The third episode of Book Two of The Legend of Korra.
Unalaq's troops from the north arrive in full force, creating a blockade that confines all southerners to the south. In the streets, Unalaq's forces aggressively force people to return to their homes. The Northern chief declares that his men are here to guard the spirit portal, and that if Korra opens the portal at the North Pole, then both humans and spirits can use the portals to travel between the poles at will.
At the Southern Air Temple, Tenzin is surprised to learn that Kya and Bumi took no part in his rose-tinted memories of family vacations with Aang. It becomes clear that Aang spent much more time with Tenzin than his two older children. Pema announces that Ikki is missing, and Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi set out to find her, bickering all the way. During the search, Kya informs Tenzin that she and Bumi have felt neglected by Aang, and that contrary to Tenzin's belief, they did not have a perfect childhood, and Tenzin storms off on his own to end the conversation.
Tonraq and Senna are hosting a meeting of many southerners in their home. Though Tonraq agrees that his brother's actions are wrong, he does not take an active part in the conversation on what to do about it. Varrick, meanwhile, begins pumping up the prospect of an outbreak of civil war, an idea many southerners support, feeling their culture and lives are being oppressed. Korra attempts to speak in favor of her uncle, but Tonraq, knowing she will get nowhere with this audience, asks her to speak to him herself.
After another round of abuse from his girlfriend, Bolin learns that Eska plans to stay in the south to be with Bolin. Mako tries his best to counsel his terrified brother, and Bolin concedes that breaking up with Eska is the best course of action.
Korra confronts Unalaq, telling him of the southerners' resentment towards his oppressive occupation. Unalaq waves it off, claiming that a civil war would further upset the balance of the tribes and the world. He encourages her to resolve it peacefully, but as the Avatar, she must remain neutral. Her first test comes when outside, a squad of northern troops nearly attack a group of southern children. A standoff ensues between the soldiers and southern adults, and Korra's attempts to defuse the situation result in the southerners branding her a traitor. Tonraq arrives on the scene and successfully pacifies the standoff, to Korra's resentment.
Bumi tells a clearly exaggerated story from his time in the United Forces, and ends up injuring himself trying to descend a waterfall (while Tenzin and Kya descend harmlessly with their bending). The siblings get into an argument over Bumi's lack of maturity, Tenzin's vacations with Aang, and Kya's roaming the earth until Aang's death (after which she moved in with Katara to ensure she wouldn't be alone). Tenzin once again storms off to look for Ikki at the temple by himself.
Korra has a tense conversation with her mother. Korra is livid that Tonraq's past was kept secret from her by her parents, who only wanted to have a quiet, normal life after Tonraq's banishment until Korra was revealed to be the Avatar. Senna also says that Korra can't be expected to resolve the Water Tribes' feuds in a single day, but Korra's frustration bleeds through and she lashes out at her mother. Korra resolves to stop the rebellion that Varrick is enabling, and interrupts a raid on Unalaq's palace. She believes her father to be leading the raid, but it is only when she stops the bandits from killing her uncle that she learns this is not the case. Unalaq is ready to execute the assailants, but concedes to Korra's wishes and agrees to a trial.
Korra returns home and forgives her parents, and apologizes for her behavior. Tonraq accepts, and promises that he would never attack his brother despite their differences. Unalaq, however, is not quite as forgiving, as he interrupts the scene to arrest Korra's parents for treason.
Tropes:
- Category Traitor: How Korra is seen by the Southern Water Tribe. Tonraq as well since he refused to join the Southern Water Tribe rebels.
- Continuity Nod:
- Aang took Tenzin (and only Tenzin) to Ember Island (and Kyoshi Island) when they were younger.
- Mako knows very much whereof he speaks when advising Bolin to end a relationship quickly.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Korra single-handedly shuts down a group of rebels without having to use the Avatar State or using a whole lot of bending outside of Air and Water.
- Fascists Bedtime: The first thing the Northern troops do when they enter is order the residents of the South to return to their homes.
- Foreshadowing: Meelo telling his parents he and Jinora ditched Ikki with the bisons because the bisons said a giant was coming sounds like childish imaginary ramblings, but is oddly prescient to the events ten episodes later.
