Season 1, Episode 12

Reminder: I wrote most of these recaps while largely DEAD, and therefore had to use much CAPSLOCKING to resurrect myself. SERIOUSLY. I DIED.

The Skinny: KORRA IS ENDING. WAAAHHH!!

The Setup: IT’S ALL HAPPENING, GUYS. There was absolutely no rest from the action in the second half of the finale, friends. NONE. 

The Breakdown: Jumping right in with a little recap of how Korra and Mako know the truth about Amon, and are on their way to the arena to drop a truth bomb.

But let’s not forget about our fearsome threesome of Bolin, Hoe Cake, and Iroh! We start “Endgame” at Mr. Sato’s airfield. Guys, if the United Forces have any hope at all of saving Republic City, they need to destroy these airplanes, but as they are approaching the hangar, Hoe Cake wonder’s aloud why there are fenceposts but no fence. And then BOOM! ELECTROCUTED. That’s why, kids. It’s a secret electric fence. They are promptly thrown in jail, and it’s not looking good for them.

So that’s at the airfield. Back at the arena, Korra has just spilled the beans about Amon. But OMG WHEN SHE CONFRONTS HIM AT THE RALLY ABOUT HIS IDENTITY, it appears that Tarrlok gave them bad info, because Amon removes his mask to reveal a hideous scar across his face, from when the fire benders allegedly killed his family. The crowd, which had been befuddled and aghast before at Amon’s apparent lies, turns against Korra instead.

Freaky Face has a freaky face under that mask!

AND THEN AMON PLAYS HIS HAND AND SHOWS EVEYRONE THAT HE HAS CAPTURED TENZIN AND HIS KIDS!!! HIS KIDS!! Poor Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo!

Meanwhile, back at the airfield jail, Mr. Sato comes in and taunts Bolin, Iroh, and Asami, but not until AFTER he tells Hoe Cake that he believes that one day she will realize the error of her ways and turn against the people who killed her mother. She confronts her dad and tells him that her mother would hate who he has become, which sets him off on a tirade of threats against Commander Bumi’s fleet. That’s right. Mr. Sato intercepted a communication between Iroh and Bumi, and knows where the fleet is hiding. Dire does not even BEGIN to describe it guys. BUT THEN! Naga and Pabu bust in the jail and TEAR down the cell, freeing Bolin, Iroh, and Hoe Cake to go take down some airplanes. NAGA IS A BADASS. Seriously, she saved their asses a BUNCH of times. I love her.

Then, we bounce back to the arena, where needless to say, Korra is terrified and OUTRAGED that Amon has kidnapped Tenzin and his kids, and she goes into full BAMF mode to free them. Also, just in case we forgot that Mako is a gifted bender himself, he continues to show his special gifts by throwing lightening all over the place.

Korra and Mako get Tenzin and the kids free, and they go off to get Pema and Rohan (ROHIRRIM!!!) out of jail, after Meelo’s ADORABLE “PRISON BREAK!!” rallying cry. Korra and Mako hide in the arena’s backstage area as a diversion for them, drawing Amon away into a search for the Avatar.

NO! ANYTHING BUT THE BENDING!!

Guys? I WAS NOT CALM THIS WHOLE TIME. Basically from this point until the end of the episode, which is still 20 minutes away in TV time. *DEEP BREATHS* Ok. So. Amon captures Korra and Mako (I KNOW!) backstage at the arena and blood bends them (AHHH!!). GUYS!!! THE TENSION WAS UNBELIEVABLE!!! And then, holy @$&!@. He finds Korra in her hiding place under a table, blood bends her out, then Mako, and then…GAAAH!

HE TAKES AWAY KORRA’S BENDING.

OMG. Guys. I can’t even deal. I was SO NOT CALM. THIS WHOLE EPISODE I WAS CRAY. But this was LEGIT bananas. Because it wasn’t a fake out, friends, those little teasers we saw last week, with Amon’s Thumb of Doom hovering over Korra’s forehead. Korra’s bending? GONE. MOTHER EFFING GONE.

After that insanity, we go back to the airfield and the skies above Republic City, where the three good guys go about their mission, earth bending the runways and fire bending the planes. Hoe Cake hops in one of the Mecha tanks and starts using it to beat the CRAP out of the planes still in the hangar. She’s taking out some rage on a plane when her father rolls in, also in a Mecha tank. They argue. He tries to reason with Hoe Cake, but she basically calls out his craziness. Mr. Sato is seriously so far gone that there’s really nothing anyone can do to make him see things differently, so Hoe Cake doesn’t see any other choice. She goes after him, with tears in her eyes, and they fight. GUYS, HE WAS TOTALLY GOING TO TAKE HER OUT. I mean, how terrible, right?

