"The Southern Lights" | |
---|---|
The Legend of Korra episode | |
Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 2 |
Directed by | Ian Graham |
Written by | Joshua Hamilton |
Story by | Michael Dante DiMartino Bryan Konietzko |
Featured music | Jeremy Zuckerman |
Production code | 114 |
Original air date | September 13, 2013 |
Running time | 23 minutes |
"The Southern Lights" is the second episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Legend of Korra . It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on September 13, 2013, immediately after the season premiere, "Rebel Spirit".
Unalaq, Korra's new teacher, strikes out with the Avatar, her friends and his children for an expedition to the South Pole, where he wants Korra to open a portal to the spirit world. He explains that the South's estrangement from the spiritual world has caused the spirits to rage in an "Everstorm" around the pole, instead of dancing as lights in the sky as in the North.
Despite his apparent dislike for his brother Unalaq, Korra's father Tonraq insists on accompanying the party. He reveals to Korra that his father, the chieftain, banished him from the North for causing a spirit rampage by destroying a forest in pursuit of bandits. Learning of this, and in the last episode that it was Tenzin and Tonraq, rather than Aang, who directed Korra grow up sheltered at the South Pole, an angry Korra orders her father to leave.
Meanwhile, Tenzin and his family arrive at the Southern Air Temple, where they are being fawned over by the Air Acolytes. Tenzin's eldest daughter Jinora is drawn to the statues of the previous Avatars, particularly those of Aang and an ancient Avatar she does not recognize. At that time, Korra manages to open the spirit portal despite being assailed by dark spirits, thereby relighting the Southern Lights. Upon returning to the festival, the party is witness to an invasion of Northern Water Tribe troops. Their purpose is, according to Unalaq, to help the South "get back on its righteous path" and to unite the two tribes.
The first U.S. airing of "Rebel Spirit" and "The Southern Lights" on Nickelodeon was seen by 2.6 million viewers. [1]
Max Nicholson of IGN praised the episode for its fight scenes, its worldbuilding and the introduction of Jinora's story arc, while noting that the episode was loaded with much exposition. [2]
Several publications reviewed the two premiere episodes jointly. The A.V. Club's Emily Guendelsberger noted that they kept up the first season's plot's "breckneck pace" and appeared intent on signaling a break with the convention of avoiding death in children's entertainment, by showing a spirit dragging a sailor to his likely death in the sea. She appreciated the nuanced portrayal of Korra's and Mako's relationship and Korra's character flaws, but remarked that Unalaq was being set up as the season's antagonist a bit too obviously. [3] At TV.com, Noel Kirkpatrick commented favorably on how "one of television's best programs" handled the necessary quantity of exposition, and on its introduction of the theme of conflict between spiritualism and secularism. [4] Writing for Vulture , Matt Patches highlighted the loose, handheld-style cinematography – challenging for an animated series – and the "weird, wonderful", wildly imagined spirits fought by Korra; "a Kaiju parade with beasts that mirror velociraptors". [5]
PrinceZuko, also known as the Blue Spirit, is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Created by Eric Coleman and designed by series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the character is voiced by Dante Basco in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Bruce Davison in The Legend of Korra, and portrayed by Dev Patel in M. Night Shyamalan's 2010 film The Last Airbender and Dallas Liu in the 2024 Netflix live-action remake series.
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.
Uncle Iroh, also referred to as General Iroh and credited simply as Uncle, is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the character was voiced by Mako in the first two seasons and, due to Mako's death, by Greg Baldwin in the third season and the sequel series The Legend of Korra.
Avatar Aang, or simply Aang, is the title character and protagonist of Nickelodeon's animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen. Aang is the last surviving Airbender, a monk of the Air Nomads' Southern Air Temple, and the youngest ever airbending master.
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 sequel to their previous series Avatar: The Last Airbender, which aired from 2005 to 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 first episode of the Nickelodeon series The Legend of Korra. The series premiered online on March 24, 2012 and on Nickelodeon on April 14, 2012, as a special movie sequel to the original series, Avatar: The Last Airbender.
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.
Book Three: Change is the third season of the animated television series The Legend of Korra, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and consists of thirteen episodes ("chapters"), all animated by Studio Mir. The season began airing on Nickelodeon in the U.S. on June 27, 2014. After leaked episodes and following declining ratings, the series stopped airing on Nickelodeon after episode 8 on July 25, 2014. Episodes 9 to 13 of Book Three were subsequently made available on the Internet weekly through Nickelodeon's website and on digital download platforms.
"Rebel Spirit" is the first episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Legend of Korra. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on September 13, 2013, immediately followed by the second episode, "The Southern Lights".
"Civil Wars" is the collective name for the third and fourth episodes of the second season of the American animated television series The Legend of Korra. Part 1 first aired on September 20, 2013, and Part 2 aired on September 27, 2013, on Nickelodeon in the United States. The episodes were written by series co-creator Michael Dante DiMartino. "Civil Wars, Part 1" was directed by Colin Heck and "Civil Wars, Part 2" was directed by Ian Graham. The two-part episode received generally positive reviews from critics, praising the storyline and the subplot involving Tenzin, Kya and Bumi but criticizing the subplot involving Bolin and Eska's troubled relationship.
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).
Zaheer is a recurring character in Nickelodeon's animated television series The Legend of Korra. He serves as the main antagonist of Book Three: Change, and his actions have lingering effects on Avatar Korra and the series' plot in the following book. The character was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and is voiced by Henry Rollins. The character was well received by critics as a complex and intimidating villain.
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.
"Endgame" is the twelfth and final episode of the first season of Nickelodeon's The Legend of Korra. 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" aired on June 23, 2012, and was animated by Studio Mir.