LoK 1.11/1.12: "Skeleton in the Closet"/"Endgame"

[lizbee]

Confession:  I wasn't even going to make a post at all about these episodes, because I liked them a whole lot, and fandom seems to have declared them objectively immoral.  And frankly, I've spent enough time in Doctor Who fandom to know that squee is a rare and precious thing, and it makes me happy, and I should preserve it where I find it.

However, since then a bunch of people have made posts basically saying, "FUCK THE HATERS, IT WASN'T PERFECT BUT I LIKED IT," so I figured I'd add my voice.

FUCK THE HATERS, IT WASN'T PERFECT BUT I LIKED IT.

I mean, yeah, wow, holy pacing problems, Batman!  This really needed a whole extra episode in there to cover things properly. 

But compressed as it was, I liked the overall shape of the story, and there's enough room to smooth out the edges in fic. 

The usual list of random things that occurred to me:

- I like how the unmasked face of the Equalists, the man talking about equality, is the richest man in the country.  And then we cut to the slums, where bender and non-bender are united by poverty.  It's almost like social divisions are being encouraged and exaggerated to distract attention from the real problem of economic inequality!  That would never happen in real life!  #occupyrepubliccity
- I have this strong suspicion that Iroh was made a general because he looks so good on the recruiting posters
- Because, um, he kind of combines the raw power of Azula with the strategic planning skills of, heh, Zuko
- "My grandfather would trust the Avatar's instincts."  DON'T TRUST KORRA'S INSTINCTS, IROH!  SHE HAS TERRIBLE INSTINCTS!
- I thought the farewell between Asami and Mako was actually them breaking up, but I may be reading too much into it
- I didn't think Asami would be evil, but I was expecting a fake-out where she appeared to side with her father, and I'm kind of glad that didn't happen
- Oh, Bolin, you only think Hiroshi's the worst dad ever because Ozai is long dead
- Though Yakone certainly gives him a run for his money
- Maybe Yakone and his kids, and Ozai and his kids, can have some kind of cross-generational family therapy
- I choose to believe that when TEAM PRISON BREAK arrived at the jail, they found Lin had already busted Pema out, and then they went on the run together, Thelma and Louise style.  With the newborn baby. 
- With the rushed pacing towards the end, we don't actually know how much time passes between the end of the battle and the (chosen) family trip to the South Pole.  I like to think it was as much as a few months, so we have lots of time for Lin and Korra Angst About Their Bending Together In Bed fic.  (Though I note Lin still hasn't changed her clothes by then.  I'm guessing that, contrary to fanon, she can in fact get in and out of her armour without metalbending.  Or else bathroom breaks would be tricky.)
- Speaking of the South Pole, it was nice to catch another glimpse of Korra's Amazingly Attractive Parents
- And speaking of Amazingly Attractive People, I'm glad that Amon can take his place alongside Ozai, Zhao, Long Feng and Tarrlok in the Really Quite Attractive Villain department
- I feel like we've seen EVERYTHING WE NEED TO SEE about Bumi, but now I do need fic about him and Tenzin, and how five minutes with the two of them in the same place has Lin and Pema reaching for the strong liquor
- I expect that being kidnapped, tied up and threatened with the loss of his bending is what tips Meelo over the edge and inspires his campaign for world domination

In conclusion, for me personally that hit the magic spot between "okay in its own right" and "leaves lots of room for fic".  Well done, show.  Now, try not to waste those two extra episodes you get next year, because by Koh it looks like you need them!

Comments

[d_generate_girl]

YES. ALL OF THIS YES.

I choose to believe that when TEAM PRISON BREAK arrived at the jail, they found Lin had already busted Pema out, and then they went on the run together, Thelma and Louise style. With the newborn baby.

I fully believe this happened. Because there is a LARGE swath of time between the escape on Oogi/Lin losing her bending and Amon revealing the captured Tenzin and kids. In my head, it went like - escape happened, Tenzin went back, Equalists got to Pema and the kids, Lin alerted Tenzin to that fact, they went charging in, Tenzin got captured, Lin broke Pema and the baby out and made their escape, and then Korra got on the scene and freed Tenzin and the kids.

BECAUSE PEMA AND LIN JAILBREAKING NONBENDER STYLE IS THE BEST THING EVER.

and how five minutes with the two of them in the same place has Lin and Pema reaching for the strong liquor

Bwahahaha, yes. Because they just egg each other on, constantly. Bickering and sniping and Bumi yelling and Tenzin turning colors and Bumi making things explode (for some reason, I just see him being fascinated with making things go 'splode to freak his siblings out) and Tenzin "accidentally" sending him up in the air spinning like a top - and yeah, by the time an hour is up, Lin and Pema are a bottle or two into the good stuff, trading terrible jokes about what Tenzin's like in bed.