Guys, I know that I call Asami Hoe Cake because I don’t ship her and Mako. But I really do like her, and I especially felt horribly for her at this moment. Because she basically has to call her father a lunatic to his crazy face, and then battle him in one of those robots in a vicious fight. He GOES AFTER HIS OWN KID, guys, with bad intentions. And she has to ATTACK him in order to save herself. It’s heartbreaking and awful, and I have mad props and respect for her. Bolin helps her out a little bit at the end there, and they seem to capture Mr. Sato. So awful.

Ok. I hope you’re not getting whiplash from all the back and forth because BACK AT THE ARENA, KORRA HAS NO BENDING. Mako resists Amon’s blood bending for a sec and shoots a lightening bolt at him, catching him by surprise long enough to grab Korra and run. But Amon catches them, blood bends Mako to his knees, and is about to take HIS bending away, too.

Korra, in her weakened state, sees this and FREAKS OUT. AND THEN SHE AIR BENDS. YESSSS! SHE AIR BENDS, stops Amon from taking Mako’s bending, and blows him the eff right out a window and into the water below, where his scar make-up washes off, and the people see him for who he really is: a water bender, who uses his water bending to escape. Whew. I’m telling y’all. IN.TENSE.

I DIE from this tear.

Amon goes back to Air Temple Island, where he visits Tarrlok. They have a little chat about their father, and Amon says that they can leave together now and get a fresh start somewhere. Tarrlok seemed so conflicted when his bro proposed that they go away together and start new somewhere. But he went anyway, and guys? I got a little emotional. The two brothers are on a speedboat, leaving Republic City behind. Amon–Noatak–is driving, and seems to be coming down from his crazy, and looking forward to starting over with his brother, just like old times. He’s clueless and sad and probably overwhelmed, totally trusting that his own BROTHER would do him no harm. But Tarrlok is surrounded by chi-blocker gloves, and it’s like he knows the only way to “put an end to this sad story” is to take Noatak out, and thereby himself as well. I feel like he was plotting this the whole time, guys. But he puts on a glove, and sends an electric shock over the gas tank, and entire boat explodes, presumably killing them both. WOW. Nice little redemption for Tarrlok, guys. Also, INTENSE. LIKE I SAID BEFORE. And a little sad, too. There’s no way Korra and Mako are able to take Amon down without the info Tarrlok gave them. Plus, THAT TEAR. I can’t even deal with the fact that Noatak was crying.

WHEW. So after Commander Bumi shows up in Republic City, now that Iroh, Bolin, and Hoe Cake took out all the airplanes, Team Avatar, Beifong (hey girl!), and Tenizin go to the South Pole to see if Katarra can do anything about Korra’s missing bending. She can’t fix anything, though. Korra still has her air bending, but earth, fire, and water? Gone. Korra runs out of the house, followed by a worried and caring Mako. Who–OMG–CONFESSES HIS LOVE TO KORRA. He doesn’t care that she lost her bending and that she isn’t the Avatar anymore (her worries, not his). She runs away anyway, leaving him a little sad. I DIE A MILLION TIMES.

Naga takes Korra to a cliff, where she sits down, looking at the ocean below, and sobs. Someone approaches her from behind in air bender robes, and she assumes it’s Tenzin. She tells him to go away. But it’s not Tenzin. It’s Aang. He tells Korra that by hitting her lowest point, she has finally connected fully with the spiritual side of being the Avatar, and all the Avatars appear to Korra behind him. He goes into the Avatar state, puts his thumb on her forehead, and restores her bending. And Y’ALL? KORRA GOES AVATAR STATE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND IT IS THE MOTHER EFFING BOMB. FOR REAL.

THE MOTHER CUSSING AVATAR

Korra is finally the legit Avatar.

When she finishes, she turns around to see Mako, who followed her and saw her in all her Avatar glory. She jumps on him, and tells him that she loves him, too. SCORE ONE FOR THE SHIPPERS.

Ah, young love. SIGH.

So what’s Korra’s first act as full-fledged Avatar, besides planting a big smooch on Mako? Going Avatar state again and restoring Beifong’s bending. HOLY HELL BAGS I LOVE THIS SHOW.

