Should you watch this, Wiki this, or wait for the recap? It’s the series finale! Of course you should watch it!
Korra, Mako, Bolin, Su, and Lin infiltrate the mecha suit in their efforts to take it down. Mako and Bolin deactivate the core, while Su and Lin take out the Spirit Cannon. Meanwhile, Korra’s final battle with Kuvira takes them into the Spirit Wild, and then into the Spirit World, as Korra finally manages to connect with Kuvira and talk her down. Varrick and Zhu Li get married, and Korra leaves for a vacation with an unexpected beau.
“The Last Stand” is the thirteenth Chapter (episode) of Book Four: Balance (Season Four) of The Legend of Korra. It is the series finale for The Legend of Korra, wrapping up the story of Kuvira’s attack on Republic City and the Earth Kingdom, and bringing closure to the many plotlines of the series.
The episode gives us finality in two pairings, one expected, and the other one completely out of left field. However, it’s a powerful episode, both physically and emotionally, and gives us a satisfying victory for our heroes. Whether the ending is appealing (or even makes sense, for that matter) is another topic altogether.
Highlights
Spectacular battles
Even though Mako, Bolin, Su, and Lin are hardly fighting anyone significant, the battle still manages to be tense thanks to the stakes and also the (surprising) skill level of their opponents. Even better is the one-on-one duel between Korra and Kuvira, which is both fast-paced, vicious, and powerful in its choreography. I’m not sure why Korra doesn’t just go Avatar State and whup Kuvira’s ass, but it’s all part of the story, I suppose.
Theme of family and siblings
The team that Korra takes into the mecha suit are two pairs of siblings – Mako & Bolin and Su & Lin. These siblings have been key characters in The Legend of Korra, and while their quarrels may be spectacular (especially for the sisters), what’s even more impressive is what they can accomplish together. In the case of the siblings, the whole is really greater than the sum of its parts. And that message is clearly shown in how it takes the combined efforts of the siblings to defeat Kuvira’s mecha.
Emotional connection between Korra and Kuvira
Although Kuvira’s backstory is hinted at throughout the series, only in this episode do you find out the full extent of her past. Her latent feelings of abandonment are her motivation for conquering the Earth Kingdom, and you truly feel for her when she cries and admits that she felt the world had abandoned her country, the way she was abandoned by her parents when she was young. It isn’t enough to absolve her of her crimes, but at least you know where she was coming from.
Korra proves her Avatar mettle
Korra blocks the Spirit Cannon, the most powerful weapon in both series, with her Energybending. That more than proves that she’s got her Avatar juice back, and it’s gratifying to finally see her unleash her full power, without any ridiculous apparitions or whiny hallucinations to stop her. Korra is completely back, and the world is safe once more.
Happy ending
It truly is. Varrick and Zhu Li get hitched, and everyone seems to be at peace. Perhaps a cameo by Toph, Katara, or Zuko might have ended it even more sweetly, but then the series is about Korra, after all.
Letdowns
Korrasami…
This couple comes completely out of nowhere. Only if you’ve been watching, no, scrutinising every single episode with a fine-toothed comb with awareness of the ending or if you’ve been watching the whole series with a sensitive and suspicious eye, will you ever have come to the faintest conclusion that this would ever be possible.
It feels like a shock ending done to stimulate discussion long after the series has ended. It feels like a cop-out, like it was done for the sake of surprising people. It’s not that I’m against Korra’s inclinations, but it is never telegraphed properly in the series. It just feels like a cheap commercial trick, and it’s unfortunate that The Legend of Korra has to end with the sour taste of commercialism in your mouth.
Korrasami is such a cheap shot.
“The Last Stand” ends The Legend of Korra with all the beats you’d expect, and honestly, it’s a fantastic episode until the last one minute. Watch it until the last line of dialogue, then switch it off. Your blood pressure will rise less that way.
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