Today was the premier of the final season of the Legend of Korra. I love watching, talking, and writing about the Legend of Korra but I felt that this episode did not live up to the hype it generated. The episode did not feel like a season launch as it was only one episode and not a double episode as other seasons have done and it was slower paced. You can pick up the Legend of Korra Art book for season 2 here.
The first part of the episode focused on Republic City. In the three-year time skip Asami Sato has revolutionized the train system in Republic City that will allow the Earth Kingdom and Republic City to be closer. During the same three years a prince has been chosen for coronation as the new King of the Earth Kingdom. Finally, Republic City has been waiting for Avatar Korra’s return.
The second part of the episode had more action and excitement. Throughout the Earth Kingdom there are many small villages. In one particular village bandits have been attacking so Kai and Opal are dispatched and defeat the bandits. As they are defeating the bandits we are introduced to Kuvira. Kuvira is from Zaofu and in the last three years betrayed Sue and has gone on a quest to unite the Earth Kingdom under her. She is achieving this unity of the Earth Kingdom village by village. Kai, Opal and Kuvira meet at this village. Kuvira wants to take over the village but will protect the citizens. The governor refused her offer and she tells him he has one day to change his mind. Kai and Opal go to the other villages try to bring back supplies and bandits capture those supplies. As a result the governor is forced to sign the Kuvira contract. Once signed, the metal benders under Kuvira distribute food and the village is well fed.
Matters are more complicated as Opal and Bolin are in a relationship. Bolin and Opal are on opposite sides as Opal is with the Air Nation and Bolin is traveling with Kuvira. As Bolin is distributing the food, Opal has a look of disappointment toward Bolin, which captures the emotion perfectly of how Kuvira is gaining power through manipulating a situation. To make matters worse Mako is back in Republic City has been permanently assigned to be the bodyguard to the Prince of the Earth Kingdom. This means that Bolin’s objective of being aligned with Kuvira, who wants power for herself, conflicts with Mako’s duties to protect the Prince of the Earth kingdom.
The final component of this episode was that Korra was fighting in what looks like an underground bending area. This is the most interesting part of the episode as Korra only used earth bending and she loses the match. After she loses she gets paid an extremely low wage and has a black eye. While she fighting and lost her fight her father comes to Republic City and everybody is expecting her to be with him. Nobody knows where Korra has been for the last 6 months and the episode ends.
The first episode of the final season was a fairly good episode. It is slower paced and there is no major crisis that took place similar to the first episode of book three. Without a major crisis taking place and a three year time skip the first episode has to provide explanation about what has happened in the last three years and the agenda for this season. The first episode definitely had a different feeling then the other seasons but it is a good starting point to end the final season the right way.
