In the fifth episode of the second series of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Team Avatar stumble upon a city that holds an annual Avatar Day. This day is not what you might expect and then the episode gets incredibly strange. Oh, and somehow, the side plot with Zuko and Iroh is a thousand times better than the main story. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Avatar.
I take it back. This episode is weird.
Oh god, what do I even say about “Avatar Day”? Saying that I don’t like it isn’t genuine to what I actually feel, because there’s a lot of great stuff in here and some particularly hilarious moments from Momo and Sokka. But overall? Oh lord, this is all just too unevenly paced and strange for me to say that it was all that enjoyable.
Obviously, I think this was bound to happen, as I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a show that was LITERALLY flawless. (Though….Rubicon and Breaking Bad sure do come real close.) I’m also the kind of person who will try as hard as possible to find something to enjoy in a series I already like, and all you have to do is just TAKE A SHORT JOURNEY AROUND THIS VERY SITE. Again, I do intend for so many things to go back to Twilight, but these days, there’s enough negativity in the world and in my life to spend time finding more things to be angry and sad about. It’s actually really fun that I get to be excited nowadays.
All that said, I can’t really buy into some of the absurd notions that “Avatar Day” tries to get me to believe. I don’t pretend to know what outside forces may have prompted the formation of the story we see here, but even the writing is not what we’re used to. The mere appearance of the Fire Nation during the two scenes of this episode feels about as forced as one can imagine, with absolutely no character development or even names given to us, and these small plotted points only seemed to get more grating as the episode progressed.
But this happens during shows with a main mythology centered during the storytelling, so this in and of itself is not nearly enough to complain about. Yet even when I set this aside, I find myself unable to suspend my own disbelief for the entire situation because….seriously CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS.
I get that the Avatar is a being that passes from life to life, much like The Doctor does in Doctor Who, but unlike The Doctor, the shared memories and experiences between “lives” are far more disparate and separate. We’ve seen Aang able to access his past lives while in the spirit world and we know that all his past lives are passing through him while he is in the Avatar State itself. But, as far as I know, Aang’s identity is still his own. He has his own life and his own thoughts and his own experiences. (I rather like this and the free will this entails, don’t you?) The show’s done a great job so far of demonstrating just how difficult it is, though, that Aang’s birth as the Avatar has made everything innumerably complicated for him, so much so that he chose to freeze himself and Appa in a sphere of ice. (Well…sort of chose? I mean, he did it in the Avatar State and we know Aang is prone to overaction/hyperbolic behavior whilst in that state.)
Ok, what I’m trying to get at: Aang is a twelve-year old boy. This twelve-year-old boy HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MURDER OF CHIN THE GREAT. Avatar Kyoshi did do this, yes, but seriously, I don’t feel like there was enough resistance on the part of anyone towards persecuting a twelve-year-old boy. I don’t think it’s problematic or anything, and there’s certainly something to said for the fact that Aang choose the noble route of clearing his past life’s name, but seriously. SERIOUSLY. THIS IS JUST TOO RIDICULOUS FOR ME.
Again, flying bison? Magical elemental powers? A world of spirits? I accept without question. Yet something this trivial sets off my bullshit meter. WHAT IS MY BRAIN.
Actually, no, wait, there’s another aspect of this that irks me. Seriously, what the hell is the point of a court where the “evidence” given is merely the story told by two people who were not even alive when the event in question happened. Is this supposed to be some sort of deep philosophical commentary on something? Because it honestly makes no sense to me, and not only since Mayor Tong CONVENIENTLY FORGETS TO TELL AANG HOW THE JUSTICE SYSTEM WORKS IN HIS CITY. It honestly just doesn’t fit anywhere in the story, unless I am missing something completely obvious. WHICH IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE. But just like use of the Fire Nation in “Avatar Day,” the inclusion of this absurd system of judicial law just seems…thrown in the mix? I mean, I do admit that it allows Aang to be the only one to address how unfair this is when Mayor Tong requests Aang’s help at the very end, but it ends up being one single line in the whole episode. All that set up for one line?
I normally write the bulk of the review and then include any miscellaneous thoughts at the end, but today, I’m just going to jump right into all those thoughts I have swirling in my head, because what’s left is actually surprisingly positive. I don’t know if I dislike this episode more than “The Great Divide,” but I do want to acknowledge all the rad shit this story does give us, too! Shall we?
