41||0|3468|0| 0|0|0|||1||Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Gryphon||16:59:23|06/28/2014|You have been warned. These are also not going to be in any particular order%2C if that kind of thing bothers you.%0D%0A%0D%0AOK%2C so. As you are all well aware by now%2C my relationship with this series is... fraught. Nevertheless%2C I haven%27t given up hope entirely yet%2C and I watched the first couple of episodes last night. %28Not the third one. Saturation levels. Not a big fan of the binge viewing experience in general.%29 Here are a few thoughts.%0D%0A%0D%0A - As I noted when it was released as a promotional clip%2C the first scene with the vines made me facepalm. Korra and Tenzin doing the Korra-and-Tenzin thing%2C as they have since Day 1%3B she gets frustrated and stomps off%2C he pets her patronizingly on the head. Really%2C guys%2C we%27re still doing this%3F%0D%0A%0D%0ASpeaking of %22we%27re still doing this%22 and vine scenes%2C the %5Bi%5Dsecond%5B%2Fi%5D scene with the vines made me want to %5Bi%5Dkick%5B%2Fi%5D something. Guys. GUYS. It%27s 2014. We can be DONE with the %22Korra can%27t actually fix anything%2C in fact she makes everything worse and everybody hates her for it%22 thing now. HONEST%2C I WON%27T MIND.%0D%0A%0D%0A - What%27s new in Issue 3%3A Air Control for Dominators. Doctor Brainstorm%27s Power Set Proliferator has struck again%2C and the popular Airbending set is now available to the most diabolical of Villain Archetypes.%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m... I don%27t think I%27m OK with airbender proliferation on a lot of levels. Phil is%2C so I%27m probably stuck with it%2C but I think that%27s some pretty weak sauce being drizzled on us there.%0D%0A%0D%0ASpeaking of which%2C while I%27m not in any way surprised that Tenzin wasn%27t expecting people to resist conscription into the Psi Corps%2C it does strike me as pretty dubious that Korra thought things would turn out differently. After all%2C she should know better than basically anybody else how monumentally unappealing the Air Nomad lifestyle is to any even slightly normal person. She nearly burned the island down when Tenzin tried to make %5Bi%5Dher%5B%2Fi%5D live like one. That she then goes on to be surprised and glum that their ham-fisted recruitment efforts fail is%2C I think%2C disingenuous on the part of the writers. It%27s blatant plot-furtherance at the expense of what the characters would actually do. You can see the scaffolding.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C will someone please drown the one recruit %28well%2C apart from Bumi%29 they %5Bi%5Ddid%5B%2Fi%5D get%2C please. I%27ll wait. Thanks.%0D%0A%0D%0A - I think I like Mako as Korra%27s ex better than I liked him as Korra%27s utterly unworthy boyfriend%2C but I still don%27t like him. Bolin%27s little dance convincing him to come along on the field trip was hilarious%2C but frankly it would%27ve been OK with me if he hadn%27t bothered. %28Seeing him get clobbered by a door almost made airbender proliferation worth it for a brief moment.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AOn the other hand%2C I have to admit I would willingly%2C even happily%2C accept another entire episode of %5Bi%5DThe Legend of Mako%3A Poorly Trained Policeman%5B%2Fi%5D %28the saddest of Book 2%27s many sad-Keanu moments%29 in lieu of all the screen time I know that airbender kid is going to get.%0D%0A%0D%0A - An unalloyed positive thing%21 The Korramobile scene was everything I could have wanted out of such a scene%2C and I require many more like it. %28N.B. They don%27t all actually have to take place in the Korramobile. I would also accept bridge-of-the-blimp scenes%2C corner-table-at-a-caf%26eacute%3B scenes%2C and - O almighty Grodd%2C hear my plea%21 - hot tub scenes.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A - Bolin remains brilliant. Pabu remains brilliant. Naga remains brilliant. Asami remains some distance beyond brilliant. Lin Beifong remains... rather less than brilliant. Way to remember who your friends are%2C hon. Your mom was a real jerk sometimes%2C but at least she was always able to keep that straight.%0D%0A%0D%0A - Speaking of less-than-brilliant characters%2C President Raiko%21 I want that weasely little fuck down on his knees %5Bi%5Dbegging%5B%2Fi%5D Korra to come back and save his city%2C and then I want her to %5Bi%5Dnot do it%5B%2Fi%5D until the inhabitants of that city have realized that she isn%27t going to as long as he%27s still there and taken him out around back of the garage%2C never to be seen again. %28Don%27t worry%2C sweetie%2C he%27s gone to live on a farm with lots of other crooked politicians. He%27s happy there%21%29%0D%0A%0D%0A - The White Lotus continue to be both jerkbags %5Bi%5Dand%5B%2Fi%5D ineffectual. This is unacceptable. I will only put up with one of the two in any ostensibly-good-guy organization. I am frankly OK with it at this point if the Legion of Doom manage to kill them all.%0D%0A%0D%0A - Speaking of which%2C the Legion of Doom. What%3F I mean%2C they%27re better villains than the Equalists%2C but only by dint of the fact that the Equalists were so lame. I guess Korra%27s just never going to have a villain that can compete with %5Bi%5Dthe entire Fire Nation%5B%2Fi%5D in terms of gravitas.%0D%0A%0D%0A - I dig the Airship of Love %28I think I%27ll start referring to it as the %5Bi%5DGeorge and Vulture%5B%2Fi%5D%2C because it%27s almost exactly what I was envisioning for the UF Hellfire Club%27s pleasure zeppelin%29%2C but wasn%27t Asami dead broke like %5Bi%5Dlast week%3F%5B%2Fi%5D Even Tony Stark didn%27t recover that fast the time he lost Stark International. Damn%2C girl.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0ASo. Some bad points%2C some good points%2C and some points on which I haven%27t figured out %5Bi%5Dwhere%5B%2Fi%5D I stand yet. The first two episodes are uneven%2C and in places they still make me want to do pugilism someone%2C but they weren%27t the absolutely unrelieved whipping that the show has pretty consistently been for me since midway through Book 1%2C so that%27s a hopeful thing%2C relatively speaking.%0D%0A%0D%0AKorra herself%2C in these two episodes%2C is %5Bi%5Dalso%5B%2Fi%5D weirdly uneven%2C much like the show. She is occasionally brilliant %28the scene on the Kyoshi Bridge%2C for instance%2C although she does appear to have either forgotten that she %5Bi%5Dcould%5B%2Fi%5D%2C in fact%2C help that guy not be an airbender any more%2C or chose to bullshit him about it for some reason%29... and then she suddenly isn%27t any more%2C and we%27re back to the old standbys like the %22vine removal mayhem%22 scene%2C the %22whining about wisdom%22 scene%2C and the %22I don%27t get it%2C why didn%27t beating that guy up get him on our side%3F%22 scene. It feels like the writers know she%27s trying to grow%2C and sometimes their attention wanders and she gets away with it a little%2C but then they consciously set her back for some inexplicable reason.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%2C in particular%2C remains very frustrating%2C and causes me to remain wary of assurances I receive that It%27s Gonna Be Worth It Eventually%3B but so far%2C Book 3 has not been throw-up-hands-and-go-back-to-bed infuriating like Book 2 was.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo far.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 1|1|0|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Mercutio||01:04:13|06/29/2014|%0D%0A%3E - As I noted when it was released as a promotional clip%2C the first %0D%0A%3Escene with the vines made me facepalm. Korra and Tenzin doing the %0D%0A%3EKorra-and-Tenzin thing%2C as they have since Day 1%3B she gets frustrated %0D%0A%3Eand stomps off%2C he pets her patronizingly on the head. Really%2C guys%2C %0D%0A%3Ewe%27re still doing this%3F %0D%0A%0D%0A... wait%2C what%3F%0D%0A%0D%0ATenzin is kind of Korra%27s mentor. He never patronizes her%2C except to the extent that any relationship involving a very young girl and a middle-aged man is going to involve some of that.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI%27m... I don%27t think I%27m OK with airbender proliferation on a lot of %0D%0A%3Elevels. Phil is%2C so I%27m probably stuck with it%2C but I think that%27s %0D%0A%3Esome pretty weak sauce being drizzled on us there. %0D%0A%0D%0AHmm. Is it weird that I%27m incredibly enthusiastic about the airbender proliferation in general%2C but am actually really ticked off about it applying to Bumi in particular%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AI really%2C really liked that Aang had a kid who didn%27t bend and who very clearly took after Sokka and Hakoda.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ESpeaking of which%2C while I%27m not in any way surprised that Tenzin %0D%0A%3Ewasn%27t expecting people to resist conscription into the Psi Corps%2C it %0D%0A%3Edoes strike me as pretty dubious that Korra thought things would turn %0D%0A%3Eout differently. After all%2C she should know better than basically %0D%0A%3Eanybody else how monumentally unappealing the Air Nomad lifestyle is %0D%0A%3Eto any even slightly normal person. She nearly burned the island down %0D%0A%3Ewhen Tenzin tried to make %5Bi%5Dher%5B%2Fi%5D live like one. That she then %0D%0A%3Egoes on to be surprised and glum that their ham-fisted recruitment %0D%0A%3Eefforts fail is%2C I think%2C disingenuous on the part of the writers. %0D%0A%3EIt%27s blatant plot-furtherance at the expense of what the characters %0D%0A%3Ewould actually do. You can see the scaffolding. %0D%0A%0D%0AThis strikes me as wrong in a few ways.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe Air Nomad lifestyle isn%27t monumentally appealing to any even slightly normal person%3B it%27s monumentally unappealing to Korra specifically. There are lots and lots of people for whom the lifestyle is in fact incredibly appealing%2C and we know that because people keep seeking it out. Things may have changed a bit by LoK%2C but at least back in Aang%27s day tons of people wanted to be Air Acolytes. There are enough of them in Korra%27s time to fully staff multiple air temples%21%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Traditionally%2C being a monk has been a really%2C really sweet deal. You get a roof over your head and three meals a day and people treat you with respect and you can drink all the liquor you can brew.%29%0D%0A%0D%0ABut putting that aside... it makes perfect sense Korra would expect people to drop everything in their lives and sack up for the greater good%2C because that%27s what literally her entire life has been like. It%27s not so much she expects them to be enthusiastic about being airbenders%2C I don%27t think. She expects them to be enthusiastic about fulfilling their destinies%2C because clearly%2C they%27ve been chosen to help rebuild an ancient culture that%27s been on the brink of extinction for two centuries. You can%27t just decide not to take part in that%21%0D%0A%0D%0A... can you%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AIt probably also doesn%27t help that Korra has likely been marinating in an environment that completely mythologizes the airbenders and their plight her entire life. She%27s the successor to the Last Airbender%2C trained and mentored by the widow of said airbender%2C then trained and mentored further by the son of said airbender %28who was ALSO the Last Airbender for awhile%29 and who lives with a family full of airbenders. There were probably tons of White Lotus guys and Air Acolytes around her all the time who%27d have given their left nuts to get some of that sweet%2C sweet airbending action.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe part that seems slightly disingenuous to me is that it took them so long to change their approach%2C and that the idea didn%27t come with Asami%2C probably the only person on the Airship of Love who has ever heard the term %22advertising budget.%22 Really%2C they need to sell it not as %22come join our cult%22 but rather as %22we are willing to train you all the way to bending mastery completely free of charge.%22 Being a bending master of any sort makes you a member of an economic and cultural elite. Then you just hope that the people you train stick around.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAlso%2C will someone please drown the one recruit %28well%2C apart from %0D%0A%3EBumi%29 they %5Bi%5Ddid%5B%2Fi%5D get%2C please. I%27ll wait. Thanks. %0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m unsure if we%27re supposed to regard Kai as a little shit or not. If we are%2C good job%21 %0D%0A%0D%0AIf we%27re not%2C the show isn%27t doing a great job of that%3B most people seem to react to him with ambivalence at best. If we%27re supposed to like him%2C he really should have been a girl%3B his behavior would be far more endearing then%2C much in the way that Toph acting like a thug often was. %0D%0A%0D%0A%28Also%2C if you want your audience to like someone%2C having them take advantage of Bolin%2C the %5Bi%5Dmost likable person on your show%5B%2Fi%5D%2C isn%27t a great way to go about it%21%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E - I think I like Mako as Korra%27s ex better than I liked him as %0D%0A%3EKorra%27s utterly unworthy boyfriend%2C but I still don%27t like him. %0D%0A%3EBolin%27s little dance convincing him to come along on the field trip %0D%0A%3Ewas hilarious%2C but frankly it would%27ve been OK with me if he hadn%27t %0D%0A%3Ebothered. %28Seeing him get clobbered by a door almost made airbender %0D%0A%3Eproliferation worth it for a brief moment.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AJesus%2C I know%2C right%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AI dislike how the show has been handling Mako a lot more than Mako himself. Mako has never seemed like a bad person to me%2C just someone the show handles badly%2C as opposed to%2C say%2C Zhao %28I picked a villain at random%29 who was a bad person but was handled extraordinarily well.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut Mako suddenly being deeply%2C crazily humbled is pretty great. I%27d have rather he stayed behind in the city and held down the fort with Lin%2C but can%27t have everything.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EOn the other hand%2C I have to admit I would willingly%2C even happily%2C %0D%0A%3Eaccept another entire episode of %5Bi%5DThe Legend of Mako%3A Poorly Trained %0D%0A%3EPoliceman%5B%2Fi%5D %28the saddest of Book 2%27s many sad-Keanu moments%29 in lieu %0D%0A%3Eof all the screen time I know that airbender kid is going to get. %0D%0A%0D%0AAs someone who has watched all the way through episode six%2C I can tell you that Kai isn%27t going to get a ton of screentime in the front half of the season at least%2C and that the screen time he does get is mostly directly attached to Korra kicking the shit out of the Dai Li and having a sweet%2C silky smooth exit from Ba Sing Ce that would make Aang weep with jealousy.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C he completely humiliates Mako at least twice. You gotta be on board for some of that%2C right%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E - An unalloyed positive thing%21 The Korramobile scene was everything %0D%0A%3EI could have wanted out of such a scene%2C and I require many more like %0D%0A%3Eit. %28N.B. They don%27t all actually have to take place in the %0D%0A%3EKorramobile. I would also accept bridge-of-the-blimp scenes%2C %0D%0A%3Ecorner-table-at-a-caf%C3%A9 scenes%2C and - O almighty Grodd%2C hear my %0D%0A%3Eplea%21 - hot tub scenes.