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likeadragonfruit · 2 years

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Rather than trying to milk stretch TLOK book 1 for more content, I’m just going to post my notes/thoughts that came up during the rewatch.

Big Picture

Overall flow

I was surprised by how relatively well it flows?

Okay so I’ll agree that there’s not enough room to breathe for character stuff.

But for the plot, it goes from point to point well enough.

For what looks like what was originally a mini series, it does a good job at introducing a new era and mini Avatar journey. (Though Avatar name or no, I wouldn’t consider it amazing television.) But it definitely wasn’t built to be an initial season.

That said, this show’s cast and focus is a bit of a problem. Its predecessor got away with having so many characters by frequently changing locations and maintaining a relatively small major cast. But TLOK, spending all its time in one location also lets its cast ballon: there’s Korra, the rest of the Krew, Tenzin and his family, Lin, Tarrlok, Amon, Hiroshi… and this only increases with in later seasons

Also, so much of the show is built on choices made to contrast with ATLA. In and of itself, this isn’t bad. And while interesting, that also in and of itself does not a great show make.

Korra’s airbending and spirituality arc:

I feel like something didn’t quite work

From the outset, this story contrasts with how Aang experienced blocks with bending. In both of those cases, it was resolved within an episode

This series on the other hand makes it a plot point across 12 episodes

In fact, “A Leaf in the Wind” is basically an inverted version of “Bitter Work.” Where Aang had to learn to root himself himself and be physically and emotionally unmovable, Korra had to learn to stop rushing in headfirst and physically and emotionally go with the flow. Where Aang had to use these principles to save Sokka, Korra had to use them to win a probending match. On paper it sounds alright. In practice, while Korra does learn the forms, Tenzin is the one who has to accommodate her. (Which on one hand is him being more flexible after being very rigid earlier. But it also meant Korra’s demonstration was rooted in the physical forms but still to a degree disconnected from the philosophy.)

Once Korra gets past her initial block of the mindset to properly do the airbending forms, we see her practice them regularly

But it’s not supposed to work until Korra gets more in touch with her spiritual side… which we don’t see her work on. It’s not until episode 8 that Korra tells Tenzin of her visions from Aang, visions she’s been getting for several episodes by that point. And Tenzin tells her to meditate on them… which she doesn’t do.

Not until the next episode, when Tarrlok has Korra sealed in a metal box with nothing else to do does she finally meditate and gets the story of Yakone. This gives us backstory but still doesn’t get us closer.

But then the choice to have finally unlock airbending through a combination of lacking other options and wanting to save Mako feels a bit lackluster. Especially since she just punched the air and doesn’t do anything to demonstrate tying together the ideas of her earlier training in the season.

That would’ve been one thing, except then Korra finally connects with her past lives “because she was at her lowest point and therefore the most open to change.” And Aang restores her bending. And it feels like such a weak answer for a plot line stretched out across 12 episodes.

Politics:

The most important episode politically is definitely episode 8, “When Extremes Meet.” It’s basically an argument for moderation (violent resistance bad but so is a police state to oppose it.) And I maintain that despite the episode through Tarrlok claiming the extremes are Korra and Tarrlok themselves

The series isn’t very interested in the larger systemic issues of the bender-nonbender tensions (you don’t get a following like Amon’s out of nowhere)

Though, there’s a point made in the 11th episode that the bender-nonbender conflict isn’t an issue in the slums? That’s quite a line to drop and do nothing with!

Character opinions

Korra: she seems like a pretty good lead? Or at least a good basis for one. She’s definitely a flawed character, and not handled perfectly by any means, but at least from book 1, I didn’t feel too frustrated with her. I actually feel like when talking about her, there’s a tendency to unnecessarily flatten her. (I do think in other ways the way her character let something to be desired.) I don’t know, I feel like there’s more to say here, but I might have to revisit after the other books.

Mako: oh, am I conflicted. I don’t think a lot of the hate he got in book 1 was fully deserved. But also he’s a character who I kind of just feel meh to. He has several good moments, he really does, but I just don’t click with him and can’t fully explain why.

