The Legend of Korra (video game)
2014 video game
 is a 2014 action game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Activision, based on the animated television series of the same name which aired on Nickelodeon from 2012 to 2014. It was released in October 2014 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, and received mixed reviews.
The game is one of two video games based on the series. The other, The Legend of Korra: A New Era Begins, is a turn-based strategy game was developed by Webfoot Technologies for the Nintendo 3DS.
The game was removed from sale on all digital storefronts three years after its release on December 21, 2017.
Gameplay.
"The Legend of Korra" is a third-person action game, supporting single-player play only. Players control Korra, the series' heroine, as she fights villains from the first two seasons of the series with the bending arts, a spiritual and physical practice similar in appearance to Eastern martial arts by which practitioners move and alter the elements of water, earth, fire and air. Korra can switch between four different elements on the fly, each with its own combat styles and special moves.
Waterbending is acquired first and specializes in ranged attacks. Earthbending, acquired next, features slow attacks that are very powerful and cannot be blocked. Firebending is a balanced style that once upgraded, features all three forms of attacks: Fast combos, slow but powerful, and ranged. Airbending, acquired late in the game, features fast and powerful attacks that can affect all surrounding targets. Korra also acquires the "avatar state" near the end of the game; it lasts a shorts period, but grants Korra powerful attacks that combine all four elements.
The game tries to persuade the player into using counterattacks. The player can initiate a counterattack by blocking an enemy attack just before it connects. Counterattacks are orders of magnitude more powerful than direct attacks. Counterattacking is the only way of defeating bosses in a reasonable amount of time, as defeating them with direct attacks can take hours. Electrical and earth-based attacks cannot be countered.
The game takes about four to six hours to play through, but contains "a New Game+ of sorts". These include an endless runner with Naga, and pro-bending matches, where teams of three try to bend each other out of an arena. This mode, which implements the pro-bending rules depicted in the series, is available after completing the game, with the player controlling the "Fire Ferrets" team made up of Korra and her friends Mako and Bolin.
Setting and plot.
The game takes place in the two weeks between the second and third seasons of the series, which aired in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Korra is opposed by a "chi-blocker" who, at the start of the game, strips Korra of her bending abilities, which she has to regain over the course of the game. The game's main villain, Hundun, is named after a chaotic entity in Chinese mythology. An ancient, evil being previously trapped in the spirit world, he was released into the physical world by Korra's opening of the spirit portals at the end of the second season. The game sees him sow chaos in the world and pursue his grudge against the Avatar.
Development.
"The Legend of Korra", the animated drama TV series on which the game is based, aired on Nickelodeon and online from 2012 to 2014 as a sequel to the series "". It received critical acclaim, and was commissioned to run for four seasons and a total of 52 episodes.
The game based on the series was announced in June 2014. It was developed by PlatinumGames, known for the "Bayonetta" series of action games among others, and published by Activision. The game is scripted by Tim Hedrick, a writer of the TV series, who collaborated with series creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino on the plot and main villain. The cutscenes are animated by Titmouse, Inc., and the cover art (chosen by public vote) is by series character designer Christie Tseng. The game made use of the voice actors and the music of the TV series.
Robert Conkey of Activision explained that they chose Platinum on account of their record of developing action games, which he described as having a "very smooth, very flashy, and very cool" style. Platinum producer Atsushi Kurooka said that Platinum chose to adapt "The Legend of Korra", a series unknown in Japan, after watching it with the aid of translated scripts, and being impressed by the series's blend of "interesting action, a really good story, comedy, and romance". According to Kurooka, the studio aimed to make the game emulate the look and feel of the television series as closely as possible, including its visual and sound direction: Kurooka said that screenshots of the game were indistinguishable from those of the series.
Reception.
Pre-release.
Appraisals of the game during development were positive. After playing an alpha build of the game in June 2014, "Destructoid" described the game as a "pretty solid action brawler". The reviewer praised the thorough implementation of the various bending styles, the detailed and fluid combat system, and the cel-shaded art style. "GameSpot"'s reporter was "encouraged by the art style and some aspects of the combat", but uncertain whether the developers would be able to balance the demands of faithfulness to a franchise and the expectations of quality combat gameplay raised by their previous titles. IGN described the early version as having "all the depth I’d expect to see from this developer bundled with a faithful artistic interpretation" of the source material, noting the "surprisingly deep" combat system and the "tastefully re-created animations" from the series.
Post-release.
"The Legend of Korra" received "mixed or average" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. It was panned by Dan Stapleton of IGN as a "poorly made tie-in that can’t even stand up as a competent third-person action game". The reviewer noted the game's simplistic combat, the absence of the series' wit and charm, and the low-quality cutscenes. Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot was also highly critical of the game, writing that it "tries its best to boot M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender" film out of its rightful position as 'worst Avatar-related thing yet produced.'" Chris Carter at "Destructoid" summed up the game as a "nice but brief romp" with no real narrative that "plays out like a 'light' version of Platinum's previous games". At "Polygon", Philip Kollar described the game as a "shallow, short experience full of segments that feel poorly designed and ill-considered", with frustrating mechanics and annoying mini-games. Paul Tassi of "Forbes", noting the "scathing" reviews the game received, wrote that, like other adaptations of the series, it showed "a fundamental misunderstanding of the source material, all but completely devoid of a plot and other characters outside Korra herself". For "Eurogamer"'s Simon Parkin, the game's shortcomings were the "hallmarks of a work-for-hire project rushed to meet a Christmas deadline", and he considered the game "a misfire that means Platinum's name no longer guarantees quality".
References.
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

The Legend of Korra
American animated television series
The Legend of Korra (abbreviated as TLOK and also known as Avatar: The Legend of Korra or more rarely simply as Korra) is an American animated fantasy action drama television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for Nickelodeon. It is a sequel to their previous series "" (2005–2008), and ran for 52 episodes ("chapters") across four seasons ("books") from April 14, 2012, to December 19, 2014. It has since continued as a comic book series.
Like its predecessor, the series is set in a where certain people can telekinetically manipulate, or "bend", one of the four elements: water, earth, fire, or air. Only one individual, the "Avatar", can bend all four elements, and is responsible for maintaining balance in the world. The series follows Avatar Korra, the successor and reincarnation of Aang from the previous series, as she faces political and spiritual unrest in a modernizing world.
The main characters are voiced by Janet Varney, Seychelle Gabriel, David Faustino, P. J. Byrne, J. K. Simmons and Mindy Sterling, and supporting voice actors include Aubrey Plaza, John Michael Higgins, Kiernan Shipka, Lisa Edelstein, Steve Blum, Eva Marie Saint, Henry Rollins, Anne Heche, and Zelda Williams. Some of the people who worked on "Avatar: The Last Airbender" (including designer Joaquim Dos Santos, writers Joshua Hamilton and Tim Hedrick, composer Jeremy Zuckerman and sound designer Benjamin Wynn) returned to work on "The Legend of Korra".
"The Legend of Korra" has received critical acclaim, with praise for its writing and production values, and has been nominated for and won awards such as the Annie Awards, a Daytime Emmy Award, and a Gracie Award. The series was also praised for addressing sociopolitical issues such as social unrest and terrorism, as well as for going beyond the established boundaries of youth entertainment with respect to issues of race, gender, and sexual orientation. The series' final scene, intended to depict the beginning of a same-sex romance between Korra and Asami Sato, was unprecedented at the time and has been credited with paving the way for LGBT representation in children's television.
