Korra Alone

  

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"For years, people have been saying they can help me get better. Nothing's worked. I need to figure this out on my own."

— Korra declining the help of the spirits.

Korra Alone
Information
Series	The Legend of Korra
Book	Balance
Episode	41/52
Original air date	October 10, 2014 (online) November 28, 2014 (television)
Written by	Michael Dante DiMartino
Directed by	Ian Graham
Animation	Studio Mir
Guest stars	Eva Marie Saint (Katara), Alex McKenna (Senna), Philece Sampler (Toph - woman - vendor), Morgan Gingerich (light spirit), Max Charles (skeptical spirit)
Production number	215
Episode guide
Previous	"After All These Years"
Next	"The Coronation"
Image gallery (23)

"Korra Alone" is the second episode of Book Four: Balance of The Legend of Korra and the 41st of the overall series. It was released online on Nick.com and through the Nick app on October 10, 2014, and aired on Nicktoons Network on November 28, 2014.

Overview

As Korra is haunted by a shadow of herself in the Avatar State, she reminisces about the hardships she has endured the past three years. In 171 AG, after being poisoned by the Red Lotus, she retreated to the Southern Water Tribe in an attempt to heal her body and her mind. Although she was able to recover physically after two years with Katara's help, Korra continued to have visions about Zaheer and the attempt on her life. In 173 AG, she set out on a journey across the world in an unsuccessful attempt to reconnect with Raava. In the present, 174 AG, while wandering through a small Earth Kingdom town, she decides to confront the vision of herself in a duel and loses. When a small dog begs her to follow it, she finds herself in the Foggy Swamp. After another confrontation with her Avatar self, she passes out and wakes up in Toph's home.

Synopsis

Still suffering from the mental whiplash of the mercury poisoning, Korra is haunted by visions of herself in the Avatar State attacking her.

A battered and bruised Avatar Korra, dressed in Earth Kingdom clothing, stands at a sink in a bathroom, staring at herself in a cracked mirror. Opening the faucet, she bends the water to her elbow in order to heal a wound she sustained. Her concentration is broken by insistent knocking and a shout for her to hurry out. She leaves the bathroom, allowing the man responsible for the disturbance to enter. Lost in thought with her eyes trained on the floor, Korra walks on the street and barely avoids being run over by a Satomobile, diving out of the way at the last second. She stumbles to a nearby alley and leans on the wall to steady herself. Breathing heavily while clutching her head, she notices someone standing at the end of the alleyway. Focusing on the individual, she discovers that it resembles herself as she appeared during her battle with Zaheer; the figure is in the Avatar State and dressed in her old Water Tribe clothes, with a length of broken chain wrapped around the right arm. When Korra calls out to the apparition, it attacks her with the chain. Although she retaliates with a firebending blast, she ends up knocked down with the chain ensnaring her left wrist. Korra yells for the apparition to leave her alone as it stalks closer before engulfing the alley in flame with a large blast of fire. As the fire dissipates, she realizes that she is alone. When several bystanders who witnessed her outburst offer her help, Korra turns them down.

Hoping to hasten her recovery, Korra returns to the South Pole after Jinora's anointment ceremony.

Walking away, Korra's thoughts turn to the last time she saw her friends. After Jinora's anointment ceremony, Korra, having changed back into her normal attire, sits in her wheelchair at the dock on Air Temple Island. Bolin, imploring her not to take his statement the wrong way, announces that he cannot wait for her to leave. When Mako reprimands him, the earthbender clarifies that he looks forward to being pen pals with Korra and immediately gives her a letter. When Asami asks if she is sure she does not want any company at the Southern Water Tribe, emphasizing that she would be happy to accompany her, Korra declines the offer and assures her that several weeks by herself to recuperate will be beneficial. Tenzin assures her that she need not worry about anything but her recovery as he, Jinora, and the other airbenders can handle the rest. As her friends wave goodbye, Korra leaves on a steamship with her parents, Naga, and Kya.

Senna is worried about her daughter and begs her to visit Katara.

Three weeks later, while sleeping in the Southern Water Tribe Royal Palace, Korra suffers a nightmare in which Zaheer asphyxiates her. She wakes up, severely distressed and breathing heavily. In a wheelchair, she makes her way to the balcony for some fresh air and gazes at the spirit lights. She is found by her mother, who asks her if she is having difficulty sleeping again. Senna notes that she and Tonraq have tried to give Korra all the space she needs, but fearing for her daughter's well-being, she urges her to seek help from Katara. Korra agrees to visit the elderly healer, prompting Senna to hug her daughter. Despite her mother's hopeful reassurances that she will get through her hardship, Korra sheds a tear.

