# Avatar: the Legend of Korra **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 15, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820 "2012-04-15T04:28:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/21 "2012-04-18T17:44:19Z")
Building massive feats of engineering would also be a lot easier in a world with bending. A competent earthbender could probably do the work of any of a fleet of construction vehicles, and firebending could presumably be used for things like welding and smelting. I wouldn’t even be surprised to see things like high-energy physicists who provide their own high energy. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/22 "2012-04-18T18:12:37Z")
This is true. So a 1920’s style deathray is not too far away for them either, I presume. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/23 "2012-04-18T18:13:26Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > That’s not that much of a jump, really. Or rather, it’s an incredible jump, but about equal to the one we took in the real world at about the same time. > > In the Avatar world, the Fire Nation already has a massive fleet of ironclad warships at the beginning of the first series - and it’s implied that they’ve had that technology for most (if not all) of the war. Which means they’ve got 170 years of industrialization under their belt. In the real world, the industrial revolution is generally held to have begun around 1750. By 1860, [this](http://www.cityofart.net/bship/rn_affondatore.jpg) was the state of the art in naval engineering. A bit fancier than [this](http://images.wikia.com/avatar/images/3/3e/Fire_Navy_blockade.png), but not by too much. By 1920, - 170 years after the start of the Industrial Revolution - the streets of New York City looked like [this](http://www.nyc-architecture.com/SPEC/028.jpg). Which is pretty much [where we are in the show.](http://images.wikia.com/avatar/images/2/26/Satomobiles.png) Thank you for this. What a great, informative post! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/24 "2012-04-18T19:05:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I wouldn’t even be surprised to see things like high-energy physicists who provide their own high energy. Quantum bending. I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/25 "2012-04-18T20:18:49Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > Thank you for this. What a great, informative post! I’ll second this. Good job. > [@Miller](#): > > Quantum bending. I like it. Isn’t that what the original bending kind of is. The giant lion-turtle said something like, “Before the age of the Avatar we bent not the elements but the energy within ourselves.” So yeah, creators of Avatar, get on that. Faster than light travel would be awesome.\* Korra FTL’s over to the water planet Lucia where everyone is a water bender except poor little Lu-Lu the Lucian who was born a fire bender. She’s a lonely little Lucian who gets made fun of by her peers. She dreams of finding a place where there are other benders besides water benders and then one day Korra shows up and is all like, “Hey, sup.” and Lu-Lu is all “SQUEEEEEEEE” and Korra takes her back to Earth\*\* where Lu-Lu developes into a Master fire bender and one day becomes the new Fire Lord. But power starts to corrupt great and powerful Lu-Lu and she starts a war against the other Nations and Korra is all, :smack: and then they have a huge battle and Korra banishes Lu-Lu back to Lucia where again her fire bending is useless and all the others Lucians won’t let poor little Lu-Lu play in any Lucian games and she is all, ☹ again. - I am not a Quantumist or even a physicist or even one who cares if FTL and Quantum anything have any relation to each other. It’s a made up story. It’s not real. 😛 \*\*Or whatever their planet is called. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/26 "2012-04-18T20:44:58Z")
For some reason, I have just gotten a weird mental image of a crossover between the Wheel of Time and Avatar. I am both disturbed and intrigued. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/27 "2012-04-18T20:50:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*Or whatever their planet is called. They have the same constellations as us, and a moon that looks like ours. It might be some alternate-reality version of Earth, or Earth in the distant future or past, but it’s Earth all right. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/28 "2012-04-18T20:52:56Z")
Good to know. Thanks Chronos. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/29 "2012-04-18T21:02:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > They have the same constellations as us, and a moon that looks like ours. It might be some alternate-reality version of Earth, or Earth in the distant future or past, but it’s Earth all right. I have suspected for a while there might be some reveal on this, possibly a throw away background detail. The strange hybrid earth animals point to it as well. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/30 "2012-04-18T21:08:12Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I have suspected for a while there might be some reveal on this, possibly a throw away background detail. The strange hybrid earth animals point to it as well. They did have that bit about the Earth King’s bear. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/31 "2012-04-18T22:29:51Z")
So what does the mentioning and lampshade hanging on Zuko’s mother mean? Of course Katara is interrupted before she can tell the story.🙂 Does this mean that rumored TV movie/miniseries that was to show Zuko searching for his mom is back on and will get made, or that its not and we will never get this story? ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/32 "2012-04-19T02:24:06Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Does this mean that rumored TV movie/miniseries that was to show Zuko searching for his mom is back on and will get made, or that its not and we will never get this story? Well, the answer to that question is an amazing story. Gotta run, see ya. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/33 "2012-04-19T06:00:29Z")
