‘Ello there, friends!

Please excuse the serious hiatus I’ve been on. Between straight laziness, event coordinating, and a host of other things depleting my motivation, I have not been able to write any funny stories, listicles, and the such for you guys. But that’s going to change. Why, do you ask? That’s ’cause The Legend Korra Season 4 trailer dropped today, and much like last season, I’m insanely stoked. Oh, and I’m definitely doing a trailer breakdown. *DING*

So first, before all else, watch the trailer. No, really — watch it:

There’s so much going on — not as much as last season — but clearly enough for me to lose my breath (especially in the last two seconds).

Here goes:

1. Season 3 flashbacks. If you haven’t seen the exclusive clip from the first episode of Season 4, it basically sets up our darling Korra on a boat on its way back to the South Pole for a bit of R&R. On the boat, however, Korra’s definitely going through some PTSD, with nightmares, sweats, and the whole enchilada. At the beginning of the trailer, we get a bit of a flashback to everything that happened to Korra in S3, and the reassurance from Tenzin that the new Air Nation will hold down the fort, while Korra gets better.

2. Time jump! Yes, for Season 4, we’re jumping 3 years into the future and in the very next frame, we see Korra in green, Earth Nation attire and her hands bandaged, cutting off her long hair! We then get the Season 4 title, Balance, over the Earth Kingdom symbol. We also learn that You know what the means: we can expect a ton of earth bending. Then we see that this season will be the FINAL season of Korra. Sigh… just when it started getting really good, too!!

3. Flying Air benders. After a glimpse of Korra’s eyes opening wide (no doubt after her night terrors), we get a look at Kai and another air bender flying in modified suits. It looks like the air nation is trying to take a page from Zaheer’s book (and X-Men: First Class with the design of that costume).

4. Kuvira’s back. So remember in the Season 3 (Change) two-part finale, there was a guard from Zaofu who saved Korra’s dad, Tonraq? Yes, the same one who gave him a bit of goo-goo eyes when she said her name was Kuvira. Well guys, she’s back at 48 secs and appears to be metal bending at someone in clothes that don’t look too much like the attire from Zaofu.

5. Korra’s fighting, bots are fighting, Korra’s fighting again. In the space of 3 seconds after Kuvira’s re-introduction, we see short-haired Korra throwing a punch at someone with a line of guards off to the side. Next, we see a couple of robots in what appears to be the woods facing off (giving me total Transformers and Pacific Rim feels), and then in the scene right after, we’re back to Korra defending herself from some earth bending in a ring — possibly somewhere in the Earth Kingdom.

6. Swamp time. At 52 secs, Oogi finds himself landing in swamp waters, trapped in vines, which probably means that he’s in Foggy Swamp Tribe territory. On his back appears to be Jinora, Icki, and Meelo suggesting their on a little mission of their own. At 53 secs we’ve got more of Ms. Kuvira breaking out some bending skills, while at 54 secs we have a shot of old Korra (long hair and Water Tribe clothed) doing some bending in a swamp in the Avatar State. At 55 secs, Korra’s back in her new Earth nation look, with a satchel on her back, bending water at a metal bender (or soldier) wearing the same threads as Kuvira. She strikes an electrical device that blows up as the soldier runs for safety.

7. Suyin braces herself. At around 57 secs, we are re-introduced to Suyin Beifong (Toph’s daughter, Lin’s sister) in a metal suit. She’s flanked by two young men in similar suits — possibly her twin sons — and she bows her head as though she’s getting ready for a battle. This scene is immediately followed fleet of metal air ships hovering in the air over an army of robots. In between them are flags of the Earth Kingdom emblem, re-drawn in metal with 5 metal stars beneath it. Looks like a fight for the kingdom is upon us! 

8. Korra’s in trouble; Jinora to the rescue. At about 1 min. there’s a soldier running for his dear sweet life (in Kuvira’s garb) in a rocky forest, and then it cuts to new Korra trapped in a pool of liquid metal. She struggles to get out, but is almost completely submerged. At 1:03, there’s an air bender doing some sweet gymnastics off of Oogi in the air bending flying suits and a glimpse of the character’s face appears to have a blue tattoo on it, suggesting it’s Jinora.

9. Metal vs. Air, Korra’s back! Between 1:05 and 1:09 a lot of stuff goes down. We see metal robots walking against a ton of wind blowing in their direction, followed by a scene where New-Old Korra (Korra with her hair cut, wearing her Water Tribe clothes) standing in a freight-like entrance with a stone wall rising. She’s obviously still in the Earth Kingdom as there’s some rock crystals lighting the room. By 1:08, New-Old Korra appears to be back in Republic City and she’s earth bending her tiny tush off.

10. Kuvira’s goons; Korra fights. At 1:09 we’re introduced to Kuvira’s goons which include two generals of sorts and an old adviser standing behind her. She stands at an entrance to a locale in the Earth Kingdom with her modified Earth Kingdom flag dangling from an archway and robots with the new Pai Sho tile on their chest. By 1:10 new Korra is back to fighting, this time she’s fire bending, and at 1:11 we’re introduced to a new guy with a ponytail, holding on a rope (possibly attached to an airship) with a sword in his hand. His clothes suggest he’s from the Earth Kingdom.

11. Jinora’s got hair! At 1:12 Jinora is flying in one of the new air bending flying suits, and she’s got hair — well, on the back hair of her head. She soars through a town overrun with vines, suggesting she’s back in Republic City. In the next frame, we see new Korra fighting back someone’s bending.

