The Legend of Korra Newbie Recap: “The Aftermath”

Aka “The one where we see Tenzin cut loose,” OHHHH SHIIIIII–

After last week’s sporting mess–see, this is why I stay indoors, eat chips, and watch movies instead of going out and engaging in physical activity–Lin Beifong has been under pressure from Tarrlok for her failure to protect the arena, and it looks like she might lose her job. Meanwhile, with the arena shut down, Mako and Bolin are out of a place to live. Korra offers to put them up at Tenzin’s island but learns that she was beaten to the punch by Asami and her sweet mansion.

Asami’s really getting on my good side by making an honest effort to befriend Korra. If she has even a smidge of awareness, she had to sense that there’s some… weirdness… going on with Korra’s feelings about her relationship with Mako, but she’s not getting all “that bitch is trying to take my man!” So kudos.

And kudos to Korra‘s artists for BUFF GARGOYLE CROWS:

Actually, kudos redacted. Those are weird and unsettling.

In a lovely bit of fanservice, we meet someone who just has to be a descendent of Cabbage Man. He’s the head of Cabbage Corp., and Lin discovers that he’s been working for the Equalists, so his company gets shut down. NOOOO, HIS CABBAGE CORP!

Korra heads over to the police station to see Lin, but before her meeting she runs into Guyliner, whose jackassery and swagger (and, for that matter, guyliner) went away when his bending did. He’s… kind of endearing now. In a pathetic sort of way. I feel bad for him.

…This IS. This is another Jet situation.

Korra visits Asami’s fancy mansion, where Bolin’s really loving the high life and Asami says something that makes Korra literally make the :| face.

Asami gets on Korra’s good side when she invites her to the track to bond over car racing. While Mako and Bolin sit on the sidelines, Asami goes all NASCAR and convinces Korra, and myself, that she’s pretty much one of the coolest people on the face of the planet.

At this point in my notes I literally started quoting Phil Collins:

Asami also utters the sentence “You can’t be afraid to mix it up sometimes.”

I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT.
FOR ALL MY LIFE.
OH LORD.

Back at the Sato mansion, Korra overhears Asami’s father, Hiroshi Sato, talking about how the Cabbage Corp investigation bought “us” time, and by the end of the week “we” will be ready to strike. DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN.

Korra takes her suspicions about Hiroshi being an Equalist to Tenzin and Beifong, arguing that Satocorp must have made the taser gloves and framed CabbageCorp for it. Turns out Hiroshi has a possible motive: 12 years ago, his wife was killed during a break-in perpetrated by benders. Making me love her even more, Lin trusts Korra’s instincts and agrees to investigate Hiroshi, even though someone else might have played the “You’re just a kid, what do you know?” card. Lin doesn’t care as long as shit. Gets. Done.

Lin’s interrogation of Hiroshi doesn’t turn up anything incriminating–in fact, he has a perfectly reasonable explanation for what Korra overheard–but it does make Mako and Asami pissed at Korra. Hiroshi accuses Korra of having an “overactive imagination.”

Sato agrees to let Lin and her forces search his warehouse, but they don’t find anything. Mako accuses Korra of lashing out at the Sato family because she’s jealous of Asami and says that, if she doesn’t drop her accusations, their friendship is over.

A break in the case comes when an anonymous worker slips Korra a message, setting up a rendezvous for later that night. He tells her that Hiroshi did make the gloves, and that he’s working on something even worse at a secret factory under his mansion. Lin plans a raid, even though if Hiroshi’s innocent, she’ll probably lose her job. Doesn’t matter–she has a job to do. Lin Beifong is cooler than Batman.

At the mansion, Lin uses her METALBENDING SONAR POWERS, HELL YEAH, to discover a secret tunnel under Hiroshi’s workshop. Break for:

SECRET TUNNELLLLLLL.

Side note: Lin is wearing shoes with retractable metal soles. Girl, those can not have much arch support.

Lin, Tenzin, Korra and some metalbending cops go to investigate, while Bolin, Mako, Asami are ordered to stay up above. Because like hell they’re going to twiddle their thumbs while shit’s going down, the trio take out the lone cop tasked with guarding them using some earthbending and a well-placed fire sneeze from Mako. Asami agrees to stay upstairs, out of danger. Yeeeah, that won’t last long.

Having made their way to Hiroshi’s secret workshop, Korra & co. discover his fancy new weapon: CHI-BLOCKING JAEGERS.

Turns out they were lured there; the Jaegers, being made of platinum, are impossible for Lin to bend (because platinum’s such a pure metal? But why would?… OK, whatever. Not enough earth in it. Or something. Moving on.)… as is the giant wall that comes down and traps them. So now it’s Korra, Lin, Tenzin and some random redshirts vs Jaeger!Hiroshi and Jaeger!Equalists. And fuckaduck, Tenzin. (See top image.) Jesus. I’m impressed.

Still, the Jaegers manage to take out all the benders. Mako and Bolin show up just in time to try and sneak the unconscious bodies of Lin, Tenzin, and Korra away before they can be taken to Amon, but Hiroshi catches them in the act, calling Mako a “street rat” who shouldn’t be allowed to date his daughter.

Then who should come down but Asami, who’s caught her dad in the act of being an evil terrorist asshole. Hiroshi goes all villain monologue and tries to convince his daughter to join him, young Skywalker, but instead she takes one of the taser gloves, electrocutes her dad, and takes out the Equalists guards.

Korra, Mako, Bolin, Asami, Tenzin, and Lin manage to escape, but Lin’s cops get taken to Amon’s secret hideout. Lin announces her intention to resign as Chief of Police, because she failed to protect her men. This is how the following exchange went, in my head.

Tenzin: Don’t let Tarrlok get to you, Lin! You can’t give up now! Believe in yourself!

Lin: Wait what?

Lin: Oh geez.

Lin: LOLOL.

Lin: No, I’m quitting because I want to bust some Equalist nuts without having to fill out a ton of paperwork.

Lin: You’re adorable.

Twice in two episodes, Mako and Bolin’s living situation has gone bust. Now all three of them, plus Asami, will be living on Tenzin’s island. Bolin’s already planning sleepovers and games of Truth or Dare, I just know it.

MVP screencap:

Rebecca has newbie recapped Avatar and Battlestar Galactica for The Mary Sue before. She photoshopped The Rock’s head on a dolphin once. You can find her at Film Journal International, Pajiba, or on Twitter.

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