Skeletons in the Closet

"Skeletons in the Closet" is the eleventh episode of season one of The Legend of Korra and the eleventh of the overall series. It debuted on June 23, 2012 on Nickelodeon, back-to-back with "Endgame".

Overview
General Iroh, grandson of the now-retired Fire Lord Zuko,  joins in the war against the Equalists.  Meanwhile, Team Avatar is lying low in an alley where benders and non-benders seem to coexist harmoniously, and Mako and Korra go undercover as the war intensifies.

Synopsis
As Korra and Mako return back to Gommu's hideout, where he and his fellow benders and non-benders live together in peace, the two of them, Asami, and Bolin dine. After the vagabond's confession that their dinner is taken from "the finest dumpsters the city has to offer", a disgusted Asami secretly passed her dish to Pabu, who enjoyed it.

The group later went out a tunnel next to the foggy seas. As Mako noticed the United Forces, both Korra and Iroh exclaimed that there were no Equalists in sight. The group was then surprised to see multiple aircraft heading towards the ships. Korra dived and tried to aid the United Forces, but their ships soon fell. As an aircraft was heading toward him, Iroh used a fire shield to protect himself from a bomb. Korra then saved his life by taking him out of the water.

As they all returned to Gommu's hideout, the group of five discussed what they had better do if they were to stop Amon. Iroh requested a wire be sent to Bumi, Avatar Aang and Katara's first son and a general of a fleet of United Forces ships. After Gommu fulfilled his wish, Bolin, Asami, and Iroh heading towards the mountains to destroy the aircraft base; Korra and Mako, on the other hand, went to Air Temple Island to find Amon and end him.

As the two arrived and changed uniforms to the ones the Equalists wear, they saw Amon's airship take off. They started to go towards the temple to wait for Amon's return. On the way, they were intersected by the Lieutenant; after making up an excuse, they were ordered to go to the Pro-bending Arena, where Amon had planned a rally.

Korra, however, disobeyed the Lieutenant and moved on to the temple using a secret entrance. As the climbed to a certain floor, they located Tarrlok, locked in a metal cell. The Avatar questions if there were any other prisoners in the temple, but Tarrlok said no, telling her that he was special, as he was Amon's brother. Shocked Korra and Mako listened to Tarrlok's story attentively: After Yakone had lost his bending, he had undergone face surgery. Later on, he had moved to the Northern Water Tribe, where he had fallen in love and married. Two years later, a child under the name of Noatak had been born; three years after that, Tarrlok was born.

According to Tarrlok, everything had been fine until the realization that both he and his brother had possessed the ability to waterbend. As time had gone by, Tarrlok had begun to face his father's cruelty, as he had not been as good as his brother. Some time later, Yakone had revealed his identity to his kids and had started secretly training them in the art of bloodbending. Noatak, again, had been faster to learn that Tarrlok, who had been very negative towards the art. Soon, their father had began taking them out on times where there was no full moon, teaching them the technique without the presence of the full moon. Finally, the brothers had been forced to the extreme where they had to bloodbend each other. Noatak had obeyed, but Tarrlok had refused. In anger, his father had yelled at his younger son. Noatak, however, bloodbent his father, something that outraged Yakone. The older brother ran away, leaving Tarrlok and Yakone behind. After days of searching, the two had failed to locate Noatak. From that moment on, Tarrlok's mother had never been the same, and his father passed on a few years later.

Korra and Mako, now even more shocked, told Tarrlok that they would reveal the truth on the rally, making everyone abandon Amon's cause. Korra tries to free Tarrlok, but he tells her not to, as that would endanger her plans. He then apologizes for everything he had done.

Credits

 * Written by:
 * Michael Dante DiMartino
 * Bryan Konietzko


 * Directed by:
 * Joaquim Dos Santos
 * Ki Hyun Ryu

Series continuity

 * This is the second episode in which Gommu appears, the first being "Welcome to Republic City".
 * Amon's real name and real past is revealed.
 * This is the first time Equalist biplanes are seen.

Character revelations

 * Amon and Tarrlok are brothers.
 * Tarrlok reveals Amon to be a waterbender and a bloodbender.
 * Yakone had plastic surgery to change his face.

Goofs

 * At the end of "Turning the Tides" General Iroh's fleet of battleships consists of 10 ships, all heading towards Republic City. However, at the end of the Equalist's ambush, there are only nine ships shown in the bay.

Trivia

 * "Skeleton in the Closet" is a colloquial phrase used to describe a shameful secret.
 * This episode is part of the second set of episodes shown back-to-back in The Legend of Korra, the first being "Welcome to Republic City" and "A Leaf in the Wind".
 * Upon noticing the mines destroying his ships, confirming that the Equalists were prepared for an attack on Republic City, General Iroh exclaims, "It's a trick!" This is similar to Admiral Ackbar shouting, "It's a trap!" at the detection of the Imperial vessels approaching, also confirming that the Empire was prepared for an attack on the Death Star in Star Wars.