The Spirit of Competition

"The Spirit of Competition" is the fifth episode of season one of The Legend of Korra and the fifth of the overall series. It debuted on May 5, 2012 on Nickelodeon.

Overview
''The pro-bending championships are about to start, and due to Hiroshi Sato's financial aid, the Fire Ferrets are competing. However, Korra and her teammates struggle to work together after romantic rivalries shake their foundation and threaten to end their championship bid.''

Synopsis
The Fire Ferrets practice together before the tournament. Asami shows up after a group huddle to show them the new uniforms, eskimo kissing Mako before they both leave for a lunch date. Bolin tries to get close to Korra, but she leaves with an excuse of Airbending practice. That night, while giving Pabu a bath, Bolin asks Mako what he thinks of Korra as a girlfriend. He responds that she is great, but tells Bolin that she isn't girlfriend material. Bolin tells Mako the reasons he should date Korra, but Mako tells him to not date a teammate. Meanwhile, Korra gets advice from Jinora, Ikki, and Pema on how to deal with her relationship problems. Korra and the Fire Ferrets move on to the championship tournament.

After defeating the Red Sand Rabiroos with ease, their next match wasn't as stellar. The Fire Ferrets took on an older team that were the longest running champions in the league. After coming to a tie, they had a tie-breaker match. Bolin volunteered to be the fighter, choosing earth as the element to fight with. Bolin is able to defeat the other player and win the match. After the match, Korra admits her feelings toward Mako, yet he uneasily (although he is conflicted with himself) turns her down, saying he is with Asami. Bolin takes Korra on a date to Narook's Seaweed Noodlery. While there they interact negitively with Tahno, the captain of the Wolfbats, who are the current defending champions of pro-bending. Tahno comes over and starts insulting Korra and her team, who responds with having Naga frighten Tahno, by ferociously roaring. Bolin and Korra enjoy themselves on their date, going to the Tower to gaze out over the city. However, Mako doesn't like the two's romance. After a couple of awkward conversations, Mako and Korra confront each other on their conflicting feelings. Mako confesses his feelings towards Korra, but says that Asami is important as well. He admits it is complicated. Korra, as impulsive as she is, takes the opportunity and kisses her firebending crush. Mako, at first, seems quite pleased, but then he realizes that Bolin had seen them kiss and was heartbroken. He ran off sobbing, causing Mako to become very unhappy with Korra and then run off after his brother.

Mako goes to pick up his little brother from a noodle restaurant. When he arrives, he finds Bolin slumped over on a table. When Mako tries to comfort him, he exclaims that he is a traitor and is no longer his brother or his friend, stating that Pabu is his only friend. Mako tells him straight up that the upcoming match is one of the most important matches in their career. He picks up Bolin, carrying him over his shoulder and walks back to the Pro-bending Arena.

Later that night, the Fire Ferrets have another game against the Buzzard Wasps, a team that, according to Shiro Shinobi, could match them in both muscle and youth. After losing the first two rounds because they aren't working as a team, Mako and Bolin give up hope. After Bolin's arm is injured, they are both knocked out. Korra, however, does not give up. She dodges all of the attacks by the Buzzard Wasps. She hits one of them in line with the other two, then she unleashes a waterbending strike that earns her a hat trick, winning the match.

The team then forgives each others' mistakes, and Korra heals Bolin's injured arm. During that time, the White Falls Wolfbats win their match a triple-knockout in round one. The episode is ended by a view of the injured opposing team.

Series continuity

 * This marks the first appearance of healing in The Legend of Korra, and its first overall appearance since the final episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender, when Katara healed Zuko following the Comet-Enhanced Agni Kai.
 * Korra takes a leave of absence from Tarrlok's anti-Equalist task force after her encounter with Amon in The Voice in the Night.

Character revelations

 * Korra knows how to heal as Katara taught her.
 * Mako likes Korra and is trying to hide it from his brother, Bolin.

Goofs

 * Before the final round against the Buzzard Wasps, Bolin and Mako enter the center ring on either side of Korra. When Korra joins them in the next shot, she is no longer in the middle but off to the side.