The Legend of Korra Episode 9: Out of the Past

I don’t know if I can love this show any more than I already do.  It just keeps building and building toward a bigger pay off, but revealing just enough details here and there to satisfy our instant gratification needs.  Below is a recap of what happened in Episode 9 Out of the Past and I’ll discuss my thoughts next.  

SPOILERS OF COURSE!

Tarrlock imprisons Korra in a metal cell leaving her in some shack far up in the mountains.  Tenzin gets a call that Korra has been taken by Equalists.  When he goes to City Hall to find out what happened, Tarrlock lies, saying Equalists attacked him and Korra and that he tried to protect Korra but he was unable to.  Lin hears the news and, still injured, suits up and busts Asami, Bolin and Mako out of jail.  While trapped, Korra meditates and finally connects with Aang’s memories.  That means we finally get to hear what a forty year old Aang sounds like!  And Toph still calls him Twinkle Toes!  Anyways, back to business.  We get the arrest and trial of Yakone, a gangster accused of using blood bending, which is illegal, obviously, to intimidate innocent citizens of Republic City.  Lin, along with New Team Avatar, minus one, go to recruit Tenzin to find Korra.  Lin believes that where Korra is, her officers will be there too.  They find a secret network of tunnels used by the Equalists and while inside Mako is unusually worried about Korra and Bolin tells Asami about the kiss between Mako and Korra.  While in the tunnels, Lin senses her officers but no Korra but when they rescue the officers it’s too late, their bending has been taken away.  Mako interrogates an Equalist and they find out they don’t have Korra and they didn’t attack City Hall.  Tenzin realizes Tarrlock was lying and that he has Korra but the Equalists are alerted to New Team Avatar’s presence and there’s a thrilling escape through the tunnels with Lin displaying some really incredible earth and metal bending.

Once they are safe we return to Korra meditating and we see Yakone’s trial, where Sokka is sitting in as a council member on the proceedings.  When Sokka announces Yakone is guilty and sentenced to life in prison, it doesn’t seem to disturb Yakone one bit because he begins to blood bend everyone in the room!  Back to New Team Avatar who confront Tarrlock, who then denies taking Korra, but Tarrlock’s assistant admits seeing Tarrlock take Korra and that Tarrlock is a blood bender.  As Lin and Tenzin attack, Tarrlock blood bends everyone in the room and escapes.  We then return to the flashback where Yakone escapes but Aang, using the Avatar State, is able to overcome Yakone’s blood bending control and after a chase through the streets stops Yakone and finally puts an end to him, by taking away his bending.

Korra realizes Aang was trying to warn her about Tarrlock, who she knows to be Yakone’s son.  That’s when Tarrlock returns and he is not all that happy with these turn of events.  He plans to leave, to start a new life somewhere else and wants to take Korra along as a hostage.  As he goes to make preparations, who should he run into but Amon and his backup singers!

Tarrlock tries blood bending on them but Amon is not affected by it!  Then he goes on to remove Tarrlock’s bending!  Amon orders his chi blocker backup singers to electrocute the metal box Korra is in to subdue her but she’s too clever for them and manages to avoid being electrocuted and once they open the box, she escapes.  Korra is eventually found by Naga who had tracked her down and carries her safely back to Republic City where New Team Avatar find her, bruised and exhausted.

Oh boy, another exciting episode that answered some questions, such as what those flashbacks Korra was experiencing were all about and whether Lin would find her officers.  It also brought up another question: how was Amon able to break free from Tarrlock’s blood bending?  And whether Amon and Tarrlock are related in any way or know each other on a personal level when they were young?  It may not really matter if they are related but perhaps they had been working together but Tarrlock saw his chance to make a break from Amon to further his own ambitions.

In the flashback, when Aang took away Yakone’s bending there was no light display like the one when he took Ozai’s bending away.  After seeing that, it could be said that Amon can truly take away bending since there was no light display when he has done it.  BUT, there is a difference in the placement of their hands.  Aang and Amon both place a thumb on their victim’s (not sure if this is really the right word when Aang does it, but I can’t think of anything else right now) forehead, but Amon places his other hand on the back of their head while Aang places his hand on their chest.  So I think the theory still stands that Amon is using a very good chi block.  Which I think is supported by this:

Sokka telling the story how he defeated Combustion Man (or Sparky Sparky Boom Man, whatever you prefer) by hitting him in the forehead with the boomerang (that always comes back!).  I was rereading a recap last week of a past A:TLA episode regarding the episode of Combustion Man that made me really believe that Amon is just blocking someone’s bending with a unique chi block, the way Combustion Man’s chi was blocked by the boomerang and in an earlier episode, a pebble.  Then we have Sokka here being very specific about the way he defeated Combustion Man.

