TV: The Last Airbender: The Legend of Korra

[Death BOO Z]

hell of an episode. really a lot going on.
torlacks putting a wedge between benders and non-benders, and tries to create a gap between them that will ensure that benders support him (because if they give up, the non-benders will have their rightful revenge) and position himself above the other councilman and the avatar, he's already got the police in his hands (probably blackmailing the new head of police, and the rest of them are the most likely to follow his ideas, as they know they'll put to trial if things are changed).

an awesome bending battle, amazing water attacks, and great comeback for korra, until stuff happened.

[Archangel]

I certainly dont buy that Tarlokk is Amon at all, but its interesting to think that Amon is using some form of the original 4 element bending techniques to physically block someone's chi paths rather than energy bending it out of them.

I still say it's energy bending.

[poopdeville]

Tarlock is the big-bad. Ammon is incidental, and will probably join Team Avatar near the end. Ammon's rebellion is war between Ammon and Tarlock.

[deadlydreamx]

Tarlock is the big-bad. Ammon is incidental, and will probably join Team Avatar near the end. Ammon's rebellion is war between Ammon and Tarlock.

Well the last episode seems to prove that idea wrong...

[Y]

Well the latest episode certainly puts a lot of things to rest. The flashback sequence with Aang was exactly what everyone assumed it was, Tarlok is exactly who he appeared to be, etc. The most interesting reveal was Aang removing someone's powers without a light show (only his tats glow) making it all but confirmed that Amon is using a different version of the same technique. His plan is, I suppose, pretty much exactly what he said it was - to replace the Avatar with himself by removing her powers and being the strongest (and possibly the only) remaining bender.

[Archangel]

The light show was never a thing, what we saw was most likely just a metaphor for the internal struggle that went on as Aang was attempting to seal the fire lord's bending forever.

[Y]

The light show was never a thing, what we saw was most likely just a metaphor for the internal struggle that went on as Aang was attempting to seal the fire lord's bending forever.

Yeah an "internal struggle" that exploded the cloud cover away for miles.

[Archangel]

Metaphorical cloud, it signified Aang's ambivalence in taking away another person's ability to bend.

[Ryllharu]

Where were you weeks ago Ark, when I was getting chewed out on IRC by Y and DS for saying the exact same thing?

They take it literally, while it is clear that it was spiritual and metaphorical.

[Archangel]

Their faggoty combo is ruthless, especially when they're wrong. But yeah i've always defended this point as well, and the latest episode proved it.

[Y]

It doesn't prove anything, especially since it was super obviously NOT just in their heads. It caused an earthquake and blew the clouds away. That can easily be explained away as Aang only having such great difficulty because it was the first time he attempted it.

[Archangel]

Yeah that's it, he was struggling so hard that the world around himself shook. Ignore the fact that nobody else mentioned seeing a light show or that we've witnesses the same technique being used plenty of times without it.

[poopdeville]

There's no such thing as "metaphorical clouds".

Why would Aang have an "internal struggle" over taking Ozai's powers away? He not only ended a reign of terror and restored balance to the world, but he did it as a pacifist and with a clean conscience. That's obviously what a Buddha-like avatar of God is supposed to do.

[Archangel]

Murder was just as justifiable and yet he struggled with that as well.

[poopdeville]

There is no "as well". The result of the struggle with "justifiable murder" was the realization that he could take Ozai's powers away.

So how exactly is his "inner struggle" supposed to part the "metaphorical clouds" when the struggle was already concluded by then?

[Y]

Yeah that's it, he was struggling so hard that the world around himself shook. Ignore the fact that nobody else mentioned seeing a light show or that we've witnesses the same technique being used plenty of times without it.

I don't get why someone would have to mention it. Yes, his powers caused a real effect in the world. Every single time someone uses bending, it is both literal and symbolic. Bending is an allegory for the bender's approach to the world, which is why Aang has all the bending powers. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever to believe that, just this one time, the special effects were not "real" within the context of the world. Like I said on IRC (where you bizarrely refused to respond to these same points) do you believe his tattoos glowing is not real? If so, why? No one that I can recall has ever said "Aang, your glowing tattoos in Avatar State are awesome".

[Archangel]

The fact that his tattoos glow has been previously mentioned, yes.

This form of bending, unlike other, is internal; a bending of your inner energy and not of the visible elements. It's the original form of bending ( that we know of at least ) and is essentially different. I don't see how this point is so hard for you to understand.

I'm ready to agree to disagree, i don't see much of a future in this discussion.

[Death BOO Z]

I didn't like this episode, most of it seemed too simple.

super blood bending, a super villains' son that returns for revenge, a sudden witness... it feels like they've decided the show was getting too mature and had to end that plotline as soon as possible.
also, republic city really is a class-based society - Sokka wasn't a bender, but was made councilman (due to his connections with Aang and the founding of the city). and now, merely a generation after that, every major position in the town is held by a bender. sucks for the lower classes, they can't even join the civil service as cops or soldiers if they can't bend.

Amon being immune to blood bending is a bit of a puzzler, mostly because there aren't any limitations to bloodbending. it can actually make people float! My first guess would be that amon is a robot of some sort, but that's just stupid. so maybe a fire bender can cancel bloodbending by increasing his blood temperature? although, it might be a a double canceling bit. maybe being unable to bend (because one has been energy bended) renders you immune to inner bending? because Yakkon was able to BloodBend aang, so it has to be something conscious it.

as usual, sky bisons as taxis suck

[Archangel]

Btw, who the fuck was the guy wearing air nomad clothes sitting left of Sokka?

[Y]

My first guess would be that amon is a robot of some sort, but that's just stupid.

Too bad you rejected this, because Amon is a cyborg.