Turning the Tides

"Turning the Tides" is the tenth episode of season one of The Legend of Korra, and the tenth of the overall series. It debuted on June 16, 2012 on Nickelodeon.

Overview
''Korra works to recover from her time spent imprisoned by Tarrlok, but when she is interrupted by an Equalist attack on Republic City, she is forced to take action against the revolutionary group and their mysterious leader, Amon. Meanwhile, Pema goes into labor and has a son while airships attack Republic City and Air Temple Island. As the city is overrun by Equalist forces, Tenzin's family escapes on Oogi as Amon takes away Lin's bending. Team Avatar also goes into hiding. Towards the end of the episode, General Iroh is seen leading an enormous fleet of ships to Republic City.''

Sypnosis
After her escape from Tarrlok's hands, Korra is taken to Air Temple Island to rest, sleeping peacefully in her bed, while Mako sits near her. Asami Sato is seen looking on them, disheartened that Mako is spending so much time with her.

Korra eats dinner with Tenzin's family and her friends that night. She thanks Pema for the food which makes her feel much better, and is her old self again. Pema and Asami clean up the table and go to the kitchen, while Tenzin politely interrupts Korra and asks her what happened to Tarrlok and Amon. Korra tells both Lin Beifong and Tenzin that Tarrlok is actually Yakone's son, and recounts that Amon showed up from no where to take away Tarrlok's bending, and nearly captured her. They are shocked upon hearing Korra's story and Amon's audacity to capture a council member.

In the kitchen Asami and Pema are cleaning the plates, but Mako comes in the kitchen asking for hot water to make tea for Korra. Asami angrily states that he is a firebender and can heat tea himself. Pema awkwardly exits the kitchen to avoid conflict and to get Asami and Mako to talk to get closure. An argument ensues when Asami accuses Mako of having feelings for Korra, and tells him she knows of the kiss he and Korra shared. Mako is surprised that she knows and wants to talk about their relationship. Asami angrily leaves, saying that there might not be a relationship at all. Tenzin asks Lin to guard his wife and children for the time being until the council meeting is finished, to which she accepts. Pema arrives shortly after and hands her Meelo who needs to go to the bathroom. Tenzin leaves on Oogi to go talk to the other councilmen.

The Equalists begin their plans to attack the city beginning with the capture of the council members. Tenzin arrives in City Hall where he is ambushed by Equalists on the roof disguised as cleaners. He utilizes his mastery over airbending and successfully eludes his abudctors. Tenzin is thus rendered the last available councilman, and the leader of Republic City. He visits the Police Headquarters and talks to Saikhan. Relieved to see council man Tenzin still intact, he shares to him the worsening situation of the city and that his forces are spread out too thin to be able to successfully repell Equalist attacks. Tenzin asks him to send a wire to the United Forces, which he does. At this point, the telephone lines are sabotaged by the Equalists and the headquarters are placed under nerve gas. Tenzin manages to evacuate the rest of the police force through airbending, but mecha tanks are found waiting for them as they arrive outside.

The tanks, using magnets on their right arms, are able to capture all the metalbenders including Chief Saikhan. Tenzin tries to stop them but is incapacitated and overwhelmed by the successive attacks of mecha tanks. However, before he is carried away, Korra and her team arrive. They are able to destroy many of the tanks, while Asami fights Equalist ground troops and frees Tenzin and the metalbenders. They destroy the remaining tanks. Hiroshi Sato is then seen looking down on the scene, expressing disappointment at seeing his daughter fight alongside benders. Amon assures him that he shall soon have his daughter back.

Tenzin, Korra and the others turn their attention to Air Temple Island, where they see Equalist airships approaching it. At the island, the Lieutenant is seen leading ground troops to the island. The Order of the White Lotus sentries prepare to repel their attacks. Lin tells Pema and the kids to hide inside. As they go, Pema announces that her baby is coming. Two female Air Acolytes usher her inside to deliver the baby.