Guys, this ep was CRAY and heavy and intense and so dramatic and obviously the best ever.

The Lines: “I’m so proud of you, Avatar Korra.” –Tenzin

Guys, I LOVED talking Korra with you! LOVED IT. I’m so sad that it’s over! But don’t worry. I’ll find some way to keep the Korra flame alive on my blog! I can’t wait to do it again, HOPEFULLY SOON. Big hugs to you all for stopping by and sharing the love. xoxo

Season 1, Episode 11

I don’t want Korra to end, guys. But like all good things…well, you know how it goes. Life is a circle and all that. And so we find ourselves at the season finale of Book One of The Legend of Korra. Before I even get into the nitty gritty, I just want to say that I was new to this whole world before Lisa from Lisa is Busy Nerding told me that I was missing out on something amazing, and we all know Lisa is a truth-teller. So I’m thankful that she introduced me to Korra, and I’m ECSTATIC that I got to recap it for you all and meet so many Korra fans.

We wouldn’t have ANYTHING to talk about, though, if The Legend of Korra itself wasn’t so EFFING FABULOUS, and I’m going to miss it for sure. I can’t wait for season 2, friends, because I know it’s going to take all the awesome and turn it up. You’re the bomb, Korra. Mako, Bolin, Tenzin, Asami, Naga and everyone else, too. So say we all.

Also, just a couple of programming notes: I wrote most of these recaps while largely DEAD, and therefore had to use much CAPSLOCKING to resurrect myself. GUYS. THESE EPISODES WERE EPICALLY FANTASTIC. And, as you will see, there’s one recap per episode, just to keep things from getting REALLY out of control.

The Skinny: KORRA IS ENDING. 

The Setup: THINGS ARE HAPPENING. Let’s dive in. 

The Breakdown: So, the recap tells the sad story of woe of one Lin Beifong, baddest BAMF of them all, and how she saved basically everyone–Team Avatar and Tenzin and his family–by sacrificing her bending to Amon. DANG GIRL.

We also learn that Amon has finally toppled the bender-friendly Republic City government, installed himself as head of an Equalist government, and declared bending illegal. BUT YO. Worst of all? HE HAS DEFACED THE STATUE OF AANG BY COVERING IT WITH A MASK OF HIS OWN FREAKY FACE. Oh HELL NO! If we weren’t at war already….

Oh, Mr. Sato. You really HAVE gone to the dark side. He’s speaking outside the old bending arena, getting a crowd of Republic City citizens all frothy about Amon’s vision for the future: NO bending anywhere. Eradicated. He mentions the United Forces that are on there way to stop Amon, but he’s confident that Amon will prevail. He also takes a dig at the Avatar, who he says is “on the run.”

At the back of the crowd, two chi-blockers are observing the rally. Except they’re not REALLY chi-blockers. It’s Korra and Mako, in disguise, doing recon.

Korra is furious that Hiroshi told the crowd that the Avatar was on the run from Amon. OBVIOUSLY, we all know that Korra takes major offense to this, and is bristling in general at having to cool her heels underground until General Iroh arrives. She wants to go bust some heads RIGHT NOW, but Mako, who I must admit looks fine in that chi-blocker uni, talks her out of it. They make a good pair, guys, and I don’t just mean because they’re awesome and I ship them. They work well together.

Back at Team Avatar’s lair, which is an underground shanty town full of hobos/homeless people–benders and Equalists alike–who oppose Amon’s policies. Guys, Team Avatar is living in squalor a little bit. This might have something to do with Hoe Cake copping some BIG attitude, but more likely it has to do with Mako and Korra spending so much time doing “recon” together. Things are testy between them, and I feel like they’ve broken up officially and we missed it?

Later that night, Korra and Mako are kind of having a replay of that moment in an earlier ep where they both fall asleep resting up against Naga. That’s where they’re sitting now, having a heart to heart about how far they’ve come in such a short time and how unbelievable it is that they’re in the middle of a war. THEN things get mushy and fabulous, when they both declare to each other how important they are to one another. Mako says that he can’t imagine his life without Korra in it and showers her with awesome compliments. Korra is like, right back atcha. THEN OMG MAKO GOES IN FOR A KISS BUT KORRA TURNS HER HEAD A LITTLE. ARGH! But I get it. It’s still weird between them, especially because Mako is still technically with hoe cake. He needs to shies or get off the pot with her. I hate that he’s dragging her along and basically cheating on her, emotionally if not ACTUALLY. They both go off to sleep.

