Avatar: The Last Airbender

[Nuile the Paracosmic Tulpa]

Woah, woah . . . wait. Am I the only one who loved the finale?

To those who didn't like Amon being a bloodbender, I think you're nuts. Amon was always pretty cool, but this peripeteia made him awesome. The subtle hints we've had all along are great. And come on. What's not great about a guy who can bend bending itself?One of the things I like best is that . . . we were all right. All our theories proved true: As Bfahome said, it was Tarrlok's brother; as Alex Humva said, Amon did believe in what he was preaching; Tekulo believed that Amon was Tarrlok's brother and that he was a bloodbender; and it was I who said Amon was a bloodbender, and I also propounded that Tarrlok would redeem himself. Oh, yeah, and didn't I say somewhere that the Avatar would find a way to give people's bending back?So I was all-around pleased with the finale. The only complaint I have is that Amon's identity was not given the dramatic revealing he deserved; however, it was the lesser of two evils, because without the backstory only Tarrlok could give it wouldn't have worked as well. So I did not mind it.Enough of that. Time to move on to what really matters.General Iroh is awesome. The initial attack of his fleet was pretty feeble, but the scene when he took out the planes was golden.Bolin has seriously grown on me since he was introduced. He's risen above the "poorly executed Sokka clone" he was originally and become a character of his own. "Hiroshi Sato, you're a horrible father!" Only Bolin would have said that. And Sokka probably would have looked through the right end of the telescope . . . probably."Lieutenant, you've failed me for the . . . first time. That's one too many." Darth Vader moment; oh, yes.Oh, yeah. And Lin's back in action!Great season, great finale. The second season cannot arrive too soon.

Sincerely, Nuile: Lunatic Wordsmith

[Bfahome]

I really liked the finale. There were some parts that I didn't like as much as others, but overall I thought it was pretty good.

Bolin has seriously grown on me since he was introduced. He's risen above the "poorly executed Sokka clone" he was originally and become a character of his own. "Hiroshi Sato, you're a horrible father!" Only Bolin would have said that. And Sokka probably would have looked through the right end of the telescope . . . probably.

Normally I'm not "that guy" who corrects people's quotes, but I feel like this instance takes away from the event. Bolin actually said, "Mr. Sato, you are a horrible father!" It's the "Mr. Sato" that puts it firmly in Bolin territory. Gotta be respectful when you're telling someone off for trying to kill his daughter!Also Bolin is probably my favorite character after Lin, given that he's the comedically awkward everyman who's always a little bit behind.

Edited June 24, 2012 by Bfahome

[Havelock Vetinari]

Except as the Equalists show, there's a rather large group of people, presumably with a vote, who don't want them in power....and yet, the council remains unchanged. I'll also note, based on what we've seen from both shows, benders seem to be a minority.

[Bfahome]

Except as the Equalists show, there's a rather large group of people, presumably with a vote, who don't want them in power....and yet, the council remains unchanged.I'll also note, based on what we've seen from both shows, benders seem to be a minority.

The Equalists seem like a fairly large group, yes, until you consider that there's an entire city of people, and then the rest of the Republic, out there as well. Also, not all Equalists are the same. Some might not want them in power, sure, but some just might want them to change some things, and there are probably some who outright don't want them to exist at all. All movements vary in intensity and rationality.And remember, these are representative of the four nations (+1 for the differences between the Water Tribes), not of Republic City, which is where the Equalist revolution was based. We've seen no Equalist movements in other areas, and it makes sense that the big revolution would happen at the center of the government (and other reasons, watch the show), but again the city is not the only place the Council represents.As for problems with the governing system, I'd say the representation needs to be divided into a larger body of people, not just five, so there's less of a chance of someone hijacking the council based on their views and ignoring who they represent. Doesn't matter if they can play with magic water or not. But since this is ostensibly a kids' show, I can see why it was kept simple.

[~Shockwave~]

i don't get why everyone is disappointed that amun was a bloodbender. lets analyze this for a second. OK so we know he can take away bending permanently (unless interference by the avatar). so if we just take that, he has to be a bender, as that is a bending ability.than we take the fact that, since he is a waterbender, the revolution folds in on itself, as it was built on a lie. if he wasn't a bender the antibenders would just get ticked and want to avenge him. and personally, i would much rather watch a plan collapse than become more than it was supposed to be. because its less expected and more fun to watch IMO. does Hitler come int anyone elses mind when you think of amun? its the same type of scenario. in reverse essentially. plus he wanted to cleanse the world of impurities, which he himself possessed. just sayin'.

