (particularly Mako's) have always looked quite low-key to me. I guess it's part of the new philosophy. I wouldn't be surprised if Mako, who lived on the streets, wasn't taught to "separate energy and put it back toether", but probably something else that works. Perhaps that's why it's weaker. Another theory that goes purely into speculation is that he did separate the energy between himself and Amon. This is vaguely based on how InuYasha had to hit the point where his and his enemy's energies meet with his sword.

*** But then they reach the season finale, and it's all "I love you, let's face the end of the world together!" Because she was hot!?

[[folder: What did Bolin see in Eska?]]
* Putting aside simply that it's, you know, '''Eska''', it also just seems rather inconsistent with his usual tastes in girls, having shown interests in the much more grounded and personable Korra and Opal otherwise. Plus, you know, '''ESKA.''' In addition, I've heard the common fan theory that the twins have Asperger's, which, as an Aspie myself, not only kind of makes sense, but actually just makes it more confusing as well. We REALLY don't tend to get a lot of attention from the opposite sex.

[[/folder]]

** Being famous is not the same as having authority. I wouldn't want Brad Pitt presiding over my trial. Being a healer is not the same as having authority. I wouldn't want...Perry Cox presiding over my trial. Being Aang's wife is not the same as having authority. I wouldn't want...[[FreshPrinceOfBelAir Vivian Banks]] presiding over my trial. Being a quasi-princess of a podunk settlement that only grew to the size of a small city in the last few decades or so most certainly doesn't entitle her to any authority. Katara has literally no claim to any degree of authority, and if she does have any, it would not matter in any way under normal circumstances, far less so when it's blatantly rigged by a guy that openly despises the South.

*** Additionally, pro-bending's rules make sense for modern urban combat in a way that the traditional bending Tenzin is familiar with doesn't. What happens when Korra goes all-out against those thugs in Episode 1? She causes a crapload of collateral damage, like when she ripped up the street to attack that getaway car. Pro-bending's tactical fighting -- emphasizing small, discrete elemental attacks instead of big powerful ones -- minimizes collateral damage while still taking out your enemy. Which is something the city's authorities might want to encourage via the sport, considering what happens if, say, someone accidentally damages an underground gas main while earthbending. If you look at it from that light, pro-bending isn't a hollow shell of the traditional styles, it's just a necessary adaptation to Republic City's urban environment.
** Tenzin's dissapproval of the Pro-Bending is likely to stem from the fact that the sport uses Bending simply as means to an end, rather than a part of spiritual lifestyle.

*** I can back this up. My former martial arts instructor used to tell us that it was extremely easy for a mixed martial artist to beat a boxer in a match because boxers are extremely predictable in their movements. They may be good at boxing, but a mixed martial arts match is an entirely different fight with different rules. Just because you have mastery in one thing doesn't mean you can pick up something related and be an instant master in that too. There's alot you have to learn/re-learn.
* Also, lets just face it, the combat is much more realistically portrayed in Korra than it was in the original series. None of the teenaged heroes are as powerful as their adult, veteran counterparts, one or two chi-blockers are a significant threat even to the main protagonist and there is simply no such thing as a OneManArmy.
* I'm just going to throw in my two cents and go with the above posts that Korra prefers raw power over finesse and how she's never pro-bend before, along with the fact that she's going against professional, so of course, she's going to suck. However, there's also that she's trying to restrain herself, since she has to stick to one element. If she could, then she could have shook the arena and blasted the opposing team into the water.

*** Indoor facilities weren't really a thing in the early 20th century even for majority of the citydwellers. Hygiene was a real issue until the 1960's or so. I'd expect things to be similar in the Republic City, though plumbing is unlikely to be featured in the show. I expect that the brothers have futons tucked somewhere for sleeping. But seriously, the space and the view alone would make it worthwhile to renovate the place to a proper apartment and rent it at top prices.
**** But even with a nice view, I doubt a lot of people would want to live inside the attic of a pro-bending arena. It would constantly be loud, not to mention all those bright lights might be annoying.

