Book 4's third episode focuses on a shift in political power, and Korra's healing/training hits a road block.
Spoilers ahead
It's a big day in Ba Sing Se, and no one could be more excited than Wu. I'm having fun watching such a silly character- he reminds me of Sokka in a way that Bolin never really did. The idea that he would cluelessly hit on Kuvira is pretty great (even calling her 'Gumdrop'). Sadly, Wu won't end up getting a crown today, as much of the ceremony has been scaled back for unspecified reasons. He'll have to settle for a broach. (This will only be the beginning of his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.)
In the company of his "big tough guy" (that would be Mako, lol), Wu decides to cheer himself up with a visit to the Little Ba Sing Se Fashion Mall. The fact that such a place even exists has kind of made my season! Unfortunately for Wu, things don't get much better, when he gets into a skirmish with some locals. The poor little twerp just isn't a very popular guy, and he reaches a new low when he fights with a child in a replica of the Royal Palace. Wu notes that the boy will have another birthday next year, but he will never have another coronation. This breakdown scene is kind of great, and it could be the beginning of a turnaround for this character. Mako advises that he needs to be a better person and not a spoiled brat.
Easily, the thing I anticipated the most this week was Old Lady Toph. She was my favorite character from the previous series, so this was kind of a big deal. All I can say is they nailed it! Toph's character is completely intact and familiar (in a way that Old Katara and Zuko are disappointingly not, quite frankly). My hats off to the design, voice work and one-liners that bring the veteran Earthbender back to life. Narratively, the parallels to The Last Airbender continue as she puts Korra through the type of tough teaching she did for Aang in "Bitter Work". A fascinating new development is that thanks to the roots of the spirit vines that have spread all over the globe, Toph can now "see" everything going on in the rest of the world- her 'seismic sense' has become that advanced. Somehow, Bryan and Michael have still managed to make Beifong one of the most gifted and powerful characters in the Avatar universe.
Imagine me in my prime- I would have destroyed you!
The thing about Toph, at least to me, is that she is not a good teacher. She never had the aptitude for it. She doesn't even like people all that much. That's what makes watching her train people so much fun. Her tutelage comes more from a place of "I'm better than you!" or "This is so easy- why don't you get it?!" and it's hilarious to watch. That's not to say that Toph's unconventional methods don't work. At the end of this episode, she reveals a pretty telling discovery: There is still some residual traces of metal in Korra's body, and not only that, but it could be possible that Korra subconsciously doesn't want to be fully healed. If Korra doesn't get better, she can't do her job, and she won't have to worry about getting hurt again. This is a pretty insightful theory that adds another layer to the relationship between Korra's physical and psychological recovery.
Bolin gets some good material in this episode too. (I liked hearing him say 'misgivings'.) We've been wondering why Bolin is with Kuvira, since she seems like such the enemy to our heroes, but in classic Legend of Korra fashion, what she is doing isn't so black and white. I liked their private conversation, because it was believable and convincing. She seems sincere in her beliefs and in her faith in Bolin. So this isn't a matter of him being manipulated, even if Bolin is uncomfortable with how aggressive Kuvira is being. Even more interesting, is in his argument with Mako, Bolin notes the similarities between Korra and Kuvira. As has been the case for every season of LoK, both sides have a point, and its intriguing to see Mako and Bolin in opposition for the first time. I look forward to the rift growing between the two.
The meat of the episode comes from Kuvira's new decree of an Empire. With the Kyoshi Medal of Freedom she crushes, it says loud and clear what kind of antagonist (she always gets what she wants) she will be for this season. It was odd that at the ceremony, she was not challenged or resisted by the world leaders- even if the public is behind her. Apparently, she controls the whole nation now. But her reputation seems to be well known, so supporting her should be more controversial than it is. Suyin did confront Kuvira later, in private (as a representative of the other world leaders). Su's presence brings some interesting dynamics to the conflict, including that of her estranged son, who will soon be marrying Kuvira- who notes that Su hid in Zaofu when the Earth Kingdom fell, instead of helping. And this was right before Kuvira threatened the Metal City if they do not bend to her will! This is exciting to build up, but I still think more could have been done with some reactions to what is a clear cut tyranny.
Question/Fan Theory of the Week:
What is so special about that Spirit Vine? It's important enough that Kuvira has Varrick on some sort of secret project with it, which means it could likely be a weapon of some sort.
In a Nutshell:
The Coronation is a setup episode, as Kuvira makes her first big move, and the bending brothers' loyalties are divided. The Earth Empire could grow to be the kind of threat the Fire Nation was during the Hundred Years War, and this might be in line with Toph's remark that "The faces change, but the streets stay the same." Could Bryan and Michael be bringing LoK full circle with TLA?
The Good- The return of Toph is everything I had hoped. Wu gets some development.
The Bad- Lack of reaction to Kuvira's unplanned seige; no set piece this week! Say whaa?
The Search- Can't wait to see Tenzin's kids on a mission
The Score- 8.0