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AYou should have stuck around for episode three%2C in which they literally have a conversation that goes %22Should we get the boys for this%3F%22 %22Nah%2C fuck it%2C we don%27t need%27em%22 and then they take the airship down south and fight the guys from %5Bi%5DMad Max%5B%2Fi%5D by themselves.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%3A oh my god%2C Asami%27s bedroom eyes. I think they may rise to the level of %22genuine superpower.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E - Bolin remains brilliant. %0D%0A%0D%0AY%27know%2C I think I%27ve finally cracked the Bolin code. It took me awhile to figure out why I liked him so much%2C because aside from cracking wise he didn%27t really have a lot to do. His nearest analogue in the Gaang was Sokka%2C only Bolin isn%27t nearly as complex as Sokka.%0D%0A%0D%0AThen I figured out that was the whole %5Bi%5Dpoint%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0ABolin is just completely uncomplicated and a genuinely good dude. That%27s it. There%27s nothing else there%2C and there doesn%27t have to be. Unlike Mako%2C he%27s dealt with the various damage the Fabulous Bending Brothers have suffered during their lives in a %5Bi%5Dhealthy%5B%2Fi%5D way. %0D%0A%0D%0AHe%27s completely free of guile%2C malice%2C or subtlety of any sort%2C and in fact most of his humor stems from the fact that he largely isn%27t %5Bi%5Dtrying%5B%2Fi%5D to be funny. Sokka knew he was witty and also that he was smart%3B it%27s why he was so arrogant all the time. Bolin isn%27t dumb%2C but he also doesn%27t have a filter and wears his heart on his sleeve%2C which might be annoying if it wasn%27t such a good heart.%0D%0A%0D%0AI actually really want to see Bolin spend a lot more time hanging out with Asami. I want to see them restore classic cars together%2C and for Bolin to actually be really%2C really bad at it. I want to see her finally give him that makeover he was so enthusiastic about%21 I want him to totally be her best friend%2C because Asami really needs a best friend.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28And before you say %22Korra%27s job%21%22 Korra%27s job is to be Asami%27s %5Bi%5Dgirl%5B%2Fi%5Dfriend. Two different job roles%21 %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E Lin Beifong %0D%0A%3Eremains... rather less than brilliant. Way to remember who your %0D%0A%3Efriends are%2C hon. Your mom was a real jerk sometimes%2C but at least %0D%0A%3Eshe was always able to keep that straight. %0D%0A%0D%0A.. wait%2C what%3F What%27d Lin do%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E - Speaking of less-than-brilliant characters%2C President Raiko%21 I %0D%0A%3Ewant that weasely little fuck down on his knees %5Bi%5Dbegging%5B%2Fi%5D Korra %0D%0A%3Eto come back and save his city%2C and then I want her to %5Bi%5Dnot do %0D%0A%3Eit%5B%2Fi%5D until the inhabitants of that city have realized that she isn%27t %0D%0A%3Egoing to as long as he%27s still there and taken him out around back of %0D%0A%3Ethe garage%2C never to be seen again. %28Don%27t worry%2C sweetie%2C he%27s gone %0D%0A%3Eto live on a farm with lots of other crooked politicians. He%27s happy %0D%0A%3Ethere%21%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AOkay%2C I%27m actually gonna offer an extremely limited defense of Raiko.%0D%0A%0D%0AActually%2C wait%2C no I%27m not. First I%27m gonna tear into him%2C because%2C what the %5Bi%5Dfuck%5B%2Fi%5D%2C dude%3F You are supposed to be shepherding the Republic into a post-autocracy era%2C where it is no longer ruled by unelected douchebags appointed by foreign powers%21 You aren%27t %5Bi%5Dallowed%5B%2Fi%5D to be mediocre%2C you have to be Sun Yat-sen%21%0D%0A%0D%0AEven if the Republic has given you near-dictatorial powers %28which it %5Bi%5Dreally shouldn%27t have%5B%2Fi%5D%2C because the last thing a nation transitioning from colonial status needs is a strong-President system%3B that%27s been a colossal failure here in the real world for the most part%29 your job as a responsible human being is to disavow them at every opportunity%21 I don%27t care if you have the power to banish people without due process%2C the only moral response to having that power is to never use it. You know who else loved to banish people%3F Fire Lord Azula%21 And also her dad%21 You%27re in real exalted company %5Bi%5Dthere%5B%2Fi%5D%2C buddy%21%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd if you%27re gonna banish people%2C %5Bb%5Dbanish them for something legitimate%5B%2Fb%5D. Not for dealing with a jumper%21 Were you off your meds or something%2C jerkface%3F Oh%2C and I can%27t believe you sandbagged Korra%21 You heard she was trying some experimental vine trick and you brought the %5Bi%5Dpress%5B%2Fi%5D%3F Dick move.%0D%0A%0D%0AOkay. Whew.%0D%0A%0D%0A... I actually spent a lot more words on that than I was planning.%0D%0A%0D%0AOh%2C right. Some sort of qualified defense.%0D%0A%0D%0AI kinda feel like if I were in Raiko%27s position%2C I%27d be sort of pissed off with Korra as well. The first time they ever met%2C she asked him to start a war half a world away on her behalf%2C at a time when he was trying to hold together a nation that had just had a civil war. Then when he demurred%2C she got angry and yelled at him%2C and then tried to steal his navy and suborn parts of his officer corps. Then some spiritual bullshit happened%2C his city gets half-destroyed in a really goddamn weird kaiju fight%2C and now spirits are moving in and she can%27t fix it%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27d be put out. Maybe I%27d be less put out if I knew the level of bullshit Korra had been dealing with in her own life%2C but from Raiko%27s perspective Korra is nothing but trouble. And%2C well%2C the world doesn%27t revolve around her.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E - The White Lotus continue to be both jerkbags %5Bi%5Dand%5B%2Fi%5D %0D%0A%3Eineffectual. This is unacceptable. I will only put up with one of %0D%0A%3Ethe two in any ostensibly-good-guy organization. I am frankly OK with %0D%0A%3Eit at this point if the Legion of Doom manage to kill them all. %0D%0A%0D%0AOkay%2C this one I%27m going to mount a much sterner defense on. The White Lotus don%27t seem to be all that jerky here. I mean%2C yeah%2C that group of guards was pretty snide to Zaheer. Zaheer tried to kidnap and%2For murder a four-year-old. A four-year-old Korra. He%27s lucky he%27s in solitary and not %5Bi%5Ddead%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0AAs far as being ineffectual... ehhhh. These guys are straight-up supervillains. They%27re allowed to carve their way through regular mooks with ease%2C even supposedly elite mooks.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s like... okay. I%27m reasonably certain that in UF%2C Big Fire has had it%27s share of lopsided wins%2C right%3F There have probably been times where Shockwave Alberto decides he really wants this shiny new piece of military hardware the Salusians are developing%2C and single-handedly walks into a research base guarded by Royal Marines and just murders the lot of them and takes what he wants. That doesn%27t mean the Royal Marines suck. It means they were trying to fight %5Bi%5DShockwave Alberto%5B%2Fi%5D and that was just not going to work out well without your own superhuman on-side.%0D%0A%0D%0AOn the flip side of that%2C Big Fire%27s Black Hoods and Q-bosses are also probably at least minimally competent. The fact that Geoff Depew spent a few years eating them alive didn%27t mean they were total losers%2C it meant Geoff is The Punisher and you%27re not going to take him out when he kicks in your door.%0D%0A%0D%0AEarthForce also doesn%27t usually suck%2C right%3F Neither does the Psi Corps. The fact that they%27ve repeatedly gotten their asses kicked by teenagers they%27ve had every advantage over%2C on the ground and in space%2C doesn%27t mean they%27re %5Bi%5Dbad%5B%2Fi%5D at their jobs. It means they keep trying to fight superheroes and failing at it hard because that%27s what happens.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo I%27m okay with these guys kicking the shit out of their captors. It%27s a bit %22the new guy beats up Worf and%2For Logan to prove how tough he is%22 but it%27s not an enormous issue. It might have worked better if at least the non-Zaheer guys had been guarded by non-Lotus guys%2C though. I sort of miss seeing dudes in Fire Nation armor get beaten up by an airbender.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E - Speaking of which%2C the Legion of Doom. What%3F I mean%2C they%27re %0D%0A%3Ebetter villains than the Equalists%2C but only by dint of the fact that %0D%0A%3Ethe Equalists were so lame. I guess Korra%27s just never going to have %0D%0A%3Ea villain that can compete with %5Bi%5Dthe entire Fire Nation%5B%2Fi%5D in terms %0D%0A%3Eof gravitas. %0D%0A%0D%0AI really like Zaheer so far. He impressed me more in five minutes than Amon ever did%2C possibly because Amon was a Scooby-Do villain and Zaheer is an actual%2C terrifying religious zealot.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C they got Grey DeLisle voicing an armless waterbender. That%27s so crazy it just might work.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E - I dig the Airship of Love %28I think I%27ll start referring to it as %0D%0A%3Ethe %5Bi%5DGeorge and Vulture%5B%2Fi%5D%2C because it%27s almost exactly what I was %0D%0A%3Eenvisioning for the UF Hellfire Club%27s pleasure zeppelin%29%2C but wasn%27t %0D%0A%3EAsami dead broke like %5Bi%5Dlast week%3F%5B%2Fi%5D Even Tony Stark didn%27t %0D%0A%3Erecover that fast the time he lost Stark International. Damn%2C girl. %0D%0A%0D%0AAsami got a whole shit-ton of money from Varrick. When he bought a lot of Future Industries%3F I can%27t see her having given that %5Bi%5Dback%5B%2Fi%5D to him.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EKorra herself%2C in these two episodes%2C is %5Bi%5Dalso%5B%2Fi%5D weirdly uneven%2C %0D%0A%3Emuch like the show. She is occasionally brilliant %28the scene on the %0D%0A%3EKyoshi Bridge%2C for instance%2C although she does appear to have either %0D%0A%3Eforgotten that she %5Bi%5Dcould%5B%2Fi%5D%2C in fact%2C help that guy not be an %0D%0A%3Eairbender any more%2C or chose to bullshit him about it for some %0D%0A%3Ereason%29... %0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCan%5B%2Fi%5D Korra strip someones bending away%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AWe know she can undo what Amon was doing to people%2C but Amon was just doing some fancy chi-blocking and not actual psychic surgery the way Aang could do. And that psychic surgery was legit dangerous and could get the person doing it killed%2C %5Bi%5Dand%5B%2Fi%5D Korra doesn%27t have Aang on tap anymore.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C she was trying to talk down a jumper. While I%27m sure Korra hasn%27t been formally trained in doing that%2C I%27m not sure making big promises about being able to fuck with his soul would have been a great idea. Plus%2C she knew Tenzin wanted to recruit the dude.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Eand then she suddenly isn%27t any more%2C and we%27re back to the %0D%0A%3Eold standbys like the %22vine removal mayhem%22 scene%2C the %22whining about %0D%0A%3Ewisdom%22 scene%2C and the %22I don%27t get it%2C why didn%27t beating that guy up %0D%0A%3Eget him on our side%3F%22 scene. It feels like the writers know she%27s %0D%0A%3Etrying to grow%2C and sometimes their attention wanders and she gets %0D%0A%3Eaway with it a little%2C but then they consciously set her back for some %0D%0A%3Einexplicable reason. %0D%0A%0D%0AEh. Aang had the same thing going on%2C where he%27d flip back and forth between %22this kid is really wise for a twelve-year-old%22 and %22wow%2C you are the most passive-aggressive brat in the universe.%22%0D%0A %0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 2|2|1|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Gryphon||01:27:04|06/29/2014|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jun-29-14 AT 01:31 AM (EDT)]%3E%3E - As I noted when it was released as a promotional clip%2C the first %0D%0A%3E%3Escene with the vines made me facepalm. Korra and Tenzin doing the %0D%0A%3E%3EKorra-and-Tenzin thing%2C as they have since Day 1%3B she gets frustrated %0D%0A%3E%3Eand stomps off%2C he pets her patronizingly on the head. Really%2C guys%2C %0D%0A%3E%3Ewe%27re still doing this%3F %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E... wait%2C what%3F %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3ETenzin is kind of Korra%27s mentor. He never patronizes her%2C except%0D%0A%0D%0A... almost every time he speaks to her. Come on%2C watch that clip again and check his tone of voice when he says%2C %22You%27ll figure it out.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EHmm. Is it weird that I%27m incredibly enthusiastic about the airbender %0D%0A%3Eproliferation in general%2C but am actually really ticked off about it %0D%0A%3Eapplying to Bumi in particular%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AThe first part%27s a bit weird%3B the second%2C not so much.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAlso%3A oh my god%2C Asami%27s bedroom eyes. I think they may rise to the %0D%0A%3Elevel of %22genuine superpower.%22 %0D%0A%0D%0A%22All 12 seasons of %5Bi%5DLovebender%5B%2Fi%5D%3F Is somebody lonely%3F%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3E Lin Beifong %0D%0A%3E%3Eremains... rather less than brilliant. Way to remember who your %0D%0A%3E%3Efriends are%2C hon. Your mom was a real jerk sometimes%2C but at least %0D%0A%3E%3Eshe was always able to keep that straight. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E.. wait%2C what%3F What%27d Lin do%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C most prominently%2C she stood there doing the square root of fuckall while President Fuckstick repeatedly exceeded his authority%2C with that growly %22I agree with everything the authority figure is saying%22 face on.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EOkay%2C I%27m actually gonna offer an extremely limited defense of Raiko. %0D%0A%0D%0AJust for the record%2C there is no defense for that guy. Seriously%2C none. %22He%27s poorly informed as to what is actually going on%22 is a %5Bi%5Dfurther indictment of his competence%2C%5B%2Fi%5D not a defense. If he doesn%27t know what%27s happening and why%2C he should%3B it%27s part of his job. In summary%2C fuck him.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EOkay%2C this one I%27m going to mount a much sterner defense on. The White %0D%0A%3ELotus don%27t seem to be all that jerky here. I mean%2C yeah%2C that group %0D%0A%3Eof guards was pretty snide to Zaheer. Zaheer tried to kidnap and%2For %0D%0A%3Emurder a four-year-old.%0D%0A%0D%0AOh%2C I don%27t specifically care that they were jerks to %5Bi%5Dhim%5B%2Fi%5D. It%27s that they%27re %5Bi%5Dalways%5B%2Fi%5D jerks. If you%27re supposed to be the good guys%2C you can either be jerks %5Bi%5Dor%5B%2Fi%5D you can be incompetent. Both doesn%27t get a pass from me.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EHe%27s lucky he%27s in solitary and not %5Bi%5Ddead%5B%2Fi%5D. %0D%0A%0D%0ANot %5Bi%5Dthat%5B%2Fi%5D lucky. Historically%2C almost everyone in the %5Bi%5DAvatar%5B%2Fi%5D universe who has needed to be dead hasn%27t been.