In Which I Have Been Squeeing for Twenty-Four Straight Hours

Korra comics! Are happening!

June 2017 guys! That's not even that far away! Not like me having to wait a year and a half for the next season of Humans to even get a release date. Now that was torture.

So, yes, Korra comics are happening, I have been freaking out about it nonstop for the past... actually, if Google is to be believed, the news only came out twenty hours ago. Still. Nonstop. For a while.

We even get a kickass promotional image:

Courtesy of Dark Horse, of course.

Let me just talk about this for a moment.

First of all, I'm super excited. I love the Korra world. I mean, I love the Avatar world in general, but Korra in particular, with the steampunk aesthetic? That's kind of my jam. And there are stories happening here that just wouldn't be in the A:tLA world. I mean, the graphic novel is called Turf Wars. Republic City, gang fights and spirit conflict, oh my! I'm more stoked than I should be about the gang fights, honestly.

And why is that? Well, probably because I suspect that that will be the subplot most focused on my favourite pair of bros, Mako and Bolin.

Which... I really need to talk about this.

Bolin is wearing a cop uniform in this image. 

Bolin is a cop. 

I have mixed feelings about this.

Mixed because, on one hand, it makes a certain amount of sense. Bolin is all about helping people, as I have reiterated time and time again. He certainly has the skills to do it. And he definitely needed something new to do, since the whole being in Kuvira's army thing didn't really work out.

But... that's kind of the root of my problem with it. Being a cop is very different from the kind of helping that Bolin thrives with. Even when he was in the army, you didn't see him fighting, you saw him handing out food. 

On the other hand, Bolin is about helping the helpless (a la Angel Investigations. I'm sorry I love too many things way too much) and being a cop certainly allows him to do that, if he gets involved in the right sort of cases. 

The other thing is that in a way, I almost feel as though this undoes his character development. If we interpret Bolin's arc as having him grow and mature into an independent person following his own destiny (which I do), then having him have the same job as Mako - especially one wherein Mako has seniority - kind of puts him back at square one. The point was having him grow apart from Mako, right? And now, according to one half of Bryke (I think it was Michael DiMartino) they're partners on the force. Doesn't that seem like a little bit of a regression?

It's hard to judge without seeing how it's written. It could actually be really nice to see how the brothers interact when they're having to work together and actually regard each other as equals. There's real potential there. But I feel like it can be really easy to fall back into the big brother/little brother dynamic, and by extension, pull Bolin back a little bit, and I don't think it would have wonderful effects on Mako's character development either (I haven't entirely articulated Mako's arc in my head, so it's more difficult for me to discuss that). 

Put another way, there's this wonderful meta on Mako and Bolin's character designs, their costumes, and how their character development informs their costume changes through the series. It kind of contextualizes my feelings about how they're literally wearing the same uniform now.

(There's also the fact that I and a friend share a beloved headcanon that Bolin ends up owning an orphanage with Opal, because that seems in line with their way of helping, and I'm extremely protective of this headcanon, but I do recognize that this is not exactly a valid reason to critique this choice, so...)

It all depends on the execution, honestly. I really do see potential here, but I fear for my son, and the possibility of his development being sacrificed in favour of buddy cop gimmicks.

That all being said, Avatar comics have a good track record thus far. Both The Promise and The Search (being the only ones I've read as of yet) are mind-blowingly good, especially as a Buffy fan who's had to deal with Season 8 comic books. Yeah, it's fair to say I was leery. But so far, they've been really, really good, so I have to trust that the writers will be able to pull this off in a way that doesn't cheapen what happened in the series.

So now let's get to what I really should talk about, if I weren't so hyper-focused on one character. Let's talk about Korra, and Asami. And Korrasami.

I'm excited.

This was another thing I was leery about when it came to the comics, mostly because the Korrasami ending of the show seemed forced to me, and even after having read meta about why it made sense, it just... doesn't click for me as being a relationship that was developed. The statement I like to make is this: I'm not opposed to it as a concept. I can even see how they could potentially work really well together as a couple. But the way it was executed made it seem out of the blue.

The creators, judging by Michael DiMartino's few comments, seem to have acknowledged this, so it looks as though they're making an effort to really fully explore the relationship further in the comic books. Which I'm super stoked about. I want Korrasami to make sense to me! I want it to click in my head! Show me how they develop! This is all I needed!

Also, conflict between people and the spirit world. I've seen people act like this is a hokey plot - something about a developer wanting to profit off of the new spirit portal by turning it into an amusement park? But this is something I'm actually really open to. Mostly because, for all that the spirits were an important symbol of Korra following her own heart instead of the Avatars before her, it isn't really developed what that means for the world at large. Surely there's going to be a bit of a culture shock, to say the least?

Look, I understand the skeptical reaction to this plotline, but it also seems like the best possible way to represent a way in which spirits and humans seem to be forever at odds: people's need for advancement and profit, versus the spirits' (from what little we know of them) contentment to just exist, and highly territorial attitude. I see a ton of story potential here, and I'm very curious to see where they go with it.

Anyway, all this to say that I am going to buy this damn graphic novel so fast, and I will probably have a lot to say about it but I will also probably adore it because I adore Korra. It's been a long time since I've been this excited about something like this. I'm used to waiting for good things. I will happily squirm for seven months because I believe in these writers.

I'm so freaking excited, guys. 

At Least It's Advanced Warning

Hey y'all. So I recently began university, which is inevitably going to slow down the writing of my ever-so-quality analyses and ramblings. Don't worry, I have tons of stuff in progress, including an analysis of one of my favourite Legend of Korra ships and some more Bolin defense and analysis, as well as a re-read project of one of my all-time favourite book series, Artemis Fowl.

So, yeah, stay tuned. There's stuff in store. It just might take a little longer as I work around writing papers, reading a ton of stuff a week, and hopefully continuing to write my novel.

At least you got advanced warning this time?

Bolin and Eska: No, But Seriously, Why?

In which I desperately attempt to make sense of the absolute mess that was Bolin's relationship with Eska in Book 2 of Legend of Korra.

