it gets really painful
when you realize LoK was suppsoed to be stand alone
like once you remember there will be a second season, it gets easier to handle, because then they can explain more things/have more character development, etc.
but when your realize season 1 was supposed to be ALL that we saw
(and I’m assuming nothing was changed when they found out about a second season, because WHY ELSE would the whole ‘Korra loses her bending’ thing be treated like that, it WOULD HAVE BEEN SUCH A MEATY PLOT HOOK, and it was literally right at the end, so if they were going to change one thing it would’ve been that)
it becomes really painful to watch. Bolin would have seriously been a comedy-only character and have no real purpose whatsoever, Korra would have never learned real patience/spirituality or that she’s not useless without her bending, Mako would have been a jerk who had no chance to redeem himself whatsoever, we’d never know if Asami got her money/company/house back, etc.
(well, this stuff could still not happen in the second season, but I have hope)