But seriously, holy pacing problems. I could have gone for an extra six episodes just to give poor Bolin some characterization. Also for Pema and Iroh and Korra's Hot Parents and possibly Bumi/Fire Lord Honora/Kya/Sokka and Suki's kids/etc.

[delphi]

I thought the farewell between Asami and Mako was actually them breaking up, but I may be reading too much into it

I definitely got that impression, based on the cheek-kiss and how Mako referred to "things."

I choose to believe that when TEAM PRISON BREAK arrived at the jail, they found Lin had already busted Pema out, and then they went on the run together, Thelma and Louise style.  With the newborn baby. 

Oh my god, yes!

I feel like we've seen EVERYTHING WE NEED TO SEE about Bumi, but now I do need fic about him and Tenzin, and how five minutes with the two of them in the same place has Lin and Pema reaching for the strong liquor

*laughs!* I bet Bumi legitimately loves Lin and never picks up on the fact that she's ready to throttle him.

[melengro]

- I like how the unmasked face of the Equalists, the man talking about equality, is the richest man in the country. And then we cut to the slums, where bender and non-bender are united by poverty. It's almost like social divisions are being encouraged and exaggerated to distract attention from the real problem of economic inequality! That would never happen in real life! #occupyrepubliccity

Agreed; I'd be immensely interested in seeing more done with this. I think in this sense Gommu as a character has a lot of potential but do I ever see meta that involves him? No, or at least I don't remember any.

- I thought the farewell between Asami and Mako was actually them breaking up, but I may be reading too much into it

That's how it seemed to me too. Mako wasn't as much of a jerk as he could have been, and while I've been immensely frustrated with him for some weeks now I'm inclined to be forgiving, relative to extremes of that type of behaviour that I've seen from teenagers in real life.

- I choose to believe that when TEAM PRISON BREAK arrived at the jail, they found Lin had already busted Pema out, and then they went on the run together, Thelma and Louise style. With the newborn baby.

YES, with the added element that the entire reason the Air family got captured after all in the first place was that they decided to go back for Lin, busted her out, and got captured themselves (I...kind of assumed that Lin would be held in Equalist custody after the end of Episode 10? I don't remember if we saw this explicitly, but it struck me as unlikely that that wouldn't be the case). In that case we'd effectively have a seesawing series of rescues over the course of several days. It does irk me a little that we're not presented with any in-universe material as to the circumstances in which they got captured despite Lin's sacrifice to cover their escape.

I liked this finale too. There were things that I would have done differently but most of them originate from things that I would have started doing differently from earlier in the season, and I...honestly didn't find the last few scenes as problematic as a lot of people seemed to? Other than the tiresome romance, anyway. The worst I can say about it is that it sacrifices what would have been excellent material on which to build the plot of the second season. I hope we get a lot more in the way of the spiritual side of the Avatar Cycle then, because that was part of what got me so into ATLA in the first place.

[angrymermaids]

Yes to everything! I actually really liked this finale because I can see the flaws but still enjoy it. Unlike with some other stuff that I like where I respond really badly when people criticize it (rightfully or not), or where it's so bad that it makes me cry. I can enjoy the Korra finale... rationally. Yes!

I like your point about the guy preaching equality being the richest dude in the world. That's a serious problem.

Also, Iroh may not be very good at planning, but at least he tries. :P Zuko didn't even try.

[swatkat]

The last ten minutes should've been an episode or two in itself, IMO. There's a great story in there about Korra's spiritual awakening somewhere, but the lack of time for us to process what happened - or heck, the lack of time for Korra to process what happened - made it too much like magical!fix-it, when it's meant to be Korra embracing the spiritual side she's always resisted. And as much as I would've enjoyed a narrative in which Korra doesn't get her bending back straightaway, I can understand the Doylist reasons behind that not happening. I also don't think was her 'mastering' the Avatar State, as seems to be the predominant feeling around fandom?

I like to think it was as much as a few months, so we have lots of time for Lin and Korra Angst About Their Bending Together In Bed fic.

I want ALLL the fic. The AUs where they don't get their bending back, the post-finale stories where they ~rebuild the city together, and so on.

[unjapanologist]

When Korra did her Avatar state thing and Lin rose to her feet and moved into a bending stance, I really, seriously expected her to rip her metal uniform off.

I was really disappointed that she just lifted some rocks. That's all.

[such_heights]

YES ALL OF THIS. SQUEEEEE.

[alexseanchai]

It's almost like social divisions are being encouraged and exaggerated to distract attention from the real problem of economic inequality!  That would never happen in real life!  #occupyrepubliccity"

THIS THIS THIS