Legend of Korra with Jacob! Episodes 17 and 18

I watched the original Avatar: The Last Airbender some time ago and I remember the basics of the world, but not a lot of specifics.  However, I remember liking it very much, so I thought I’d watch the follow up series.  Please no spoilers for this show, but if I’m forgetting something from the original series, feel free to remind me.  I will be spoiling episodes as I go along, naturally, so consider yourself warned.

Episode 17 - Peacekeepers
Episode 18 - The Sting

These were some good, solid episodes that featured our heroes attempting to violate the Geneva Convention in a variety of ways and we learn that war profiteering is not as easy as it looks.  I want to stay away from recapping, as I say nearly every week, but I still have to comment on events in the episode and these two episodes really kind of barreled through some major events.  Let's touch on a few.

The biggest is that I still don't understand what the Southern Water Tribe is.  As I said last week, there is definitely a solid, genetic basis for the different Nations.  I'm not advocating that they need to be as separated as they are (and judging by Bolin and Mako, there don't seem to be too many issues with intermingling, it just doesn't happen much), but there are real, definable differences between them.  However, the two water tribes are essentially the same.  So it's really weird how they are handled.

The two tribes interact in very contradictory ways.  People freely move between the two.  Tonlaq, the legitimate heir to leadership of the Northern Water Tribe, is accepted and respected as the leader of the Southern Water Tribe, so there doesn't seem to be any cultural bias against Northerners in the South.  They seem pretty intermingled.  On the other hand, Tonlaq is a criminal in the North and exiled, so he just moves to the South.  And he doesn't change his name or anything.  Sure, his past was hidden from Korra, but it doesn't seem to have been hidden intentionally so much as just something they didn't bring up.  So either the South doesn't recognize the sentence of Exile or Tonlaq was exiled specifically to the South, where he became the leader anyway.  This all seems very strange and to imply that the North and South are two distinct political entities.  However, this also isn't the case, as the North technically rules the South and they have one military between the two of them.   Korra going to the new President for help is rejected because the Republic doesn't want to get involved "in internal matters."  Also, the whole conflict is being described as a civil war.  But, if the North and South really are one entity in the eyes of the Republic, why did they each get a vote when the council existed?  The Southern Water Tribe somehow manages to be both the oppressed minority of the Water Nation, while also being richer, more industrialized, and controlling a disproportionate amount of international political power.

Varrick's propaganda film seems almost unnecessary, because with the exception of the President, everyone is already on the South's side.  Even the police, with the exception of Mako, immediately just assume that the North is responsible for a terrorist attack on the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center.  The very existance of that building, especially considering how large and fancy it was, really make you wonder how the Southern Water Tribe got into this situation in the first place.  This is all ignoring that the richest man in the whole of Avatarland is Varrick, who is a pretty staunch Southern Water Tribe member (primarily because it seems like the loose regulations on business are what allow him to be rich).  And wealth opens so many doors.  Why doesn't Varrick just hire a bunch of mercenaries?  Why all the ruses and the double crosses?

Speaking of double crosses, these episodes left me sorely disappointed in both of my favorite characters.  Linn's great return is marked by her just being angry all the time, with little justification.  I understand Mako is a new police officer and just a beat cop, not a detective, but he was instrumental in uncovering and defeating the Equalist conspiracy, not to mention getting Linn her powers back.  And, as much as I hate to be the one to say it (though am impressed that Korra didn't say it), Korra is the Avatar.  Seriously Linn, why are you suddenly so antagonistic instead of helpful like you were last season?  Mako knows his stuff and has good instincts, I'm pretty sure you said that about him when you busted him out of prison.  Remember that?  You literally broke him out of jail and seem to have completely forgotten.   And Asami, you're way better than this, why are you trying to be a war profiteer?  Maybe the reason your company is failing now is because you're still making anti-Bender tanks for your father's war that isn't going to happen.  Have you considered turning all that power into making something useful?  How about instead of using that technology to fight Benders, use it to make normals into Benders?  Reclaim Equalism as a term describing raising Non-Benders up, not tearing Benders down.   That'd be a great way to use your stuff, not selling tanks to whichever side you like in a civil war.

Which brings me to my last point.  Korra, I get it.  Your brash, entitled, and don't think ahead too much.  You make mistakes, you get tunnel vision, and you're angry because this is war is personal.  But surely even you can understand that what you do in this situation is appeal for popular support, get the Republic on your side, provide aid to the South, and continue with the charge that Unalaq is not the legal ruler, but usurped power from Tonlaq.  What you don't do is try to stage a coup of the entire Republic.  Going behind the President's back and getting General Iroh to help you is straight up treason.  I can't believe Iroh was willing to even entertain the idea, but considering he walked into every Equalist trap, I guess he's not really the brightest Firebender in the Fire Nation.  At this point, I feel like this show is leading to Korra just instilling an Avatocracy and becoming the God-Emperor of Avatar-land.  

Stray Observations 

1. Unalaq doesn't even bat an eye at his daughter saying she has a husband.  There was never a wedding and to my knowledge, Unalaq didn't know anything about this.  What kind of screwed up family is this?
2. Peaceful protests being used as a cover for false flag operations and pinning violent riots on the other political party?  Why you gotta be so topical I can't cover all of it, Korra?
3. Mako returns to my favorite character status, by being the only character in both episodes to not commit war crimes.  Also, him calling out Korra was great. "What is it with you and sides?"
4. Korra, pretty sure going to his place of work and destroying his desk counts as you dumping him, not the other way around.
5. I do like the propaganda film, it's a pretty fun side story.
6. A whole episode without Korra was actually nice because it made me miss Korra.  And while I'm not thrilled at an amnesia plotline, I'm deeply intrigued that for the first time ever, Korra's instinctual response to a threat wasn't Firebending, it was Airbending.  That has to be important, right?