by Doctor Science
When The Legend of Korra ended last month in a burst of sparkly rainbows, I decided I'd try watching it again. I watched the first season as it aired, but it didn't really grab me so I lost interest. So, being a completist by nature, I went back and picked up with Season 2. I just finished episode 2.04 "Civil Wars: Part 2", and I'm giving up. I am not happy that I just saw Korra, Our Heroine, torture someone for information (and it works!), but the last straw has been the relationship between Bolin and Eska.
TRIGGER WARNING: some discussion of abusive relationships, more may arise in comments.
There are two brothers: Mako is the handsome hero-type guy, while Bolin is the comedy relief guy. In this season Bolin falls into having a girlfriend, Eska, who threatens, manipulates, controls, and frightens him. If their genders were reversed, no-one would have a problem calling it horrible and abusive -- but because it's a guy being abused, it's funny, amirite?
For me personally, it's more like nauseating.
It occurs to me how badly guys are served by the crazy ex-girlfriend terminology. Occasionally, when a guy talks about "my crazy ex" he means someone who was actually mentally ill. Most of the time, the wise (cynical) woman should figure that "my crazy ex" means she actually had feelings, opinions, or needs that he didn't want to deal with -- he ignored her, she finally exploded, she was crazy, see? (Protip: avoid this guy.)
But sometimes, like with Bolin, "my crazy ex" means "my abusive ex", it means he was frightened or hurt. But I guess it's more important for masculinity to deny that women have power and agency, than to help young men recognize when they're in a dangerous, toxic relationship. As Kelly Murray pointed out, this very episode of "Korra" links Bolin's desire to get away from abuse with sleazy businessman Varrick's desire to run away from girlfriends he was tired of. Because that's totally the same thing, and equally hilarious, right? ugh. Murray's review from the end of the season indicates that I'm not going to be getting happier with it any time soon.
So now I need to know which episodes in S2 and S3, if any, are *absolutely necessary* for me to enjoy Korra's Season 4.
Meanwhile, I need something else to watch that's mindless enough that I can sort papers while I do it. I've had to give up on Brooklyn Nine Nine for reasons external to the show -- the knee-slapping antics of the NYPD just don't do it for me anymore.
Maybe I'll start watching The X-Files, Season 1. I didn't see it the first time around, Gillian Anderson is awesome, and I can have fun -- as long as I don't watch long enough to get bitter, sitting in bars at conventions and cursing Chris Carter's name. But at least I'd have lots of company.
You've already made it through the worst of it. Skip to season 2, episode 7. That's when things start getting better again.
Posted by: kyllaros | January 14, 2015 at 12:19 AM
You can just watch all of Season 3 and none of Season 2 except the two-parter in the middle.
Posted by: AJD | January 14, 2015 at 10:42 AM
AJD:
So, just episodes 2.07 & 2.08?
Will things get much better in S3?
Posted by: Doctor Science | January 14, 2015 at 01:17 PM
The last two seasons are pretty great and I heartily recommend them. I can't speak to the torture bit, as I haven't actually seen most of season 2. As for Bolin, he's portrayed as a big-hearted guy who falls in love at the drop of a hat. Fortunately this turns out okay for him in the end, but not before he has to learn the dangers trusting people unconditionally.
Posted by: Eric | January 14, 2015 at 05:50 PM
I hear that if you like Bolin, you should absolutely not watch Season 2 Episode 6.
As Farla put it, "The good: Uh. The film bits up to when Bolin decides sexual assault is a good idea is funny. But then, you know, there's the scene where Bolin decides sexual assault is a good idea. So."
Posted by: Gwen | January 15, 2015 at 01:42 PM