Bolin: kinda sad watching him. I liked him the first time around, but this time I’m so conflicted. He’s great at his best, but at his worst he’s an obnoxious store-brand Sokka, with the comic relief, but without the same smarts. Which sounds unfair to say or frame in that manner, but still. And it’s sad because I feel like there are more worse moments with him than those of him at his best…

Asami: she’s an interesting case. It’s less that she’s boring and more that there’s something missing. I know they had initially planned for her to be an equalist informant/spy but scrapped that. But in the choice to have her so opposed to the equalists, I was left wondering “why?” Why does she believe her father and the equalists so wrong, especially as a nonbender surrounded by benders on the side she joins? I don’t know, it feels like they could’ve done more with that choice, even. (Also, despite Bryke liking her so much they scrapped the equalist spy subplot and keeping her an honest member of the Krew, poor girl still gets put through the wringer.)

Katara: ngl, if I didn’t know the justifications that will come up down the line, I’d be side eyeing her going along with the White Lotus keeping Korra in the compound like that way harder.

Tenzin: the overly serious mentor and dad figure. He grew on me across the book. It was a bit surprising how, outside of “Korra was right” stuff, Tenzin is usually the moral and philosophical pillar. But he’s another “he’s aight, I guess”

Lin: she’s one of those characters where it’s like, yeah, she’s a cop but I still love her, okay? And she deserves more in her life than just work and this whole “I was in a love triangle with Tenzin and Pema but I have to be cool with them” thing.

Amon: something that damaged his character throughout the rewatch at first was knowing he’s a fraud already. There’s some lost potential in him not being just some guy who got energybending somehow. But, as I watched, I was won over by his presence again. Then the reveal hit, and it’s different. Especially watching it again and being hit with “huh, he has a lot of parallels to Azula.”

Tarrlok: he was an alright character. Slimy politician type? Okay. Oh, using a crisis to create a police state? But then he’s a bloodbender? And has a tragic backstory? Yeah, idk

Hiroshi: despite his importance, I’m just meh on Hiroshi

Lieutenant: what is this guy’s deal? You get Lance Henriksen to voice the guy, then do nothing with him?

Tahno: almost forgot him. Only opinion is Rami Malek. I didn’t really know who Rami Malek was a decade ago, but now I do and I can’t unhear Rami Malek.

Stray observations

A decade later and I really dislike the idea of the metalbending police. (Disliking police more doesn’t help.) But yeah, cops patrolling the city via airship, who either air drop into the city below or can airlift suspects to the station? No thank you. (And I feel vindicated by episode 8 when we see them corralling nonbenders)

Republic City has an Eiffel Tower? Why? Why do they have an Eiffel Tower?

You know, if I had a nickel for every time a character’s tragic backstory involved a firebender killing at least one family member, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but you know the rest of the quote. (But seriously what’s up with that?)

This is pure fanning and fawning, but Lin metalbending her suit on is so cool

The last quarter of the show feels like a nostalgia/callback fest. ‘member Toph helping to take down airships? Here’s Lin taking down airships. ‘member Zuko and Iroh? Here’s Iroh II, whose voice is identical to Zuko’s. ‘member Ozai’s horrible parenting and its effects on his kids? Here’s Yakone’s horrible parenting, which basically makes the plot.

They have plastic surgery already. I guess certain applications of bending could help with that. But I totally forgot that was a thing in TLOK.

For some reason, I’ve always thought of Korra as more of a firebender than a waterbender. But that really undersells her skills with water.

This season doesn’t actually resolve the political situation. It does oust Amon from the equalists and remove Hiroshi Sato as another potential leader.

Despite initially being dismissive of the idea, I can see how discrediting Amon’s claim of being gifted by the spirits would erode his support base. (Downsides of claiming to be a divine force sent to right the world fraudulently, I suppose)

In another version of events, maybe Lieutenant could’ve been a rallying point for the equalists? He’s a nonbender, and a true believer in the cause.

But then, the ending was open ended enough to not resolve everything, but say that Korra would now be able to handle it.

