1.3 Civil Wars Part 2 Let’s get this out of the way: I don’t care for Bolin’s romance storyline. After his affection for Korra was played as a joke last year (even his heartbreak upon finding her kissing Mako was over-the-top and played for laughs), I’d have hoped that if Bolin ever had another love interest, it would be…well, not serious, because this is Bolin we’re talking about, but respectful. Watching him being literally treated like a pack mule and threatened with various gory punishments if he ends the relationship isn’t funny to me; it’s just gross and uncomfortable and I hope it’s over soon. But moving on to what did work this week. Korra’s tightrope walk between her loyalty to the Southern Water Tribe, her duties as the Avatar, and her love for her family is believable and interesting. What’s more, it’s a storyline we never could’ve had in AtLA, due to the fact that Aang’s culture and family were gone. That’s what Legend of Korra should exist to do: tell us stories that were impossible in its predecessor in order to further build the rich tapestry of the Avatar universe. And while I do think Korra’s angst can get to be a little much sometimes, it’s not out of character or unbelievable, given the situation she’s in. I would happily watch a series of just Aang’s children (with occasional guest appearances by Katara when they visit their dear mom) because they give us so many insights into the “epilogue” of AtLA. So naturally, any episode of Korra that manages this is going to be an instant favorite. Overall, the episode was imperfect, but definitely entertaining. But what I want to leave you with this week is something I’ve been thinking about since the season premiere: Korra isn’t an easy character to like, and it got me thinking of other examples of her character type. Headstrong, stubborn, physical, easily angered, often violent… every example I could think of was male. Can you think of other female characters who fit her type? Is the “newness” and “uniqueness” of her character not anything about her personality, but simply the fact that said personality has been assigned to a girl? (Sort of the way Toph was originally written to be a large burly male but then changed to be a small blind girl… with absolutely no alteration to her personality.) Let’s talk about it in the comments this week! Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