[Lyichir]

Personally, I expect the council to become a lot more nonbender-friendly, just by nature of Tarrlok being gone. After all, he was the driving force behind the council's more extreme examples of rights-trampling. Now that he's gone, the easily-swayed other council members could easily rally behind Tenzin, who has been shown to be far more sympathetic to the plight of nonbenders.

[dotcom]

I was going thorough the earliest pages of the topic and I found this thing I wrote back when the third episode came out. These were my exact words.

Amon is a bloody energybender.

Haha irony.

[Alex Humva]

^To be honest there was little indication Amon wasn't an energy bender. He used similar motions, had similar effects... the bloodbending to block the chakras was completely out of the blue, though it made sense.

[darkslizer]

The Legend Of Korra finale was awesome! I have a feeling there wasn't a numbering issue or anything, but I saw episode 9 On demand and I saw the finale, but I can't find episode 10 On Demand. Anyone care to elaborate? If I'm missing an episode I want to know where I can find it. please!

[Bundalings]

All the episodes are on Nick's website.

[Visaru]

Wow.That was a cool finale. it's a shame Legend of Korra does't have 45 minute episodes like a lot of TV shows. It would allow them to expand on a lot of things. I suppose younger kids can't be that engaged for so long.

Anyway, I thought Amon's reveal via Tarlock was pretty cool. It sort of brought that whole Tarlock plot into the main storyline, and condensed things nicely. The story between the two was fantastic. I also loved how Korra lost her bending. That was unexpected too. I sort of wish the tapping into her spirit self and relearning the elements was stretched out longer. That could have easily been major plot point in season two. But they pulled off the Deux Ex Machina at the end really well. It made a lot of sense.Iroh and Bumi seemed to be just repeats from the last series brought in via bloodline. I sort of wish the two were original characters, but it still went along fine.I loved this season of story. Hopefully the next season is just as good.

[Alex Humva]

Iroh was a bit of a Zuko expy, but really, the only thing we got out of Bumi was a crazy scream, which I'd give too if I'd just avoided getting ambushed. Hardly enough to say he's a repeat of the old Bumi.

[Visaru]

Well, we don't get to know him much, but the characters actually do call Bumi crazy, and he is called Bumi. That's too much similarity for me, especially since that's how we've been introduced to him.But who knows? He might be very different.

[Alex Humva]

Eh, for me, being a bit wild isn't enough to automatically call him a repeat of a previous crazy character of the same name. I just think we need more character growth before we pass judgement.

[Visaru]

Oh. Well, I was passing judgement on the few sentences we heard about him.So it remains to be seen if that was a wise thing to do.

[Havelock Vetinari]

Another question, I'm watching the series right now.....So, the police force, the military. Something made to defend the people...are there any nonbenders in them that perform roles of importance? I'm not seeing any.

Edited July 9, 2012 by Basilisk

[dotcom]

Bumi is a nonbender, high ranking in the united forces. He's the only we've seen, though.

[Havelock Vetinari]

Bumi is a nonbender, high ranking in the united forces. He's the only we've seen, though.

Compared to....a lot of Benders.....Yeah. That doesn't speak well for the society when a small minority (or at least, a minority based on the population centers we've seen) had that many people in the armed forces compared to the majority of the population. Why, it's almost like they're deliberately keeping as many of them out as they can. Edited July 9, 2012 by Basilisk

[Alex Humva]

I feel the need to point out though, that we only really saw the Metalbender Force. From EU sources (read: the online game on Nick's website), they're basically SWAT. We did see one fat policeman in the first episode, and it's clear that metalbenders aren't the only ones there, just the really elite ones. Seeing as it's pretty much a full scale war, they'd naturally be the ones to be fighting the most.So I doubt it's quite so one sided, though is probably biased.

[Visaru]

Well, if you're creating a task force designed to fight, or based on the application of force, would you recruit an average guy or someone who can shoot fire out of their hands? :-PAnd positions of authority in Avatar are often based on fighting skill. Benders are lucky- they have more opportunities open in life.

