That, dear reader, is how you end a series. “Day of the Colossus” offers quick relief by revealing that everyone survived the explosion at the end of last week’s episode. Tension ramps back up immediately. I felt a thrilling endgame pressure watching Team Avatar plan a course of attack to bring down the Colossus. As Josh and Søren […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 17
It seems like just yesterday scenes from the first episode of The Legend of Korra leaked all over Tumblr. Fast forward a couple of years and Korrasami is canon, Hiroshi Sato is a martyr and Zhu Li and Varrick have officially declared their mutual affection. Needless to say, things have changed a bit since we were “Welcome(d) to Republic […]
Korra: “Kuvira’s Gambit” Review
“Kuvira’s Gambit” is the kind of episode that makes me wish this series wasn’t about to end. The penultimate chapter of Book Four provides plenty for viewers to chew on as we look ahead to the impending finale. The largest of these elements is Kuvira’s newly revealed supermassive mecha suit. Nick revealed the titles for the two-finale […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 16
Wow – now that was an episode! Both J and I loved “Kuvira’s Gambit,” an easy highlight of both Book 4 and the rest of The Legend of Korra. Kuvira continues to build herself up (literally!) as a truly intimidating opponent for the Avatar and her allies. She arrives on the front steps of Republic City […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 15
The Legend of Korra maintains momentum with an exciting Beifong-centric episode. “Operation Beifong” doesn’t waste much time getting Bolin, Lin, Opal and Toph together as they seek to rescue Suyin from Kuvira’s clutches. Along the way, they find Zhu Li, whose allegiance to Kuvira may not be as firm as the show would have you believe. Meanwhile, […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 14
“Beyond the Wilds” marks a return to the main plot of Book 4: Balance after last week’s tangential clip show. Korra continues to work through her traumatic past with Zaheer. Meanwhile, the spirit vines in Republic City react violently to Kuvira’s assault on the swamp and the banyan grove tree. J and I begin our conversation speculating […]
Korra: “After All These Years” Review
Oh time, what change you leave in your wake. Barely two months after an intense finale to an emotionally and physically charged third season, The Legend of Korra has returned for its last season. Three years have passed since the end of Book 3, and the showrunners are embracing all facets of the time jump. An aged black […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 7
The Legend of Korra returns for its fourth and final season. The premiere, titled “After All These Years,” takes place long after the finale of Book 3: Change. Republic City is in the midst of a revamp, new power player Kuvira looks to be shaking things up and Team Avatar is scattered around the world. Yet one question […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 6
Well, here we are. Perhaps the best season of The Legend of Korra to date has come to its inevitable conclusion. Josh and I were spectacularly wrong about most of our predictions, but the finale generated some fascinating speculation about Book 4. Will Korra ever be able to access her past lives again? Has Suyin finally esablished her allegiance to the […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 5
In this week’s installment of Ember Island Airwaves, J and I discuss the incredibly draining experience of watching “The Ultimatum.” We explore classism and how the protagonist/antagonist relationships in The Legend of Korra directly contrast with those in Avatar: The Last Airbender. J and I then speculate about the fate of Tenzin and the other airbenders […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 4
It’s been awhile since our last episode of Ember Island Airwaves. In the interim, I had the chance to interview the fantastic Stephen Stanton (the voice of Old Wan and the Air Lion Turtle in “Beginnings, Part 2”). In addition, some major news about The Legend of Korra was dropped at San Diego Comic Con. Last week saw the birth […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 3
Having left Republic City, The Legend of Korra has seized an opportunity to flesh out its characters, its world, and its story. The world of Avatar has always been predicated on its unique bending systems and the cultural evolution thereof. The show has built on this by taking daring and paradigm-shifting new turns in the latest season, not […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 2
The world of Avatar is remarkable not only for its entertainment value, but for its remarkable maturity. Avatar: The Last Airbender deals with themes of death, destiny, and classism, all of which have been brought forward into and magnified in The Legend of Korra. These thematic ideas tie into structural similarities to anime and separate this franchise from its Western counterparts. J […]