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAlso%2C they got Grey DeLisle voicing an armless waterbender. That%27s so %0D%0A%3Ecrazy it just might work. %0D%0A%0D%0AOr... not.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAsami got a whole shit-ton of money from Varrick. When he bought a lot %0D%0A%3Eof Future Industries%3F I can%27t see her having given that %5Bi%5Dback%5B%2Fi%5D to %0D%0A%3Ehim. %0D%0A%0D%0ATo him%2C no%2C given the circumstances%2C but on the other hand%2C if she actually got the company back%2C one expects the judicial system would have expected the money she got for it to go %5Bi%5Dsomewhere%5B%2Fi%5D else. Just because the dude%27s a felon doesn%27t mean she gets to get back what she sold him %5Bi%5Dand%5B%2Fi%5D keep the money he paid for it.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EIt feels like the writers know she%27s %0D%0A%3E%3Etrying to grow%2C and sometimes their attention wanders and she gets %0D%0A%3E%3Eaway with it a little%2C but then they consciously set her back for some %0D%0A%3E%3Einexplicable reason. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EEh. Aang had the same thing going on%2C where he%27d flip back and forth %0D%0A%3Ebetween %22this kid is really wise for a twelve-year-old%22 and %22wow%2C you %0D%0A%3Eare the most passive-aggressive brat in the universe.%22 %0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C yes%2C but Aang. Was. %5Bi%5DTwelve.%5B%2Fi%5D%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bfont size%3D%221%22%5DAnd a bit of an idiot. And on a much kiddier show. %3A%29%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 3|3|2|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Mercutio||02:14:27|06/29/2014|%0D%0A%3E%3ETenzin is kind of Korra%27s mentor. He never patronizes her%2C except%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E... almost every time he speaks to her. Come on%2C watch that clip %0D%0A%3Eagain and check his tone of voice when he says%2C %22You%27ll figure it %0D%0A%3Eout.%22 %0D%0A%0D%0AHonestly%3F I got the impression Tenzin %5Bi%5Dgenuinely believes%5B%2Fi%5D Korra is gonna figure her shit out. Tenzin believes in Korra%21 Just%2C like%2C in general. At worst%2C I%27d concede that he%27s really bad at expressing this belief%2C but Tenzin is a deeply%2C painfully awkward person in general.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28I actually believe%2C and I think the series bears me out on this one%2C that Tenzin is perpetually terrified that people will discover he%27s a bit of a fraud. The irony being%2C of course%2C that everyone in the whole world is scared of that all the time.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3E.. wait%2C what%3F What%27d Lin do%3F %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EWell%2C most prominently%2C she stood there doing the square root of %0D%0A%3Efuckall while President Fuckstick repeatedly exceeded his authority%2C %0D%0A%3Ewith that growly %22I agree with everything the authority figure is %0D%0A%3Esaying%22 face on. %0D%0A%0D%0AThe face is kinda Lin%27s default expression.%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m not sure Raiko actually exceeded his authority at any point here%2C tho. It seems like Raiko has way more authority than is sane to vest in one person%2C but that%27s different from exceeding it. In which case%2C not really her job to undercut him%2C although I suppose you could argue that Raiko is doing such a poor job she should resign.%0D%0A%0D%0ALin did interject to save Raiko and Korra%27s collective asses when they were about to have a knock-down drag-out argument in public%2C %5Bi%5Din front of the press%5B%2Fi%5D. There%27s just... that wasn%27t going to go anywhere good if allowed to continue%2C regardless of who was right. Imagine if Churchill and Atlee%2C or Harry Truman and Bob Taft%2C or LBJ and Hubert Humphrey had been about to get into a public screaming match with each other with a million cameras and microphones pointed at them. Their aides would have physically manhandled them apart %5Bi%5Dso fast%5B%2Fi%5D it isn%27t even funny. Lin stepped up there.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EOkay%2C I%27m actually gonna offer an extremely limited defense of Raiko. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EJust for the record%2C there is no defense for that guy. Seriously%2C %0D%0A%3Enone. %22He%27s poorly informed as to what is actually going on%22 is a %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5Dfurther indictment of his competence%2C%5B%2Fi%5D not a defense.%0D%0A%0D%0AI don%27t think it is entirely reasonable for Raiko to be fully up to date on Korra%27s whole personal... situation. I mean%2C there%27s plenty else to indict the guy for.%0D%0A%0D%0AI dunno. It might just be because I was hoping Raiko would be a bit more complex than what we%27re getting.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EOkay%2C this one I%27m going to mount a much sterner defense on. The White %0D%0A%3E%3ELotus don%27t seem to be all that jerky here. I mean%2C yeah%2C that group %0D%0A%3E%3Eof guards was pretty snide to Zaheer. Zaheer tried to kidnap and%2For %0D%0A%3E%3Emurder a four-year-old.%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EOh%2C I don%27t specifically care that they were jerks to %5Bi%5Dhim%5B%2Fi%5D. %0D%0A%3EIt%27s that they%27re %5Bi%5Dalways%5B%2Fi%5D jerks. If you%27re supposed to be the %0D%0A%3Egood guys%2C you can either be jerks %5Bi%5Dor%5B%2Fi%5D you can be incompetent. %0D%0A%3EBoth doesn%27t get a pass from me. %0D%0A%0D%0AFair enough. I do admit that the organization seems to have really%2C really gone downhill. To a certain extent that was inevitable%3B it%27s ambit is much wider than it once was. But you%27d expect the Elder Lotus%27 to still be men like Piandao.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EAsami got a whole shit-ton of money from Varrick. When he bought a lot %0D%0A%3E%3Eof Future Industries%3F I can%27t see her having given that %5Bi%5Dback%5B%2Fi%5D to %0D%0A%3E%3Ehim. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3ETo him%2C no%2C given the circumstances%2C but on the other hand%2C if she %0D%0A%3Eactually got the company back%2C one expects the judicial system would %0D%0A%3Ehave expected the money she got for it to go %5Bi%5Dsomewhere%5B%2Fi%5D else. %0D%0A%3EJust because the dude%27s a felon doesn%27t mean she gets to get back what %0D%0A%3Eshe sold him %5Bi%5Dand%5B%2Fi%5D keep the money he paid for it. %0D%0A%0D%0AI would submit that one should never be surprised at the kind of financial bullshit that the entire idea of corporate personhood lets you get away with when it comes to moving cash around. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%28More seriously%2C it seems like Raiko actually seized Varrick%27s interest in FI and then simply awarded it directly to Asami. I don%27t speak spanish%2C so I%27m not 100%25 on that.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EEh. Aang had the same thing going on%2C where he%27d flip back and forth %0D%0A%3E%3Ebetween %22this kid is really wise for a twelve-year-old%22 and %22wow%2C you %0D%0A%3E%3Eare the most passive-aggressive brat in the universe.%22 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EWell%2C yes%2C but Aang. Was. %5Bi%5DTwelve.%5B%2Fi%5D %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%5Bfont size%3D%221%22%5DAnd a bit of an idiot. And on a much kiddier show. %0D%0A%3E%3A%29%5B%2Ffont%5D %0D%0A%0D%0AYou have a much%2C much higher opinion of teenagers than I do%2C I%27ll say that. %3A%29 From my perspective%2C Korra having her shit together to the extent that she does is truly%2C incredibly remarkable. It%27s her being as awesome as she is that%27s the outlier%2C not her incredible insecurities.%0D%0A%0D%0AOr maybe I just hung out with the wrong crowd at that age. From what I remember these days%2C none of us knew what the fuck we were doing and we were alternately really depressed and really %5Bb%5Dpissed off%5B%2Fb%5D about that.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 4|4|3|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Gryphon||02:59:55|06/29/2014|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jun-29-14 AT 03:05 AM (EDT)]%3EHonestly%3F I got the impression Tenzin %5Bi%5Dgenuinely believes%5B%2Fi%5D Korra %0D%0A%3Eis gonna figure her shit out. Tenzin believes in Korra%21 Just%2C like%2C in %0D%0A%3Egeneral. At worst%2C I%27d concede that he%27s really bad at expressing this %0D%0A%3Ebelief%2C but Tenzin is a deeply%2C painfully awkward person in general. %0D%0A%0D%0AMaybe. He always sounds to me like he%27s just barely not rolling his eyes when he makes any response to any expression of frustration or doubt that comes out of her%2C and since that usually seems like basically all she does in his presence %28which is its own Tiresome Thing%29%2C that%27s basically all the time.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%28I actually believe%2C and I think the series bears me out on this one%2C %0D%0A%3Ethat Tenzin is perpetually terrified that people will discover he%27s a %0D%0A%3Ebit of a fraud. The irony being%2C of course%2C that everyone in the whole %0D%0A%3Eworld is scared of that all the time.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AI am beginning to suspect that the newtype airbenders of the second century would be a lot better off if none of Aang%27s children had been airbenders and the Old Air Nomad Way had died out. Without the overarching tie of their being descendants of a real Air Nomad %28which was a prereq for my own conception of the third-century Air Commonwealth in UF before %5Bi%5Dthis%5B%2Fi%5D shit hit the fan%29%2C I can%27t see a re-creation of the old Air Nation in the modern age working. Sure%2C the alternative would be messy for a generation or two while they got their new-version shit together%2C but then they%27d be%2C you know%2C functional parts of society%2C as opposed to strange%2C self-marginalizing anachronisms trying to live by the precepts of a culture that they have no actual thing to do with apart from that one physical ability.%0D%0A%0D%0AI stand by my earlier assertion that no one %28apart from Tenzin%2C who took after Aang and is therefore not very bright%29 should have been surprised that it%27s proving difficult to generate enthusiasm among modern persons for joining the Society for Uncreative Anachronism. It%27s like Mennonites deciding to start recruiting 21st-century muggles based solely on their ability to grow beards. It%27s never going to work%2C and no reasonable person ought to have expected that it would.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ELin did interject to save Raiko and Korra%27s collective asses when they %0D%0A%3Ewere about to have a knock-down drag-out argument in public%2C %5Bi%5Din %0D%0A%3Efront of the press%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0AYeah%2C see%2C that%27s what I%27m talking about. I have a completely different view of that scene%2C to wit%3A Korra was %5Bi%5Dwinning%5B%2Fi%5D. For once. And then Lin cockblocked her. Again.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThere%27s just... that wasn%27t going to go %0D%0A%3Eanywhere good if allowed to continue%2C regardless of who was right. %0D%0A%0D%0ASure it was. It was going to go to the place where %5Bi%5DKorra won an argument for once%5B%2Fi%5D and the press were there to report on it.%0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C OK%2C no%2C because this is %5Bi%5DThe Legend of Korra%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and even Korra winning an argument with righteous fury somehow will always manage to get spun into Korra seeming childish and stupid. Right. Sorry. I forgot where I was for a second. You%27re completely right about that.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EImagine if Churchill and Atlee... had been about to get into a public %0D%0A%3Escreaming match with each other with a million cameras and microphones pointed %0D%0A%3Eat them.%0D%0A%0D%0AHave you ever read %5Bi%5DHansard%5B%2Fi%5D%3F That happened all the %5Bi%5Dtime.%5B%2Fi%5D Parliament is %5Bi%5Dway%5B%2Fi%5D better than Congress. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI don%27t think it is entirely reasonable for Raiko to be fully up to %0D%0A%3Edate on Korra%27s whole personal... situation. I mean%2C there%27s plenty %0D%0A%3Eelse to indict the guy for. %0D%0A%0D%0AI thought Korra had that pretty well surrounded before Lin got in her way. %0D%0ANever mind that she just got out of prison after serving 13 years for the crime of being prematurely awesome. It%27s a matter of fairly public record that her own uncle conquered her country and pretty near killed her before merging with Hedorah the Smog Monster and trying to eat her adopted %28and unappreciative%2C and frankly unworthy%29 hometown%2C at which point she had to disintegrate his ass for the Public Good. And that%2C in retrospect%2C it%27s obvious that they all should have listened to her and gone down there with proper armies and mullered his ass before he had the chance to do it. That was all in the papers%2C and I submit that it is the job of a person in Fuckstick%27s position to have read and understood them.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28People In Authority being shown that they should have listened to someone%2C and then turning around and not listening to that someone again the next time so that the Plot Will Advance%2C gets on my tits. It%27s my biggest beef with the %5Bi%5DMass Effect%5B%2Fi%5D games %28apart from the end of the third one%29 and the reason why I find the DreamWorks %5Bi%5DDragons of Berk%5B%2Fi%5D TV shows a lot less appealing than the movies%2C and hey%2C look%2C it%27s Raiko%27s whole entire thing%21%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAnyway. I don%27t think I%27m expecting too much of Korra at seventeen if I just wish they%27d let her be as great as Katara was at %5Bi%5Dfourteen%5B%2Fi%5D. I mean%2C that%27s a high bar%2C but it%27s not %5Bi%5Dunreasonable%5B%2Fi%5D. And what%27s really frustrating me%2C if I haven%27t gotten it across%2C is that I believe she %5Bi%5Dwould%5B%2Fi%5D be if they just let her get on with it and stopped deliberately tripping her %28looking at YOU%2C second vines scene%29. I don%27t think she%27s really anything like as miserably hapless as they%27re constantly forcing her to be. Particularly after last season%27s mostly-red scorecard%2C it%27s starting to %5Bi%5Dreek%5B%2Fi%5D of authorial interference for the sake of artificially raising the stakes%2C and that just %5Bi%5Dfucks%5B%2Fi%5D with me.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 5|5|4|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Mercutio||16:39:09|06/29/2014|%0D%0A%3EMaybe. He always sounds to me like he%27s just barely not rolling his %0D%0A%3Eeyes when he makes any response to any expression of frustration or %0D%0A%3Edoubt that comes out of her%2C and since that usually seems like %0D%0A%3Ebasically all she does in his presence %28which is its own Tiresome %0D%0A%3EThing%29%2C that%27s basically all the time. %0D%0A%0D%0AYou are absolutely right that Tenzin and Korra should have more interaction than just %22Korra unloads in his general direction.%22 That%27s yet another symptom of the writers eyes being bigger than their stomachs when it comes time to pace out a season.