The Legend of Korra: The Guide (2×09)
Synopsis: Korra finds Tenzin on vacation and asks for his help entering the Spirit World, but finds that maybe he’s not the best person to do so. Meanwhile, Mako finds himself in trouble as he tries to expose Varrick for his crimes, and Unalaq tries to open the Northern portal himself.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
You know, I was a little worried after a fantastic two parter that the episodes following would go back to their usual subpar quality for this season. However, this episode was actually fairly solid and inching ever closer to the plot I was promised for this season.
The episode opens with Jinora happily playing with some brightly colored dragonfly bunnies when her dad asks who she’s playing with. We cut to his perspective, which doesn’t have the cute little mutant rabbits. Jinora says it’s just imaginary friends and as her father turns away, one of the dragonfly bunnies lands on his head, making Jinora laugh as she joins him in the courtyard.
Korra asks Tenzin what’s wrong and to do whatever he did when he entered the Spirit World for the first time. That’s when Tenzin reveals that he’s never been able to enter the Spirit World, despite trying and studying how to do it for years. He still wants to try with Korra, but Kya suggests that maybe Jinora should be the one to do it instead.
The family finds their way to an ancient meditation circle that has been overrun by vegetation. Tenzin starts a spiritual cleansing, which seems to be working as a hoard of bat like dark spirits erupt from the ground. Korra and Tenzin try to fight them off to no avail, which causes Korra to try Unalaq’s spirit calming technique. She is finally successful as the spirits calm down and all the vegetation recedes. Tenzin and Korra make up officially and Tenzin tries once again to help Korra into the spirit world. Which takes hours and has no success. Kya tells Tenzin to get over it and let Jinora be Korra’s guide. Tenzin is hesitant to put his daughter in that much danger, but Jinora assures him that she will be okay and that she can take the Avatar into the Spirit World. Tenzin relents, telling his daughter how proud he is of her and promises to protect their bodies until the get back. Shortly after the two young women begin meditating, they enter the Spirit World together. It only took most of the season for us to get to the point where Jinora fulfills her destiny to be the Avatar’s guide, but yay it’s happening! Can’t wait to see this play out for the season!
As Mako tries to leave after his desperate attempt to convince his brother and his girlfriend of Varrick’s crimes, he is intercepted by two guards who take him to Varrick. In his own subtle way, Varrick threatens Mako by offering him a job on his security escort team to “protect” Asami and Bolin. Basically, either he quits the police and his investigation to join Varrick’s side or his loved ones will suffer. Mako declines and leaves.
Lu and Gang find money and explosives that were planted in his closet and proceed to arrest him. Mako assures Asami that he had nothing to do with it as he’s carried away, but she looks unsure as she’s left alone. The greatest twist this show could give me is that Mako was actually behind the raid and put him in jail for the next two seasons, but I know that won’t happen. Mako will clear his name somehow, I’m sure. Because Mako is so wonderful and… you know, I give up on this sarcastic tirade. Mako sucks. The end.
Unalaq goes to the tree and apologizes to Vaatu for failing him. Oh man, I knew it. I knew Unalaq was involved with the spirit of darkness and chaos. Why else would he be trying to open the portals when they were closed to keep Vaatu locked away? However, Vaatu tells Unalaq that he hasn’t failed yet because Korra is alive and is coming to them. Oh damn, Harmonic Convergence is not going to be easy, I can tell.