[Havelock Vetinari]

Well, if you're creating a task force designed to fight, or based on the application of force, would you recruit an average guy or someone who can shoot fire out of their hands? :-PAnd positions of authority in Avatar are often based on fighting skill. Benders are lucky- they have more opportunities open in life.

Exactly. It disenfranchises people who have to shed blood, sweat and tears to get anywhere...and some fire bender can still blow in and take it all away from them. It's disgusting.The society we've been presented with is totally unequal. Those who wish to make it equal....are somehow the villains. Edited July 9, 2012 by Basilisk

[Alex Humva]

Though it would be amazing if in Book 2 we get to see some non-bender police forces taking down benders. It's obvious it can be done, by the whole war that happened before. If you ask me, chi-blockers have some of the coolest martial arts.But something you have to think about is how the Equalists were going about this. Sure, the idea is grand and noble, but it was taken too far. If the citizens of Republic City had been armed with the lightning gloves, for instance, they could defend themselves. Classes to teach chi-blocking could of been made more mainstream. But what happened is if you were a bender, you were the enemy, no matter who you were or what you had done. That goes from noble cause to racism.Then you have Amon, who took people's bending away. Bending is made clear in-universe that it is physical and spiritual, as well as meta, when the creator's talked about it. That's why Aang can energy bend from beyond the grave but Amon can tangle up your energy in the physical world. People have referred to bending as being like getting your hand cut off; that's probably true, but if you look at what's happened to some, it's very much likely that it goes beyond just the physical "drats, this ability I've had since birth is gone", into the spiritual realm.I could make a very nice example, but I'm afraid it wouldn't be safe for the seven year old kiddies, so I'll have to beat around it. I suspect that Amon not only severs the physical connection, but the spiritual as well. In doing so, part of your mind is cut off. It's not just your hand getting cut off, it's like your fondest childhood memories being ripped away. I doubt the bloodbending to remove it feels that good either, so Amon isn't just persecuting a people group for being who they are, he's physically and mentally assaulting them. Point being, the Equalists ideas are noble, and could of worked. That's defeated, however, by a racist leader who removes something they're born with via cold, calculating spiritual assault.

Edited July 9, 2012 by Game Master Alex Humva

[Havelock Vetinari]

I can agree to that. The Chi-blockers were utterly awesome.Shame they were reduced to mooks for the Avatar to beat up on.EDIT:True. Amon defeats a lot of my Pro-equalist arguments. When it comes down to it though, what else did the Benders expect? They seem to be given alot of the power and many of the choice jobs. They'll be fighting this same war in a decade or two if that keeps up. Amons exist because they create the conditions that allow them to exist. They've got no one to blame for the war but themselves.

Edited July 9, 2012 by Basilisk

[Visaru]

Yeah. When I first saw the first fight sequence with Korra and Mako vs. a few chiblockers, I was blown away by the chi blocker's coolness. As the series progressed, the blockers got less and less powerful, until they devolved into mere annoyances. Maybe the characters were leveling up. :PAnd that above paragraph touches on why I love the Equalists- They have a good cause! I a good purpose! They are villans which aren't totally villanous, sort of unlike Ozai.

[Alex Humva]

But see, that's the problem. You're assuming all benders are like Tarrlock or Korra, abusing their powers towards their own ends. Being a bender may give you an edge in life, but it's something you're born with. Mako and Bolin were living in what was basically a spare room at the YMCA before Korra came along, living life on each bending match. They weren't glamorous nobles, they were some kids trying to get by. One can't judge an entire people group, it's the definition of racist. Especially when said people group is likely in the hundreds of thousands if not millions. Assuming the world population is even that of, say, 0 AD in our world, it's a billion people in the Avatar world. If 0.1% of the population were benders, that'd be a full million people that you're judging based on the few we've seen.Without Amon, the Equalist revolution will definitely be falling apart, but I'll be very happy if we continue to see Equalist weapons in season 2. They're probably be in circulation, and it'd look very bad if the council were to outlaw them.

[Bfahome]

They've got no one to blame for the war but themselves.

