Legend of Korra Book 3 Talkback - "Changes" (Spoilers)

[bilateralrope]

Some interesting news. The latest episode of Legend of Korra is the last episode that will be aired on TV. The rest will only be available online

Legend of Korra: Book 3' shift to digital explained at Comic-Con 2014

By Terri Schwartz
Jul 25th, 2014

"The Legend of Korra" co-creator Brian Konietzko surprised fans Wednesday (July 23) when he revealed that the remaining episodes of "Book 3" will not be airing on Nickelodeon. He and fellow creator Mike DiMartino set the record straight about the shift to digital platforms during their San Diego Comic-Con 2014 panel.

"It's part of this huge sea change in the industry," Konietzko says. "Things have changed just for us between when we did 'Avatar: [The Last Airbender]' ... and when we came back on the air in 2012 [with 'Legend of Korra']. When 'Book 1' of 'Korra' came out, it did pretty good numbers on TV, but its online numbers were just insane."

"Legend of Korra's" numbers have been down on Nickelodeon for "Book 3," but Konietzko says that they've only grown on Nick.com, the Nickelodeon app and on streaming services. The "Book 2" finale, for example, was the biggest digital hit on the channel's website of the year. That seems to be what convinced Nickelodeon to have the show live online.

Konietzko says it's no secret that the channel has "had kind of a hard time fitting it into their programming." The shift "definitely caught us by surprise. It wasn't necessarily done in the smoothest way," he adds.

But the show is not canceled, which is good news for fans. DiMartino says the rest of the season won't change when the final episodes run. The last on-air episode is at 8 p.m. ET/PT Friday on Nick, and the remaining episodes will roll out every Friday from Aug. 1 to Aug. 22 (the two-part "Book 3" finale).

"It really has no effect on what the show is or what the stories we're telling [are]," DiMartino says. "Other than it not being on the Nickelodeon main channel, nothing has changed."

Following that conversation about the shift to digital, the cast and creators of "The Legend of Korra" played a never-before-seen "Book 3" episode during the panel.

Korra is a show that Nickelodeon had trouble fitting into their programming. A show with declining viewer numbers. In the past, that's gotten TV shows canceled because, even if the show it popular, the network can't figure out how to make money from it. Instead Book 4 is still going to happen. Because of how many people are watching it online.

[Steve]

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/ ... 7s18dm.jpg

Someone posted this on SB. Made me LMAO.

[JME2]

I find it curious that Zaheer was still trying to capture Korra alive. It undermines my theory from a few pages back.

She'd be too old to brainwash/mold. And if they wanted to get the next Earth Kingdom Avatar, then they should've just tranquilized her, slit her throat, and then gotten the hell out of Zafou before anyone realized Korra was an ex-Avatar.

But they didn't...and it's very worrisome (in a great mystery kind of way).

[Steve]

I'm beginning to think he wants to destroy the Avatar spirit in some way, or transfer it to himself.

[Ahriman238]

Bit late, but I liked it. The episode was action packed but still had room for the traitor subplot and Korra's going off to hunt for the truthseer guy.

I agree that the villains had great teamwork and were very adaptable to changing circumstances. Even being imprisoned in those metal plates was swiftly turned into an opportunity.

[Steve]

Well, watched the new episode, it looks like we have an official villain plot pileup en route, with Korra and co stuck in the middle.

And we finally get what may be an explanation for the Red Lotus. Interesting at who was really involved with Zaheer's plot before, isn't it? I was expecting the Earth Queen to be their patron, not Unalaq.

Anyway, Zaheer and his gang as essentially wanting to impose anarchy and destroy governments is an interesting motive, an extremist extrapolation of Guru Pathik's "all nations are one people" philosophy from AtLA. The idea of the Red Lotus being a rebel breakoff of the White Lotus over an internal disagreement for going public and aligning with the Avatar openly feels natural and reasonable, especially if we recall theories by some that the White Lotus intended itself to be a sort of "backup" to the Avatar, or even a counter; if an Avatar goes bad, having the best Benders in the world working together is the only hope to thwart a rogue Avatar.

Anyway, looking forward to next week.

P.S. I can so envision Zaheer being asked the magical question: "What do you want?" Given being an agent of chaos and all.