Series overview.
"The Legend of Korra" was initially conceived as a twelve-episode miniseries. Nickelodeon declined the creators' pitch for an "Avatar: The Last Airbender" follow-up animated film based on what then became the three-part comics ", " and "", choosing instead to expand "Korra" to 26 episodes. The series was expanded further in July 2012 to 52 episodes. These episodes are grouped into four separate seasons ("Books") composed of twelve to fourteen episodes ("Chapters") each, with each season telling a stand-alone story. Beginning with episode 9 of season 3, new episodes were first distributed through the Internet rather than broadcast. "The Legend of Korra" concluded with the fourth season.
Setting.
"The Legend of Korra" is set in the fictional world of "Avatar: The Last Airbender", 70 years after the events of that series. The people of the world belong to four nations: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. The distinguishing element of the series is "bending", the ability of some people to telekinetically manipulate the classical element associated with their nation (water, earth, fire, or air). Bending is carried out by spiritual and physical exercises, portrayed as similar to Chinese martial arts. As a result of a genocide in the series's backstory, there is only one living family of airbenders at the time of the series.
Only one person, the "Avatar", can bend all four elements. Cyclically reincarnating among the world's four nations, the Avatar maintains peace and balance in the world. "The Legend of Korra" focuses on Avatar Korra, a seventeen-year-old girl from the Southern Water Tribe and the successor of Avatar Aang from "The Last Airbender".
The first season is mostly set in Republic City, the capital of the United Republic of Nations, a new multicultural sovereign state founded by Avatar Aang after the end of "The Last Airbender". The 1920s-inspired metropolis is described as "if Manhattan had happened in Asia" by the series' creators, and its residents are united by their passion for "pro-bending", a spectator sport in which two teams composed of an earthbender, waterbender, and firebender throw each other out of a ring using bending techniques. Rapid technological growth has displaced the spirituality of bending, and what was considered a renowned martial art in "Avatar: The Last Airbender" is now commonplace, with benders in Republic City using their abilities to commit crime, compete in spectator sports, and fulfill everyday jobs. The second season adds the southern polar region, home of the Southern Water Tribe, as a main setting in addition to Republic City, while the third and fourth seasons take place largely in the Earth Kingdom.
Synopsis.
The first season, "Book One: Air", sees Korra move to Republic City to learn airbending from Tenzin, Avatar Aang's son. She joins a pro-bending team alongside the brothers Bolin and Mako, and befriends Asami Sato, heiress to a leading engineering corporation. The ambitious politician Tarrlok enlists Korra to fight the anti-bender uprising of the "Equalists", led by the masked Amon, who strips benders of their abilities. Korra and her friends, aided by police chief Lin Beifong, unmask Amon as a waterbender himself and Tarrlok's brother, ending the Equalists' coup.
In the second season, "Book Two: Spirits", Korra's uncle Unalaq, chief of the Northern Water Tribe, seizes power in the southern tribe. While Korra's friends seek support against Unalaq, Korra learns of the first Avatar, Wan, who fused his soul with the spirit of light, Raava, to imprison Vaatu, the spirit of darkness. Unalaq frees Vaatu during the Harmonic Convergence, a decamillennial alignment of planets, and unites with him to become a dark Avatar. After defeating Unalaq, Korra chooses to leave open the portals between the material world and the spirit world, allowing a new coexistence of spirits and humans.
The third season, "Book Three: Change", begins as nonbenders begin developing airbending powers as a result of Harmonic Convergence, and Tenzin, Korra, and her friends attempt to recruit them to re-establish the extinct Air Nomads. One new airbender is Zaheer, the leader of the anarchist Red Lotus society. The Red Lotus assassinates the Earth Queen, throwing her kingdom into chaos, and captures Korra to attempt to kill her and end the Avatar cycle. They are defeated by Korra's friends and the new airbenders, but Korra is severely injured and psychologically traumatized.
The final season, "Book Four: Balance," takes place three years later. Korra slowly recovers from her mental and physical trauma. The metalbender Kuvira, assigned to reunite the fractured Earth Kingdom, declares herself head of the new, authoritarian "Earth Empire". Kuvira builds a spirit-powered superweapon and attempts to conquer Republic City. When Korra and her friends destroy the weapon, defeating Kuvira, the blast creates another portal to the Spirit World. The series ends with the prospect of democracy for the former Earth Kingdom, as Korra and Asami leave together for a vacation in the spirit world.
Cast and characters.
Korra (Janet Varney) is the series' 17-year-old "headstrong and rebellious" protagonist, and Aang's reincarnation as the Avatar. Her transformation "from brash warrior to a spiritual being", according to DiMartino, is a principal theme of the series. The character was inspired by Bryan Konietzko's "pretty tough" sister, and by female MMA fighters.
The series focuses on Korra and her friends, sometimes called "Team Avatar", which include the bending brothers Mako and Bolin and the non-bender Asami. Mako (David Faustino), the older brother, is a firebender described as "dark and brooding". The character was named after the late Mako Iwamatsu, the voice actor for Iroh in the first two seasons of the original series. His younger brother Bolin (P. J. Byrne) is an earthbender described as lighthearted, humorous, and "always [having] a lady on his arm". Asami Sato (Seychelle Gabriel), the only non-bender among the leading characters, is the daughter of the wealthy industrialist Hiroshi Sato.
The other main characters are the airbending master Tenzin, one of Aang's grown children (J. K. Simmons), and his family, which include his wife Pema (Maria Bamford) and their daughters Jinora (Kiernan Shipka) and Ikki (Darcy Rose Byrnes) and sons Meelo (Logan Wells) and Rohan. Jinora is calm and an avid reader. She is an airbender and joins the main cast in season 2. Ikki is described as "fun, crazy, and a fast talker". Little brother Meelo is super-active and comically aggressive, and baby Rohan is born during the third-to-last episode of Book One. Other recurring characters include Republic City police chief Lin Beifong (Mindy Sterling), and Korra's animal friends Naga and Pabu (both Dee Bradley Baker, the voice of a number of animals including Appa and Momo in the original series). Pabu was inspired by Futa, a famous standing Japanese red panda. Jeff Bennett as the voice for Shiro Shinobi, fast-talking probending match announcer in Book One. He also does the voice-overs for the short recaps during the opening sequence of each episode.
According to critic Mike Hoffman, the romantic interests of Korra and her companions are less in the foreground than in "Avatar", and feature mainly in the first two seasons. In Book One, Bolin pines for Korra, who is interested in Mako, who dates Asami. By the end of the season, Mako has broken up with Asami and entered a relationship with Korra. This ends around the end of Book Two, during which Bolin suffers from an abusive relationship with the waterbender Eska. In the fourth season, Bolin dates the airbender Opal, while Asami and Korra become closer friends. The series' final scene indicates a romantic connection between them. Mike DiMartino wrote that the scene "symbolizes their evolution from being friends to being a couple". They continue in a relationship in the comics.