No, they've got Amon and his messed-up maniacal desires to blame for it.I have no idea where you're getting the idea that there's large-scale deliberate oppression going on, other than some odd desire to find a justification for the villains' side, but there's been little to no actual oppression shown. When it has been shown, it has been portrayed as very bad, and quite rightly so.Also, I fail to see how it's "disgusting" that the most able people are chosen for the most advanced enforcement jobs. It doesn't matter how hard someone has worked to do something, what matters is who can do it best, at least when it comes to public safety. Sure there can be non-benders with tasers and stuff (since such technology actually exists now), but when choosing between a normal guy wearing a glove and someone who can leap buildings with a flick of their wrist, you'd think most people would choose the second one. Until technology advances to a point where non-benders can match the mobility and versatility of benders, I don't see the basis for the complaints. And remember, it's not like the metalbenders just walked in off the street and took the job of someone who's been working for ten years; they have to go through training too.This is something that happens in real life. Genetics help determine how able you are. Some people are naturally stronger, faster, or smarter than other people. Military training is meant to select the best, and even if you've worked all your life towards it you may find yourself coming up just short.And, again, remember that we've only seen one city, and only those parts of the city that have relevance to the plot. Given that the series only went twelve episodes, there was even less time for filler, so there's little to no "normal life" shown. The only indication that major government-condoned oppression was taking place was from Equalist propaganda, and that fell apart when Amon's true motivations were revealed. Edited July 9, 2012 by Bfahome

[BioGio]

True. Amon defeats a lot of my Pro-equalist arguments.

Honestly, that was probably my biggest issue with the series. In the first episode or two, we see Amon and Equalists actually making sense and talking about reasonable ideals. Then, all of a sudden, they go off the deep end and start doing all this crazy stuff that amounts to magical mutilation. Bryke didn't treat them with much subtlety or with a lot of consistency: It's almost as though the writers realized that their villains were just a bit too sympathetic, so they started making them into more clear villains.~ BioGio

[Visaru]

The 'all of a sudden' occurs the first time we get a glimpse into their inner workings. All refrences to the equalists before then was just propoganda and stuff like that. The organization became more villanous as we learned more about it, not as the writers changed the nature of the group.

[Havelock Vetinari]

No, they've got Amon and his messed-up maniacal desires to blame for it.

"We disenfranchise the people. So when they rally around someone to change that it's their fault.""We taxed the colonies heavily. So when they rally around someone to change it, it's their fault."See the problem with that logic?

I have no idea where you're getting the idea that there's large-scale deliberate oppression going on, other than some odd desire to find a justification for the villains' side, but there's been little to no actual oppression shown. When it has been shown, it has been portrayed as very bad, and quite rightly so.

Implications. The council is made up completely of benders, and the only non-bender we know of that was on it was pretty darn extraordinary. The councilors seemed easily led as you yourself have said, so they didn't have to do anything beyond being benders to be on it. Sokka, on the other hand, went through heck to get there. So it isn't based on achievement. We've got a bender council supported by a bender army and bender police force. Put a few choice words in there to replace bender and you'll get the problem with that. The major, disturbing problems.I find the villains justified because they are.

Also, I fail to see how it's "disgusting" that the most able people are chosen for the most advanced enforcement jobs. It doesn't matter how hard someone has worked to do something, what matters is who can do it best, at least when it comes to public safety. Sure there can be non-benders with tasers and stuff (since such technology actually exists now), but when choosing between a normal guy wearing a glove and someone who can leap buildings with a flick of their wrist, you'd think most people would choose the second one. Until technology advances to a point where non-benders can match the mobility and versatility of benders, I don't see the basis for the complaints. And remember, it's not like the metalbenders just walked in off the street and took the job of someone who's been working for ten years; they have to go through training too.

"I've worked all my life to get here!""I can manipulate fire. Tough luck. Get back to the gutter."Still fail to see it? Someone with an iron will who's willing to do hard work is much more deserving then someone who uses a natural ability to do the same. The vast majority of people, most of them decent and hard working and more then able to apply themselves are being sealed out of jobs because someone was born with a certain ability they don't even have to work for....and you see nothing wrong with that? The fact that the technology that the Equalists use could have been invented without a revolutionary movement to back it up...but wasn't, tells you exactly where the Benders priorities are. By implication, we can safely assume they've no interest to bringing the rest of the population up to their level. Rather, judging from the make up of their forces, it's the exact opposite.They could have funded programs to make such technology available, they didn't. Never even showed interest insofar as I've seen.

