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 a large fleet of ships to Republic City.''

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

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 like 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 and Tenzin that Tarrlok is actually Yakone's son, and recounts that Amon showed up from nowhere to take away Tarrlok's bending and nearly captured her. Lin notes that Tarrlok's bloodbending ability makes sense now, but she and Tenzin are shocked by Amon's audacious decision to capture a council member and take away his bending.

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 the tea himself. Pema awkwardly exits the kitchen to avoid conflict, hoping that Asami and Mako will talk through their problems. An argument ensues wherein Asami accuses Mako of having feelings for Korra and tells him she knows about the kiss he and Korra shared. Mako is surprised that she knows and wants to talk about their relationship later. 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 agrees. Pema arrives shortly after and hands her Meelo who needs to go to the bathroom. Tenzin leaves on Oogi to go meet with the other council members.

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 of airbending and successfully eludes his abductors. 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 councilman Tenzin still intact, he shares to him the worsening situation of the city and that his forces are spread too thin to be able to successfully repel 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 attacked with nerve gas. Tenzin manages to evacuate the rest of the police force through airbending, but mecha tanks wait 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 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, who has given birth to a son. Jinora, Ikki and Meelo come in to see the baby, whom Tenzin and Pema name Rohan. Their peaceful family moment is cut short, 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 to hide for the mean time until the United Forces arrive in three days. He promises Korra that they will return with reinforcements and that, when they do, they will be able to turn the tides against the Equalists.

Korra, Bolin, Mako, and Asami then climb on Naga. The White Lotus sentries 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 confronted by Amon. He tells her that she can keep her bending if she tells him 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


 * Starring:
 * Janet Varney - Korra
 * David Faustino - Mako
 * P. J. Byrne - Bolin
 * J. K. Simmons - Tenzin
 * Seychelle Gabriel - Asami
 * Mindy Sterling - Beifong
 * Steve Blum - Amon
 * Dee Bradley Baker:
 * Naga
 * Oogi


 * Also starring:
 * Dante Basco - General Iroh
 * Daniel Dae Kim - Hiroshi
 * Kiernan Shipka - Jinora
 * Darcy Rose Byrnes - Ikki
 * Logan Wells - Meelo
 * Maria Bamford:
 * Pema
 * Air Acolyte woman
 * Police woman #2
 * Lance Henriksen - Lieutenant
 * Richard Epcar:
 * Saikhan
 * Husband
 * AJ Gentile:
 * Council page
 * Police clerk #1
 * Jeff Bennett:
 * Radio broadcaster
 * Officer


 * Additional voices:
 * J. K. Simmons
 * Mindy Sterling
 * Steve Blum
 * Jeff Bennett
 * Dee Bradley Baker
 * AJ Gentile
 * Maria Bamford
 * Richard Epcar

Series continuity

 * Lin Beifong loses her bending to Amon after refusing to tell him where the Avatar is.
 * Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo are seen to perform combative airbending.
 * The United Forces enter the war between Republic City and the Equalists.
 * With most of the United Republic Council captured, Tenzin having evacuated, and the Metalbending Police Force largely captured, Republic City is left without any true leadership.
 * Tenzin's family escapes Republic City for safety during the Attack on Republic City and the Air Temple Island is conquered by the Equalists shortly after. Also, the New Team Avatar goes into hiding as the result of the attack.
 * Asami confronts Mako about his kiss with Korra that she learned about in the prior episode through Bolin.
 * Asami's mother is shown for the first time, in a photo after being mentioned in The Voice in the Night and The Aftermath.
 * Chief Saikhan, many metalbending cops, 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 that occurred in When Extremes Meet.
 * This is the first time Naga carries all of Team Avatar (Korra, Mako, Bolin, and Asami) on her back despite the first time they tried in When Extremes Meet when Naga threw them off her back.
 * Lin Beifong makes mention of how Tenzin and his family are the last airbenders. This is a reference to the title of the previous series, "Avatar: The Last Airbender", which in turn is a reference to how Avatar Aang was the last living airbender after the Air Nomad Genocide.

Character revelations

 * 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 that she does not know how to drive, though she stated this in "The Aftermath" as well.
 * Tenzin and Pema have their fourth child, a baby boy named Rohan.
 * The Fire Nation Councilwoman has a husband.

Goofs

 * When Pema goes into labor, Jinora is standing next to Meelo as she says "Oh no!" When Pema is taken away, Ikki and Jinora switch places (edit, this is an illusion created by stacking in three dimensions; Ikki appears to have switched places with Jinora, but only because she is closer to the railing and seems to be between Meelo and Jinora from the side angle).
 * When Tenzin hugs Korra as he is about to leave, Pabu is seen on Bolin's shoulder. In the next scene, however, Bolin is seen without Pabu on his shoulder. Then, in the next scene, Pabu is back on Bolin's shoulder.
 * Although Tenzin is the one who sent a message to the United Forces regarding the attack on Republic City, the man who delivers the message to General Iroh says that the notice is from Avatar Korra, it could be Tenzin sent it under Korra's name.
 * When Pema stands up to collect Korra's bowl, her sleeve is red. Then, as she picks it up, her sleeve turns gold. When she stands straight again, it turns back to red.

Trivia

 * General Iroh is voiced by Dante Basco, who also voiced Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender.