The Stakeout

This was simply a perfect episode of The Legend of Korra. Everything from the pacing, music, setting, storytelling to the action scenes was masterfully crafted!

We find out the motivation of the Red Lotus in this episode and why they are after Korra. Turns out they have the same ideals as the Avatar but surprisingly with more subtle hints of balance and prosperity. The way Zaheer views the Avatar world eerily parallels how certain organizations view our real world! It's this kind of moral ambiguity that presents deep and adult dilemmas for our teenage cast of characters. Korra even agrees with Zaheer to a certain degree which makes their relationship that much more dynamic and thought-provoking.

The Stakeout itself was nail-bitingly intense and I love how the Pai Sho battle foreshadows the rest of the Season. Mako being the level-headed man of the group, showed his determination and resilience by keeping the group together and not risking Korra getting captured again. Of course, Korra's brash attitude got the better of them while also getting some much needed answers! Everything in the episode flowed more smoothly compared to previous episodes and made for an all-entertaining 22 minutes of television.

Zaheer is turning out to be one of the best villains in animated history and I can't wait to see how this conflict is resolved! Also, best cliffhanger in Korra yet.

(10/10)