If she has already mastered fire, earth and water, what will the next season be called? Assuming it does not get canceled.

 

I recall one point in ATLA where identical twin boys exclaim, "I'm a bender!" and "but, I'm not!", leading me to think it isn't genetic. That said, genetics often don't determine outcomes so much as describe tendencies- identical twins may have a genetic disease like MD, but it won't accelerate at the same times or cause atrophy in the same muscles in the same order. There's also anecdotal evidence of identical twins where one is decidedly gay and the other not.

(If ever there was an example of Dumbeldore's assertion about our choices making us who we are...)

So, if you were inclined to be an earthbender but lived in the fire nation, where bending fire is a point of personal and national pride, you might suppress those instincts and never uncover your potential. Given that all the Air Nomads were benders, they may have tested their young early and fostered non-airbenders to a nearby earth kingdom town to 'keep their discipline', which is a cover for a very elitist and insular cultural bias.

Avatar-verse could be the next big fanfiction explosion- there's going to be a lot more detail to play with, and plenty of the rules are left unexplained.

EDIT: @Skykes- unlike the first series, this one was only planned for a single season (or rather, it was a movie extended to four episodes, then twelve, and finally got support for a full 20). They're already producing episodes up to halfway through the season, if production schedules from before are any indication. Not to mention- did you see those first two episodes? They'd have to suffer lobotomies or do something scandalous to get it cancelled at this point.

If I would venture a guess, I'd say Book Two could be 'Spirit', which would be awesome.

 

You stole the words right out of my mouth.

 

I can definitely see a huge outburst of Avatar fanfiction if this new season does well. It will make-up for the travesty that was the live-action movie, which failed spectacularly to bring newcomers to the fandom.

I can also see them writing at least one more series after Korra. The new 1920's-esque world opens so many possibilities.

 

Episode was cool and I'm liking Korra more and more. She's definitely got her flaws, but she's also a good person who knows when to swallow her pride. She's looking to be a very interesting lead, especially once the disparity between benders and non-benders is expanding upon. It'll be good to watch her struggle with her obvious pride in her abilities and the reality of non-benders resent for being on the bottom of the power pole.

 

Before this new series, I'd never even thought of the possibility that bending was something that you either have or you don't - except in the case of the Avatar, naturally. The idea that it's a hereditary trait, rather than a learned skill like I'd previously assumed, definitely adds some interesting implications to the world and took the plot in a direction I definitely wasn't expecting.

I can't wait for more of this.

 

Spoiler

If so, my money says Korra will team up with a descendent of Foaming at The Mouth Guy.

I thought for sure the producers would draw a parallel between the beginning of the first episode of this series and the end of the last episode of the first series, by having Katara slip Korra the tongue when she was leaving the water tribe... then claiming it was okay because, technically, Korra is her husband.

No? Perhaps my logic is flawed.

By the way, I totally called that ship before there's smut fic of it... I hope.

:awesome

 

Aang, Zuko, Azula, the other benders... they were fighters living in a harsh era. These guys are pretty much glorified gladiators in the most technological city in the world. I'm not surprised they can't go that long.

 

Well, a lot of it has to do with the spirituality of the nation. IIRC, the Air Nation was made up entirely of benders, because they were a nation of monks (and thus more spiritual than most), whereas the fire nation was a very militaristic and practical state (technology over magic), so only those who trained for it became benders (mostly the nobles, for obvious reasons).

 

Weren't these the qualifying rounds anyways? Maybe pro-benders are way better in the championship.

 

I just want to point out that an entire pro-bending match is only 3 rounds that are 3 minutes each at most, so that really doesn't say anything good about the pro-benders abilities that they can get tired so easily, especially when you compare it to the average grunt from back in the war. Also, when you take into account that all they were doing was throwing the smallest possible amounts of their elements at each other, with none of the crazy stuff we saw back in Avatar? It's a bit of a let down.

And to top it off, both Earth and Fire are both at a major disadvantage, since Earthbenders are only allowed to use the small earth disks that are in their area, it means that they can't do any of the crazy awesome stuff that we saw back with Toph or Bumi. Waterbenders though, are not only the only ones that can use their element to block, but they have the option to do something a bit more complicated than just "shoot earth disk at person" or "shoot small fireball at person".

Also, considering how much people were cheering for them, and how impressed Korra was, I can't help but get the feeling that it's not going to get much better. It's a huge let down after seeing all the stuff that Korra was able to do back in the first episode. Plus, anybody else think that it was a bit odd that Bolin's advice about Earthbending was pretty much the opposite of what Toph told Aang?

My biggest problem with the series though, is the relationship between Tenzin and Korra. One of the best parts of the original Avatar was Aang's relationships with his three teachers, where not only do they teach him how to be a better bender, but a better person. And really now, when Aang mentioned that he didn't like how Toph was teaching him, she stole his glider and smashed his nuts. When Korra says she doesn't like how Tenzin is teacher her, she runs away, Tenzin gets mad and then soon decides that she was right.

Overall, although I am loving the series so far, I do hope that pro-bending doesn't become a focus of the series.

 

This discussion's made me want to revisit some of the older episodes. Can someone recommend which episodes would be considered the best, preferably with epic bending combat?

It's been a long while since I watched some Avatar.

 

It's not really fair to compare the average bender to the likes of Azula, Zuko, and Toph who are regarded as some of the greatest benders of all time. Besides that, though, these aren't really gladiators. They're more the equivalent of a sprinter. As for the relationship between Tenzin and Korra, I get the feeling that Tenzin isn't actually that good of an airbender. He seems to have inherited Katara's temper, which can't be good for a style relying on patience. More than that, the key difference between Aang's earthbending lessons and Korra's airbending lessons is that Korra's way worked, but Aang wasn't ever going to earthbend the way he was going about trying to do it.

 

Maybe spirituality has to do with it? Combat-bending for money and fame in the middle of a huge city might block out some of the magic and leave them more tired and unable to do big, flashy stuff. And they probably focus on the physical aspects of bending only while training, instead of "feeling" it.

Maybe not though.

 

Last 3 eps. of first season (Waterbending Master + Siege of the North)

From season 2: The Blind Bandit, the Chase, Bitter Work, the Drill, the Earth King (especially this as it starts in a long combat), Crossroads of Destiny

Season 3: the Painted Lady. the Avatar and the Firelord, the Puppetmaster, Day of Black Sun, Firebending Masters, the Boiling Rock... actually, most of Season 3 is a bend-fest, culminating in the most epic duels in the final four eps. You will believe that Sokka and Suki have mastered Luck-bending, I swear.

 

The finale episode had some great bending.
The season finales all had great bending.

But the best episode would have to be Tales of Ba Sing Se. Easily. No bending? Yea well it's the best episode.

 

Hmmm. Just had a thought. Korra really 'came alive' in their match once she started applying a little Airbending to her style. Compare that to Bolin's advice, stay on your toes, only hunker down at the last second when your going to Earthbend. Heck, the old Waterbender on their team was using a lot of jumps and the like iirc.

Bottom line, the reason I think this bending isn't impressive is because it isn't 'pure' bending. Its a mix of Air philosophy with the other three elements, incredibly appropriate when you consider the ideals of Republic City.

 

Plus, Air bending looks cooler.