Let us pause, before the fighting starts, and ponder that Fire Lord Zuko is son of Ozai, who tried to literally set the world on fire. Ozai's son, Zuko is now cooperating with Water Tribe Chiefs to secure a prison built by a coalition of the highest-ranking benders on the planet. So while Fire Lord Zuko can't be said to rule the world, he does get to occasionally kick some ass and remind people not to mess with fire, all for the greater good.
Too bad that's not enough today. We saw last season that Desna and Eska are two fantastic and creative combat benders, and Tonraq has his own brawling bending style. But the four of them are not enough. When Zaheer, Ghazan, and Ming Hua arrive, they do it by leaping and driving a major tractor right out of the snowstorm at the last possible second. Desna and Eska take on Ming Hua, and her water-arms catapult her through the icy spikes the twins set up before her. They're encased in solid ice before they even realize she's past their obstacle. Tonraq tries to take down Zaheer. But he was a great warrior even before he became an airbender, and his skillful efficiency takes down Tonraq. Zuko tries to defeat Ghazan, but he too is defeated.
Ming Hua, past the twins, slings herself down the chasm of the ice prison, freeing P'Li from the chains that held her down, and the head-band that blocked her combustion fire-bending. We see the marking similar to Zuko's hired killer years before, a third eye surrounded by red waves. Ming Hua literally carries P'Li back up the chasm on her back, with P'Li complaining that her rescue is a little showy. To be honest, a prison-break should be showy. P'Li brings her own entertainment to the battle, when Zuko's dragon tries to stop her and Ming Hua. P'Li, thrilled to see fire again, simply gathers the fire, and blasts the energy back out through her third eye, defeating the dragon long enough that all can escape via the tractor they drove in. Zaheer and P'Li can't wait to celebrate with nooky. Ghazan expresses the ickyness we all feel.
Get a room, face-suckers
Back in Ba Sing Se, Bolin and Mako stand among their ridiculously huge family, and Cousin Tu gives them what must have been ridiculously expensive passports back to the Upper Ring. The boys can only sheepishly thank their family. Bolin goes all out and wants to say goodbye to each and every one of them, even the ones whose names he can't remember. Now that the boys feel less like orphans, it's time to get back to work.
They better hurry. Asami is helping Korra work on her fighting moves, and Korra's taking out all her anger at Earth Queen Hou-Ting on the pads Asami holds up in front of herself. When Bolin and Mako appear, the girls ask where they've been all this time. So ladies, you noticed they were missing, but you didn't do anything?
I could look for my friends, but that might be too useful
Bolin tries to fill them in on everything, but I guess they ran from the train station, because he collapses in a breathless heap on the ground, leaving Mako to leave out the family stuff and get right to it- they know that the Earth Queen is kidnapping air benders, keeping them hidden, and training them to be a personal army for the Earth Queen. Korra screams in indignant triumph; she knew all along the Earth Queen was hiding something, and now she finds out just how badly she was duped. So I guess it's totally convenient that the Earth Queen appears. Bolin, sweaty inside his shirt, coaxes a totally unwilling Pabu to hide among Bolin's chest sweat before she gets close.
Hou-Ting, accompanied by Grand Poopeater Gun, pretends to have good news for Team Korra: air benders have been spotted somewhere. Somewhere not in Ba Sing Se. So, Korra can go, as Hou-Ting has technically fulfilled her end of the bargain. Asami manages to get the team an extra night at the palace, claiming the air ship has some sort of problem that needs fixing. She's smooth as silk, reminding us all why she's here. However, it's getting harder to hide Pabu, as you can only hide in a sweaty shirt so long, and Hou-Ting sneezes herself hoarse. Hou-Ting stumbles away, told there are definitely no animals around, but refusing to believe it. Once she's gone, Team Korra proceeds to the guesthouse and immediately tells Tenzin what's up.
Tenzin and Jinora are shocked; Bumi is the only one who remembers that the Earth Queen does have the legal right to draft her subjects into the army. No one likes a policy wonk, though. Korra feels that the Queen is reneging on their agreement- she won't leave the city without those air benders. Tenzin feels for air benders that will never have proper air training; Jinora immediately connects this news with Kai's disappearance, feeling that he too has been kidnapped and drafted. Bolin and Mako realize their little guy is in danger. Korra after trying to comfort Jinora like she's a little girl, then asks Jinora, as the smartest person there, where the drafted air benders could be. Mako answers for her, as he spent his days not sulking, but reading all of Jinora's books; the best bet is under Lake Laogai, nearby, as it had an old, underground fortress. Korra turns to Jinora again, suggesting that Jinora project her spirit under Lake Laogai. Jinora agrees, but how to go looking there without making anyone suspicious?
Kai, meanwhile, has not been adjusting to life in the Earth Queen's new air bender corps. He enjoys duping fatcats for their money. But, he has no joy in blasting other air benders around at the command of the bullying Dai Li guards. He's happy to go easy on his less experienced, less confident sparring partner, giving him easy blasts to help him practice. But the Dai Li commander interferes, barking at Kai to barrage the other boy. When Kai does as he's told, he feels awful.
Off to the Lake Tenzin, Korra and Jinora go, which I guess is near enough that they don't need the airship, but definitely not in the city. Jinora's spirit comes up empty- the fortress beneath is long deserted and flooded with water and wildlife. No air benders. When Tenzin, Korra, and Jinora try to figure out where else the air benders could be hidden, they realize there are more hiding places in Ba Sing Sei than hairs on a sky bison. Tenzin and Korra are stumped, until Korra asks Jinora how Jinora's spirit found Korra during Harmonic Convergence. Jinora tells Korra that they share a spiritual connection. Korra decides that the completely illicit flirting Jinora and Kai have been doing is enough of a connection that Jinora could find Kai with her spirit, instead of searching everywhere. Tenzin is indignant at the thought of Jinora's spirit already being connected to Kai's, but Jinora calmly decides to give it a try.