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut%2C I mean... really%2C what%27s the more logical scenario here%3F That Tenzin%2C who we%27re clearly meant to like and sympathize with%2C is being written as secretly holding Korra in contempt and barely restraining loud sighs and eye-rolls every time she comes to him for advice%3F Or that%2C at absolute worst%2C JK Simmons line readings aren%27t quite doing it for you%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI am beginning to suspect that the newtype airbenders of the second %0D%0A%3Ecentury would be a lot better off if none of Aang%27s children had been %0D%0A%3Eairbenders and the Old Air Nomad Way had died out. Without the %0D%0A%3Eoverarching tie of their being descendants of a real Air Nomad %0D%0A%0D%0AYou%27re probably right about this. Frankly%2C I was never all that thrilled with the implication of bending needing to descend through the bloodline anyway %28which is part of why I like the Element of Freedom deciding %22no%2C screw that%2C I can go anywhere%21%22%29 and I would have liked it if%2C say%2C Aang had spent his life training up guys like Teo and Ty Lee or whoever to inherit the wind.%0D%0A%0D%0AReally%2C even Tenzin doesn%27t live like a %22real%22 Air Nomad. Their society has%2C functionally speaking%2C been defunct since the genocide. Aang was a twelve-year-old%2C not a cultural anthropologist. This is actually something that comes up in %22The Rift%22%2C where he tries to show the first Air Acolytes the sacred rituals of his people and realizes he has absolutely no idea of the content and meaning behind them.%0D%0A%0D%0ADon%27t get me wrong%2C re-establishing the air temples was probably not a bad idea. The Fire Sages get along okay in their own temples%2C and I imagine the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes have their own monk%2Fshaman equivalents. %0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%28which %0D%0A%3Ewas a prereq for my own conception of the third-century Air %0D%0A%3ECommonwealth in UF before %5Bi%5Dthis%5B%2Fi%5D shit hit the fan%29%2C %0D%0A%0D%0ATangent%3A it isn%27t entirely problematic for you to just stick with that%2C you know. There have been plenty of people writing in this universe%2C or a reasonable facsimile thereof%2C who%27ve been in the same boat. You know how many people wrote their own %22Book 3%3A Fire%22 in the year-long gap between seasons and two and through%3F Or hell%2C how many people wrote their own %22Book 4%3A Air%22 after the series ended%2C or took up their pens in the eight-month gap between %22Day of Black Sun%22 and the back half of Book 3%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AA bunch%2C that%27s how many. Hell%2C most of the definitive Azula fanfics have been well and truly destroyed by canon%2C and lets be honest here%2C that%27s almost certainly going to happen to %5Bi%5DDesolation Angel%5B%2Fi%5D at some point.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo if you just go %22fuck it%2C I%27m going to work Lhakpa%27s storyline to its logical conclusion%2C screw you random non-Aang-descended airbenders%22 you%27ll hardly be in bad company.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Although I do feel that Lhakpa%27s arc is easily salvaged by making it less %22fuck living like an Air Nomad just because I%27m an airbender%22 and more %22fuck the expectations leveled on me as being a Real Live Descendant of Aang%2C I%27m not defined by my bloodline.%22%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI stand by my earlier assertion that no one %28apart from Tenzin%2C who %0D%0A%3Etook after Aang and is therefore not very bright%29 should have been %0D%0A%3Esurprised that it%27s proving difficult to generate enthusiasm among %0D%0A%3Emodern persons for joining the Society for Uncreative Anachronism.%0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C I stand by my own assertion that Korra in particular would have been just as confident as Tenzin initially was%2C because she%27s all about Embracing Your Destiny. In fact%2C she would probably envy these guys%2C as they have a pretty straightforward one compared to her unbelievably muddled one.%0D%0A%0D%0AI think the show bears me out on this. Look at how absolutely enraged she got at Basement Dweller%2C for being all %22Whatever. You don%27t gotta do anything you don%27t want.%22 That wasn%27t just frustration at another recruit not signing on%2C that was personal offense%3B the guy was basically calling her a total idiot for living her life the way she has.%0D%0A%0D%0AYou%27re right that the others would probably have figured this would happen. I imagine some fairly signficant looks passed between Bolin%2C Asami%2C and Bumi. %28Notice how Bumi has been real%2C real silent about restructuring his life to be exactly like his kid brothers%3F%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EYeah%2C see%2C that%27s what I%27m talking about. I have a completely %0D%0A%3Edifferent view of that scene%2C to wit%3A Korra was %5Bi%5Dwinning%5B%2Fi%5D. For %0D%0A%3Eonce. And then Lin cockblocked her. Again. %0D%0A%0D%0A... maybe you shouldn%27t view every single scene from a standpoint of whether or not Korra is %22winning%22 it.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EThere%27s just... that wasn%27t going to go %0D%0A%3E%3Eanywhere good if allowed to continue%2C regardless of who was right. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3ESure it was. It was going to go to the place where %5Bi%5DKorra won an %0D%0A%3Eargument for once%5B%2Fi%5D and the press were there to report on it. %0D%0A%0D%0AExcept that wouldn%27t have been the story. The story would have been %22President and Avatar at each others throats%2C city in chaos.%22 %0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EImagine if Churchill and Atlee... had been about to get into a public %0D%0A%3E%3Escreaming match with each other with a million cameras and microphones pointed %0D%0A%3E%3Eat them.%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EHave you ever read %5Bi%5DHansard%5B%2Fi%5D%3F That happened all the %5Bi%5Dtime.%5B%2Fi%5D %0D%0A%3E Parliament is %5Bi%5Dway%5B%2Fi%5D better than Congress. %3A%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AI am not the anglophile you are%2C but my impression of Parliament has always been that at least half of what occurs there is regarded as some sort of weird national performance art%2C sort of %5Bi%5DCirque du Soleil%5B%2Fi%5D with Robert%27s Rules of Order. %3A%29 I might be wrong about that tho.%0D%0A%0D%0ARegardless%2C I think my point stands%3B if Churchill and Atlee has given a joint presser during the war%2C and suddenly Atlee undercuts Churchill right there in public%2C and Churchill got right up in his face and was all %22It%27s on%2C you fancy motherfucker%22%2C their aides would have shut that shit down %5Bi%5Dhard.%5B%2Fi%5D And they%27d both probably have been grateful for it.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Note that I do not mean to imply in any way that Raiko is Clement Atlee%27s political equal. Because he is not.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAnyway. I don%27t think I%27m expecting too much of Korra at seventeen if %0D%0A%3EI just wish they%27d let her be as great as Katara was at %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5Dfourteen%5B%2Fi%5D. I mean%2C that%27s a high bar%2C but it%27s not %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5Dunreasonable%5B%2Fi%5D. And what%27s really frustrating me%2C if I haven%27t %0D%0A%3Egotten it across%2C is that I believe she %5Bi%5Dwould%5B%2Fi%5D be if they just %0D%0A%3Elet her get on with it and stopped deliberately tripping her %28looking %0D%0A%3Eat YOU%2C second vines scene%29. %0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m usually prepared to defend Korra trying something and failing at it%2C but the second vines scene crossed the line for me not because her plan didn%27t work%2C but because it actively made things worse. %0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI don%27t think she%27s really anything like %0D%0A%3Eas miserably hapless as they%27re constantly forcing her to be. %0D%0A%3EParticularly after last season%27s mostly-red scorecard%2C it%27s starting %0D%0A%3Eto %5Bi%5Dreek%5B%2Fi%5D of authorial interference for the sake of artificially %0D%0A%3Eraising the stakes%2C and that just %5Bi%5Dfucks%5B%2Fi%5D with me. %0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C I mean... you%27re right that Korra%27s character arc has been supremely badly structured. I%27m just not sure I%27d put it in terms of wins and losses the way you would. Aang%2C frankly%2C doesn%27t have that great a win%2Floss record either%3B his show just disguised it better. The kid was constantly trying stuff and failing abjectly at it. But I think of it in terms of them either not having her learn as quickly as she really%2C really should %28Korra is nothing if not self-reflective%29 or%2C if their intent is to portray her as someone who is going through life at the School of Hard Knocks%2C they%27re executing that really badly.%0D%0A%0D%0AMy point is I don%27t really have a problem with Korra just not winning a whole lot. It%27s possible to tell interesting stories about someone who gets beat down a lot and then only comes through with a squeaker victory at the end%21 I just think%2C if that%27s what they%27re aiming at with Korra%2C they%27re not doing it real well%2C and honestly... I kinda doubt that%27s what they%27re aiming at.%0D%0A%0D%0AI get the feeling that we%27re actually meant to %5Bi%5Dthink%5B%2Fi%5D Korra has been achieving superlative triumphs. The end of Season 1 is particularly egregious in this regard%3B it%27s structured%2C cinematically speaking%2C the way you structure a story in which the protagonist just achieved an enormous win%2C rather than one in which she backed into victory through luck and the incompetence of others and then had Deus ex Aang kiss her hurts all better.%0D%0A%0D%0ACome to think of it%2C that%27s the root of my issues with Mako as well. The show very clearly was saying %22Look at Mako and Korra%21 Aren%27t they just meant to be%3F%22 And%2C well%2C NO%2C show. Mako is trying to cheat on his totally awesome girlfriend and Korra is kind of sort of going along with it.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s just poor writing. %0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 6|6|5|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Gryphon||17:08:32|06/29/2014|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jun-29-14 AT 05:17 PM (EDT)]%3E%3E%28which %0D%0A%3E%3Ewas a prereq for my own conception of the third-century Air %0D%0A%3E%3ECommonwealth in UF before %5Bi%5Dthis%5B%2Fi%5D shit hit the fan%29%2C %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3ETangent%3A it isn%27t entirely problematic for you to just stick with %0D%0A%3Ethat%2C you know.%0D%0A%0D%0ACounter-tangent%3A Oh ho hooo%2C you have no idea what you are talking about with that statement. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EA bunch%2C that%27s how many. Hell%2C most of the definitive Azula fanfics %0D%0A%3Ehave been well and truly destroyed by canon%2C and lets be honest here%2C %0D%0A%3Ethat%27s almost certainly going to happen to %5Bi%5DDesolation Angel%5B%2Fi%5D at %0D%0A%3Esome point. %0D%0A%0D%0AYou think%3F I%27d be pretty surprised if we ever saw her on TV again%2C and frankly I don%27t think even Phil gives a damn about what the comics have to say about her any more after %5Bi%5DThe Search%5B%2Fi%5D. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%28Although I do feel that Lhakpa%27s arc is easily salvaged by making it %0D%0A%3Eless %22fuck living like an Air Nomad just because I%27m an airbender%22 and %0D%0A%3Emore %22fuck the expectations leveled on me as being a Real Live %0D%0A%3EDescendant of Aang%2C I%27m not defined by my bloodline.%22%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AYou%27re not alone in that regard. In fact%2C I agree with the core of that statement insofar as it goes%2C with or without the context of Airbender Proliferation. However%2C it may or may not actually be that simple. I%27m still working on it.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI think the show bears me out on this. Look at how absolutely enraged %0D%0A%3Eshe got at Basement Dweller%2C for being all %22Whatever. You don%27t gotta %0D%0A%3Edo anything you don%27t want.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AKeep in mind that%2C since we%27ve both just spent the last two days agreeing that the show is badly written%2C you%27re not really doing anything to persuade me by pointing out - rightly%21 - that The Show Bears You Out On That. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThat wasn%27t just frustration at another %0D%0A%3Erecruit not signing on%2C that was personal offense%3B the guy was %0D%0A%3Ebasically calling her a total idiot for living her life the way she %0D%0A%3Ehas. %0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bfont size%3D%221%22%5D... he%27s not wrong.%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E... maybe you shouldn%27t view every single scene from a standpoint of %0D%0A%3Ewhether or not Korra is %22winning%22 it. %0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27d be dope%2C if the show didn%27t make it virtually impossible to view them in any other way%2C by placing such constant%2C massive%2C crushing emphasis on how she%27s always %5Bi%5Dlosing%5B%2Fi%5D. Trying to perceive it otherwise%2C at least for me%2C is like trying to ignore the cowbell in %22Honky Tonk Women%22.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3ESure it was. It was going to go to the place where %5Bi%5DKorra won an %0D%0A%3E%3Eargument for once%5B%2Fi%5D and the press were there to report on it. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EExcept that wouldn%27t have been the story. The story would have been %0D%0A%3E%22President and Avatar at each others throats%2C city in chaos.%22 %0D%0A%0D%0AI notice you cut the part where I did acknowledge that this is actually what would have happened. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ERegardless%2C I think my point stands%3B if Churchill and Atlee has given %0D%0A%3Ea joint presser during the war%2C and suddenly Atlee undercuts Churchill %0D%0A%3Eright there in public%2C and Churchill got right up in his face and was %0D%0A%3Eall %22It%27s on%2C you fancy motherfucker%22%0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C yes%2C but see%2C my point is that if that had ever happened%2C it would have been %5Bi%5Dbetter than actual reality%2C%5B%2Fi%5D and so I want that kind of stuff to happen in what is supposed to be an epic fantasy adventure%2C because it%27s epic fantasy adventure stuff%2C not boring%2C frustrating %5Bi%5Drealpolitik%5B%2Fi%5D bullshit. Real life is already full of that. I don%27t need more of it in my cartoons. Sorry if I didn%27t articulate that clearly enough before. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%28Note that I do not mean to imply in any way that Raiko is Clement %0D%0A%3EAtlee%27s political equal. Because he is not.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0ARaiko isn%27t fucking %5Bi%5DNeville Chamberlain%27s%5B%2Fi%5D political equal. At least Chamberlain %28however stupidly%29 meant well%2C was sincerely appalled when it all went totally wrong%2C and literally worked himself to death trying to do what little he could toward putting right the mess he had made after he was out of power. I%27m not even convinced Raiko really thinks he%27s Doing The Right Thing rather than just waving his cock and screaming at anyone who he thinks is fronting on him%2C like an enraged rhesus monkey.