And, again, remember that we've only seen one city, and only those parts of the city that have relevance to the plot. Given that the series only went twelve episodes, there was even less time for filler, so there's little to no "normal life" shown. The only indication that major government-condoned oppression was taking place was from Equalist propaganda, and that fell apart when Amon's true motivations were revealed.

People aren't sheep, despite what some media will have you believe. There must be at least a modicum of evidence before the hordes of people we saw at the rallies would join in. People don't act without reason. Amon was charismatic yes, but his words have to at least somewhat grounded in reality for people to pay any attention to them. Otherwise he'd be written off as a fanatic and zealot.As it stands, instead he got an army of people willing to fight and die for him. That doesn't spring up from imaginary oppression. Edited July 9, 2012 by Basilisk

[~Shockwave~]

i think, when we are dealing with public safety, that the person most able to do the job should get it.as much as it may suck, are you really going to let, say a guy in a wheelchair be a police officer? no you aren't.maybe that's not quite the same. but that guy is clearly less qualified than others.now. other than public safety, i would have to say that it shouldn't matter.but when you are dealing with peoples lives, you need the best. that would typically be a bender.it's some of the same logic as why i cant join the military. or for that matter even drive. random note: i will never get used to how creepy bloodbending is.

[Bfahome]

"We disenfranchise the people. So when they rally around someone to change that it's their fault.""We taxed the colonies heavily. So when they rally around someone to change it, it's their fault."See the problem with that logic?

Yes I see the problem with that logic, but not for the reasons you're trying to put forward.No one's being disenfranchised or heavily taxed. There are no colonies, at least not anymore (or they're working on getting the issue sorted out, we'll have to see how that progresses in the in-between comics). The only evidence of wrongdoing that was presented is Amon's word and the word of his followers.

Implications. The council is made up completely of benders, and the only non-bender we know of that was on it was pretty darn extraordinary. The councilors seemed easily led as you yourself have said, so they didn't have to do anything beyond being benders to be on it. Sokka, on the other hand, went through heck to get there. So it isn't based on achievement. We've got a bender council supported by a bender army and bender police force. Put a few choice words in there to replace bender and you'll get the problem with that. The major, disturbing problems.I find the villains justified because they are.

You're talking about elected officials here, so if the bender vs. non-bender breakdown is as lopsided as you think then there's no way they could've gotten into power without massive support from non-benders.Also, how can you possibly say that it isn't based on achievement? We know absolutely nothing about most of them. They're flat characters, which is a real shame. Saying that they got in solely because they're benders is making a wild and completely baseless assumption.Saying they're led easily actually isn't saying much when Tarrlok is the one leading them. He, like Amon, is very good at manipulating people to his own ends. That is how he got into his position of power, not because he's a waterbender.The only reason these things are "disturbing" is because you're making them disturbing. We've heard little to nothing about the army as a whole, nor any other types of police, so saying that they're all benders is another assumption with little basis. Your argument also seems to be based on the idea that all benders are power-hungry tyrants who want nothing more than to tread all over anyone who can't do what they can do. That is disturbing, because you're pinning a characteristic to an entire group of people on the word of a guy who bombed a city.What part of a bender makes them bad? What makes them want to hold absolute power over normal people? Nothing. Because benders are normal people, it's just that they can move water without touching it or generate fire from their own chi. These abilities don't automatically come with a desire to rule the world.Side note: there have been two non-benders on the council, the other being an Air Acolyte. Given that this person probably learned the culture of the Air Nomads from Aang, the fact that his successor, Tenzin, was Aang's son seems like a perfectly legitimate reason to have him represent the culture.

"I've worked all my life to get here!""I can manipulate fire. Tough luck. Get back to the gutter."Still fail to see it? Someone with an iron will who's willing to do hard work is much more deserving then someone who uses a natural ability to do the same. The vast majority of people, most of them decent and hard working and more then able to apply themselves are being sealed out of jobs because someone was born with a certain ability they don't even have to work for....and you see nothing wrong with that? The fact that the technology that the Equalists use could have been invented without a revolutionary movement to back it up...but wasn't, tells you exactly where the Benders priorities are. By implication, we can safely assume they've no interest to bringing the rest of the population up to their level. Rather, judging from the make up of their forces, it's the exact opposite.They could have funded programs to make such technology available, they didn't. Never even showed interest insofar as I've seen.

