Rebel Spirit

"Rebel Spirit" is the first episode of Book Two: Spirits. It was aired on July 19, 2013 for attendees of the The Legend of Korra panel at San Diego Comic-Con, and will premiere on Nickelodeon in September of 2013. , and September 2013 on television.

Overview
''Team Avatar and Tenzin's family attend the Glacier Spirits festival. While there Unalaq attempts to persuade Korra to let him advise her about spirits. However, Unalaq is told by both Korra's father and Tenzin that she needs to focus on her airbending. However, after Korra discovers that it was her father and Tenzin rather than Aang who kept her locked away, and after a Dark Spirit attacks at the festival, Korra breaks off her studies under Tenzin and takes up Unalaq as an instructor.''

Synopsis
Two Southern Water Tribe members both stand on a fishing boat. The elder fisher warns another one of dangerous spirits lurking in the waters, and walks off with an eerie smile. A spirit with tentacles then attacks the ship, kidnapping both fishers.

Elsewhere, Bolin is encouraging the new Fire Ferrets that this match will be better than their other ones, but does not seem very confident. The Fire Ferrets then enter the Pro-bending Arena, but are easily defeated by the Rhino Lions. As Bolin climbs back out of the water pit he wonders where Mako is when he needs him.

Mako is busy chasing down some members of a triad in a truck. He is riding on a motorcycle, and chases after the truck attacking it with his firebending. After the triads are defeated, Mako says "looks like you were having some car trouble, good thing the police are here".

Asami is also taking in shipments for Future Industries. A man comes up to her and tells her that nobody will work with them after the Anti-bending Revolution. Asami says she is aware, and has a plan that will help put them back on top, but appears to be uncertain of that.

Korra is training her airbending on Air Temple Island. She is engaged in a race with Ikki, Meelo and Jinora on air scooter, which Ikki seems to be winning and Korra is in second place on. Seeing that the finish line is approaching, Korra enters the Avatar State, and is declared by Bumi to be the winner. Ikki says that her entering the Avatar State to win was unfair, and Tenzin approaches angry with Korra that she would use the Avatar State to win a competition.

After that Korra argues with Tenzin, believing she knows everything about the Avatar State since she is the Avatar, and also thinks she has mastered airbending despite Tenzin’s complaints. Bumi is on Air Temple Island because he retired from the United Forces and now lives with them. Tenzin is also now off the council, and can spend more time teaching Korra and with his family. Tenzin proposes a trip to visit the Air Temples with a more relaxed “vacation Tenzin” prompting teasing from Bumi who does not believe Tenzin can be relaxed.

Korra then says before they go they’re all going to the Southern Water Tribe’s Glacier Spirits Festival and Bumi teases Tenzin saying Tenzin can’t tell Bumi not to come since Katara invited him. Then there’s a cut to the ship taking most members of Book one to the Southern Water Tribe. Korra is talking to Mako who is recounting the scene we saw earlier, and is particularly proud of his line “looks like you were having car trouble, good thing the police arrived”. Korra asks if he wrote that, and Mako says he did and lists off several more that he’s written. Korra points out one she likes to Mako, which he says he’ll use next time. He also tells Korra that Chief Beifong says he may be promoted to a detective soon.

The ship then arrives in the Southern Water Tribe. Tenzin and Bumi are reunited with Kya, who teases Tenzin for being scared she’ll beat him up, to which Tenzin responds that he’s not afraid of her anymore. Korra's parents are also at the docks, and reintroduce themselves to Mako. Bolin is excited about the large crowd there appearing to greet them, but Korra corrects him and says they’re actually here for “them”, pointing at Unalaq and his children. Bolin says he’s into both twins, and Korra tells Bolin that Desna is male. Unalaq seems disappointed that the Glacier Spirits festival isn’t as it used to be, and describes the deep spiritual roots it once had. He also asks Korra if she will have him as her spiritual guide, but Tonraq and Tenzin insist that Korra is busy with airbending training. We also get a glimpse at the relationship between the two brothers, which appears to be rough and one of a mutual distrust.