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI%27m usually prepared to defend Korra trying something and failing at %0D%0A%3Eit%2C but the second vines scene crossed the line for me not because her %0D%0A%3Eplan didn%27t work%2C but because it actively made things worse. %0D%0A%0D%0AExactly.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EWell%2C I mean... you%27re right that Korra%27s character arc has been %0D%0A%3Esupremely badly structured. I%27m just not sure I%27d put it in terms of %0D%0A%3Ewins and losses the way you would.%0D%0A%0D%0AFFS%2C man%2C that%27s an illustrative example%2C not the entire body of my objection.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EBut I %0D%0A%3Ethink of it in terms of them either not having her learn as quickly as %0D%0A%3Eshe really%2C really should %28Korra is nothing if not self-reflective%29 %0D%0A%3Eor%2C if their intent is to portray her as someone who is going through %0D%0A%3Elife at the School of Hard Knocks%2C they%27re executing that really %0D%0A%3Ebadly. %0D%0A%0D%0AYes.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI get the feeling that we%27re actually meant to %5Bi%5Dthink%5B%2Fi%5D Korra has %0D%0A%3Ebeen achieving superlative triumphs.%0D%0A%0D%0AFuck%2C I hope not. That would mean the show is even worse than I %5Bi%5Dthink%5B%2Fi%5D it is.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ECome to think of it%2C that%27s the root of my issues with Mako as well. %0D%0A%3EThe show very clearly was saying %22Look at Mako and Korra%21 Aren%27t they %0D%0A%3Ejust meant to be%3F%22%0D%0A%0D%0AI have seen it speculated that that happened at the end of Book 1 specifically because someone in a suit said%2C %22Hang on%2C why isn%27t the Romance Plot resolved%3F Kiss goes here%2C then the happily-ever-after bit is set if this turns out to be the end of the whole show.%22 %28They did%2C after all%2C not entirely know the show was going any further than that at the time.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AThat seems plausible to me%2C if only because that%27s how TV almost always works. Which also means that I%27m 92%25 sure they won%27t be able to go to the end of the series without fixing her up HEA with %5Bi%5Dsome%5B%2Fi%5D dude%2A - possibly some dude we haven%27t even met yet%2C what with the various burnt bridges - and I have already put the team on notice that I do not have a blank on my mental org chart for that.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThat%27s just poor writing. %0D%0A%0D%0AYou know what%2C I think we%27ve got this thing entirely battened down with just those four words. Everything else is just quibbling over the trim colors.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd yet I remain. It%27s like I said last year - it%27s like being hopelessly in love with a girl whose entire family you cannot stand%2C%2A%2A and who all hate you too. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A%5Bfont size%3D%221%22%5D%2A realistically%2C because network%2C much as many of us wish it could be otherwise%0D%0A%2A%2A So we sent her to 24th-century New Avalon instead%21 What%27d you think of that%3F%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 9|7|6|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|The Traitor||20:26:03|06/29/2014|Except... no. It%27s really not just %22arguing over the trim colours%22. It%27s an important part of this if you%27re creating what amounts to a fix fic for the entirety of Korra%27s personal history - which%2C by giving her achievements she could genuinely be proud of%2C is exactly what you%27re doing - because for a fix fic to work%2C you have to know what bits to fix in the first place.%0D%0A%0D%0ASomething that stuck with me when I read Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality was a line from chapter 7 that said %22If you can%27t criticise%2C you can%27t optimise%22. Just saying %22that%27s just poor writing%22 is so vague as to be meaningless%3B you have to actually break down the elements of the show and go over what does and doesn%27t work with a fine-toothed comb before going through with it. You%27ve got your reasons for hating the shit Korra goes through%2C fine%2C I get that%2C fill your boots. She%27s been shat on from a great height%2C partly by %0D%0Afate and partly by the writers not giving her the same chances that they gave Aang %28so%2C er%2C entirely by the writers%29. This is not in dispute. What is%2C is that that%27s the %5Bi%5Donly%5B%2Fi%5D thing wrong%2C or indeed the only thing with good%2Finteresting elements.%0D%0A%0D%0ALook%2C I haven%27t watched much of the show. I am not as familiar with it as you are. I am%2C however%2C familiar with criticism%3B %22that%27s just poor writing%22 ain%27t fuckin%27 it. It%27s bad because it sucks%2C it sucks because it%27s bad. Hurrah. You don%27t want realpolitik in your cartoons%3F Well%2C hard cheese for you%2C because you%27ve got it anyway. Look at%2C for example%2C the ways Raiko abuses his position%2C look past the fact that Korra was winning an argument %28and at the fact that the Avatar and the leader of Republic City were squabbling like toddlers over the last sweetie in front of the assembled press do you seriously not get why Lin had to step in%29%2C look at that and think about how you can make it better. I%27d really like to see what you would do to make Raiko work as a good guy in UF. I want to see you convert the startling array of idiots on Korra%27s side into people who deserve to be on her side. I know you could do it - hell%2C making the White Lotus into not-morons was proof enough of that - but it%27s a question of whether or not it%27s worth the effort.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe answer%2C for those playing along at home%2C is yes.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s what fix fics are supposed to do.%0D%0A%0D%0A---%0D%0A%22She%27s old%2C she%27s lame%2C she%27s barren too%2C %2F%2F %22She%27s not worth feed or hay%2C %2F%2F %22But I%27ll give her this%2C%22 - he blew smoke at me - %2F%2F %22She was something in her day.%22 -- Garnet Rogers%2C %5Bi%5DSmall Victory%5B%2Fi%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AFiMFiction.net%3A we might accept blatant porn involving the cast of My Little Pony but as God is my witness we have %5Bi%5Dstandards%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bsmall%5DOf course%2C you%27ll almost certainly ignore this because it doesn%27t fit into your preconceived narrative that the good guys have to win because they%27re the good guys and the villains aren%27t allowed the remotest semblance of a good idea because villains r bad%2C but w%2Fe%2C piece said%2C I%27m out.%5B%2Fsmall%5D 10|8|9|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Gryphon||20:37:17|06/29/2014|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jun-29-14 AT 08:43 PM (EDT)]%3EJust saying %22that%27s just poor writing%22 %0D%0A%3Eis so vague as to be meaningless%3B you have to actually break down the %0D%0A%3Eelements of the show and go over what does and doesn%27t work%0D%0A%0D%0A... OK%2C did I %5Bi%5Dimagine%5B%2Fi%5D the part where we%27d spent the previous half-dozen or so posts doing just that%2C and the %22trim colors%22 remark was a quip at the end of a summary about Merc and I arriving at a quasi-consensus%3F Or are you just ignoring it because you%27d rather shout at me for some inexplicable reason%3F The savagery you%27re displaying here is a bit puzzling%2C I%27m just saying.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Elook at that and think about how you can make it %0D%0A%3Ebetter.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe thing is%2C I%27m not in a position to make %5Bi%5Dthe canon%5B%2Fi%5D %28which is what I am grumbling about here%29 better in the context of UF%2C only work with things that are happening after it. %28Thirty to 120 %5Bi%5Dyears%5B%2Fi%5D after it%2C depending on which part of the %5Bi%5DLegacy%5B%2Fi%5D%2F%5Bi%5DD%C3%ACqi%C3%BA Suite%5B%2Fi%5D project we%27re talking about.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m basically the janitor in this scenario%2C and what you are seeing in the previous posts is me grumbling about the smell of some of the stuff I have to clean up. I%27m not in the role of an engineer looking at ways of revamping an underbuilt existing structure. I mean%2C look%2C I could DO %5Bi%5DThe Legend of Korra%3A Actually Legendary Remix%5B%2Fi%5D%2C starting from the opening premise of Book 1 Chapter 1 and repairing everything as I go. It%27s within my powers. It%27s not that different from what NXE started out as%2C albeit TLOK%3AALR would be a lot less blatantly parodiacal because I%27m not 23 any more and my standards have changed. It would%2C however%2C be a whole different project.%0D%0A%0D%0ADo you see how they%27re different%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%5Bsmall%5DOf course%2C you%27ll almost certainly ignore this because it %0D%0A%3Edoesn%27t fit into your preconceived narrative that the good guys have %0D%0A%3Eto win because they%27re the good guys and the villains aren%27t allowed %0D%0A%3Ethe remotest semblance of a good idea because villains r bad%2C but w%2Fe%2C %0D%0A%3Epiece said%2C I%27m out.%5B%2Fsmall%5D %0D%0A%0D%0ANo%2C I didn%27t ignore it%2C but shit%2C Traitor%2C if that%27s the way you feel%2C then here%27s a problem%3A That %22preconceived narrative%22 is a guiding principle of %5Bi%5DUndocumented Features%5B%2Fi%5D. %28At least the first part is.%29 Your tone here indicates that you find it Dramatically or Creatively Inadequate%2C which really makes me wonder what you%27ve been getting out of the product this whole time.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 15|9|10|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|The Traitor||21:18:30|06/29/2014|I get pulp sci-fi out of UF. Which is fine. I love me some pulp. Common People is a great song. I just also like sci-fi where the enemy is %5Bi%5Dalso%5B%2Fi%5D allowed to be smart. To me%2C it makes the triumph of the heroes feel a bit more satisfying when the villains they%27re arrayed against are capable of outwitting%2C say%2C a heavily-concussed guppy. If nothing else%2C it%27s an additional layer of characterisation%3B these people are criminal masterminds%2C they%27re supposed to be good at their jobs%2C and just because we don%27t like them doesn%27t mean they%27re incompetent. But that%27s not what you%27ve spent the last twenty years writing%2C and that%27s fine.%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bsmall%5DHey%2C fun fact%3A you%27ve been doing this for roughly the same amount of time that I%27ve been %5Bi%5Dbreathing%5B%2Fi%5D. Feel old%2C dammit%21%5B%2Fsmall%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C no%2C I didn%27t miss the rest of the thread%2C my eyes do still sort of work%2C but to me it came off as being dismissive of the concept of criticism. I should have looked at it deeper%2C and for not doing so I apologise%2C but that sort of thing gets my back up like nobody%27s business and the red mist did rather descend. I suppose it%27s better than punching people outside a Wetherspoons%2C but not by much.%0D%0A%0D%0A---%0D%0A%22She%27s old%2C she%27s lame%2C she%27s barren too%2C %2F%2F %22She%27s not worth feed or hay%2C %2F%2F %22But I%27ll give her this%2C%22 - he blew smoke at me - %2F%2F %22She was something in her day.%22 -- Garnet Rogers%2C %5Bi%5DSmall Victory%5B%2Fi%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AFiMFiction.net%3A we might accept blatant porn involving the cast of My Little Pony but as God is my witness we have %5Bi%5Dstandards%5B%2Fi%5D. 16|10|15|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Mercutio||01:09:53|06/30/2014|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jun-30-14 AT 01:10 AM (EDT)]As the junior party here but the other significant contributor to this thread%2C I%27d like to say that if any member of the production team had a problem with literary criticism%2C I%27d have been banned from this forum a looooong time ago. I do two things here%3B get my %5Bi%5Dnerd on%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and gleefully deconstruct %5Bi%5Deverything%5B%2Fi%5D. I%27ve never been made to feel less than welcome%2C although I occasionally have been made to feel very%2C very wrong.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis is not%2C mind you%2C to say that I think you%27re entirely full of it%2C Traitor. I too have some issues as to how villainy is handled in post-Exile UF%2C as I generally come out of the school of thought that says one should love ones villains with the same passionate intensity one loves ones heroes. Or%2C at the very least%2C should approach the writing of them from the perspective that in their own heads%2C these vile miscreants are in fact the heroes of their own stories. I may have some things to say about this the next time Akio makes a move. %28I am anticipating that to be soon%2C if for no other reason than I can%27t see Akio %5Bi%5Dnot%5B%2Fi%5D doing something upon the birth of his brand-new niece.%29%0D%0A%0D%0ABut%2C well... one%2C there%27s a time when that%27s relevant%2C and I%27m not sure right here is it%2C and two%2C this is the production team that brought us the Exile. Flawed though it often was in execution%2C they do understand that sometimes the villains need to get in a clear%2C unambiguous win%2C in order to keep things interesting and to make the eventual triumph that much more awesome. They%27ve earned a bit of the benefit of the doubt.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 18|10|15|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Gryphon||16:43:55|06/30/2014|%3EAlso%2C no%2C I didn%27t miss the rest of the thread%2C my eyes do still sort %0D%0A%3Eof work%2C but to me it came off as being dismissive of the concept of %0D%0A%3Ecriticism. I should have looked at it deeper%2C and for not doing so I %0D%0A%3Eapologise%2C but that sort of thing gets my back up like nobody%27s %0D%0A%3Ebusiness and the red mist did rather descend.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe ironic thing is that I %5Bi%5Dam%5B%2Fi%5D%2C as a general rule%2C dismissive of the Concept of Criticism%2C at least when it%27s treated like some kind of formal intellectual discipline or social science. Dressing the act of explaining why you did or didn%27t like something up as a Serious Cerebral Exercise is%2C with few exceptions%2C a kind of pretension that I don%27t have a lot of time for.%0D%0A%0D%0AOn the other hand%2C in this case I %5Bi%5Dwas%5B%2Fi%5D in fact explaining my reactions to things%2C not - as you seemed to be taking vehement personal offense to - simply saying they were bad%3B so it was a bit baffling to suddenly have teeth in my neck about it. Like being arrested for a crime you considered but then didn%27t commit. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 19|11|18|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|The Traitor||17:47:35|06/30/2014|%3EOn the other hand%2C in this case I %5Bi%5Dwas%5B%2Fi%5D in fact explaining my %0D%0A%3Ereactions to things%2C not - as you seemed to be taking vehement %0D%0A%3Epersonal offense to - simply saying they were bad%3B so it was a bit %0D%0A%3Ebaffling to suddenly have teeth in my neck about it. Like being %0D%0A%3Earrested for a crime you considered but then didn%27t commit. %3A%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AThoughtcrime is a dangerous game%2C Comrade Hutchins%2C a dangerous game indeed. %3D%5D%0D%0A%0D%0ABut yeah%2C I read this completely wrong and allowed anger at a completely imaginary target to blind me to what you%27d actually said. In the words of the great Jedi sages%2C %22shit be wack%2C yo.