I recently re-watched Book 2 with a friend of mine, and, well, we noticed some flaws. (That's a bit of an understatement - you could cover an entire wall in tally marks just counting how many times we cursed the utterly frustrating nonsense that everything had somehow become reduced to. But, uh, points for ambition, I guess?)

I could talk about a lot of different things about Book 2, and I have, at length, with a few people. But what I really feel the need to discuss here is the Bolin/Eska romance plotline.

And the reason this is nagging at me is because it is unlike a lot of the flaws of Book 2. Usually, in Book 2, if something didn't make any logical sense, it could be counted on to make emotional or thematic sense on some level, (and also be aesthetically awesome). This wasn't like that. The relationship didn't seem to make any kind of sense at all, emotional, logical, or otherwise. And that's bothersome, for a show like Korra, which has such a noble history of cohesive and compelling storytelling under its belt.

So this is me, attempting to examine this odd apparent misstep in the narrative, and figure out why it makes sense in the story.

Okay, so the first thing I want to clarify is how I'm going to be looking at it: my primary focus isn't going to be pointing out how abusive the Eska/Bolin relationship was, or the rather disturbing way it was treated as comic relief. This obviously exists, and it sucks, and it's important. But a lot of other people have made precisely the same point (this one and this one spell it out pretty clearly, though fair warning, the latter is written a tad aggressively) and I'm not interested in rehashing points I've already seen and heard. Instead, I will be trying to explain why the way this relationship played out makes sense for the characters themselves, and the situations they're in.

I will, however, be taking for granted that the relationship was emotionally abusive, because from what I've observed in life and on the show, it most definitely was. If you disagree with that, then sorrynotsorry. Check out my Bolin defense instead, maybe? My boy needs some love.

Alright, so let's start where things make sense. Bolin sees Eska and Desna, and, after figuring out which is which, approaches Eska and begins clumsily flirting. After Eska realizes what's going on, she claims him as her boyfriend/slave, grabs him by the collar and physically drags him out of the shot, which is pretty much the perfect representation of the rest of this relationship.

Bolin's motivations, at least, are clear. He needs a win.

This is true in his life in general - his pro-bending team sucks now, his friends and brother have all moved on and are doing their own things - but I think it's also true in his romantic life specifically. I don't think he actually got over Korra all that quickly - I know it isn't explicitly brought up after The Spirit of Competition, but hear me out. I'm convinced that there are moments in Book 1 which might actually indicate that Bolin is very much not over her yet. For instance, when Asami starts asking about possible feelings that Mako might have for Korra, Bolin brings up the infamous kiss very quickly, for someone who is simultaneously trying to defend his brother - almost as though it's been on his mind. And I think this short analysis on the subject does a good job of painting a picture of the situation. Also it gave me feelings.

So, then Mako and Korra get together, which is great for them (or is it?) but probably sucks for Bolin's self-esteem, loath as he would be to admit it. And by the time we check in with Team Avatar at the beginning of Book 2, Bolin has spiraled downward pretty steadily. His introductory moment is a pretty definite contrast to Mako's - he's losing horribly at something we know that he was actually really good at, while Mako is becoming very successful and obviously finding fulfillment in a job that we've never even seen him do before. It's more than Bolin not having had any upward trajectory -  he's actually, somehow, deteriorated.

All this kind of explains why he sticks with Eska through their questionable beginning. The poor boy needs a win. Yeah, she's a little cold and antisocial, but she's choosing him. That's success, at this point in Bolin's mentality.

I wish I could speculate on Eska's reasoning behind the relationship, but alas, Eska is underdeveloped and seems to exist purely as a "comedic" foil for Bolin, so there isn't much I can say about that.

So, okay, they continue to pursue whatever the hell it is that they have. They even have a decent moment or two, which aren't abusive or indicative of anything harmful.

Eska: Don't worry. I will protect you, my feeble turtle-duck.
Bolin: Thank you.

That, of course, all quickly starts to go sideways when Eska pulls that ice-bending thing in The Southern Lights, which is possessive, isolating behaviour, and I'm pretty sure is covered in Abusive Relationships 101.

Eska: Why are you initiating physical contact with another woman?

And, naturally, things only disintegrate from there. The next time we see Eska and Bolin, he is... dragging Eska and Desna around in a cart? Because apparently that's a thing that happens. He then earthbends steps for them as they get out of the chariot - I think he actually kneels as he does it? - which could be taken as a kind of visual metaphor: he's being walked all over. So, yeah, things have not gotten better.

So Bolin decides that this relationship is no longer a win and he really wants out. There really isn't much to be said about his reasoning behind that - he's obviously scared of his girlfriend, so he probably feels unsafe or intimidated in some way. Anyone would want out.

At which point, I'll address this before it comes up - people seemed to view Eska as a "strong female character", and I don't want people to mistake my use of the word "intimidation" to think that it means that he was feeling intimidated by her strength, in a Freudian "I'm feeling emasculated" way. Remember, this guy was in love with Korra in part because of her strength. Bolin doesn't resent strong women. He is, though, obviously uncomfortable and, arguably, fearful when Eska is around. He looks terrified every time he sees her. He's begging for people to help him get out of this relationship. He even refers to threatening behaviour, which happens off-screen.

Bolin: You guys gotta save me.

Mako: I thought you were breaking up with her. What happened to ripping off the leech?

Bolin: I tried! But anytime I bring up the subject she threatens to freeze me in a block of ice and feed me to dolphin piranhas! 

This isn't that Bolin doesn't know how to life choices, or that he's fickle, or uncommitted, or whatever. This is that the relationship he's in with Eska is damaging to Bolin emotionally, and he needs an exit strategy.

Unfortunately, as my friend with real life experience will tell you, it is very difficult to back out of a relationship so unhealthy. The abuser will often become clingier, more manipulative, and do everything they can to make sure that the victim feels like the unreasonable one. And this is demonstrated in Bolin and Eska's relationship (in "comically" exaggerated fashion which is typical of this entire storyline) when he comes clean and tries to break up with her, and she forces betrothal on him.

Eska: You may express your joy through tears.