"Book One: Air" features two main adversaries for Korra: the Equalists' masked leader Amon (Steve Blum) who has the power to remove a person's bending-powers, and the ambitious, charismatic politician Tarrlok (Dee Bradley Baker), who resorts to increasingly repressive methods against the Equalists. Tenzin's parents (Eva Marie Saint), and Avatar Aang (D. B. Sweeney), main characters of the "" series, also made recurring appearances. Chris Hardwick and Kate Higgins voiced Sokka and Toph Beifong in guest appearances. Amon's lieutenant is voiced by Lance Henriksen, and Asami's father Hiroshi Sato by Daniel Dae Kim. Sato's character, the self-made founder of Future Industries, was inspired by Theodore Roosevelt and by the Japanese industrialists Keita Goto and Iwasaki Yatarō. Rami Malek voices Tahno, a pro-bending athlete. Richard Epcar voices Saikhan, captain of the Republic City Metalbending Police Force. Both Amon and Tarrlok are identified as the sons of mob boss Yakone (Clancy Brown). Korra is also supported by General Iroh (Dante Basco, who voiced Zuko in the original series), a member of the United Forces who is described as "a swashbuckling hero-type guy". He is named after Iroh, Zuko's uncle in the original series.
"Book Two: Spirits" features Tenzin's and Korra's families, including Tenzin's elder siblings Kya (Lisa Edelstein) and Bumi (Richard Riehle) as well as Korra's father Tonraq (James Remar) and mother Senna (Alex McKenna). Book 2 also introduces John Michael Higgins as the corrupt businessman and inventor Varrick, with Stephanie Sheh voicing his assistant Zhu Li, along with Korra's uncle Unalaq (Adrian LaTourelle), aided by his twin children Desna (Aaron Himelstein) and Eska (Aubrey Plaza), and Vaatu (Jonathan Adams), the spirit of disorder. Spencer Garrett joined the cast as the voice for Raiko, the president of the United Republic. The season also explains the Avatar mythos though the first Avatar Wan (Steven Yeun) and Vaatu's polar opposite Raava (April Stewart). Making a few appearances in Books Two and Three, Greg Baldwin reprises Iroh from the previous series. Set six months after the events of the first season, "Book Two: Spirits" sees Mako as a police officer, Asami in charge of Future Industries, and Bolin leading a new pro-bending team with little success.
The anarchist antagonists introduced in "Book Three: Change", the Red Lotus, comprise the new airbender Zaheer (Henry Rollins), the armless waterbender Ming-Hua (Grey DeLisle, who previously voiced a dark spirit), the combustionbender P'Li (Kristy Wu), and the lavabender Ghazan (Peter Giles). Supporting characters include the Earth Queen Hou-Ting (Jayne Taini), the retired Fire Lord Zuko (Bruce Davison), Lin's half-sister Suyin Beifong (Anne Heche), Suyin's trusted advisor Aiwei (Maurice LaMarche) and her captain of the guards Kuvira (Zelda Williams). New airbenders are also introduced in the season including the young thief Kai (Skyler Brigmann) and Suyin's daughter Opal (Alyson Stoner), both of Earth Kingdom origins and the love interests of Jinora and Bolin respectively. Jim Meskimen voices a Republic City merchant and later airbender named Daw, as well as Suyin's husband, the architect Baatar. Jason Marsden as the voice for Huan, second oldest son of Suyin, along Marcus Toji voicing Wei and Wing are the twin sons of Suyin. Greg Cipes as the voice for Tu, the cousin of Mako and Bolin, along Susan Silo voices a their grandmother Yin.
The final season, "Book Four: Balance", features Kuvira as Korra's antagonist at the head of an army bent on uniting the Earth Kingdom. The cast is also joined by Sunil Malhotra as Prince Wu, the vain heir to the Earth Kingdom throne, and Todd Haberkorn as Baatar Jr., Suyin's estranged son who is Kuvira's fiancé and second-in-command. Philece Sampler voices the aged Toph Beifong, another returning character from "Avatar" whose young adult version was voiced by Kate Higgins in Books 1 and 3. April Stewart was cast as Zuko's daughter, Fire Lord Izumi, in a minor role.
Production.
Influences.
The art design of Republic City, described as "if Manhattan had happened in Asia", was inspired by the 1920s and incorporates influences from American and European architecture from that time period. Elements of film noir and steampunk also influenced the city's art concept. The design for the metalbending police force is based on 1920s New York City police uniforms, crossed with samurai armor.
The fighting styles employed by characters in the original show "Avatar: The Last Airbender" were derived from different distinct styles of Chinese martial arts. Set 70 years later, the fighting style in the multicultural Republic City has modernized and blended, with the creators incorporating three primary styles: traditional Chinese martial arts, mixed martial arts, and tricking. The pro-bending sport introduced in the series was inspired by mixed martial arts (MMA) tournaments.
Chinese martial arts instructor Sifu Kisu consulted on "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and returned as a consultant for the fight scenes in "The Legend of Korra". MMA fighters Jeremy Humphries and Mac Danzig were credited with "providing a lot of the moves you'll see in the Probending arena", and Steve Harada and Jake Huang provided the stylized flips and acrobatics of "tricking" to the series' fighting style.
Development.
"The Legend of Korra" was co-created and produced by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino at Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, California. To illustrate the length of the production process (about 10 to 12 months per episode) and the overlap of the various phases, Konietzko wrote in July 2013 that their team was already developing the storyboards for the first episode of "Book 4" while the last episodes of "Book 2" were not yet finished.
Production of the series was announced at the annual San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2010. It was originally due for release in October 2011. Tentatively titled "Avatar: Legend of Korra" at the time, it was intended to be a twelve-episode mini series set in the same fictional universe as the original show, but seventy years later. In 2011, the title was changed to "The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra", and again in March 2012 to "The Legend of Korra". The premiere was eventually delayed to April 14, 2012. South Korean animation studio Mir was involved in the pre-production, storyboarding and animation of the series which allows the studio more creative input on directing the martial arts scenes that the series and its predecessor are known for.
According to animation director Yoo Jae-myung, Nickelodeon was initially reluctant to approve the series and suspended production because, according to Konietzko, conventional wisdom had it that "girls will watch shows about boys, but boys won't watch shows about girls". The creators eventually persuaded the channel's executives to change their mind. Konietzko related that in test screenings, boys said that Korra being a girl did not matter to them.
The creators wrote all of the episodes of the first season themselves, omitting "filler episodes" to allow for a concise story. Once the series was expanded from its original 12-episode schedule to 26 and then to 52, more writers were brought in so that the creators could focus on design work. Joaquim Dos Santos and Ryu Ki-Hyun, who worked on the animation and design of the original series, also became involved with creating "The Legend of Korra", as is storyboarder Ian Graham. Jeremy Zuckerman and Benjamin Wynn, who composed the soundtrack for the original series as "The Track Team," also returned to score "The Legend of Korra".
The second season, "", premiered on September 13, 2013, and concluded on November 22, 2013. It consists of fourteen episodes. Animation work was done by the South Korean animation studio Mir as well as the Japanese animation studio Pierrot. Studio Mir was expected to solely work on "Book 2", but executive director Jae-myung Yoo decided that Studio Mir would animate "The Boondocks" instead because the animation process was less rigorous. Pierrot was eventually called in to fill the void and animate "Book 2". According to Jae-myung Yoo, Studio Mir was later contacted and re-asked to animate "Book 2". Yoo feared that, if "Book 2" failed, Studio Mir and Korean animators would have their reputations tarnished for Pierrot's failures. Consequently, Studio Mir accepted the offer and worked alongside Pierrot.
The third season, "", aired its first three episodes on June 27, 2014, soon after some episodes were leaked online. It takes place two weeks after the events of "Book Two: Spirits". Episodes nine to thirteen were streamed online, rather than being broadcast as a television program.