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A---%0D%0A%22She%27s old%2C she%27s lame%2C she%27s barren too%2C %2F%2F %22She%27s not worth feed or hay%2C %2F%2F %22But I%27ll give her this%2C%22 - he blew smoke at me - %2F%2F %22She was something in her day.%22 -- Garnet Rogers%2C %5Bi%5DSmall Victory%5B%2Fi%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AFiMFiction.net%3A we might accept blatant porn involving the cast of My Little Pony but as God is my witness we have %5Bi%5Dstandards%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bsmall%5DThere is no limit to how much money I would pay to see a Funkotroni version of Yoda. None. At. All.%5B%2Fsmall%5D 7|6|5|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|SpottedKitty||18:25:48|06/29/2014|%3Emy impression of Parliament has %0D%0A%3Ealways been that at least half of what occurs there is regarded as %0D%0A%3Esome sort of weird national performance art%2C sort of %5Bi%5DCirque du %0D%0A%3ESoleil%5B%2Fi%5D with Robert%27s Rules of Order. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AYou just gave me a mental image of some of the current crop of inmates doing twirls and poses suspended high above the back benches%2C wearing skintight glittery spandex. Fortunately I managed to link to a YouTube page of funny cat movies before I lost 2d6 SAN.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Your description%27s pretty much spot-on%2C though...%29%0D%0A%0D%0A-- %0D%0AUnable to save the day%3A File is read-only. 8|1|0|||1||Notes on Chapter 3|Gryphon||20:10:20|06/29/2014|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jun-29-14 AT 08:18 PM (EDT)]Less comprehensive%2C because I%27ve only skimmed it as yet. I find that I am actively repelled by the Criminal Kid plot%2C and not terribly engaged by the airbender plot%2C the Legion of Doom plot%2C or the Bros plot%2C so that basically just leaves Korra and Asami beating down some of the renegade Burger King window guys from %5Bi%5DWarrior of the Lost World%5B%2Fi%5D. Which was pretty good%2C even if they %5Bi%5Dwere%5B%2Fi%5D so obviously doing it in the service of evil %28because I guess we didn%27t see Korra get duped into serving evil enough in Book 2%3F I got nothin%27%29 that eventually even Korra noticed.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C the Dai Li%3F Really%3F Not even as a secret underground revenge remnant%2C but still running the joint like nothing happened%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AFuturewatch%3A I%27ll forgive the shrillness of her parting remarks to the Earth Queen if and only if she backs them up.%0D%0A%0D%0ATransfictionally%3A By Mechagodzilla%2C there had better not be any of that little bastard%27s DNA in Nyima.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A%5Bfont size%3D%221%22%5D%22I once hired a man with a similar ability to kill the Avatar myself.%22 %28pause%29 %22Didn%27t work.%22%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 11|2|8|||1||RE%3A Notes on Chapter 3|Mercutio||20:41:19|06/29/2014|%0D%0A%3EAlso%2C the Dai Li%3F Really%3F Not even as a secret underground revenge %0D%0A%3Eremnant%2C but still running the joint like nothing happened%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C I mean... they seem to have gone legit now. They%27re answering TO the Queen%2C not running the joint as their personal fief.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt makes sense that the %5Bi%5Dorganization%5B%2Fi%5D would still be around despite the excesses of their leadership and past members. It isn%27t like Zuko disbanded the Yu Yan archers or the Imperial Firebenders or the Fire Navy %28I%27m assuming their airships are part of their navy%29 despite the tremendous amount of bullshit and%2For genocide those guys got up to.%0D%0A%0D%0AHell%2C it isn%27t like we got rid of the FBI or the CIA despite the criminality and incompetence that riddled both organizations during the middle part of the last century.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EFuturewatch%3A I%27ll forgive the shrillness of her parting remarks to the %0D%0A%3EEarth Queen if and only if she backs them up. %0D%0A%0D%0ALet%27s just say Korra makes it out of Ba Sing Se in a way that would make Aang jealous.%0D%0A%0D%0AI am aware this is not a high bar to clear since Aang died there and had to be saved by his girlfriend. But she still beats her predecessor%21%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bfont size%3D%221%22%5D%3E%22I once hired a man with a similar ability to kill the %0D%0A%3EAvatar myself.%22 %28pause%29 %22Didn%27t work.%22%5B%2Ffont%5D %0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s hard to convey the best part of that exchange in text%2C which is the part where Tonraq side-eyes him during that slightly-to-long-pause. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso too%3A man%2C what is it with Zuko and goths%3F I think Eska is nicer to him than she%27s been to literally anyone. Whatever it is Zuko had%2C it%27s clear he%27s still got it.%0D%0A%0D%0AI love that Zuko is still a socially awkward dork. I bet Katara still makes fun of him for it.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 12|3|11|||1||RE%3A Notes on Chapter 3|Gryphon||20:46:52|06/29/2014|%3EHell%2C it isn%27t like we got rid of the FBI or the CIA despite the %0D%0A%3Ecriminality and incompetence that riddled both organizations during %0D%0A%3Ethe middle part of the last century. %0D%0A%0D%0AWe would have if they%27d helped a Soviet general stage a coup in Washington in the %2760s.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ELet%27s just say Korra makes it out of Ba Sing Se in a way that would %0D%0A%3Emake Aang jealous. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI am aware this is not a high bar to clear%0D%0A%0D%0AI was gonna say.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI love that Zuko is still a socially awkward dork. I bet Katara still %0D%0A%3Emakes fun of him for it. %0D%0A%0D%0AI%27d like to see them get some screen time together. I say that as someone who had no dog whatever in the ATLA shipper fights. I%27d just like it.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 13|4|12|||1||RE%3A Notes on Chapter 3|Mercutio||21:00:18|06/29/2014|%0D%0A%3E%3EI love that Zuko is still a socially awkward dork. I bet Katara still %0D%0A%3E%3Emakes fun of him for it. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI%27d like to see them get some screen time together. I say that as %0D%0A%3Esomeone who had no dog whatever in the ATLA shipper fights. I%27d just %0D%0A%3Elike it. %0D%0A%0D%0AI keep waffling back and forth between if I want to see that%2C or Korra and Zuko%2C more.%0D%0A%0D%0AIn my head%2C Korra calls Zuko %27Uncle Fire Lord%27 and every time she sees him she makes him chase her around a little bit%2C try to capture her. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 14|5|13|||1||RE%3A Notes on Chapter 3|Gryphon||21:01:04|06/29/2014|%3EIn my head%2C Korra calls Zuko %27Uncle Fire Lord%27 and every time she sees %0D%0A%3Ehim she makes him chase her around a little bit%2C try to capture her. %0D%0A%3E%3A%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AHis honor demands it.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 17|1|0|||1||Also%3A|Gryphon||12:43:25|06/30/2014|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jun-30-14 AT 12:43 PM (EDT)]Is it just me%2C or is Zuko%27s dragon a drama queen%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Behold... %22%0D%0A%0D%0A%28dramatic pause%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%22... %5Bi%5Dmy wings%21%5B%2Fi%5D%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%28dramatic pause%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%22I shall now fly away.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A%5Bfont size%3D%221%22%5DCompletely something Nall would do.%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 20|1|0|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|twipper||10:12:24|07/01/2014|The Daily Beast has decided to pimp %5Blink%3Awww.thedailybeast.com%2Farticles%2F2014%2F07%2F01%2Fgame-of-thrones-withdrawal-watch-nickelodeon-s-fantasy-epic-the-legend-of-korra.html%7CTLOK%5D as a replacement for Game of Thrones in your daily viewing schedule.%0D%0A%0D%0ABrian%0D%0A 21|2|20|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Nova Floresca||15:25:24|07/01/2014|And yet it%27s still not really a ringing endorsement of TLOK%2C more like %22hey%2C for a cartoon%2C ATLA was really damn good%2C you should watch it. And they made a sequel%2C too%21%22 Being compared to %5Bi%5DGame of Thrones%5B%2Fi%5D doesn%27t exactly raise the hopes of Korra getting a happy%2C or even clean ending either.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22This is probably a stupid question%2C but . . .%22 22|2|20|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Gryphon||15:59:15|07/01/2014|%3EThe Daily Beast has decided to pimp TLOK%0D%0A%3Eas a replacement for Game of Thrones in your daily viewing schedule. %0D%0A%0D%0AI know virtually nothing about %5Bi%5DGame of Thrones%5B%2Fi%5D%2C but what little I%27ve picked up through cultural osmosis leads me to think that%27s not a good thing.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 23|3|22|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Mercutio||23:42:21|07/01/2014|%0D%0A%3EI know virtually nothing about %5Bi%5DGame of Thrones%5B%2Fi%5D%2C %0D%0A%0D%0AI am someone who eats%2C drinks%2C and breathes %5Bi%5DGame of Thrones%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and please don%27t take this the wrong way%2C but you are the last person in the world I would recommend it to%2C Ben. It%27s super%2C super good%2C but it isn%27t the kind of entertainment you go for. %0D%0A%0D%0A%3Ebut what little %0D%0A%3EI%27ve picked up through cultural osmosis leads me to think that%27s not a %0D%0A%3Egood thing. %0D%0A%0D%0AIn the context of that specifically linked article%2C it is%2C actually. It basically boils down to them saying %22if you%27re one of the millions of people who fell in love with the powerful%2C compelling characters in a story of epic scope%2C here%27s another show that%27s for you while GoT is off the air for a year%21%22%0D%0A%0D%0AI mean%2C they may be overselling LoK%2C especially in your eyes%2C but in that context the comparison is a good thing. It would be bad if they were saying %22if there just plain aren%27t going to be enough brutal deaths and on-screen rapes for you until next spring%2C LoK has got you covered%21%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Honestly%2C it%27s a bit weird though. If they want to recommend something to people who want more things in the style of %5Bi%5DGame of Thrones%5B%2Fi%5D%2C %5Bi%5DVikings%5B%2Fi%5D is right there begging for some love.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 24|4|23|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Gryphon||00:26:20|07/02/2014|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jul-02-14 AT 00:31 AM (EDT)]%3E%22if there just plain aren%27t going to be enough brutal %0D%0A%3Edeaths and on-screen rapes for you until next spring%2C LoK has got you %0D%0A%3Ecovered%21%22%0D%0A%0D%0AHeh%2C well%2C OK%2C there%27s that.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Although as I believe I have previously observed%2C if you scratch the paint even a %5Bi%5Dtiny%5B%2Fi%5D bit%2C the A-arc of Book 1 is %5Bi%5Dastonishingly%5B%2Fi%5D rapey. I think that%27s the main reason I hated it so. My flesh just %5Bi%5Dcrawls%5B%2Fi%5D at the subtext there. On %5Bi%5DNickelodeon%5B%2Fi%5D%2C for fuck%27s sake.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AIt was like they realized it%2C too%2C and deliberately set out to lampshade it with the %22attention hentai fan artists%3A start your engines%22 scene early in Book 2.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2FUF%2FFI%2FTLOK%2FGFX%2Fletsfaceit.jpg%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 25|3|22|||||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|TheOtherSean||00:39:54|07/02/2014|%3E%3EThe Daily Beast has decided to pimp TLOK%0D%0A%3E%3Eas a replacement for Game of Thrones in your daily viewing schedule. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI know virtually nothing about %5Bi%5DGame of Thrones%5B%2Fi%5D%2C but what little %0D%0A%3EI%27ve picked up through cultural osmosis leads me to think that%27s not a %0D%0A%3Egood thing. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E--G. %0D%0A%0D%0AI%27ve not watched %5Bi%5DGame of Thrones%5B%2Fi%5D but have read the first 4 of the novels. The good guys %28or even the characters you find yourself identifying with%29 don%27t usually end up winning in the end. Those you identify with often end up in bad situations with little hope Betrayals and monstrous behavior is often the path to power and success. Sometimes it can be confusing who the good guys and the bad guys are. Though righteous behavior often goes unrewarded or results in woe%2C villainy sometimes leads to downfall of the villains. %0D%0A%0D%0AIt is less depressing than Steve Erikson%27s Malazan Book of the Fallen%2C at least. Though there are many shades of gray to %5Bi%5DGame of Thrones%5B%2Fi%5D%2C good and evil are a bit more sharply defined in it%2C characters are a bit easier to identify with%2C villains do sometimes pay for their crimes%2C and sometimes good does win%2C at least now and then. %0D%0A%0D%0A 26|4|25|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Gryphon||00:42:28|07/02/2014|%3EI%27ve not watched %5Bi%5DGame of Thrones%5B%2Fi%5D but have read the first 4 of %0D%0A%3Ethe novels. The good guys %28or even the characters you find yourself %0D%0A%3Eidentifying with%29 don%27t usually end up winning in the end. Those you %0D%0A%3Eidentify with often end up in bad situations with little hope %0D%0A%3EBetrayals and monstrous behavior is often the path to power and %0D%0A%3Esuccess. Sometimes it can be confusing who the good guys and the bad %0D%0A%3Eguys are. Though righteous behavior often goes unrewarded or results %0D%0A%3Ein woe%2C villainy sometimes leads to downfall of the villains. %0D%0A%0D%0AYep%2C as I suspected%3A Sounds perfectly revolting.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 29|5|26|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|twipper||09:21:38|07/02/2014|I actually made it through 2 1%2F2 books of A Song of Fire and Ice before my brain revolted and threatened to rupture a vessel if I didn%27t stop.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut in a partial defense of Game of Thrones%2C the show is MECHANICALLY brilliant in its production. And while the story%2Fplot leaves you needing a scalding hot shower%2C it is performed superbly by the actors.%0D%0A%0D%0AAmusingly%2C my sense of realism tends to kick in at times when the scriptwriters generally wouldn%27t expect. I%27ve only seen maybe 5 episodes total%2C all while in hotel rooms traveling for work. I caught one last year where the northern redhead snuck off with Jon Snow for a little wink wink nudge nudge in a hot springs.