Lin and Opal take Bolin, who's happy and ready to help and even more eager to get Opal back, back to Zao Fu. They notice that a city has had it's protective dome removed, but Lin is more concerned about the massive army Kuvira still has there, and doesn't think they'll be able to get in among them without being seen. Lucky for her, Zao Fu has already been reconned.... by Toph! Somehow, Toph used the swamp vines to find out that her daughter and daughter's family had been taken prisoner, and she's already found out that the Suyin and the others have been taken to a separate facility. Bolin tells them it's probably a factory he heard about nearby, and now the characters must all catch up to the issues a re-appearing Toph Beifong brings up. Opal is just happy to see Grandma, and the feeling's mutual for Grandma. Bolin has a major geek out, which bores Toph and frustrates Opal.
Grandma, this is my stalker, Bolin
Bolin confesses all his mistakes and how he wants to get back together with Opal. For the billionth time. The real uncomfortable-ness is reserved for Lin, as the two women greet each other as "Chief". Has Lin always called her that, or at least since Lin started in the police department? Toph likes to walk around with her hands clasped behind her back, as if she's thinking about weighty matters. We all know she's actually thinking of whatever insults she'll use next.
She calls Bolin a dipstick, and casts some hard aspersions on Opal's sky bison, Juicy. She's not so much juicy as she is leaky, obviously suffering from a runny nose. But, Juicy is wonderfully loyal and has chosen Opal to be the object of her loyalty and affection. And Opal has given up trying to do anything about that.
Back in Republic City, Reiko wants to see results from his brain trust dream team of Asami and Varrick, and Varrick claims their design is based on dragonfly-hummingbirds that Asami saw somewhere. They're awesome hovercraft designs, but Reiko wants something that will launch spirit energy at Kuvira. Both Varrick and Korra put their feet down. Reiko says they'll need Spirit help somehow, so Korra offers to ask for the help of spirits in the fight against Kuvira. And Wu, who was hovering at the back of the group, raises his hand to say something.... useful? Yes, he actually calls for evacuating the city before Kuvira can attack. No one is more shocked at Wu having a good idea than Reiko, but he agrees on it and puts Wu in charge of it. He then dismisses everyone. The group bows, even Varrick.
Kuvira's got a cannon. We've got a blueprint. Go us!
After leaving, Mako lets Wu know that he's starting to sound like a king, and Wu is excited that it might be his way "in" with Korra. Mako realizes that Wu doesn't so much care about people as he does about a date. And Wu declares snobbily that that's how the world has always worked. Men have created and evacuated and done everything for the ladies' attention and devotion. How long until Wu falls in love with a divorcee and has to abdicate his throne? I give it a year.
How long are we going to see Mako and Asami wasted? They're key members of Team Avatar, but they've had little do this season except to provide some comic relief and remind Korra that they're here for her. After seeing Asami start to rebuild her relationship with her father, we also saw that she turned her family house over to Mako's family. And Mako has done little more than complain about Wu between getting him out of the trouble he gets himself into. Let's hope the coming final episodes have them defending Republic City, and Korra.
Kuvira's camp outside Zao Fu is tense as they conduct their final test before a public demonstration to Kuvira tomorrow of the spirit energy weapon. Zhu Li indentifies a problem, and calls for the whole team to desert the weapon as it overloads. Again. But Bataar won't accept failure. He risks all, despite Zhu Li exhorting him to leave, to successfully shut the weapon down. When he find the damaged part that caused the overload, he rises and demands that the entire team spend every minute until tomorrow's test examining every single part. Down to the bolts.
As Juicy floats to Team Beifong's next destination, Bolin wants to know all about Lin and Toph's baggage with each other. Toph thinks the passage of time and that Lin and Suyin worked out their old feud means that everyone can just forget about the past. Lin doesn't know what the word "forget" means.
Well, we are not going to rescue this relationship!
Juicy lands in site of the factory where the Beifongs probably are, and it's a toxic nightmare-looking facility. It's not hard for two accomplished metal benders to quickly bend a hole in the thick metal walls and re-seal it before a Mecha Droid saunters by, not seeing a thing. They spy the cannon that's recently been completed and checked, and Toph whips out her all-seeing foot, and tells the team that some empty chamber is heavily guarded below. Lin confirms, but they can't do much as the cargo bay doors open. They scurry to hide as the daylight shines on... Kuvira! Come to look at her newest toy.
