Remembrances

"URN"

- Sit. You and I need to have a little gab session right now.

"Remembrances" is the eighth episode of Book Four: Balance of The Legend of Korra and the 47th of the overall series. It was released on Nick.com and through the Nick app on November 21, 2014, and will air on Nicktoons Network on December 12, 2014.

Overview
''Team Avatar reminisces about the past several years, thinking back on themselves and their friends. At the Sato estate, Mako recounts his past to Prince Wu, including how he and Korra first met and his complex relationships with both the Avatar and Asami. At Air Temple Island, Korra tells Asami how she was doubting herself and her position as bringer of balance. She felt as though the world no longer needed her as each of her enemies had thrown it out of balance despite her best efforts to maintain order. Asami is aided in her efforts to cheer Korra up by Tenzin, who tells her that the importance of facing never ending conflicts is to learn and grow from them, noting that Korra had done that. Meanwhile, Varrick relays Bolin's story to the Earth Empire fugitives as a mover-scenario in which Nuktuk plays Bolin, who defeated all of Korra's main enemies working together.''

Synopsis


At the Sato estate, Mako teaches Wu how to protect himself from his enemies, but Wu was too nervous and fell down when Mako little punched him. Yin enters the room with Tu and she runs, worried, to the prince, yelling Mako for injuring him. Mako tells him, he is weak, but Wu explains he "wasn't raised by a pack of cops in the woods", like him. Mako says that he did not know anything about him, because he had never asked, but Wu starts asking him many questions, like if there was a special lady in her life, but Mako answers he had not anyone since he and Korra had broken up, making an impression to the prince, who wanted to know everything that had happened between them.

So Mako tells his story, starting from the beginning, when he and Korra had met, at the Pro-bending Arena, when he was introduced to Korra by Bolin. He explains him how Korra joined their team, the Fire Ferrets, and how she had inspired him with her bending skills, as a Pro-bender and a loyal friend. Wu asks him if they had kissed, but Mako answers negative, telling him the story how he and Asami, when she had hit him with her moped. They started dating, but that made her relationship with Korra very complicated, because they had kissed, something that Wu, Tu and Yin comment, with Wu taking his side, but Tu and Yin think it was wrong, because he was dating Asami. Mako continues saying his feelings had become clear when Korra was taken by Tarrlok, something that had caused his breakup with Asami and his dating with Korra, which had not end well, because of their arguments, causing their breakup. Mako then says that Korra and himself ended up defeating Amon together and after that, he was finally able to declare his feelings for her, starting their relationship. Yin asked Mako if they then were able to live happily ever after; causing Mako to remember the things they went through when they were together like when Korra was constantly asking him which side he was on, and them putting their jobs before their relationship, leaving them no room for them to be together thus causing their breakup.



Their breakup allowed Mako to focus more on his work; there was someone taking out supplies ships heading to the Southern Water Tribe. He recalled that Asami's company was one of the victims, so both of them worked together to see if they could find out who it was. He said it was the perfect way to help him get his mind off Korra recalling what he remembered as an intense night finding out that the triads had double-crossed them resulting in them barely getting away safely, but by the time they got back to Asami's warehouses, they had already been cleared out. He remembered that Asami gave up, but he assured her that he was not giving up on her. Asami then kissed him and Mako said that he knew that what he had done was wrong, but Wu approved as Mako had already broken up with Korra. Mako then recalled how hard it was wishing it could have been simpler because when Korra returned, she had forgotten about the breakup and kissed Mako in front of Asami thus angering her. When Korra had asked him if the fight they had was bad, Mako answered negative.

Wu did not approve of this because he thought that if he was back with Asami, and then Korra came back, he should have told her the truth about their breakup; Yin, once again pointed out that Mako was just like his grandfather until Mako pointed out that he and Asami were never officially back together. Tu then says that it seems that he is so afraid to disappoint anyone that he ends up disappointing everyone, annoying Mako and getting a high-five offered by Wu who pointed out that truer words had never been spoken. Mako then informed them all that he did end up telling Korra eventually, but by the time he did, she already knew. He had told her that he did not want to hurt her and that maybe part of him wanted to forget about the breakup as well. But Korra then pointed out that their relationship would not work and that it was really over.



Mako then remembered the time after Harmonic Convergence when Team Avatar was in search of airbenders. He recalled that being around Korra and Asami was awkward, but that then he realized that he had to figure out who he was without a lady in his life. Wu then said that he knew what needing distance from women was like because he had so many all over him all the time. Mako then proceeded, telling them that he eventually helped Korra defeat Zaheer, and save the airbenders, as friends. He said that Korra taught him the importance of putting others before himself and that whenever he thinks of her, she continues to inspire him. Wu got up and commented that the story was amazing and that he had really learned something; that he really did not know anything about Mako and that he had also learned that ladies were crazy, not intending to offend Yin. Wu then said that he should better just focus on being a better king and got into a fighting stance, telling Mako to come at him because he could take it. Mako then proceeded, and had barely touched Wu when he collapsed shouting "Wu down!". Yin then proceeded to hitting Mako.



