Review: Legend of Korra “Rebirth”

How is Korra dealing with the reemergence of airbending? The better question is, how are the new airbenders dealing with it?

Spoilers Below!

Asami flies an airship Air Temple Island for the exiled Korra, and the rest of her team. Mako brought a map to her, for all of the reports of the airbenders on the way to Ba Sing Se. Korra tries to sweet talk Mako into going with them, but it doesn’t work. Tenzin’s younger kids want to go with, but they can’t, and they’re upset. That is, until they’re told they can be teachers to the new airbenders. Bolin chases down Mako, and tells them that they’re going to Ba Sing Se. Then uses the Grandmother card which gets Mako in. Let’s put how massive this airship is in perspective: Both an air bison and Naga are up on deck, with ample room to roam, and the cabin is as big as a cathedral hall.

We catch a glimpse of a prison out in the middle of the ocean. It turns out that Zaheer plans to attack and break out his friend. The White Lotus members are dispatched with ease, especially when the fire bender gets some rocks. The firebender is named Gahzan, and he’s surprised by Zaheer’s new abilities as well. You can thank Harmonic Convergence for that. Operation: Restore Airbending is in full swing as Team Korra touches down in their first village. Tenzin pushes the business quickly, wanting to meet the new airbender. Kuon doesn’t have a handle on his new powers, but doesn’t want to leave his family. They are poor, and need him to farm. Tenzin’s lack of people skills shine here, where his desire to rebuild the airbenders, and he doesn’t realize that Kuon needs to tend to his family.

The first defeat doesn’t hurt Tenzin very much, but the next bunch start to wear on him. They get to the next village, and they knock on the door. The mother wants to get her kid out of the basement, and to figure his life out. She wants Ryu out in the worst way. This guy must be the writer’s response to an internet troll, because he looks like one. Sloppy clothes, unimpressed demeanor, and hating everything all adds up to a troll. This is Korra’s. Actually, he kind of sounds like Napoleon Dynamite. Korra is showing some tough love, until Ryu gets under her skin. Mother wants him to go, but he airbends away from Korra, while Bolin and Mako pull her away.

At the next prison, Zaheer and Gahzan look to get another one of their mates out. The woman has no arms, but when Zaheer breaks a keg of water, she gets water arms, and goes ham on the White Lotus guards. That was something I didn’t notice before. Her name is Ming-Hua, and kills it as a waterbender. Back at the ship, Bumi tells the gang that they should do an airbending show.

The group is so defeated, that they are willing to try anything. Bolin works as the emcee, and Tenzin is the opening attraction. For an older dude, this dude is jacked. Not old person jacked,but real, should be a UFC fighter jacked. Mako plays the role of a firebending villain, that is defeated by Korra. Then Bumi and Jinora take a bit of time to showcase their abilities. The crowd disperses, but one, who wants to join. He seems a little eager to leave. His name is Kai, who tells them about his parents. They were killed, when bandits attacked him.

As they board the air ship, guys on motorcycles show up. They want the boy released. Kai says they’re the outlaws, which spurs Korra to defend him. They turn out to be law enforcement, and Kai is really an outlaw. He was an orphan, and stole the life savings of the family who adopted him. Korra wants him anyway, but Tenzin has to be talked into it.Seems like everyone is on board with the plan, except Mako. It seems like Jinora is smitten with Kai, and that doesn’t seem like a good thing.

And another moment that he fans have been waiting for has come as well. Fire Lord Zuko finally makes his appearance in Legend of Korra, as he investigates the prison break in his land. He gets the news that Zaheer is an airbender now, and Zuko is pissed. He hops on his dragon of badassery, and flies off to the Northern Water Tribe, to try and stop an attack on their prison.

If I were Zuko flying off, I’d be singing, that tune from Office Space. You know, it goes “Damn, it feels good to be a gangsta.” Only real gangsters can fly on a damn dragon in this show. And this dragon looks even more badass than when we saw it in The Last Airbender, because it aged about 85 or so years.

My initial reaction to Kai is that he is a little shit, and will cause a lot of problems to Team Korra. I feel like he’s going to play the part where he is captured by one of the villains, and then he turns around. I don’t buy his sudden turn at all. Korra took a bit of a back seat in this episode, but it didn’t take the foot off the gas pedal. There has been a lot going on, and a lot of it kept my interest. This season is off to an explosive start. I can’t wait for the next episode.