Civil Wars, Part 1

"Civil Wars, Part 1" is the third episode of Book Two: Spirits, and the fifteenth episode of the overall series. It aired on Nickelodeon on September 20, 2013.

Overview
''Korra tries to remain neutral as tensions flare between the Northern and Southern Water Tribes. Meanwhile, at the Southern Air Temple, Tenzin, Bumi, and Kya all search for Ikki who has mysteriously disappeared.''

Sypnosis
In the Southern Water Tribe, many troops of waterbenders from the Northern Water Tribe march through the streets telling the citizens of the Southern Water Tribe to return to their homes. When the Southerners in the street just stand there and glare at the soldiers, the Northern waterbenders make short walls of ice and push the civilians out of the way, while other waterbenders in their battleships form large walls of ice around the harbor.

At this time Unalaq is explaining to Avatar Korra that his soldiers are there to protect the now-open spirit portal at the South Pole. He also informs Korra of another spirit portal at the North Pole than can be opened, allowing both spirits and humans to pass from the one pole to another at will. Seeing the potential to reunite the tribes Korra favors the idea.

Meanwhile, at the Southern Air Temple, Tenzin and his elder brother and sister are suddenly bickering of how their late father had spent much more time with Tenzin rather than with Bumi or Kya, as he was the only airbender. Tenzin assured them both that Aang had loved them all equally, but is then interrupted by Jinora and Meelo who have been riding around on air scooters. Pema soon realizes that Ikki is nowhere to be found and chastised her eldest daughter and son for teasing Ikki and causing her to run off. Tenzin is determined to find Ikki and reluctantly lets Kya and Bumi accompany him.



In Tonraq and Senna's home there is a meeting regarding the recent activities of the Northern soldiers. Varrick and other Southern waterbenders are determined to start a rebellion against the Northern Water Tribe for not letting them live in peace and live their own customs and views, despite Korra's attempt to explain Unalaq's actions. Tonraq tells Korra that she must talk to her uncle to put a stop to the civil war that is stirring between their tribes.

In the streets of the Southern Water Tribe, Bolin is pulling a cart carrying Desna and Eska while the twins discuss their hatred for the South. Much to Bolin's dismay, Eska reveals her plan to move back to the North with Bolin, where they will live together in "icy bliss," but Bolin decides it would be best to break up with her after receiving Mako's counseling.

Korra confronts Unalaq and tells him that a lot of Southerners feel like their tribe is being invading and that there could be a civil war. Unalaq explains that a civil war would further disrupt the balance between both tribes, the rest of the world and the spirits. Unalaq assures her that only the Avatar can prevent the war between them all and reunite them as one tribe, but Korra is not so sure.

Meanwhile in the streets, passing Northern Water Tribe soldiers become agitated when three native children drop snowballs on them, at what point the soldiers waterbend them off the roof, and adult Southern waterbenders intervene causing a standoff until Korra arrives and attempts to alleviate the situation. Seeing this, they accuse Korra of taking the Northern side and a young waterbender girl threw a snowball and called her "the worst Avatar ever". Showing no success, her father arrives and settles the matter by telling the Southern benders to return to their homes and Korra storms off.

Back at the Air Temple, Tenzin, Kya and Bumi are searching for Ikki, though in vain. Kya points out that Tenzin was not spending enough time with his kids because he was too busy with his other duties, similar to his father. Tenzin walks away as Kya mentions the fact that they did not have a perfect childhood.

In the Southern Water Tribe, Korra approaches Mako explaining her frustrations with her Avatar duties, which Mako responds to by suggesting that she forget everything and have a nice dinner. However, the dinner ends up being quite awkward, since Bolin, Desna, and Eska join them. As soon as the twins go to get some food, Bolin confesses that he could not break up with Eska due to her threatening to ice him up and feed him to dolphin-piranhas.

Returning to Ikki's search party, Bumi is telling a slightly exaggerated story from when he was in the United Forces. The three come across a large waterfall and Bumi starts climbing down rather than taking the path, insisting that it will be faster. Tenzin and Kya reach the bottom using their respective bending abilities, when Bumi slips and falls, hitting his head.

At the Southern Water Tribe, Korra runs into her mother, Senna, who asks how she felt about the tensions between their two tribes. Korra tries to explain that all she had ever really wanted was to be the Avatar and that she is still furious with her father for having lied to her about his banishment and about he and Tenzin keeping her confined in the Southern Water Tribe as a child. Senna tries to assure Korra that she and Tonraq merely wanted her to live a normal life until Korra was ready to fulfill her duties as the Avatar. Angry, Korra storms off, ready to stop the growing rebellion Varrick is leading, of which she believes her father is a part. When she arrives at Unalaq's residence, she sees Northern Soldiers tied up and rushes to find her uncle, but she sees masked men that have taken her uncle captive. After a futile attempt to negotiate with the rebels, Korra chases them, doing everything she can to slow them down without hurting them. She finally catches up to the man who she thinks is her father, but it turns out he was not and her father did not actually join the rebellion. Korra then convinces Unalaq to give the rebels a fair trial rather than throwing them and Varrick jail, to which Unalaq agrees.



Meanwhile, Kya is busy healing Bumi of his injury, while explaining to him that he cannot do everything a bender can, but he immediately objects reminding Kya that she is not his mother. The three continue to bicker about Kya moving all over the world, Tenzin going on vacation with Aang, and Bumi acting immature. Kya brings up that she was the one who moved to the South Pole to comfort Katara after Aang died. Tenzin finally tells his siblings to check for Ikki back at the temple and continues looking.

Korra goes to visit her parents and apologizes to her father for thinking he was involved with the rebels and for the pain she caused her parents. Tonraq then apologizes for holding Korra back as Senna then reveals her and Tonraq's initial plans to have a normal life, which changed when they found out Korra was the Avatar. Unalaq then enters the hut with several Northern soldiers and arrests Tonraq and Senna for allegedly plotting against Unalaq, much to Korra's surprise.

Credits

 * Written by:
 * Michael Dante DiMartino


 * Directed by:
 * Colin Heck


 * Starring:
 * Janet Varney - Korra
 * David Faustino - Mako
 * P. J. Byrne - Bolin
 * J. K. Simmons - Tenzin
 * James Remar - Tonraq
 * Adrian LaTourelle - Unalaq
 * Dee Bradley Baker:
 * Naga
 * Pabu


 * Also starring:
 * John Michael Higgins - Varrick
 * Kiernan Shipka - Jinora
 * Logan Wells - Meelo
 * Aubrey Plaza - Eska
 * Aaron Himelstein - Desna
 * Lisa Edelstein - Kya
 * Richard Riehle - Bumi
 * Jeff Bennett - Radio broadcaster
 * Maria Bamford - Pema
 * Alex McKenna - Senna
 * Stephanie Sheh - Zhu Li
 * Nolan North - Rebel leader
 * Keone Young - Northern soldier


 * Additional voices:
 * Jeff Bennett
 * Dee Bradley Baker
 * Kiernan Shipka
 * Keone Young
 * Nolan North