So all benders are lazy people who skate by on their abilities, leaving all the poor and hard-working non-benders out of jobs?Really?Do your little choice-word-swap thing and see where that ends up.Benders are people too. They work hard too. Did you think the police academy was just for show? Did you think the final exam was "Can you throw rocks around? [ ] yes [ ] no"?Not only that, but I bet in most jobs, bending ability is quite irrelevant. You don't need magic powers to run a market, or teach a class, or be a lawyer. And any job is going to have its own criteria for who's qualified. Some might want highly intelligent people, like accounting jobs or engineering. Some might want strong people, like stocking a warehouse. And some might prefer to have someone who can dig up rocks with their mind, like an excavation company. It's all based on ability, and why one set of abilities should be brought into question is beyond me.Regarding the government (your exact word was "Benders" as if they're a big unified group of people, so I'll just assume this is what you meant) funding technology, how do you know they weren't? They might have been working on things in secret. Or they could have given grants to private businesses to invest in new inventions. Or maybe after 100 years of war, people didn't like the idea of developing new weapons, and instead preferred the government work on things that made their lives easier, like cars and power lines.(You keep talking about "benders" as if they're some big hivemind. Realize that the characters you're arguing against are individuals and just as varied as any other character.)

People aren't sheep, despite what some media will have you believe. There must be at least a modicum of evidence before the hordes of people we saw at the rallies would join in. People don't act without reason. Amon was charismatic yes, but his words have to at least somewhat grounded in reality for people to pay any attention to them. Otherwise he'd be written off as a fanatic and zealot.As it stands, instead he got an army of people willing to fight and die for him. That doesn't spring up from imaginary oppression.

People don't need to be sheep if the person presenting the idea is convincing enough. A quick glance through history should tell you that.The first episode gives you a good taste of it. The protestor that Korra encounters provokes her into a confrontation, then uses her response as "proof" that she's a bad person. He asks if she wanted to use waterbending to knock him off the stage, and she says yeah. Including the part about waterbending is subtle, but turns it into a very leading question. If he had simply asked if she wanted to knock him off, or push him off, or something else, it wouldn't have given him any ammunition. There are ways of wording a question that can leave a person unable to answer without making themselves look bad, even if they aren't.There are plenty of people willing to die for a multitude of causes, often totally opposite of one another. The fact that someone is willing to fight for something doesn't mean they're correct or that their cause is valid.

[Enzee]

Mako and Bolin were living in what was basically a spare room at the YMCA before Korra came along, living life on each bending match. They weren't glamorous nobles, they were some kids trying to get by.

They had a place to stay and they were in a competing sport. That's a pretty good outcome considering their past, what with no parents, and they used to work for the triads. They only have this life they have because they're benders.

[Alex Humva]

Mako and Bolin were living in what was basically a spare room at the YMCA before Korra came along, living life on each bending match. They weren't glamorous nobles, they were some kids trying to get by.

They had a place to stay and they were in a competing sport. That's a pretty good outcome considering their past, what with no parents, and they used to work for the triads. They only have this life they have because they're benders.

...Yes, they were only in pro-bending because they were benders, it is a bit of a requirement. They were still scraping the bottom of the bucket. But saying they only had that life because they were benders is completely missing the point. As we saw the one time, every winning was going to paying off something, so they were living from bill to bill, without that much luxury. Sure, it's an improvement from the streets, but that doesn't make my point any less valid. They weren't nobles, they were everyday people trying to get by.And then we have to think about the hobos; as our wise hobo said, they had benders and nonbenders living in harmony, united by one thing; poverty. That goes beyond living paycheck to paycheck and shows that benders too can be out of luck in the world.I really hope the Lieutenant returns next season and wasn't just killed. Sure, he took his mask off in front of Korra and Mako, but there's still a chance he could lead a somewhat more peaceful group of Equalists, maybe ones that don't spiritually assault people. Edited July 9, 2012 by Game Master Alex Humva

[Lyichir]

