Korra discussion post: "And the Winner Is..."

[whitelotusmods]

This is a post where you can discuss this week's episode and link to your own reaction posts.

spoilers up to 1x06 below.

Comments

[celestialdescent]

AHHHHHHHHH!!! I love this episode! I'm so glad my indifference last week was a one-time thing. A few thoughts:

1) I think it's safe to say the majority of the fandom called Tenzin/Lin. I loved Korra teasing Tenzin about their past relationship. His reaction was precious.
2) The hell was with those calls, ref? So mad the Fire Ferrets didn't get a fair chance against the Wolfbats. I did feel a little bad that Tahno's bending got taken away, though.
3) Amon, I missed you! And didn't miss you at the same time. Well played, sir.
4) I have a lot of respect for the announcer Shiro Shinobi. An Equalist entered his booth and was ready to shock him, but he kept right on going.
5) It was great seeing Korra and Lin working together. I'd love to see more of Lin, actually.
6) More flashbacks of Aang are always great. I'm really curious about the threat Yakone posed.
7) PABU! My love for you knows no bounds.

I can't wait for next week! ::continues screaming incoherently::

[jadedmusings]

For the first fifteen minutes of the show, I was all, "Good episode, very entertaining. I hope the Wolfbats get their comeuppance."

When the equalists started to electrocute the audience and took out Lin and Tenzin, I was more like this:

[dhobikikutti]

I've got more extended commentary on the ep over on my journal, but if anyone has links to some Lin/Korra recs I'd appreciate it. Failing that, could we get some props for my girl Lin who ROCKED LIKE A FUCKING BOULDER here?

[mourirdemain]

LIN BEI FONG QUEEN OF MY SOUL

[pts]

Not thrilled about the fact that every adult female character in this show is involved in a love triangle.

Also not thrilled about how Asami continues to exist only to give Korra a romantic rival.

Tenzin continues to be the worst politician and mentor ever.

I wish the creators of this show cared about meaningful emotional arcs half as much as they cared about pro bending and sweet fight sequences. Because pro bending is the best fictional sport I've ever scene, and the fight sequences are so unbelievably good.

Too bad about... everything else.

[loligo]

I think my heart almost stopped when Lin was about to get on Amon's airship. I actually gasped "No!" out loud. Thank god she had to go save Korra....

[scurrilousrogue]

I want my own Chief Bei Fong. And a Pabu. That is all.

[beccastareyes]

Anyone else think Tarluk either has more intelligence on the Equalists than he lets on or him and Amon are doing one of those 'I'll work with you until one of us stabs the other in the back'? Because it seemed like he knew Chief Beifong would provide an excuse to appear to agree with Tenzin than change his mind. And by her being all 'I will personally take responsibility for this', and the Equalists managing to assault every officer in the arena, cripple the Wolf-bats, blow the place up and evade arrest... well, she makes a convenient scapegoat to appease the people who are probably scared as shit. And since Tarluk has positioned himself as the leader of the anti-Equalist task force, he can easily gather her influence to himself.

Also, do the other three councilpeople do anything other than back up Tarluk? I mean, granted Tenzin pretty much seems to hold his position by virtue of being the only adult Airbender*, so he's not exactly an inspiring Opposition Party Leader, but you'd think one of the others would step up.

It also is a little skeevy that, AFAIK**, all five people running Republic City are benders. I wish the series would go a bit into that -- clearly Mako and Bolin are proof that bending doesn't lead to prosperity, and Hiroshi Sato is proof that a non-bender can make it. But the AtLA era had plenty of non-benders in positions of power (IIRC, both polar water tribe chiefs weren't waterbenders, and the Earth King didn't show any signs of it, the Fire Nation was lead by the Fire Lord, but Mai and Ty Lee's noble families showed no signs of bending).

* There seem to be some type of disciples around Air Temple Island, presumably learning Air Nomad culture/philosophy, so presumably one of them could take Tenzin's seat if sie wanted to.

** Granted, I'm working from the Nick site's information.

[sholio]

AWESOME FIGHT WAS AWESOME. I was fairly "meh" about the tournament because tournament fighting anime (well, sports competition in general) just isn't something that turns my crank, and I was all, "Oh, like we don't know how this is going to end" ... but then THEY LOST, and then we had the AWESOME AWESOME FIGHT, and all was well. :D

... I am very worried that Asami was one of the people with a mask pulled over her face, though, because she and her father were at the match, and then they completely vanished during the fight.

LIN BEI FOOOOOOONG! Fandom totally called it that she and Tenzin were an item. And, given my severe discomfort with Pema's advice last episode, I was really happy to get Tenzin's side of it and find out that it was just Pema's take on events, after all.

Tarluk and Amon are TOTALLY in cahoots. Actually, at this point they are signposting so blatantly "TARLUK IS A TRAITOR" that I'm starting to hope he actually isn't a traitor just because it's so obvious. (I've halfway decided that Tarluk is Amon, but if so, I can't imagine what his plan is. This whole thing was DEFINITELY a calculated move to discredit Lin Bei Fong, though.)

ETA: Oh, I forgot! CABBAGE CORP! That made me grin so hard. You go, technology-firm-founding cabbage merchant! :D

[at_sign]

Finally saw this one and LIN LIN LIN LIN LIN no really, I love her so much.

A little incoherent bit more on my journal here but that's what it boils down to. This is the episode I've been wanting since I first heard she would be a character, before I knew anything else about her.