At which point, it occurs to me to mention that there is a definite power imbalance here, and it leans toward Eska. Because, if you think about it, Eska is essentially a princess. She's the daughter of the chief of the Northern Water Tribe, which has shown itself to be much more lux, rich, and aristocratic than its southern counterpart, and she has a lot of power over this place by virtue of being Unalaq's daughter. Contrast this with Bolin, who grew up a homeless orphan with almost nothing, and has almost no external power whatsoever. Now, this dynamic isn't necessarily problematic, if it were mutually respectful. However, the fact that this power imbalance exists is a fact which makes it easy for Eska to tip the scales in her favour. I mean, she and Desna are even trailed by bodyguards who follow their orders everywhere they go, a fact which quite possibly plays into Bolin's inability to escape without outright fleeing.

Which he does. And then we don't really see the two interact again until the end of the season. There are two important hints about their mindsets, though, in Peacekeepers.

Hint number one: When Varrick explains his idea for the propaganda films, he shows a reel of footage he took of the Northern Tribe invading the South. There's a closeup of Eska, and Bolin screams in fear. Evidently, he's still scared of her, and doesn't seem to be remembering her fondly, if you see what I mean.

Hint number two: Eska hunts down Korra because Unalaq said so, but also, apparently, because she "stole" Bolin. That makes pretty much no sense, considering how little Korra seemed to care about Bolin during their entire time in the Water Tribe, but to be fair, Eska had previously displayed insecurity/discomfort around Bolin's ease with Korra, so it isn't exactly out of character I guess. It also shows her possessiveness once again.

And this is where the relationship is pre-Darkness Falls. Obviously horridly abusive, but still making sense, in terms of characters. It's easy to understand that Bolin is scared of Eska, and that, as far as we know, Eska is still very possessive of Bolin. This is obviously not a healthy dynamic, but it's one that we, as an audience, can comprehend.

Then Darkness Falls happens, and things make less sense.

Bolin and Mako are holding off Unalaq to stop him from getting back into the spirit world and interfering with Korra's confrontation with Vaatu. Unalaq conscripts the twins to help him out, as he is wont to. Eska targets Bolin and Desna targets Mako. And, well, Bolin's reaction upon seeing Eska again is not just surprise. It's pretty much unadulterated terror.

Oh yeah. He's so in love.

This is not surprising in itself. It's pretty consistent with what we've seen so far.

Then he confesses his love for her - while trapped in a block of ice, I might add - and that's where things get weird.

Bolin: (while crying hysterically) I'm sorry, it's just so sad - that I'll never be with you again...

Eska: What? Explain yourself further.

Bolin: Eska, I've always loved you, and I've always wanted to be with you, but now that the world is ending - I'm never gonna get that chance!

Eska: We could have been together, but you left me at the altar!

Bolin: I was scared! I was scared of my true feelings for you! Gah! I should never have left you. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry that we'll never have the chance to rekindle the dying ember that was our love into a big fire of love flames! 

(Eska kisses him)

Now, my first reading of this scene is that, wow, Bolin's acting plotline actually has some relevance in the main plot! That's... actually pretty awesome!

But then this exchange with Mako happens:

Mako: Wow, that was the best acting I've ever seen! You completely fooled her!

Bolin: Yeah, right, that... that was acting. (wipes a tear away)

which seems to imply that he actually wasn't really acting, and that complicates things a little bit.

Because the thing is, he said some stuff in there that was patently untrue. We know he hasn't "always wanted to be with her".  He lived in fear of her! He ran away from her! He begged people to "save" him! We never once see him thinking about her while in Republic City! He most definitely did not want to be with her.

So, needless to say, I found it pretty puzzling. But, after examining that particular confession of love a little closer, something occurred to me that I hadn't really taken note of before, and that's that Bolin is completely at Eska's mercy in this scene. Which, actually, might be the key to the whole thing.

Because Bolin is completely helpless here, and it's at the hands of this person, who we have seen use the ice technique on him before, and who has canonically engaged in threatening behaviour against him, even if it happened offscreen. And if Bolin was ever going to be the most scared of her, it would be now - he's essentially left her at the altar, he's participated in undermining her in the eyes of her father, has been actively working against her and her family, and now he physically can't escape her. It's one of the more important reasons the apparently genuine confession of love seems so out of place.

But the more I think about it, the more likely it seems to me that this confession of love isn't necessarily genuine. It seems more like a defense mechanism that Bolin may have used on a smaller scale when he was dating Eska - an attempt to appease her so she wouldn't be threatening him.

That would explain how some of the things he says comes out. "No, I was scared!" Yes, you were. "I was scared of my true feelings for you!" No, you weren't. It seems like a really quick amendment when he realizes that telling her how terrified he is of her isn't going to get him on her good side.

(Also, to paint Bolin as having commitment issues just straight up doesn't make any sense. The guy is loyal to a fault. It's sort of a defining character trait.)

It would also explain the "Yeah, right, that was acting" comment, because it really wasn't, at least, not in the way that Bolin, as Nuktuk, knows acting. He didn't play out an emotion he didn't have, he gave a different explanation for one he really felt - fear.

All this would be a great explanation, if Light in the Dark didn't completely undermine everything I just said. That actual canon sure is pesky, ain't it?

So, Bolin, Mako, Tenzin, and basically everyone are fighting off a bunch of dark spirits. As Bolin is fighting, he gets snatched by one, and is pretty much about to die, when a water whip comes out of nowhere and saves his life. It's Eska. He screams, "Eska! I love you!" kisses her cheek, and then goes, "Let's face the end of the world together!" to which Eska replies, "You're so romantic." Later on, he invites Eska to live with him in Republic City because he's "not really a fan of the long-distance relationship thing" (just wait until you meet Opal, buddy), which seemed so entirely out of left field that I didn't really know what to do with it.

Anyway, Eska refuses, saying that she "became caught up in the moment" but that she would "remember him fondly."

And I have issues with this because I kind of despise the way that the relationship ends up being broken off for good because Eska isn't feeling it. Rather than, I don't know, Bolin putting his foot down. Because what we really need is for the abuser to be okay with the relationship ending. That's the real conflict that needs resolution here, right? Ugh. But that's just my trademark sidetracking, don't mind me.

