Legend of Korra episode review/comic ("Out of the Past")

[brendala]

This episode had some great things going for it (YAY for finally getting to see the 40-year-old gAang in all their kick ass, grown up glory) . But there was one element that bothered me. A LOT. And I opted to vent my frustration in comic form.

Needless to say, the comic and subsequent rant totally spoils the episode's plot. You've been warned.



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Why Bryke!? Just...WHY!?!?!

My inner feminist is not liking how Asami has been written ever since the last episode. One of Tenzin's Air Babies makes a flippant, teasing comment about Korra crushing on Mako; and all of a sudden she's fuming like a jealous shrew and shooting Korra dirty looks all the time.

In the latest episode ("Out of the Past"), Korra is kidnapped by Tarlok and locked up in a remote mountain cave. And Tenzin, Lin, Asami, and the brothers set out to rescue her. For all those people know, Korra is being savagely tortured by Equalists. Mako shows concern for Korra's plight because that's how ANY decent human being would react to the news that a young girl has been kidnapped by hostile terrorists. And how does Asami behave during this difficult time when nobody knows if Korra is alive or dead? She fumes about the fact that Mako is showing concern for Korra (because apparently being concerned for a person's safety means you're sexually attracted to them) and grills Bolin about the nature of Mako and Korra's relationship. While they're on a mission to rescue that poor girl from the clutches of terrorists who hate her and are inclined to torture her in unspeakable ways.

When Korra is found at the end of the episode alive and (mostly) well, Asami looks disappointed! Like she was waiting for Korra to die so she wouldn't have competition for Mako's penis anymore! Of course it didn't help that Mako had a totally out of character emotional outburst and insisted on carrying Korra into the waiting car like Whitney Houston at the end of The Bodyguard. But that's a rant for another day.


Maybe I'm speaking too soon. But I'm starting to fear that Asami Sato is going to get a spot in the dreaded Fridge next to poor Velma Dinkley. Asami went from "Fun rich girl" to "Heartless Bunny Boiler Bitch" in the span of less than two episodes with no real provocation. Not only is this bad character writing, it's bad female writing! Aside from complete psychos, no woman behaves that way!

I get the feeling that the writers are foreshadowing that Asami is going to double cross Team Avatar. Not because she misses her dad or sympathizes with the Equalist cause; but because she couldn't stand having competition for Mako's dick. And if that happens, her character will literally have only existed to be a cog in a love triangle and an obstacle in the path of Mako and Korra's TRUE LOVE!
**gag**

This angers me. A lot. The romance in the original Avatar series may have been dopey; but at least it never struck me as sexist or made me want to throw my remote at the TV. I really don't want to let it distract me from all the good things this show has going for it. But I don't know if I'll be comfortable watching it if my prediction about Asami selling out Team Avatar because of her petty, insane jelousy comes true.

Comments

[ichiban-victory.livejournal.com]

Argh, thank you. I've not enjoyed the love triangle at all in this series, today's episode being the worst of it. I try not to dwell on it so much because it detracts from the main plot, but I'm failing! I don't see why Korra's so obsessed with getting Mako to love her anyway, he was always giving her the cold shoulder. Yeah, Bolin is a goof, but his personality seems to mesh more with Korra anyway. This whole Korra/Mako thing has felt to me like the creators apologizing for not having Katara...and the fire bender kid whose name is suddenly completely gone from my mind get together, and it just seems forced and unnecessary.

( Icon is completely inappropriate because I'm posting on the LJ iPad app and I can't change it!)

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

I completely agree with you that Korra and Bo Lin would be happier together than would Korra and Mako. I do not know what direction the story will actually take: there are numerous possibilities given the situation so far. It is very obvious that, right now, Korra is much more attracted to Mako than she is to Bo Lin.

[ichiban-victory.livejournal.com]

She's fallen right into the trap of being attracted to the angsty/emo/cool kid in favor of one that will make for a healthier relationship in the long run, the silly girl. I really hope the show doesn't go Korra/Mako, because their elements alone would fizzle each other out! (Water and Fire do not make for a very compatible couple.) I have to wonder if one's bending abilities even plays into one's relationships in the series' universe. We use elements on a much more abstract level within our own world, so it is weird seeing it so literal in Legend of Korra.

On a sillier note, Korra ought to know Bo Lin is better for her anyway since they're both kind to animals and like animal companionship. ;)

[brendala.livejournal.com]

The weird thing about her relationship with the brothers is that the first ep seemed to heavily imply that she and Bolin would be an item (they hit it off right away, they both enjoyed the same stuff, they had fun together, they had chemistry, etc). But then the episode ends with Mako and Korra staring wistfully at each other from across the bay (despite the fact that their interactions at that point were mostly negative).
Maybe Korra is just one of those silly girls who loves hooking up with jerky emo boys who are obviously wrong for her. But that just doesn't seem to fit her character.


On a sillier note, Korra ought to know Bo Lin is better for her anyway since they're both kind to animals and like animal companionship. ;)

And don't forget that they both have atrocious restaurant manners. XD

[ichiban-victory.livejournal.com]

Maybe Mako became forbidden fruit the moment he hooked up, so he became irresistible to Korra. Silly Korra...

Ha, too true! Korra and Bo Lin would always be in good company and not embarrassed by each other's eating habits, that's for sure! ^_-

[hannahsarah.livejournal.com]

I have a feeling poor Bo Lin is going to get classified as "A nice guy" and will be friend-zoned. "I love you like a brother!"

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I have a feeling poor Bo Lin is going to get classified as "A nice guy" and will be friend-zoned. "I love you like a brother!"

That already happened. Poor Bolin. :P

[hannahsarah.livejournal.com]

I knew it! I haven't even seen the show, and I could see it coming a mile away.

Why do the girls always go after the jerks?

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

I think you're not taking into account that Asami's in a terribly vulnerable position right now. She's just recently discovered that her father's a major criminal, and been forced to turn on him. Her main source of emotional support right now is Mako (now, we could speculate about why Asami doesn't seem to have more friends). So she's naturally worried if it seems to her as if Mako is falling in love with Korra.

She actually hasn't displayed all that much suspicion to anyone but Bo Lin, and she's only done that once. All her other emotional reactions were concealed from everyone but the audience.

[amelia-seyroon.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen the episode yet but wow, to hear this much about Mako's character is rather discouraging. Not that I ever hated the guy, I have been enjoying the friendship between he and Bolin and Korra up to this point, but bleh. Poor Asami is right.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I never thought about it before you brought it up, but it is weird that a sociable/pretty/popular girl like Asami doesn't have any close friends outside Team Avatar. It's like she didn't have a life before she rammed Mako with her bike.

Asami may be vulnerable. But that doesn't explain why she'd do such a drastic personality turn after simply hearing a little kid tease Korra about possibly having a crush on Mako. Even if you take emotional trauma into account, it still makes Asami look like a possessive, jealous nut.

Also, even if Asami had a legit reason to dislike Korra and believe she was trying to "steal" Mako, that doesn't make it OK to bring that shit up while on a mission to rescue Korra from a kidnapper who may very well have tortured and/or killed her.