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe rather attractive young lady dropped her furs and my brain immediately spun out the following%3A Wait. These people have been on the run for weeks across the frozen north. They%27ve been fighting. They%27re half starved. And she looks just like she left a Brazilian spa five minutes after a full body wax%3F Nope.%0D%0A%0D%0ABrian%0D%0A 30|6|29|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Gryphon||09:26:42|07/02/2014|%3EBut in a partial defense of Game of Thrones%2C the show is MECHANICALLY %0D%0A%3Ebrilliant in its production.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22It%27s like being beaten to death with an IKEA chair. It hurts%3F But you%27ve got to admire the craftsmanship.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A - English comedian Bill Bailey%2C in re %5Bi%5DMamma Mia%21%5B%2Fi%5D %28the ABBA musical%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 31|5|26|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Mercutio||02:42:07|07/06/2014|%0D%0A%3EYep%2C as I suspected%3A Sounds perfectly revolting. %0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C it isn%27t revolting%2C at least%2C not in the way something like %5Bi%5DBirth of a Nation%5B%2Fi%5D is. It%27s just... well%2C it%27s a tragedy. More than that%2C it%27s a tragedy written using the structure and tropes of epic fantasy combined with the structure and tropes of the insane dynastic wars of Europe during the High Middle Ages.%0D%0A%0D%0ANow%2C to some people %28me%29 that%27s gonna be utterly riveting. Other people are not going to want to sign up for that sort of emotional wringer.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s worth noting that the structure of the narrative itself is studiously neutral. The books are written third-person limited%2C which means a long string of unreliable narrators who are wrapped up in their own internal value systems%2C logic%2C and rationales. It%27s a neat trick%3B it lets the author convey factual information to the readers wrapped in a strong emotional payload %28because if you don%27t do that%2C what you have is a very dry history book%2C not a story%29 but doesn%27t assign authorial or narrative imprimatur or judgment to that information%3B the reader has to come up with that themselves.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt may or may not have quite succeeded%3B George Martin is on record as sometimes being a little afraid he%27s glamorized evil too much%2C a common problem in writers who set out to create complex villains.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 32|6|31|||||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|juniper||13:28:38|07/07/2014|%3E%0D%0A%3E%3EYep%2C as I suspected%3A Sounds perfectly revolting. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EWell%2C it isn%27t revolting%2C at least%2C not in the way something like %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5DBirth of a Nation%5B%2Fi%5D is. It%27s just... well%2C it%27s a tragedy. More %0D%0A%3Ethan that%2C it%27s a tragedy written using the structure and tropes of %0D%0A%3Eepic fantasy combined with the structure and tropes of the insane %0D%0A%3Edynastic wars of Europe during the High Middle Ages. %0D%0A%0D%0A%3Csnip%3E%0D%0A%0D%0AOK%2C so%2C the War of the Roses as epic high fantasy. Interesting - this is the first time I%27ve seen the series described as same.%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m still refusing to start it until it%27s done - Jordan burned me too hard for me to be willing to try that with older writers. %28I made an exception for Brandon Sanderson%2C and I%27m sure he%27ll make me pay somehow too...%29%0D%0A%0D%0ABut given that I have been known to read various history books about the War of the Roses for %2Afun%2A%2C it sounds like I might actually like it. Gryph%2C once Martin finishes it and I%27ve read it%2C I%27ll report back if there%27s anything at all in there that might be worth UF%27s time. %3A%7D 33|7|32|||||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|drakensis||03:33:17|07/08/2014|I don%27t know offhand if Martin deliberately makes the links %28it seems very likely%29 but there are a number of characters with obvious parallels to historical characters from the period%2C although jumbled together. 27|4|25|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|JeanneHedge||00:54:07|07/02/2014|%3EI%27ve not watched %5Bi%5DGame of Thrones%5B%2Fi%5D but have read the first 4 of %0D%0A%3Ethe novels. The good guys %28or even the characters you find yourself %0D%0A%3Eidentifying with%29 don%27t usually end up winning in the end. Those you %0D%0A%3Eidentify with often end up in bad situations with little hope %0D%0A%3EBetrayals and monstrous behavior is often the path to power and %0D%0A%3Esuccess. Sometimes it can be confusing who the good guys and the bad %0D%0A%3Eguys are. Though righteous behavior often goes unrewarded or results %0D%0A%3Ein woe%2C villainy sometimes leads to downfall of the villains. %0D%0A%0D%0AOf course%2C for the good guys win in the end to mean something%2C the bad guys have to win sometimes to%2C or at least be competent. Good guys winning because the bad guys are incompetent%2C or idiots%2C or mustache twirlers%2C or punching bags or just there for the good guys to run over at whim isn%27t any fun. If that%27s the quality of the bad guy%2C the good guy win in the end isn%27t worth anything at all.%0D%0A%0D%0AThen again%2C GoT - as you say%2C who are the good guys and who are the bad guys%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AJeanne%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btable border%3D%220%22 cellspacing%3D%220%22 cellpadding%3D%220%22 width%3D%2280%25%22%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd align%3D%22center%22 width%3D%2210%25%22%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhedge.com%2Fmisc%2Foldowl.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btd valign%3Dtop%5D%5Bfont size%3D2%5D%5Bb%5DJeanne Hedge%5B%2Fb%5D%5Bbr%5D%5Bfont size%3D1%5D%5Blink%3Awww.jhedge.com%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhedge.com%5D%5Bbr%5D1st Courier of the Heavenly Prophets for %5Bi%5D%5Blink%3Awww.kickstarter.com%2Fprojects%2F326055564%2Ftianxia-blood-silk-and-jade%7CTianxia%5D%5Bbr%5D%22Never give up%2C never surrender%21%22%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5B%2Fi%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5B%2Ftable%5D 28|5|27|||||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|mdg1||07:51:07|07/02/2014|%0D%0A%3EThen again%2C GoT - as you say%2C who are the good guys and who are the %0D%0A%3Ebad guys%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AI%27dve said Bran %28the kid who was paralyzed by being pushed out of a castle window in the 8th chapter of the FIRST BOOK...%29 was a good guy%2C but I%27ve been told %28I never actually made it past that chapter%29 that he has since performed something akin to telepathic assault on his brain-damaged retainer%2C Hodor. And even younger brother hasn%27t done ANYTHING.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo I guess that leaves Hodor%2C the gentle giant who can only say %22Hodor%22.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28And%2C if there is a god%2C will someday have a crossover scene with Groot%2C somewhere%29%0D%0A%0D%0AI know it has its fans%2C but I _despise_ GoT. 34|1|0|||1||Chapters 4 and 5|Gryphon||20:17:50|07/11/2014|I%27ll have more to say later%2C but right now%2C I%27d just like to note that it%27s very satisfying to see that Korra seems - finally%21 - to be taking to heart the pure and life-affirming truth of Thompson%27s Law%3A %22Don%27t take any guff from these fucking swine.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 35|2|34|||1||RE%3A Chapters 4 and 5|Mercutio||21:15:44|07/11/2014|I%27m somewhat disappointed by the Earth Queen as a villain %28she%27s no Long Feng%29 but I am deeply happy how Korra handled the whole situation. She was still recognizably Korra %28which is to say%2C her solution involved direct action and copious amounts of violence%29 but they didn%27t just flip a switch and suddenly make her smart%3B she clearly has figured shit out due to previous applications of her approach not working out precisely right.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso too%2C I love how Korra has been the conciliatory%2C diplomatic one in the whole Beifong family situation. %28Band name.%29 You%27d normally expect her to instantly pick sides and then stubbornly refuse to change for awhile. Instead she%27s all been working on Lin patiently but relentlessly.%0D%0A%0D%0A... like an earthbender would.%0D%0A%0D%0AHuh. Just realized that.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 37|3|35|||1||RE%3A Chapters 4 and 5|Gryphon||15:47:43|07/12/2014|%3EI%27m somewhat disappointed by the Earth Queen as a villain %28she%27s no %0D%0A%3ELong Feng%29%0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C he was a villain. The Earth Queen%27s just an asshole. There%27s a difference.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Ebut I am deeply happy how Korra handled the whole %0D%0A%3Esituation.%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m not %5Bi%5Das%5B%2Fi%5D pleased - I mean%2C however stylishly handled it was%2C it still means the Teams Avatar are tied 1-1 in %22fleeing from Ba Sing Se with business unfinished%22 - but at least Korra%27s got out with their Avatar alive%2C which will give them the edge in terms of getting into the playoffs if they%27re still tied at the end of the regular season. I%27ll give it a 7%2C but I can%27t dance to it. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 36|2|34|||1||RE%3A Chapters 4 and 5|Gryphon||15:07:04|07/12/2014|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jul-12-14 AT 04:05 PM (EDT)]%3EI%27ll have more to say later%0D%0A%0D%0ARight around now%2C as it turns out.%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bb%5DChapter 4%5B%2Fb%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C I see Zuko is still... Zuko. I suppose that%27s comforting in a way.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C though I remain unimpressed by the Legion of Doom and their Mysterious Subplot %28I know the show is trying to spice up the tension by making it all WHAT DO THEY WANT%3F%3F%2C but it%27s blunted somewhat for me by the fact that I couldn%27t give a %5Bi%5Ddamn%5B%2Fi%5D what they want%29%2C I find it intrinsically satisfying that at least the mooks they%27re pummelling %28yeah%2C lookin%27 at you%2C Tonraq%29 are getting some karmic payback for the way they treated Korra as a child. More on this in a bit.%0D%0A%0D%0AYay%2C another scene that%27s just Korra and Asami. Really%2C you don%27t have to be Into Them to enjoy that.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22I can%27t believe I helped her.%22 25 points to Asami for not asking%2C %22Why not%3F That kind of thing %5Bi%5Dalways%5B%2Fi%5D happens to you. I%27d think you%27d be used to it by now.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AAt least they%27re not talking about Mako%2C that%27s nice. Although he does immediately show up and ruin the moment.%0D%0A%0D%0AIn my mind%2C that hapless flunky will someday be the father of the 54th Earth Monarch. Just another one of his uncountable unpleasant duties. Lie back and think of the Earth Kingdom%2C old chap%3B brave heart. You are a true patriot and a hero of your country%2C and one day%2C when your offspring is on the throne%2C you will dwell in well-deserved recumbent splendor for the rest of your days.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22I%27ve been reading some of Jinora%27s books.%22 Oh%2C yeah%2C like you can %5Bi%5Dread%5B%2Fi%5D%2C Mako.%0D%0A%0D%0AOK%2C hang on%2C hold the phone%2C %5Bi%5DGrade A%5B%2Fi%5D record scratch moment. Korra discovers the %28retroactive-smelling%2C frankly%29 reason she was imprisoned and denied any semblance of a normal childhood %5Bi%5Dwith the connivance of her own father%5B%2Fi%5D%2C Tenzin says gravely%2C%2A %22It was for your own safety%2C%22 and... that%27s it%21 Under the rug it goes%3B Korra doesn%27t even %5Bi%5Dreact%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo let me get this straight. Four crazies tried to abduct the child Avatar %28and despite all the hype about how terribly powerful and dangerous they are%2C they managed to lose that fight to Tenzin%2C Zuko%2C Sokka%2C and Tonraq%2C so how tough can they be%2C realistically%3F%29%2C and the response of her caretakers is to %5Bi%5Druin her childhood%5B%2Fi%5D and set her up for all the well-meaning-but-half-witted post-adolescent blundering around she spent the first twenty-four episodes of this series agonizing us with.%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bi%5DThat was their best plan%3F%5B%2Fi%5D That%27s like %5Bi%5Dpainting over a mural%5B%2Fi%5D so no one can %5Bi%5Ddeface%5B%2Fi%5D it. Must have been Zuko%27s idea%2C am I right%3F He was always the one with the really %5Bi%5Dshitty%5B%2Fi%5D ideas. I%27m not surprised Tenzin and Tonraq went along with it - the former is Tenzin and the latter is a block of Samsonite - but what in the world made Sokka and Katara play along with that nonsense%3F Besides the fact that they had to because it%27s a retroactively imposed plotline%2C I mean.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd Korra - who was never the quiet one - has %5Bi%5Dnothing to say about that revelation. %5Bb%5DAt all.%5B%2Fb%5D%5B%2Fi%5D She just stands there and lets Lin move the conversation along. No protest%2C no acknowledgement that this isn%27t really the time to get into that but by all that%27s holy %5Bi%5Dyou and I are going to have some words about this later%2C Tenzin%5B%2Fi%5D %28which I would have accepted%29%2C not even an expression of mild exasperation. %5Bi%5DNothing.%5B%2Fi%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AI guess%2C the time budget for this show is pretty tight%2C they must have had to save the screen time for something more %5Bi%5Dimportant%5B%2Fi%5D than Korra reacting to the discovery that she never got to be a child or go anywhere or have any friends or see anything because %5Bi%5Dher father is an imbecile%5B%2Fi%5D. Like Jinora flirting with the future criminal deadbeat embarrassment-to-the-entire-airbender-nation father of her children%2C despite the fact that %5Bi%5Dshe%27s ten eeewwwww.%5B%2Fi%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AHonestly%2C every time this show starts to win me over - and it really has with some of the other stuff that%27s been happening so far this season - it almost %5Bi%5Dimmediately%5B%2Fi%5D turns around and sticks its finger in my other eye. If the Avatar%27s function really is to bring balance to the world %28and what the hell does that even mean%2C anyway%3F It%27s a Deepak Chopra profound-but-empty phrase%29%2C it must be the scriptwriter%27s job to bring balance to my blood pressure.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhile I%27m ranting%2C did you clock Lin%27s brilliant plan%3F It%27s to take Korra back to Republic City. Not only is she the Chief of Police there%2C and as such should know this anyway%2C %5Bi%5Dshe was standing right next to President Fuckstick when he %5Bb%5Dbanished Korra from the city%5B%2Fb%5D%5B%2Fi%5D. %28Or was it%2C in fact%2C from the entire United Republic%3F%29 Have all the Beifong women suffered serious %5Bi%5Dhead injuries%5B%2Fi%5D in this show%3F First Toph turns up in a Book 1 flashback acting like a completely different person%2C and now her daughter apparently has serious medium-term memory problems.