*** also she might've picked up getting water from air.
*** Not to mention, despite being born a waterbender, Korra doesn't seem to have a particular connection to waterbending. Out of all the elements she's mastered she's used waterbending the least, even when near sources of water. When checking to make sure she could still bend she automatically used fire, as opposed to water or earth. It makes sense; her personality and style are agressive and forceful, which doesn't work as well with water. Same reason she struggles with airbending.
*** Original poster: I was going to say something that she isn't giving each element a balanced use, then it occurred to me that that may be the point - she's not that balanced a bender, seeing as she doesn't focus on the spiritual side of things. However, it would be cool to see the "water from air" thing given more uses.
*** I think the water-from-air technique is a little shaky with regards to Korra. On one hand, considering she was trained as master waterbender by Katara, it’s awfully hard to believe she wouldn’t know that technique, but during her fight with [[spoiler:Tarrlok]] she says “You don’t have any water left, pal.” Which means it clearly didn’t occur to her that he could pull water from the air [[spoiler:or bloodbend, obviously]]. Then again, she was worked up and in the middle of a fight, so it could go back to her not instinctively turning to water as her element of choice, even though it’s her “native” element.
*** Another thing to keep in mind is she's only been away from the south pole for, what, a couple weeks? She's lived her entire life in an environment ''filled'' with water and ice for her to use. The idea that she'd need to carry water around with her to use it probably hasn't sunk in yet. That and, as noted, she has other elements to fall back on. If Katara was caught without her waterskin, she was in big trouble. If Korra's caught without a source of water, she's still got plenty to work with.
*** Also, Korra prefers to overwhelm her opponents. Kinda hard to to with only like, what, a quart of water?

*** Unlike Aang who was younger and didn't really know anything besides Airbending at the beginning, he was pretty proficient at it so it became his main skill. Korra on the other hand was shown to learn three of the bending skills at an even pace leading to her not developing an affinity for a particular one.

*** True, I suppose. Well besides that, shouldn't she be a bit more knowledgeable about bending? For example, the earth armor that Aang was able to create shortly after learning to earthbend. It certainly would be a help against chi blockers.
**** From what, exactly, and when would she have the opportunity? She'd have to tear up the street just to do it, for starters. She didn't know who she was fighting the first time, and the second they ambushed her. She hasn't needed to use any big displays of bendings. And honestly, why are you complaining when it's only been ''four episodes''? The biggest display of power in equivalent time in ALTA was Aang doing a waterspout. Have some patience.
***** I'm not complaining, I am enjoying the show and would do so even without those displays. I was just wondering about the difference in power.

*** Also Azula has been shown firebending with just her mouth.

*** Sit down, with your back against something like Mako and Korra were. Look down, how you'd have to in order to breath fire on those ropes. Fire isn't a precision instrument. Burning hot enough to sever rope quickly is going to lead to you torching your own stomach and--perhaps more importantly--your own crotch. When the plan results in char broiling your own groin before you even make contact with the enemy, it's a bad plan.
*** Not if you were Avatar Roku, who could send an ultra large blast of fire that simultaneously blasted Zhao and his mooks, and melted metal chains off the Gaang without even the slightest scratch on their skin.
**** Avatar Roku is a special case, being an Avatar, having potential access to the combined wisdom and skill of the Avatar Cycle, and being a spirit at the time he took down Zhao.

*** Plus getting electrucuted probably has an effect on bending for a while...

*** Repeating the above, "a known site of significant terrorist activity". The police likely would have the mansion closed off until they could fully investigate all of it, knowing it already has at least one secret tunnel. Yes, she could stay at the mansion, but Asami would have to wait weeks until her father's dealings were fully investigated and she was actually allowed back into it.
*** As for money, Hiroshi's public assets are definately going to be frozen, and that probably includes Asami's trust fund, or whatever way her father used to treat her to luxury.

*** The age of majority in the Avatarverse is sixteen, and she's most definitely at least that old.

*** Pretty much. As far as we know, Hiroshi might want to take his daughter back, even if it has to be by force. If she stays on Air Temple Island, she has people to protect her.

*** Tarrlok obviously doesn't want anyone else knowing he's a [[spoiler: bloodbender]]. Notice how he makes sure everyone else is gone from the Council building before he begins the battle with Korra.