My main issue here is that it doesn't seem to make any sense. Why is Bolin suddenly into her again? After all the fear and abuse? She rescued him and he completely forgot everything she did to him? What in the hell is going on here?

So, I watched it again, trying to find a thread to follow, and when I did, the first thing I noticed was that Bolin's "Eska! I love you!" reminded me of something that had happened a little earlier in the series. And the closer I looked at it, the more the scenes seemed weirdly similar (I apologize for my giffing skills, the screenshots wouldn't work unless the runtime was showing on Netflix):

(I like how Mako expresses concern for his brother's well-being, and Eska doesn't even address him. "My Bolin" makes this still about her.) 

So... there are parallels here. I mean, his actions are even the same. The clasped hands and then the spread arms? 

Okay, okay, I know this seems blasphemous, to compare the abusive and unbalanced romance that Bolin had with Eska to the sweet, protective, loving brotherhood that Bolin has with Mako, but hear me out here. 

When Bolin tells Mako that he loves him, there's obviously no question about it. Mako is his brother, Mako has always protected Bolin while they were doing whatever they had to do on the streets, and in general, has always been there for him. 

When Bolin tells Eska he loves her, considering their history, well, that's a little weirder. But... worth looking at. Because, the thing is, the first confession of love could be written off as a move to get Eska on their side - it certainly didn't seem to ring true. This one seems much more off-the-cuff, and so, on some level, genuine. He thinks it's true in that moment.

So what do these scenes have in common? Protection. In both scenes, these people are protecting Bolin. 

Now, let's look at that within the context of Bolin's life. Bolin has always had someone, and, notably, that someone has always been protecting him. We know that the one person Bolin can honestly, consistently say that he loves is Mako. We know that Mako is the sort to compulsively protect people, and until Book 2 and late Book 1, that person was Bolin. So it isn't a stretch, really, to infer that Bolin's perception of love is that love and protection are very closely linked, if not one and the same.

Also remember that Bolin is very much an "actions speak louder than words" kinda guy. So, when Eska does this, it's where she proves, in Bolin's mind, that she actually does care. She put herself in a vulnerable position to save him. Now, whether that's the same way that Eska saw what she was doing, I'm not sure. But that's probably how Bolin saw it. And if Bolin equates protection with love, then Eska, in Bolin's language, just told him that she loved him. When, as a result, he exclaims, "Eska! I love you!" he is reciprocating, not initiating. 

Which makes that scene make a little more sense, to me, anyways. 

Add that to their past, wherein she was, as far as we as an audience are aware, Bolin's first girlfriend, it kind of makes sense that he would try to rekindle something with her. I know I kind of dismissed previously the narrative in which Bolin confesses his love for Eska because he genuinely still has feelings for her. That's far from impossible, as we know from actual abuse victims, and while I don't think it really plays very much into the first love confession - that still feels like a "let's get out of this ice prison" thing to me - I can definitely see how it would begin to affect things the moment that Eska begins to demonstrate any attachment. 

So when he asks Eska to come with him back to Republic City, it's because in his mind, she has confirmed that she really does care about him, maybe even love him, and maybe she always did. Thus, the relationship goes back to being a "win", if you see what I mean.

Bolin: So, I was thinking, I'm not really into the long distance relationship thing, so how about you move to Republic City with me?

Eska: I do not think it will be possible.

Bolin: Okay, Desna can come too.

Eska: I will not be joining you, Bolin. Desna and I must return home. 

Bolin: But you said - 

Eska: Eternal darkness was upon us. I became caught up in the moment.

Bolin: Yeah. I guess I did too.

I maintain that the "moment" that Bolin got caught up in is not the one where he's begging to be free from his ice prison and definitely the one where Eska saves him from the spirit. Which means that my initial analysis of the moment in Darkness Falls is actually not undercut by what happens in Light in the Dark. Which is nice.

The other thing, which I think is interesting, and kind of plays into Eska and Bolin's final conversation, is that, remember how I talked about the power imbalance before, and how Eska is innately accorded more power due to the contrast between her position and Bolin's poverty? By the end of Book 2, that isn't exactly true anymore. Bolin has climbed the social ladder. In Republic City, and, judging by Book 3, in places in the Earth Kingdom as well, he's a celebrity now. And he's been living it up. I mean, he has a lot of money, and while "power" doesn't seem like quite the right word to use, it's fair to say that he has a certain amount of influence now. The imbalance... I won't say it no longer exists, because Eska is still basically a princess, but it's definitely less dramatic.

And the reason this strikes me is that Bolin is never before shown as having this much agency in a conversation with Eska. In the few episodes where they existed as a couple, it was usually Eska giving orders, and Bolin not really being sure how to deal with it. In this conversation, aside from Eska pulling the plug, it's pretty much Bolin calling the shots - he suggests moving to Republic City, he reluctantly allows Desna to accompany them. He's grown - he's more confident, and he's more independent, which is clear, because what he's suggesting are decisions that he wouldn't have been able to make at the beginning of the season.

Oh, Jesus. Does that mean that his and Eska's "romance" actually has a place in Bolin's arc? And I've been so accustomed to hating everything to do with Eska. Now I actually have to appreciate it on some level, because Bolin growing as a person is super important to me. Why do I have to make things make sense?

The thing is, though, if you think about Bolin's arc in terms of him growing as an independent person, it really does start to come together. In Book 1, he was sheltered by Mako - in Book 2, he was controlled by Eska, and then Varrick. Obviously his big step toward doing things on his own happens in Night of a Thousand Stars when he single-handedly rescues Raiko from Varrick's henchmen. That can count as him taking back control from Varrick. He'd been moving away from Mako all season, so that was basically mission accomplished. The only other person who Bolin gave such a high degree of control on his life was Eska (well, more accurately, she wrested control of his life from him, but you see my point). And so this scene, in which Bolin and Eska actually converse as equals - more "boyfriend", less "slave" - can be read as the final step of the season for Bolin to assert his independence. 

Actually, that could be the reason why Eska unexpectedly appears so briefly in Book 4. Book 4 is when Bolin has grown so much as a person, and as an adult, that he has been actively making his own decisions and forging a path for himself that feels right for him, rather than just following Team Avatar (or Varrick) wherever they go. Eska's appearance could be, like, to contrast Bolin's Book 2 state with his Book 4 state.