THOUGHTS
- I think it’s a telling sign when the subplot overshadows the main one. Zuko’s journey of enlightenment is way too brief for what eventually happens, but even the tiny glimpse we get of it is just SO FANTASTIC. He returns to his Blue Spirit persona to rob a rich Earth kingdom citizen after he decides he can no longer take the shame of the situation he’s in. When Iroh and Zuko discuss Zuko’s newfound fortune later in the episode, it’s obvious that Iroh knows his nephew has done something wrong, and he tells him one hell of a piece of advice:Â “In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength.”
- AND IN RESPONSE, ZUKO DECIDES TO STOP TRAVELING WITH UNCLE IROH.
- can you hear my heart breaking
- can we please have an entire episode devoted to this.
- what an AMAZING character development, because it could go so many ways from here, so while I’m sad Zuko will go off on his own and there’s a chance we won’t have as much Iroh, I’m genuinely excited to see where Zuko’s story will head from here.
- Sokka proves yet again that not being a bender is not an awful thing, and I must admit the pure joy I experienced watching him slowly turn into a detective over the course of the episode, most especially his physical actions and the change in his demeanor. I don’t need to over-intellectualize this: it was plan funny.
- The whole opening scene with Momo and Sokka is so charming. Where is my Momo 🙁
- I definitely did not expect Sokka and Katara to travel back to Kyoshi Island, and it was a real treat to see all of these people again and learn that Suki has gone off to fight the Fire Nation, inspired by Team Avatar’s actions in the last season.
- FOAMY MOUTH GUY!!!!!!!!
- Seriously, the Kyoshi Island origin story is so rad. Hell, this show does origin stories so well, making them both mind-blowing and very myth-like, and the emotional parallels to the larger story are always well thought out.
- I really adore the entire revelatory scene where we learn that Avatar Day is not a day of celebration. It’s actually kind of eerie.
- Aang’s prisoner friends giving him relationship advice = <3
- Aang not being the slightest bit reluctant to wear Avatar Kyoshi’s outfit = <3. Which is also funny if you think back to “The Warriors of Kyoshi” and how much Sokka was resistant to do the same.
- I can’t lie. I was pretty stoked that Avatar Kyoshi showed up.
- BOILED. IN. OIL. WHAT.
- “Boomerang! You do always come back!”
- “Some people don’t like you, big deal! There’s a whole nation of fire benders who hate you.”
- I refuse to imagine a world without Katara’s hair loopies. I refuse.
REASONS I DIG THIS EPISODE:
1. Aang's identity is tied to his arrow. Katara's identity is tied to her HAIR LOOPIES.
2. Sokka used to be boomerang guy.
3. THIS EPISODE IS LIKE THE ANTI-"JAYNESTOWN."
4. "Everyone wanted to blame it on a polar leopard but I figured out that it was Old Man Jarco wearing polar leopard boots."
5. SOKKA HOLMES.
6. BLUE SPIRIT CRIME SPREE.
7. FOAMY!!
8. "Where's Aangy???"
9. Aang's heart-to-heart with his fellow prisoners…in his ineffectual stocks.
10. The running gag with Katara putting the clues together before Sokka can be a detective is totally cute, especially because it's like a sibling rivalry thing.
11. "That's why we call it justice. Because it's 'just us.'" GREATEST PUN SINCE "LETTUCE LEAF" Y/Y???
12. Aang should never be a lawyer.
13. "I do believe in the power of stuff." SERIOUSLY HOW IS EVERYTHING SOKKA SAYS SO QUOTABLE.
14. AANG'S KYOSHI IMPRESSION AHAHAHAHA.
15. The fucking resolution to this mystery in which Our Heroes have been trying to clear the Avatar's name is that the Avatar DID IN FACT KILL A DUDE. But Avatar Kyoshi is kind of a badass, and she had her reasons.
16. Wheel of punishment, turn turn turn, tell us the way that we will burn.
17. Rough Rhinos! I like that the Fire Nation has a Brute Squad.
18. "Boomerang! You do always come back!"
19. "That’s our new festival food: unfried dough. May we eat it and be reminded of how on this day the Avatar was not boiled in oil."
20. "This is by far the worst town we’ve ever been to." SOKKA WANTS TO GO TO THE CRAPPY TOWN WHERE HE'S A HERO.
Anti-Jaynestown is a great way to describe this episode! 😀
I never thought of it that way until writing this comment, but the parallels are so strong! Everything is flipped!
Oh man, I always say the Wheel of Morality theme when watching this episode. Animaniacs <3
12. Aang should never be a lawyer.
Oh I always feel bad for how much I crack up during this scene. "I WAS IN A PAINTING AT SUNSET." Oh Aang.
Yeah, Inductive Reasoning and Public Speaking are not his strong points.