Kai's bootcamp training gets worse when they're forced to train with Dai Li bending clay frisbees at them (Who makes these things? It must be one of the most profitable industries in this world.). The Dai Li pound Kai's new friend, and when Kai steps in to help, the Dai Li ruthlessly pound him with frisbees instead. When Kai attacks the guards, they trap him in a rock, mock him, and throw him into solitary. Good thing that's the moment when Jinora's spirit appears. Jinora coos that she's so relieved Kai is okay, even if he was the idiot who ran away to pick pockets in the first place. Kai is happy to see a friend, especially one who can get him out. Unfortunately, Kai has no idea where he is, just that he hates it. Jinora tells him to sit tight, and floats her spirit up, until she's above the ground and can see that the drafted air benders have been under Korra's nose the whole time, underneath the spiffy new temple the Earth Queen's been building. What better way to conceal prisoners than under the Queen's pet project?
Korra is angry at being tricked so badly. Bumi can sense that an elaborate escape is coming and can't contain his excitement. The whole team is literally about to go and kick some ass, when a new air ship comes and lands at the palace. It's Lin Beifong, who apparently lands her air ship where she wants, and has no time for the Earth Queen. Instead, she proceeds directly to Korra's guest house, where she tells Korra that the Road Trip is over. Lin's taking her back to Republic City and putting her under her personal protection. She quickly updates Tenzin on Zaheer's escape, new air bending, and subsequent prison breaks. Tenzin becomes more and more horrified, while Korra has no idea what they're talking about. Korra ends up reminding Tenzin and Lin that the Avatar they're protecting is right there, and wants to know what the heck is going on.
The back story: when Korra was maybe three or four years old, thirteen years ago, Zaheer and his companions tried to kidnap her. His team was caught, and separated in prisons tailored to hinder their bending. None broke under interrogation. None ever divulged why they attempted to kidnap her. Beifong says, enough talk, let's take you back to the city you were exiled from. Korra says she has some air benders to rescue first. Lin at first doesn't want to bother, but Korra insists she's not leaving Ba Sing Se without them, so Lin tells the Team to get their asses in gear and get this mission done.
Lin and Asami fly around in Lin's Police air ship, with Asami's crew supposedly piloting hers. I hope. And let's hope Naga is somewhere. After dark, Jinora gets "caught" sneaking around the palace grounds by two guards who are inclined to go easy on her. Which is the perfect cover for the Team to sneak up behind them, surprising the guards and getting them quiet entry into the temple. Here, they split up: Bumi, Tenzin and Korra proceed to the main room with the other airbenders, while Bolin, Mako and Jinora go to find and free Kai. Bumi's wildly excited and tries using awesome codes for a message with Lin, who doesn't have time for that nonsense. Tenzin and Korra waltz right into the air benders' barracks, and the air benders can't believe their luck- here's the chance to escape they've been waiting for! From prisoner, to traveling with the Avatar and the Master of the Air Nation!
Wait, you mean we don't have to live in a dungeon?
Jinora and the boys find Kai easily enough, and they waste precious time having a moment with Kai, in which he admits how foolish he was to be up to his old tricks, and ditching his protectors. He had Bolin at hello, but Mako is still sore about the money Kai stole.
The Dai Li interrupt the moment, and there's a fight between benders, with the Dai Li momentarily winning by grabbing Jinora as a hostage. Kai's having none of this, and knocks the Dai Li guard off his feet, noting that he's got the best of his bully as they all flee.
Never mess with Jinora! If she doesn't get you, Kai will!
Tenzin, Bumi, and Korra have almost gotten the other air benders out of the temple when they realize they've been trapped by a squad of Dai Li and the Earth Queen herself. Hou-Ting is in fine form, threatening them with war for making off with subjects she can legally do whatever she likes with. Korra is unrepentant and insists that they're all leaving. Two air benders stay with her and Tenzin; Bumi and the rest flee by climbing to the top of the temple's construction scaffolding. Korra, Tenzin, and the helpful souls stay and blast the Dai Li with air, using the skills the Dai Li made them learn to win their freedom. The other air benders manage to escape, and Tenzin summons Oogi for a ride out of there.
But where's Bolin, Mako, Jinora, and Kai? The team can't leave anyone behind! There they are, running furiously to stay just ahead of a flurry of rocks streaming towards them as they flee the temple at last. Tenzin brings Oogi down for one final pass, and Bolin brings them all together, and bends a shaft of rock to propel them into the air towards their ticket out of here. The Earth Queen's temper tantrum and demands dissolve in a flood of uncontrolled sneezes. Defeated by her own allergies.
It's dawn on a faraway cliff in the country, as the two airships land together so everyone can decide what's next. All the new air benders, plus Kai, decide to go with Tenzin in Asami's air ship and Oogi to the Northern Air Temple. Tenzin is quietly overjoyed at seeing new air benders happy to come with him. Lin is ready to take Korra back to Republic City, but Korra decides that there's no reason that place is any safer than the countryside of the Earth Kingdom. Besides, isn't she supposed to not go back to Republic City? Instead, Korra convinces Lin to come with her on her journey to discover new air benders around the Earth Kingdom. In Korra's defense, it's a good plan. When hiding from kidnappers, it is always best to stay on the move. The airship is a controlled environment, instead of a city with a million hiding places. Korra and Lin will continue in the police air ship, with Bolin, Mako, Naga and Asami. And let's not forget Pabu, who will be a key player. The two air ships take off at sunrise, for their own adventures.
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