At the healing hut, Korra lies in a healing pool. As Katara tries to heal her, she notes that the poison caused considerable internal damage. When Korra asks if the elder can fix it, Katara admits that she can help guide Korra's healing process, but that recovery itself is entirely dependent on Korra's efforts. Empathizing with Korra's traumatic experience, Katara promises her that, if she dedicates herself to the process, she will be able to recover stronger than she was before. When Korra earnestly expresses her desire to heal, Katara urges her to concentrate on her big toe and visualize it moving. After a moment, she manages to shift her right toe, much to her delight.

Despite Katara's support, Korra faces a difficult recovery that weighs on her spirits.

Over time, Korra moves to the parallel bars in order to try walking. Leaning heavily on the bars and exerting considerable effort, she manages to keep herself standing, but before she can take a step, she is overwhelmed by the memory of being poisoned by the Red Lotus and collapses. Katara comforts her, assuring Korra that she is safe even though her body still believes it is in danger. The elderly healer urges her to use her mind to overcome the pain, but Korra refuses to try again that day.

As her friends promised they would, they have written her letters. Sitting in bed, Korra reads them. Asami's letter talks about how much she misses her, noting that Republic City is not the same without her. Hoping that everything is going well with Korra, she announces that Future Industries is doing well, as she landed a big contract to help redesign the city. Mako prefaces his letter by explaining that he is not very good at writing them, starting by jokingly describing the weather in the city before writing that he hopes she is doing well. As an update on his own life, he notes that he is back on the beat, staking out the Red Monsoon Triad's hideout. In contrast with the other letters, Bolin's is written in formal language, but it does express the same message that he misses her. He further explains that he has begun working with Varrick and Kuvira to help stabilize the Earth Kingdom.

Katara works intensively with Korra to help the Avatar recuperate from her mercury poisoning.

Korra keeps up her intensive physiotherapy training, but nearly six months later, she has failed to make any significant progress. During a therapy session, Korra laments her inability to take more than a few steps without collapsing. When Katara tries to calm her down, she snaps at the elder in frustration over being dependent on others for everything. Yelling that while her friends are helping the world, she is "stuck" with Katara, whom she angrily accuses of being incapable of healing her. Immediately realizing that she should not have addressed the elder in that manner, she apologizes. Katara, empathizing with her disillusioned state of mind, encourages her to release her anger and frustration. Korra tells her that she is tired of her situation and the senselessness of it all, and Katara comforts Korra by reminding her of Aang who also had to overcome great suffering; despite the loss of his entire culture, he never let it destroy his spirit. Instead, he sought to find meaning in his pain and, in time, was able to find peace. Korra asks what she would find if she perseveres through her ordeal, and while Katara admits that she does not know what it might be, she states that it will be interesting to find out. Korra subsequently tries to walk again with the aid of the parallel bars and manages to bridge the short distance to Naga, falling happily against the polar bear dog's chest.

In the present, it nears twilight, and Korra walks down a street alone. As something passes behind her, she whirls around but finds the street deserted. When she turns back in the direction she was heading, she is surprised to find a white puppy in the middle of the road. She squats down to pet it, wondering where it came from. As she looks up again, she finds the Avatar apparition blocking her path. Her glare at the figure shifts to a look of surprise, however, when she notices that the dog begins to growl and bark at the apparition. Although surprised that the dog can see the vision as well, she is put at ease by the animal's awareness, believing it means that she is not going crazy. As the pup continues to bark, Korra stands to face the apparition, which suddenly vanishes. She turns to the puppy in disbelief and asks it how it dispelled the vision. As the dog runs off, barking at her, Korra decides to follow it.

Although she has improved greatly, Korra grows frustrated that she has not recovered completely and begins to fear that she may never do so.

In another flashback, Tenzin arrives on Oogi at the Southern Water Tribe compound. As he descended the flying bison, Korra, now capable of running again, launches herself at the airbending master, embracing him warmly. Upon receiving the compliment that she looks great, she drags Tenzin off toward the training grounds, eager to show him how much she has improved. She spars against three White Lotus firebenders, and although she starts strong, she is beaten after being overcome by another vision of Zaheer flying down toward her. Helped back to her feet by Tenzin, who declares the sparring match to be over, she angrily states that she believed she was ready. Tenzin tries to put her at ease by pointing out that there is no shame in taking time to fully recover, adding that her duties as the Avatar can wait. Unconvinced, Korra asks about the Earth Kingdom, knowing the nation is still in chaos. Hearing that Kuvira has been stabilizing the situation, Korra is saddened, stating that the metalbender is doing the Avatar's job. Tenzin tries to lift her spirit by emphasizing that everything is under control. Before he can tell her that she needs to be patient, Korra glares at him, threatening to "water-smack" him in the mouth if he voices the thought. Tenzin alters his advice, telling her that she does not need to worry about the future but be grateful for the progress she has made instead. Without replying, Korra throws her helmet away in frustration and leaves the sparring ring.

