"Out of the Past" | |
---|---|
The Legend of Korra episode | |
Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 9 |
Directed by |
|
Written by | |
Featured music | |
Production code | 109 |
Original air date | June 9, 2012 |
Guest appearances | |
| |
"Out of the Past" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American animated television series The Legend of Korra , which is a spin-off/stand-alone sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender . The show follows Avatar Korra (Janet Varney), the only person capable of bending all four elements (water, earth, fire, and air), as she tries to maintain balance in the world, with this season focusing on her battle with Amon (Steve Blum) and his group of equalists as they intend to remove bending abilities from the world using Amon's ability to take bending away from an individual.
Like the rest of the episodes in the first season, "Out of the Past" was directed by Joaquim Dos Santos and Ki Hyun Ryu, and written by series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and it follows a captured Korra who learns the truth about Councilman Tarrlok (Dee Bradley Baker) while her companions search for her. The episode also introduces the adult versions of original series main characters Aang (D. B. Sweeney), Toph Beifong (Kate Higgins) and Sokka (Chris Hardwick) through flashbacks that Korra receives as visions. The episode originally aired on Nickelodeon on June 9, 2012, and was watched by 3.58 million viewers. [1] The episode received positive reviews.
Tarrlok, who has captured Korra using bloodbending, [lower-alpha 1] locks her in a platinum box in a cabin outside Republic City. In the box, Korra decides to reflect on the visions that Avatar Aang has been sending to her. She manages to view the messages, which show Aang's memories on the day he and Chief Toph Beifong arrested Yakone, a dangerous criminal who has the ability to bloodbend. When taken to court, Councilman Sokka and the rest of the Republic City council find Yakone guilty, leading Yakone to escape the court using bloodbending to stop anyone from following him. However, Aang gives pursuit and captures Yakone, stripping him of his bending abilities.
In the present, Tarrlok lies to everyone that the Equalists attacked and took Korra. Lin Beifong breaks into the Republic City Prison and breaks out Mako, Bolin and Asami Sato to help her rescue Korra and her captured men. [lower-alpha 2] The four approach Tenzin who agrees to help them. They break into an underground base where they manage to rescue Lin's captured men, but Mako interrogates an Equalist who reveals they never attacked Tarrlok and Korra and that they don't have the Avatar. Tenzin realizes Tarrlok took Korra. When they confront him about this, Tarrlok denies it. However, one of his defense attorneys tells the group that Tarrlok is a bloodbender, having witnessed Tarrlok bloodbend Korra the previous night. Tarrlok knocks everyone out using bloodbending and flees. Bolin also tells Asami that he witnessed Mako and Korra kiss, [lower-alpha 3] leading Asami to become jealous.
Tarrlok flees to the cabin where Korra reveals she knows he is Yakone's son. Just as Tarrlok is about to leave with Korra, the Equalists attack. However, Amon, impervious to Tarrlok's bending somehow, manages to take Tarrlok's bending from him. Korra escapes from the Equalists and collapses in a forest. Korra's animal guide Naga finds her and brings her back to the city. Mako pulls her off Naga and carries her in his arms, leading Asami to believe Mako has a crush on Korra.
The episode was directed by Joaquim Dos Santos and Ki Hyun Ryu, and written by series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.
The episode received positive reviews from critics and fans of the show alike.
Emily Guendelsberger of The A.V. Club stated that they "didn't quite buy the voices of Toph and Aang" , while writing "Aang in particular had a very expressive voice with a very wide range of tones in the original series, and it seems weird that puberty would replace that with a scratchy, serious monotone. Councilman Sokka’s voice was the only one I really bought as coming from the same character plus 30 years. (“With his mind.”) I did get a little shock of recognition from the animation of Toph’s body language and cursory wave with “Fine, come on, Twinkle Toes.”" [2] Max Nicholson of IGN gave the episode a perfect score, writing that "this episode had everything: action, humor, intrigue and a healthy dose of rich backstory. While there wasn't a ton of bending this week, they more than made up for it by introducing some of the most compelling narrative we've seen thus far." [3]
In 2023, Leo Noboru Lima of Slash Film ranked the episode as the 11th best of the show, writing that "Sometimes, nothing beats a good dose of nostalgia. All things considered, the first season of "The Legend of Korra" shows an admirable degree of restraint in the way it doses the glimpses into the "Last Airbender" characters' adult lives, especially considering it was originally intended as the show's only season. "Out of the Past," however, is largely structured as an opportunity to see the Gaang in action one more time. And it's pretty much impossible to resist. [4]
Avatar: The Last Airbender, also known as Avatar: The Legend of Aang in some regions, is an American animated fantasy action television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio.
Katara is a fictional character in the Nickelodeon animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel series The Legend of Korra. The character, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, is voiced by Mae Whitman in the original series and Eva Marie Saint in the sequel series, The Legend of Korra. She is Chief Hakoda and Kya's daughter and Sokka's younger sister. In the 2010 live action film adaptation, she was played by Nicola Peltz, while in the live-action television series adaptation, she is portrayed by Kiawentiio.
Avatar Aang, or simply Aang, is the titular protagonist of Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang was the last surviving Airbender, a monk of the Air Nomads' Southern Air Temple, and the youngest ever airbending master.
Toph Beifong is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, voiced by Michaela Jill Murphy in the original series and Kate Higgins as an adult and Philece Sampler as an elder in the sequel series.
The Legend of Korra, also known as Avatar: The Legend of Korra, or more rarely simply as Korra, is an American animated fantasy action television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for Nickelodeon. A stand-alone sequel to their previous series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, which ran for three seasons from February 21, 2005 to July 19, 2008, the series ran for 52 episodes ("chapters"), separated into four seasons ("books"), from April 14, 2012, to December 19, 2014. It has been continued as a comic book series.