"", the final season, was produced in parallel to the previous two seasons. The crew, at one point, worked on approximately 30 episodes at the same time: post-production for season 2, production for season 3 and pre-production for season 4. Some production steps, such as color correction and retakes, continued up until the date of the series finale, December 19, 2014. Season 4 started online distribution a few months after the third season's finale on October 3, 2014. After Nickelodeon cut the season's budget by the amount required for one episode, DiMartino and Konietzko decided to include a clip show, which reuses previously produced animation, as episode 8 ("Remembrances") instead of dismissing many of the creative staff. Studio Mir was helped by its companion studio, a subunit called Studio Reve, while working on Book 4.
Concerning the development of the much-discussed final scene intended to show the friends Korra and Asami becoming a romantic couple, Bryan Konietzko explained that at first he and DiMartino did not give the idea much weight, assuming they would not be able to get approval for portraying their relationship. But during the production of the finale they decided to test that assumption, approached the network and found them supportive up to a certain limit. They decided to change the final scene from Korra and Asami only holding hands, to also facing each other in a pose referencing the marriage scene a few minutes prior and the pose made by Aang and Katara in the finale of "".
Animation style.
"The Legend of Korra" was produced mainly as traditional animation, with most frames drawn on paper in South Korea by the animators at Studio Mir and scanned for digital processing. Each episode comprises about 15,000 drawings. The series makes occasional use of computer-generated imagery for complex scenes or objects, most noticeably in the animations of the pro-bending arena or the mecha-suits of the later seasons.
While "The Legend of Korra" was produced in the United States and therefore not a work of Japanese animation ("anime") in the strict sense, "The Escapist" magazine argued that the series is so strongly influenced by anime that it would otherwise easily be classified as such: its protagonists (a superpowered heroine, her group of talented, supporting friends, a near-impervious villain who wants to reshape the world), its themes (family, friendship, romance, fear, and death) and the quality of its voice acting as well as the visual style are similar to those of leading anime series such as "", "Bleach" or "Trigun". A notable difference from such series is the absence of lengthy opening and ending sequences set to J-pop songs; to save broadcast time, "The Legend of Korra"'s openings and endings last only a few seconds. The series mostly abstains from using the visual tropes characteristic of anime, but does occasionally use exaggerated facial expressions to highlight emotions for comic effect.
As in "Avatar", the series adds to its Asian aesthetic by presenting all text that appears in its fictional world in traditional Chinese characters, without translating it. For example, on the "Wanted" posters seen in the episode "The Stakeout", the names of the protagonists are written as 寇拉 (Korra), 馬高 (Mako) and 愽林 (Bolin).
Music.
"The Legend of Korra" is set to music by Jeremy Zuckerman, who previously wrote the music for "Avatar: The Last Airbender" with Benjamin Wynn. For "The Legend of Korra", Zuckerman is the sole composer while Wynn is the lead sound designer; the two collaborate with Foley artist Aran Tanchum and showrunner Mike DiMartino on the soundscape of the series. Konietzko and DiMartino's concept for the score was to blend traditional Chinese music with early jazz. On that basis, Zuckerman composed a score combining elements of Dixieland, traditional Chinese music and Western orchestration. It is performed mainly by a string sextet and various Chinese solo instruments, including a dizi (flute), paigu (drums), a guqin, an erhu and a Mongolian matouqin.
A soundtrack CD, "The Legend of Korra: Original Music from Book One", was published on July 16, 2013. Music from "Korra" and "Avatar" was also played in concert at the PlayFest festival in Málaga, Spain in September 2014. The series's soundtrack was nominated as best TV soundtrack for the 2013 GoldSpirit Awards.
Soundtrack.
On July 16, 2013, Nickelodeon and Sony Music Entertainment's Legacy Recordings released "The Legend of Korra: Original Music from Book One".
Release.
Broadcast.
United States.
The first season ("Book One: Air") aired in the United States on Nickelodeon on Saturday mornings between April 14, 2012, and June 23, 2012. Unlike its predecessor, the series was broadcast in high-definition. It was broadcast in other countries on the local Nickelodeon channels beginning in August 2012.
The second season ("Book Two: Spirits") began airing on Nickelodeon in the United States on September 13, 2013, on Friday evenings. The season ended on November 22, 2013.
The third season ("Book Three: Change") began airing on Nickelodeon in the United States on June 27, 2014, also on Friday evenings, two episodes at a time. The broadcast was announced one week in advance after several episodes of the new season were leaked on the Internet. After the first seven episodes aired to low ratings, Nickelodeon removed the last five episodes from its broadcast schedule. The remainder of the episodes were then distributed online via Amazon Video, Google Play, Xbox Video and Hulu as well as the Nickelodeon site and apps. "The Escapist" compared "The Legend of Korra" to "Firefly" as "a Friday night genre series with a loyal fan following built up from previous works by the creators that is taken off the air after the network fails to advertise it properly or broadcast episodes in a logical manner." Series creator Michael DiMartino said that the series' move to online distribution reflected a "sea change" in the industry: While "Korra" did not fit in well with Nickelodeon's other programming, the series did extremely well online, with the season 2 finale having been Nickelodeon's biggest online event.
The fourth season ("Book Four: Balance") began distribution in the United States on October 3, 2014, through Nick.com, Amazon Video, iTunes and Hulu. Beginning on November 28, 2014, with episode 9, the fourth season was officially premiered back on television on Fridays on Nicktoons.
Worldwide.
"The Legend of Korra" is broadcast subtitled or dubbed on Nickelodeon channels outside of the U.S.
In Germany, the first and second seasons received a German-language broadcast on Nickelodeon Germany. The third and fourth seasons are broadcast in 2015 on the German Nicktoons pay TV channel. In France, only the first season has been broadcast on Nickelodeon France and J-One. A fandub project to complete the French dub was launched in 2015.
In 2017, the Kenya Film Classification Board banned "The Legend of Korra", together with the cartoon series "The Loud House", "Hey Arnold!", "Steven Universe", "Clarence" and "Adventure Time", from being broadcast in Kenya. According to the Board, the reason was that these series were "glorifying homosexual behavior".
Streaming and home media.
"The Legend of Korra" got added to Netflix for streaming on August 14, 2020 in the United States. "The Legend of Korra" will be removed from Netflix on April 16, 2025 in the United States.
All episodes of the series have also been released through digital download services, DVD and Blu-ray formats. The DVD releases contain extra features such as audio commentary from the creators, cast and crew for some episodes, and the Blu-ray releases contain commentary for additional episodes.
The following table indicates the release dates of the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the series:
Reception.
Ratings.
The series premiere averaged 4.5 million viewers, ranking it as basic cable's number-one kids' show and top animated program for the week with total viewers. "The Legend of Korra" also ranks as the network's most-watched animated series premiere in three years.
"Book One: Air" drew an average of 3.8 million viewers per episode. This was the highest audience total for an animated series in the United States in 2012.
"Book Two: Spirits" premiered with 2.6 million viewers. Suggested explanations for the reduced number of broadcast viewers were: the long period between seasons, a change in time slot (Friday evening instead of Saturday morning), the increased availability of digital download services, and generally reduced ratings for the Nickelodeon channel.
"Book Three: Change" aired on short notice in June 2014 after Spanish-language versions of some episodes were leaked on the Internet. The season premiered with 1.5 million viewers. After declining TV ratings in the third season, Nickelodeon stopped airing the series on its main network


Southern Charm
Southern Charm is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on March 3, 2014. The series chronicles the personal and professional lives of several socialites who reside in Charleston, South Carolina.
