Tumblr crosspost (8 November 2019)
Jul. 31st, 2021 04:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anghraineI reblogged a post/rant about the murder-suicide I'd made back in Sep 2012:
In and of itself, it’s a good scene. It’s a great one, even—emotionally powerful, heartbreaking, sound and dialogue and visuals and relationships (finally) all coming beautifully together for about two minutes. And of all the ways to arbitrarily wrap up Amon and Tarrlok’s arc in twenty-four minutes, making it immensely tragic without a touch of “rah rah!” is far preferable to a straightforward defeat. It’s an astoundingly daring and dark move, given the (…supposed) demographic.
It more or less works character-wise, too—there’s very little doubt that Noatak and Tarrlok have both existed in a state of profound self-loathing from approximately the ages of 9 and 6, and that Tarrlok had taken a sharp turn for the fatalistic by the time Korra and Mako found him. He was unwillingly and unconsciously shaped by his father’s ghost. Yakone set them on their paths forever. Fate brought them together. He sends Korra after Noatak and refuses freedom/agency.
Noatak is obviously a wreck (and went sharply downhill, throwing all his plans out the window from Korra’s appearance at the rally). Thanks to the tear, I think he not only knew what Tarrlok was doing, he understood why and accepted it. Tarrlok was clearly the only person he has ever been seriously devoted to. He and his little brother dying together was probably far happier than any end he might have imagined for himself.
And all of that said, I dislike it. I really, really dislike it, and the more I think about it, the more I hate it. It’s because I really feel that the narrative is endorsing Tarrlok here. Yakone did warp them that deeply. They can never overcome the damage from the abuse and torture that was their childhoods. They are twisted monsters who will inevitably harm anything they touch, no matter what their motives seem to be. No redemption is possible. No second chances. Yakone set them on this path and they were damned forever, no matter how hard they try. The only possible way out is to simply remove them both from the world. Noatak, talking hopefully of starting over again, of how anything is possible now that they’re together—he’s wrong (and vaguely disturbing). Abuse is forever!
Usually, “this seriously aired on Nickelodeon??” would be a compliment. And I don’t want to be the “what about the chiiiiiiildren” person. But seriously, that message would be quite horrifying enough elsewhere. I don’t think it has any business on a show for seven-year-olds.
In and of itself, it’s a good scene. It’s a great one, even—emotionally powerful, heartbreaking, sound and dialogue and visuals and relationships (finally) all coming beautifully together for about two minutes. And of all the ways to arbitrarily wrap up Amon and Tarrlok’s arc in twenty-four minutes, making it immensely tragic without a touch of “rah rah!” is far preferable to a straightforward defeat. It’s an astoundingly daring and dark move, given the (…supposed) demographic.
It more or less works character-wise, too—there’s very little doubt that Noatak and Tarrlok have both existed in a state of profound self-loathing from approximately the ages of 9 and 6, and that Tarrlok had taken a sharp turn for the fatalistic by the time Korra and Mako found him. He was unwillingly and unconsciously shaped by his father’s ghost. Yakone set them on their paths forever. Fate brought them together. He sends Korra after Noatak and refuses freedom/agency.
Noatak is obviously a wreck (and went sharply downhill, throwing all his plans out the window from Korra’s appearance at the rally). Thanks to the tear, I think he not only knew what Tarrlok was doing, he understood why and accepted it. Tarrlok was clearly the only person he has ever been seriously devoted to. He and his little brother dying together was probably far happier than any end he might have imagined for himself.
And all of that said, I dislike it. I really, really dislike it, and the more I think about it, the more I hate it. It’s because I really feel that the narrative is endorsing Tarrlok here. Yakone did warp them that deeply. They can never overcome the damage from the abuse and torture that was their childhoods. They are twisted monsters who will inevitably harm anything they touch, no matter what their motives seem to be. No redemption is possible. No second chances. Yakone set them on this path and they were damned forever, no matter how hard they try. The only possible way out is to simply remove them both from the world. Noatak, talking hopefully of starting over again, of how anything is possible now that they’re together—he’s wrong (and vaguely disturbing). Abuse is forever!
Usually, “this seriously aired on Nickelodeon??” would be a compliment. And I don’t want to be the “what about the chiiiiiiildren” person. But seriously, that message would be quite horrifying enough elsewhere. I don’t think it has any business on a show for seven-year-olds.