The Metal Clan

"The Metal Clan" is the fifth episode of Book Three: Change of The Legend of Korra and the 31st of the overall series. It aired on Nickelodeon along with "In Harm's Way" on July 11, 2014.

Overview
Korra's quest leads her and her friends to the metal city of Zaofu.

Synopsis
Somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, Korra plays with Naga while Lin Beifong, Bolin, and Pabu watch. Mako and Asami arrive soon after to let them know about reports of a new airbender in Zaofu, known as the home of the metal clan. Lin is uneasy upon being asked if she is aware of the settlement and states that she would be more at ease if Korra returned to Republic City. Korra ignores Lin and asserts that she will find the new airbender, much to the earthbender's displeasure.

The group fly to Zaofu and explore the city apart from Lin, who decides to remain inside the airship instead and instructs the rest of the group not to reveal that she came with them. Aiwei greets Korra, Asami, Bolin, and Mako asks the four of them whether they were the entire group, to which Korra hastily responds yes. Per her request, Aiwei escorts Korra and her group to see the airbender in Zaofu. While Ikki and Meelo introduce two new airbenders to Daw back in Air Temple Island, Zaheer enters and introduces himself as Yuru, claiming that he heard that the island is where new airbenders came to seek refuge.

Back in Zaofu, Aiwei tells Team Avatar about the significance of Toph Beifong to the metal clan's culture, as she expanded the possibilities of what a bender was capable of doing. He asserts that the citizens of Zaofu are encouraged to live up to their fullest potential, but regretfully tells Bolin that Toph stopped visiting the city after she left to wander the world in search of enlightenment. He escorts them to the airbender's mother, Suyin Beifong, in the middle of a dance rehearsal and the group is welcomed warmly, though promptly interrogated by Su after she is informed by Aiwei that they lied about how many people traveled in their airship to the city. Korra relents and reveals that they came with the Republic City Chief of Police, much to Su's delight, as she reveals herself to be Lin's sister.

Korra confronts Lin back in the airship along with Suyin, who criticizes her sister for not making any contact in thirty years. The two begin to fight about family affairs, with Lin declaring that it was Suyin who separated the family. Suyin takes the group back to her estate and introduces them to her family, starting with Wei and Wing, who she states developed an entirely new game which uses metalbending. She proceeds to introduce them to Huan, a metalbending sculptor whom Bolin offends by mistakenly identifying one of his works. They meet Opal soon after, who expresses delight over meeting her aunt. Suyin urges the group to stay in Zaofu to train Opal, even easing Lin's concern over Korra's safety by assuring her sister that Zaofu is the safest city in the world. Opal and Korra begin training in airbending, with the latter remarking how talented Opal is.

On Air Temple Island, Meelo trains the new airbenders to "be the leaf" and sends them to the training panels. All of the airbenders inevitably fail, until Zaheer effortlessly makes his way through the airbending gates. Kya arrives and informs the airbenders that Tenzin has arrived at the Northern Air Temple and wants the rest of the airbenders in Republic City to join him. Zaheer inquires whether the Avatar would be at the temple, to which Kya hesitantly replies no.

As Zaofu prepares to seal its buildings at night, Korra and her group dine with Suyin's family and meet her husband, Baatar, and eldest son, whom she introduces as the architect and engineer responsible for the city's development. Opal and Bolin exchange in conversation during dinner, with the former growing more attracted to the earthbender. Meanwhile, Suyin asks Korra how her search for airbenders was going, to which the young Avatar replies that it has not been as successful as planned. She recalls the team's recent rescue of airbenders from Earth Queen Hou-Ting's custody, prompting Suyin to declare that the earth monarch's rule is outdated and needs to evolve alongside the nation. As Lin makes a facetious comment about Suyin's apparent expertise in global affairs, Varrick and Zhu Li enter the dining hall, much to Bolin's surprise and Asami's annoyance. Varrick declares that he went into business with Suyin and now heads the matriarch's technology division, which primarily deals with the development of magnets and a high-speed rail. The mogul's presence angers Lin, who chastises her sister for harboring a criminal. Suyin remarks that a mistake shouldn't define a person and declares that people change, prompting Lin to state that Suyin hasn't changed at all before storming off.