The show focuses on the Southern culture, along with the political history of the area, and has featured local historical places including Lewisfield Plantation and Mikell House.
Production.
On July 14, 2014, "Southern Charm" was renewed for a second season, which premiered on March 16, 2015. Jenna King did not return. The second season featured Craig Conover, Shep Rose, Cameran Wimberly, Thomas Ravenel, and Whitney Sudler-Smith all returning, with Kathryn Calhoun Dennis and Landon Clements joining the main cast.
The third season premiered on April 4, 2016. All cast members returned from the previous season. The fourth season was announced on February 16, 2017, and premiered on April 3. Sudler-Smith left the main cast after season three, and was featured in a recurring capacity in following seasons. Conover, Rose, Wimberly, Ravenel, Dennis and Clements all returned for season four, with Austen Kroll being added to the main cast.
In February 2018, Bravo announced the fifth season and it premiered on April 5, 2018. Clements did not return, and Chelsea Meissner was promoted to the main cast for season five. In August 2018, Ravenel announced his departure from the show after five seasons due to sexual assault allegations against him, as well as claiming that the show "took advantage of him." Bravo confirmed his departure in September 2018 after Ravenel was arrested and charged with assault and battery. The sixth season premiered on May 15, 2019, with Wimberly, Rose, Conover, Dennis, Kroll, and Meissner all returning, with both Naomie Olindo and Eliza Limehouse added to the main cast.
Season seven was announced on September 24, 2020, and premiered on October 29, 2020. Filming of the seventh season was paused in spring 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, it was confirmed that Cameran Eubanks, Naomie Olindo, and Chelsea Meissner would not be returning to the show for the seventh season. In August 2020, Eliza Limehouse confirmed that she too was departing the series ahead of season seven. Leva Bonaparte, Madison LeCroy, and John Pringle were introduced as series regulars, joining Conover, Rose, Dennis, and Kroll in the main cast.
Season 8 premiered on June 23, 2022, with Olivia Flowers, Venita Aspen, Chleb Ravenell and Taylor Ann Green joining Conover, Rose, Dennis, Kroll, Bonaparte, and Olindo as part of the main cast. Madison LeCroy and John Pringle were reduced to recurring roles, while Marcie Hobbs was introduced as a friend of the cast. Filming for the season wrapped in December 2021, and the trailer dropped on May 16, 2022.
In August 2023, it was announced that the ninth season of the show would premiere on September 14, 2023. Conover, Rose, Kroll, Bonaparte, Aspen, Flowers and Green all returned along with LeCroy who was upgraded back to a full time role. Rod Razavi, Rodrigo Reyes and Jarrett Thomas joined as new main cast members. Dennis and Olindo did not return.
In October 2024, it was announced that the tenth season would premiere on December 5, 2024. Conover, Rose, Kroll, Bonaparte, Aspen, Green, LeCroy, Reyes and Thomas all returned, alongside new main cast members Ryan Albert, Salley Carson and Molly O’Connell joining the cast. Flowers and Razavi were not asked back to return for the tenth season. In November 2024, Thomas exited the series after two seasons, saying that he would cease filming the series immediately.
Spin-offs.
On October 27, 2016, Bravo ordered a spin-off series to "Southern Charm", titled "Southern Charm Savannah". The series follows the same premise as its predecessor series but is set in Savannah, Georgia. The series is produced by Haymaker Production and Aaron Rothman, Irad Eyal, Sara Nichols, Luke Neslage and Jessica Chesler, Jason Weinberg, Bryan Kestner and Whitney Sudler-Smith serve as the series' executive producers. The series premiered on May 8, 2017.
In April 2017, Bravo announced it was ordering two spin-offs, "Southern Charm New Orleans" and "RelationShep." "RelationShep" premiered on December 4, 2017, and followed the "Southern Charm" cast member as he looked for love. "Southern Charm New Orleans" premiered on April 15, 2018 and its second season premiered on June 2, 2019.
In February 2021, main castmembers Craig Conover and Austen Kroll were involved in a joint spin-off of "Southern Charm" and "Summer House" titled "Winter House", in which Conover and Kroll join stars of "Summer House" for a trip to Stowe, Vermont. A preview of the spin-off aired after the fifth-season finale of "Summer House" in April 2021, and it premiered in October 2021. Conover and Kroll returned for the second season of "Winter House", which premiered on October 13, 2022.
In May 2022, Bravo ordered a spin-off starring main cast member Leva Bonaparte titled "Southern Hospitality" that follows Bonaparte and the staff of her Charleston nightclub, Republic Garden & Lounge. The series debuted on November 28, 2022.
References.
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

Snow Falls (Once Upon a Time)
"Snow Falls" is the third episode of the American fairy tale/drama television series "Once Upon a Time". The series takes place in the fictional seaside town of Storybrooke, Maine, in which the residents are actually characters from various fairy tales that were transported to the "real world" town by a powerful curse. This episode centers on the first meeting of Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming (Joshua Dallas), when the former steals his mother's ring; Charming hunts her down, but they later part amicably. Meanwhile, Snow's Storybrooke counterpart, Mary Margaret (Goodwin), develops a personal bond with a comatose John Doe (Dallas) while reading him fairy tales. During the night, he awakens and escapes the hospital; Mary Margaret locates the amnesiac man, but is dismayed to learn that he is married.
The episode was written by co-executive producer Liz Tigelaar, while being directed by Dean White. It featured the first appearance of David Anders as Dr. Whale and Anastasia Griffith in the dual role of Kathryn Nolan and Princess Abigail. "Snow Falls" serves as a prequel to the pilot episode. Goodwin injured herself during filming and received facial stitches in a local emergency room, though she and Dallas still called the episode their favorite up to that point. Starring cast members Raphael Sbarge and Robert Carlyle did not appear in the episode
It first aired in the United States on ABC on November 6, 2011. An estimated 11.4 million viewers tuned into the episode, and it placed second in its timeslot, though it garnered five percent fewer viewers than the previous episode. "Snow Falls" received generally positive reviews from television critics, with several calling it an indication that the series was improving over time. The chemistry between Goodwin and Dallas was particularly highlighted for praise. A novelization of the episode was released in 2013.
Plot.
Opening sequence.
A troll is shown in the forest.
In the characters' past.
In the Enchanted Forest, a guarded carriage carrying Prince Charming (Joshua Dallas) and his fiancee, Abigail (Anastasia Griffith), is halted by a roadblock. Charming notices a fallen tree is blocking the road, and that it was cut on purpose. The carriage is ambushed by a hooded vagabond, who takes Charming's bag of valuables, including a wedding ring. Charming pursues and knocks the mysterious thief off their horse. He discovers it is a woman, Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin). Before he can get an answer as to why she stole his bag, Snow hits him with a rock, surprising and cutting him to make her escape. Charming vows that he will find her.
Later, Charming tracks Snow and nets her in a trap. Snow reluctantly agrees to show Charming where she sold his jewels. Along the way, Charming discovers a wanted poster of Snow in her bag. Snow claims the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) blames her for ruining her life. Charming asks if this is true and she admits it is.
As they reach a river, Snow once again tricks Charming and escapes again, only to be captured moments later by the Queen's henchmen. Their orders are to cut out Snow's heart and bring it to the Queen. Charming attacks the henchmen with his sword, killing two. One henchman gets away with Snow, and Charming quickly dispatches him with an arrow. Now that he has saved Snow, she decides to trust him, and agrees to lead him to the place where she sold the items.