Over on Republic City Dispatch, someone (don’t remember who) has the theory that Aang has done something to the Avatar State, which could explain why Korra hasn’t achieved it yet.  But I don’t believe this because why would Aang leave Korra defenseless?  Look how it helped him when he was young and in the flashback.  So why hasn’t she achieved the Avatar State yet?  Before Aang fully tapped into and controlled the Avatar State, it was always triggered because he was either angry, his life or the life of others he cared about were in danger.  He was also twelve and a very scared little boy with a huge burden on his shoulders.  Korra is seventeen and quite a formidable young woman who knows herself, is completely confident of her abilities and has been training to be an Avatar in an ideal situation, where Aang returned to a world at war for a hundred years and had a year to learn three other elements and had to defeat Fire Lord Ozai.  There have been moments when it would be useful for Korra to use the Avatar State but when I think about it, she seems to have more control over her emotions in times of stress and is able to get out of situations on her own or where she’s incredibly lucky, like her first encounter with Amon.  So, I think it’s there for her, but it’s just not the time for her to use it and she’s been doing fine on her own without it.  So far.

Some other thoughts, a friend and I were IMing and trying to come up with who Amon could be related to from the original series that would tie them together but also create an epic revelation about him.  We haven’t really come up with anyone yet and we’re leaning towards The Promise graphic novel series that might provide the answer, especially with its removing the Fire Nation colonies from the Earth Kingdom storyline.  And my friend has read Part 2 so she probably sees something more to it than I am right now.

Mako was a little annoying.  Dude, look, we get it, you care for Korra too but you were acting really weird about it in front of Asami, alienating her.  And if Asami turns against Korra and the rest of them because she’s jealous, I will not be happy.  Let’s not go there.

When proofreading the summary I wrote for the episode, I noticed how nicely Yakone’s attack and escape was followed up with Tarrlock’s; just a chip off the old block, isn’t he?

Memorable Moments:

Meelo crawling over a sleeping Tenzin to answer the phone

Lin suiting up

Does she work out?

Lin pulling up Bolin’s fly with metal bending

The moment when Korra bursts through the flames to make her escape

So, only one more episode left, then it’s the one hour finale on June 23rd!

http://www.nick.com/videos/clip/legend-of-korra-finale-extended-saturday-june-23rd-N14915-07.html (fortunately I’ve already trimmed my fingernails so there are none to chew)

Atomic Robo and the Fighting Scientists of Tesladyne

A few weeks ago I read this Cracked article that briefly mentioned Atomic Robo.  The article linked to the Atomic Robo website where I explored and read The Promise which guarantees:

- No angst
- No “cheesecake”
- No reboots
- No filler
- No delays

After reading the rest of The Promise, I was really impressed, especially with the no "cheesecake" and the fact you can pick up any issue and enjoy a fun adventure.  This also sounded like something that I could read and enjoy with Venessa.  I have to say, after picking up and reading Volume 1, Atomic Robo and the Fighting Scientists of Tesladyne, which covers Issues #1-6, I am even more impressed by this comic series.

Now, I'm no comic expert, but I do have some knowledge of storylines and what is out there.  And I do enjoy a good comic/manga series (Elfquest and Fullmetal Alchemist are just two examples).  Lately, I've been reading a lot about the ridiculousness of book covers and comics (two examples can be found here and here), particulary those that focus a lot on T&A, or rather, the impossible body bending way women are drawn/posed to feature their T&A.  I never really noticed it before and the more I’ve read up on it, the more I don’t want to have to deal with it.  It also partly started a few years ago when I gave up on the Sookie Stackhouse and Anita Blake series.  I’m just tired (or maybe a little too old?) of these types of fantasies or having to be subjected to them.  So when I read about Atomic Robo (and especially it's no "cheescake" promise) I had a feeling this was going to be worth investing some time into.

Atomic Robo is the creation of Nikola Tesla, a robot with automatic intelligence and powered with atomic energy.  In exchange for Atomic Robo's help in a top secret military operation, Robo is granted American citizenship and goes on to found Tesladyne, an organization of Action Scientists who then become the go-to task force of all sorts of science-y weirdness.  In Volume 1 we get a series of adventures that pits Robo against his nemesis, Baron Heinrich von Helsingard, for the first time, and where Robo exploits the monologuing villain's weakness.  There’s also a taste of what Robo experiences when a friend passes with a fond recollection of a picture taken of him compared to the thousands of times he's been photographed throughout his career.  We also get a storyline of a two year mission to Mars where Robo finds out there is no reading material on board because Stephen Hawking profiled him incorrectly, leading to Robo spelling out a message in rocks on the surface of Mars letting Stephen Hawking know what he thought of that blunder.

