AWKWARD ZOMBIE

They're still going to be a problem. Maybe not a major problem, but nobody in the city is going to go "Lol problem solved everyone go home"

They still have large weapon caches, there's probably still a lot of usable Mecha Tanks scattered around, and there are plenty of people who still want to wipe out benders, and without Amon's bending-theft act, they're going to be resorting to lethal methods.

They are a severely weakened threat, but still a threat.

I honestly think that Sato will step up as leader now that Amon's gone. And he could still keep making machines as long as he can get the materials.

Sato was captured. He's out of the picture.

Crud, I didn't remember that.

Yakone was deBent and imprisoned. Still managed to get back in the picture.

"You don't understand. The reason I could NEVER forgive the benders that took my wife away from me is because I WAS THOSE BENDERS!" *blood bends out of handcuffs and does an ollie out the window*

How I would have ended the season:

Noatak learns bloodbending from his dad and runs away and all that stuff stays the same. He then travels the world for the next ~25 years, and at one point stumbles across a lost piece ancient knowledge, the story of the first avatar.

I have two ideas for what the story tells:

1) Back in ancient times, bending was considered unnatural and benders were shunned throughout society. One day, a young water bender boy learned how to sever a person's connection to destroy the part of the brain responsible for bending, using blood bending. So then, every full moon, benders would line up to see him, as he would take away their bending. After a while, though, he noticed that his water bending power was increasing, and he was beginning to gain the ability to bend the other elements. Since the bending energy in a person cannot just disappear, when the "bending organ" is destroyed, the bending power is transferred to the nearest available source. After relieving thousands of benders of their abilities, the young boy's spiritual side had become so strong that his spirit would forever be able to live on in the body of another, and thus, the first avatar was born.

2) The young water/blood bending boy discovered the secret to destroying the "bending organ". He reveled in his newfound power, and took away bending from whomever he could (but against their will). He started with the outcasts of society (the homeless, etc) but then as he discovered his ability to bend other elements now, he gained a reputation, as well as followers who would carry out his will. He had his followers kidnap benders from all over and take away their bending, and eventually his spiritual side grew to the point he was able to reincarnate. This version of the story would be particularly interesting, because Korra would then have her own crisis, thinking herself no better than Amon, since she did all of that in a past life.

So after discovering this piece of ancient knowledge, Noatak, remembering what he said to his father about how blood bending was not the most powerful thing in the world, but the avatar was. He then decided to use the whole "equalist" thing as a cover to hide his real goal, to become a second avatar.

My two cents about what I think might be happening in the next season is...

1) I don't think the Equalists would still be a militarized threat. Amon, like any good cult leader, whipped perfectly reasonable people with a legitimate concern and problem into a frenzy and instituted mob mentality. Once Amon was revealed as a liar, though, I think the vast majority would begin to question what else he might have lied about. Obviously like any movement I think there would still be pockets of extremists, though.

2) I also don't think the Lieutenant will become the next BBEG; if anything, I could easily see him turning over a new leaf and deciding to reconcile his strong anti-bender feelings with the reality he's been forced to face because of Amon being revealed as the worst sort of liar. Personally, I think it would be really interesting and logical if he and his chi blockers joined forces with the metalbending police force to take down the Triads; after there, is IS a huge problem with elementbending criminals. The only mistake the revolution made was attacking ALL benders regardless of sentiment or history, instead of working together to root out the corruption.

3) It's totally possible that next season will pick up immediately after the last, maybe with a few months between, to focus on Korra helping the benders and nonbenders reconcile, but I can also see it being totally possible for them to skip a much larger gap of time. We haven't gotten to see a whole lot of adult Avatars and what a fully realized Avatar in the full flower of her years can really do; we saw Roku destroy the temple and Kyoshi split an island, but it would be really interesting to see more day-to-day things, I think. Like, what does an Avatar do beyond fostering peace and ending an apocalypse? I recall the waterbending Avatar before Aang mentioning he didn't have much to do during his lifetime because everyone was pop flyin' and at peace and he ended up getting complacent.

one thing though

Cultlike behavior comes from those involved with the cult needing somewhere to belong, which can be instilled by a previous group activity falling through, like Amon and the equalists. Now, traditionally, people only end up in cults after they're fired from a career, or get divorced, or gt shunned from a group of friends, but can happen in any situation where an individual is separated and thrown into isolation, whether it's physical, or perceived. So while the equlists may sit down and develop deep seeded trust issues when it comes to joining any other group every again, but I wouldn't be surprised of a good chunk of the equalists fall right back in like with another cult/cult leader. All it takes to get a normal, sane individual into a cult is to get a charismatic promoter in at the right (worst) part of that guy's life.

That's true, but at the same time, these people aren't exactly being brainwashed; not in the literal sense employed by real-world organizations and cults. They're ordinary people desperate for change that have allowed themselves to be whipped into a frenzy on a foundation of lies and smoothtalking, both of which were made obvious to them in the last episode. They may still not be buddy-buddy with the avatar or friendly towards benders, but I don't think that most of them would still be for all out war. Hard to say what direction they'll take it in, though.

I just saw this on /co/ and I think it's highly accurate.

Sick burn.
But seriously? You got Bella out of "raised on the street" and lightning bending? Or was it having more than one relationship?

We did see a LOT of other lightning benders in the show actually, at the power plant, and then there was Lightning Bolt Zolt... so I wouldn't say anything like that makes him so totes omg perfects or anything. I'd also say that him not being able to decide which girl he likes more is normal? Look, people (especially teenagers) make mistakes, and people get hurt because of it. He wasn't 'playing' both girls or pimping or anything like that. He just doesn't know how to feel or what to do and in the end realized his love for Korra was just more lasting. It's not a crime to accept a date from someone really pretty, especially if you aren't in a relationship and don't know if you really like someone already for sure. And Asami IS the only who asked HIM on a date.

I have this weird feeling in my gut that all the Mako hate is due to Bolin/Korra not being a thing.

Man I hear all these Lieutenant theories and it makes me feel dumb because I thought Amon killed him in that one scene. Has that been explained?