- Give Her a Normal Life: After Korra reveals to Senna that she learned about Tonraq's banishment and role in keeping her locked up in the White Lotus compound, Senna reveals that they did it in an attempt to give Korra a normal life.
- The Guards Must Be Crazy: Aside from two knocked out ones, Unalaq didn't have any protection from the rebels.
- Heh Heh, You Said "X":Kya: [to Tenzin] I'm guessing you've been so busy with your "duty" to Republic City that you forgot about your duty to your kids.
Bumi: Heh heh, "doody".
Kya: What are you, five years old?
- Lampshaded when Kya mentions "duty" again, but takes a second to tell Bumi to hush.
- I Just Want to Be Special: Korra's rebuttal to Senna explaining that she and Tonraq were trying to give Korra a normal life.Korra: I never wanted a normal childhood. All I ever wanted to be was the Avatar.
- Laugh with Me!: Eska insists that Bolin join her in laughing after telling a terrible joke.
- MacGuffin Location: As the South Pole was one last episode, the North Pole is one here. If Korra were to open it, Unalaq says it would allow two-way travel between the poles and fully unite the tribes.
- Meaningful Background Event: Blink-and-you-will-miss-it example. While the Krew along with Eska and Desna are in the restaurant, all of the Water Tribe residents in the background have angry or unhappy faces in the background, showing no details were missed in describing the South's opinion on the North's occupation.
- Missing Child: Ikki ran off after being teased by Jinora and Meelo near the beginning of the episode. By the end, it's nighttime and she's still apparently missing.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Korra returns home to her parents and breaks down in Tonraq's arms admitting that she was afraid she might have to arrest him for trying to kidnap Unalag and was both relieved to realize he was innocent, and ashamed that she ever, even briefly, believed that he would do something like that.
- Noblewoman's Laugh: Eska and Desna sound like vultures when they laugh, though it's more pronounced with Eska.
- No Sense of Humour: Eska believes an insincere statement, followed by explaining it's insincere, is the height of humour.
- Not Hyperbole: During the meeting Varrick angrily brings up that he has a shipment of fish that he can't move due to Unalaq's blockade and asks who would want to buy a shipment of stinking fish. He then clarifies that he wasn't just making a statement; he really needs to sell those fish.
- Not What I Signed Up For: Bolin is beginning to regret pursuing a relationship with Eska.
- Parental Neglect: Aang favored Tenzin over Kya and Bumi, and they remember him as being overly concerned with saving the world.
- Police Brutality: Combined with Disproportionate Retribution; a group of children throw snowballs down on some of the Northern police, only to get pulled down by waterbent snow off the roof.
- The Quiet One: Zhu Lhi finally speaks up during some of Varrick's ranting. Not surprisingly, what she says is deadpan.
- The Resenter: Kya and Bumi express the jealousy they felt when Aang had favored Tenzin over his other kids.
- Rhetorical Question Blunder: Varrick switches between rhetorical and serious so quickly no-one else can keep up.
- Self-Deprecation: After Mako was emotionally dishonest with Asami about his feelings towards Korra and prolonged the love triangle in Book 1, here he advises Bolin to get his own break-up over with as quickly as possible. Bolin replies that Mako is good at breaking hearts.
- So Proud of You: Turns out Tonraq is beginning to trust Korra with what she is doing and mentions how happy he was when she managed to open the portal.
- Tempting Fate: Played for laughs when Bumi decides to take a shortcut down a waterfall and taunts his bender siblings for warning against it. When they easily use their bending to get past the rocks he's having trouble with, Tenzin throws the taunt back at him. For added humiliation, Bumi ends up slipping and has to be healed by Kya.
- They Wasted a Perfectly Good Sandwich: Varrick, despite piling his plate full of cookies, proceeds to grab one, dumb the rest on the floor, and then smash the plate. Twice!
- Thicker Than Water: Tonraq says that, while Unalaq and he have their differences, he would never actually attack his brother. Unalaq, however, has no qualms about having Tonraq and Senna arrested.
- With Us or Against Us: The Southerners grow downright resentful of Korra for being neutral.
- Worst. Whatever. Ever!: A child calls Korra the worst Avatar ever.
