And now it’s time to bring our short-but-sweet Contrarian Retrospective of The Legend of Korra to a close with a look at Season Four, the grand finale. Let’s see how it compares to the other seasons, especially the high bar set by the previous one!
Episode One ~ After All These Years
Three years after the previous season, and the fractured Earth Kingdom is almost reunited by Kuvira, who has been dubbed ‘The Great Uniter’ by her steadfast supporters. Bolin is working for her, alongside Varrick and Zhu Li. Mako, meanwhile, is the bodyguard for Prince Wu, who is set to inherit the throne once Kuvira hands authority back over. This outcome seems unlikely, however, given Kuvira’s fierce devotion to her cause of shepherding the Earth Kingdom into a new era.
Continuing in the grand tradition of Korra season premieres, this is a bang-up first episode! A whopping three years have passed since the previous season, and the changes to both the world and our characters has been massive. Also like last season, we waste no time in establishing the central conflict through an incredible introduction season of Kuvira humiliating a group of bandits. This episode also establishes the delicate political climate of the world at large, and the moral questions that will be raised in the episodes to come about ‘how far is too far‘. It’s some very good stuff, capped off with a teaser of Korra all alone in the world.
Rating: 9.5
Episode Two ~ Korra Alone
Korra has steadily worked over the past three years to physically and mentally heal, but her progress has been painstakingly slow. After receiving healing and advice from Katara, Korra heads out on a journey of self-discovery, but keeps finding herself running from a spiritual manifestation of her trauma. All the while, Korra writes letters to convince her friends and family that she is doing okay. Eventually, she is found by the continent’s resident swamp sage, Toph.
I’m of the opinion that protagonists need to work for their character growth and their happy ending. While I am a firm believer in happy endings (barring well-executed exceptions of course), I’m not satisfied if the hero doesn’t go through the wringer. And it’s not out of a desire to see cruelty, but a desire to be inspired by seeing the character be knocked low and yet still rise taller and stronger than ever before. It makes characters feel stronger, more human, more relatable, and better realized.
All that being said, I love this episode, and I love Korra (the character, but obviously also the show). The previous season finale laid her extremely low, and she’s still crawling tooth-and-nail out of the darkness even still. It’s compelling, heart-wrenching, and a shockingly relatable depiction of depression that can hit a little close to home. Very, very good.
Rating: 10
Episode Three ~ The Coronation
In the middle of the coronation of Prince Wu, Kuvira finally makes her power play. She denounces him and the entire monarchy, and establishes herself the leader of the newly christened ‘Earth Empire’. Her supporters applaud, but this decision causes a rift with the other world leaders and with her adoptive mother, Suyin. Meanwhile, Korra begins to handle some tough love from Toph, and Tenzin sends his children out to track down Korra.
I’ve never been the biggest fan of Toph, but I like how she’s portrayed her as the grumpy but knowledgeable old hermit mentor, not unlike Yoda from Episode Five (though trade Yoda’s goofiness for biting sarcasm). Still, the biggest draw of this episode is definitely Kuvira’s grand unveiling of her Earth Empire plan, and the ways in which she verbally engages with her conflicted employee in Bolin, and the frustrations of her adoptive mother, Suyin. She’s just such an infinitely interesting character. Say, maybe someone should write an hour-long blog post about her…
Rating: 9
Episode Four ~ The Calling
Tenzin’s children search for Korra, with Ikki having the chance to come out from her big sister’s shadow by demonstrating her empathy and compassion, and discovering the clue that leads to Korra. Korra, meanwhile, is so touched by reuniting with the children that she agrees to try and let go of her fears to resume being the Avatar, managing to bend the remaining poison out of her body.
This episode is a little bit of a letdown after how hard the previous three episodes have carried the hype, but it isn’t awful. Half of it focuses on some exceptional character moments with Korra and Toph, and the final scene of her bending the remaining mercury out of her body is super good. The half that focuses on Tenzin’s children is less compelling (and a lot of it just has to do with how annoying Meelo is), but I always love seeing Jinora. Ikki (who hasn’t done much this entire show) also gets some awesome and very funny parts here when she successfully befriends some bumbling Earth Empire soldiers who captured her.
