The exciting two-parter premiere of The Legend of Korra season 2 aired tonight! Check out our recap of all of the exciting events that took place.

The Legend of Korra season 2, episode 1 “Rebel Spirit” recap

As the episode opens, dark spirits are lurking in the Southern Water tribe, attacking fisherman at sea. Meanwhile, Bolin’s Probending with two new teammates, Mako’s hunting vigilantes down in Republic City, and Asami’s concerned with the future of her father’s company after his incarceration, making plans to visit a mogul in the Southern Water Tribe for advice.

Back at Air Temple Island, Tenzin scolds Korra on her lack of Airbending knowledge. He decides that he and his family will visit the Southern Water Tribe to both train Korra in the art of Airbending, and see the Glacier Spirit Festival. Mako, Bolin, and Asami come along.

Upon arriving, we’re introduced to Aang and Katara’s third child, Kya. Korra’s uncle Unalaq (chief of the Northern Water Tribe) arrives with his twin children Eska and Desna. Bolin is into Eska. Korra’s father and uncle share a brotherly tense moment.

Later on, Asami and Bolin venture meet the eccentric mogul Varick. Varick doesn’t care for Asami’s attitude, but she’s happy when Varick takes a liking to Bolin.

At a celebratory dinner, Unalaq states that the Northern Water Tribe must help the Southern fend off the angry spirits. Unalaq offers to help Korra train her spiritual side, much to the protest of her father and Tenzin.

At the Glacier Sprit Festival, Bolin flirts with Eska, winning her over. Meanwhile, Mako tells Korra he’ll support her not matter her choice of who to train with, upon which she becomes upset.

That night, Naga wakes up the crew on a mountainside villa right before a creature called The Dark Spirit attacks. After Korra’s Avatar State fails to defeat the creature, Unalaq calms it down with some kind of invisible bending, sending it walking off.

Korra decides that she’s staying with Unalaq to study how to fight the venomous spirits, and angrily insists that she no longer needs Tenzin in her life.

The episode ends as Katara says goodbye to her children as they depart on Skybison, telling them that it’s important to stay close to your siblings. Korra, Mako, Bolin, and Asami stay behind at the Southern Water Tribe. Mako expresses his faith in Korra, and Unalaq tells her that he has great plans for her.

The Legend of Korra season 2, episode 2 “The Southern Lights” recap

The episode opens as a spirit lurks over the Southern Water Tibe, and Korra speaks to Unalaq about going training at the South Pole. He claims that the people of the South have ignored the spirits, angering them.

Cut to The Southern Air Temple with Tenzin and co riding in on a skybison. They are greeted by a Shun and a few other monks. Tenzin and Pema reluctantly accept the gifts that they are given, while the Airkids fight over their presents. Meelo takes a lemur named Poki as a pet, and Tenzin’s siblings are upset by being confused as being servants.

While Korra and Mako prepare to leave for the South, Tonraq and Unalaq fight about Unalaq taking her to the South. Unalaq claims that Tonraq is one of the people that’s made the spirits angry. There’s a mention of an Everstrom, a massive blizzard that never ends.

Bolin arrives on a snowmobile that Varrick has given him. Eska and Desna accompany Bolin in his sidecar. An ancient spirit portal will be opened by Korra that has long been closed. Unalaq claims that there aren’t any evil spirits, just unballances. Just as was a theme in The Last Airbender series, the winter solstice is once again stated as being the time that the spirit world and human world are closest.

Naga begins to growl at dark spirits off in the distance, while Unalaq tells them that it’s time to set up camp. Korra asks at a campfire why the spirits are following them, and he states that it’s because Tonraq is with them. Unalaq prods Tonraq until Tonraq finally reveals that he was banished from the Northern Water Tribe.

Korra questions her father, to which he tells a story of 20 years ago when he was a general. A flashback shows the Northern Water Tibe being brutally attacked. Tonraq tells of how he drove the enemies out deep into the frozen tundra, where they then tracked them deep into a forest. The barbarians went there because Ancient Spirits were meant to scare off Tonraq and co.

The forest was destroyed in the process of capturing the barbarians, unleashing angry spirits upon the entire Northern Water Tribe. In a fight sequence, Unalaq is shown doing the same mysterious type of bending that turned the angry spirit in the previous episode golden. Tonraq was then banished from the Northen Water Tribe by his father, making Unalaq the new chief.

Korra gets angry that her father didn’t tell her this sooner, and walks away from the group.

Back at the Airtemple, Jinora and Tenzin walk into the Statue Room of every Avatar that ever lived. The two other Airkids distract Tenzin as Jinora observes Aang’s statue. The camera pans out as she notices something scary.

Traveling in the snow, Tonraq tells Korra that she has every right to be angry at him, but that he doesn’t want her to make the same mistake in the forest that he did. Korra says that it’s her fate, and Unalaq tells of how the Northern Lights prove of the spirits’ praise of his decisions. In the hundred year war, this ended in the Southern Water Tibe due to the damage done to the environment.

Mako calls out that they’ve arrived, with ominous lightening proving him right. Spirits call out to the group, eventually attacking the crew and stealing their bags. A fight begins where the benders begin to fight off the spirits. One possess Bolin’s vehicle and makes him run off into the distance on it. Korra almost calms an angry spirit with her water bending hypnotism, but Unalaq has to come to her rescue.

The twins save Bolin as his snowmobile crashes into a mountainside, inflating his special snowsuit. Tonraq says that they now have to turn back because of the danger, but Korra tells him that they’re all continuing, and that he’s going to go back alone.

Mako assures Tonrq that he’ll keep an eye on Korra as Tonraq travels on a snowmobile back home. The group travels onward, while Korra and Mako fight over what Mako was talking to Tonraq about. She begins to question whose side Mako’s on.

When they arrive at the forest, they notice trees frozen in ice. Korra must make her way alone into the heart of the forest where the portal to the spirits lies. Mako and Bolin want to go along, and Korra states that she has no connection to the spirits. Unalaq assures her by telling her that all of the past Avatar spirits live within her.

Korra begins her solo journey through an ice cavern. There’s an ominous howling as she chooses which paths to take. Suddenly, dark snake spirits enwrap her, forcing her to retaliate with Firebending and and ice wall. She finds the spirt portal, as the scene cuts to Jinora awaking.

Jinora comes upon a mysterious Avatar statue in her dreams, and Korra tries to use all of her bending to access the light encased in some ice. More of the snake spirits arrive, making her more desperate to open the portal.

As Korra is taken to the ceiling by the tentacles of a spirit, she goes into the Avatar state in one last attempt to access the spirit portal. She touches it with one finger, causing it to light up the night sky in the form of Northern Lights. Jinora’s wooden Avatar statue that she’s looking at also lights up.

The group notices the lights, and Tonraq notes that his daughter was able to open the spirit portal. Bolin is first to greet Korra, angering Eska. Korra affirms her trust in Unalaq’s plans, but is interrupted by Mako’s warm embrace. She apologizes, and they laugh off their previous dispute.

As the crew arrive back home, a fleet of Northern Water Tribe ships come in. When Korra questions what’s happening, Unalaq states that opening the spirit portal was only the first step in calming the waters between the Southern and Northern Water Tribes.

Hypable has also been getting in the spirit of The Legend of Korra season 2 with our SeptBender celebration. All throughout the month of September, we are posting daily articles celebrating The Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the incredible fandom – so be sure to check it out!