Dammit, even Eska has thematic significance. I guess this is what I wanted to accomplish, right? I wanted it to make sense. And now it sort of does. Am I satisfied?

... Yeah. Kind of. 

I mean, obviously it wasn't particularly well-executed if I had to wade my way through red herrings to find myself here (this post originally had an entirely different interpretation of Eska's place in Bolin's arc), but still. The fact that I began this adventure in search of Watsonian character motivation and found that and further proof of Bolin's arc is kind of awesome. I think I found some substance in this. And that's pretty satisfying.

Mission accomplished. 

Why Bolin Keeps Being Exploited (In Defense of Bolin: Part 1) (Feat. a surprisingly long analysis of Bolin and Kuvira)

Hey, I'm back suddenly, and I've completely abandoned the Merlin stuff!

Well, maybe not for good. I might come back to that, if I'm feeling it.

But my current obsession is actually Avatar: The Legend of Korra, and I have been devouring meta of this like no tomorrow, and it is therefore very important to me that I make this statement:

BOLIN IS AN IMPORTANT, INTELLIGENT CHARACTER WITH A SIGNIFICANT ARC!

^Me preparing to defend my son. The gloves (and sleeves) are OFF

Seriously, I don't know why this is a question.

I was reading some meta and it was good stuff, but I was noticing that it was very lacking in Bolin. That's alright, because the rest of it was good, it just seemed like an odd hole. I thought it was kind of ridiculous, considering how prominent his storyline is in Book 4, how much emphasis they put on his skillset in Book 3, how vital he is to bringing Team Avatar back together in Book 2, how important he is to the team in Book 1. Seriously, there is never a point in the series when Bolin isn't doing anything (the same can't be said for Mako and Asami, it's important to note), so it seemed bizarre to me that this person was so blatantly ignoring his moments in the story.

(Also I have a major soft spot for Bolin - he's kinda my favourite character - so yeah, I was noticing it).

When they did get talking about Bolin, what they essentially said was, "I don't like him as much as I want to, because he's gullible, naive, kind of stupid, and never grows as a character."

I see that interpretation. I understand it. But I entirely, fundamentally disagree with it.

Bolin is not gullible.

I fully disagree with this, and I find that this perception of him really fails to understand the story that they're trying to tell with him.

I'll be working off of this image I found because I think it addresses people's main problems with Bolin/the main reasons people have this impression of him.

So the problem I have with this image is that it doesn't take into account the relationship that Bolin has with each of these people, or the reasons why he chooses to believe them.

First of all, dealing with the first couple panels there, I kind of begrudge Shady Shin's inclusion on the list of people Bolin trusted and shouldn't have. The truth is, we really don't know Shady Shin's relationship to the boys very well, and we don't know how much justification Bolin has in trusting him. We do know, though, that it was Shady Shin who taught Bolin to play Pai Sho (The Stakeout), which implies there was something of a rapport, and as of Republic City Hustle, there's evidence that he was the one who mostly kept the boys in, um, employment when they were out on the streets. So there seems to be at least some form of a relationship there.

Basically, we don't know the full story, so, as I am predisposed to be forgiving to Bolin, I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt on that one.

And then we come to Varrick, and this one I definitely have an easier time seeing Bolin as gullible here. However, once again, we have to consider his relationship with Varrick and Bolin's general mind-set, and how that's influencing his decisions.

First of all, Book 2 starts with Bolin feeling pretty awful about himself. His formerly successful pro-bending team just was the object of the quickest knockout in pro-bending history, and his friends are all off doing their own thing. They're moving on, and Bolin... you almost get the impression of him being stuck in a dead-end job. That's an odd way to think of being a pro-bender, but that's sort of the impression that I got, in any case. He feels like he's falling behind.

Bolin: So, um, what should I be doing?

Mako: I don't know, Bolin. Figure something out.

So, when Varrick attaches to him, it's a sense of validation that Bolin really needs and isn't getting from anyone else in his life. (Hell, no one even bothered to notice or help when he was stuck in what was obviously an abusive relationship with Eska, but this post is long enough without me getting into that). He has no real opportunity to help Korra with the civil war situation, so when Varrick offers him a chance to convince President Raiko to help via his part in the propaganda films, of course he's going to take it.

Varrick: With these movers, we'll have the support of the people, and before long, they'll persuade the president to lend his troop to the war effort.

The thing that you have to remember about Bolin is that at almost every point in time, what he wants to do is help. Almost, if not as much as Korra, Bolin is about helping people. In fact, every single frame above can be brought back to that trait, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

The point is, Varrick offered Bolin a chance for him to feel like he was helping people even when he was being more-or-less rejected/ignored by Team Avatar a.k.a his main vehicle of helping people up 'til now. Of course he's going to take it.

But of course he shouldn't trust Varrick! I hear you saying. The guy is shadier than Shady Shin! Which is why at this point in time, I would like to remind everyone that literally everyone except Mako was fooled by Varrick in-universe, and they weren't being offered much-needed validation and the kind of lifestyle that Bolin could have only dreamed about as a street kid.

Yes, Bolin was fooled by Varrick and taken advantage of. But I don't think this has as much to do with him being gullible as much as it has to do with the fact that no one else trusts him at this point, including himself. And here comes Varrick, who believes in him. That's going to be an attractive option to someone like him.

Varrick: I think I just figured out your true calling.

But you know who was the next person to figure out Varrick, after Mako? It wasn't Asami, or Korra, or Lin Bei Fong. It was Bolin. Night of a Thousand Stars, folks. What a good episode.

So next up we have Kai. And again, I disagree with Kai's inclusion here, because this has less to do with Bolin being gullible and more to do with Bolin feeling a very understandable kinship, and therefore naturally being more forgiving. Kai is a kid whose story is an echo of what Bolin and Mako went through - he's an orphan, he's homeless, he's been stealing. How does Bolin begrudge a kid for that when he and his brother canonically had to steal to survive when they were children too? Yes, there's a story about Kai robbing his adoptive family, but again, we don't know enough to make judgments.