Mako giving Korra the eye/sexy grin combo that REAL girls everywhere have NO POWER to resist.

A quick pitstop with the bad guys sees Amon taking over Air Temple Island, and cleansing benders in a long assembly line of the Thumb of Doom. God, this guy SUCKS.

Meanwhile, Team Avatar is out in the city waiting for the United Forces to arrive. Iroh looks good, guys. But he’s wondering why there’s no resistance to his arrival. Korra wonders the same thing. It’s too quiet. Where’s the trouble? THEN we see why: It’s coming from underwater, where there are MINES. They promptly start blowing up the ships as the come into the harbor. Korra jumps in to help when a fleet of newfangled airplanes comes flying in and starts attacking from ABOVE. Several ships are blow up, there’s bombs everywhere. It’s not looking good for the United Forces, guys.

Seriously. He’s cutting a dashing figure, no?

Fighting ensues, and Iroh reveals himself to be…A FIRE BENDER, another clue that I’m sure lots of us didn’t need about his lineage. Then Korra does her avatar thing and water bends out of the bay to take down some airplanes herself. It’s awesome. Iroh is firebending from one of his ships, but its looking mighty dire for the good  guys right now. Amon’s airplanes have basically laid waste to the United Forces’ fleet.

Iroh and Team Avatar wind up back underground at the lair, and fill Iroh in on the excess of SUCKAGE they’ve been dealing with lately, and how Amon is always outsmarting them. Iroh assures them that, if they can clear the way, there are reinforcements. Commander Bumi, Tenzin’s brother, has another fleet and is waiting for General Iroh’s word to swoop in. But in order for those ships to arrive safely, they all decide that those airplanes have GOT to go.

Except Korra says she won’t go with the rest of the team tomorrow to Mr. Sato’s SEKRET airfield. She says she’s going after Amon instead. There’s a little bit of protest, but eventually Mako says he’s going with her. Hoe Cake looks pretty sad guys. Exactly how many nails in the coffin do these two kids need before they break for REAL?

So the two halves of Team Avatar say their farewells the next morning. Mako and Bolin have a crazy sweet moment together. Korra leaves Naga with Bolin. Mako and Hoe Cake have a chat, saying that they care about each other, but it seems bittersweet somehow. Korra nd Mako go off together, with Bolin, Hoe Cake, and Iroh taking off on Naga. Team Avatar is split up for now.

Mako and Korra go to Air Temple Island to go after Amon, but they just miss him and have a close call with another chi-blocker. But they sneak in anyway to wait it out and go to the attic, thinking that will be the safest place to hide. They discover that they aren’t alone up there, though. There’s a prison cell. It is occupied. By Tarrlok. Korra asks him why he’s the only prisoner on the island and he DROPS AN EFFING BOMB LIKE WHOA:

WTF!!!!! TARRLOK AND AMON ARE BROTHERS!!!! WTFFFFFFF!!!

Take a minute to digest. Go ahead. It’s ok.

SO GUYS. The rest of the ep is an INSANELY sad story of familial woe. Turns out that Amon is a water and blood bender from the northern tribe. Tarrlok says he didn’t know Amon was his brother until after he was captured. In a nutshell: Tarrlok and Noatak were sweet boy brothers together. Noatak was protective and fair-minded; Tarrlok was sweet and more gentle. Once their bending started showing it’s face, though, their dad became a Bending Nazi, and over time he began to train them vigorously and forcefully in blood bending, which Noatak took to; Tarrlok did not. Noatak gradually became as powerful a blood bender as their father had once been, maybe more so. Yakkone obviously favored Noatak and his emotionless attitude about blood bending both animals and, eventually, his own brother. Tarrlok bore the brunt of his father’s mean-spirited disapproval. When Yakkone tells the boys his CRAY plan for their future: it will be their duty as his sons to avenge him and retake Republic City and destroy the Avatar. Tarrlok bristles. Yakkone turns on Tarrlok, and in turn, Noatak turns on Yakkone, blood bending him, mouthing off, and disappearing. Things were downhill for the family after that. Eventually, Yakkone died, bitter and horrible as ever.

This is true face of Freaky Face, before he was bad to the bone. He looks so sad.

This revalation gives Korra and Mako the ammo they think they need to turn the Equalists against Amon and overthrow his revolution once and for all. There’s going to be a huge rally at the arena that night, and Korra and Mako decide that this is the best place to call Freaky Face out on his bluff.