*** Well, he ''can'' do it in an instant, but probably not without grievous motivation.

*** It's heavily implied to be the result of her lack of spirituality. Remember, Aang was a ''very'' spiritual person, he was raised by monks in a highly spiritual culture. If kicking into the Avatar State requires some level of spirituality, which it likely does, it wouldn't have been a problem for Aang. Remember, the Avatar State is a state of being where the Avatar is suddenly connected to every single other Avatar at once, which means connecting to past lives.

*** This. She was acting out of irrational anger and her "plan" basically amounted to: "1. Confront Tarrlok in his office. 2. ??? 3. Profit!" If Tarrlok had just stayed calm throughout this, he could have just waited it out -- since she obviously wouldn't kill him -- and then he'd have enough evidence to legally throw her in jail. But once he revealed his bloodbending, he had no choice but to cover it up.
*** Whether it was to save himself from getting killed or horribly burned/beaten up, the intro narration for the next episode outright states Tarrlok resorted to bloodbending to "save himself." At the very least he beleived Korra was not bluffing with her attack. What that says about Korra is another matter, but we see in later parts of the series that she is quite willing to kill if she believes it is justified.

*** Just before the second airship arrived at the island, Pabu is around Bolin's neck. When they're escaping, I can't see hide nor tail or him, then he crops back up in the sewers. I'm gonna put it down to an animation oversight.
**** Or Bolin was keeping him in his pocket/under his shirt.

*** That was pretty much how I took it. And they don't seem to be together anymore while they're waiting for Katara to come out and report on Korra.

*** Also Mako told Asami "I ''care'' about you" while he told Korra "I ''love'' you" so I think we probably did in fact see them break up, but it was maybe too subtle.

*** Yeah, that cheek kiss had very heavy "we're just friends now" vibes to it.

* Who said she's the fastest thus far? Hell, compared to the avatar prodigy that is Aang, she's a laggard! Remember, most avatars don't even know they're the avatar until age 16. She knew at age four. She's been training her entire life to get there, and it's still eluded her for that long. Aang, by contrast, found out he was the Avatar at age twelve. He became a fully realized avatar four years or so BEFORE Korra did, and spending much less time doing so.

*** I remember one of the White Lotus members saying that Korra didn't even try. “Ever since you were a little girl you’ve excelled at the physical side of bending but ''completely'' ignored the spiritual side.” And given what we saw of her in the show, that's not hard to believe.

*** Unless, of course, they explain it next season. And at the beginning of the show, Korra wasn't able to Airbend, she didn't have the Avatar State, she didn't have several months of personal growth, and her only real friend was Naga. She also understands her role as the Avatar much better.

*** OR B) The creators messed up (yet to be seen if they'll ever release a statement about the "chakra opening") and this "fridge" is just fans' way of trying to convince themselves otherwise. That was just a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise awesome season.
**** The latter seems to be the more likely option. Remember that the chakras are never even mentioned in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''. Even if (and that's a big if) the writers did intend all this supposed FridgeBrilliance stuff about the chakras to be there, it's still a case of lazy writing if the information crucial to the climax of your series is not in the series itself, but in another show.

*** But she did not even jump from the cliff. Her lowest point merely revealed what a low character she has without most of her bending.
**** Jumping from the cliff would not be her lowest point. That would be called suicide. Contemplating it is her lowest point.

