Such complex dilemmas helped to both define Korra, as well as help distinguish it from the much more simplistic morality of Avatar: The Last Airbender. On one hand, of course Korra should do everything to protect the air benders on a big picture level, however, there’s no telling what unforeseen damage the loss of the Avatar could have on society. For one, there’s the titular ultimatum-Korra must decide whether to give herself up to the Red Lotus (a group of newly minted benders determined to overthrow the government), or risk the destruction of the Air Bender nation by refusing to comply. That being said, it’s a breathlessly paced, exhilarating entry all on its own. In the arc of the show, “Ultimatum” serves as the stepping stone installment for the season finale. The final stretch of episodes in Season Three marks some of the absolute best that Legend of Korra has to offer. While they certainly must sniff out potential threats to the government, where does one step over the line into civil rights violations? Add in the revelation that Tarrlok has mastered the seemingly illegal skill of blood-bending, and the whole episode presents one hell of a curve in the direction of the show.
When the not-so-benevolent Tarrlok ends up ordering the arrest of a group of non-bending protestors, Korra finds herself in the middle of a delicate situation. Naturally, in a world divided into those with powers and those without, the benders run the risk of using their abilities to rule over the non-benders. After the first half of the season was spent mostly focused on the team’s pro-bending sports career, and the soap-opera-worthy love (rectangle?) between Korra, Mako, Asami and Bolin, this episode really dives into the meat of the central story as well as the political complications it brings about. What it does represent-for me, at least-is the moment the show properly clicked into place. “When Extremes Meet” may not be the most sophisticated of Korra stories, nor is it the most action-packed. In celebration of this all too underrated masterpiece of television, here is a very subjective list of the best the show had to offer. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and last Friday marked the conclusion of Legend of Korra’s fourth and final year.
Originally slated as a 12-episode miniseries, Korra’s reception garnered it an additional three more seasons.
Moreover, the show also gave us an incredible female protagonist in the form of its titular character-a kickass teenage girl who must save the world, all the while going through that all-too-familiar adolescent journey to discover her own inner self.
And despite a few bumps in the road here and there, Legend of Korra more than met these expectations, crafting a relentlessly engaging series of stories that married the whimsy and imagination of Hayao Miyazaki with the kind of complex political intrigue one might find in a typical episode of Game of Thrones. Netflix is still worthy, though, with its surplus of shows, and range and variety thereof. Though for every title we love, it seems that the list of Netflix's canceled shows gains another series to mourn.When Avatar: The Last Airbender creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino first announced Legend of Korra-a sequel series set 70 or so years after the events of their beloved original show-they certainly were subjected to no shortage of high expectations.
In other Netflix news, Cobra Kai season 4 is bringing a classic villain back, and Lupin came back for its second round (plus, Lupin season 3 is confirmed!). And while we struggle to figure out when Stranger Things season 4 is coming back, we're happy to note that we know when The Witcher season 2 is.īeyond December and Netflix there's a whole host of other big TV shows coming in 2022 from Lord of the Rings to Stranger Things 4. And while they're not prestige TV, Netflix's latest hits have people tracking Sexy Beasts season 2 and asking " What is Squid Game and why the heck is it so popular?" And while we wait for that, we've just received You season 3 and a trailer for The Witcher's second run. We're already tracking all the things to know about The Crown season 5. The folks who vote on the Emmys sure love The Crown, as it won seven awards.