Rating: 8
Episode Five ~ Enemy at the Gates
Kuvira’s army surrounds Zaofu, and Suyin refuses to ever accept joining the Earth Empire. Korra tries to broker a peace between the two forces, but is upended when Suyin stages a failed attempt to take Kuvira hostage during the night. Bolin and Varrick jointly realize the extreme methods of their superior, but they are caught before they can flee, and Zhu Li willingly joins Kuvira’s side. In Republic City, Asami begins trying to reconnect with her father, Sato.
So fast you almost get whiplash (and I mean that both as a joke and slightly as a criticism of this season’s pacing) we are launched right back into the thick of things. Kuvira marches on Zaofu, Bolin and Varrick stage an exciting but ultimately unsuccessful escape attempt from their militant supreme leader, and Korra tries her hardest to keep the lid of peace on a pot of political tension bubbling like crazy. It’s a given that whenever Kuvira is onscreen awesome things happen, but the conversations she has with Suyin and Korra in this episode are still notably great. Asami trying to make amends with her father (a person who is wholly in the wrong for their damaged relationship) is a touching plotline too.
Rating: 9
Episode Six ~ The Battle of Zaofu
With no options left but violence, Korra engages Kuvira in a one-on-one duel for the fate of Zaofu. Still grappling with the trauma she’d thought she left behind, Korra is easily goaded into making mistakes, and is soundly defeated by Kuvira. She is rescued by Opal and Jinora, but Kuvira takes Zaofu. While this is happening, Bolin and Varrick hatch a dangerous and nearly deadly escape attempt, and manage to get away from the Earth Empire.
The tension couldn’t keep mounting forever, and it’s here where it finally bursts wide open. Korra and Kuvira’s duel is the centerpiece of this episode, and it’s as excellently choreographed and animated as always (even if it emotionally hurts to see a still-unbalanced Korra lose so painfully). The rescue from Jinora and Opal is great too, and Kuvira’s character work continues to be exceptional. However, the oft-overlooked second half of this episode is pretty fantastic too, with Varrick’s bomb-threat enabling him and Bolin to escape into the woods. It’s a surprisingly tense scene, and one of the usually-wacky man’s rare serious moments.
Rating: 9.5
Episode Seven ~ Reunion
Korra finally reunites with the rest of her cherished friends in Repubic City, but they don’t get long to rest before they have to rescue a kidnapped Prince Wu from Earth Empire spies. Meanwhile, Bolin and Varrick undergo the long trek back to Republic City, fending off Earth Empire soldiers along the way, and befriending some prisoners of one of Kuvira’s reeducation camps. They hitch a ride with them after freeing them.
An episode in three parts, and these parts aren’t quite equal on the quality-scale. Korra having proper reunions with her friends is excellent, and her and Asami get some nice moments in particular. And then the third part, which follows Bolin and Varrick freeing some Earth Empire prisoners through an engaging action scene and some subterfuge, is also entertaining. A prolonged kidnapping set piece with Wu? Not so much, as he’s also a bit of a blight on this season. He gets better from this point on, but he’s pretty rough regardless.
Rating: 8.5
Episode Eight ~ Remembrances
In the same vein as an episode from the original series (and done because of a whole litany of production issues and executive meddling), this episode is mostly a recap clip show. Mako recounts how his failed romantic endeavors have made him a better person, Korra talks about all she’s learned from the villains she’s clashed with, and Varrick humorously summarizes the previous seasons’ threats in the guise of a new movie pitch.
The most infamous episode in the entirety of Korra. 80% of this episode is just re-used clips from the previous seasons with new dialogue commentary from the characters. This episode was done because of cost-cutting from the higher-ups, and with that context in mind, the episode becomes a lot more enjoyable. The creators really did everything they could with what they were given, and this episode has a whole bunch of laugh-out-loud jokes and some touching character beats. Is it a shame it had to be made in the first place? Kinda, but it’s easier to swallow when you know the backstory.