Chaos through warfare! Evolution through bloodshed! Perfection through victory! *Shadow vessel scream echoes in the air*

[Majin Gojira]

It's funny that the first thought I had on hearing half of Zahir's motives was: "OH MY GOD! HE'S A COMMIE!!"

But later just turned into an anarchist, to my relief. Though given the 'timeframe' I can't help but think about such things like that and the Boxer Rebellion when watching this season.

[JME2]

It cracks me up (in a black comedy way) that Unalaq screwed over his co-conspirators.

Even dead, Unalaq's managed to beat Ozai in terms of the number of people he's used, betrayed, and discarded.

And given the Unalaq reveal, my best bud and I are wondering if Amon and the Equalists had links to the RL.

Amon was clearly intending to go global and Hiroshi's resources would have only gone so far...

[Mr Bean]

Have to say again this season has simply been BETTER than Season 2. Even watch the Bolin and Asami play the board game was more interesting because it as obviously played for comedy both how fast Bolin was losing and the fact Pabuu cost him that last game as he ripped apart the Bolin plushy. I expect that plushy to be in the Nickelodeon store shortly.

OAN: I love the swerve with Zahir just sitting down and saying... oh hey you have questions? Happy to answer them.

[JME2]

Something about the Unalaq reveal is bugging me.

If Unalaq screwed over Zaheer and company, why didn't they play stool pigeon? Why did they keep silent when they could've tipped off the White Lotus that they had a traitor in the North?

Best guess I can think of is that they thought he would still be going through with the plan and didn't realize his Dark Avatar obsession.

[Mr Bean]

Something about the Unalaq reveal is bugging me.

If Unalaq screwed over Zaheer and company, why didn't they play stool pigeon? Why did they keep silent when they could've tipped off the White Lotus that they had a traitor in the North?

Best guess I can think of is that they thought he would still be going through with the plan and didn't realize his Dark Avatar obsession.

He was still part of the Red Lotus which means he could have outed other agents. Also if they are devoted to this ideal then turning rat betrays the Red to the White.

[Steve]

Exactly. They didn't know how far he had betrayed them until Harmonic Convergence, I expect. He may have even joined the Red Lotus specifically to manipulate them in turn, since for them gaining one of those hated world leaders would have been a boon.

The Red Lotus does come off as the original series White Lotus taken to an extreme; they were underground and clearly didn't care about national and government distinctions either, see: Piando's speech about how the art of the sword belonging to all, or the fact that even in the Hundred Years War they allowed a top-ranking Fire Nation general to be their leader. But they simply ignored them while Zaheer and his gang want to destroy them.

Not too surprising for a convert to Air Nomad philosophy either; taken to its extreme, Air Nomad concepts of spiritual freedom would link to forswearing allegiance to a physical authority.

[FaxModem1]

Here's a question. is there the possibility that Zaheer was snowballing Korra in order to buy time, and was just full of lies?

[Steve]

He might have fudged things, but I suspect they had him being mostly truthful.

[JME2]

Yeah, I figured most of what he was saying was true barring a white lie here or there.

My best bud and I have a joint theory that the White Lotus is going to get wiped before the season finale.

If you think about, TLOK's myth arc has been the transition of the old ATLA world into a brave new world and with Korra at the helm.

The loss of the White Lotus is perhaps the only think that could equal the destruction of the Avatar Cycle as we knew it last season.

And I still think Amon had links to the RL, so it'd be a nice way to bring it full circle for the final season.

[Steve]

Since Books 3 and 4 were ordered simultaneously I suspect we're in for a cliffhanger at the end of Book 3. Unlike 1 and 2 they knew they'd have that extra book.

OTOH I don't recall if they said they were looking to keep each book as its own story, so maybe not.

[JME2]

IIRC, I think the creators stated that each book was going to be its own self-contained arc while building on the previous year's developments.

So, there goes my theory.

It's almost like an animated BTVS in a way, which is fine.

[bilateralrope]

Just because it doesn't end on a cliffhanger doesn't mean it has to end without serious change. It could end with the Blood Lotus defeated, but not before it managed to overthrow the Earth Kingdom.

The loss of the White Lotus is perhaps the only think that could equal the destruction of the Avatar Cycle as we knew it last season.

What about the breakup of the Earth Kingdom ?

