Bollywood is always right
Jun. 23rd, 2012 09:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
swatkatNo, really.
SEE, MY THEORIES ARE NEVER RIGHT. But you can trust a lifetime of Bollywood-honed instinct:tanndell, zorana and I were totally right when we expounded on the theory - courtesy birdbrainblue on Tumblr - that Amon and Tarrlok are ~LONG LOST BROTHERS. We got the 'ek bhai bender ek non-bender' (one brother bender, one non-bender) part wrong, but it makes sense that Amon could resist Tarrlok's bloodbending because he's stronger and used to being bloodbended by Tarrlok. But everything else?
Well okay, unsure about the tattoo here, but OMG: it's so perfect, right down to the mere paas ma hain (I have my mother) part.
Evidently, the mother - played by Rakhee/Nirupa Roy (ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES) - has now passed away of a broken heart, and Tarrlok came to Republic City a broken shadow of his self, working to ~avenge his father. And you know Amon knew what Tarrlok was going to do the moment they got on that boat, right? (They are later reincarnated as brothers again.)
It is difficult to explain the significance of this to the rest of you, but let me assure you it is as momentous as, say, Amon telling Lin in the middle of a fight: 'Lin, I'm your father.' Bryke have understood the ~spirit of Bollywood, and I approve.
***
Evidently, it's Bryke's reliance on a certain kind of mainstream Bollywood storytelling tropes and techniques that led to my problems with the finale, namely:
1) Too rushed, with not enough emotional resonance with respect to the protagonists - although, again, I don't think anything could have had the emotional resonance of the previous episode. A way to make this work, though, would perhaps have been to allow Korra to be without her bending for a longer period of time (this is where fandom would go: "OMG, female protagonist of colour depowered for a significant period of time! more incompetent than Aang! wrong!" and I would back away, because I come to all of this from a very different perspective. my stakes are different, my expectations are different, and this can only lead to ugly clashes). To allow Lin to remain without her bending, as glad as I am that she's fine and that we'll not miss out on her metalbending next series. I cheered when Aang appeared and when Korra went into the Avatar state, don't get me wrong, but it felt a little anti-climactic. It did not feel the show had earned that moment. It did not feel Korra had earned that moment, or achieved anything that made that moment special. I would rather have the story where they walk a mile in non-benders' shoes and understand what the heck the Equalist movement was all about.
2) Slapdash romance plotline. No really, Bryke, I get that this was meant to be a mini-series and you did your best with Korra/Mako, but it's still very pastade on YAY! All that you missed out on was a song - which, by the way, would have been a great idea, because your music director is fantastic and song sequences do serve very well to compress the plot and take the storyline forward (unless they're just there for the heck of it, of course). It's about as slapdash as Aang/Katara, and that's saying something.
3) Predictable in parts. Although, this might just be Tumblr's unerring capacity to predict everything, such as Korra's airbending saving the day. Everyone and their mother predicted this, guys.
4) Leaving a lot of questions unanswered. I do not honestly expect the show to answer certain questions in a manner satisfactory to adult viewers like me, but there are still questions like 'but how can the Avatar give back bending?' and 'so what about the point Amon raised? why did so many people support him?'
***
But of course, because Bryke understood the ~soul of Bollywood, the day was saved by what was - to me - the second most poignant moment of the finale (the most poignant moment being Amon and Tarrlok riding off to sunset, although I still don't get why Amon gave up his cause! I like that Tarrlok would chose to end it like that), namely, Asami vs. Hiroshi Sato in their matching mechas, facing off like every Father vs. Son movie ever (okay, but without the mechas. which is sad. I feel Bollywood could do with a lot more mechas). Asami as a character has really come onto her own in the last few episodes, some of which has been overshadowed by her part in the romance quadrangle, unfortunately, but THIS! This was perfect.
I might ship her with Lin a little bit (that is the highest compliment I can give).
***
+ BUMI
+ Poverty unites benders and non-benders. But we already knew that.
+ General Iroh! Hello, sir! I see you are only slightly less failboat than your grandfather! (PS: I WOULD RATHER MEET YOUR MOTHER)
+ Asami deserved better than that crappy break-up.
+ Baby!Noatak had Korra's hairstyle and her broody moment of broodiness. Unintentional parallel? I THINK NOT
+ Lin is going to KILL Tenzin. Ahahaha. Although re. the pivotal scene with the last Airbenders see #1: rushed, not as poignant as it should have been.
+ LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN *_____* I had so many Lin x Korra feelings, such as when Lin was sympathizing with Korra over their mutual loss of bending, and Lin ~kneeling before Korra. BRING ON THE FANFIC.
+ I am shallowly pleased that she has her bending back, because there's nothing as visually pleasing as watching her bend. But I wish we had been given more time, because now her sacrifice has been cheapened by the deus ex machina. Sigh.
+ Lieutenant/Amon OTP Y/Y?
***
Overall verdict: brilliant only in parts, rushed overall like the AtLA finale (complete with deus ex machina!), Lin is the best, can it be S2 already?
