Please don't turn it into a weird love triangle thing, ugh. If that truly was an accident than it one hell of coincidence. I don't buy it. Or it could be just lazy writing.
Ok, maybe I played Among Us one too many times, but this Tarrlok fella is a perfect candidate on the role of Amon. This way he could escalate the conflict on both sides. Even smelling like a lady thing could hint that he tries to distinguish himself from his cover.
loving the smart villain and reckless hero thing they have going on
i would've hated it if Asami becomes part kf the integral team because she was a sponsor and was dating Mako... thats just terrible writing
Why is she wearing her boots in bed? Too lazy to draw feet??? I like Tarrlok's character, the pandering politician; he gives Korra everything she thought being the Avatar would mean(hero worship) and thus was able to maipulate her into the mores stupid and arrogant version of Korra we knew before she saw Iman take away bending. She is obviously afraid, but her lack of mediation and spiritual fortitude has disabled her from observing and accepting this fear- until it was a reality. TALK ABOUT CRATE YOUR OWN REALITY IN A REALLY NEGATIVE WAY. Her lack of communication has disabled her from having others help her accept this fear, as Tenzin points out. Korra must learn to go within, or find the right friends that can help her do that, or simply start listening to Tenzin, or find a master she can listen to.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2017-07-16T22:56:15Z
[7.8/10] I love the central premise of this one, that brash, confident Korra finds herself legitimately frightened by something, possibly for the first time in her life, and doesn’t know how to handle it. She has lived her life defined by being The Avatar, being a natural at using these powers since she was a toddler. The notion of confronting what her life would be without those powers, a threat which Amon poses, leaves her at a loss.
Her natural reaction is to bury it deep inside. I love the two reactions her would-be mentors have to that. The first is Tenzin, who is perceptive but patient, sitting down and talking with Korra about what he’s sensing from her, letting her know that he’s there but not pushing, and ultimately comforting her when she lets her worries out. The other is Councilman Tarrlok, the power-hungry Northern Water Tribe rep on the Republic City Council who wants to use Korra to bolster his anti-Equalist task force and seize more headlines and notoriety.
(Wild speculation time: [spoiler]my guess is that Tarrlock is either Amon himself, or is, at a minimum, in cahoots with Amon, and playing both sides against the middle to undermine Tenzin and the rest of the council so that he can take control of Republic City. Though my prediction game for Avatar tends to pretty weak, considering I once guessed that Sokka would turn out to be an earthbender to complete the elemental quartet with Aang, Katara, and Zuko.)
I can appreciate that Tarrlock is a manipulator, one who understands both the public’s thirst for action and how to play Korra’s pride and denial of her own fear into getting her onto the task force. I also like that it pushes her too far in that direction, to where she goes so far as to challenge Amon to a duel on Aang Memorial Island, so desperate to prove that she isn’t afraid of the thing that frightens her terribly.
The eventual confrontation is a great sequence. The flashes of fire as Korra fights Amon’s goons in the temple creates a real mood. And the men in masks holding Korra as Amon seems to live up to her nightmare is a haunting image. More haunting still is the way that Korra seems powerless against Amon. His logic -- that he doesn’t want to take away her bending yet because it would make her a martyr but that he has plans for her -- is plausible, and the sense of him being firmly in control despite Korra overcompensating boasts is palpable. It’s an organic catalyst for Korra breaking down and confessing her fears to Tenzin in a very compelling moment.
There’s only two things that keep this episode from rating higher. One is that it feels like a lot of this is rushed. We spend a great deal of time with Korra trying to compartmentalize her anxiety and rebuffing the requests of Tarrlock. I like those scenes, as they give us more insight into her character and into the political dimension of Republic City. But once she’s on board, suddenly we’re racing through task force events and challenges and it feels like too much time passes in the third act relative to the rest of the episode.
The other is that I’m not big on the Mako story. I have to admit, I’m pretty cold on Mako at the moment. He seems like a generic steely hunk, and having him just so happen to run into the beautiful daughter of an automobile magnate (whom the “law of conservation of characters” dictates is also somehow involved with Amon) feels like a waste. It’s only four episodes, and lord knows Zuko grated me at first with his overseriousness before becoming my favorite character on AtLA, so I’m willing to give him some time for me to warm to him, but out of the gate. Mako just seems like the usual uber-capable “stoic with a heart of gold” kind of guy that I’ve seen a million times.
(More wild guessing:[spoiler]Asami reminds me of Azula. Not sure why, but methinks this is some kind of honeypot, though I fully admit that’s just a hunch and I don’t have anything really to base it on rather than the convenience of it all and how quickly she’s taken with Mako[/spoiler].)
But it solves a plot problem, namely that sponsorship from the local car magnate gives the Fire Ferrets the money they need to enter the pro bending championship tournament. And we get the details that Mako’s scarf can’t be removed or replaced because it belonged to his father and wearing it makes him feel safe. It’s a nice idea, but the execution feels on the noise and generic backstory-y as he describes it. Though really, I just hope this whole thing doesn’t just turn into a weak Fire Ferrets + Asami love quadrangle.
Still, as much as the Mako stuff left me cold, the work with Korra here -- exploring how even the headstrong Avatar can be afraid and isn’t quite sure how to deal with that -- is really rich material that the show does well, and it makes “The Voice in the Night” a thoroughly engaging episode.