Oh, and poor Noatak and Tarrlok’s mom

Now onto book 2…

#the legend of korra #tlok #tlok rewatch #book 1 air #wish me luck with book 2 #dragonfruit’s oc #kinda

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markantonys · 16 days

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reddit:

literally every other WOT viewer in the world:

#they've been saying this ever since the finale aired and it drives me CRAZY #have your personal opinions all you want but to say that 2x08 was objectively a weak episode is simply not correct #cinematography acting vfx choreography music EVERYTHING was at the absolute top of its game #and despite being an Exciting Battle Episode it was completely anchored in character moments & emotional resonance which is no easy feat #so much going on yet there was time for every major character to get a huge developmental/emotional beat #(yes even those like nynaeve whose beat was a loss rather than a victory)#every season arc was either wrapped up in an immensely satisfying way or was set up for a deeper examination next season #and 90% of the general audience absolutely loved it #and yet reddit acts like it's an Accepted Fact that it was poor quality #just bc the book-to-show changes in that episode weren't to THEIR PERSONAL taste #touch grass #wot #seeing as season finales will always have the biggest moments it's kinda inevitable that hardcore book fans #will always be the most sensitive to any changes made in those particular episodes #not to mention that the changes made in eps 1-7 will snowball and culminate in the finale #so i feel like finales are always gonna be judged the most harshly by readers #like if dumai's wells isn't an exact 1:1 recreation of the book version #readers are 1000000% going to flip their shit no matter how objectively good the show's version actually is #wot book spoilers #for the replies

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boreal-wood · 7 months

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Alright wise guy, what are your thoughts on the theme(s) of the first Mistborn book. This is literally an excuse for you to ramble about it, have fun.

VOID I LOVE YOU SM

So spoilers for Mistborn: The Final Empire! If you haven't read it, please beware because under the cut, Here There Be Spoilers (and also beware, Very Long post under the cut!)

The big running theme in The Final Empire is trust. Who can one really trust? Is it worth it to put your life in the hands of other people? What says they won't betray you as soon as it becomes favorable to do so?

Honestly this really is what Vin's character arc in the first book is about. At the beginning of the book, she's trapped in a low-level street gang where everyone is always out to get everyone else. Heck, the second time the audience ever sees her use her powers is when she is helping her boss betray a business partner.

Vin's brother has beaten into her the idea that she can trust nobody, not even him. Everyone is always out to hurt her or take advantage of her, and if she does not prove her immediate worth to her group, then at best she will be kicked out.

This, of course, is not helped by the fact that she is part of the literal slave class! Which is a whole nother essay tbh.

Then Kelsier takes her in and everything changes. There's a scene early on in the book, after vin formally joins the crew, where Kelsier and his men are all laughing and enjoying themselves while plotting their Big Plan™. And Vin, who does not trust any of them, is on the outside, quite literally. She's outside the room, watching them plan, wishing she could be included but not allowing herself to, because at this point in the book she still thinks they could betray her at any time.

I think now is a really good time to mention that being a Mistborn is built on secrecy and paranoia. Mistborn are literally the nobility's assassins. They hide their identities under hoods that blend into the mist so as not to be seen. So their powers cannot be used against them or their Noble Houses. In broad daylight they have to pretend to be normal people, or at best, regular Mistings. They can't trust anyone with the truth that they are Mistborn.

(Heck, even a quarter of their powerset- Copper and Bronze- create mistrust. With Bronze, after all, one can hear the allomantic pulses of burning another metal. Copper, on the other hand, blocks that; the use cases for these two metals lies in paranoia that someone else can use their Allomantic powers against you.)

Anyways! So we've explored some of the different aspects of mistrust in Mistborn, so what's the counterargument?

In a word: Kelsier.

Kelsier shakes up everything that Vin believes about how relationships work. He introduces his crew as something different- despite being a thieving crew, they operate under a principle of trust and camaraderie. "My crews rely on trust," Kelsier says at one point. In direct contrast to the dirty, paranoid crews Vin worked with before, Kelsier's crew is welcoming, understanding, and trusting of her.

But Kelsier's trust isn't just talk, either. When we learn that the crew believes Mare betrayed them in their last heist, Vin asks Kelsier how he could love Mare even though she betrayed him. Kelsier answers that given the choice between loving Mare and being betrayed or never knowing her, he would choose loving her. "I'd rather trust my men than worry about what will happen if they turn on me."