Re-watching the first ep in HD (thanks Amazon!), I noticed a few odd things: The “metal bender” cops don’t seem to do any actual bending of any sort. They just use mechanical wire shooters and hooks. In the scene after the cops detain Korra, with Chief Bei Fong questioning her, the Chief appears to be wearing a device on her back that looks like what the other cops might have had, a wire spooling device of some sort. Apparently the Chief will be doing some high-wire work in future episodes. In the same scene, it appears that the interrogation room has openable metal shutters all over it. Apparently the Republic City cops’ theme will be very clockwork in the series. And what’s with the double scratch marks on Chief Bei Fong’s face? The woman with the platypus bear in the scene just after is such an odd note. These two must be recurring background characters we’ll see later, like Cabbage Guy in the old series. Hmm, Amon’s henchman in the brief ending scene appear to carry two short swords on their backs, with a small cylindrical tank that has hoses connected to the scabbards. I wonder what that’s about? Also re Amon (that’s his name, right?) - he wears a mask, which means there’s some big reveal ahead when we see his face. Is he some legacy character, or the issue (son, stepchild, whatever) of a character from the old series? Sokka’s bastard kid who can’t bend because Sokka couldn’t, and he’s back and pissed? Anyone got a theory to put out there? ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/34 "2012-04-19T06:11:56Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Also re Amon (that’s his name, right?) - he wears a mask, which means there’s some big reveal ahead when we see his face. Is he some legacy character, or the issue (son, stepchild, whatever) of a character from the old series? Sokka’s bastard kid who can’t bend because Sokka couldn’t, and he’s back and pissed? Anyone got a theory to put out there? My main guesses were either rogue descendant of Sokka or a descendant of someone like Ty Lee. Spoilers from production material (i.e. stuff you don’t learn in the aired episodes) I really want to guess he’s related to Ty Lee because according to the wiki, he has the ability to block Chi flow via pressure points just like she could. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/35 "2012-04-19T06:40:55Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > My main guesses were either rogue descendant of Sokka or a descendant of someone like Ty Lee. > > Spoilers from production material (i.e. stuff you don’t learn in the aired episodes) > > I really want to guess he’s related to Ty Lee because according to the wiki, he has the ability to block Chi flow via pressure points just like she could. Hmm… at the end of the original series, it’s revealed that Ty Lee had joined the Warriors of Kyoshi _and taught the other members of that group chi blocking._ So Amon could be either a descendent of Ty Lee OR a descendent of any member of the Warriors of Kyoshi. Suki was a Warrior of Kyoshi, so we can assume she also learned chi-blocking. And I’ll go further and assume she bonded with Sokka (which seems like a safe bet). So Amon could well be related to Sokka’s _and_ be a chi-blocker through Sokka being married to Suki. Based on that I’m going to guess that Amon is Sokka and Suki’s son or grandson. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/36 "2012-04-19T07:01:48Z")
Its going to be a little tacky if everyone in the new series is a descendant (or reincarnation, I guess) of the original ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/37 "2012-04-19T23:12:57Z")
> [@grude](#): > > So what does the mentioning and lampshade hanging on Zuko’s mother mean? Of course Katara is interrupted before she can tell the story.🙂 > > Does this mean that rumored TV movie/miniseries that was to show Zuko searching for his mom is back on and will get made, or that its not and we will never get this story? I don’t know about a mini series, but I just found this: > **[The Promise](https://avatar.fandom.com/wiki/The_Promise)** > > The Promise is a graphic novel trilogy that continues the Avatar: The Last Airbender storyline. Written by Gene Luen Yang with Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the trilogy was released by Dark Horse Comics in collaboration with... “The Promise is the trilogy of comics set in the Avatar universe as a continuation of the Avatar: The Last Airbender storyline. Written by award winning comic author Gene Yang, the trilogy will be released by Dark Horse Comics in collaboration with Nickelodeon in 2012.[1][2] Mainly set one year after the conclusion of the original series, The Promise Trilogy will detail the adventures of Avatar Aang and his friends soon after the War, and will provide a link to the spin-off series The Legend of Korra.” So maybe some closure regarding Ursa might be found in there. ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/38 "2012-04-19T23:17:51Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > The “metal bender” cops don’t seem to do any actual bending of any sort. They just use mechanical wire shooters and hooks. In the scene after the cops detain Korra, with Chief Bei Fong questioning her, the Chief appears to be wearing a device on her back that looks like what the other cops might have had, a wire spooling device of some sort. Apparently the Chief will be doing some high-wire work in future episodes. I assumed they had spools of metal wire on their back, and they controlled it with metalbending when they shot it out at people. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/39 "2012-04-20T01:43:01Z")
> [@davidw](#): > > I assumed they had spools of metal wire on their back, and they controlled it with metalbending when they shot it out at people. Huh. You’re probably right. I’d figured it was some sort of clockwork shooting mechanism in the sleeves/cuffs of their outfits, ala Spider-Man non-organic style web shooters. You’re interpretation sounds more likely, else why call them metal benders? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820/40 "2012-04-20T02:57:37Z")
I was definitely not impressed, as I previous posted elsewhere on this site. The secondary characters were great and the show’s sense of humor enjoyable start to finish, but I was distinctly underwhelmed by Korra, who skirts the thin edge of mary Sue in the first two episodes as well as being surprisingly lame for all of it. The Fire Ferrets as a whole are just tepid, with few character traits worth mentioning, while the bending sport coming off remarkably dull. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/618820.md?page=3)