***
PS:
SEE, MY THEORIES ARE NEVER RIGHT. But you can trust a lifetime of Bollywood-honed instinct:
tanndell, zorana and I were totally right when we expounded on the theory - courtesy birdbrainblue on Tumblr - that Amon and Tarrlok are ~LONG LOST BROTHERS. We got the 'ek bhai bender ek non-bender' (one brother bender, one non-bender) part wrong, but it makes sense that Amon could resist Tarrlok's bloodbending because he's stronger and used to being bloodbended by Tarrlok. But everything else?Z: HMMMMM THE SON-THEORY I HAVE SEEN AND MAKES SENSE BUT PPL ARE ALSO SAYING TARLOK AND AMON MAY BE BROS! WHICH ALSO MIGHT EXPLAIN THE BERSERKER BUTTON
S: Amon has Yakone's eyes according to my sister
T: the bro concept would be interesting. Though so Bollywood. One brother bender one non bender
S: oo i love it. father/son makes sense because yakone could convincingly be a water tribe name.
S: maybe tarlok has a tattoo that reads my father is a criminal*
T: I do want a triad link tho. It would explain so much
T: lol matching tattoos. BROTHERRRR
Z: its totally bollywood and I love itt! and the triad angle would make all the sense!
S: i heart this theory <3333 imagine tarlok's 'nooooooo' on learning that amon is his long lost brother
T: "I have the council, I have the police, I have bloodbending. What do YOU have?" "I have my mother."
S: "I have EQUALITY."
Well okay, unsure about the tattoo here, but OMG: it's so perfect, right down to the mere paas ma hain (I have my mother) part.
Evidently, the mother - played by Rakhee/Nirupa Roy (ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES) - has now passed away of a broken heart, and Tarrlok came to Republic City a broken shadow of his self, working to ~avenge his father. And you know Amon knew what Tarrlok was going to do the moment they got on that boat, right? (They are later reincarnated as brothers again.)
It is difficult to explain the significance of this to the rest of you, but let me assure you it is as momentous as, say, Amon telling Lin in the middle of a fight: 'Lin, I'm your father.' Bryke have understood the ~spirit of Bollywood, and I approve.
***
Evidently, it's Bryke's reliance on a certain kind of mainstream Bollywood storytelling tropes and techniques that led to my problems with the finale, namely:
1) Too rushed, with not enough emotional resonance with respect to the protagonists - although, again, I don't think anything could have had the emotional resonance of the previous episode. A way to make this work, though, would perhaps have been to allow Korra to be without her bending for a longer period of time (this is where fandom would go: "OMG, female protagonist of colour depowered for a significant period of time! more incompetent than Aang! wrong!" and I would back away, because I come to all of this from a very different perspective. my stakes are different, my expectations are different, and this can only lead to ugly clashes). To allow Lin to remain without her bending, as glad as I am that she's fine and that we'll not miss out on her metalbending next series. I cheered when Aang appeared and when Korra went into the Avatar state, don't get me wrong, but it felt a little anti-climactic. It did not feel the show had earned that moment. It did not feel Korra had earned that moment, or achieved anything that made that moment special. I would rather have the story where they walk a mile in non-benders' shoes and understand what the heck the Equalist movement was all about.
2) Slapdash romance plotline. No really, Bryke, I get that this was meant to be a mini-series and you did your best with Korra/Mako, but it's still very pastade on YAY! All that you missed out on was a song - which, by the way, would have been a great idea, because your music director is fantastic and song sequences do serve very well to compress the plot and take the storyline forward (unless they're just there for the heck of it, of course). It's about as slapdash as Aang/Katara, and that's saying something.
3) Predictable in parts. Although, this might just be Tumblr's unerring capacity to predict everything, such as Korra's airbending saving the day. Everyone and their mother predicted this, guys.
4) Leaving a lot of questions unanswered. I do not honestly expect the show to answer certain questions in a manner satisfactory to adult viewers like me, but there are still questions like 'but how can the Avatar give back bending?' and 'so what about the point Amon raised? why did so many people support him?'
***
But of course, because Bryke understood the ~soul of Bollywood, the day was saved by what was - to me - the second most poignant moment of the finale (the most poignant moment being Amon and Tarrlok riding off to sunset, although I still don't get why Amon gave up his cause! I like that Tarrlok would chose to end it like that), namely, Asami vs. Hiroshi Sato in their matching mechas, facing off like every Father vs. Son movie ever (okay, but without the mechas. which is sad. I feel Bollywood could do with a lot more mechas). Asami as a character has really come onto her own in the last few episodes, some of which has been overshadowed by her part in the romance quadrangle, unfortunately, but THIS! This was perfect.
I might ship her with Lin a little bit (that is the highest compliment I can give).
***
+ BUMI
+ Poverty unites benders and non-benders. But we already knew that.
+ General Iroh! Hello, sir! I see you are only slightly less failboat than your grandfather! (PS: I WOULD RATHER MEET YOUR MOTHER)
+ Asami deserved better than that crappy break-up.
+ Baby!Noatak had Korra's hairstyle and her broody moment of broodiness. Unintentional parallel? I THINK NOT
+ Lin is going to KILL Tenzin. Ahahaha. Although re. the pivotal scene with the last Airbenders see #1: rushed, not as poignant as it should have been.
+ LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN *_____* I had so many Lin x Korra feelings, such as when Lin was sympathizing with Korra over their mutual loss of bending, and Lin ~kneeling before Korra. BRING ON THE FANFIC.
+ I am shallowly pleased that she has her bending back, because there's nothing as visually pleasing as watching her bend. But I wish we had been given more time, because now her sacrifice has been cheapened by the deus ex machina. Sigh.
+ Lieutenant/Amon OTP Y/Y?
***
Overall verdict: brilliant only in parts, rushed overall like the AtLA finale (complete with deus ex machina!), Lin is the best, can it be S2 already?
***
PS:
