Tumblr crosspost (10 November 2019)
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anghraineI reblogged some meta I wrote in Oct 2012 on Noatak's quasi-apology to Tarrlok:
Um. I might just like listening to myself speak.
A couple of people have pointed out that Noatak’s apology to Tarrlok is … ah, somewhat lacking in a few areas. Such as the “taking responsibility” part.
It might fall a little short of the truly classic fauxpology—there’s none of the blame-displacing of the “I’m sorry you feel that way” type. He’s apologizing for his actions, not regretting that Tarrlok took it all so badly (or that Tarrlok did [whatever]). But it also falls a long way short of a proper apology: something, say, along the lines of, “I am sincerely sorry for everything I did to you.” Noatak’s version, “I’m sorry for what I had to do to you,” focuses on and apologizes for his actions, but suggests that he either had no control or no choice in the matter.
Now, Tarrlok himself—deliverer (whatever his many other flaws) of what may be the only decent apology in the entire season—accepts it readily enough. His response is a clear offer of forgiveness that more nearly approaches a blanket pardon. In fact, he goes where Noatak didn’t and insists upon taking responsibility on himself. Not for his political corruption, though, or his aggressive (and later, actively oppressive) policies, or his escalation into violence. No, he feels guilty for not escaping their abusive home.
We saw what happened. Tarrlok, aged eleven, was reluctant to leave because he was worried about their mother. Noatak instantly denounced him and fled on his own. Now, let’s not be too harsh on Noatak—he was only fourteen, himself, had just gone past a point of no return for Tarrlok’s sake, and was struggling through a horrifying epiphany. And he does have his moments of shining reasonableness in that scene—but honestly, Tarrlok is by far the more admirable and grounded of the two, there. Noatak seems to perceive any hesitation as betrayal and instantly flies into a (cold, dismissive) rage.
This does not appear to have changed that much in the intervening 20+ years. (Nor, to be honest, does much. It’s difficult to escape the impression that, while Tarrlok took a few more years to unravel, Noatak was always that fourteen-year-old boy in the snow.) When the Lieutenant discovers his hypocrisy and justifiably calls him out, Noatak does not exhibit the slightest remorse, just surprise and then a trace of regret (positively Voldemort-esque regret, at that). He violently attacks the Lieutenant, quite possibly killing him.
What I’m saying is, this … this isn’t exactly a guy who’s into apologies. In fact, I can’t remember him ever expressing the slightest remorse over anything, ever, except this once. For him to apologize at all is an incredibly significant gesture, and Tarrlok seems to accept it as such.
However, what I think is really interesting about the apology is not that Noatak kinda-sorta avoids responsibility, but the way he puts it.
He’s sorry about taking Tarrlok’s bending (in context, that’s clearly what he’s referring to). If we remember, Tarrlok used his personal abilities to hunt down Equalists and his political power to oppress non-benders whether they were Equalists or not, kidnapped Korra with bloodbending, blamed it on the Equalists, prepared to escape with her, and used bloodbending on Noatak-as-Amon and the Equalists with him after some evil gloating™. This is far and away the most justifiable instance of Amon taking someone’s bending—and it’s the only one he regrets.
Then he says that he “had” to do it, suggesting that the circumstances forced his hand, but he didn't want to. He didn’t want to take Tarrlok’s bending in the first place, and afterwards he’s sorry for having done it. Um. Until then, was he planning on ever taking Tarrlok’s bending? Did he think he’d be able to avoid it, somehow? What kind of excuses did he have for not dealing with him already? (“We’re saving him for … next-to-last.”)
The obvious explanation, of course, is that he changes his tune when it’s Tarrlok because, in his twisted way, he still cares deeply about him. After all, he lost the chance to quietly capture Korra because he prioritized his unconscious brother’s body over the alert Avatar. But, remember, he thinks bending is the source of all evil. Tarrlok unequivocally states that it was discovering that they were waterbenders that ruined their lives, and it seems unlikely that Noatak would take a more moderate view. Tarrlok, who swore he’d never bloodbend again, had just gone on a bloodbending spree that included Noatak himself—it’d be quite credible for Noatak to see removing Tarrlok’s bending as both a personal and public service.
But he doesn’t. He didn’t want to, he had to do it, he’s sorry, when he isn’t even sorry about violently attacking his most devoted follower or blowing up a good part of the city or, y'know, any number of far worse things. Yet he simultaneously believes that bending is the source of evil and suffering for everyone, and he’s nobly cleansing benders of their impurities. Well, cleansing other benders. With waterbending. Anyway, it’s only wrong when it’s his brother. That’s different!