I think it would be interesting to see the Equalist's weapons co-opted by the Republic City Police. After all, they're essentially tasers, and would make it so that nonbender police could more effectively deal with bender crime.I was also a bit disappointed that Korra gained the ability to give others their bending back, if only because it makes a resolution to the anti-bending movement much farther away. If she hadn't gotten that ability, then all of a sudden the council would be composed largely of nonbenders, which would certainly ease tensions. I suppose since she has that ability, though, we can't expect her to withhold it for some people based solely on pragmatism.As for whether the Equalist movement deserves sympathy, I kind of have to argue it doesn't. While the sentiment that non-benders had been victimized was a legitimate concern, the Equalists were essentially a cult of personality around Amon from day one. That's how dictators get into power: they feed off discontent and redirect it by offering an alternative. The Equalists resorted to terrorism to try to achieve goals which could be achieved peacefully, which in turn made the situation for nonbenders worse when Tarrlok began to associate nonbenders in general with the Equalist movement. And that was Amon's plan all along: to drum up support for his movement by turning what could have been a peaceful discussion of a complex issue into an all-out war.The Equalists' main solution to the disparity between benders and nonbenders was also massively unfair. Because a minority of benders used their power to subjugate nonbenders, the Equalists wanted to eliminate bending entirely. This targeted not only malicious benders like the Triads, but also benders like the Metalbending police who worked for the benefit of benders and nonbenders alike. If the Equalists wanted true equality, they could have marketed their electric gloves to nonbenders for self-defense, thus raising them up and achieving equality in a positive way. After all, Amon himself bragged that the introduction of these gloves evened the playing field by giving the powers of a chi-blocker to nonbenders without them having to build their lives around training in a lost art. But instead they focused on knocking the gifted members of society down to achieve equality, which serves only to create a net loss in the capabilities of the public at large.

[~Shockwave~]

I think it would be interesting to see the Equalist's weapons co-opted by the Republic City Police. After all, they're essentially tasers, and would make it so that nonbender police could more effectively deal with bender crime.I was also a bit disappointed that Korra gained the ability to give others their bending back, if only because it makes a resolution to the anti-bending movement much farther away. If she hadn't gotten that ability, then all of a sudden the council would be composed largely of nonbenders, which would certainly ease tensions. I suppose since she has that ability, though, we can't expect her to withhold it for some people based solely on pragmatism.As for whether the Equalist movement deserves sympathy, I kind of have to argue it doesn't. While the sentiment that non-benders had been victimized was a legitimate concern, the Equalists were essentially a cult of personality around Amon from day one. That's how dictators get into power: they feed off discontent and redirect it by offering an alternative. The Equalists resorted to terrorism to try to achieve goals which could be achieved peacefully, which in turn made the situation for nonbenders worse when Tarrlok began to associate nonbenders in general with the Equalist movement. And that was Amon's plan all along: to drum up support for his movement by turning what could have been a peaceful discussion of a complex issue into an all-out war.The Equalists' main solution to the disparity between benders and nonbenders was also massively unfair. Because a minority of benders used their power to subjugate nonbenders, the Equalists wanted to eliminate bending entirely. This targeted not only malicious benders like the Triads, but also benders like the Metalbending police who worked for the benefit of benders and nonbenders alike. If the Equalists wanted true equality, they could have marketed their electric gloves to nonbenders for self-defense, thus raising them up and achieving equality in a positive way. After all, Amon himself bragged that the introduction of these gloves evened the playing field by giving the powers of a chi-blocker to nonbenders without them having to build their lives around training in a lost art. But instead they focused on knocking the gifted members of society down to achieve equality, which serves only to create a net loss in the capabilities of the public at large.

yes but the people on the council Where all benders.just because they cant anymore, doesn't mean thy'll get more respect from the nonbenders.

[Aanchir]

I think it would be interesting to see the Equalist's weapons co-opted by the Republic City Police. After all, they're essentially tasers, and would make it so that nonbender police could more effectively deal with bender crime.I was also a bit disappointed that Korra gained the ability to give others their bending back, if only because it makes a resolution to the anti-bending movement much farther away. If she hadn't gotten that ability, then all of a sudden the council would be composed largely of nonbenders, which would certainly ease tensions. I suppose since she has that ability, though, we can't expect her to withhold it for some people based solely on pragmatism.As for whether the Equalist movement deserves sympathy, I kind of have to argue it doesn't. While the sentiment that non-benders had been victimized was a legitimate concern, the Equalists were essentially a cult of personality around Amon from day one. That's how dictators get into power: they feed off discontent and redirect it by offering an alternative. The Equalists resorted to terrorism to try to achieve goals which could be achieved peacefully, which in turn made the situation for nonbenders worse when Tarrlok began to associate nonbenders in general with the Equalist movement. And that was Amon's plan all along: to drum up support for his movement by turning what could have been a peaceful discussion of a complex issue into an all-out war.The Equalists' main solution to the disparity between benders and nonbenders was also massively unfair. Because a minority of benders used their power to subjugate nonbenders, the Equalists wanted to eliminate bending entirely. This targeted not only malicious benders like the Triads, but also benders like the Metalbending police who worked for the benefit of benders and nonbenders alike. If the Equalists wanted true equality, they could have marketed their electric gloves to nonbenders for self-defense, thus raising them up and achieving equality in a positive way. After all, Amon himself bragged that the introduction of these gloves evened the playing field by giving the powers of a chi-blocker to nonbenders without them having to build their lives around training in a lost art. But instead they focused on knocking the gifted members of society down to achieve equality, which serves only to create a net loss in the capabilities of the public at large.