Rating: 8
Episode Nine ~ Beyond the Wilds
The Spirit Wilds in Republic City begin to go crazy thanks to Kuvira’s harvesting efforts, trapping a bunch of citizens in the Spirit World. Korra, burdened by her trauma, is unable to meditate and help, so she seeks the imprisoned Zaheer in hopes that seeing him in chains will help her. Instead, he ends up offering her legitimate advice on how to accept what happened to her and realize how she’s grown beyond, and Korra overcomes her mental barrier to save the trapped citizens. At the same time, Opal hatches a plan to rescue her family from Kuvira.
While I’m not particularly partial to the ‘Spirit Wilds going crazy‘ part of this episode, it’s really just a set-up for the main point. Namely, Korra heading off to visit Zaheer in jail. Their visit is one of the best moments in the entire season (and maybe the whole show), and more than justifies the somewhat flimsy premise. It has always been a treat to see these two characters interact, and so getting them into a room again and in such an emotionally charged state is awesome. There’s a lot of super interesting back-and-forth, and Zaheer once more demonstrates his arresting nuance by helping his former foe move past her trauma and fully re-connect with her Avatar State. It’s very cool stuff, and this episode’s overall quality will not let up for the rest of the season!
Rating: 9.5
Episode Ten ~ Operation Beifong
Opal, Lin, Bolin, and Toph join forces to sneak into Zaofu and rescue Suyin and the others, while also crippling the massive Spirit Cannon that Kuvira has almost finished building. It is also revealed that Zhu Li only pretended to forsake Varrick, and has been sabotaging Kuvira all along. The rescue effort is predictably crazy and fraught with danger, but ultimately successful, and they all make it to safety. Toph and Lin somewhat patch things up.
If you had told me that the single best choreographed fight scene in the entire Avatar series would be in episode ten of Korra Season Four, not even involve the main protagonist, and only be thirty seconds long…I’m not sure what I would’ve thought. But by golly, here it is! Kuvira versus Suyin is so jaw-droppingly amazing that it almost immediately demands multi rewinds to catch it all. Such a great, but way too short, fight scene!
Of course, that’s not all that happens in this episode. There’s plenty of other excellent action too, but there are some character development beats that are real highlights too. Zhu Li standing up to Kuvira is great, Lin and Toph patching their relationship up as best they can is nice, and Opal finally forgiving Bolin is the nice icing on the cake. They are a very underrated couple in this series!
Rating: 10
Episode Eleven ~ Kuvira’s Gambit
Mako and Prince Wu help to evacuate Republic City, while Varrick and Asami finishing constructing assault vehicles. However, plans go awry when Kuvira appears with her new Colossus super mecha, and begins blasting the city in a show of force. Team Avatar capture Kuvira’s fiancé, Baatar, in a bid to get her to stop, but she instead regretfully turns the weapon on him and everyone else, blasting them.
The reveal of Kuvira’s Colossus will never not be just as shocking for viewers as it is for the characters. And yet, for all the bellyaching it gets in certain corners of the Internet, I found it fairly believable. It’s just a bigger version of the already-present mechasuits, after all. Honestly, it’s kinda less crazy than those smaller suits, but that’s neither here nor there.
Kuvira’s assault on Republic City is devastating, but I like the efficiency with which the protagonists plan a counterattack. They don’t let their hopes be crushed in the face of adversity, but instead immediately hit back by capturing Baatar and holding him hostage. Of course, then that leads into Kuvira choosing to eliminate her enemies over saving her fiancé, which is a pretty heartbreaking move for her to make. The cliffhanger explosion at the end is pretty memorable too.
Rating: 9
Episode Twelve ~ Day of the Colossus
The protagonists survive Kuvira’s blast thanks to Bolin, and mount an offensive against the Colossus. With every single trick in their disposal, the team help to slow the mecha down just long enough for Sato to be retrieved from prison to help Asami and Varrick finish their work. The scientists then board the flying craft to try and cut a hole into the Colossus. Varrick and Zhu Li are shot down but survive, but Sato is killed after he ejects Asami and just barely manages to finish creating an opening for Korra’s team.