Um. I might just like listening to myself speak.
A couple of people have pointed out that Noatak’s apology to Tarrlok is … ah, somewhat lacking in a few areas. Such as the “taking responsibility” part.
It might fall a little short of the truly classic fauxpology—there’s none of the blame-displacing of the “I’m sorry you feel that way” type. He’s apologizing for his actions, not regretting that Tarrlok took it all so badly (or that Tarrlok did [whatever]). But it also falls a long way short of a proper apology: something, say, along the lines of, “I am sincerely sorry for everything I did to you.” Noatak’s version, “I’m sorry for what I had to do to you,” focuses on and apologizes for his actions, but suggests that he either had no control or no choice in the matter.
Now, Tarrlok himself—deliverer (whatever his many other flaws) of what may be the only decent apology in the entire season—accepts it readily enough. His response is a clear offer of forgiveness that more nearly approaches a blanket pardon. In fact, he goes where Noatak didn’t and insists upon taking responsibility on himself. Not for his political corruption, though, or his aggressive (and later, actively oppressive) policies, or his escalation into violence. No, he feels guilty for not escaping their abusive home.
We saw what happened. Tarrlok, aged eleven, was reluctant to leave because he was worried about their mother. Noatak instantly denounced him and fled on his own. Now, let’s not be too harsh on Noatak—he was only fourteen, himself, had just gone past a point of no return for Tarrlok’s sake, and was struggling through a horrifying epiphany. And he does have his moments of shining reasonableness in that scene—but honestly, Tarrlok is by far the more admirable and grounded of the two, there. Noatak seems to perceive any hesitation as betrayal and instantly flies into a (cold, dismissive) rage.
This does not appear to have changed that much in the intervening 20+ years. (Nor, to be honest, does much. It’s difficult to escape the impression that, while Tarrlok took a few more years to unravel, Noatak was always that fourteen-year-old boy in the snow.) When the Lieutenant discovers his hypocrisy and justifiably calls him out, Noatak does not exhibit the slightest remorse, just surprise and then a trace of regret (positively Voldemort-esque regret, at that). He violently attacks the Lieutenant, quite possibly killing him.
What I’m saying is, this … this isn’t exactly a guy who’s into apologies. In fact, I can’t remember him ever expressing the slightest remorse over anything, ever, except this once. For him to apologize at all is an incredibly significant gesture, and Tarrlok seems to accept it as such.
However, what I think is really interesting about the apology is not that Noatak kinda-sorta avoids responsibility, but the way he puts it.
He’s sorry about taking Tarrlok’s bending (in context, that’s clearly what he’s referring to). If we remember, Tarrlok used his personal abilities to hunt down Equalists and his political power to oppress non-benders whether they were Equalists or not, kidnapped Korra with bloodbending, blamed it on the Equalists, prepared to escape with her, and used bloodbending on Noatak-as-Amon and the Equalists with him after some evil gloating™. This is far and away the most justifiable instance of Amon taking someone’s bending—and it’s the only one he regrets.
Then he says that he “had” to do it, suggesting that the circumstances forced his hand, but he didn't want to. He didn’t want to take Tarrlok’s bending in the first place, and afterwards he’s sorry for having done it. Um. Until then, was he planning on ever taking Tarrlok’s bending? Did he think he’d be able to avoid it, somehow? What kind of excuses did he have for not dealing with him already? (“We’re saving him for … next-to-last.”)
The obvious explanation, of course, is that he changes his tune when it’s Tarrlok because, in his twisted way, he still cares deeply about him. After all, he lost the chance to quietly capture Korra because he prioritized his unconscious brother’s body over the alert Avatar. But, remember, he thinks bending is the source of all evil. Tarrlok unequivocally states that it was discovering that they were waterbenders that ruined their lives, and it seems unlikely that Noatak would take a more moderate view. Tarrlok, who swore he’d never bloodbend again, had just gone on a bloodbending spree that included Noatak himself—it’d be quite credible for Noatak to see removing Tarrlok’s bending as both a personal and public service.
But he doesn’t. He didn’t want to, he had to do it, he’s sorry, when he isn’t even sorry about violently attacking his most devoted follower or blowing up a good part of the city or, y'know, any number of far worse things. Yet he simultaneously believes that bending is the source of evil and suffering for everyone, and he’s nobly cleansing benders of their impurities. Well, cleansing other benders. With waterbending. Anyway, it’s only wrong when it’s his brother. That’s different!