They reach the dilapidated bridge where Snow sold Charming's goods to a group of trolls. When she asks the trolls if she can buy back the ring, the trolls become suspicious and discover the wanted poster of Snow, leading to a fight. Snow comes to Charming's rescue by using fairy dust to turn the trolls into bugs. Charming is surprised that Snow saved him, but she wants to repay him for saving her life. As she hands him back the items, including the wedding ring, Snow looks at the ring, then places it on her finger before handing it back to him as they go their separate ways.
In Storybrooke.
In the present day, during a night out with Dr. Whale (David Anders), Mary Margaret (Goodwin) tries to make a little conversation with him; however, he is busy ogling Ruby (Meghan Ory), prompting Mary Margaret to leave the cafe by herself. As she walks back to her apartment, she notices Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) in her car reading a newspaper and searching for a place to stay. Mary Margaret offers Emma a spare room at her apartment. The following day, Mary Margaret notices Henry (Jared S. Gilmore) looking at the comatose John Doe (Dallas) while they are setting up decorations at the hospital. Henry believes that John Doe is Prince Charming and Mary Margaret is Snow White. Henry asks her to read to Charming from the storybook, convinced that it will wake him up. Emma persuades Mary Margaret to go along with Henry's wishes so that they can prove the stories aren't real. At the hospital, Mary Margaret reads the stories to the patient, until his hand grabs hers, shocking Mary Margaret. She tells Dr. Whale that Charming might be waking up, but the doctor does not believe her. After she leaves, Dr. Whale calls Regina (Parrilla), as he had been instructed to do should there be a change in John Doe's state, revealing that he had been lying to Mary Margaret.
The next day, Emma, Henry and Mary Margaret stop by the hospital to see him, only to discover that the patient has left on his own and might be bleeding. Regina and Sheriff Graham (Jamie Dornan) have also shown up, since Regina is the emergency contact for John Doe. She claims that she had found him on the side of the road unconscious without any memory of what or who he was. As Regina takes Henry home, Emma, Mary Margaret, and the sheriff decide to investigate what happened and visit the security room. They encounter the janitor Leroy (Lee Arenberg), and the security guard Walter, who was sleeping on the job (since he is actually Sleepy). Emma and the others discover that John Doe went out into the woods.
As Emma, Mary Margaret, and Graham search the wooded area for John Doe, they are joined by Henry. Henry believes that the patient is looking for Mary Margaret. They soon discover the patient lying near the bridge seen in the fairytale flashback, and Mary Margaret revives him. As they take him back to the hospital, Regina shows up with a woman named Kathryn (Griffith), and states that she is his wife and that the patient's name is David Nolan. This devastates Mary Margaret, as she had begun to develop feelings for the patient. Emma becomes suspicious of Regina's ability to find Nolan's wife and questions why Kathryn never bothered to search for him before. Although Regina claims that past hospital surveillance tapes had David mentioning Kathryn's name in his sleep, Emma still believes that Regina is lying. Later that evening, Emma arrives at Mary Margaret's place and agrees to take up the offer of staying with the teacher.
Production.
"Snow Falls" was written by co-executive producer Liz Tigelaar, while being directed by "The Shield" veteran Dean White. The episode features the first appearance of Anastasia Griffith as Abigail/Kathryn Nolan, a recurring role. Her casting was announced in early August 2011, with her character being variously described as "spoiled" and "regal". Actor David Anders also made his first appearance in this episode as Dr. Whale.
The episode serves as a prequel to the events of the pilot. In October 2011, Ginnifer Goodwin told reporters that she was excited to portray the beginning of Snow and Charming's relationship "because it is based more on animosity and manipulation and selfishness." She added that "they have a very far way to go from their moment of meeting to falling in love," making the episode "greatly challenging and fun."
In the scene in which Snow White is captured by The Queen's henchmen, Goodwin tweeted that the horse ran right into her, sending her flying and injuring her hand and face. Goodwin explained that "we go on quite an adventure and I came away with an actual, physical scar from it." The incident required that the actress' face receive stitches in a hospital emergency room. Goodwin and Joshua Dallas said that it was their favorite episode up to that point, with Dallas saying it was "lot of fun to shoot and it’s just great." In another tweet, Goodwin commented that Jennifer Morrison taught her to perform CPR during a scene with Dallas, as Morrison learned the procedure while she was a regular on "House M.D."
The episode was included in "Reawakened: A Once Upon a Time Tale" – a novelization of the first season – which was written by Odette Beane and published by Hyperion Books in May 2013. The novel is intended to give "fans of the show a whole new look at their favorite characters and stories," and is alternately set from the perspective of Emma Swan and Snow White, who narrate events in Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest, respectively.
Reception.
Ratings.
"Snow Falls" first aired in the United States on November 6, 2011, earning strong ratings. It was watched by an estimated 11.4 million viewers, five percent less than the previous episode. It earned a ratings share of 3.7 among adults aged 18 to 49 and a 6.6 score among overall viewers. The episode ranked second in its timeslot behind "Football Night In America" on NBC but ahead of "The Simpsons" on the Fox network and "The Amazing Race" on CBS. In Canada, the episode was watched by an estimated 1.732 million viewers, a rise from the previous episode's 1.44 million. The show ranked 16th overall for the week.
Reviews.
The episode was met with generally positive reviews.
Writing for Zap2it, Andrea Reiher stated that this episode was the best since the pilot, explaining that "if they continue to be this good, this show should be in for a long run." Reiher cited Goodwin's "wonderful, captivating" performance and the parallels between the Storybrooke and Enchanted Forest stories as particular highlights. In a review from "TV Fanatic", writer Christine Orlando stated that the episode "had me on the edge of my seat and enjoying the ride," giving particular praise to Snow and Charming's chemistry-filled early relationship. Orlando concluded, "Snow White, the character I had the least interest in two weeks ago, held her own and then some. Heck, I was so enthralled by her story that, for the first time ever, I can't wait to learn more." "Sound on Sight"'s Ricky D thought it wise that the episode focused on Snow and Charming, "without feeling the need to include multiple stories." He felt that Goodwin had "excellent" chemistry with Dallas and that her performance saved the "silliness of the modern day plot," especially in her developing relationship with Emma.
IGN's Amy Ratcliffe gave "Snow Falls" a score of 8 out of 10 and felt that while "everyone delivered solid performances... Goodwin stole the show" for playing a character who was "not an innocent, doe-eyed girl." Like Orlando, Ratcliffe also felt that "Goodwin and Dallas hit a perfect rhythm every time they share the screen," but expressed concern about how the series would continue cutting between both worlds. Shaunna Murphy of "Entertainment Weekly" cited "Snow Falls" as evidence that the show was continuing down the "fortunate path of getting better each week." Murphy was interested in Sheriff Graham, speculating that he might be the Huntsman from "Snow White," which would be a "good, complicated role for him." "The A.V. Club" reviewer Oliver Sava was less positive, giving the episode a grade of C−. He was pleased the plot moved forward, but felt the execution did not work; he cited the "major problems" of "the lack of any sort of subtlety, nonsensical story developments, and Henry." Sava derided the "corny dialogue" and use of flashbacks, but wrote that the "best thing" about the episode was the introduction of Dr. Whale and Kathryn Nolan, and also praised the acting.
References.
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

We Are Both
"We Are Both" is the second episode of the second season of the American ABC fantasy/drama television series "Once Upon a Time", and the show's 24th episode overall, which aired on October 7, 2012.
