I think the ending would have been superb if it had just left Korra alone with Naga (or, perhaps, with Mako and Naga) in the snow. I can understand that a lot of people reacted badly to the crammed events after that (I did too). But I think the finale as a whole was an amazing piece of animation. I prefer it to the end of season 3 of TLA (though not to S1's and S2's).
Episode ranking:
1. And The Winner Is... (E6)
2. When Extremes Meet (E8)
3. The Revelation (E3)
4. Out of the Past (E9)
5. The Voice in the Night (E4)
6. Welcome to Republic City (E1)
7. Skeletons in the Closet (E11)
8. Turning the Tides (E10)
9. The Aftermath (E7)
10. A Leaf in the Wind (E2)
11. Endgame (E12)
12. The Spirit of Competition (E5)
And just to see in how many episodes there were instances of characters being kidnapped/captured, let's see (if you ever watch TLA season one again, note them).
1. Welcome to Republic City
- Korra is arrested by Lin's police for her fighting with the Triads. Tenzin intervenes to free Korra.
2. A Leaf in the Wind
None.
3. The Revelation
- The Equalists kidnap the gang leaders and Bolin. Bolin is freed by Korra and Mako before Amon can take his bending.
4. The Voice in the Night
- Tarrlok's taskforce, including Korra, capture a group of Equalists in their hideout.
- Korra is captured and then released by Amon.
5. The Spirit of Competition
None.
6. And The Winner Is...
- The Equalists take over the bending arena, effectively kidnapping everyone inside it.
- Korra, Mako and Bolin are knocked unconscious by the Lieutenant and tied to a pillar holding up the fighting area.
- Tahno has his bending taken by Amon.
7. The Aftermath
- Lin's police force arrest the owner of the cabbage factory.
- Satoshi traps Korra, Lin, Tenzin and some of Lin's police underground. Bolin and Mako are also kidnapped when they attempt to intervene. Asami's intervention saves the main cast, but Lin's men aren't so lucky.
8. When Extremes Meet
- Korra, Bolin, Mako and Asami capture a group of Equalists and hand them over to the police.
- Saikhan's police, assisted by Tarrlok, arrest a huge number of non-benders. They also arrest Bolin, Mako and Asami. Lin later releases them.
- Korra is kidnapped by Tarrlok and taken away from Republic City.
9. Out of the Past
- Korra remains kidnapped by Tarrlok for most of the episode, eventually escaping thanks to Amon and her own quick thinking.
- Tarrlok is kidnapped by Amon, and has his bending removed.
10. Turning the Tides
- Equalists kidnap the council members and take their bending.
- Equalists attempt to kidnap Saikhan's men at the police station, and are at first successful, overcoming Tenzin's resistance. Korra, Bolin, Mako and Asami arrive and rescue them.
- Lin is captured atop an airship and has her bending taken by Amon.
11. Skeletons in the Closet
- Amon removes the bending of captured Republic City citizens en masse.
- Tarrlok is found in a cell by Korra and Mako, and remains there.
12. Endgame
- Bolin, Iroh and Asami are captured by Satoshi's men after walking into an electrified fence. They're released when Naga intervenes.
- Amon reveals he has captured Tenzin and his family. They are freed thanks to Korra and Mako.
- Amon uses bloodbending to capture Korra and Mako. He takes Korra's bending.
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Abound with so much information