The Lieutenant and his Equalist forces arrive on the ground. Lin is able to fight off some of them, but is electrocuted by the Lieutenant. However, Jinora arrives, defeating the Lieutenant, while Ikki and Meelo are able to incapacitate the rest of the Equalists.

Tenzin, Korra and the rest arrive at the island. Tenzin initially shows disappointment at Lin for allowing his children to fight, but she tells him that he should be proud of his children for teaching them well, as she would have lost if not for them.

Tenzin then goes to Pema, where she has birthed a son. Jinora, Ikki and Meelo come in to see the baby, whom Tenzin and Pema name Rohan. Their peaceful family moment is shattered, however, when more Equalists arrive on the island. Tenzin decides that he and his family must flee. Lin tells him that she is going with them, stating that she must protect the last airbenders in the world. Tenzin tells Korra for the mean time until the United Forces arrive in three days. He promises Korra that they will return with reinforcements and at that time, they will be able to turn the tides against the Equalists.

Korra, Bolin, Mako and Asami then climb on Naga. The White Lotus guards tell them that they will hold the Equalists off while Korra and her crew flee. The guards are seen being overwhelmed by the Equalist forces as Korra makes her escape. The Lieutenant chases after Korra and her friends, but Naga swats him away in mid-air. They then go into the water and head for the mainland.

Tenzin, Pema, their children, and Lin all ride on Oogi, fleeing the island. They are pursued by two Equalist airships. A net is launched at the sky bison, but Lin rips it to shreds. She tells Tenzin to not come back for her, no matter what happens. He looks back as she grapples onto an airship. She is able to rip a large section of the roofing off, causing the airship to fail and begin to fall. She jumps to the next airship and begins to do the same, however, she is stopped when Equalists climb up top and knock her unconscious. Meelo, looking on, states that she is his hero, to which Tenzin solemnly agrees.

Korra and her friends are able to make it safely to shore. Meanwhile, Air Temple Island has been completely overrun by the Equalists. Lin is shown tied up, and is confronted by Amon. He tells her that she can keep her bending if she tells her where Korra is. However, she chooses to remain silent rather than compromise the Avatar, and her bending is removed.

The United Forces are then seen. A young general named Iroh is told that they have received a message from the Avatar, saying that Republic City has been overrun. He tells the telegrapher to relay her a message that he will be there with his forces in three days time, and that he looks forward to retaking the city with her.

Credits

 * Written by:
 * Michael Dante DiMartino
 * Bryan Konietzko


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

Series continuity

 * Lin Beifong loses her bending to Amon.
 * The New Team Avatar goes into hiding.
 * Tenzin and Pema have a baby boy named Rohan.
 * Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo are seen to perform combative airbending.
 * The United Forces enter the war between Republic City and the Equalists.
 * All members of the United Republic Council have been captured, excluding Tenzin.
 * Tenzin acts as the de facto leader of Republic City.
 * Tenzin's family escapes Republic City for safety.
 * Asami confronts Mako about his kiss with Korra.
 * Team Avatar's satomobile is destroyed.
 * This is the first time we see Asami's Mother.
 * Chief Saikhan and the White Lotus sentries on Air Temple Island are all captured by the Equalists.
 * This is the first time the Lieutenant's face is seen unmasked.
 * Korra mentions the arrest of Asami, Bolin, and Mako.
 * Air Temple Island is conquered by the Equalists

Character revelations

 * Zuko's relative, General Iroh, is introduced as the leader of the United Forces.
 * Mako is the fourth person shown to be able to redirect lightning in the series, along with Iroh, Zuko, and Aang. He is also the second person shown to be capable of generating and redirecting lightning, after Iroh.
 * Korra reveals she does not know how to drive

Trivia

 * General Iroh is voiced by Dante Basco, who also voiced Zuko in the Avatar: The Last Airbender.
 * This episode is the first to show more than one Sky Bison in The Legend of Korra and the second in both series; the first was in Appa's Lost Days. Unless, of course, you count Aang's flash-backs, including one where he chose Appa as his bison, and many where you see sky bison flying around. Or if you count earlier in The Legend of Korra where they see Airbender Island from the distance and many sky bison flying around.