%0D%0A%0D%0A%2Asigh%2A Anyway.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22These criminals are unlike anything you%27ve ever faced before.%22 Oh%2C so they%27re unlike my evil uncle who turned into a giant monster and raped my soul%3F Good%2C I wasn%27t looking forward to fighting another one of those. %28Seriously%2C Lin. Take notes if you can%27t keep up.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%22I%27m not leaving until we%27ve committed a %5Bi%5Dde jure%5B%2Fi%5D act of war against the Earth Kingdom.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22OK. As the chief law enforcement officer of the United Republic%2C I%27ll help you out with that. In uniform%2C with my plainly marked Republic City Police zeppelin. What time should I be there%3F%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%3F%3F%3F%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Also%2C I find it very interesting that it is evidently not a condition of continued employment that officers of the Republic City Police Department actually %5Bi%5Dgo to work%5B%2Fi%5D at any time%2C or indeed even try very hard to remain within the Republic. That%27s an extremely enlightened HR policy on the PD%27s part%2C but I hope for the city budget%27s sake they at least don%27t get %5Bi%5Dpaid%5B%2Fi%5D when they skive off work for weeks at a time to go with their girlfriends to a festival in the South Pole%2C or trail morosely after their exes on some damnfool idealistic crusade%2C or try to bully the Avatar into returning to a city she%27s not legally allowed to be in anyway.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AHa%2C the scene where they%27re all sneaking into the Dai Li fortress. Descending the stairs in identical poses in the foreground%3A Korra%2C Beard No. 1%2C Beard No. 2. Great visual. %28How weird must it be for the brothers Aangsson to go on secret action team-ups with Korra%3F Pretty weird%2C I would guess.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%22There%27s another airbender who isn%27t here. His name is Kai.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Oh%2C good%2C then we don%27t have to take him with us. C%27mon%2C Tenzin%2C let%27s jet. We%27ll tell Jinora he went to live on a farm with lots of other airbenders and he%27s happy there.%22%0D%0A%0D%0ABumi%27s thing with the radio reminds me of the episode of the old %5Bi%5DTick%5B%2Fi%5D cartoon where the Tick and Arthur are secret agents%2C and the Tick keeps making burst-of-static noises with his mouth whenever he uses the radio. %22%5Bi%5DWill you stop spitting into your radio%21%5B%2Fi%5D%22%0D%0A%0D%0AYe gods%2C an irresolvable quandary. In a scenario where Mako is pissed off at Kai%2C whom do you root for%3F Maybe they%27ll annihilate each other. That would really be ideal. %28I know Mako%27s making an effort this season%2C but it%27s too late for that in my book%3B after the shit he pulled %5Bi%5Dlast%5B%2Fi%5D season%2C he doesn%27t even deserve to be on the %5Bi%5Dshow%5B%2Fi%5D any more%2C the unforgivable grub.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AHa%2C check out the high standard of Dai Li marksmanship. %22These rock shards%2C too precise for sandbenders. Only Earth Kingdom stormtroopers are so precise.%22%0D%0A%0D%0ASecond guy from the right%2C Hapless Earth Kingdom Airbenders Listen to Tenzin%27s Speech crowd scene%3A I always knew Egon was more than just a parapsychologist.%0D%0A%0D%0AAw%2C no%2C not the %5Bi%5DGeorge and Vulture%5B%2Fi%5D. Why does everything awesome on this show get shuffled off-screen again within an episode or two%3F Well%2C at least they%27re taking Kai with them.%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bb%5DChapter 5%5B%2Fb%5D%0D%0A%0D%0A%22I%27d rest a lot easier if you were back safe in Republic City.%22 Yeah%2C because A%29 your boss would totes be down with that and B%29 Republic City has historically been %5Bi%5Dsuch%5B%2Fi%5D a safe place to be Korra.%0D%0A%0D%0A... %21 OK%2C that%27s %5Bi%5Dit.%5B%2Fi%5D Lin%2C you are %5Bi%5Don my list%5B%2Fi%5D. I didn%27t like you before%2C but now I want you off the show. You and Mako can just fuck off to your %5Bi%5Down%5B%2Fi%5D show for all I care. I%27m sure if somebody greenlit TV shows about S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Gotham PD sans superheroes %28and they did%29%2C %5Bi%5DTales of the Republic City Police%5B%2Fi%5D will be a %5Bi%5Droaring%5B%2Fi%5D success. Don%27t let the door hit you in the surprisingly-perky-for-50 ass on the way out.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28I mean%2C seriously%21 Being mean to %5Bi%5DNaga%3F%5B%2Fi%5D Fuck you%2C lady%21 Now that Unalaq%27s dead%2C you are officially the %5Bi%5Dworst person in the world.%5B%2Fi%5D%29%0D%0A%0D%0ASo I%27ll jump ahead a little bit here and share a thought that started forming early in the episode%2C but didn%27t come completely together for me until the end. I realize that Zaofu is supposed to be coming across as Good Guy Stronghold %232 here %28after the Air Temple%29%2C but I almost instantly found it... creepy. It took me until the end of the episode to really get a handle on why%2C but I eventually figured it out. It%27s a cliquish utopia - and like all cliquish utopias%2C it has an inescapable whiff of %5Bi%5Dfanaticism%5B%2Fi%5D about it. Even if it%27s well-meaning fanaticism %28and in utopias it usually is%2C for some values of %22well-meaning%22%29%2C that%27s inherently disquieting. %28Lie Detector Gandhi doesn%27t help. Creepy.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C they have a uniform%2C and evidently worship the weirdly-out-of-character TLOK flashback version of Toph as a god. None of that bodes really well to me either. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bi%5D%5Bb%5DEDIT%3A%5B%2Fb%5D Hang on%2C I have it - Zaofu is Utah under Brigham Young. A utopian colony set up within an existing country by fanatical true believers who think they%27re a law unto themselves. Yeah%2C that won%27t be trouble down the road.%5B%2Fi%5D%0D%0A%0D%0A%22That%27s Tron. He fights for the Users.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AYou%27d think Korra would be more animated meeting someone who%27s actually excited to see her%2C given how many times she%27s been snubbed%2C run off%2C or told she%27s the worst Avatar ever %28which%2C seriously%2C Kuruk - do these people not read history%29.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22And the woman apparently trying to abduct you is your Aunt Lin.%22 Don%27t worry%2C though%2C it%27s how she shows affection. She%27s been trying to do the same thing to Korra for the last two episodes%2C and really%2C can%27t you feel the love whenever they%27re together%3F ... No%2C you can%27t%2C can you. Hmm. My thesis may be flawed.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22This is the safest city in the world.%22 Neville Chamberlain%2C London%2C 1939.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22OK%2C let%27s see what you%27ve got.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22I%27m not very good.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22That%27s OK%2C I%27m the worst airbender in the world. Just ask Meelo.%22%0D%0A%0D%0ASee what I mean about fanaticism%3F I%27m telling you%2C Suyin seems nice now%2C but one of these days she%27s going to turn out to be just another mook who wants Korra to help her take over the world%2C and turns on her when she won%27t do it. Mark my words.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Lin%2C why are you wearing your %5Bi%5Darmor%5B%2Fi%5D at %5Bi%5Ddinner%3F%5B%2Fi%5D I mean%2C seriously%2C I know there%27s something wrong with you%2C but even %5Bi%5DTony Stark%5B%2Fi%5D doesn%27t wear his armor to the dinner table.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AOK%2C having said that%2C and even though she%27s the worst person in the world%2C I have to say I%27m with Lin in the next sequence%2C though. Varrick%3F Are you fucking %5Bi%5Dkidding%5B%2Fi%5D me%3F Now I %5Bi%5Dknow%5B%2Fi%5D Suyin%27s trouble. My tables - meet it is I set it down. That one may smile%2C and smile%2C and be a villain.%0D%0A%0D%0AOh%2C Bolin. Do you so readily forsake all your hopes%3F I thought earthbenders were supposed to be patient and abiding.%0D%0A%0D%0ARollins is making %5Bi%5Dvaliant%5B%2Fi%5D efforts to make Zaheer interesting here. I have to give him major props for that. I mean he%27s not %5Bi%5Dsucceeding%5B%2Fi%5D%2C but look what he has to work with. Ugh%2C violent supervillains who spout peace-oriented philosophy. I feel like Lo Wang in the opening scene of the new %5Bi%5DShadow Warrior%5B%2Fi%5D. %22Shit%2C I was hoping for a more clich%C3%A9ed setting%2C but I guess koi ponds and cherry blossoms will have to do.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AYou%27re already the worst person in the world%2C Lin%2C you don%27t have to go for the oak leaf cluster by being mean to your niece too.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AOK%21 Well%21 Definitely a mixed bag%2C but there wasn%27t a point where I actually had to %5Bi%5Dstop watching%5B%2Fi%5D and either come back later or just go read a synopsis of the rest of the episode%2C as happened frequently in Book 1 and%2C on a grander scale%2C to the %5Bi%5Dentirety%5B%2Fi%5D of the second half of Book 2. And despite all my grumbling above%2C there are at least things worth grumbling %5Bi%5Dabout%5B%2Fi%5D here. It%27s very promising%2C even with the occasional head-to-wall moments. %28Seriously%2C the thing about the real reason for Stalag Avatar was %5Bi%5Dso%5B%2Fi%5D spuriously handled.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A%5Bfont size%3D%222%22%5D%2A %22But I repeat myself.%22 - Mark Twain%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 38|3|36|||||RE%3A Chapters 4 and 5|mdg1||16:09:51|07/12/2014|%3EKorra discovers the %28retroactive-smelling%2C frankly%29 reason she was %0D%0A%3Eimprisoned and denied any semblance of a normal childhood %5Bi%5Dwith the %0D%0A%3Econnivance of her own father%5B%2Fi%5D%2C Tenzin says gravely%2C%2A %22It was for %0D%0A%3Eyour own safety%2C%22 and... that%27s it%21 Under the rug it goes%3B Korra %0D%0A%3Edoesn%27t even %5Bi%5Dreact%5B%2Fi%5D. %0D%0A%0D%0AHuh. I expected better from Aang%27s bloodline than a line straight out of the Kenobi%2FDumbledore %22The adults are talking now%2C Chosen One%22 playbook. 40|4|38|||1||RE%3A Chapters 4 and 5|Gryphon||21:06:07|07/18/2014|%3E%3EKorra discovers the %28retroactive-smelling%2C frankly%29 reason she was %0D%0A%3E%3Eimprisoned and denied any semblance of a normal childhood %5Bi%5Dwith the %0D%0A%3E%3Econnivance of her own father%5B%2Fi%5D%2C Tenzin says gravely%2C%2A %22It was for %0D%0A%3E%3Eyour own safety%2C%22 and... that%27s it%21 Under the rug it goes%3B Korra %0D%0A%3E%3Edoesn%27t even %5Bi%5Dreact%5B%2Fi%5D. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EHuh. I expected better from Aang%27s bloodline than a line straight %0D%0A%3Eout of the Kenobi%2FDumbledore %22The adults are talking now%2C Chosen One%22 %0D%0A%3Eplaybook. %0D%0A%0D%0AI know%2C right%3F You%27d think so. But you%27d be wrong.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 39|1|0|||1||Chapters 6 and 7|Gryphon||21:05:22|07/18/2014|%5Bb%5DChapter 6%5B%2Fb%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s cute how they%27re still on the %22Zaofu is the most secure city in the world%22 thing%2C but you would think by now that everyone in Korra%27s entourage would know that%27s only going to end in tears. And property damage. But mostly tears.%0D%0A%0D%0A... The Legion of Doom is hijacking UPS trucks now%3F So much for villain cred.%0D%0A%0D%0AHmm. I suppose in this world%2C acupuncture probably %5Bi%5Disn%27t%5B%2Fi%5D hooey.%0D%0A%0D%0AOh hey. Who knew metalbending could be used to make the activity indicator from %5Bi%5DThe Sims%5B%2Fi%5D%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s an... oddly modern-sounding siren on that old-timey police car. Very electronic.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s a good thing there are no acupuncture points below the knees%2C or it%27d be very hard to treat people who are so neurotic they wander around in armored boots even when they can%27t be bothered to put on a proper shirt.%0D%0A%0D%0A.. OK%2C so%2C if there had been that much tension in that cable%2C it would%27ve pulled Suyin%27s arm off. We%27re all clear on that%2C right%3F%0D%0A%0D%0ARemember what I was saying last time%2C about how none of the female characters from ATLA act anything like themselves in TLOK%3F Yeah. Also%2C I hate to side with someone who was so mean to Naga last episode%2C but Lin is clearly the only person in the flashback who%27s even slightly right. No wonder she%27s the worst person in the world.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22She was so guilt-ridden about what she did to protect you%2C she didn%27t feel worthy of her badge%21%22 Well%2C that might be because %5Bi%5Dshe wasn%27t.%5B%2Fi%5D I think you may have that one surrounded%2C Lin%2C that%27s some excellent police work.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22You%27re sisters%21 Why would you want to hurt each other%3F%22 You%27ll understand when you%27re older%2C kid.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Mako told me that you%27re an excellent police chief.%22 And... you know%2C he would know. I guess.%0D%0A%0D%0AMeanwhile%2C at the %5Bs%5DHall%5B%2Fs%5DCampsite of Doom... %0D%0A%0D%0AUh-huh%2C so Rollins is clairvoyant now%3F OK... %0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bb%5DChapter 7%5B%2Fb%5D%0D%0A%0D%0A... ah%2C jeez%2C another episode of %5Bi%5DThe Legend of Somebody Other than Korra%5B%2Fi%5D%3F At least it%27s not Mako this time.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo remember back in%2C like%2C the second episode of Book 1%2C when Korra told Tenzin that he was a terrible teacher%2C and our takeaway from that was supposed to be that she was a headstrong child who needed taming%3F Right. I didn%27t buy it either%2C and this is why.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22How%27s the training going%3F%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Not so well%2C I%27m afraid. But then%2C you predicted that 28 episodes ago.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AOh%2C good%2C more of Kai. My weekend is complete.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Can%27t they see I%27m trying to rebuild an entire culture%3F%22 That%27d probably work if everyone in the world didn%27t already have one. But they do. So it%27s not going to. The Jedi are extinct%3B their fire has gone out of the universe. You%2C my friend%2C are all that%27s left of their religion.%0D%0A%0D%0AI dunno%2C guys. All the structural issues this show has because it doesn%27t have enough episodes to work with%2C and you spend a whole one on %5Bi%5Dthis%5B%2Fi%5D business%3F Sigh.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 41|1|0|||1||RE%3A Spoiler-Laden Remarks on TLOKb3|Gryphon||12:32:44|07/20/2014|Ah%2C excellent. Nothing lost except the bit I was trying to prune off anyway.%0D%0A%0D%0AI believe I%27ll be copying my remarks on 4%2B5 and 6%2B7 to a new thread%2C for length-of-thread purposes if nothing else.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D