Korra then learns about the attacks on sailors and becomes interested in better fighting spirits, and this continues to her growing disinterest in learning airbending. Asami then takes Bolin to go in and meet Varrick who she believes will help her run Future cities. She tells Bolin he’s her assistant and that he should not speak at all. The two enter in on Varrick surrounded by a large crowd and sitting on a pillow. He asks about his levitation, and Bolin tells him he isn’t levitating at all. Varrick appears to be mad, but instead fires his levitation instructor and tells Bolin that he likes his style. He then shows Bolin what appears to be the first moving picture of an ostrich horse. but then says that it’s old news and shows off a girl named Ginger.

Asami then asks him about the deal, prompting a stare down between herself and him, but after a few seconds Varrick says breaks the stare down and agrees. Asami is pleased with the interaction and hugs Bolin.

Then we get to see a meal. Unalaq expresses his disappointment in the lack of the Southern Water Tribe’s spirituality, and says he plans to change that in the future much to Tonraq’s displeasure. Korra also finds out that it wasn’t in fact Aang’s wishes to have her locked away, but rather her father and Tenzin’s. This makes Korra rather upset, seeing as she wishes she could have had more control over her life.

Tenzin is eating with his siblings, both of whom are teasing him, particularly about “vacation Tenzin”. Tenzin seems somewhat embarrassed having both of his older siblings tease him.

We then get to see Bolin, Mako and Korra at the festival. Mako and Korra are feeding each other cotton candy, which causes Bolin to feel discomfort. He tells Korra he’s going to make a move on Eska, and Korra tells him she’s always found the twins rather creepy.

Bolin begins talking to the twins, and Densa does not seem to like Bolin from the get-go. Eska, however, seems more keen towards Bolin and expresses such. Eska then grabs Bolin by the hood and tells him “You amuse me, I will make you mine” and grabs Bolin by the hood, drags him and tells him to win her something at the games.

Korra and Mako begin playing a water squirting game where water is squirted from guns into a chibi Aang’s mouth. The two start talking about Korra’s being locked away, prompting Korra to get upset and angrily but unintentionally bend a ton of water into Aang’s mouth, causing her to win the game and a stuffed Appa. Mako says he supports her. Korra asks if he really thinks so, and he says he doesn’t know, but he supposes he should support her no matter what he thinks about the situation or believes, because that's what she wants him to do. Korra gets mad and throws the stuffed animal at him, and Mako calls after her questioning if he should be supportive or tell her what he thinks.

Later, Korra is sleeping in a tent like room near the site of the festival. Naga wakes Korra up by howling loudly, and later Bolin and Mako as well. A dark spirit then appears, and Korra attacks it and is joined by Mako and Bolin. The bending seems to have no effect on the spirit but to further enrage it. Tonraq later joins in the struggle, but he is defeated as well. Tenzin also approaches, and has a more pacifistic approach and asks the spirit what it is seeking. The spirit then attacks Tenzin as well. Unalaq then appears, and seems very calm considering the circumstances.

Unalaq then uses the water to form a spiral around the spirit. The water begins to glow, and then the spirit glows. Unalaq then offers again to become Korra’s spiritual advisor, which she says yes to saying she needs to learn how to fight spirits rather than airbending, and she breaks off her ties with Tenzin. Tenzin seems very hurt, but remains a respectful attitude toward Korra and her decisions. Kya and Bumi are going to go with Tenzin to attend to the Air Temples, per a request from their mother. Korra then asks Mako if she made the right decision, and he seems to agree.

Series continuity

 * Lin Beifong is reinstated as chief of police of Republic City.
 * Mako becomes a policeman.
 * Bolin becomes captain of the Fire Ferrets.
 * Mako and Korra are now dating.
 * Tenzin resigns as councilman.
 * Bumi revealed to be retired from the United Forces.