It was a normal Friday afternoon. I was sitting with my boyfriend, discussing our very typical Brandeisian plans for the night—going to the 99, buying some Ben and Jerry’s in the C-Store and maybe relaxing in Grad. At the end of our Fridays, we usually watch the new episode of the “Legend of Korra” with our friend. Last Friday was a particularly exciting night because two episodes of the second seasons were going to be aired. It was not until I checked my Facebook that I found the most exciting news of my life. Nickelodeon was airing the two finale episodes of “Legend of Korra!” How did this even happen, you ask? It all started when Janet Varney (voice character of Korra) posted a video giving fans a challenge that if her video was reblogged 10,000 times, Nickelodeon would agree to air the final episodes. In true nerd fashion, the video was reblogged much more than 10,000 times.
For those who do not know, the “Legend of Korra” is the spin-off of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Korra is the avatar after Aang. She is a feisty teenage waterbender. She is very strong, but not very spiritual. She had difficulty mastering airbending because she cannot meditate. The main plot of the second season is discovering two main spirits: the light spirit, Raava, which lives inside the avatar, and Vaatu, which has been trapped in the Spirit World for the last 10,000 years.
The plot thickens when Korra’s uncle, Unalaq, wants to unleash Vaatu and become the anti-avatar, bringing darkness to the world. Super messed up, right? Of course, Vaatu gets out of his cage, which is actually called the Tree of Time. Unalaq becomes the anti-avatar and destroys Raava, which in turn destroys Korra’s connection to past avatars. There were a good 25 minutes when I thought that everyone was screwed. I do not want to ruin the plot, but needless to say, Korra and her friends save the day. The finale was amazing and included many reasons to anticipate the next season.
If you have never seen either “Avatar: The Last Airbender” or “Legend of Korra,” you should know that the avatar is known to keep peace in the world and to be the bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds. When Unalaq decides that he wants to be the anti-avatar, which was never really explained, he opens the doors of the Spirit World by tricking Korra. After the smoke clears, Korra decides not to close the portal, but to keep them open, so that spirits and humans can learn to live together. I am not trying to be negative, but this is going to bite her in the butt next season.
The writers also decided to have the avatar’s past lives detached, of which I strongly disapprove. One of my favorite aspects of the show is seeing the past avatars and learning their history. The theme for the next season is going to change. I was so obsessed with the end of the second season that third season cannot come fast enough. While I am typically afraid of change, I am excited to see what these amazing writers are going to bring. “The Legend of Korra” is a must-see—no exceptions. If you have not watched “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” watch it first so that you may gain a great appreciation for its spin-off.
