After a brief hiatus last week, Ember Island Airwaves is back with an all new episode covering the latest in The Legend of Korra. This week, J and I discuss both “The Battle of Zaofu” and “Reunion.” These episodes function as filler to some degree with Bolin and Varrick taking center stage. Concurrently, the Avatar attempts to manage both Kuvira’s aggression and Prince Wu’s incompetence. Mako, Asami and Korra also get some time together as they fall into their old dynamic in Republic City.

In our discussion, J expresses their distaste for the Kuvira duel in “The Battle of Zaofu.” I argue it importantly reveals that Korra’s continued struggle with Phantom Korra and that the episode somewhat reflects the structure of Book 3: Fire of Avatar: The Last Airbender. We then find middle ground with Bolin and Varrick; we both agree they make for a fantastic two-man comedy team.

For “Reunion,” we debate the pacing of Book 4 and acknowledge that this episode is predominantly “shoe leather” – interstitial material that has  little impact on the actual plot of the season. On the other hand, Bolin and Varrick once again stand out with genuinely funny scenes which elevate the quality of the episode. We also wonder at Korra’s Wu-seeking abilities in the train station before chalking it up to di-vine intervention.

I’m so sorry.

~ Søren

Note that this podcast contains spoilers up through “Reunion.” As always, you can subscribe to Ember Island Airwaves using iTunes. Alternatively, you can check out the episode online or download it here. Happy listening!

What do you think — has this season lost any of its mojo? Were you satisfied with “The Battle of Zaofu” and “Reunions”? And can anyone explain that train station scene to us?

Stay tuned for next week as we delve into the next episode of The Legend of Korra, “Remembrances.”

This podcast uses clips from the songs Nanyang Journey and Erhu by Ivan Chew / CC BY 3.0.