*** The technical explanation could've been done earlier in the series; [=AtLA=] devoted a whole episode to it, and it worked fairly well, even though it was mostly "tell, don't show". Because episodes 3–11 of [=TLoK=] didn't really bother to illustrate how Korra progressed to overcome her airbending block, the finale actually had a worse example of telling and not showing than [=AtLA=]: the explanation by Aang came only ''after'' the climactic moment of Korra defeating Amon with airbending, thus robbing the climax of its emotional poignancy and making it feel like an AssPull with no proper foreshadowing.
**** Except it ''had'' been foreshadowed throughout the series. ''When'' was Aang finally able to start making contact with Korra before? When she was at her lowest points. She didn't start having flashbacks until she suffered defeats in battle. She was only able to learn the entire story of Yakone when she was trapped with no apparent way out. So yes, they ''were'' foreshadowing this throughout the series.
***** What I meant is that they didn't foreshadow Korra being able to get past his airbending block. Aang sending messages about Yakone doesn't really foreshadow Korra's airbending progress, even though they're both vaguely related to spirituality. Before the finale, there were plenty of Wild Mass Guesses that Korra will to the Avatar State as Amon is about to debend her; if that had happened, ''then'' the visions Korra would've been examples of foreshadowing, as they showed Korra was gradually getting better at contacting previous Avatars. However, even though airbending is somehow connected to spirituality too, learning it and contacting previous Avatars are never treated as interchangeable skills. That's why Aang's visions are not proper foreshadowing. If the writers had wanted to properly build up to the climactic moment, the statement that "when we are at our lowest, we are most open to change" should've been said by someone (Aang's spirit, or maybe Tenzin) long ''before'' Korra learned to airbend. Then we would've understood how she reached that point ''as it was happening'', which would've given the scene more emotional weight and made it seem less like an AssPull. Now all we got was an after-the-fact explanation.
****** Why should they have to repeat something that was made explicit in the previous series of 60 episodes and reinforced repeatedly in this one? They ''already'' told us explicitly that Korra's flashbacks were Aang attempting to contact her. Should they ''really'' need to repeatedly explain something they were pretty much already telling you through both actual dialog and showing you through Korra's experiences? And for that matter, just hitting Avatar state in the climactic fight would have completely overshadowed her finally learning Airbending, which was far more important to the plot of the show. On top of that, skipping the step of her learning Airbending would have meant that Korra was suddenly going from "not spiritual enough to airbend" to "so spiritual she can do ANYTHING." I'm not sure how much more foreshadowing they should have used that wouldn't have just stopped the plot cold to give a pointless technical explanation for those that can't read between the lines.
***** I don't think you understood my point above. I merely tried to say that the flashbacks did foreshadow and build up to Korra meeting Aang's spirit in the end of the finale, but they didn't really really foreshadow or build up to Korra suddenly learning to airbend. We see Korra training airbending in the first three episodes, and after that the subject is dropped until the finale. The visions are not tied to her airbending progress in any way, and before the end of the finale, the idea that Korra needs to reach her lowest point in order to airbend is not brought up in any way. That's why the sudden airbending felt like an AssPull, because there's no proper build-up to it, and the possible explanation for it was only mentioned after the fact. In contrast, when Aang had his earthbending block, we learned the cause of the problem and could deduce the solution to it before he overcame the block. This gave the moment when he learned how to earthbend deeper emotional resonance, as we could see how he reached that point while he was getting there. With Korra, it seemed the writers were more interested in surprising the viewers than making us understand Korra's learning process, which makes for a better PlotTwist but less satisfying storytelling.