yes but the people on the council Where all benders.just because they cant anymore, doesn't mean thy'll get more respect from the nonbenders.

Becoming nonbenders isn't what would get them the support of their non-bender constituents. But becoming non-benders would help them realize the plight of those who have to go through life without bending, potentially leading them to create policies that reduced the inequity between benders and non-benders. In other words, they would still have to earn the respect of non-benders, but they'd be in a much better position to do so.While I don't want to see the Equalist movement remain a potent threat in the next season (Amon's betrayal really should put an end to that, since he was the foundation on which the movement's goals were founded), I don't want there to be the implication that the discontent of non-benders will just go away. Obviously Korra isn't a political drama and won't have time to focus on every piece of legislation it will take to change society for the better. But it certainly should at least offer a glance at how the government of Republic City will be forced to earn back the support of those who had sympathized with, or even been indifferent to, the Equalist movement.Overall I am confident that the creators of the show will be able to show this, if they should choose to. They have shown great skill overall in depicting how society can change over time, and how these changes are a part of overall growth. I hope they will meet these expectations.

[BB246]

Put yourself in this position: Your whole life you've wanted a certain job. You've worked, trained and studied with all your effort in the hopes that you can have it. Finally, the day comes, and you get the job--Metalbending police officer. Then comes Amon, who, annoyed that you can do something he can't, takes your bending away. You didn't just lose the job because someone else could do it better, you lost the ability to do what you'd spent your whole life training for because NO ONE else could do it better.

[~Shockwave~]

Put yourself in this position: Your whole life you've wanted a certain job. You've worked, trained and studied with all your effort in the hopes that you can have it. Finally, the day comes, and you get the job--Metalbending police officer. Then comes Amon, who, annoyed that you can do something he can't, takes your bending away. You didn't just lose the job because someone else could do it better, you lost the ability to do what you'd spent your whole life training for because NO ONE else could do it better.

that would be quite unfortunate.i don't like how some seem to think that if you have a natural ability for something it makes you more successful.it can, if you know how to use it. but its no guarantee.

[BB246]

Put yourself in this position: Your whole life you've wanted a certain job. You've worked, trained and studied with all your effort in the hopes that you can have it. Finally, the day comes, and you get the job--Metalbending police officer. Then comes Amon, who, annoyed that you can do something he can't, takes your bending away. You didn't just lose the job because someone else could do it better, you lost the ability to do what you'd spent your whole life training for because NO ONE else could do it better.

that would be quite unfortunate.i don't like how some seem to think that if you have a natural ability for something it makes you more successful.it can, if you know how to use it. but its no guarantee.

A firebender doesn't have the natural ability to shoot fire; they have the natural potential. Unlocking that potential takes just as much effort and training as it would take a nonbender to become a chi-blocker.

[~Shockwave~]

Put yourself in this position: Your whole life you've wanted a certain job. You've worked, trained and studied with all your effort in the hopes that you can have it. Finally, the day comes, and you get the job--Metalbending police officer. Then comes Amon, who, annoyed that you can do something he can't, takes your bending away. You didn't just lose the job because someone else could do it better, you lost the ability to do what you'd spent your whole life training for because NO ONE else could do it better.

that would be quite unfortunate.i don't like how some seem to think that if you have a natural ability for something it makes you more successful.it can, if you know how to use it. but its no guarantee.

A firebender doesn't have the natural ability to shoot fire; they have the natural potential. Unlocking that potential takes just as much effort and training as it would take a nonbender to become a chi-blocker.

true