Most of this episode is dedicated to brave, but ultimately futile, attempts to slow Kuvira’s Colossus down. Despite that, it doesn’t really get boring. The animators and storyboarders behind Korra knew that this was the end of the road, so they really let themselves go wild. The flying Air Nation assault, toppling an entire skyscraper, attacking with geysers of water from the river…it’s all here! It manages to maintain the excitement from start-to-finish, even when it sprinkles in a few character beats too.
Baatar reconnecting with his mother is touching, and obviously Varrick’s marriage proposal to Zhu Li is super sweet. But, obviously, the real shocker is Asami’s father’s death at Kuvira’s hands. It’s a stark change from how he behaved in Season One, and you can see how the intervening years have really caused him to be repentant and eager to make amends. It’s a noble sacrifice, and the one that finally gives our heroes the chance to bring Kuvira’s reign to a close.
Rating: 9.5
Episode Thirteen ~ The Last Stand
Our heroes enter the mecha, and get to work. Lin and Suyin disable the cannon, Mako and Bolin rig the energy generator to explode, and Korra fights Kuvira to a stand-still long enough for the generator to blow. In the rubble, Kuvira tries to flee, but Korra pursues and ends up saving her life when the revived cannon goes out of control. In the Spirit World, the two come to an understanding. In the real world, a third Spirit Portal is opened, Varrick and Zhu Li get married, Wu plans to shift the Earth Nation to a democracy, and Korra and Asami begin dating.
The second Korra episode to get the coveted Contrarian Retrospective 11 score, and deservedly so. It’s the series finale, and it does everything right on its way to ending things on a high note.
The takedown of Kuvira’s Colossus is a major success in storytelling, character work, and cinematography. Lin and Suyin working side-by-side to disable the cannon is pretty epic, and Mako and Bolin disarming the guards and supercharging the reactor is equally awesome. Mako’s near-death sacrifice is a particularly powerful moment backed by the best bit of Korra‘s soundtrack. And then Korra and Kuvira’s intense duel in the cockpit of the Colossus is spectacular, utilizing the close-confines to perfect and unique effect.
I’ve always been a sucker for villains who just won’t quit, so I was thrilled on first watch that Kuvira kept going even after the Colossus falls. And its a good thing she does, too, because the end of her fight with Korra in the woods is amazing, what with Korra entering the Avatar State to save Kuvira’s life and stop the out-of-control cannon. And, as I’ve touched on before, Korra’s final talk with Kuvira in the Spirit World is my second-favorite scene in the entire show. So much great stuff going on there.
Afterwards, it’s just a victory tour! Prince Wu demonstrates surprising maturity with his newly-planned policies for the Earth Nation, Varrick and Zhu Li have a happy wedding, Korra has a touching closing conversation with Tenzin, and then Korra and Asami walk hand-in-hand into the Spirit World for a well-deserved vacation.
The only downside (and it’s an IRL downside, so it doesn’t affect this episode’s score), is lamenting the potential we lost out on. Korra’s entire four-season journey has been discovering how to be an Avatar the world can rely on, and she has now fully and completely come into her own while still carving out a unique niche unlike any Avatar before her. It’s a shame we never got continuing seasons of what Korra could be at her full capability, but at least we did get two comic storylines!
Rating: 11
SEASON CONCLUSION
Yeah, let’s get it out of the way: It’s not as good as Season Three. I’m not sure the creators could’ve done anything to be as good as Season Three. This season has one or two annoying characters, an episode or two that could’ve been made a bit more exciting, and a few other tiny gripes.
But, it’s still an amazing season, and it should speak to just how great it is that it still scores a 9 in my book even with its minor flaws taken into account.
There’s just so much to love here. Major props go to Kuvira for being the most interesting antagonist in the entire Avatar series, and the plotlines in this season are some of the show’s most intriguing and engaging. There’s near-constant amazing character work for everyone from Suyin, to Bolin, to Mako, to Lin, to anyone and everyone in-between. The action might be at its peak too, from the Kuvira v Suyin fight to battling the Colossus. There’s plenty of humor and heart, and the soundtrack is also especially incredible in this season.
So while it might be the slightest of dips from the previous season, it’s no exaggeration to say that this concluding season still ends Korra on a fantastic high note!
Rating: 9
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 