At Air Temple Island, Asami brings Korra a cup of tea, who is looking at the sunset and seems worried. Asami asks her if she was okay, and Korra tells her that Toph had told her the world did not need her and she should not bother facing Kuvira, something that Asami thinks is ridiculous. Korra tells her Toph was right, because despite everything she had done, the world was still in imbalance. She continues, recalling that when she had learned she was the Avatar, she could not wait and that she had been naive. When she saw Amon take someone's bending away, she became terrified. And then, her worst nightmare had come true, when he took away her bending too. Asami counters by reminding her that Korra had exposed Amon and stopped the Equalist Movement, how the nonbenders got a voice and people had found hope again, and that that was a good thing. Korra reminds her that, although she had beaten Amon, Unalaq showed up and because of him she betrayed Tenzin. Also, because she had opened the portals, the Spirit and human world had been thrown into chaos, Unalaq and Vaatu had fused and destroyed Raava and her connection with her past lives. Asami tells her she too had become more powerful than ever, like UnaVaatu had been, and opening the portals, she had brought back the Air Nation and caused a positive shift in the world, but Korra says that Zaheer got airbending too, and, had nearly killed her, he had thrown the Earth Kingdom into chaos, by killing the Earth Queen. This was how Kuvira gained power, and the world was thrown out of balance, without changing anything.



Tenzin appears, interrupting the girls and agreeing with Korra, to both their surprise. He continues by saying that she should learn from her enemies, adding she had changed a lot since he had met her, from a selfish person to a thoughtful young woman who cares about others and puts their needs before her own. Korra ends by thanking them and saying that she will do anything to restore balance to the world, no matter what happens in the future.

Bolin and Varrick are on the small boat that Baraz and Ahnah offered to give them a ride in. Baraz is telling a story about his disgusting experience eating bark-onion soup and everybody seems to be very bored. When Bolin asked if anybody else wanted to throw themselves overboard, Varrick replied that he did not as while people were telling what he described to be incredibly boring stories, he had tuned them all out and was thinking of what he said to be the most exciting tale ever told and soon to be the best mover ever made. He then presented Bolin as Nuktuk, Hero of the South in the incredibly true story of Bolin, Hero of the World. Bolin then asked if he was playing Nuktuk or if Nuktuk was playing him to which Varrick responded to by saying that both because it was his true story, but that they would capitalize on the Nuktuk franchise. Bolin then proceeded to asking him how he could call him the hero of the world when he left his family and friends in order to join a psychotic dictator who imprisoned him and he was now running home with his tail between his legs.



Varrick continued telling his story, in which Zaheer, Amon and Unalaq were having a phone conference with Vaatu where they expressed their willingness to help take out their common nemesis, Bolin, deeming him to be "way too powerful and awesome". As they wanted to leave Unalaq out of the team, though soon found out the Chief of the North had been listening in on their conversation. The three companions tried to get rid of Unalaq and eventually just hung up on him. Continuing the plot, Varrick revealed that Nuktuk would eventually defeat the villains, in which UnaVaatu would be destroyed and would form the stars, Zaheer would be trapped in a tornado forever, although Amon's faith remained unknown. As Varrick quickly ended the story, making Bolin turn into a dragon, go into the Spirit World, and save the Avatar, he received a standing ovation from the fugitives, much to Bolin's shock. He grew slightly annoyed when Bolin started to point out the plot holes in the script, such as the discarded storyline of "zombie Amon", though happily told his friend to never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Credits
Written by:
 * Joshua Hamilton
 * Katie Mattila
 * Tim Hedrick

Directed by:
 * Michael Dante DiMartino

Starring:
 * Janet Varney - Korra
 * David Faustino - Mako
 * P.J. Byrne - Bolin
 * J.K. Simmons - Tenzin
 * Seychelle Gabriel - Asami
 * Jeff Bennett - Radio broadcaster

Also starring:
 * John Michael Higgins - Varrick
 * Sunil Malhotra - Wu
 * Susan Silo - Yin
 * Greg Cipes - Tu
 * Steve Blum
 * Amon
 * Baraz
 * Jonathan Adams - Vaatu
 * Henry Rollins - Zaheer
 * Adrian LaTourelle - Unalaq

Series continuity

 * Varrick suggests naming the group consisting of Amon, Zaheer, Vaatu, and Unalaq the "Fearsome Foursome", similar to how Sokka suggested that name to indicate himself, Aang, Katara, and Toph in "The Drill".

Goofs

 * The training room at the Sato estate is adjoint to the room housing the pool, though in "The Aftermath", there was no opening or door in the wall when the pool was shown.
 * When Mako recalls his breakup with Korra, he mentions that they broke up before Korra airbent his desk away, though those events occurred the other way around in "Peacekeepers".
 * During the villain conference call, Unalaq is shown with two left arms; one is kept at his side, while he is holding the telephone with the other.

Trivia

 * Due to having their budget cut with nearly the amount it takes to make a new episode, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko decided to make this episode into a clips episode, as they were unwilling to fire a significant number of crew members several weeks early.
 * As such, "Remembrances" is similar to "The Ember Island Players" from Avatar: The Last Airbender in the sense that they both recapitulate past events.
 * This is the fifth episode in the series to have a one-word title and the seventh in the entire Avatar franchise.
 * This is the second episode with chibi style included in The Legend of Korra, the first being "Rebirth".
 * Varrick's statement to "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story" is a quote from Mark Twain.