Tarrlok urges Korra and Mako to confront Noatak with the truth, and “put an end to this sad story.” He knows that both he and his brother were under their father’s thumb all this time, and were both exacting the vengeance he wished of them, despite Tarrlok’s efforts to do the opposite. Tarrlok at least has the conscience to realize that it’s not the way to go.

Thus ends “Skeletons in the Closet.”

The Lines: “Where does hiroshi find the time to keep inventing new evil machines?!”–Bolin

OMG THAT’S ONLY HALF OF IT.

Season 1, Episode 10

The Skinny: Legend of Korra is absolutely SPEEDING towards its conclusion, friends. So much so that I don’t know how I can possibly call this litte part of my recap “The Skinny” because in reality, it’s more like “The Morbidly Obese.” SO MUCH goes on in each new ep that I can’t help thinking of one word: snowball. But in as short as possible, here’s what’s hanging in the balance for “Turning the Tides”: There’s trouble in Hoe Cake’s paradise, because Mako has basically shown his hand when it comes to his feelings for Korra. He just hasn’t admitted it yet. Korra is recovering from her kidnapping at the hands of Tarrlok, who lost his bending when Amon–AMON!–showed up at his lair where he was keeping Korra and gave him the Thumb of Doom (this is what I call that moment when Amon puts his thumb on bender’s foreheads and saps their bending). War between the Equalists and benders is imminent. As in, it’s basically started already. 

The Setup: I’m going to TRY to keep this as brief as possible but DANG GUYS!! ALL THE THINGS keep happening to Team Avatar and friends! Last week, Korra was kidnapped by Tarrlok and kept in a shack in the mountains. Tarrlok imprisoned Korra in a metal box barely big enough for her to stand in because he’s a giant tool. This fact is solidified when, back in Republic City, he drops a steaming pile of MAD LIES on everyone, saying that Korra was kidnapped by Equalists, who then attacked Tarrlok and left him beaten and unconscious. Beifong hears the news that the Avatar has been taken and goes to bust Mako, Bolin, and Hoe Cake out of jail so that they can all go looking for Korra, albiet in the wrong places. Guys, Mako IS NOT CALM AT ALL about Korra’s abduction. I totally called this, but I’m not bragging (maybe a little). Hoe Cake recognizes his reaction as “OMG, my one true love has been taken from me, but I hope I am not too late to save her so that we can be together forever!”

Back at the shack, Korra has some more visions of Aang that eventually lead her to understand something about Tarrlok: he is the son of a ruined mob boss who could blood bend at will. She’s ruined his plans to run the city that his father lost, and after Team Avatar realizes his lie, he goes to get Korra and run away. BUT THEN AMON SHOWS UP AND RESISTS TARRLOK’S BLOOD BENDING AND TAKES IT AWAY FROM HIM AND THEN TRIES TO TAKE KORRA BUT SHE GETS AWAY. Naga saves her and takes her back to Republic City, and into the wide open, waiting arms of Mako, who looks like he would have literally DIED to save her. Guys, I love them. Onto the next one, folks. 

The Breakdown: Deep breaths. Ok. Guys? This is the episode where BIG SHIZZ happens. We’ve basically been gearing up for what happens this week all season, and the best part is WE STILL GET MORE. I cannot stress to you how amazing these last few episodes have been. Let’s get into it.

The recap this week is basically The Tales of Amon the Evil Freaky Face, and it reminds us of all of his evil-doing, as well as the evil-doing of his minion, Mr. Sato, aka Hoe Cake’s dad. Also, those robots have a name! Who knew? They’re called Mecha tanks. Good to know.

So, Korra is back on Air Temple Island, recovering from her ordeal by sleeping it off. She’s had it rough lately, guys. Mako is sitting at her bedside. GUYS!! He’s watching her sleep in a legit not creepy way and then he does this:

SIGH

OMG I DIE. So sweet. The only poison in the honeypot? Hoe Cake is looking on from the doorway and she looks so heartbroken. Just because I don’t ship her and Mako doesn’t mean that I don’t feel terrible for the girl.

