History Recap / TheLegendOfKorraS4E10OperationBeifong

** Kuvira quickly realizes that Zhu Li was sabotaging her WaveMotionGun since she was the only person with the only person with the knowledge and access to the machine to do it, since Baatar Jr. made it clear it wasn't him.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: As mentioned above and below, Baatar Jr. may have locked up his own family, but was aghast when he saw Opal in the firing path of the spirit vine cannon. He just didn't have it in him to truly harm them.
** When Baatar Jr. hears that the cannon he's working on is overloading, he agrees to shut it down despite his frustrations. He has is not going to keep a test going after seeing how destructive the energy from spirit vines is.

* ReverseMole: It turns out Zhu Li has actually been sabotaging the spirit vine project.

* IRegretNothing: After Zhu Li's treachery is discovered by Kuvira, she does not even try to hide or apologize for it.

* CantArgueWithElves: What Korra's request for help from the spirits amounts to. They compare her to Unalaq [[InformedWrongness for trying to recruit them]] despite the fact she ''asked'' them for help rather than any kind of trickery, and refuse to accept her reasoning for why they should help stop Kuvira from abusing their power.

* CantArgueWithElves: What Korra's request for help from the spirits amounts to. They compare her to [[ManipulativeBastard Unalaq]] [[InformedWrongness for trying to recruit them]] despite the fact she ''asked'' them for help rather than any kind of trickery, and refuse to accept her reasoning for why they should help stop Kuvira from abusing their power.

* AnAesop: Toph's reluctance to fight at the end (even though she does for one last brawl) hammers home that she is indeed old and she can't fight like she used to. However, she brings up the point that the old people and the previous generation can't keep doing everything forever. Sometimes, the older people must step down for the young to step up and take charge. It's possible for young people to find new ways to solve problems such as Aang did while energybending.

** Just to drive the point from the pilot home, the reason the surviving members of the Gaang haven't had large roles in this series is sad, but simple: they're ''old'', and can't fight as long as they used to. While the original series did feature a team of BadassGrandpa's retaking Ba Sing Sé by themselves (one of whom was a centenarian), and although we saw Zuko still has it, not everyone will age that well.

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Baatar Jr. is horrified when he thinks he might accidentally kill Opal with the spirit vine cannon. Lucky for him, a surprise attack by the rest of his family knocked it off target and spared her.

** Turns out, people don't take it well when they grow up without their [[DisappearedDad father]] or their [[MissingMom mother]]. Lin may be in her fifties at this point, but she's ''still'' very angry she never knew her biological father.

** Turns out, people don't take it well when they grow up without their [[DisappearedDad father]] or their [[MissingMom mother]]. Lin may be in her fifties, but she's ''still'' angry she never knew her dad.

* ShipSinking: Toph had no canonical love interest in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', but obviously that didn't stop people from shipping her with various characters from that show. When it was revealed Toph's daughter Lin would be a major character in ''The Legend of Korra'', there was a lot of speculation that Lin's father would be revealed as one of the male characters from the previous show, Sokka being a popular candidate. This episode sinks all of those theories, though Suyin's father is still not revealed, and of course it's also possible Toph might have had a separate relationship with a character from the previous show, one that didn't lead to any kids. It's still clear that Toph didn't end up in a HappilyEverAfter type of romantic relationship with anyone, as she prefers to live by herself in the swamp,

* TailorMadePrison: Since four of the captive Beifong family are metalbenders and three of them would undoubtedly put up a fight given the chance, their prison is a wood cage held by ropes suspended over a deep chasm.

** The reveal that Lin's father was just a random guy we've never heard of, whose relationship with Toph simply didn't work out. Definitely a dig at the people expecting some grand epic story.

* WhamLine: Zhu Li informs the group that Kuvira intends to attack Republic City in two weeks.

** Just to drive the point from the pilot home, the reason the surviving members of the Gaang haven't had large roles in this series is sad, but simple: they're ''old'', and can't fight as long as they used to. While the original series did feature a team of BadassGrandpa's retaking Ba Sing Sé by themselves (one of whom was a centenarian), and although we saw Zuko and Aang still have it, not everyone will age that well.

* DramaPreservingHandicap: Part of the reason the Greatest Earth Bender Who Ever Lived doesn't get involved more is because her age has been catching up to her. That's why she stayed out of most of the fighting. Toph also says this is why Katara didn't fight when the Northern Water Tribe invaded her homeland; she can't kick butt like she used to, at least for the prolonged periods that a war would necessitate. It also explains why Zuko lost against the much younger Ghazan in "In Harm's Way".

* EvenEvilHasStandards: As mentioned above and below, Baatar Jr. may have locked up his own family, but was aghast when he saw Opal in the firing path of the spirit vine cannon.
* FakeDefector: Zhu Li has no respect for Kuvira, and only pretended to switch sides in order to hurt her operation and potentially save Varrick.
* {{Forgiveness}}: Opal finally forgives Bolin after Zhu Li says even though he sided with Kuvira, his heart was ultimately in the right place. Lin also begins to let go of her mother's parenting choices, like not telling her who her father was.

* ShipSinking: Toph had no canonical love interest in ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'', but obviously that didn't stop people from shipping her with various characters from that show. When it was revealed Toph's daughter Lin would be a major character in ''The Legend of Korra'', there was a lot of speculation that Lin's father would be revealed as one of the male characters from the previous show, Sokka being a popular candidate. This episode sinks all of those theories, though Suyin's father is still not revealed, and of course it's also possible Toph might have had a separate relationship with a character from the previous show, one that didn't lead to any kids. It's still clear that Toph didn't end up in a HappilyEverAfter type of romantic relationship with anyone, as she prefers to live by herself in the swamp,

* InnocentlyInsensitive: Toph's reveal of the other half of Lin's parentage. Lin absolutely [{CallingTheOldManOut flips her lid]] at her mother for the uncaring attitude over it, causing the cavalier attitude in Toph to crack for a moment as regret over failed parenting comes back to haunt her.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The spirit vine cannon is not fail-safe. [[spoiler:This foreshadows the doomsday weapon's ultimate fate. Zhu Li even pulls the same lever that Kuvira does to no avail.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The spirit vine cannon is not fail-safe. [[spoiler:This foreshadows the doomsday weapon's ultimate fate.]]

** Paralleling Mai's betrayal of Azula in "The Boiling Rock," Kuvira never expected such a betrayal from Zhu Li. She miscalculated -- Zhu Li loves Varrick (and human life in general) more than she fears her. Princess Azula could definitely sympathize with how that stings.

* DeathGlare: Lin's face snaps into a violent sneer when the subject of her father is brought up.

* CantArgueWithElves What Korra’s request for help from the spirits amounts to as they compare her to [[ManipulativeBastard Unalaq]] [[InformedWrongness for trying to recruit them]] despite the fact she ''asked'' them for help rather than any kind of trickery without being able to argue her case or call them out on supposedly befriending the locals then ditches her/humanity until the fight’s over.

* TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: Bolin can't contain himself when he meets his hero Toph.