There’s adventures with giant ants where the Action Scientists debate the cause of the mutation while Robo would rather get the job done.

And there’s fun with a steam powered pyramid filled with clockwork mummies, which the Egyptian government would like stopped, but not destroyed so they can research it.

It’s all very episodic, it’s got action, adventure and it’s a lot of fun.  There are moments where it jumps back in forth in time but it’s not confusing.  There’s also some great back and forth dialogue amongst the Action Scientists and a fun camaraderie between them and Robo.

I love the art as well; clean lines, bright colors, nothing confusing about what is going on.  Also, in the copy that I got, there are some B Stories in the back that explore Robo in different styles that are a lot of fun.  I really, really enjoyed these first six issues and I’m looking forward to reading more adventures of Atomic Robo.

Summer In Discworld

Well, I’m still in the middle of the Once Upon A Time Challenge and all is going well.  But that won’t stop me from joining along on another reading challenge.  This one took no second thoughts about participating.  It’s the Summer In Discworld challenge hosted by Tales of the Marvelous.  So you know what that means?


Lots of Discworld!


I’ve already dipped my toe into Terry Pratchett’s Discworld on two occasions, with Snuff and Going Postal, and I’m looking forward to more!  And of course, I am all stocked up so this gives me a good excuse to haul these books out of the bag they've been sitting in since I bought them.


Now, it’s all about having fun and enjoying the experience of this strange flat world that sits on the back of four elephants who stand upon a turtle floating through space.  There will also be a group read for Going Postal, which I recently read and loved and can’t wait to see what others think.  More details can be found here.

I’m a bit late writing this since the reading challenge started on June 1st, but it continues on through August 31st so there is still lots of time to enjoy a silly adventure or two in Ankh-Morpork.  So join along if you can, you won’t regret it!  And don’t forget to check out those who will be taking the plunge as well: http://marveloustales.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/summer-in-discworld-reviews/

P.S.  I'm about 100 pages into Guards! Guards! and it's fabulous!

The Legend of Korra Episode 8: When Extremes Meet

Alright, I’m going to see if I can do this.  I’ve already caught up with sharing my thoughts on The Legend of Korra, Episodes 1 through 7, found here and here.  I’m thinking that each week I’ll include a write up after each episode airs from now on.  I was going to wait until the end of the season but this last episode just had so much going on that I just couldn’t wait and had to comment on it.  If I can handle this I will comment on each episode every Tuesday (as long as the wifi continues to rock, as it has been lately, because I don’t have cable so I watch each new episode online and Nick uploads the new ones on Mondays).  These will be filled with spoilers because I want to talk about it and I can’t do so without revealing everything.  So, what happened in When Extremes Meet...?


A whole lot of awesome, that’s what!

We begin with Asami, Bolin and Mako moving to Air Temple Island. Lin Beifong has stepped down as Chief of Police, Republic City’s new police chief, Saikhan is introduced and he has no backbone and will be reporting directly to Tarrlock, of course.  Tarrlock rattles Korra’s confidence, telling her she’s only a half baked Avatar, which leads to a conversation with Tenzin who urges Korra to meditate on the visions she’s experienced thinking Aang’s spirit is reaching out to her.  Asami, Mako and Bolin help too letting her know they got her back and together they form the New Team Avatar and capture some escaped convicts and chi blockers.  Tarrlock is not happy with Korra going rogue but makes up for it when he introduces a controversial law enforcing a curfew on all non-benders.  When the law is approved by all the council members, except Tenzin, Team Avatar happen upon an “Equalist Rally” of “armed” non-benders and Korra is reminded she is the Avatar to everyone, not just benders.

When Korra tries to intervene, the situation worsens when Tarrlock refuses to listen to reason and has the so-called Equalists rounded up and Asami, Bolin and Mako are arrested.

When the combined efforts of Tenzin and Korra don’t work to get her friends out of jail, Korra goes to face Tarrlock alone.  We get an intense fight between Korra and Tarrlock where we find out Tarrlock is a blood bender and it’s not even a full moon!


Talk about extremes meeting!  Tarrlock is fighting dirty and completely abusing his power not only as a bender but as a council member.  He’s a great villain!  I love how he twists and manipulates things with his words.  It’s exactly the thing Amon is fighting against with the Equalists.  This is not going to turn out well.  And this new law against non-benders is edging very close to Nazi Germany and segregation territory.  This is scary and is very deep stuff for a Nickelodeon show!