It makes perfect sense that Bolin would believe that, now that Kai is being offered what are undeniably good circumstances, he would no longer resort to those methods. Republic City Hustle shows us that he and Mako enthusiastically rejected the criminal lifestyle (The Revelation notwithstanding) when they were offered an alternative. How was he supposed to know that Kai is, at this point, basically a kleptomaniac? Especially when he's being offered so much support?

Korra: He just needs some guidance, Tenzin. Who better to give it to him than us?

Who's to say that Bolin isn't thinking this exact thing?

And then we get Kuvira, and there's so much to say about Bolin's relationship with Kuvira that I don't even know where to begin. It isn't nearly as simple as the image would make it appear.

Okay, so the first thing I want to say is that, as the image suggests, this once again comes back to Bolin's desire to help people. Which he genuinely believes he has been doing while working in Kuvira's army, and (THIS IS IMPORTANT) has not, at this point, really been offered any evidence to the contrary aside from Kuvira's so-called "tough rhetoric". She can be harsh - but in working with Korra, Bolin has learned that harsh is not the same as bad.

Bolin: I mean, Kuvira is basically just like Korra. She might seem hard to deal with, but just because she's so passionate and believes in what she's doing.

(Which brings up another interesting point about how they were trying to hint at the Kuvira-Korra parallels quite early in the season, but it somehow didn't get across until they smacked us in the face with it it. But I get sidetracked enough without me going into that.)

Here's what Bolin has been able to observe from what he was given access to: Kuvira has successfully united the Earth Kingdom, which was completely falling apart after the Red Lotus assassinated the Earth Queen. He himself has taken part in helping out impoverished towns, giving them bags of food, and technology, and means of protecting themselves from bandits and suchlike. About some of the atrocities that Kuvira committed (such as the all-too-Hitler-like "re-education camps") he was fed lies, but judging from the way Kuvira and Bataar Jr. mention some "hard truths" when introducing Bolin into the inner circle, it would appear that much of the army was.

Kuvira: Now that you're in the inner circle, you're going to have to accept some hard truths.

[...]

Kuvira: Maybe you need to spend some time in a re-education camp.

Bolin: I thought that's where we sent people to learn new trade skills.

Bataar Jr.: Hard truths, Bolin.

And, while I don't really want to get into a tangent about Kuvira's character, it's important to note that she's extremely charismatic, in her own way. She doesn't only talk the talk, she walks the walk - she fights the Avatar, she takes on the bandits herself, etc. This is helped even more by the fact that she genuinely believes herself to be helping people. The image implies she's lying to Bolin when she says it, but the thing is, she doesn't think she is. And there's nothing more convincing than someone who believes they're telling the truth.

Not to mention that Bolin wants to believe that he's been helping people. He's been doing this for three years - he wants desperately to think that he's been doing good work. Kuvira offers an explanation for the radical behaviour which made him suspect she wasn't right, and he accepts it because, from what he knows, it makes sense, and really, wouldn't you?

Kuvira: You look worried, Bolin.

Bolin: Yeah, well, I just have some misgivings about how you kind of ambushed Tenzin and the other leaders.

Kuvira: You believe in the work that we've done for the people of the Earth Empire, right, Bolin?

Bolin: I do, but...

Kuvira: Then stick with me. I'm going to need your help now more than ever. Raiko and the others want to bully us into accepting some idiot king who will serve them but neglect the people. We have to stand strong against them.

Bolin: I'm just not sure about this whole 'Empire' thing. It seems pretty aggressive. And what was that about the crushing?

Kuvira: That was just some tough rhetoric to let people know that we mean business. Believe me, conflict is the last thing I want. Will you help me make history, Bolin?

Bolin: (after hesitation) I'll stand by you.

It's a short conversation, but there's so much going on here. Here's the important thing: Bolin questions Kuvira, because he isn't sure about her methods. She gives him answers. Her answers tell him this - firstly, that they are the only ones who can help the Earth Kingdom/Empire (she calls the other world leaders "bullies" and refers to Wu as an "idiot") and secondly, that she needs Bolin.

This is important. This is part of Kuvira's manipulation. Bolin doesn't often feel needed. And here is a world leader, having a personal conversation with him saying that she needs him to help people, which are Bolin's emotional soft spots, as we know.

That said, to Bolin's credit, he isn't entirely blinded by that. He still questions her, expressing again that he "isn't sure" about her methods. And I don't think he ever becomes completely okay with her way of doing things, as shown by him seeking out Mako after this conversation to gauge Wise Big Brother's take on the whole thing. What Kuvira manages is not to convince Bolin that she's unquestionably right, but that her end goal makes up for her way of getting it done. So he goes with it because he agrees with that end goal.

Which makes sense, because we have to infer that, by now, Kuvira has earned Bolin's trust that she is helping the Earth Kingdom/Empire.

See, Bolin doesn't know that Kuvira is the bad guy. He wasn't there when she threatened the lives of the bandits. He wasn't there when she coerced the mayor of that small town into complying. He didn't hear the sinister music cue associated with her entrance. The audience is present during some really telling scenes about Kuvira that Bolin doesn't get to witness, and I feel like people forget that.

(I also feel it necessary to mention, even if it is a tangent, that if we're sticking with the WWII theme, Bolin is a really fascinating reflection of some Nazis who really didn't know that they were doing such terrible things. There were men tried at Nuremberg whose only job was to create train schedules. I'm not saying it's a perfect reflection, because it most certainly isn't, but I always thought it was an interesting way to go, to put the single most heartfelt, sweet-natured character in an army which is constantly being given not-so-subtle hints at Nazism.)

One more thing in regards to Bolin and Kuvira's relationship: as with Shady Shin, we don't really get to witness the full story. We have no idea how this started on Bolin's part, what was said to get Bolin in the army, or really, what impression Bolin and Kuvira had of each other.