It was written by Jane Espenson and directed by Dean White.
In this episode, Regina tries to be a good mother, while flashbacks show her first encounter with Rumpelstiltskin.
Plot.
Opening Sequence.
The tree branches in the forest start moving and extend their lengths.
Event Chronology.
The Enchanted Forest events take place after "The Stable Boy" and before the flashbacks of Regina in "It's Not Easy Being Green". The Storybrooke events take place after "Broken".
In the Characters' Past.
In the Enchanted Forest, during a horse ride, a young Regina (Lana Parrilla) is prevented from running away by her mother Cora (Barbara Hershey) via magic. Cora wants to make sure that Regina goes through with the wedding to King Leopold and states that Regina is only nervous about having the power that a queen is given, but Regina tells her mother that she wants to be free. Cora replies by saying that power is freedom. After having a daydream in which she strangles a young Snow White (Bailee Madison), Regina tells her father Henry (Tony Perez) about her fear of becoming like Cora. He then explains to her about Cora's past, in which she met a man who gave Cora a book of spells. Later that night, Regina takes the book from under Cora's pillow and summons Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle), the book's owner. Rumplestiltskin reveals that he had known Regina since she was very young and is surprised that she is kind and compassionate, unlike her family trait. When Regina asks him how to deal with Cora, Rumplestiltskin gives her a gift: a looking-glass that acts as a portal to another world.
On the day of the wedding, Regina tries to push Cora into the mirror but fails at her first attempt, unknown to Cora, Rumplestiltskin appears in the mirror and makes pushing gestures. So Regina tries again and succeeds and the glass shatters. Now that she was free of Cora, Regina decides to flee only to have Rumplestiltskin stop her and ask if she liked using magic. When Regina says yes, Rumplestiltskin offers his services to help her learn about magic, on the condition that she will owe him a favor.
In Storybrooke.
At the city limits, the seven dwarves, led by Grumpy/Leroy (Lee Arenberg), congregate at the line of the town's border. They pick straws to see who will be the one to cross it and Sneezy is the unfortunate winner. As the first victim of what happens when residents leave Storybrooke, he loses the memories of his fairytale life and completely becomes his Storybrooke persona, Tom Clark. Meanwhile, as the residents are trying to clean up after the wraith's attack, Geppetto/Marco (Tony Amendola) is putting missing person signs up, hoping to find Pinocchio. Prince Charming/David (Josh Dallas) goes to Regina's house to demand answers about the Mad Hatter/Jefferson's (Sebastian Stan) hat and how to get Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) and Snow White/Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) back, but Regina pretends she doesn't know how and says she is more concerned about Henry (Jared S. Gilmore). When Charming asks the Blue Fairy/Mother Superior (Keegan Connor Tracy) if there is any way that can send them back, she tells him that there is no fairy dust to make it work. At that moment, the dwarves return and explain what happened to Sneezy after he crossed the city limits, causing the displaced characters to panic. Charming tells the citizens to meet back in two hours and he will tell them his plan.
Later on, Regina, whose magic is not as powerful as it was, visits Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold for a favor, which is to win back Henry. Although Mr. Gold refuses to help Regina regain her full powers, he does give her a book and notes that she has become more like her mother, Cora. Meanwhile, as Charming practices his speech to deliver to Storybrooke, Henry notices the hat and tells him that it belongs to the Mad Hatter. Charming stops by Mr. Gold's shop to ask for help and is given a locator spell on the condition that he will stay out of Gold's way. After Charming tells Mr. Gold what happens when people cross the city border, he is enraged and smashes some glass in his shop.
At the town hall, the residents are surprised to see Regina show up instead of Charming as she unleashes her powers, only to be stopped by Henry, who agrees to go with her. Across town, Charming tries the potion on the hat and finds Jefferson, who tells Charming that he can't help him, not knowing that the fairytale world still exists. As Jefferson flees, Charming chases after him and is stopped by Red Riding Hood/Ruby (Meghan Ory), who tells him that Regina took Henry and now the citizens are trying to leave Storybrooke. Charming drives in front of everyone seconds before they cross the town's border and tells them that they will lose their memories of their lives and of their loved ones if they cross the border. He also tells them he wants to remain both David and the Prince, and the people should embrace both identities and memories. He then tells the residents that they will find a way to defeat Regina but will have to do it together. The citizens are moved by the speech and return to Storybrooke. Charming then heads to Regina's house with his sword in tow only to have her relinquish Henry to him without struggle. Regina also reveals that, somehow, the fairytale land does still exist. She contemplates burning the book of spells in her fireplace, but ultimately stashes it away in a safe.
At the diner, Henry tells Geppetto where he can find Pinocchio, but Geppetto finds that he has disappeared from his room. Charming tells Henry that he believes Emma and Snow/Mary Margaret are alive, in the fairytale world, and he can feel their presence.
In the Enchanted Forest.
Hours after waking up from being thrown into the fairy tale land by the wraith, Emma and Mary Margaret have been captured by Mulan (Jamie Chung) and Princess Aurora (Sarah Bolger). They are tied and walking behind Mulan, who is on a horse. After reaching their refuge, an isolated island off a desolate beach, Emma and Mary Margaret attempt to escape, but Mulan flings a bola at Mary Margaret, knocking her out. Mulan orders the refugees to take them to "the pit." As Emma tries to wake up Mary Margaret, she hears a voice offering to help, and it turns out to be Cora, Regina's estranged mother.
Production.
"We Are Both" was written by consulting producer Jane Espenson, while being directed by "The Shield" veteran Dean White.
In an interview with Zap2it, Raphael Sbarge was asked about what viewers can expect from this episode concerning the characters stuck in Storybrooke: "We are now faced with the crisis of consciousness, that is, the curse has ended and now what's to be done?" He also added that "with the awareness that the curse is ended, the fact that the person who has perpetrated the curse does also come front and center. There's some turmoil in Storybrooke for sure and we're seeing some fallout." He also went on to say that "[the creators] are really expanding the canvas of the characters that we know. There's a small army of them coming," says Sbarge. "And in the course of that, those of us who were at the center of the original Storybrooke universe are more on the periphery. It's very similar to what happened on 'Lost,' where things kind of expanded out a bit. We're all there, no one's going anywhere. But there's really an expansion of our family."
In a 2016 interview, Lana Parrilla said that the message, "We are both," informs her interpretation of every episode.
Cultural references.
Near the end of the closing scene, the Dwarfs, minus Sneezy, take their pick axes and walk down to the mines, singing "Heigh-Ho." This scene follows the same scene from the Disney film.
Reception.
Ratings.
The episode saw a drop from the previous showing (and from last season's second episode), being viewed by 9.84 million people, and garnering a 3.4/9 Nielsen rating/share in the key 18–49 demographic. However, it continued to lead among scripted shows outside NFL Football and "The Amazing Race".
Reviews.
The episode received positive reviews from critics.
"The Huffington Post's" Laura Prudom liked how the storylines came together without being rushed: "The second episode of Season 2, 'We Are Both,' had a lot more breathing room, resulting in an hour that emphasized what the show does best: compelling backstory, fascinating character interplay, and a lot of secrets still to be revealed," adding that it "did an excellent job of peeling back some of those layers, revealing that Rumple has known Regina since she was a baby, and had a particularly unnerving fascination with her back in 'the fairytale land that was.'"
