2x04 Civil Wars (2)

[7.0/10] So here’s the problem with this one for me -- Korra’s realization that Unalaq is a bad dude has next to no force since that’s been clear from pretty much the season premiere, and feels like it should have been clearer to Korra earlier too. The show wants to suggest that she’s blinded by the feeling that her parents and prior support system have been limiting her while Unalaq’s showed faith in her, but alarm bells should have been sounding much earlier, and how much she’s willing to not only trust but go along with a guy who’s obviously up to no good means her eventually turn against Unalaq is a “finally!” moment not one of earned catharsis.

Still, the scene where she interrogates the crooked judge is a keeper. Using Naga as a potential guillotine is a novel use of the polar beardog and genuinely kind of scary. The show trial is mildly harrowing when the death sentence comes down, though again, Unalaq speaking out publicly to commute their sentences is such an obvious ploy that it too lacks much force. That said, we at least get a cool action scene out of the deal, with Team Avatar 2.0’s great escape and rescue with Varrick’s ship, and the prospect of meeting the President of the New Republic has a certain amount of intrigue to it too.

I liked the story with Tenzin and Ikki better, if only because it was sort of sweet (and I’m a sucker for baby sky bison), but it’s message was pretty blunt and trite. Still, J.K. Simmons is an absolute pro and knows how to sell the material, and however heavy-handed it’s delivered, the notion of Tenzin understanding his relationship with his siblings better through understanding his daughter’s relationship with hers is a nice choice. Bumi’s scene in front of his dad’s statue is a real winner, and the Aang-Katara offspring’s reconciliation, where Tenzin admits he may have been so concerned with upholding his dad’s legacy that he missed his failings, it a good finish.

The Bolin-Eske stuff was too much for me this time though. The creepy controlling weirdo paramour material is fine as an occasional comedic sideshow, but the comedy was really broad, and we just got too much of it. Eske as a woman scorned chasing after the boat in particular was too cheesy for my tastes.

Overall, still a decent close of this mini-arc of the show, hopefully leading to Team Avatar reuniting with The Offspraang to settle this fight at some point.