The Aftermath

"The Aftermath" is the seventh episode of The Legend of Korra.
==Synopsis==
With the closure of the Pro-bending Arena, Korra excitedly tells Mako and Bolin that Tenzin has allowed them to stay on Air Temple Island. However, they inform her that Asami has already invited them to live at her father's mansion. When Asami shows up, she and Bolin, the latter pretending to speak as Pabu, convince Korra to visit them at the estate. Korra finally accepts the invitation and leaves the arena.
Meanwhile, Chief Lin Beifong and the Metalbending Police Force raid Cabbage Corp's headquarters, where they find large numbers of Equalist posters and weapons, namely electrified gloves. The owner, Lau Gan-Lan, who is adamant that he is innocent, is arrested in front of the cabbage merchant's statue where Lin Beifong subsequently announces the official closing of the company to the media.
Korra arrives at police headquarters where she sees Tahno, miserable on account of the failed attempts to restore his bending. After a short conversation and a promise to take down Amon, Korra sees Hiroshi Sato conversing with Lin Beifong and Tenzin before leaving the establishment, demanding the Equalists pay for what they had done. Later, she visits the rest of the Fire Ferrets in Asami's house, where Bolin proudly explains of all the perks that come with living in the Sato estate.
After Korra and Asami participate in a Satomobile race, the Avatar goes to the restroom. Following a slight run-in with some make-up powder, she leaves the restroom and overhears Hiroshi talking on the phone of how the investigation of Cabbage Corp has bought them time and how he will be ready to strike soon. Korra quickly leaves the estate with the excuse that she remembered she is supposed to babysit Tenzin's children and goes to Tenzin and Lin, telling them of what she heard. Although quite disbelieving at first, they realize that Hiroshi's hatred for benders may be a result of his wife's murder by a member of the Agni Kai Triad in 158 AG, during a break-in and robbery at the mansion.
Mako and Asami grow annoyed as the interrogation of Hiroshi continues; however, the businessman gives them permission to search all of Future Industries. This search proves to be unsuccessful, as no Equalist material is found. That all changes, however, when what appears to be a warehouse worker slips a note into Korra's hand, telling her where to meet him under Silk Road Bridge to learn more about Hiroshi's potential ties with Amon. As Lin, Tenzin, and Korra meet him, their contact admits to being an Equalist, now repentant over Amon's desire to create war between benders and nonbenders. He reveals that Hiroshi Sato is working for the Equalists, producing equipment for them in a secret underground facility beneath his own estate. The former Equalist also reveals that there are rumors about Sato planning something big involving the Equalists.
Lin and her metalbenders, with Korra and Tenzin alongside them, enter the Sato estate with intentions of finding and eliminating any threat. Under the pressure of losing her job because of Tarrlok's recent speeches criticizing her, Lin uses seismic sense to discover a secret tunnel from Hiroshi's workshop to the secret underground factory. Lin orders Officer Song to stay behind to make sure Bolin, Mako, and Asami do not come down, and she enters, followed by her men, Korra, and Tenzin.
As they come to the bottom, they witness the machines produced by Hiroshi. They are subsequently locked in by a wall made of platinum, something that metalbending cannot control or manipulate. Lin correctly guesses that the informant was nothing more than a setup. Unable to get out, the metalbenders, Lin, Tenzin, and Korra are all forced to face Hiroshi and the Equalists; however, the mecha tanks play their part in giving the Equalists the advantage. In the meantime, Mako tricks Song by purposely "sneezing" a breath of fire as Bolin uses his earthbending to trip the officer. The brothers tie up the man and enter the hidden factory, leaving Asami behind.
All of the benders in the factory are easily defeated by Hiroshi's mecha tanks, and Hiroshi orders the chi blockers to round up their captives to be brought to Amon. As Mako and Bolin enter and try to save an unconscious Korra, Tenzin, and Lin, they are spotted by Hiroshi and the Lieutenant. Mako realizes that Hiroshi sponsoring the Fire Ferrets and supporting the Avatar was merely a ploy to gain their trust. Using an electrified glove, the businessman confirms it and states that it broke his heart watching Asami fall for a "firebending street rat" like Mako. At that moment, he notices that Asami has entered as well and heard his statement. Seeing her disbelief and shock, Hiroshi asks her for forgiveness and tells her that he is doing this because of the loss of her mother, who was killed by a firebender. He offers his daughter a glove and tells her to join him and Amon in making a world a better place, free of benders. As Asami takes up the glove, the Fire Ferrets look up in disbelief and despair. However, to everyone's surprise, Asami stuns her father and the Lieutenant and helps her friends escape before the Equalists can stop them.
Back on the police airship, Lin tells Tenzin that Tarrlok was right in saying that she has failed her duty as chief of the police force, stating she will resign the next morning. When Tenzin tells her not to give up, she replies that she has not given up, but that she is going to look for her men and face Amon "outside the law". Meanwhile, Mako apologizes to Korra for not believing her earlier, justifying himself by noting that Hiroshi being an Equalist just seemed so surreal. When Korra in turns extends a general apology for the entire situation going down like it had, Mako asks if her offer to live at the air temple still stood. The Avatar instantly notes that it does and extends it to Asami as well. As Mako thanks her, Korra guides his attention to his girlfriend, stating that she will need him after everything she went through. Mako promptly goes over to Asami, who, confused and hurt, embraces him as the airship slowly approaches the Republic City coastline at night.
==Cast==
*Janet Varney as Korra
*David Faustino as Mako
*P. J. Byrne as Bolin
*J. K. Simmons as Tenzin
*Seychelle Gabriel as Asami
*Mindy Sterling as Beifong
*Dee Bradley Baker as Tarrlok, Pabu, Naga, Butler
*Richard Epcar as Captain Saikhan, Warehouse worker
*Daniel Dae Kim as Hiroshi
*James Sie as Lau Gan-Lan
*Rami Malek as Tahno
==Home video releases==
;DVD
*The Legend of Korra - Book One: Air
;iTunes
*The Legend of Korra - Book One
;Blu-ray
*The Legend of Korra - Book One: Air
== Trivia==
*The push daggers that came out of Lin Beifong's arms are similar to an Indian weapon known as the katar.
*This is the second episode in a row where Ikki, Meelo, and Jinora have not appeared.
* When Bolin jumps in the Satos' pool, he exclaims, "Earthbending bomb!", similar to Katara's "Waterbending bomb!" in "The Serpent's Pass".
*This is the first time Mako and Bolin are shown to have committed a misdemeanor, by assaulting a police officer.
*Like Zuko, Asami chooses to join the Avatar after denouncing her father's cruelty. Coincidentally, the way they both turn against their respective fathers involves lightning: Asami turns against her father using an electrified glove, while Zuko retaliated against his father with lightning redirection.
==External links==
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Category:The Legend of Korra episodes