Korra confides in Asami about all her fears regarding her recovery via a letter.

For two years, Korra continues her training and recovery at the Southern Water Tribe, practicing her bending and meditation. At one point, she writes a letter back to Asami, in which she apologizes for not having written before, admitting that her previous attempts all failed due to her being uncertain about what to say. She reveals that the past couple of years have been the hardest of her life; even though she has recovered physically, she still cannot enter the Avatar State, and memories of Zaheer and the Red Lotus attack still haunt her. She admits that she worries that she may never fully recover, despite her best efforts. Korra implores Asami to not tell Mako and Bolin that she wrote to her; while she does not want to hurt their feelings, she finds it easier to confide in Asami and fears the brothers would not understand.

While having a meal with her parents, Korra absentmindedly plays with her food until Senna inquires about her well-being. She expresses a desire to return to Republic City, believing that, as it is a place of action and closer to her friends, being there will aid her recovery. Tonraq announces that he will have the White Lotus prepare a boat for her, but Korra declines the offer and insists on going alone, wanting a chance to clear her head. As such, she leaves the South in a small, single-person catamaran, sailing out of the dock while waving to her parents and Naga.

En route, Korra briefly stops at a coastal village to purchase supplies. Upon asking a local fishmonger for two lobster crabs, he immediately recognizes her as the Avatar and excitedly asks her to pose for a picture for his "Wall of Avatars", showcasing an image of an excited adult Aang spinning two sushi pieces between his hands. Despite noting that she is in a hurry, the man forges ahead and searches for his camera, rambling about Aang having been a fan of his seaweed wraps, which he now renamed "Aang rolls". After taking her picture, the fishmonger admits that he would have loved to meet Avatar Kyoshi, as she is rumored to have taken down a shark squid with one hand. Another vendor suddenly shouts about a robbery in progress, and the fishmonger pushes Korra to intervene. She intercepts the thieves, but the two men easily defeat her with one attack and escape. As Korra lies on the beach, clutching her head in pain, the vendors loom over her and question her identity as the Avatar.

Having lost confidence in her own abilities, Korra sheds her Water Tribe identifiers and cuts her hair.

Korra makes it to Republic City, but as she sails into Yue Bay, she sees herself in the Avatar State, standing atop one of the rocks near Air Temple Island and glaring menacingly at her. Realizing she is not ready to return, she steers the boat out of the bay, instead docking somewhere in a deserted area, where she obtains Earth Kingdom clothes, sheds all her Water Tribe identifiers, and cuts her hair.

Korra travels to the North Pole to enter the Spirit World via the northern spirit portal. She makes her way to the Tree of Time to meditate in its hollow. Her presence is discovered by spirits, who start debating among themselves whether or not she is the Avatar, as they cannot sense Raava's energy around her. Her concentration broken, Korra verifies her identity as the Avatar, noting that she is merely wearing different clothes and has cut her hair. When a light spirit asks where she has been, she admits to having lost touch with her Avatar Spirit due to sustaining severe injuries in battle. She hoped that meditating in the Tree of Time would help her reconnect with Raava and access the Avatar State, but it is not working; while she saw a myriad of visions during her last meditation inside the tree, she cannot see anything this time. When the spirits offer their help, she declines, adamant that she needs to solve the problem on her own, and leaves.

In order to keep her parents from worrying about her, Korra writes letters to them, telling them how pleased she is to have returned to Air Temple Island and reunited with her friends. In reality, however, Korra is roaming the physical world by herself, crossing icy seas, hiking up volcanoes, and traversing the desert, all the while seeing the apparition of herself in the Avatar State. While wandering a desert, she sees Raava atop a nearby dune. Ecstatic to have found Raava again, she scrambles to the dune's peak, only to have her hopes dashed by the realization that it was a mirage.

During her fight with a female earthbender, Korra sees herself in the Avatar State in place of her opponent.

Six months after having left the South Pole, Korra makes her way to a small Earth Kingdom town at night, where she once again sees her Avatar apparition. When the apparition turns into an alley, Korra follows it, determined to end the haunting. The vision leads her into a crowded warehouse in which earthbending cage fights are being held. Seeing the apparition standing in the ring, Korra asks the organizer how to enter the ring and is subsequently permitted to fight. She is paired with a female earthbender, though during the battle, her opponent takes the form of Korra's Avatar self. Korra is barraged with several rocks and pushed around with an earth pillar. Panting heavily, Korra taunts the apparition, which spurs on her actual opponent to intensify her attacks. Although Korra tries to retaliate, she is soon knocked down by a direct hit. Struggling to get back on her feet, she stares at the apparition, who morphs back into her earthbending opponent. As the announcer declares the match to be over, Korra slips into unconsciousness.

Hallucinating, Korra finds herself trapped in a pool of mercury.

