L.J. Writes

I've been hearing a lot about how good Books 3 and 4 of Legend of Korra were, but I didn't particularly feel like watching Season 2 after hearing lackluster reports about it. My sources disagreed on whether Book 2 was safely skippable, and I went back and forth until I finally decided to bite the bullet and watch one episode. If I hated it, I could always stop and move on to Book 3.

( Spoilers, and why I find Iroh despicable )

In sum, the first half of Book 2 is a giant leap over Book 1 and far less infuriating. It has actual character development, real consequences, and moral complexity. It was a lot of the things Book 1 should have been, and while it's no replacement for a strong first season it's good to see the effort being made.

I'm still procrastinating on working on the DS9 S1E06 review and the analysis of Éowyn's showdown with the Nazgûl, but because I am infinitely sidetrackable (SQUIRREL!) i have a vague idea of giving Book 1 of Legend of Korra the "Ember Island Players" treatment. It's all sparklesquid's fault for linking all a dream, which is similar except with Amon and the Lieutenant.

( Movie night! )

Also, any ideas for a title? I thought about taking the first episode title like "The Boy in the Iceberg" did, but "Welcome to Republic City" sounds a bit too touristy and campy. It attributes a sense of irony to the writers that they didn't have. Another idea is to leave the movie untitled and title the fic "Ember Island Studios Proudly Present:" or some such to show the intent to parody EIP.

Entry for Prompt #59: Escape at the avatar_500. This one comes after Defying Definition and before The Language of Grief. Maybe I should name the series or something. The Adventures of Xing the Ex-Bender?



"What is going on here?" Korra stepped back from the man who had been dropped at her feet, hands bound behind his back and mouth covered with a stone gag. The onlookers murmured among themselves.

"I can explain, Avatar Korra." The middle-aged earthbender, who had just dragged the bound man to this square on a moving swell of earth, raised his arms in a gesture of surrender.

"Explain now." She raised her own arms and water from the fountain flew out of its basin to freeze around the earthbender's feet, holding him in place. At a stomp of her foot the stone bindings fell from the wrists and mouth of the man writhing at her feet.

"My name is Zhen Tiao, Deputy Head Shaper at the Civil Engineering Department. This is my son Xing, an earthbender like myself. Or he would be, if it weren't for Amon."

"Oh." Korra gestured at the people around her. "That's kind of what I'm doing here, so why-"

"I told you I don't want it!" Xing got to his feet, rubbing his wrists.

"What?" Korra raised her eyebrows while a ripple went through the crowd. "Why not?"

"I don't need it." He crossed his arms. "I have plans of my own and none of them involves being an earthbender."

"Earthbending is a part of you. Why should you lose it forever just because that jerk Amon took it away?" Korra approached Xing. "Losing my bending was the worst feeling in my life."

"I'm not you." Xing shifted his weight as though to back away, but stopped himself with visible effort. "It wasn't much more than a nuisance to me. And who's going to study the effects of bending removal if everyone has their power returned?"

"Why would you want to study something that horrible?" Korra put a hand on Xing's shoulder. "I don't agree with  your father's methods, but I don't think you're being rational here. First I'll give you your bending back. Then we'll talk."

She was lifting her hand to his forehead when he spoke.

I started posting this to the Amon/Tarrlok Thread, before realizing it really wasn't the place for it and would earn me a delete at best, a ban at worst. (Although I don't know why I keep going back to ASN. Morbid curiosity as to whether there really is a lethal dose of stupidity?)

( Spoilers and F-bombs abound )

The gist of it: The Equalists did not arise out of a vacuum, but the show also has no evidence of systematic oppression. Rather I argue that the Equalists were a non-bender gang that gained power because the United Republic failed as a government and as a community, leaving non-benders without protection and support. This flaw in the UR is a problem the show should deal with in Book 2 and beyond, and a good job for Korra to handle as the Avatar.

( Here's the extended version )