That being said, allow me to offer some speculation: dating Opal, Bolin must have known the Bei Fong drama - from what little we know of Opal, she doesn't seem like the type to keep silent about things she disagrees with. Therefore, he probably knew that Kuvira was disobeying Suyin by deciding to become a temporary leader of the Earth Kingdom. Bolin had to have known that. (At least, it looks like it from the way he edges out of the room when Suyin comes to talk to Kuvira in The Coronation). We can only assume that Kuvira managed to convince Bolin that she was doing good work on her own merits. While Bolin is trusting, it isn't like him to be disloyal to the people he cares about in that way, so she must have made a decent argument. If Bolin were gullible, isn't it more likely for him to mindlessly take the side of the Bei Fongs because of his attachment to Opal? But his choosing Kuvira implies that he made a thoughtful choice despite what others were probably telling him.

So, finally, what I want to draw attention to is the fact that every single person on that list is a skilled manipulator. Shady Shin is a Republic City gangster, and I'm pretty sure manipulating people is an important part of that, um, job. Varrick is manipulating everyone throughout the entirety of Book 2. Kai knows exactly how to press people's buttons to get what he wants (his pick-pocketing strategy is a good example of this) and Kuvira is a charismatic speaker who has many supporters by the time we see what's going on in Book 4.

Now, knowing that, we have to remember that Bolin has some very obvious vulnerabilities, and he isn't shy about showing them (throwback to the time he told everyone during an interview that he cries himself to sleep sometimes). To someone looking for someone to use, he'd be an easy target.

Not because he's dumb, but because he's very open. It's sweet, but it gives people power over him. That doesn't mean that he's gullible. It means that his weaknesses, to one looking for them, are easy to pinpoint and exploit.

That said, his openness is one of his best qualities. Considering how guarded the rest of everyone is, he is pretty instrumental in keeping the group together. (Look how difficult it was for Korra, Asami and Mako to get along at their eventual reunion in Book 4 without Bolin around to grease the wheels). It's important to his character, important to the show, and does not mean that he is any less capable of critical thought.

Honestly, his main problem here is that he keeps running into people who are manipulative for a living who immediately target him. That's going to make anyone seem gullible at a glance.

Stay tuned for more Bolin defense! This isn't even all I have written at this moment, folks. More to come. Probably much more.

Merlin Meme Day 12: Crickets

Day 12: Favourite Gaius moment

I really cannot think of one.

I mean, I've been giving this some thought for a while now - you can tell because I'm about two weeks behind on this freaking meme - and I honestly can't think of a single moment where Gaius really made me feel something.

I re-watched Le Morte D'Arthur, actually, thinking, surely there was something in there that I would have liked from Gaius, like, I don't know, the fact that he sacrifices himself for Merlin. But even that was boring. Half the confrontation between him and Nimueh is him staring at her with the Eyebrow of Doom. And, I mean, this is probably because I'm predisposed to disliking Gaius, but the fact that he hesitates so much when Nimueh asks him if he's really prepared to die for his cause? I understand a bit of hesitation, sure, but she asks him three times. It's like a minute's worth of Gaius staring uncertainly at her. Like, you've already come to the Isle of the Blessed and everything, dude. Don't you think it's a little late to be having second thoughts? Don't you think you're committed by now?

If I absolutely had to pick one, it's probably somewhere in A Remedy to Cure All Ills. That was an interesting re-watch. (Although it does occur to me that I perhaps liked it less because of Gaius but more because it was refreshing to see an episode where the choice is Merlin or Uther and Merlin's completely unaware of it, rather than Merlin making the choice of [insert magic user here] or Uther). Or maybe somewhere in Love in the Time of Dragons, which I've found enjoyable every time I watched it. But, yet again, nothing particularly comes to mind.

I'm sorry. I can't think of a particularly meaty moment for Gaius (those are the ones I like). I think that probably has to do with the fact that he lacks substance as a character in general.

Sorry. I've got nothing for Day 12.

I'm going to use my Get Out of Jail Free card here. And how fitting that it's on the Gaius day, since that seems to be his specialty.

Merlin Meme Day 11: Morgana's Desc-Ending

Day 11: Favourite Morgana moment

(I'm really sorry for that pun I'll see myself out).

This is probably not an answer that most people share with me, but do you guys remember that moment in The Diamond of the Day, where she's sitting on her throne and, after being informed that Arthur hasn't been found, screams, "I WANT HIM DEAD!"

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

And it's all about the delivery here. When you're reading it it just looks like a villain having a villainous tantrum, but that isn't what you get from hearing it. It's desperation, and fury, and soul-wrenching brokenness.

I love it.

And I love it because Morgana does manage to break my heart a little, even after everything she's done and all the various horrors she's wreaked. This character, who used to be such a one-sided villain, suddenly fleshed herself out in season 5, and it was both saddening and intriguing when that fleshing out only revealed just how far she'd plunged.

This scene is all about her madness. And I might have been the only one, but that was something that made Morgana interesting to me again. As much as I enjoyed watching her slink around with super-obvious evil smirks on her face through season 3, or watching her lurk around forests and yell at Agravaine through season 4, season 5 is the first time, to me, that we get an actual look at Morgana from a perspective other than "she's just evil now." Because it showed that she does still love - Mordred and Aithusa being a case in point - and though her madness is alienating, it's also humanizing, in that it allows her to betray emotion that doesn't circle around smugness or contempt.

I also love how they've set this up. Because Morgana is sitting on some throne in a castle that no longer means anything to anyone. She looks like she should be powerful, sitting in a throne like that and having people (the Saxons?) answer to her. But the problem is that everyone knows it doesn't mean anything, that the throne she's sitting on doesn't hold any real power. It's a parody of power. And that's reflected the moment she opens her mouth - "I WANT HIM DEAD!"  - it sounds powerful, but the way she delivers it, so desperately, it only underlines how powerless she truly is. She couldn't kill Emrys, she couldn't kill Arthur, she couldn't save Mordred. In all likelihood, this is the most powerless we've ever seen Morgana. Ever.

Which is why this moment is all about her humanness as well. Because we all know that this isn't just about wanting Arthur's throne anymore. Arthur killed Mordred, and Morgana saw Mordred as kin. This moment has the grief from Mordred's death - one of the only people, probably the only person, we ever see Morgana care about since Morgause died.

