4x11 Kuvira's Gambit

[9.1/10] I’m not sure I would have pegged Kuvira as the Keyser Soze type, but it fits. The second she and Baatar Jr. shared a scene about how they love one another and will get married “after all of this was over,” my TV recapper instincts kicked in, and I just knew one of them was toast. No one on television talks about getting married or retiring or finally settling down before the big battle begins and makes it to the end of the road unscathed. And I didn’t imagine they were going to neutralize Kuvira three episodes before the end of the season (though that would have been pretty bold) which suggested that Battar Jr. was going to bite the dust.

But man, I didn’t expect it to come at the hands of his own fiancee. It’s a nice way to drive home how ruthless and single-minded Kuvira is, that she’s willing to sacrifice the man she seems to genuinely love in order to take out the greatest threat to her hegemony. (As an aside, I really hope they don’t reveal that Kuvira was faking her attraction the whole time, as that would cheapen this moment and turn her into more of a stock villain.) If there’s been one prevailing characteristic of Kuvira, it’s been that the ends justify the means, and that reclaiming what’s been stolen from the Earth Empire is worth whatever must be done to reclaim it, however distasteful. This is a great way to show the lengths she’s willing to go in service of that philosophy.

Despite the predictability of her and Bataar Jr. not living to make it to the end of the aisle, “Kuvira’s Gambit” does a nice job at contrasting how the couple see the limits of that philosophy differently. Baatar Jr.’s bravado when Korra threatens her is noteworthy. He sees the difference between The Avatar and Kuvira, namely that the latter will do whatever she has to do to achieve her goals, while the former will only go so far, and that gives him a confidence that lets him stay resolute in the face of Korra’s threats. But the one thing that gets to him is when Korra says that she may not kill him, but she can keep him away from his true love. That moves him.

It doesn’t move Kuvira, though. Again, it’s a great way to show how much she means business here, and it’s a character trait the show earns and lays the groundwork for.

We also see the (seeming) end of a couple of minor character arcs here that I really appreciated. The first is Zhu Li reuniting with Varrick. I enjoy the below the surface romantic feelings angle, and the fact that when Varrick tries to revert to how things used to be, she immediately shuts him down and demands to be treated like an equal. I’m not sure if the show’s finished with the two of them, but it’s still a good beat.

The other is one I didn’t really expect -- Wu’s maturity. Seeing the way he’s able to take the microphone, King’s Speech-style, and offer some reassuring words that help quell the panic of the evacuees shows that while he might not be ready to rule, he’s ready to help, and not necessarily the self-centered, sheltered guy he was when this season started. I can’t say I’d been super invested in Wu’s development up to this point, but it was a surprisingly strong moment.

Otherwise, this episode felt devoted to establishing Kuvira and her threat to Republic City and setting the table for the conflict to come. The superweapon attached to a giant mecha is appropriately intimidating, with her warning blasts taking out warships leaving an impact. Seeing the airbenders stick around to protect the city and General Iroh’s forces creates a foreboding atmosphere of impending doom. And President Reiko’s surrender after seeing what the spirit weapon can do helps sell its might (and hell, I’d argue it’s the sensible thing).

Overall, some great character work for both Kuvira and Bataar Jr., some nice beats on the minor character arcs, and some intriguing table-setting for the climax of the season to come.