Legend of Korra; Book two trailer

[Locke cole]

**Originally this was just going to be a specific analogy about George R.R. Martin and Game of Thrones, but I wasn't sure if he actually wrote novellas in the GoT universe??

Well, there are the Hedge Knight comics...



(And it's A Song of Ice and Fire)

[Lumenskir]

and I liked Amon

Serious request: Can you explain Amon's plan to me?

It honestly seems like

Step 1: Take over Republic City.
Step 2: ???
Step 3: No more bending anywhere!(?)

While you're at it, what was his motivation for doing so? I'll spot you the "Dad who was a criminal mastermind who escaped prison through use of Face/Off tech" as a gimme, but generally how did you think the audience was meant to understand him from child to Amon.

Like, Ozai's plan was A+, moustache twirling simple-stupid (10: Burn Everything, 20: Add More Fire, 30: Go To 10) but motherfucker could was delivering. I've never heard a way that Amon's plan makes sense as presented in the show unless you bring in conjectures with no actual support in the show (my favorite of course being the "Oh, the Equalists all around the world that of course exist in positions allowing them to take over the rest of the world's bending governments" rationale (or, rather, rationale?)).

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Eh they could have had amon become a martyr. Turning Korra's win in to a huge loss making the situation much worse as Amon's beliefs spread throughout the world like wild fire thanks to his followers spinning Korra's victory into a sign of oppression against none benders. Turning into large scale conflicts and riots eventually growing into a second war.

[Karrrrrrrrrrrresche]

Originally Posted by Lumenskir

Serious request: Can you explain Amon's plan to me?

It honestly seems like

Step 1: Take over Republic City.
Step 2: ???
Step 3: No more bending anywhere!(?)

While you're at it, what was his motivation for doing so? I'll spot you the "Dad who was a criminal mastermind who escaped prison through use of Face/Off tech" as a gimme, but generally how did you think the audience was meant to understand him from child to Amon.

Like, Ozai's plan was A+, moustache twirling simple-stupid (10: Burn Everything, 20: Add More Fire, 30: Go To 10) but motherfucker could was delivering. I've never heard a way that Amon's plan makes sense as presented in the show unless you bring in conjectures with no actual support in the show (my favorite of course being the "Oh, the Equalists all around the world that of course exist in positions allowing them to take over the rest of the world's bending governments" rationale (or, rather, rationale?)).

Well you have to remember that Amon was after Republic City specifically, just like his dearest papa and brother. Far as I remember benders are outnumbered by non-benders, so by militarily Holding Republic City against the world government he was giving a chance for his message to be spread (For the anti-bender movement) and control the city (For himself).
I don't think the ALL BENDING EVERYWHERE MUST GO rhetoric was what he was really after, but given enough time and sunk fleets there'd be pressure from inside the other nations to just give up on taking the city back, both from the non benders who kind of see Amon's point and from everyone because who really wants to keep throwing lives away to reclaim a city. Amon would be free to proselytize and tell people all about how non benders were legitimately being abused like all fuck. His followers would be satisfied that seemingly their long term goals were feasible, and Amon would be in control of Republic City.

[Lumenskir]

Wait, so Amon in-universe was supposed to believe that non-benders were being oppressed? Which is to say, the audience was supposed to believe that non-benders were actually being oppressed and that it was something that all the heroes were aware of and satisfied with as a status quo?

If so, that does make me think a little higher of Amon* while also cratering any esteem I formerly gave to the writer's ability.

*Well, to his motivations. His actual entrenchment plan makes no sense considering what we know the bending nations are capable of.

Platinum mechs? Shown to be taken out by lightning bending (not to mention that entombment trick the Earth Kingdom general pulled on Katara in the Book 2 premiere would probably work wonders even if direct metalbending was nullified).

Airplanes? Great for that initial surprise attack, not so great when reinforcements arrive. See: "The Great Divide", where the only reason they actually went through the canyon was the Fire Nation's ability to light up the sky with so much fire Appa couldn't handle it.