The memories of the following moments blur together, jumping from Korra standing in the public bathroom, to being nearly run over by the car on the road, and to meeting the dog. As the flashbacks end, Korra is following the dog down a sandy path out of the town. By the time the sun is well into the sky, they arrive at the Foggy Swamp. Once under the cover of the trees, the puppy transforms into a light spirit, one whom Korra recognizes as the one she met at the Tree of Time. Although she expresses displeasure at having been deceived, she acknowledges the spirit's reasoning for its secrecy, as she would likely not have followed it had she known whom she was following. When Korra asks what she is supposed to find in the swamp, the spirit replies they are there for a "who", not a "what". As it flies off into the thicket, Korra gives chase. Bursting out of the vegetation, she falls into a shallow pond where her Avatar apparition awaits her. She fearfully backs up, telling herself that the figure is merely a figment of her imagination, but the vision subsequently hurls Korra into a tree with a powerful firebending attack. Barraged with water, fire, and earth attacks, Korra is forced to run. As she tries to escape into a tree, the apparition hooks its chain around her leg. A pool of mercury appears around the apparition, and it starts to sink into it, pulling Korra down with it. Unable to free herself from the mercury sticking to her body, Korra desperately calls for help before sinking completely into the hallucination.

An elderly Toph found an unconscious Korra in the Foggy Swamp and nursed her back to health.

Awakening in a dark cave, Korra is asked if she is feeling better. Discovering an old woman stirring a pot near her, her back to Korra, the latter wonders where she is and what happened to her. Without turning around, the woman deflects the question back to her, stating that she knows nothing beyond the fact that she found Korra lying unconscious in the mud. As Korra asks how the woman had known she was there, the elder admits to being knowledgeable of her surroundings, asking in turn what Korra is doing in the swamp. She tells the woman that a spirit urged her to find someone there and wonders if it may be the elder. Although unsure about that, the woman urges Korra to listen to her Avatar senses if they called her there. Surprised to be identified as the Avatar, Korra wonders how the woman knew. As Korra, now illuminating the cave with her firebending, approaches her, the woman admits to having been good friends with her predecessor. When the old woman finally turns around, Korra recognizes her as Toph Beifong, who, in turn, addresses her as "Twinkle Toes".

Credits

Written by:

• Michael Dante DiMartino

Directed by:

• Ian Graham

Starring:

• Janet Varney - Korra
• David Faustino - Mako
• Seychelle Gabriel - Asami
• P. J. Byrne - Bolin
• J. K. Simmons - Tenzin
• James Remar - Tonraq
• Jeff Bennett
  • Radio broadcaster
  • Fishmonger
  • Ring announcer

Also starring:

• Eva Marie Saint - Katara
• Alex McKenna - Senna
• Philece Sampler
  • Toph
  • Woman
  • Vendor
• Morgan Gingerich - Light spirit
• Max Charles - Skeptical spirit

Production notes

Transcript

Main article: Transcript:Korra Alone

Series continuity

• Aang's pose in the picture is similar to the one he assumed for his air marbles trick in "The Warriors of Kyoshi".
• Toph refers to Korra as "Twinkle Toes", a nickname she gave to Aang when they first met.
• Korra has a sparring match against firebenders, much like she did in "Welcome to Republic City".

Character revelations

• Toph has been living in the Foggy Swamp in her search for enlightenment.

Goofs

• There are several inconsistencies between this episode and the end of "After All These Years".
  • In "After All These Years", Korra was jumping up and down when she said "Is that all you got?", while in this episode, she is standing still.
  • In this episode, the line "We have a winner!" is said before Korra collapses, whereas in "After All These Years", it was heard after she collapsed.
  • The bag Korra carries around is a green backpack instead of the gray duffel bag she had in "After All These Years".
  • At the end of "After All These Years", Korra removes her wristbands, but at the beginning of this episode, which is set directly after Korra made her way out of the arena and into a public bathroom, she is wearing them again.
• When Korra makes the little flame in her hand to see Toph, the wrapping reaches to the palm of her hand. In the next shot, it only reaches to her wrist.

Trivia

• "Korra Alone" was named after the Avatar: The Last Airbender episode, "Zuko Alone".
• Korra's boat resembles the boat the original Team Avatar was on when sailing from the Northern Water Tribe to General Fong's fortress.
• Korra cutting her ponytails is reminiscent of Zuko and Iroh cutting their hair when they became fugitives from the Fire Nation.
• While there are several animal noises, such as the barking dog and Pabu and Naga making noises, Dee Bradley Baker is not credited.
• A scene of Tonraq pushing Korra in her wheelchair into the Southern Water Tribe Royal Palace was cut from the final storyboard.
• This episode was Janet Varney's favorite episode, as well as one of Michael Dante DiMartino's favorites to write. It was also the People's Choice Winner for "Best Television Episode" in IGN's Best of 2014 for television.