It's a massive cannon, and even Bataar is a little put off by her surprise inspection. Kuvira grills both Bataar and Zhu Li about the progress and hiccups. Bataar gives the cannon a thumbs up, and Kuvira ups the stakes by declaring that her entire army will witness the demonstration. After looking very uncomfortable for a second, Zhu Li assures Kuvira that they're working everything out, but Toph instantly spots her lying (through subtle changes in the ground beneath them). Bolin is excited. Does this mean Zhu Li isn't really working for Kuvira!
No one else seems terribly concerned, and Opal suggests taking out Kuvira while they're there. Bolin wants to take out the cannon instead. Bolin, thinking before talking for a change, realizes that the demonstration will occupy Kuvira's army, leaving them a great time to free the Beifongs under the factory. Even Opal is impressed that Bolin used his brain for a change. Like Wu, though, it's to impress a girl.
That night, waiting for their time to strike, they prepare around a makeshift rock table, while Bolin decides to ask about metal bending, so Toph can call him a blockhead and declare herself a sensitive instructor, to Lin's cynical mutterings. When Bolin informs Toph that he's found he can bend lava, Toph expresses some new interest in him, and Bolin gushes that he feels special from even the weakest of compliments. Lin mutters that Toph sure is encouraging. She's sitting apart from the others, and back in her the-past-sucked funk from last season.
How has the entire cast not figured out I hate the past by now?!
When Toph tells her to speak up or shut up, Bolin decides to ask the most uncomfortable question of the night. Who is the lucky guy who got to father Lin? Lin is flabbergasted that Bolin would even ask, and exasperated when Toph reveals him only as a failed boyfriend named Kanto. Bolin's not entirely satisfied, but it's Lin's Heaving of Rage that gets Toph to once again demand that Lin actually air her grievances instead of brooding over them. So, Lin tells her mother that maybe she should have gotten to grow up with her dad. Toph just lumps Lin's pretty reasonable resentment with all the other stuff teenagers do to piss off their parents.
Which, of course, makes Lin even madder. Opal is beyond uncomfortable watching, but Bolin isn't letting anything disturb his dinner, and passively eats while he watches the two women fail to work out their differences. Lin is still bitter at having a demanding mother, delinquent sister and no one who actually seemed to care about her. She's even more bitter at Toph's repeated indifference to her failure to actually show her daughters some affection. Toph thinks that Lin should've looked elsewhere for that. Lin hisses at Toph, that after freeing Suyin, she's through with her mother. Toph looks pained as Lin disowns her; but she chirpily tells Lin that if not talking to mom makes her happy, then Toph doesn't care. Is Toph's indifference feigned, to cover for her hurt at being so angrily rejected? After all, you can't hurt someone who's indifferent to you.
The next day, sunny and bright, sees the super cannon slowly wheeled out, and Opal realizes why the dome was removed from one of Zao Fu's pods. It will be a testing target for the cannon's blast. Team Beifong quickly finds the family, suspended by ropes in a wooden cage deep i the cavern. Lin leaps to the top of the cage, hiding on top of it from the guard who hears the commotion but leaves when nothing seems wrong. One by one, each of Suyin's family is hurled from the cage by Lin on her metal cables, and caught by Bolin.
The super cannon is all set, and Bataar looks optimistic as it comes on, then confused when it starts to malfunction again. He quickly identifies the problem- a missing part. Kuvira, starting to lose her patience, wants to know how bad it could have been. When Bataar tells her it could have exploded on them, she instantly suspects sabotage. And Zhu Li. Who denies everything. Until Kuvira bends the metal in the missing piece and it slides out of Zhu Li's jacket. At first, Zhu Li is a little scared, but as Opal watches, Zhu Li declares Kuvira a monster, and that she regrets nothing. She's been a brilliant double agent, delaying the cannon's completion as long as she could. But now, the jig is up. As Opal watches in shock, Kuvira sentences Zhu Li to be obliterated with the cannon's first target.
It was certainly possible that Zhu Li was always a double agent, hoping to fool Kuvira as long as she could. Her almost slavish begging for forgiveness earlier, cutting Varrick off, was certainly convincing. We've never known much about Zhu Li, except that she's extremely smart, can do anything, and isn't convinced Varrick is actually all that smart. Her vicious send up of Varrick is what audiences have waited for for three seasons, and probably why we all bought it. Did Zhu Li always suspect that she'd be caught? She had to know that Kuvira is evil, not stupid, and that she'd get caught. She's lucky Bataar Jr. hadn't already caught her. Did she think she'd be able to really destroy the cannon, and Kuvira and her army along with it? Maybe. Maybe she thought the risk was worth taking.