****** Aang also learned how to earth bend in ''one episode.'' The justification? He just needed to "stand his ground". No big technical explanation with copious foreshadowing - just a quick, simple resolution. So, in the series, we were explicitly told or shown that Korra needed to A) become more focused and B) become more spiritual. She got the first one down over ''three'' episodes, and the second one over the entirety of the series. Suggesting that Korra spend the entire series on Airbending when we already established that she needed to learn the forms (she did) and become more spiritual (shown through the greater ease of contact with Aang) goes beyond asking for more "foreshadowing" and asking that every episode stop the plot cold to waste more time on [[ShowDontTell explicitly telling us things we already know.]] Even the ''original'' series didn't do that.
****** If all Korra needed to be able to airbend was to become more focused and more spiritual, then she should've learned airbending after she managed to contact Aang's spirit via meditation in episode 9. Since that didn't happen, obviously there was something else that needed to happen for her to overcome the block. When she ''did'' finally overcome it, the reason why she could airbend had nothing to with spirituality. That reason wasn't foreshadowed in any way, it was only explained by Aang after the fact, which is why it felt like an AssPull.
******* Korra hadn't ''tried'' to airbend before the moment she actually does it, though. And why would she? Until the moment she actually needed to, she'd essentially just relied on three other elements that she decided were more important. Given the correct motivation sooner, maybe she would have been able to.
**** There is slight foreshadowing before the finale when Korra realizes they must wait. Tenzin compliments her for exercising patience, an important quality of airbending
*** Not true: Korra had lamented in an earlier episode that she'd mastered all the airbending ''forms'', but couldn't generate so much as a light breeze. She was trying; just failing.
***** I meant after she became more spiritual, not during her training sessions. It's reasonable that when faced with life and death combat with the Equalists, she'd rely on the tools she knew she had (water, fire, and earth) and not trying to use tools she didn't yet possess. When she does airbend, she has has nothing else to try.
***** It doesn't look like she's trying to airbend in the finale either. The form she makes when the airbending happens looks like a firebending attack, there's nothing to indicate she was trying to airbend rather than just generally trying to hit Amon.
**** True, we only see Korra practicing airbending in the first few episodes. But it would be easy to presume that she carries it on throughout the series when she's not actually fighting. Because watching her constantly practicing wouldn't make for an entertaining show and would waste valuable air time which is needed for the main action. Secondly, when she's fighting, she makes no attempts to airbend because that's running a huge risk. When she's in an intense battle with an important outcome, she wants to use the elements she knows she can rely on, not play some insane gamble based on something she's only practiced and has yet to succeed at. When Amon severs her connection to the other elements, she's lost that luxury and can't turn to the other elements. And when Mako is about to have his bending taken away, she's so desperate to save him that she's willing to run the risk because it's her only option.
***** Have to agree with the first post here. There was some interesting stuff going on that ''wasn't'' stated outright, and the showrunners have certainly shown themselves to be capable of writing stunning and downright elegant character development, but I think in this case the fact that they were basically saddled with a short season, a major plot to wrap up, and the possibility of a second season still shaky made for an uneven finish. The entire finale had some pacing issues, from Tarrlok's backstory exposition to the relationship wrap-up between Korra and Mako to the spiritual revelation and bending restoration. I don't think it's so much an AssPull as it is the fact that writers -- particularly writers for television -- aren't always free to tell the story as well as they would like to.
***** This might be a little WMG, but her problems with Airbending almost seemed like a Batman Gambit on the part of the Avatar spirits. We've seen prophecy as being at least semi-accurate in Avatar. And if Korra had gained the physical aspect of Airbending, even to a slight degree, she might never have developed her spiritual connection. And if she had all four bending types when confronted by Amon, she might have been sealed away forever since she wouldn't have the spiritual growth to fully connect to Aang.

