These last two episodes of Korra are action packed as Korra and Unalaq fight with the fate of two worlds hanging in the balance. They were so much fun to watch, but also left viewers with a lot of questions, so let’s jump in!
With Vaatu free Korra quickly attacks Unalaq and launches him back through the portal so she can prevent him from fusing with Vaatu. While Korra attemps to destroy Vaatu, Mako and Bolin are tasked with keeping Unalaq from re-entering the portal. Everything is going according to plan until Mako and Bolin are ambushed by Eska and Desna. Unalaq is able to re-enter the spirit world and ambush Korra just as she is about to imprison Vaatu again. Catching Korra off guard is just the advantage Unalaq needs and while Korra is down he fuses with Vaatu and becomes the dark Avatar. Mako and Bolin escape from Eska and Desna and jump back into the spirit world but they’re too late. With Korra in the Avatar state and Unalaq channeling a similar power the fight is pretty evenly matched until Una-Vaatu (Unalaq + Vaatu = Una-Vaatu, just roll with me here) is able to rip Raava out of Korra. Korra watches in pain as Una-Vaatu pummels Raava, each hit severing a link between Korra and one of her past live, until finally Raava is destroyed. With the balance between light and dark gone, Vaatu’s power increases and Una-Vaatu grows to gigantic proportions.
While all this is going on, Tenzin, Mako, and Bumi are searching for Jinora. They walk in circles before encountering everyone’s favorite spirit world resident. Uncle Iroh appears again and drops a hint for Tenzin that makes him realize where Jinora could be. Tenzin hatches a plan and attacks a dark spirit to get him and his siblings captured. The spirit takes them to the fog of lost souls, a prison where human spirits are imprisoned in a fog that slowly drives them crazy. Kya and Bumi are quickly affected but Tenzin is able to break free of the spell. The fog clears and Tenzin is able to locate Jinora and lead Kya, Bumi, and Jinora out of the fog. Once out of the fog Jinora senses that Korra is in danger and tells her father that she still has something left to do and her spirit dissolves away.
Giant Una-Vaatu uses the intertwining portals to transport himself just outside Republic City. President Raiko is waiting has General Iroh and his troops attack but nothing works. While Una-Vaatu attacks the city, Korra is taken be healed by Kya. Korra awakens and tells them that she is no longer the Avatar. Tenzin convinces Korra that she is more than just the Avatar and she must connect with her own inner spirit. Korra meditates in the tree of time connecting with her inner spirit and accesses the cosmic energy of the universe. Her spirit fills with energy and emerges from her body and grows to gigantic proportions. Giant Korra transports herself to the Republic City’s bay. Giant Korra and Giant Una-Vaatu battle in the bay as everyone watches while Mako, Bolin, Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi fight a horde of dark spirits. Korra attempts to find the light in the dark and searches for Raava in Una-Vaatu but finds nothing. Suddenly Jinora’s spirit appears holding a golden light and drops it into Una-Vaatu’s chest. Korra reaches into Una-Vaatu and rips Raava out of him leaving him weak and then spirit bends him and he dissolves.
Korra’s spirit returns to her body and Raava returns to the spirit world where they fuse together to create the Avatar again. With the war over and Unalaq defeated peace returns to the world and things change. Korra and Mako decide they don’t work as a couple and break up. Luckily for Mako, Bolin gets dumped by Eska after they briefly rekindled their romance during the apocalypse so he won’t be alone in bachelorhood. The two water tribes become independent and Tonraq is elected chief of the Southern Water Tribe. The destruction in the city provides Varrick and Zhu Li the opportunity to escape from prison. Finally Korra decides that humans and spirits should live together and leaves the portals open. Humans can now physically enter the spirit world and spirits are free to roam the human world.
What a finale! Not everything that happened was completely clear to me but I still found it tremendously enjoyable. I thought that Korra and Tenzin's arcs for the season finished well and made sense even if the individual plot points of the finale didn't all work. The season as whole was very up and down for me but there were definitely individual moments that exemplify why this little cartoon on Nickelodeon is truly one of the best shows on TV. How about you? Was Korra's journey this season satisfying for you? Did you enjoy this season as much as Book 1? Let me know what you thought about the finale and about the season as a whole in the comments.