Varrick's "mover" with Bolin is a parody of "Nanook of the North," one of the world's first documentaries. At the time of its release in 1922, it was believed to be an accurate depiction of Inuit life but is now considered staged and tokenizing.
When Mako attempts to stop the suspects who set off the explosion, he bends the resulting flames around him to protect himself. This is the first time in either series that a fire bender is shown bending the fire from his environment. (Meaning he/she did not produce it or was not deflecting an attack from another fire bender)