Wow, we’re 7 episodes in already?  Feels like barely anything has happened at all!

The search for more Airbenders continues, as does the search to complete  Reverse Team Avatar.  But first, how’s Kai doing?

As it turns out, the Airbenders being held prisoner by the Dai Li are NOT being hypnotized as I expected, meaning the ONLY possible way to control this regiment is to train them just strong enough to be useful while still being weak enough to be overpowered by the Dai Li.

That is fucking stupid.

Meanwhile, in a completely different prison, Reverse Team Avatar is busy trying to free the final member of their team.

The combined forces of Zuko, Tonraq, Eska and Desna is no match for them, and they successfully break Combustion Woman free.

And then she and Zaheer make out.

Mako and Bolin finally make their way back up to the upper ring and let Korra and Co. know about the Earth Queen’s plot.  Mako suggests they scout out Lake Laogai for the imprisoned Airbenders, and Jinora uses astral projection to find out… that Lake Laogai is completely flooded.  Whoops.  But then Korra figures that the same way Jinora found Korra by using their spiritual connection, Jinora should be able to find Kai using their connection.  That connection?  Being the two youngest members of their team.

Seriously, they barely know each other!  So far all we’ve seen is Jinora crushing on Kai and Kai complementing her on being awesome because Jinora is awesome.  What the hell kind of spiritual connection could they have?!

So anyway, yeah, it works.

Jinora finds out that Kai and the other Airbenders are being held under the Earth Queen’s palace.  Before the team goes to rescue them, Lin arrives and tells Tenzin that Reverse Team Avatar has escaped.  Oh, and they were imprisoned because they planned to kidnap Korra soon after she was discovered to be the Avatar.

Well, one crisis at a time.  First, freeing the Airbenders.

The Airbenders and Kai are freed, and they of course use their Airbending to aid in their escape, again proving that the Dai Li did not think this through.  Oh, and of course, just before they escape, the Earth Queen herself shows up and warns the Avatar that taking those Airbenders away will be an act of war.  Because… they kinda are technically still Earth Kingdom citizens.

Anyway, once they land in a safe place, they are given the choice to be relocated and start new lives away from the Earth Kingdom or to join Tenzin in the Northern Air Temple and become Air Nomads… AKA be relocated and start new lives away from the Earth Kingdom.  They choose the later, and Tenzin is moved to tears.

Next episode!

Korra receives word that an Airbender has appeared in Zaofu, the home of the Metal Clan and the safest place on the planet.  Yeah, that’s not tempting fate in the least.  And to further slap you in the face with how great this city is, we’re shown cut after cut of gorgeous scenery.

Lin refuses to step foot off the airship and informs Korra not to tell anyone she’s there.  It becomes blatantly obvious why once the gang meets Suyin, the mother of the new Airbender.

Yes, it turns out Suyin is Lin’s half-sister.  Same mother, different fathers.  Turns out, Toph got around.

Lin and Suyin don’t get along very well, though it seems to be especially sour from Lin’s side.

Anyway, the new Airbender’s name is Opal, and…

So yeah… Opal is unbearably cute.  No doubt due to her being the unholy lovechild of Rei Ayanami and Aoi Sakuraba.

Opal isn’t allowed to leave the confines of Zaofu, so Korra tutors her a bit and finds Opal is a natural at Airbending.

By the way, have I mentioned how Zaofu is the safest place on the planet?

Out of bloody nowhere, we also learn that Varrick and Zhu Li are in Zaofu.

While all of this is going on, a new guy appears at Air Temple Island, and musical and camera cues let us know he’s evil.

He has some time to show off and lets on that he knows so much more about Airbending than he ought to.  Kya figures out he’s really Zaheer, and he makes his escape.

And for some reason, the episode decides to end with Lin snapping at Opal, who just wants to know her aunt better.  Thrilling.

Next episode!

Um… Varrick is really into mastering a magnets for some reason.  For real.

Also, if Varrick is Magneto, and Tenzin is Professor X, does that mean they’re going to fight?  Ooh!  And that gives me an idea.  Reverse Team Avatar, you are now known as the Brotherhood of Evil Benders.

Anyway, pretty much this entire episode is about Lin working through her resentment of Suyin.  Through acupuncture!

So, we get a glimpse into the past.  Lin followed Toph’s footsteps and became a cop.  She also used older sibling power to berate her younger sister for wasting her life hanging around shifty troublemaking guys.  And I assume drugs, but hey, this is a Nick cartoon.

