Monsters of Television

“I made it very clear: I don’t know how to drive.”

Action-heavy episodes like this one are among the worst things to write about it. I can highlight the excellent direction by Joaquim Dos Santos (aka Dr. Fight) and Ki Hyun Ryu, but you already know they’re excellent. And you can’t not mention the storyboard artists who routinely deliver dynamic work that is then brought to life by Studio Mir and their animation director Han Gwang Il.

And it’s all great. Action sequences on Korra are never incoherent and show a knack for cleverness (how awesome was it when Mako re-directed the mecha’s electrical charge back to it? Answer: Very awesome) that I really don’t think any show matches it (if there is one, please let me know so I can watch).

It does mean, however, that there’s not too much to dig into, so if this is a little short, I apologize in advance.

What we have with “Turning the Tides” is pretty much the it’s-all-gone-to-hell-in-a-hand-basket-and-everyone-gets-scattered-but-there’s-hope-on-the-horizon episode. Tenzin, his family (including newly born Rohan) and the remaining airbenders flee Republic City to keep the airbending culture alive and thriving while Lin, in a moment of complete and utter badass, takes down on Equalist airship by more or less skinning it while it flies only to get captured when she goes after the secodn one and then gets her bending removed by Amon.

Which leaves Team Avatar to fend for itself until the United Forces led by General friggin’ Iroh (presumably Zuko’s grandson and voiced by Zuko himself, Dante Basco) arrive in Republic City. While this Iroh is a little Prince Eric-looking for me (it’s really sad I didn’t have to look up Eric’s name…), I am completely eager to see him arrive with his ships, and what surprises come with him.

If there’s much to be said about the episode beyond its action sequences, it’s that it’s pretty clear that Amon isn’t really interested in equality, but instead has some more insidious goal (world domination, natch). You don’t go around just randomly blowing up a city with your blimps (where was he hiding those things?) that you think you need to purge of benders by possibly killing a lot of non-benders. (Swiftly taking out the governing council though, that’s just good old fashion Night of the Long Knives kind of stuff there.)

There’s also a furthering of resentment on the romantic triangle front, and I think ebongreen’s concern last week that this romantic angst motivates Asami’s face heel turn is looking increasingly likely, especially given Sato’s prominence in the episode, and an easy way to tempt her to join forces with the Big Bad: “Benders only look out for each other, care about each other. We have to be strong against them” etc etc etc. It’s practically being telegraphed at this point.

Which leaves us with the season finale next week! It’s an hour long, so be sure to set your DVRs accordingly. As a head’s up, my thoughts on the finale may be a bit delayed since I’m doing a season-wrap up post for TV.com (first time getting paid to write about TV! Whoo!). As soon as that post is done, I’ll start work on a reaction to the finale itself here.

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Lin would make the worst babysitter.
• Spider-rat exterminators? Really? Going to fall for that old trick?
• I think Asami comes in second in the Being A Badass tournament this week as she takes down the entire group of Equalist soldiers all by herself.
• “Stay away from my dad’s ex-girlfriend!”
• Meelo’s use of fart-bending (so wonderfully foreshadowed) I think would’ve made his grandfather proud.
• “MUSTACHE GUY!” Poor The Lieutenant. Keeps on getting his ass handed to him.
• “That lady is my hero.” “Yes. She is.”
• DANTE BASCO’S BACK, EVERYONE!!!