In the same passage as above, Kelsier poses a question to Vin: where has she been happier? with the old crews that we built on lies and suspicious, or with Kelsier's crew, who trusted each other and let their guards down? It's a rhetorical question, and the meaning is clear: Vin and Kelsier both are happier for risking themselves in order to be loved.

I don't think I've nearly done this topic justice. There are a million more points I could pull out and point to, but I want to end with my favorite quote from The Final Empire. It's from Vin, in Chapter 32. She says:

“Once I may have thought you a fool, but… well, that’s kind of what trust is, isn’t it? A willful self-delusion? You have to shut out that voice that whispers about betrayal, and just hope that your friends aren’t going to hurt you... Distrust is really the same thing, only on the other side. I can see how a person, given the choice of two assumptions, would choose to trust.”

#I have SO MUCH MORE I COULD SAY ABOUT THIS #but this post was too long already #THANK YOU SO MUCH VOID FOR ASKING #i didn't even get to the part about how allomancy itself is also an act of trust #since yknow. you have to have some level of trust to be able to push yourself through the air #and how Vin's first time steelpushing herself in their air is a literal AND metaphorical leap of faith #I have so many thoughts on this book #mistborn #mistborn the final empire #mistborn era 1 #kelsier #vin mistborn #vin #cosmere #brandon sanderson #i love literary analysis #taking the tools they taught on boring books and putting it into the things im passionate about #literary analysis #taiga says things

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carveredlunds · 1 year

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Everyone keeps talking about how great it was to see Love Quinn again, and it was, but what about Guinevere Beck? I know that Love was a Feminist Icon who murdered people and Tumblr loves that content, but everyone just ignores that Beck was a normal woman who wrote poetry and was complex and lived her life and then she was stalked and murdered by her boyfriend in a scene that was probably so violent that it wasn’t shown onscreen.

#you #you spoilers #love quinn #guinevere beck #joe goldberg #sophie speaks #sophie talks about you #i remember my friend telling me how beck died in the book #just after season 1 aired #so i went and read that scene #and i hated it so much

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elejah-wonderland · 4 months

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_elejah au

Love is in the Air

_tvd fanfic_Part 1

a/n: this is a light-hearted, romantic little story.

New Orleans

"I am all packed" Elijah said to his sister Rebekah on the phone.

"Why Rome?" the blonde asked.

"I just had this idea for my next book. And I need to go there to get the feel of the city, do some research at the archives." Elijah said.

"So, it's going to be another murder mystery with historical background?!" Rebekah stated.

"Burning Wings was such a great success and now they want me to write a sequel," Elijah said, "and a couple of nights ago I had a dream that kind of set this idea in my head to put the plot in Rome."

"Well, I hope it will not all be work- after your divorce you have done nothing but work."

"I plan to take time off and enjoy the city. Stefan is gone with Valerie to visit his brother and his wife Rosalie in Amesterdam and I got his apartment for a whole month." Elijah explained.

Rebekah sighed a little as her brother mentioned her ex-boyfriend Stefan Salvatore.

"I am sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned him."

"It's ok. I just- it will always be hard cuz- you know - I messed ut up and now- ok- right. When is your flight?" Rebekah asked.

"Tomorrow morning. I will call you when I get there." Elijah replied.

"All right. Have a great time. And try not to just work." Rebekah said and with a little bye and Elijah's promise that he will also take time to enjoy his holiday, they hung up.

Pressing the search button, the latest articles with the news popped up. And the picture of the woman he had met ten years ago as he visited his sister, who was studying in the prestige old private Mystic Falls College for liberal arts, now stared at him.

His eyes smiled seeing the photo, which was clearly from one of her premieres as she was a famous actress.

And then he saw the article headline.

Elena Gilbert rumored to be secretly engaged to Mason Wood.

Elijah sighed a little and not reading further, swiped the page off and went to a subject he was interested in.

In Florence, Italy

Elena walked in her hotel room followed by her personal assistant and manager, Jo Parker.

"Thank God today was the last day of the shoot. Can you please reschedule everything for at least a week?!" Elena said."I am so going away and I don't want to know about anything. Please."

"All right. So, what shall I book you? Bali?"

"No. I already made my own arrangements." Elena said.