Apparently I missed that little detail that blood bending is only possible on a full moon.  So how can Tarrlock do so when it’s not?  And who taught him?  So many questions!  Even in Korra’s flashback the man on trial, Yakone, looks to be using blood bending, even on Aang!  What is going on here?!  


And are the flashbacks a way for Korra to connect with her past lives?  Why hasn’t Korra reached the Avatar State?  Does it have something to do with the blood bending happening in the flashback?  And where is Tarrlock taking her?!


This episode really propels the story forward.  It’s intense and going into a very dark place.  But it’s just creating even more questions!  I love it!


Theory:


Tarrlock could be the son of Yakone.  But what do they want?  A world of only benders?  See more questions!

Memorable Moments:


Meelo flirting with Asami

Ikki asking Asami if she knew that Korra likes Mako and Korra’s reaction

Fart bending.  Gross.

The high speed chase through Republic City and Asami's excellent driving skills on full display and her quick thinking utilizing the benders abilities

Korra’s fight with Tarrlock was intense and they sure beat the hell out of each other

Things are are just going to get even more interesting.  Check out this clip from Episode 9: http://www.nick.com/videos/clip/legend-of-korra-109-find-the-avatar-clip.html  Tarrlock just doesn’t quit!  This gives me goosebumps!  What is he up to?!

Neverwhere Group Read The Conclusion

This is the conclusion to the Neverwhere Group Read which picks up from Chapter 13 and continues on to the end.  (You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.)  There are no questions, just my thoughts on these final chapters and what I think of the characters.  It will still contain spoilers, so proceed with caution if you have not read or finished reading the book.  Also, this is a pretty weak wrap up from me but here it is...

When Chapter 13 begins, Richard has passed the final test of the Black Friars and the key is now in their possession.  All that's left is to give it to the angel Islington.  Along the journey there are betrayals, revelations and a final showdown when Door learns the truth and the angel Islington isn't as nice as he seemed.


I was surprised that it was Islington who had Door’s family killed, leaving her to get the key and open the door that would release him.  His motives make sense but I didn't see it coming.  I haven't decided if that was a good thing or not.  Door must have seen it coming considering she was clever enough to have a copy of the key made as a backup plan if they were betrayed.  But I wish I could care more about her, her journey and finding her sister who is supposedly still alive.  I really have no other feelings for Door.  I didn't find her interesting at all, though I suppose her odd layers of clothes was supposed to make her so.

I am glad the marquis de Carabas survived and he’s up to his usual tricks, now that apparently Door owes him a favor.  I was hoping there was some kind of London Below magic that would bring him back and it did.

I was disappointed with the twist that Hunter was bribed by Croup and Vandemar.  And disappointed again when she faced the beast and was taken down so quickly.  I wasn’t disappointed in Hunter, the character’s choice, just the way it was set up in the story.  I mean, what did she do?  She delivered Door to Islington, which is what they were doing anyways, right?  Islington asked for the key, they were bringing it to him.  I also didn’t like that it was Richard who then killed the beast.  Hunter has been killing strange, mythical creatures all along.  She has the training and the drive and this guy who was crying on a plank kills it?

I don’t know.  It’s been down, up and back down for me with this book.  I honestly haven’t thought much about it after I finished it.  I wish I could have enjoyed it more but there just wasn’t enough there for me to care much for the characters I should have cared for.  And the final scene when Islington’s motives were revealed just felt so dull.  But this comes after finishing Railsea which, to me, had a great conclusion with some great action near the end that had me tense with excitement.  I didn’t get that with Neverwhere.  But this won’t stop me reading more Neil Gaiman.


I've had these up and down experiences when reading the short stories in Fragile Things.   And the way I feel about Neverwhere is the same I way I felt after finishing American Gods.  A friend described that some of Neil Gaiman’s work is like an itch you can’t quite scratch.  I can’t quite put my finger on what it is that makes me not enjoy some of these stories like others can.  But I did enjoy Anansi Boys and look forward to reading Coraline, The Graveyard Book and Stardust in the future.

I also did enjoy reading the thoughts of others who participated in the group read.  For their insight on Neverwhere, check them out here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Conclusion 

Trailer Roundup: The Great Gatsby and Les Misérables

The last few days we were given a treat: Teasers for two movies I’m very excited to see! There was The Great Gatsby and Les Misérables with a first glimpse into two very remarkable movies with very remarkable and devoted fans of the source material.  Let's take a look! 

