The Legend of Korra: The Calling Recap

The Legend of Korra: The Calling (4×04)

Synopsis: While the young airbenders look far and wide for Korra, Ikki is briefly captured by two Earth Empire soldiers. Korra is still haunted by visions of being hurt by her past enemies, but manages to connect to the siblings through the great banyan-grove tree’s roots.

Rating: ★★★★★

All aboard the Korra train, she’s back in action!

To me, this episode was the most positive episode to date. It was refreshing, and it gave Korra fans a breath of fresh air from the doom and gloom looming over our heads because of Kuvira. There wasn’t a lot of jumping around, instead the episode focused on us getting Korra back.

The kids are off to go find Korra on the back of their sky bison, and we are reminded of the light hearted nature of the original series. It’s got the same youthful light-heartedness that even lovers of Korra miss. That is to say, I personally think the heaviness of the content has been a weight on the show. It’s been meaningful and brilliantly written, but the brightness of the episode was much needed.

As Meelo, Ikki, and Jinora go across the Earth Kingdom it seems like no one has really seen the Avatar or even remember they have one. It’s the constant reminder that it’s been three years, and Kuvira has scrubbed all memories of an avatar’s heroism since then. We finally get a sliver of hope when they happen upon the same vendor we saw in “Korra Alone” and he confirms that the Avatar has been seen recently. However, not much more information is given.

When it seems like they are at a dead end, Ikki gets kidnapped by Kuvira’s soldiers who plan on using her and her siblings to get on Kuvira’s good side and better assignment other than the sticks of the Earth Kingdom. Instead of being sinister, these guys seem to just be pencil pushers going through the motions and eventually befriend Ikki. Through them, Ikki learns that the only area in the Kingdom that isn’t regulated by guards is the swamp.

Flying over, Jinora, who has not been able to get a grasp on Korra through the spirit world, still does not feel a pull. However the swamp takes matters into its own hands by dragging them down into the swamp with its vines. Korra, who has been working with Toph at the banyan-grove tree. Toph has hypothesized that Korra subconsciously wants to keep the poison within her own body because she is holding onto the fear that she has of her past enemies.

Toph urges Korra to think of her enemies and see what she can learn from her past enemies. The swamp, a very spiritual place, has been bringing Korra’s unbalance to the surface in an effort to help her to heal herself. Like the poison she has been carrying, Korra has also been carrying the memory of her enemies and all of the people they hurt. Toph reminds Korra that Amon’s drive for equality, Unalaq’s opening of the spirit world, and Zaheer’s belief in freedom were all positive ideologies that were taken too far and threw the world out of balance. The Avatar’s job is to keep it in balance.

Taken to the banyan-grove tree, where Aang realized that all the living organisms were connected, Korra is able to find the kids within the swamp through its connection to the entire swamp. Reunited with the kids, they inform Korra that she has to get back to civilization in order to stop Kuvira. After gaining a connection with the banyan-grove tree and the swamp, Toph tells Korra that she will be able to metal bend the poison out of her own body. Doing so, she regains her connection to her Avatar state and is healed.

It’s great to see Korra back on her feet again, especially from the help of Toph. I’m excited to see what is in store for the future episodes now that Korra understands the necessity of keeping the world in balance.