Avatar Korra, commonly simply known as Korra, is the title lead character in Nickelodeon's animated television series The Legend of Korra, in which she is depicted as the current incarnation of Raava's Avatar—the spiritual embodiment of balance and change—responsible for maintaining peace and harmony in the world. She is the immediate reincarnation of Avatar Aang. The character was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and was voiced by Janet Varney, and by Cora Baker as a child.
"Welcome to Republic City" is the series premiere of the American animated television series The Legend of Korra, a spin-off/stand-alone sequel to The Legend of Aang. Written by series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and directed by Joaquim Dos Santos and Ki Hyun Ryu, the episode premiered online on March 24, 2012 and on Nickelodeon on April 14, 2012.
Tenzin is a major character in Nickelodeon's animated television series The Legend of Korra, which aired from 2012 to 2014. The character and the series, a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, were created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. He is voiced by J. K. Simmons. Tenzin's father, Aang, was the Avatar who preceded Korra and kept world peace by preventing the Fire Nation from taking over the world during the Hundred Year War, which occurred about seventy years before the beginning of The Legend of Korra. Tenzin's mother, Katara, greatly assisted Aang in his efforts to save the Earth Kingdom from destruction. Tenzin is the youngest of the three children of Aang and Katara.
Book One: Air is the first season of the American animated television series The Legend of Korra created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Consisting of twelve episodes, it was initially intended to be a stand-alone epilogue miniseries sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender before the series was expanded to an order of four seasons ("books") of fifty-two episodes ("chapters") in total. Book One: Air aired from April 14 to June 23, 2012, on the Nickelodeon channel in the U.S., and is broadcast in other countries beginning in June 2012.
Book Two: Spirits is the second season of the American animated television series The Legend of Korra created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. It consists of fourteen episodes ("chapters"). It focuses more on spiritual concepts and themes than the preceding season, Book One: Air. Ordered in early 2011, Book Two: Spirits began airing on Nickelodeon in the U.S. on September 13, 2013.
Mako is a major character in Nickelodeon's animated television series The Legend of Korra, which aired from 2012 to 2014. The character and the series, a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, were created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. He is voiced by David Faustino. Because he is a firebender, Mako is able to create and manipulate the classical element of fire. Mako also has the ability to both generate and redirect lightning. The character is named in honor of the late Mako Iwamatsu who voiced Iroh, a major supporting character, in the first two seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Bolin is a major fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series The Legend of Korra, which aired from 2012 to 2014. The character and the series, a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, were created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. He is voiced by P. J. Byrne. Bolin is able to manipulate the classical element of earth, which is known as earthbending. It is revealed in the third season that he is also able to create and control lava, which is a very rare sub-ability called lavabending.
The Avatar: The Last Airbender comics are an official continuation of the original Nickelodeon animated television series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. The series includes The Lost Adventures, published from 2005 to 2011 and set between episodes of the original series, and the graphic novel trilogies, published since 2012 and set a few years after the original series. A related comic continuation, taking place seven decades later, The Legend of Korra, began publication in 2017.
Asami Sato is a major character in the Nickelodeon animated television series The Legend of Korra (2012–2014). The character and the series, a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008), were created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. She is voiced by Seychelle Gabriel. The series' final scene, indicating the beginning of a romantic relationship between Asami and the female lead character, Korra, was unprecedented in its representation of LGBT persons in western children's television, with the characters' relationship fully explored in the comic continuations Turf Wars (2017–2018), Ruins of the Empire (2019–2020), and Patterns in Time (2022–2023).
Lin Beifong is a fictional major character, voiced by Mindy Sterling, in Nickelodeon's animated television series The Legend of Korra, which aired from 2012 to 2014. The character and the series, a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, were created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Lin's mother, Toph Beifong, greatly aided the previous avatar, Aang, in his efforts to save the Earth Kingdom from destruction. Lin is the older of Toph's two daughters.
Kuvira, also known as The Great Uniter, is a fictional major character in the 2014 third and fourth seasons of the Nickelodeon animated television series The Legend of Korra, a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Introduced in a minor capacity in the third season of the series, she becomes the main antagonist of the fourth season, and a supporting protagonist of the 2019–2020 Ruins of the Empire comics. Kuvira was created with similar characteristics to the portrayal of protagonist Korra in prior seasons to highlight the changes she had made over the course of the series. Kuvira's character has been mostly met with positive reception. Critics note her motives as being understandable, while her actions are given political analogues.
"Endgame" is the twelfth and final episode of the first season of the American animated television series The Legend of Korra, a spin-off/stand-alone sequel to The Legend of Aang. Production occurred under the code 1123 and the episode was directed by Joaquim Dos Santos and Ki Hyun Ryu and written by the Avatar franchise creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. "Endgame" originally aired on Nickelodeon on June 23, 2012, and was animated by Studio Mir.
"Venom of the Red Lotus" is the thirteenth and final episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Legend of Korra, a spin-off/stand-alone sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the 39th episode overall. The show follows Avatar Korra, the only person capable of bending all four elements, as she tries to maintain balance in the world, with this season focusing on her battle with The Red Lotus, led by Zaheer, as they intend to create an anarchist world free from government and the Avatar.
"Korra Alone" is the second episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Legend of Korra, a spin-off/stand-alone sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the 41st episode overall. The show follows Avatar Korra, the only person capable of bending all four elements, as she tries to maintain balance in the world, with this season focusing on her battle with Kuvira as she plans to take over the Earth Kingdom and turn it into a dictatorship.