That sounds like a much large change than the loss of a society that maintained the status quo.

And I still think Amon had links to the RL, so it'd be a nice way to bring it full circle for the final season.

I think Amon works much better as someone that managed to gather a support base from oppressed non-benders than trying to link him to Red Lotus.

The only link I think could work, without diminishing the message that Amon gained support because of oppression, is if the only link is that both were encouraged by Vaatu to spread chaos.

[JME2]

The total collapse of the Earth Kingdom would be a nice callback to the end of ATLA's second season and bring a sense of full-circle.

And yeah, I'm probably reaching when it comes to Amon having links to the RL.

Trying to tie every plot element to a single conspiracy doesn't always work (ex. Jasmine in Season 4 of Angel).

But that doesn't mean he didn't have supporters globally. He would have to in order to expand the operation beyond the URN.

[Lord Insanity]

So I finally got caught up. Season 3 is easily the strongest season so far. I love that, so far, Zaheer is being portrayed as one of those rare villains that actually believes he is acting in the best interests of the world. That is rare even in shows geared toward adults, so for a Nickelodeon show to pull it off just illustrates how lazy the writers on most shows are.

I do find it interesting that Zaheer told Korra that he and his team had intended to teach her all the crazy specialist bending techniques. That could make for an interesting "what if" vision episode.

I kind of wonder if the third eye tattoo is required for "explosion bending" Sort of a needed focal point or something. That might explain why the tattoo is a weak point shared between the two we have seen in the Avatar universe.

And I still think Amon had links to the RL, so it'd be a nice way to bring it full circle for the final season.

I think Amon works much better as someone that managed to gather a support base from oppressed non-benders than trying to link him to Red Lotus.

The only link I think could work, without diminishing the message that Amon gained support because of oppression, is if the only link is that both were encouraged by Vaatu to spread chaos.

On one hand I think that would be an odd retcon. On the other, what Amon was actually trying to accomplish does sort of fit with what Zaheer says the Red Lotus is about. Balance and true equality can easily twisted and used by Amon in the creation of "equalists". That could actually have an interesting pay off with Zaheer realizing everyone keeps screwing up his idea of balance in their own quest for power.

[bilateralrope]

But that doesn't mean he didn't have supporters globally. He would have to in order to expand the operation beyond the URN.

If he didn't have supporters globally, he would have been able to gather them.

So I finally got caught up. Season 3 is easily the strongest season so far. I love that, so far, Zaheer is being portrayed as one of those rare villains that actually believes he is acting in the best interests of the world. That is rare even in shows geared toward adults, so for a Nickelodeon show to pull it off just illustrates how lazy the writers on most shows are.

Even better, there is some truth to what Zaheer is saying. The Earth Kingdom is badly governed under its queen, but it wasn't much better when the Dai Lai were able to hide the entire war from the king. One Firelord did throw the world out of balance and, as far as I know, nothing has been done to prevent a future Firelord trying to repeat it. Amon's uprising in Republic City was only possible because it had problems, though at least the Republic is trying to fix them.

On a broader scale, separating the nations by the element of their benders doesn't make much sense. First there is the racist overtones of the whole thing. Then there is how often a group of mixed benders* outperforms a group who all bend the same element because they have more options. Even Azula saw that, so she had Dai Lai agents around to protect her during the eclipse.

*Or the Avatar outside the Avatar state.

[JME2]

Yeah, it's kind of a continuation of what Amon was talking about in Book 1 about technology leveling the field between benders and non-benders.

The advancement of technology and resulting globalization means that the old borders don't make sense or don't work anymore.

What worked in Aang's era doesn't work in Korra's and it's continuing that theme of Korra helping to transition the nations into a brave, new world.

[bilateralrope]

Agreed. The only question is how rough the transition will be for those having to live though it.

[xerex]

Episode 10 is out. I see some fan speculation on air bender abilities is now confirmed.

[Steve]

Uh, yeah... so long Queen Meanie. Zaheer showed how how evil Airbender abilities could be. Sic Semper Tyrannis, bitch.

Just what, three episodes left now? With two coming out in two weeks.

Somehow I suspect Stas would've enjoyed that scene...

Anyway, it will be interesting to see where Zaheer's next target is. Presumably the Republic given how little time is left.