Kuvira's Gambit

"URN"

- This land belongs to the people of the Earth Empire and it's time to take it back. Republic City will be ours!

"Kuvira's Gambit" is the eleventh episode of Book Four: Balance of The Legend of Korra and the 50th of the overall series. It was released on Nick.com and through the Nick app on December 12, 2014, and will air on Nicktoons Network on December 19, 2014.

Overview
''Kuvira and Baatar Jr. announce their plan to annex the United Republic to their army, and embrace each other in love afterwards. With Zhu Li's intelligence, Team Avatar and President Raiko move to prepare the city from Kuvira's attack, evacuating citizens and mobilizing the military. Zhu Li tries to make up with Varrick, but leaves disgusted when he still treats her as an assistant. When Team Avatar goes to ambush Kuvira's weapon, they discover it is mounted on a titanic mecha suit, controlled by Kuvira. Team Avatar races back to tell Republic City of the imminent threat, but Kuvira arrives mere hours later. Upon seeing the power of the giant mecha suit, Raiko surrenders. As Baatar Jr. is on the way to discuss surrender terms, Korra and a team of airbenders kidnap him as ransom. After threatening Baatar Jr. does not work, Su tries to get him to rejoin her family to no avail. Korra threatens to never let him see Kuvira again however, which causes him to break. Baatar Jr. radios Kuvira and asks her to step down. She obliges over the radio, but then tracks the signal and promptly fires her cannon at Team Avatar's location, destroying the facility.''

Synopsis
In Zaofu, Kuvira makes a speech to her soldiers, reminding them their victories that had not been stopped by anyone, not even the Avatar. She continues saying they would take the land of Republic City, which, after the Hundred Year War, Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko had taken from the Earth Kingdom and integrated into the United Republic. The soldiers acclaim her as she talks to Baatar Jr., asking him if he was ready to show the other people their superpower. He answers positively and they take each others' hands, expressing their love and talking about their future wedding.

At City Hall, President Raiko, Korra, Wu, Mako, and Tenzin sit around a table. Korra asks how was the evacuation coming, and Wu answers that eighteen families had been evacuated, much to Korra's disappointment, as it was far short of the millions who lived in the city. Mako explains it was a voluntary evacuation and many people did not feel like there was a serious enough threat. Bolin interrupts the meeting, something that angers Raiko, and brings Suyin and Lin with him, much to the Avatar's suprise. She apologizes for had happened at Zaofu and hugs her before asking how they had escaped. Bolin explains that he, Opal, and Lin had rescued them, but had a "way too close" encounter with Kuvira's spirit energy cannon. Tenzin asks if she was going to use it against Republic City and Zhu Li comes in, answering that she had found out that Kuvira would attack in two weeks; Bolin explains that Zhu Li was on their side again, though she never truly switched. The former assistant says she had not really been loyal to Kuvira and tried to sabotage the weapon, but she was unable to. Lin tells everyone that she was thinking she would come by rail in order to transport the weapon and Korra suggests to cut the rail lines. Raiko agrees and tells Mako to announce over the radio that the evacuation order was now mandatory. Mako and Korra assure him they will not let Kuvira take the city.

At a factory in Republic city, Varrick addresses the workers who are working to build the hummingbird mecha suits. Bolin enters the room and asks Varrick if he could talk to him. He tells him that they had gone to Zaofu and saved the Beifong family. He adds that they had found someone else and introduces Zhu Li, much to Varrick's shock. Zhu Li apologizes for her past actions and expresses her feelings toward him. Varrick forgives her, but instead orders her to man the assembly line, angering the former assistant. She tells him that she would not be his assistant anymore and that he should treat her as equal before leaving.

Credits
Written by:
 * Joshua Hamilton

Directed by:
 * Colin Heck

Starring:
 * Janet Varney - Korra
 * David Faustino - Mako
 * P.J. Byrne - Bolin
 * Seychelle Gabriel - Asami
 * J.K. Simmons - Tenzin
 * Mindy Sterling - Beifong
 * Logan Wells - Meelo
 * Jeff Bennett
 * Radio broadcaster
 * Pilot
 * Helmsman

Also starring:
 * John Michael Higgins - Varrick
 * Stephanie Sheh - Zhu Li
 * Anne Heche - Su
 * Maria Bamford
 * Pema
 * Radio operator
 * Zelda Williams - Kuvira
 * Todd Haberkorn - Baatar Jr
 * Spencer Garrett
 * Raiko
 * Soldier
 * Sunil Malhotra
 * Wu
 * Guard
 * Dante Basco - General Iroh

Series continuity

 * Kuvira's intention to annex the United Republic of Nations into the Earth Empire with the rationale of it being originally Earth Kingdom territory is identical to Earth Queen Hou-Ting's reasoning to deny assistance to Avatar Korra in "The Earth Queen".
 * Tahno, the White Falls Wolfbats, and their fangirls are seen for the first time since the Anti-bending Revolution.
 * The female vendor that gave Korra directions to Air Temple Island in "Welcome to Republic City" is seen listening to Wu's speech over the radio.
 * The officer that Gommu drags with him to evacuate is the same one that forced Korra run from the park in "Welcome to Republic City".
 * Raiko mentions Bolin's habits of interrupting important meetings, as he did in "Beyond the Wilds."
 * Wu mentions not being able to go to the bathroom alone, referencing "Reunion".

Character revelations

 * Kuvira and Baatar Jr. planned to get married after taking Republic City.

Goofs

 * When Korra lands on Air Temple Island, everyone rushes to form a line, and Pema's hands hang down her side. After the shot cuts, Pema has her hands folded in front of her.
 * Although Opal is shown in the initial scenes where Baatar Jr. is being confronted by her family and Team Avatar, she is not seen again in the later ones.

Trivia

 * The giant mecha-suit bears resemblance to the EVA's from the Japanese mecha franchise Neon Genesis Evangelion, which DiMartino and Konietzko are both fans of. This is the second time the series has been referenced in a visual medium for the Avatar franchise; the first was Hei-Bai in the two-part episode The Winter Solstice from the original series.