Bataar Sr. is having his own moment of shock and panic. He's huddled in the wooden cage, totally unwilling to even get up, let alone get rescued. Not a metal bender, and definitely not used to swinging on metal cables. Lin and Suyin can't talk him into letting Lin get him out of there, and Lin apologizes before seizing him with a cable and swinging him as he cries out in sheer terror. This alerts the guard, who sounds the alarm just as Lin cuts two of the cables, and the cage swings toward the rock ledge, and the two sisters leap to safety.
They're all out in minutes, and Opal's got their transport ready with her quiet whistle. Juicy lands with a thump, but Opals' got news. Bolin is worked up at the thought of leaving Zhu Li behind, when she was really working against Kuvira the whole time. He reminds Toph that she knew Zhu Li was lying before, about fixing the machine, and Toph counters that Zhu Li could have been covering up her mistakes. Like us, Bolin knows that Zhu Li doesn't make mistakes. She leaves that to Varrick. Bolin rushes off to save her, and Opal follows on Juicy. The Beifongs want to challenge Kuvira while they have the chance. Toph refuses, on the grounds that she's done enough already. So, she's left alone to guard Bataar Sr. and Huan. Huan doesn't feel like speaking, but Bataar Sr. tries to ask how his mother-in-law is. Ha. Toph doesn't even take this stuff from her own daughters.
Now that we've got a chance to get away clean, let's all split up
Korra's foray into the Spirit Wilds is anti-climactic. She'd love to ask the spirits for help, but they dissolve before even hearing her plea. Korra's concerned as she sees that all the spirits are abandoning the Spirit Wilds.
Back at Air Temple Island, she meditates into the Spirit World, to find them gathered around the Tree of Time. calling them to hear her. She recaps what they've been through together, and asks for their help against Kuvira. When a combination bird-eel floats around her, winding himself around her as he turns her down. Kuvira wants spirit power to fight. To the spirits, Korra just wants the same. They slowly disappear again on her as she flubs around.
But I'm totally different from that chick that wants to fight you. I want you to fight.
Back at target practice, just as the cannon is starting, Bataar spots his sister, trying to free Zhu Li. Killing Zhu Li, a traitor, is one thing. Killing his sister is another. He frantically can't stop the cannon, but he can re-direct it at the last minute. It's massive energy blasts a hole clear through the mountain beyond the town, with the sky visible beyond. Opal, Bolin and Zhu Li are astounded at the cannon's power. Kuvira doesn't have time to demand an explanation. Team Beifong is on her instantly. Suyin, particularly, has a bone to pick with her. They battle it out, partly on the cannon, partly on the rocky soil surrounding them. The twins, Wei and Wing, stay with Lin, using rock barriers to battle Kuvira's troops. Suyin puts up a great fight and knows metal and everything that can be done with it. But, Kuvira knows fighting.
Is it really a good idea to be encased in something your enemy can crush?
Move by move, Kuvira defeats Suyin, and the four retreat behind their rock defense, until Kuvira's earth benders bring it down. Surrounded, they're about to be prisoners again, when Juicy shows up. With Toph.
She takes down the Mecha Droids easily, declares Kuvira a disgrace to metal benders, and whisks everyone, including Zhu Li, away. Kuvira can only stare, intently, maybe realizing who it is that's just denounced her as Juicy is Team Beifong's savior.
Lady, I'm the disgrace that kicked your daughter's butt. Twice.
Back in the wild, away from Kuvira. Toph finally asks her daughters for forgiveness, which she finally gets. But, like the spirits, Toph draws the line at any further involvement in the fight against Kuvira. Her reasons are not exactly the philosophical reason the bird-eel gave Korra- she's got an aching back and two daughters who are in their prime. Why would she fight? Especially with a "gumflapper" like Bolin gushing next to her the whole time?
Remember, war is much more bearable with guys who don't talk
Zhu Li sheepishly thanks the team for saving her, and lets them know that Bolin really was just trying to help people while working for Kuvira, which softens Opal. She turns to Bolin and declares their relationship officially back on. Bolin's ecstatic celebration doesn't last, because Zhu Li's got bad news. Reiko was right. Kuvira does mean to attack. Republic City. In two weeks.
Little bit of history. As Hou-Ting hinted at last season, the Earth Realm ceded the United Republic and Republic City a little after the Fire Lord Ozai was defeated, in a joint venture between King Kuei and Fire Lord Zuko. The city was established as the capital of the United Republic, a haven for people of all nations and tribes. Like Hou-Ting, Kuvira must still consider the land part of the Earth Realm. And she wants it back. Is that why Reiko was so convinced Kuvira would attack? Or is he just usually paranoid? In this case, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not really out to get you.
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