*** Why bother murdering them when he was about to take away their airbending?
**** Because he might not have known how to take it, and murdering them leads to the same desired result of eliminating airbending.

*** Amon ''does'' mention right afterward that he's impressed and calls Mako a rare talent. Maybe Mako is to lightning-bending what Amon is to bloodbending--an exceptional talent who can pull it off without the usually-necessary trappings.

*** Additionally, in the ATLA episode when we first learn about bending lightning, Iroh mentions that 'you may wish to try a movement' for redirecting lightning after explaining the theory of how to channel it. Presumably this means that lightning can be handled entirely with mental concentration and manipulation of chi, and that hand and arm movements make it simpler...but might not be necessary.
**** I rewatched "Bitter Work," where Iroh explains Lightningbending and Lightning Redirection, to brush up on it. I was under the impression that the movements (and a calm, peaceful mind) were required for generating Lightning, but the mental aspect was more important with the Redirection, since you have to channel the Lightning through the body (Hand -> shoulder -> stomach -> shoulder -> hand) without killing yourself. And the "You may wish to try a physical motion to get a feel for the pathway's flow" thing that Iroh says is referring specifically to the pathway that the Lightning must travel in order to properly redirect it. Iroh was teaching Zuko, so he made sure that Zuko understood the path since it was so dangerous.
*** I watched that scene again, too. Mako didn't move any more than anyone else did when Bloodbent. It was just some twitches. There weren't any moments that looked like deliberate Lightning bending. As for the "pyschic Lightningbending", that would mean Mako is some sort of Firebending prodigy, beyond what [[BornLucky Azula]] ever was. I'd have a hard time swallowing that.
**** He very deliberately moves his fingers into the "two-finger point" pose that is synonymous with lightning-bending. The scene goes out of its way to focus on the fact. Mako's also repeatedly demonstrated that he doesn't need the flashy arm spins. He can point and shoot.
**** Well, yeah, he pointed his fingers, but he didn't move separate the energy. Even when Mako Lightningbends in "When Extremes Meet" he does the motions to separate the energy and put it together. And if Mako ''is'' able to break the established rules of Lightningbending it'd be nice to have some explanation. That's what bugs me about "psychic Bloodbending." There aren't explanations.
**** The motions are just to get a feel for it, like hand motions for telekinetics. It's a focusing aid, not an absolute necessity. Mako's in a sufficiently desperate situation that he could do it without needing to move much. Earlier in the same episode he is able to fire a shot at the stage with nothing more than a quick thrust. And frankly, I don't see why it's so hard to believe he could do it prone when we've seen examples of earthbending by face, and airbending and firebending by mouth. If the fancy moves were absolutely required to do bending at all, neither of these things would be possible. Like any mental superpower, physical movements are ultimately only a crutch to make it easier. Benders have just come to rely on them so much that very few can do it without them. Mako's one of those few.
**** I still find it hard to believe that Mako could even pull that last one off. I think I remember Azula doing quick movements, but just pointing and shooting can't be done.. Even the Eartbending, Airbending, and Firebending by face required movements. And I thought that movements ''were'' required. When was bending a mental superpower? You don't see Toph Metalbending with her mind. And still, those were all basic elements. Lightning was supposed to be a complex and difficult art. I'm cool with more people learning it since Zuko's reign, but you still have to manually separate the energy. Unless we get a definitive answer from [[WordOfGod Bryke]], I'm calling hax.
**** Azula has done similar thrust shots like Mako has, albeit comet-enhanced. And pointing and shooting is hardly impossible. If you honestly believe that squinting, face-scrunching, and ''breathing'' count as "movements" on par with martial arts, then you're deliberately marginalizing Mako's own minimal actions to make your point work. Moving doesn't do the chi-separation thing anymore than Iroh's redirection training technique does the work of actually redirecting the lightning. It's a technique to train the mind to do the work without actually concentrating on doing so. Toph is self-taught, a veritable impossibility if the techniques you cling to were so essential to bending. Pro-bending would not be possible if the techniques were set in stone. Mako couldn't palm a flame or nonchalantly burn tickets, Iroh couldn't breathe fire, Zuko couldn't blow up a campfire ''unintentionally'', and so on and so on. You're so latched on to the trappings that you're ignoring the ''actual skill''.
**** Looking at another series entirely might help this make sense: magic in ''TheDresdenFiles''. In that series, most wizards use foci (wands, staffs, etc.), incantations, and magic words not because they're ''necessary'', but because they help the wizard visualize and give shape to the magic. For the main character, throwing a gout of flame at someone seems easier and more natural if he can visualize the flame coming from the end of his rod while he shouts 'Fuego'. He can and has cast magic without any of those accoutrements, but it's a lot harder.\\\

**** Also, in the comics, I believe Azula was able to Lightning Bend (though it may have been Firebend) while strapped into a straight jacket with just one hand barely free.
**** That was an exceptional case. Apparently when chi-blocking wears off, you're briefly ridiculously flexible, which is how she managed to get the hand free in the first place.

*** I'm sure you've heard of some criminals from the past, like Al Capone? I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say Yakone was the Al Capone of Republic City. Also, like I said, it just wasn't just some random story about a random criminal: it was a story about a criminal with a superpower that almost defeated the Avatar, so surely the new Avatar should have known about it? Apparently Katara had the time to tell Korra other stories that were much less relevant to being the Avatar, such as the story of what happened to Zuko's mom, but for some reason Yakone wasn't worth a mention?
*** I know of Al Capone, but I couldn't tell you any details about his life or the history surrounding him. It's not completely out of the realm of possibility that Korra would know of Yakone, but not any of the details about what happened to him.
**** Well yeah, the details were exactly what Katara should have told her.
***** Why? Katara is prescient and knows that Katara's going to face Yakone's progeny that Katara doesn't know exists? Yakone was a past threat who was gone and dealt with, who hadn't resurfaced in any way, shape, or form for 40 years. Even if Katara expected Korra to go to Republic City to police it, how could she have expected her to need that information?
***** Also, Katara wasn't even present for Yakone's trial, and she might have been too busy dealing with Kya and Bumi's antics to pay attention to Aang telling her about his exciting day at work taking down the psychic bloodbender.

