Korra arrives at the Southern Air Temple, and makes amends with Tenzin and apologizes for forsaking him as her mentor. She then explains what's been going on in the outside world to the family, and tells of the tale of Wan. Tenzin surmises that Unalaq is in league with Vaatu, and that Korra must enter the Spirit World.
He resolves to help her enter it, believing that his destiny is upon him. All his attempts fail to get Korra into the Spirit World, and he admits to never having entered the realm. Jinora, however, who is revealed to have an affinity with spirits, volunteers to do it herself. With the Harmonic Convergence rapidly approaching, Tenzin eventually relents and allows his daughter to take Korra into the Spirit World.
Meanwhile, Mako fails to convince Bolin and Asami of Varrick's treachery. The big man himself makes some rather suspect comments to Mako about Bolin and Asami's safety when he asks him to keep quiet. Later, Mako is arrested by Lin, Lu and Gang when the three find planted evidence in his room.
Unalaq and his children attempt to open the northern spirit portal, but fail after Desna is wounded in the attempt. Unalaq then prostrates himself before his master, the imprisoned Vaatu. Unalaq believes he has failed with Korra dead, leaving them without a means to open the remaining portal, but Vaatu reveals that Korra is alive and in the Spirit World.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Abusive Parent: Unalaq when trying to get into the spirit world and having Eska and Desna help him. When Desna is knocked out from the shield protecting the opening, he tells Eska to leave him and continue trying to get in. Thankfully Eska doesn't turn her back on her brother and helps him to get aid. Of course he doesn't care if they disobey him either.
- Aesop Amnesia: Asami doesn't seem to remember not to be so trusting of those who seem to want to help (her father, Hiroshi Sato), as she quickly brushes off Mako for suspecting Varrick despite the evidence.
- Bat Out of Hell: Dark Spirit bats pour out of the neglected Airbender shrine.
- Call-Back:
- Tenzin takes Korra to the Eastern Air Temple, noting that it's where his father met Guru Pathik.
- This episode reveals why Wan was able to bend in the spirit world even though Aang couldn't: he came physically into the realm via one of the portals, whereas Aang only brought his spirit there.
- Cassandra Truth: No-one believes Mako's story about Varrick being the villain, though Asami may have doubts by the end.
- Child Prodigy: Jinora is revealed to have a natural grasp for spiritual matters.
- Determinator: Tenzin tries his darn best to help Korra get into the Spirit World. But as it turns out, it's Jinora who gets to do it in the end.
- Ear Wings: Jinora is seen playing with some Invisible to Adults spirits that look like multicolored bunnies with dragonfly wings instead of ears, allowing them to fly.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Eska may not be very nice, but she still loves her brother.
- Everything's Better With Bunnies: Well, Bunny-Dragonfly spirits anyway. Sort of like smaller, cuter, bunny expies of Dumbo.
- Frame-Up: Mako is framed for the theft of goods from Future Industries and arrested.
- Genre Blind: Unalaq believes that he may be able to open the spirit portal with his bending from the spirit world side, since the spirits don't have that. He seems to have forgotten that the Avatar used bending to seal them in the first place, and is a great deal more powerful than him. Of course, he does believe Korra to be dead, which has made him desperate.
- Gross-Up Close-Up: When Varrick calls in Mako for a meeting and shows off his feet suffering from some sort of fungal infection.
- He Knows Too Much: Varrick knows Mako is on to his secret, so he first threatens Mako to halt his investigation, but when Mako doesn't comply, he frames Mako for the theft of Future Industries property and plants the evidence to have him arrested.
- Heroic Wannabe: Tenzin, sort of. He is very eager to enter and guide the Avatar through the Spirit World, convinced that that is what his father would have wanted, so it takes him a while to accept that it isn't his destiny to do so.
- I Know You Know I Know: The game that Varrick plays with Mako. Varrick knows Mako is trying to foil his plan and expose him, but Mako is aware Varrick knows this.
- Invisible to Adults: The adults can't see the Bunny-Dragonfly spirits Jinora is playing with. That is, until she asks them directly to show themselves.
- Irony: The one bit of police work Lin and the cops do through the season and it's arresting Mako for "harboring illegal goods."
- The Main Characters Do Everything: Lin personally oversees a minor search job. Maybe Mako and those other two really are the only cops she has. Though internal investigation of a detective who is closely involved with the victim, the Triads and the Avatar is probably significant enough a matter that even the Chief would want to oversee things personally.
- The Man Behind the Man: Unalaq is revealed to be working for Vaatu.
- Muggles Do It Better: Bumi claims to have beaten an earthbender in a rock-throwing contest.
- My Significance Sense Is Tingling: While they may have been separated for the last ten thousand years, Vaatu can still sense Raava's presence and as such knows that Korra is still alive and that she has entered the Spirit World.
- New Old Flame: Downplayed. Asami and Mako went on one or two dates, but they aren't exactly in a relationship.
- Not-So-Imaginary Friend: Jinora passes off her spirit friends as imaginary to Tenzin, until Kya gets her to admit (and then show) that they're real.
- The Reveal:
- This episode confirms that Vaatu and Unalaq are working together, as well as the fact that Jinora is a spiritual prodigy.
- It also reveals why Wan was able to bend in the spirit world: he came physically into the realm via one of the portals.
- Scenery Porn: The part of the spirit world Korra and Jinora enter is gorgeous.
- Scooby Stack: Kya, Bumi, Pema, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo do this when Tenzin reveals that he hasn't been to the Spirit World.
- Shame If Something Happened: Varrick when he offers Mako a job working for him, stating that Asami and Bolin will "need protection." Mako doesn't go for it. It may be a bluff, but Varrick has another threat up his sleeve.
- So Proud of You: Though Tenzin doesn't get to go to the Spirit World, he tells Jinora how proud he is of her for going there with Korra.
- This Is a Drill: Unalaq tries to open the Northern Portal with an ice drill. It fails miserably.