The Great Gatsby

   

I like it. A lot. But of course I do because I’m a fan of Baz Luhrmann and his Spectacular Spectacular-ness! I’ve seen rumblings on the internet about why 3-D. Why not? Why can’t we have something in 3-D that’s not blowing up in our face? I want to be enveloped in the Roaring Twenties in all its extravagant and emotional glory. My only issue is Tobey Maguire’s narration. He wasn’t very good at it in Spiderman and it’s just not working for me here in this trailer. Plus I watched about ten minutes of Ride with the Devil. It wasn’t a very good ten minutes. I may be more kinder than some when it comes to this trailer but then, the last time I read this book was in high school so I only remember the basic plot of the story so all that deep stuff we discussed has been long forgotten and I’m all about the pretty right now with this trailer.

Les Misérables

   

I only know of this from listening to the 10th Anniversary Concert (having recorded in off of PBS and waiting through their ridiculously long breaks) and listening to my Les Mis CD about a hundred times. I’ve never seen it on stage or read the book, so I’m really excited about seeing a fully realized setting to the songs I know and love. Seeing Hugh Jackman and Russell Crow as Jean Valjean and Javert is just incredible! I know Russell Crow can rock the period costume after watching him in Master and Commander. I've never heard him sing before so that will be interesting. I’ve heard Hugh Jackman sing when he hosted the Academy Awards and his brilliant routine with Neil Patrick Harris. He makes me smile the way Gene Kelly does. He’s so natural and he looks good in this movie. Anne Hathaway, who is singing in this trailer brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Her voice is a little wobbly, a bit weak (but then I’ve been listening to Ruthie Henshall the whole time as Fantine) but I feel something, I feel Fantine’s pain and desperation. That’s a good thing! And then I did read they are singing live on set so...

What do you think?

Neverwhere Group Read Part 2

It’s time for Part 2 of the Neverwhere group read.  This part covers chapters 6 through 12 (I forgot to mention that part 1 covered the prologue through chapter 5).  So what has happened since then?  Spoilers below …

Richard, having nowhere to go, is accompanying Door, her guard Hunter, through the underworld of London.  Door finds the angel, Islington, who instructs her to get a key from the Black Friars.  While those three are on the quest for the key, the Marquis is on a quest of his own; a quest for information that leads him into trouble.

So, let’s get started with the group read questions!

1.  Chapter 6 begins with Richard chanting the mantra, "I want to go home".  How do you feel about Richard and his reactions at this point to the unexpected adventure he finds himself on?
It is expected from someone who led such a quiet, stable life.  He still has a lot of growing up to do but I suppose he’s getting there and he’s not as whiny as he was after completing the last test of the Black Friars.  But I just haven’t been able to quite connect with him just yet.

2.  The Marquis de Carabas was even more mysterious and cagey during the first part of this week's reading.  What were your reactions to him/thoughts about him as you followed his activities?
I didn’t trust him at all, especially when I found him meeting up with Croup and Vandemar.  I was thinking, “Don’t you dare turn against Door!”  Then it turns out he was there to get information from them for Door!  I like him a lot now.

3.  How did you feel about the Ordeal of the Key?
I think it was fairly obvious Richard would get through the last test.  I read through it not taking much of it in.  Like I said, I haven’t really connected with him yet so I just wanted to get through his part of the test as quickly as possible.

And this whole thing felt so much like The Matrix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, test/revelations occurring on a train platform.  The bad thing is that those events happened after this book was published!  But those are movies and each have had a bigger impact with me so I know them so well that when I get to this part in the book I’m a snob and sigh and roll my eyes thinking to myself that I’ve been there done that all before.  I know, I know, I really shouldn’t be like that.

4.  This section of the book is filled with moments.  Small, sometimes quite significant, moments that pass within a few pages but stick with you.  What are one or two of these that you haven't discussed yet that stood out to you, or that you particularly enjoyed.
I liked the moment when Old Bailey realized the Marquis was in trouble.  I hope they get to him in time!

5.  Any other things/ideas that you want to talk about from this section of the book?
Ok, I am kind of curious about the key and what it’s for and what the Black Friars are going to do now without the key because they seemed pretty distraught, in a subdued, friar-ish way, about losing it.   I also found Serpentine interesting and I’d like to hear more about the Seven Sisters.

Well, so far I’m on Team Hunter and Marquis de Carabas.  They got some moments where we got to know them better and that was nice.  Door is just there.  I hope she finds out what happened to her family but she has no personality to me.  Richard is the same for me.  He’s just there and I’m waiting to see that spark from him that shows he’s a stronger person.  I guess him getting through the Ordeal of the Key was it, but it didn’t feel like enough for me.  I also found I liked Croup and Vandemar more in these chapters.  I laughed when Croup got upset that they were not allowed to do what they’re good at and ran through a list of their greatest hits.  I like how they completely ignored their agreement with the Marquis.  I hope he’ll be alright in the end but I kind of love that they just don’t care.