Meanwhile, Suyin teaches Korra how to Metalbend using meteorite.

It also turns out that Bolin once aspired to become a Metalbender as a kid and, after a talk with Opal (they kinda spontaneously have a thing for each other in a lazy and unrealistic Sokka/Yue kind of way) decides to suck it up and ask Suyin to teach him Metalbending as well.

Back to Lin’s treatment, we learn that Lin responded to a crime and Suyin was involved as the getaway driver.  Lin was forced to arrest her, and Suyin broke free, accidentally giving Lin her cheek scar.  Toph chastised both of them, then tore up Suyin’s arrest record.  Apparently, Suyin suffering no repercussions for her actions nagged Lin for… huh… I’m gonna guess… 30 years?

Lin decides that she and Suyin need to sort things out the only way siblings know: by fighting.

The fight ends the only logical way: with another family member breaking it up because the fighters are being immature brats.

After Lin calms down, she has a talk with Opal and gives her some advice about following her heart the same way Toph wanted her children to.  So Opal decides to be a proper Air Nomad and go to the Northern Air Temple with Korra.

Meanwhile, the Brotherhood of Evil Benders is just hanging around while Zaheer meditates to find the Avatar.

Zaheer finds out Korra is in Zaofu just like that… meaning his whole infiltration into Air Temple Island was completely pointless.

Next episode!

Tenzin is having trouble keeping his new Airbending students interested in his teachings.

Korra suggests that Tenzin seek out Bumi’s help, since he’s a natural leader.

Meanwhile, Kai gets it into Jinora’s head that she should be the master instead of Tenzin since she’s obviously more skilled than he is.  I’m not arguing against Kai’s point, but it’s hard to take him seriously when he has this shit-eating grin on his face all the time:

Tenzin has a chat with Bumi, and his advice is simple: whip them into shape military-style.

Bumi immediately learns to regret this when Tenzin starts training the Airbenders with military strictness.  This new turn comes just in time as new Airbenders arrive from Air Temple Island.

Jinora eventually grows to dislike Tenzin’s new methods and turns on him… in the most adorable way.

The other students also give up when they go through one crazy obstacle course too many.

Jinora and Kai later go down into the valley to where some baby Air Bison are… or were.  Turns out they’ve been wrangled up by Air Bison poachers.

Let’s just take a minute to accept the fact that this man has killed and skinned a baby Air Bison.

Tenzin soon finds out that Jinora and Kai are missing.  Luckily, Bumi picked up the trail earlier and recruited the other students to get them.

I just have to point out that during the fight between the Airbenders and poachers, the newly-shaved Daw accidentally proves Tenzin right about a shaved head allowing one to read the wind better, as he performs a perfect counterattack from the game.

Predictably, the day is saved, Tenzin eases up, the students have a newfound appreciation for Airbending, and everyone has fun with Air Bisons.

Oh, and the Brotherhood of Evil Benders is still on their way to Zaofu.

Overall, I really enjoyed these episodes.  It’s just unfortunate that everything about the way Zaofu was represented is so cliche.  The place is like some kind of utopia, and you know that can only end in one of two ways: A) It’s harbors a terrible, evil secret OR B) It’s about to be destroyed.

Since Toph genes, I’m going to guess it’s B.  The only real question is if it happens at the hands of the Brotherhood or the Earth Kingdom.  I’d bet everything on the Earth Kingdom though because four benders are still just four benders.  This has all-out invasion written all over it, Last Airbender Fire Nation style.

The Jinora and Kai stuff continues to be a giant mass of “but why?”  The only conclusion I can come up with is the writers wanted a gender role reversal for the sake of gender role reversal.  What am I talking about?  Look at it this way: Rather than driving action forward, things happen to him.  He doesn’t appear to have any significant amount of strength (he’s a better fighter than nameless background characters but not at the level of other real main characters), and his ability as an Airbender is completely dwarfed by Jinora (and possibly by Meelo).  Kai is nothing more than “Jinora’s love interest,” and for the most part he’s only been a damsel in distress; he doesn’t save Jinora – Jinora saves him.  Jinora isn’t inspired by Kai – he provides Jinora emotional support.  Kai is just a thing for Jinora to love.  To drive the point home, I refer you to the very first image of this post.  Now, what was it again?

Finally, I am aware that there is a character named Otaku.  I didn’t bring it up because I couldn’t think of anything clever or snappy to say.  It’s a thing, and I’ve acknowledged it.