Amy Ratcliffe of "IGN" gave the episode a 9.5, saying that "this week's 'Once Upon a Time' was full of heart and much needed character development."
The "A.V. Club's" Oliver Sava gave this episode a B, citing the buildup in how the storylines are starting to come together: "After such a big reveal, it’s underwhelming to spend almost this entire week’s chapter away from Emma and Snow White, showing in the last five minutes that they’ve become prisoners of Aurora and Mulan. Granted, the final shot of this episode justifies the fairyback, but it still cuts into the momentum that this show built up during the season première." Sava also added that "It’s a great acting moment from Josh Dallas, who shows that he can play an authoritative leader as well as he can a lovesick heartthrob."
References.
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

The New Neverland
"The New Neverland" is the tenth episode of the third season of the American fantasy drama series "Once Upon a Time", and the show's 54th episode overall. The episode, which aired December 8, 2013, was written by Andrew Chambliss and directed by Ron Underwood.
In this episode, The residents of Storybrooke are overjoyed upon the return of Henry (Jared S. Gilmore) and the rest of the crew from Neverland. But unbeknownst to them, a plan is secretly being put into place by a well-hidden Peter Pan (Robbie Kay) that will shake up the very lives of the townspeople. Meanwhile, in the Fairytale Land that was, Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming’s (Josh Dallas) honeymoon turns out to be anything but romantic when they go in search of a mythical being that could stop Regina (Lana Parrilla) cold in her tracks.
Commentators on the episode gave mixed to positive reviews, with some commenting positively on Gilmore and Kay's roles, but others commenting negatively on the show's dependency on flashbacks. Upon airing, the episode also saw a slight increase in ratings, with 6.94 million viewers and an 18-49 rating of 2.1.
Plot.
Opening Sequence.
Medusa appears in the forest.
In the Characters' Past.
At the Kingdom castle, Snow White and Prince Charming prepare for their wedding day. But just moments after they are married, Regina's threatening the whole kingdom, which will lead up to events of the curse. This threat causes Snow White to postpone her honeymoon, but relents to Charming and says they'll go to the Summer Palace instead. After Charming carries Snow over the threshold, and after he leaves the room, Snow, who actually had other plans to defeat her stepmother, puts on her archer's outfit and jumps out the window, unaware that Charming was waiting for her, as he predicted that she was planning something behind his back. Snow tells her husband that her plan was to travel to the Gorgon Cave, where she hopes to find the Greek mythical individual known as Medusa by cutting off her head and sending it to Regina so she will turn to stone. Believing this is too risky for Snow, Charming insists on coming along anyway.
As the couple arrive inside the Gorgon Cave, Snow and Charming seek out Medusa by playing cat and mouse. Unfortunately, Snow's sword disintegrates upon making contact with Medusa's neck and worse yet, Charming looks up at the wrong moment after he sees Medusa, and he turns to stone. Regina then contacts Snow through her rippled shield and taunts her stepdaughter for destroying her own happiness – she never lifted a finger to get Snow in mortal danger, she did it all by herself. This leads Snow to realize she can get Medusa to destroy herself by looking at Medusa's face in the shield, which is as shiny as a mirror. The ploy works and Medusa turns herself into stone, resulting in Charming returning to human form. The two decide to give up their plans to destroy Regina and they return to the Summer Palace, where Snow later admits to Charming that she was obsessed with defeating Regina because she wants to have a baby. But now that she realizes whether or not the Evil Queen's threat will happen, they have to move forward.
In Storybrooke.
As the individuals return from Neverland in their triumphant rescue of Henry (Jared S. Gilmore), we also discover that Ariel has reunited with Prince Eric, working as a fisherman, and hugs her. The "Jolly Roger" flies in for a landing and Wendy reunites with her brothers, and the entire town breaks out a joyous reunion of hugs and congratulations. Amidst the celebration, Henry (whose body is occupied by Peter Pan) wants to "punish" Felix, who is in on the secret, as Pan is ready to set his plan in motion. All parties tell "Henry" that as long as "Peter Pan" (whose body is occupied by Henry) is inside Pandora's Box, he will never escape and only Gold can release it. Meanwhile, over at Granny's, Hook tells Neal he is planning to back off of going after Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), thinking that Emma is going to reject Neal, who then talks to Emma about a lunch date to break the ice after 11 years. Around the same time, and despite support from Regina, Mother Superior won't give Tinker Bell back her wings because Tinker Bell doesn't believe in herself enough to keep the pixie dust alive. After Henry (Pan) tells Emma that he wants to stay with Regina, she begins to suspect that Henry is exhibiting strange behavior. As Regina returns to her home, Pan then stalks around Henry's "old room," then as Regina comes in he asks her about Regina's magic vault, pretending he wants it to protect himself from Pan. Regina tells him the vault is sealed because it's dangerous, and after she puts the book down, which Pan has been studying, she tucks him in. As soon as she leaves the room, Pan opens the window, and summons the Shadow, who breaks free from the "Jolly Roger" sails and starts flying.
At Granny's the next day, Gold gives David the antidote to the dreamshade poison. Gold however asked David that there will be no price for this cure but will ask for a future favor. After David drinks the potion, he kisses Mary Margaret and tells her he's ready to restart a family, at Mary Margaret's shocked look, he tells her "Well, not right now!" but Mary Margaret explains to David that she's sad because she sees Neal eating alone, so Emma didn't take her advice. Emma is outside and is concerned about what has happened to Henry, but David gives his daughter a pep talk that good things are happening too. As he leads her back to the café, Emma wonders if he isn't really just trying to keep her away from Hook. While Emma and David share their father/daughter moment, Hook is flirting with Tinker Bell in the hallway of the rooms in Granny's Inn when they hear a scream and go running out. The two, along with Emma and David discover that the Shadow is chasing down the Mother Superior, and kills her. Hook knows the Shadow only takes orders from one person, and that person is now in Storybrooke: Peter Pan.
It turns out that Pan (as Henry) needs Regina to protect him due to the protection spell. When Emma tells Regina something's off with Henry, Regina replies that Emma forgets that Regina had 10 years of soothing him. Regina then takes "Henry" to the Vault, where he sees a sleeping potion and uses it on her. Emma suspects Pan is using the Shadow from inside the box, so she convinces Gold to release the box by taking it outside the line of Storybrooke, in a world with no magic. As Emma crosses the line, as she is the only one not affected by the curse, Gold opens the box and Peter Pan (who is actually Henry) suddenly appears and looks confused, calling Emma "mom". As Mary Margaret, David and Belle witness this, Emma holds him off with a gun but Gold insists she shoot him, until Emma asks "Pan" to tell her something only Henry would know, then convinces everyone when he tells her that they first connected in "his castle," and that she gave him up because it was “his best chance”. Emma believes him. As everyone hugs the "Real Henry," Gold apologizes for doubting him. The individuals then join Hook, Neal and Tinker Bell at the Vault, where after Gold pries open the door, they find Regina on the floor and Gold revives her. As Regina embraces the "Real Henry" after they hugged, Gold discovers that Pan has stolen the scroll that contained the Curse that brought everyone to Storybrooke, except this time there's nothing that even Regina and Emma can do. And as "Henry" and Felix look over the entire town, Pan reveals that once they enact the Curse, the residents will once again lose their memories and that Pan will turn Storybrooke into "the new Neverland."
Reception.
Ratings.
After two weeks of declining numbers from the previous outings, this installment posted an increase this time around, scoring a 2.1/5 among 18-49s with 6.9