Overall, I had a much more enjoyable time with these chapters then the first five, so onward to the end!  And I want to thank everyone who commented on part 1.  It wasn't all that cheerful and I really appreciated the encouragement and insight.

The Legend Of Korra Episodes 2-7

Yeah, what that says.


The Legend Of Korra just gets better with each episode.  More and more fun and revelations propelling the plot forward at a great pace, revealing just enough for those OMG moments but still leaving you guessing.   It’s also been doing a great job with character and story development with loving tributes to The Last Airbender and great action.  I find myself edging closer and closer to the screen with each episode and grabbing Venessa’s arm with excitement!  Now for a quick recap of episodes 2-7 and my thoughts.  Lots and lots of thoughts of course!

SPOILERY BELOW!

Ep. 2 A Leaf in the Wind
Korra begins her airbending training, and learns a little Pro-bending along the way.


We get to see airbending training at last!  Except Korra’s not all that good at it.  But that’s okay because she joins a Pro-bending team.  And she’s not all that good at it either.  Kidding!  She just needed to learn the rules and she learned them the hard way.  But Tenzin realizes this is probably what she needs to help with her airbending training.

Be the leaf, Korra!

This is when Korra meets brothers Mako and Bolin.  Bolin immediately has the hots for Korra, but Korra has eyes for Mako.  I’m sure you can guess where this will lead...


Ep. 3 The Revelation
Bolin is taken by Equalists and Mako turns to Korra for help to find him and together they discover just what Amon is capable of.

It's Zuko!

Gangsters in Republic City were introduced in Episode 1 when they were tormenting a shop owner and Korra stepped in to teach them a lesson.  But I didn’t notice any of their names until this episode.  There was Shady Shin and Lightning Bolt Zolt!  And let’s not forget the gang names: Triple Threats!  Red Monsoons!  Agni Kai!  And a Turf war brewing!  I love it!  But it didn’t last long because...


Dun dun dunnnnnn... we learn part of Amon’s plan and it’s not just incapacitating benders with chi blocking.  He can take their bending away!  So far as we know, only the Avatar can do so.  How is this possible?!

But if I got to ride around on a motorcycle like that, I'd be a chi blocker too

Ep. 4 The Voice in the Night
Korra joins a task force to stop the Equalist movement which leads to a frightening encounter with leader, Amon.


Tarrlok is part of the Republic City Council and tricks Korra to join the task force.  He is so sleazy.  I like it.  And who is this Yakone?  What did he do 42 years ago?  I must know!


We find that Bolin is the nicer of the two brothers and thanks Korra for saving him with a nice gesture of a cupcake and a flower.  And he’s not afraid to admit how scared he was.  Then we find out Mako is a gold digger.  Did you notice how self centered he was in this episode?  At dinner with Asami, he didn’t even ask anything about her.  It was all just him him him.  He didn’t even try to deflect it.  Then when he found who Asami’s father is... don’t even get me started.


And poor Korra!  That would be a frightening encounter with Amon all alone.  The flashbacks!  What are these about?!


Ep. 5 The Spirit of Competition
A lesson in why dating a teammate is never a good idea.


Teammates kiss and reveal their true feelings!  And Mako shows his true colors.  I’m really not liking him much.  And it was clear when Korra was hanging out with Bolin it was just as friends.  Bolin was trying to rush things a bit and got swept up in his emotions.  But I have to say, while over the top, him crying after seeing Korra and Mako kiss was both funny and sad.  Poor guy.  And you are right, Korra, it was not your fault.  If Mako did have feelings for you, he should have acted on them, instead of brushing you off.  What was Korra supposed to do, Mako?  Go home and mope for you?  I don't think so.  She went to hang out with Bolin.  So what?  They are friends.


Mako: I told you dating a teammate was a bad idea.
Bolin: You’re a bad idea!


Too true, Bolin.


It’s funny.  Mako blames Korra, yet Bolin blames Mako for the kiss.  I wonder... has Mako’s Mysterious Loner Dude (Credit for this belongs to FYA) persona attracted a lady or two away from Bolin? 


Ep. 6 And The Winner Is...
It’s the Pro-bending finals and it’s explosive!


Oh my goodness, so good!  The tournament was great and I was literally on the edge of my seat.  This game needs to be real!  It’s almost as exciting as the Quidditch games we got in the Harry Potter movies.  Then, THEN, the Equalists attacked and gah, it was awesome and I kept waiting for Korra to go into the Avatar State but it didn’t happen and I was bummed but her fighting alongside Lin Beifong was AMAZING!  This show just gets better!  And more flashbacks!  (And lots of exclamation points!)  I NEED to know what these flashbacks are about!  Toph seemed very upset about something in them and Aang was about to lay down the law.  I NEED TO KNOW!!!!!