And it's interesting that Morgana's version of mourning - for of course, this is what she's still doing - is diving headfirst into rage. Distraction, I suppose. I mean, Morgana's emotional and mental strings have been fairly frayed for the entirety of season 5 - I think we all knew that she wasn't all there way back in Arthur's Bane, during the "I want to watch crows feast on his eyes" speech. But Mordred's death is the final straw. Any semblance of sanity that Morgana had left - I think we all know that it's gone now.

And while the destiny that Morgana got is sad, I do find it intriguing.

And I do adore the contrast between this final version of Morgana and the one in early seasons. The elegant, flirtatious, and compassionate lady who lived in Camelot is completely unrecognizable from this lunatic priestess, and yet how she got there does make sense to me. I actually buy her descent. And that's why this moment is so interesting and rich to me - it encapsulates everything that ever went wrong for this character.

And it actually made me think about that in a way that most of Morgana's tantrums don't. It actually made me feel something for her in a way that most of her tantrums don't. I honestly felt pure sympathy the first time I watched it, and that's a pretty unique reaction to invoke from a character screaming about murdering one of the heroes of the story.

It's because we know it doesn't matter - Morgana's failed. She's lost the cohesion that was keeping her mind together, and she's lost the battle against Emrys, and going on to try to kill Arthur - she isn't a threat anymore. She's just a lost soul who for so long has dedicated her existence to beating Arthur out of the throne - generally by murder - that it's gotten to the point that she no longer knows how to do anything else. It's been pretty much her sole purpose, and now she's failed and she either doesn't realize it or refuses to accept it. I didn't look on her as evil anymore, I looked on her as pathetic (and not in a contemptuous way - more in a "oh my lost child" kind of way).

And that still isn't positive, but it made her a lot more human to me, and that's what makes character interesting.

And basically, I just thought it was a really good moment of characterization and a look at how deluded and crazy our poor Morgana has become. And I'm a big fan of descent arcs, and this moment summed hers up for me. So of course I loved it.

I apologize for my morbid taste in character moments.

Merlin Meme Day 10: Lamia Hath No Fury

Day 10: Favourite Gwen moment

I need to start thinking about these beforehand.

I honestly don't know.

OH HOLD ON I TOTALLY DO.

Remember that time in Lamia, where, after a few days of being pushed aside and belittled and, if you're Merlin, almost killed, by the knights because of the Lamia, they're in the abandoned castle thingy. Merlin is getting attacked by the monster. And Gwen goes berserk. "STAY AWAY FROM HIM!"

Apologies for the hyper-edited screencap, but it was too dark to even see anything with the original lighting.

I have a weakness for the Lamia episode, despite most calling it probably the weakest episode of season 4.

I like this episode, and I love Gwen throughout this episode, and this moment is everything.

Because this is the perfect example of Gwen being fiercely loyal and kind in a way that has another awesome element of her defying expectations - in this case, because she's a decent fighter, something which Arthur apparently doesn't remember from The Moment of Truth.

And Gwen is all about defying expectations, if usually not in this way. Firstly because she has a way of telling Arthur what he needs to hear instead of what he wants to - one of the only people who properly do. Secondly, because of her surprisingly wise counsel concerning affairs that, by rights, she shouldn't really know anything about - think The Darkest Hour, when Agravaine actually takes her advice regarding letting people in or not. Gwen has been defying expectations for a long time, but usually it's about the things she says. This is the first time she does so so blatantly, and also the first time that it specifically puts her outside the idea that she's valuable for purely counselling purposes. (And Arthur later remarks that she was equal to one of his knights.)

Also, this is one of the few "favourite character moments" that I like not only despite the fact that it involves another character, but also because it does - Gwen's arc is all about other people, and how she treats them, and her defense of Merlin is a great reflection of that. Not only because it shows her kindness and loyalty, but because it completely contrasts how other people have been treating Merlin and her for the entire episode.

As you'll know if you've seen the episode, the knights get basically brainwashed by the Lamia, and everyone's affected except Gwen and Merlin. Gwen, presumably, because she's a woman, and Merlin because he has magic, I guess? Anyway, where the knights had previously been defending and respecting Merlin and Gwen, suddenly they're belittling and threatening them. (And it's another testament to Gwen's ability to sense the atmosphere, because she keeps quiet where Merlin keeps trying to convince the knights and gets in even more trouble). Gwen watches this, and obviously her frustration is building up when the two of them keep not being heard, but because she is smart, she keeps quiet so as not to make it worse.

But when that freaking octopus creature is attacking Merlin, she lets out all her frustration in a moment that is so selfless and loyal and fierce and Gwen. And I cheer.

Because, see, when it gets down to it, Gwen is a protector. Whether it's The Darkest Hour and she's protecting the people from the Dorocha, or it's The Witchfinder and she's protecting Gaius, or The Castle of Fyrien and she's protecting her brother, or The Poisoned Chalice and she's protecting/tending to Merlin, or this episode, where she is first protecting the villagers, then Lamia herself, and then Merlin. Gwen is about protecting people, and usually she's able to do that in subtler ways, but that doesn't work here. And it's never been pointed out so blatantly before now that Gwen isn't just about smarts, but also very very much about heart.

The other thing is that Gwen is starting to catch on to Merlin here. It's a bit of a shame that it's never properly brought up again, actually, because Gwen definitely knows that there's something up with Merlin. Think of the line, "It's the way she looks at you, Merlin. As if you were the enemy." She's a half-step away from figuring it out, and I wouldn't be surprised if Gwen had already begun to draw her own conclusions.

But she still jumps to defend Merlin, and very passionately so. Because Gwen is loyal, and this is Merlin, and it doesn't matter if there's something up with him because Gwen's instincts are all about being a fierce and protective friend and it's wonderful.

On a shallower note, Gwen is a badass. Even Arthur, in his own way, is like "Damn, my girlfriend's a badass." Gwen doesn't fight very often - I think it happened in three episodes through the series - but she's actually competent at it, in a way that even Merlin isn't, and that's just a nice thing to see on a show where one of the main characters (Arthur) spends so much time saying things like "Don't be such a girl."

Basically this moment represents everything I love about Gwen. And it had a bit of a girl power element to it without it being just for the sake of girl power - it had emotional weight behind it. And I just really loved this moment a lot. Gwen is my hero.