As they prepare for the night, Mako tells Bolin about Opal's apparent affection toward him, prompting the earthbender to consider her as a love interest. In her office, Suyin tells Korra about how she created the city to make a mark in the world and reveals that she and Lin competed for their mother's affection during their childhood, which resulted in their strained relationship. Although Toph gave the two all the freedom in the world to discover their respective paths, Suyin reveals that she ultimately was disappointed by how her daughters chose to live their lives. The matriarch continues to recall how she left to travel the world at the age of sixteen. She reveals that during her journey, she discovered that what she wanted was a family, prompting her to purchase empty Earth Kingdom land to develop into Zaofu. Korra remarks how perfect her life sounds, but Suyin sadly remarks that she always wanted Lin to be a part of it.

In a courtyard, Bolin attempts to flirt with Opal, who urges him not to try to hard and just be himself. As the two share a moment, Korra intervenes and asks Opal to talk to Lin, in the hopes that meeting her niece would calm her down.

Meanwhile, Zaheer rummages through Tenzin's office and stumbles upon a locket bearing Guru Laghima's writing. Ikki enters the room and informs him that nobody is allowed inside the study apart from her father, but she is dismissed to bed by Kya, who begins to interrogate Zaheer about his comprehensive knowledge of Air Nomad history. Kya recognizes Zaheer for who he is, prompting him to flee the temple using Tenzin's airbender staff. Despite fierce opposition from Kya and the White Lotus sentries stationed at the temple, Zaheer manages to rescape.

The two girls approached a still-annoyed Lin in her quarters. Opal apologized to Lin for the visit being hard on the metalbender and acknowledged that she had heard many stories about Lin from her mother and even her grandmother, Toph. She admitted that she was sad because Lin did not want to get to know her. Opal continued by saying that her family could be "crazy and overwhelming" at times, but that it would mean a lot to her if her aunt would be a part of it. Lin only told her coldly to get out; Opal quickly expressed remorse again, believing she had said something wrong. After receiving the angered request a second time, Opal ran out of the room in tears. Korra berates Lin, who tells the former to focus on the world instead of her family problems. Korra tells Lin that her sister was right in saying that she would never change, before storming off and leaving Lin in tears.

Credits
Written by:
 * Michael Dante DiMartino

Directed by:
 * Colin Heck

Starring:
 * Janet Varney - Korra
 * David Faustino - Mako
 * P.J. Byrne - Bolin
 * Anne Heche - Su
 * Seychelle Gabriel - Asami
 * Jeff Bennett - Radio broadcaster
 * Dee Bradley Baker:
 * Naga
 * Pabu
 * Poki
 * Henry Rollins - Zaheer
 * Mindy Sterling - Beifong
 * John Michael Higgins - Varrick
 * Maurice LaMarche:
 * Aiwei
 * Chef
 * Lisa Edelstein - Kya

Also starring:
 * Darcy Rose Byrnes - Ikki
 * Logan Wells - Meelo
 * Alyson Stoner - Opal
 * Jim Meskimen:
 * Baatar
 * Daw
 * Sentry
 * Jason Marsden - Huan
 * Marcus Toji:
 * Wing
 * Wei

Series continuity

 * Meelo tells the new airbenders to "be the leaf", which is the same advice he gave Korra during her airbending training in "A Leaf in the Wind".
 * Bolin recalls his and Mako's life as orphans, which was explored in Republic City Hustle.

Character revelations

 * Lin Beifong has a half-sister, Suyin Beifong.
 * Toph Beifong decided to travel the world in search of enlightenment following her years serving as Chief of Police in Republic City.

Goofs

 * At the end of the routine Suyin is practicing when Korra arrives, two of the dancers disappear.

Trivia

 * Among Suyin's collection of keepsakes was a dragon pipe identical to the one Sokka used while pretending to be a detective in "Avatar Day".
 * This episode was one of four to be leaked by the Mexican Nickelodeon website, MundoNick, on June 8, 2014.