12. The gang’s back — sorta. At 1:14, we see New-Old Korra hopping out of a moving vehicle in Republic city, being driving by Asami with a swanked-out Mako is in the passenger seat. At 1:15, we’e back to new Korra falling from a tree in the swamp, and at 1:17 we see Asami throwing some serious martial arts moves on an Earth Kingdom goon on top of a moving train.

13. Bolin’s lava bending! At 1:18, New-Old Korra is looking over her shoulder cautiously, at 1:19 a Kuvira Earth Kingdom robot is shooting fire at its target, and at 1:20 Bolin makes his return lava bending!!

14. Everyone’s fighting! New-Old Korra is defending Asami and some other Earth Kingdom folk by metal bending weapons away from them at 1:22, and Kuvira is dodging a fire-bending attack in the next frame. At 1:23, a guys in Kuvira’s digs is avoiding a collision of two robots being smashed into each other and in the same frame, Kuvira prepares to strike.

15. Return to Republic City. New-Old Korra is on top of a moving truck and metal bending her way inside at 1:24, and two seconds later, Swanky Mako is defending (or fighting) someone with his fire bending. At 1:27, Kuvira is preparing to fight again, while at 1:29, New-Old Korra and possibly Swanky Mako is seeking refuge in an abandoned building covered in vines. By 1:30, Bolin is back to his regular earth bending, but he’s rocking Kuvira soldier attire (hopefully in disguise!).

16. Air benders take flight. At 1:32, Icki, Meelo, and Jinora are all flying in their new air bending flying robes alongside Oogi. Jinora’s hair has grown all the way in, just revealing the arrow on her forehead, Meelo has hair, and Icki is older (wearing long hair) as well.

17. Lurking McLurkster. At 1:35 we get a chilling ghost-like vision of old Korra in the Avatar state in an alleyway in the Earth Kingdom. When a man walks past her, she suddenly vanishes. This could be a part of Korra’s PTSD.

18. Korra goes through some changes. At 1:37 we see new(-old) Korra wearing an Earth Kingdom coat, trudging through the snow in the depths of the South Pole. She stops and watches the beam of light coming from the portal. At 1:39, we see new Korra walking through swamp vines towards a shining light, and then at 1:42, we so old Korra sitting in her wheelchair looking helpless. At 1:44 we see a slow-motion of Korra in the swamp water, with one of her eyes swollen from bruising and at 1:46, she’s sitting on a tree trunk in the swamp, hugging her legs into her chest.

19. Clear divide. At 1:47 we see Kuvira and her army standing firm. At 1:48, we see Opal, Suyin’s daughter, looking disappointed among a group of Earth Kingdom citizens cheering on someone — possibly Kuvira.

20. Meet the Fire Lord. At 1:50, we meet some of the world leaders including Tenzin, Republic City President Raiko, Prince Zuko, and his daughter, the Fire Lord, sitting next to him. Standing behind them are the metal benders of the Republic City police.

21. Korra’s got her game face. At 1:52, Korra prepares to fight someone (possibly Kuvira) while an army of Kuvira’s soldiers stand behind her holding flags. At 1:53, Oogi is flying through the air with the kids on his back, no doubt, and at 1:55 we see elderly Katara in her home bending her healing waters. In the next frame, new Korra (or someone from the Earth Kingdom) is in the desert on her knees, at 1:56 Kuvira gets into a fighting stance with a smirk on her face. At 1:57, New-Old Korra looks somewhat hert, and at 1:58, Varrick’s assitant Zhu Li is in a metal suit, gearing up to kick some butt.

22. Ish goes down. At 1:59, Korra and (possibly) Swanky Mako head to an old temple guarded by the White Lotus, and at the 2 min. mark we see the silhouette of a woman walking across a volcanic mountainside. At 2:01, Varrick has a maniacal face (in Kuvira’s soldier uniform) in a moving vehicle, and at 2:01, Kai is flying in his suit, air bending a moving car. At 2:03, New-Old Korra is moving through the spirit world at an incredible speed and then we’re giving the show title.

23. But wait, there’s more!  At 2:14, we see a beaten new Korra (swollen eye and all) fire bending for light. She looks in amazement as she says, “I can’t believe it. Toph?”

I don’t know about you, but hearing “Toph” made me LITERALLY gasp aloud. The breath left my body as if Zaheer bent it out of my lungs, OK?!

From the looks of it all, Korra has some serious demons she’s fighting against, and it seems like she’s going through a journey to find herself. By cutting her hair and wearing Earth Nation garbs, I gather she’s going on a quest to prove she’s strong and will have a little “Blind Bandit” street fighting time, before realizing that she’s good enough to re-assume her work as Avatar. The time jump will be pretty interesting and with it being the final season, it’s sweet that they’re making an effort to bring back more members of the original team Avatar (except for Aang and Sokka who are dead *tear*).

Seeing as it’s going to be the last season of Korra, and probably the last show in the franchise — though I hope they find a way to bring us back to the world — I will be making it my personal duty to do a weekly recap Korra on BlackGirlNerds.com, with a post-cap of all my feelings here.

We’re only 7 days away from the FINAL season guys, so prepare for the end.

Legend of Korra, Book 4: Balance premieres Friday, October 3 on Nickelodeon.com.

Are you ready for the final season of Legend of Korra? Tell me all about it in the comments below, or hit me up on Twitter to geek out!