Later that evening at dinner, everyone is glad to have Korra safely back on Air Temple Island. She’s HOUSING some of Pema’s home cooking while Mako sits next to her. While Pema and Hoe Cake start cleaning up, Korra gives Tenzin, Beifong, Mako, and Bolin the 411: Tarrlok is Yakkone’s son, and a blood bender. Or, well, he WAS a blood bender until Amon captured him and took his bending away. Everyone is FREAKED THE EFF OUT that Amon showed up at all and is growing bolder by the minute. This is when Tenzin utters this line that is one of those LOL “Thanks for pointing that out, CAPTAIN OBVIOUS” things when he says he “fears Amon is entering his endgame.” DUH. But true.

In the kitchen, Pema and Hoe Cake are cleaning up when Pema has some pains. Dear Baby Airbender, this is a VERY BAD time to be born. Please slam on the breaks. Thank you. Anyway, Mako comes in to ask for more hot water for Korra’s tea. To be honest, guys, he kind of demands it. Hoe Cake snippily tells him to boil the water himself because he’s a fire bender. Pema leaves the kids to it, and they have THE TALK. Doesn’t go well. Hoe Cake asks Mako if he has feelings for Korra, and Mako basically says that Korra was going through something dangerous and horrible and that OF COURSE he would have worried about anyone in that sitch. Basically avoiding the question by answering a slightly different one. THEN she brings up the kiss, and Mako gets all annoyed/flustered. Mako wants to hold off talking about it further until after all the drama settles, but Hoe Cake says there might not be any relationship to talk about after. Uh oh. And also, YAY!

Mako needs some relationship advice, guys. Here’s mine: It’s OVER with Hoe Cake. Get thee to KORRA!

Friends, one of my FAVORITE things about these last few eps–aside from Makorra, OBVS–is this nice little friendship between Beifong and Tenzin. I love how loyal they are to each other, especially because I don’t get any weird “let’s get back together” vibes from them. Just old friends being badasses together. Tenzin, knowing that he needs to go handle some things with the council, asks Beifong to stay and look after his family. She agrees. This is BEFORE she realizes what this entails, though, and I LOVED and LOLed at the thought of Beifong giving Meelo a bath. HA! HAHAHA!! Those two.

Next we see two people talking. One of them is a council member, who is apparently NOT mute. Two SHADY guys show up at her house and electrocute her, taking her away. Same deal happens to Tenzin as he approaches City Hall, except he gets away like a BAMF. A legit BAMF. Guys, someone is going after the council members. Tarrlok’s aide shows up and tells Tenzin that all of the council members have been taken and that Tenzin is the boss now. WHEW. THEN some of Amon’s airships show up and explosions go off all over the city.

Republic City is under attack. Tarrlok’s aide is MELODRAMATIC to the extreme, guys, and I LOLed a little bit. But still, true. A tragic day indeed.

On the airships we meet up with Mr. Sato, who is super bf’s with Amon now. Mr. Sato is looking at a picture of his family, no doubt fueling his hate for benders by seeing his wife. He says he’s been waiting for this day for a long time. Amon agrees. It’s time for the Equalists to claim Republic City for themselves. BOOM. END GAME IS HAPPENING, friends.

Republic City is in ruins. SAD DAY. Korra and Team Avatar are in the city to help in any way they can. They find their car and things get a little AWKWARD. Mako and Hoe Cake have issues, man. You know things are bad when your girl FORCES you out of shotgun in her car. Dang.

At police headquarters, we’ve got trouble. Attacks everywhere, danger, destruction. The rescue ships the police are trying to call in have been sabotaged. Tenzin shows up and says, “This is a case for the General of the United Forces.” OH MAN! SOUNDS LEGIT. But then things get hairy, and a gas starts coming in through the vents. Amon’s trying to smoke ’em out, yo. They evacuate…and are surrounded by the Mecha tanks. Tenzin tries to withstand them, but all the metal benders are taken, including the Chief of Police, Saikhan. It’s Tenzin vs, like 5 of these things. He holds his own like a BAMF, but eventually he falls and hits his head. The robots descend on him. It’s looking for real DIRE.

But then! Team Avatar shows up, and they take out the robots. Well, Mako gets electrocuted, but somehow withstands it and sends the shocks back to the robot. Guys, HE’S CONTROLLING LIGHTENING HOLY EFF. Bolin and Korra take the rest of them out, while Hoe Cake saves Tenzin with her glove. Seriously. She takes out a gaggle of chi blockers by herself, just as Tenzin is about to be taken away.