Not to mention that Republic City being, well, an industrialized/urban city with nary a farm in sight would be so easy to just siege down.

[Karrrrrrrrrrrresche]

Originally Posted by Lumenskir

Wait, so Amon in-universe was supposed to believe that non-benders were being oppressed? Which is to say, the audience was supposed to believe that non-benders were actually being oppressed and that it was something that all the heroes were aware of and satisfied with as a status quo?

I dunno if Amon himself really believed that the oppression of Non benders was a thing, but he was head of an organization dedicated to fighting it. Whether he personally believed it or not, he acts in accordance with the beliefs of the organization, and does things that he can make his followers believe will lead to the fulfillment of their goals.

By the time his revolution has really kicked off though, it's totally obviously a thing because whatshisface politician is going around abusing power over nonbenders like it's nobodies business. But that's really only because Amon was a thing to begin with.

[Lumenskir]

I dunno if Amon himself really believed that the oppression of Non benders was a thing, but he was head of an organization dedicated to fighting it. Whether he personally believed it or not, he acts in accordance with the beliefs of the organization, and does things that he can make his followers believe will lead to the fulfillment of their goals.

This is where my disappointment in the writers is mainly, seeing as they could have tailored Amon and his organization/his organization's message however they wanted, and what they chose was...I mean, there aren't really enough "h"s in the world for the eh I'm envisioning.

More specifically

By the time his revolution has really kicked off though, it's totally obviously a thing because whatshisface politician is going around abusing power over nonbenders like it's nobodies business. But that's really only because Amon was a thing to begin with.

Doesn't seem to actually be the case. When Korra first shows up there's that guy who's protesting for non-bender rights. Then we see that the same sentiment is deep enough in the populace that a pretty big warehouse full of people will show up to a rally for that subject (in fact, will collect four posters to decode a map to show up to a rally for that subject). This is all before Amon has made his biggest moves, and well before crackdowns actually start in response. In the first half of the season, this isn't being set up as something Amon brought with him, it's something Amon was capitalizing on. Which is why it's really unsatisfying when the season wraps up and Korra (nor the actual leaders/adults of Republic City) have once mentioned the problem.

I mean, if Amon's ultimate goal was to make his abusive daddy proud and take over the city, why not just stroll in as a ganglord of a gang of non-benders? You still get the bender v. non-bender fights, Saito can still join because a rival gang killed his wife, etc. etc.? Why dabble in oppression and privilege narratives at all?

[Karrrrrrrrrrrresche]

I dunno man I didn't write it.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

I can see why they went with the oppression angle though. After the war with the Fire Nation that lasted nearly a century. I wouldn't be surprised that non benders would start to fear the power, benders possess. Wondering when the next bender war will happen and who will throw the first element in the name of oppression. It also doesn't help that thanks to advances in technology, Benders are slowly become unnecessary.

[POS Industries]

Originally Posted by Lumenskir

I mean, if Amon's ultimate goal was to make his abusive daddy proud and take over the city, why not just stroll in as a ganglord of a gang of non-benders? You still get the bender v. non-bender fights, Saito can still join because a rival gang killed his wife, etc. etc.? Why dabble in oppression and privilege narratives at all?

Because they weren't trying to correlate the story to modern oppression and privilege narratives. It was pretty plainly inspired by the rise of the Nazi party, with economic strife being used as motivation to scapegoat a particular group that is perceived to have a social and economic advantage that ultimately doesn't exist in a rise to power over an early industrialized state led by a charismatic speaker with an end goal of genetic purity through violent means. It even borrowed from the rumors of Hitler having jewish ancestry by making Amon secretly a bender himself.

It certainly could have been handled better, but I feel like that misunderstanding and the expecations that came from it is the root of a lot of people's issues with the portrayal of the equalists. It doesn't help that Nick probably could only let them be so overt with the "Amon is a Hitler allegory" thing.