And how is Amon able to take away bending?!  I’m getting impatient here!!!!!


Ep. 7 The Aftermath
Korra suspects Hiroshi Sato of Equalist sympathies.


Another exciting episode.  I still believe Mako is very self centered, thinking Korra is jealous of him and Asami and that would be the only reason she would suspect Asami’s father for Equalist leanings.  Ha, right back at you Mako!  Korra was RIGHT!  Women are always right, of course.  When will men learn this?  I swear, Mako is so frustrating, but him and Bolin working together so they weren't stuck at the kids table was cute.  Mostly because of Bolin and how genuinely nice that guy is.


I really like that Korra and Asami are getting to know each other... over car racing!: http://republiccitydispatch.com/post/23413464627/though-an-equalist-glove-she-did-don-asami-is-not (I love that M.I.A. song)


Now I’m about to drop some very complex math equations on you (not really):


Lin +Tenzin + Korra  + fighting together = AWESOME


And now Lin is going rogue! OH. MY. GOD.  I may resort to nail chewing.

Favorite moments/thoughts:

Love the old timey news reel recaps in the beginning.


And I always wait to watch the end credits because the music is so beautiful and soothing.


And shots like this!:

Air Temple Island

I mentioned how I’m looking forward to Korra entering the Avatar State but I forgot to mention her communicating with her past lives.  This will be a great opportunity for us to see Aang!


Interesting situation with the flashbacks Korra had.  How were they triggered?  Something like that never happened to Aang.  He was usually in the Avatar State or in the Spirit World when it did but he relived events and they didn't look like the quick flashes of memory Korra was seeing.  Is it some new secret of the Avatars that we haven’t seen or explored yet?  What what what?!  I’m dying to know!


Bolin was pretty grateful to Korra for saving him from Amon, which was really sweet.  But where was Mako?  Did he even say thank you to Korra after she helped him find Bolin?


I rewatched some episodes over again and I have to say I’m not all impressed with Mako or Bolin’s bending.  It seems weak, especially comparing Mako and Zuko, who at the time of A:TLA and LoK, are close in age, but Zuko always seemed more powerful.  Maybe because Zuko was so angry all the time?  But compare Bolin and Haru (I wouldn’t dare try to compare him to other earth benders like Toph or Bumi, that wouldn’t be fair), Haru’s bending looked more powerful as well.  I mean, the street fights between Mako and Korra against the chi blockers are fun and exciting, but I think most of the excitement comes from the motorcycles riding through the streets, not any earth or fire bending going on.   I mean, go back and look at the Agni Kai of Zuko and Zhao, then of Zuko and Azula; those were great!  But it could be that Mako and Bolin have to hold back during the pro-bending matches, and again Mako and Korra are holding back because, even if a chi blocker can fight back, they are not benders.


Also, during the re-watch, I realized that the two times Amon is shown taking a benders power away it’s not very dramatic.  He places his thumb between their eyes and that’s it, their power is gone.  When Aang took Fire Lord Ozai’s power, there was a fantastic light display.  This could have been because Aang was in the Avatar State, but I’m suspecting that Amon has found a way to permanently block the power through chi blocking, or rather Amon can block their chakra.  Tahno has gone to many healers who have told him it’s permanent.  But look at him.  He’s got dark circles under his eyes and he just seems to have no energy.  Of course he's depressed but I think it's because his power is blocked, it’s stagnating and eating him up from the inside.  A healer may not be able to help because maybe the people of Republic City have forgotten their spiritual side.  And maybe they haven’t realized it’s not going to take the type of healing they are used to but someone like Guru Pathik who led Aang to unblock his seven chakras.  Or maybe spirit water and a healer like Katara might help.  She was able to revive Aang after he was hit by Azula’s lightning bolt while in the Avatar State and he was technically dead.


http://republiccitydispatch.com/post/23296154935/about-korras-flashbacks-a-theory-i-had-was-that <- THIS.  I find this theory interesting.  What if Aang did do something to bury the Avatar State?  I am very fascinated by this.


Well that’s it so far.  It looks like there will be no new episode Saturday so in the meantime I think I’m going to listen to Bad Girls on an endless loop.


More fun discussions can be found here: http://korranation.tumblr.com/ or this one: http://republiccitydispatch.com/Episodes


And for some really good in depth recaps go here: http://amayirotakago.wordpress.com/

Did I mention how much I love this show?