Observing from above is Amon and Mr. Sato. Mr Sato is bummed that Hoe Cake is fighting with the benders. Like, “wah, wah, wah, my daughter is fighting for the NONEVIL people. *sad face*” Amon assures him that they’ll capture the benders before long and he’ll have his daughter back soon. DUN DUN DUUUNNN.

AND THEN OMG JUST AS THINGS ARE LOOKING a lit but up, TENZIN AND TEAM AVATAR SEE ONE OF AMON’S AIRSHIPS APPROACHING AIR TEMPLE ISLAND WHERE IT DOCKS AND DROPS OFF CHI BLOCKERS. It’s just some guards, Beifong, the kids, and Pema, who says, “GREAT time to have a baby, I think” and promptly goes into labor. GUYS. OMG. O.M.G.

Air Temple Island is under attack. There’s chi blockers all over the place. Beifond stands there like a MOTHER CUSSING BAMF and goes after a whole crew of them herself. I seriously love her. Meanwhile, Pema is in the early stages of labor. (WORST timing ever.) Beifong is electrocuted and is looking altogether beaten. Until JONORA SAVES HER. THEN IKKI COMES AND HELPS TOO. MEELO, snot nose, takes out a few as well. GUYS, THE KIDS SAVE THE DAY. I die.

Tenzin makes it home and Beifong tells him that the kids saved her and it’s a nice heartwarming moment in the eye of the storm. Because not only did the kids kick ass and take names, Pema has delivered a son, Rohan. (I will henceforth shout “ROHIRRIM!!!” whenever this child is shown/mentioned. I must.) It’s a sweet family scene and I loved it.Until Korra arrives and says that there are more airships coming.

And there are. Tenzin decides that they have no defense anymore. They all need to leave Air Temple Island. Beifong says that she will go with them to protect the last airbenders. Tenzin tells Korra to hide for now, and wait for the United Forces to show up. She bristles, but agrees to stay below the radar. For now. As Tenzin and his family leave, two airships go after them. The rest of the airships descend on Air Temple Island. Korra, Mako, Bolin, and Hoe Cake get on Naga to leave as well. The chi blockers move in on the remaining guards, who are taking one for the team so the Avatar can get away. I can’t lie: This is the SHIZZ that chokes me up, y’all.

WTF NAGA IS AWESOME!!!! OMG I LOVE HER. She leaps like a badass into the sky and takes out a chi blocker. Then she goes under water. Naga.

The airships are gaining on Tenzin and his family. You can almost feel that a MOMENT is upon us, guys. And what do you know: Beifong gives Tenzin and his family a long look, and tells them to keep going no matter what happens to her. She metal bends onto the airships and leaves them. *sniffle* But it’s apparent that she only left them to be a MOTHER EFFING BADASS. She takes one of the airships out with her metal bending, and does a pretty good job on the other one before she’s taken by chi blockers. BEIFONG!! ILY FOREVER. I feel like she’s such a badass that I might have to start writing her name ONLY in CAPSLOCK. BEIFONG. YOU ARE THE BEST. Meelo says that Beifong is his hero. Tenzin and the WHOLE WORLD agrees. GUYS. I AM FULL OF SADS AND WORRY. All of the sacrifice GOT ME.

MOTHER CUSSING BEIFONG

Korra and Team Avatar are in the sewers under Republic City, where they will try to hide this one out a little while.

Beifong is back on Air Temple Island. Amon is there. Saying he’ll take her bending unless she tells him where the Avatar is. She says “NO WAY BASTARD.” I’m seriously welling up and filling with anger right now. Beifong loses her bending. She sacrifices her bending for the Avatar and for Tenzin, her once love. SIGH. BEIFONG!

BUT YO. Here’s where shizz goes to the NEXT LEVEL. The last shot is of the United Forces fleet, where the wire Tenzin sent has finally arrived. A solider shares the news that Republic City is under attack from Equalists, and we pan up to see the General. WHO IS A HOTTIE. I mean, he’s no Mako. But he’s FINE. AND HIS NAME IS GENERAL IROH. HIS VOICE IS PRINCE ZUKO. He says that he’ll go back to Republic City to fight with the Avatar. Guys, this general is totally related to Fire Lord Zuko, but I don’t know how. Son?

Heeeeeeeyyy, Iroh!

I AM NOT CALM AT ALL RIGHT NOW, guys. I am anxious, and excited, and GAAAH!!!

Also, prediction: Iroh + Hoe Cake. Write it down.

So. What do you guys think? Has this not been a KILLER build-up to what is, so far, a KILLER climax?!