"What? I didn't want to ask - but - are you seeing Mason again?" Jo asked.

"No. Well, we hooked up again- and that's all" Elena replied waving away with an insignificant huff.

"Right. Do you want me to say something about the non-engagement? It's all over the internet"

"No. Just leave it. It will blow over. Especially when they soon see him with Erin." Elena explained.

"Erin Lindsay? Seriously?" Jo now asked.

"A couple of days after our hook up I saw him with her all lovey at the same hotel." Elena said followed by a little sigh.

"Oh, sweety - you still thought that -"

"Yeah- I kind of thought that maybe the hook up would be - but things were over with us ages ago- I don't know why I thought that there - and I am not even in love with him really - anyway, enough of it."

"Where are you going?" the manager asked.

"Rome." Elena replied.

"Rome?" Jo was surprised.

"Yes. And I am going incognito. I got Francesca's keys to her apartment. I need to get away from everything and everyone. Take a week off- maybe two." Elena replied.

"Ok. I have something for you to read. Liv is still negotiating to get the rights to do a movie, but it's nearly in the bag and Tristan is very interested in producing this," Jo now got a book out of her bag, adding,"it's a historical thriller and you would be playing Angel, she is a 15th century librarian, who investigates a murder involving an ancient curse. The book was No.1 everywhere!"

Elena took the book and looked at it, muttering,"Elijah Smith?" and then turned the book around. The face on the back now made her heart jump.

"Interested? The book is really good - there are so many twists and turns - I could not put it down till I finished it. There is a very ambiguous cliffhanger at the end - and apparently there is going to be Burning Wings 2- Elena?"

"Ha? What?" Elena now snapped out of her momentary daze.

"Interested?"

"Yeah" Elena said breathing in a gulp.

Jo smiled a little, gathering why Elena got a tad bit taken in.

"He is such an eye-candy, right?"

"Yeah" Elena said and put the book down on the table.

"What's up?"

"Nothing," Elena replied, "ahm- I want to go shower and I think I will hit the bed."

"All right. I will see you at breakfast? Shall I rent- a- car for you?"

"Yes, please. Thanks, Jo. Sorry, I am just so wasted."- Elena now said rubbing her neck a bit.

"I know. Don't worry. Ok. See you in the morning." Jo said and then taking her bag from the chair left the actress's room.

As the door clicked on the way out, Elena now shot a look at the book, flashing back to the past.

Flashback

Ten years back

"May I?" Elijah asked politely for the seat on the bench.

"Yes" Elena said removing the books so the man could sit down.

"Maybe it appears odd that I want to sit here though the other bench over there is empty, but it's too exposed on the sun and it's such a great shade here under this oak" Elijah said as he sat down.

"Yeah- it's crazy hot today," Elena replied,"and it's only May"

Elijah's eyes now descended on one of the books - "Roman Tragedy", and then a guide book on Rome. "Ah, Rome - such a great city."

Elena now swayed her look from her book she was reading.

"Have you been there?"

"Yes, last summer. With my sister Rebekah and my brother Kol." Elijah replied.

"Rebekah is your sister?"

"Yes. I am here to meet her. And she specificly said - to be at the White Oak Tree. She is running late. You know her?" Elijah explained.

"We are in the play together." Elena replied.

"Oh, really? She didn't say anything about it. Is she any good?"

Elena nodded a little.

"Not that great, ha?"

"She is, and she could be excellent, but she seems not to care that much. Ok, I shouldn't saybanything really."

"Oh, you're ok. She is my sister and I love her, but I know what she is like. She excels only at things she really is passionate about, and if she is not - well, she can be superficial."

"Yeah" Elena slipped.

"She wants to be a designer, she told me and I saw some of her designs - and they are amazing. Her show is the evening. But I guess, you know that?!" Elena said.

"Yes, that's why I am here." Elijah now said.

He then saw Rebekah approaching and he stood up. And just before he went to his sister, he turned to the brunette, introducing himself, "I'm Elijah."

"I'm Elena." the woman said.

_to be continued

#elejah #elena gilbert #elijah mikaelson #alternative universe #tvd au #elena and elijah #tvd imagines #fanfiction #part 1 #love is in the air #book cover designed by me #aka elijah smith

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