Neverwhere Group Read Part 1

The Once Upon A Time Challenge is still going strong and it is time for the Neverwhere group read I signed on to participate in.


In Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, Richard Mayhew’s life is turned upside down after stopping to help a bleeding girl on the sidewalk.  He is thrust into a world he never knew existed in the underground tunnels of London where magic and danger thrive.


Below are questions in bold for the group read and my answers follow.  The questions do not contain spoilers but my answers could so proceed with caution.


1.  What do you think of our two villains thus far, Messrs. Croup and Vandemar? 
Standard stock villains with no soul who seem to have no limits, except finding everyone else but who they’re supposed to kill.  I mean, why did they waste time on that Varney guy when they could have continued tracking Door on their own?


2.  Thus far we've had a small taste of London Below and of the people who inhabit it.  What do you think of this world, this space that lies within or somewhat overlaps the space the "real world" occupies?
It makes me think of fandoms and how the internet has enabled people who feel they don’t belong find each other and create their own space to belong to.


3.  What ideas or themes are you seeing in these first 5 chapters of Neverwhere?  Are there any that you are particularly drawn to?
So far just that people need a place to belong to.  That’s all I can think of right now.  I’m just not into analyzing it much, as you will see at the end of this post.


4.  We've met a number of secondary characters in the novel, who has grabbed your attention and why?
The Hunter.  She seems no-nonsense, can take care of herself and I imagined her as Gina Torres and I have a girl crush on her.


5.  As you consider the Floating Market, what kind of things does your imagination conjure up? What would you hope to find, or what would you be looking for, at the Market?
It makes me think of flea markets.  Not the fancy ones you only see on TV where some interior designer is going “bargain hunting” but the real flea markets where you have to dig through piles of dirty, broken stuff to find lost treasure and hope you don’t need a tetanus shot after.  Like some of the places those American Picker guys dig through.


6.  If you haven't already answered it in the questions above, what are your overall impressions of the book to this point?
I don’t know.  It hasn’t grabbed me yet.  I feels similar, like I’ve seen or read it before such as in Anansi Boys and American Gods: Your plain ol’ average Joe being led through some mystical world he knows  nothing about.


So far, I’m only reading this book for the group read, not because I want to.  I keep counting the pages to see when a chapter ends so I know when I can get back to another book I’m reading.  I’m finding I enjoyed reading about what’s going on under London in this book I read earlier this year.  I hope this changes soon because I want to enjoy Neverwhere but so far I’m not and that's why my answers are so short and lackadaisical.

Storytime With Venessa: The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester

Piper McCloud can fly!  But not everyone in Lowland County is as excited  about that as Piper is.  After causing a sensation with a fantastic display of her abilities, Piper is approached by Dr. Letitia Hellion, who runs I.N.S.A.N.E, an institute for children with extraordinary abilities like Piper.  Piper doesn't want to leave her ma and pa, but believes this is for the best.  She will be with other kids just like her, she might even be able to make friends!  Piper settles in at her new school but it takes time to learn the rules and put up with the light hazing from the other students.  But as Piper gets to know the other children, adapts to the rigorous schedule, it doesn't seem so bad.  In fact, she's starting to enjoy it, especially now that she's making friends.  But there is something sinister going on and Piper discovers they are not safe at I.N.S.A.N.E.


The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester is another great book Venessa and I read together.  As usual we have a video review with Venessa and my thoughts will follow.  V was a little impatient (she's been into MythBusters lately and we've been watching it on Netflix) so the video is not too long.  

My thoughts: I really like this book.  Piper is such a wonderful, strong and determined young lady.  She's kind but is not a push over.  I really liked the way her relationship with Conrad, the local genius at I.N.S.A.N.E., developed.  They were enemies but when Piper learned the truth about him, they banded together and became great friends.

There are some pretty harsh moments in this book. Some physical and emotional torture happens.  It's intense, but when I think about it, it's nothing different then what I've seen on Avatar: The Last Airbender.  I think it helps to generate conversation with your kids about people and their motives and most importantly, being true to yourself no matter what.

This book is very easy to read aloud but there's a lot of emotion going on and there were a couple of times where I was tearing up.  That don't help when you're reading aloud!  My one critique are the abilities of the children.  They are the usual flying, telekinesis, weather manipulation, etc. that you've seen in X-Men.  BUT, it's still a really enjoyable book because there are some very moving and surprising moments, such as the real motives of Dr. Hellion and that the children are not the only ones with amazing powers.  The end is left slightly open for a possible sequel.  I haven't read if there will be one or not but it ends in a way where you can let your imagination do the rest if there isn't, which I think is great.