* Korra thought the fish-from-a-lake was hunting/fishing, not stealing.
* The Water Tribe are based off the Inuit (more or less), and one aspect of Inuit culture is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit_diet#Food_sharing food sharing]]. Food hunted or collected is considered property of the community and not the individual, and so food is distributed communally. Letting someone go hungry when they have no other options is beyond the pale. Basically, what we're seeing between Korra and the vender lady is a clash of cultures, the capitalistic Republic City model and the quasi-communistic Water Tribe one. This may also be why Korra shares her fish with the hobo in the next scene, aside from basic goodwill.
* Another simple answer is that she's aware of how terrifying seeing a creature three or four times the size of a human suddenly appear and eat everything in sight can be. It's also usually considered bad manners to have your pets snatch food off plates meant for human consumption.

*** True. Remember how after she was captured she had those Aang flashes. Maybe it was the Avatar state trying to be triggered only she didn't/couldn't let it take over. She did seemed for a moment to think she was saved by Aang, which is exactly what would have happened if he would have taken control

*** This may well be one of the reasons he ''didn't'' do it - he wasn't sure if he would be successful if the avatar state triggered and he found himself in a battle of wills against the entire collective memory of all the Avatars that have ever lived (especially the last Avatar would actually knew energy bending, Aang). Far more effective to soften up Korra with some psychological manipulations.
*** Remember what kept Aang from going Avatar State for the third season? His chi was blocked by a locked chakra. When Korra's tied up, she's just been chi blocked. If the chi paths have to be opened and flowing for the Avatar State to occur, then it makes sense if being chi blocked would prevent it.
**** But Aang had specifically gone through a process that would leave him without the Avatar State if any of his chakra were locked. Far as anyone can tell, Korra has gone through no such process. We don't know for sure if chi blocking is enough to block the Avatar State from triggering. Which makes me wonder if a fully-realized Avatar could resist chi blocking?
***** Err, no none of Aang's chakra's were locked up in the sense that energy couldn't go through them; they were locked up by the issues he had but the energy still went through them. The Guru's comparison with the pools of water sums it up pretty well - with the Chakra's locked like they were each pool still had water in it, but it's path was been restricted. Azula's cheap shot was essentially filling in one pool with rocks; it stops the flow of water (energy) from reaching any of the pools after it. Chi blocking would still work on a fully-realised Avatar the same way that blocking all the blood vessel's to their hand would stop them from being able to use it.

*** Exactly as said. Yakone was powerful enough to bloodbend an entire room without so much as a gesture and directly said he was going to kill Aang. He warranted about ''five seconds'' of the Avatar State. Tarrlok wasn't even in the same league. Further, what Aang knows is inconsequential, as Korra's inability to enter the Avatar State ''and'' inability to speak with her previous incarnations as the Avatar is the crux of the entire show.

*** No authority? Katara was a major participant in the Hundred Years War, wife of the Avatar, the world's greatest healer, and technically a (former) princess of the Southern Water Tribe. She should at least have ''some'' influence in the tribe.
*** Judging by her absence in the flashbacks of the Gaang from Season One, she was never very politically active. She undoubtedly does have some influence on the ''Southern'' Water Tribe, but not the Northern Water Tribe. Once Unalaq took over and set up a KangarooCourt whatever she likely couldn't do anything to help, other than heal Southerners who were injured fighting Northerners.
*** Being famous is not the same as having authority. I wouldn't want Brad Pitt presiding over my trial. Being a healer is not the same as having authority. I wouldn't want...Perry Cox presiding over my trial. Being Aang's wife is not the same as having authority. I wouldn't want...[[FreshPrinceOfBelAir Vivian Banks]] presiding over my trial. Being a quasi-princess of a podunk settlement that only grew to the size of a small city in the last few decades or so most certainly doesn't entitle her to any authority. Katara has literally no claim to any degree of authority, and if she does have any, it would not matter in any way under normal circumstances, far less so when it's blatantly rigged by a guy that openly despises the South.

