Should you watch this, Wiki this, or wait for the recap? Watch this.
Lin relives her past when she goes for acupuncture treatment, and reveals how she got her scar and came to be estranged from her sister. But this emotional revelation comes at a cost – when she and Suyin come to blows! Meanwhile, Zaheer and his allies attempt to escape Republic City, with surprising success.
“Old Wounds” is the 6th Chapter (episode) of Book 3 (Season 3) of The Legend of Korra. It’s the most character-driven episode of the season thus far, focusing firmly on Lin Beifong and her family. It also shows Lin finally coming to terms with her emotions, something that she’s avoided doing all season.
It also develops Suyin more and shows us that she’s not the Mary Sue that was presented in the previous episode. Although it’s not an episode that furthers the series arc, it’s an emotionally charged episode, and Lin comes out of it as a much more sympathetic character. Whether the changes in her character will stick remains to be seen though.
Highlights
Lin’s flashback
Considering that we don’t know much of Lin, and all that we do know often emerges during fights (her past relationship with Tenzin, for instance), it’s an insightful look into how her character came to be what it is. Unsurprisingly, she was as much of a hard-nose when she was young as she is now. It also features Toph, which is a great reference to The Last Airbender. Episodes that showcase the grown up characters of The Last Airbender are always appreciated!
Theme of family and sacrifice
There’s this sense of sacrifice that pervades the flashbacks – what Lin had to give up, what Toph left behind, and what Suyin had to go through. While the three of them may fight, you can see where they’re coming from and their motivations for their actions. This makes them all sympathetic characters, which makes their lifelong quarrel all the more tragic – it’s nobody’s fault.
Lin-Suyin battle
A Earthbender fight – no, a Metalbender fight is pretty awesome to see. Unlike the Ba Sing Se Earthbenders who only fire stone disks, Lin and Suyin’s use of Earthbending is far more innovative, making their fight the highlight of this episode.
Zaheer escapes
Considering that the villains are usually wreaking havoc and blowing apart everything in their path, it’s fun to see them use some stealth for once. Granted, it doesn’t quite work – but hey, at least they’re trying different tactics! And Zaheer seems to gain a new power every episode – he can sense Korra now!
Letdowns
Korra’s minimal role
The series is named after her, so I did expect Korra to play a larger role. She’s more of an observer, which allows Lin to come to the forefront – but still, the series is named after her. Then again, it’s the style of the series, so it’s not unprecedented.
“Old Wounds” gives us a a solid amount of character building for Lin, a character that hasn’t been expounded much on due to her thorny personality. It also gives us the fate of Toph, and now all of the original Team Avatar members are accounted for in this series!
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