*** The South Pole is a big place and all of it is under siege; she can't be everywhere at once in the Avatar State, which isn't invincible and she's still inexperienced with.
* It's definitely odd that the series doesn't explore this more. Korra trying to suborn the Republic City military for her own purposes is a [[Literature/SevenDaysInMay big NO]] in a democracy, and Asami happily jumping into war profiteering doesn't seem to have registered as a "Hey, wait a minute, I'm getting rich off selling Korra's tribespeople weapons". I mean, is Team Avatar supposed to be the ''good'' guys or what?
* In my head it's less of a "Asami is now an arms dealer" situation and more along the lines of a Lend Lease style action, at least in terms of implications. The difference between an arms dealer, and a legitimate businessperson is sometimes a bit hazy but I don't think that Asami's sale of arms to the Southern tribe falls in the same category as modern real world arms dealers. The Southern Tribe is a nation, and like any other nation has the right to purchase military hardware to outfit its own armed forces.

*** No, Earthbending is the opposite of Airbending. Korra's problem is that she appears to be a profoundly physical person, and air is metaphysically the least physical.
*** I always got that she was closer to an earthbender with her mindset, very little interest in spirituality, preference to meet the problem head on and beat it to submission... She thinks like earthbender and fights like firebender. It makes sense that if she has earthbender mindset she has problems with airbending, which philosophy goes against her mindset.

*** It's outright stated in the same scene that he wasn't lying though or heavily enough implied when Mako compliments him on his acting skills. In addition he's quite happy to see Eska when she comes to save him. It's possible that it was end of the world heighten emotions for them both though but that's not a lie.

*** Albeit the way reincarnation is presented in Avatar seems far from the standard. Aang's past lives seemed to exist independently of Aang and in fact could be off doing other things in other places (i.e. Avatar Kuruk is seen to still be searching for his wife in the spirit world). Season 2 of Legend of Korra placed great emphasis as well on the fact Korra had her own spirit/soul independant of the avatar.

*** But since Raava was travelling the world with the Avatar, trying to bring peace and understanding wherever she went, shouldn't the world have become a more peaceful place, thus giving her more power? The world certainly looks less chaotic than it did in Wan's time, so you'd think Vaatu would have less negative energy supporting him.
*** With Unalaq having started a civil war and Varrick stirring the shit in order to make a quick buck, and Vaatu's very presence being FisherKing material. Not to mention Korra being an astoundingly shitty peacekeeper. There's lots of reasons for Vaatu to be stronger.

*** ...and fails, needing to be saved by Raava and Jinora ex Machina.
*** Raava didn't do anything except respawn, so it still holds. Now as to just how Jinora could be stronger than the Dark Avatar...<scratch head>
*** To me, it seemed far more that Jinora didn't 'overpower' Unavaatu so much as disrupt his attempt to destroy Korra's soul. Then she simply revived Raava as we saw, and that was it - as for how? Korra did just explictily draw on the cosmic power of the universe... who's to say Jinora didn't do the same general thing? She has the spiritual ability, for certain, and [[DontThinkFeel possibly felt her way through it by instinct]]. [[note]] And Jinora herself isn't fully sure how she did it in the first place, as she admits in the early episodes of Book 3, so this might have some credence. [[/note]]

*** Confirmed. Asami states that all of the assets went back to her after Varrick's incarceration and escape. She totally made off with it, and the publicity boost from helping the Avatar probably gave her more business.

*** The big reason the company was flopping was that "Future industries supports Equalists" hit their reputation ''hard''. Having the new CEO basically be a superhero without powers really gives the PR department alot of material.

*** This particular explanation is Jossed in "Long Live the Queen." The airships are from the Cabbage Corp.

[[folder: Korrasami: Rushed or Carefully Planned Out?]]

* Nickolodeon's S&P doesn't allow explicitly same-sex relationships to be disclosed onscreen, meaning that a) the writers were only allowed to leave the implication at the end and b) could only use subtext to further the idea without stating anything outright. There's ''loads'' of subtext between the two of them in Seasons 3 & 4, some of it obvious but much of it very subtle. Keep on the lookout for it and you'll start noticing little things like Korra absentmindedly gazing at Asami in the desert, or Asami standing directly behind her at Jinora's ceremony in a shot that otherwise includes only Korra and her parents, or Korra blushing from Asami's compliments (something only Mako made her do previously).

* Nickolodeon's S&P doesn't allow explicitly same-sex relationships to be disclosed onscreen, meaning that a) the writers were only allowed to leave the implication at the end and b) could only use subtext to further the idea without stating anything outright.

[[folder: Making sense of Korrasami]]