I agree. The episode aa a whole is seen as the worst of season 2 by most people, but there are sooo many great individual scenes and lines that I simply can't bring myself to hate the episode.
Personally, I enjoy it more than "The Swamp," but I suppose I could agree that "The Swamp" is perhaps a better episode.
But, again, if this is your worst episode…damn, show, your low bar is pretty high.
Absolutely. And unlike The Great Divide, this one has really amazing bits in it – Avatar Kyoshi being a badass, the Zuko/Iroh storyline, Aang fighting with Kyoshi's fans (and in her make-up!), and Sokka Holmes.
Exactly. I don't like this episode, its nearly my least favourite- but I almost feel sad about it, because lists like this remind me of the little good bits.
Before rewatching this episode I had totally forgotten about the fact that Aang fights with Kyoshi's fans and in her makeup, which is an awesome touch! I was suddenly struck by how cool it was that the fans, which are the signature of the earthbender Kyoshi, are in fact a great weapon for the airbender Aang!
Hee hee hee.
So a comment got deleted for a spoilery username, which was a comment you replied to. Since you replied to it, the username of the comment was still present so that your reply could still show up. I decided to go ahead and delete your comment so that the username in question wouldn't appear; sorry.
Your comment was this, if you want to repost it somewhere:
"It has Avatar Kyoshi and we get an update on Kyoshi Island. It's not much, but it is a bit of the overall arch and mythology."
"17. Rough Rhinos! I like that the Fire Nation has a Brute Squad."
Miracle Max- "Call the Brute Squad!"
Fezzig- "I'm on the Brute Squad."
Miracle Max- "You ARE the Brute Squad!"
Just felt the need to put that out there. 😉
I love the "just us" pun. I work as a legal transcriber, and whenever I have to type "justice" (only about, oh, a dozen times a day), that's what I think of. And then I laugh.
+1 for the Animaniacs reference.
the only reason i like this episode is because holy shit it's chi fu from mulan
<img src="http://i51.tinypic.com/pbzu1.jpg"/>
other than that, my thoughts on this episode are basically summed up in sokka's last line in the episode:
"this is by far the worst town we've ever been to."
this episode was SO FRUSTRATING FOR ME AHGHGAHSDLFKJALSKDJFALKDJ;
rage
i can't stand the ignorance of the townspeople. i was headdesking the entire episode.
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/9a0hp2.gif"/>
but whatever. happy avatar day, indeed.
OH and how can i forget avatar kyoshi? she was awesome too. except her outfit seems ridiculously uncomfortable to bend in. jussayin'…
Also, I was totally thinking about John Green this morning, and there he is. And I was also so excited when I heard Chi fu's voice. He always plays such obnoxious characters.
but he plays them so well, you can't help but hate them 😀 lol
also: john green <3
Oh hai there John Green!
I wonder how many Nerdfighters are on here. UNITE!
DFTBA, and Best Wishes! 😀
hell yeah DFTBA
Yuuuup soon as I heard that voice I was all, "MULAN!" I need to watch that again.
John Green!!! <3 It's awesome to find other Nerdfighters.
Congratulations Mark, you just finished the undisputed fan consensus for weakest episode of the entire series. It is literally pedal to the metal from here on out.
To broaden that a bit, the consensus tends to be that each season has one (and only one) weak episode – very much a game of One of These Things Is Not Like The Other Twenty. In season 1 it's "The Great Divide", in season 2 it's "Avatar Day" and in season 3… well, I suppose we'll get to that. 🙂
They're not good episodes per se, but I suppose if there's any inherent value to them it's that the narrative thrust of each season tends to pick up considerable speed once they're done. The equivalent of a pre-highway speed bump, perhaps?
Not too much art for today's episode, so I'm starting with two non-episode related things of utter beauty from the art book:
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/avatarday5.jpg">
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/avatarday6.jpg">
This was a card Bryan made for a little girl who wanted us to "make Aang alive" so she could play with him.
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/avatarday2.jpg">
I can't not love Mayor Tong. I mean. Look at him. His hat is delightful and he's just having so much fun. "Everyone loved Chin the Great because he was sooooo great."
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/avatarday3.jpg">
There are many ways for the guilty to meet their doom on the Wheel of Punishment: bed of nails, whipping post, boiled in oil, eaten by shark, razor pit, mauled by bear, burned at the stake, and community service.
How did the Wheel of Punishment actually make it on the air? Those are some gruesome images for a Nickelodeon cartoon. Bless.
I like that it's actually a platypusbear.
I'm pretty sure that punishment third down on the right is just getting a big cuddly hug from a platypus bear.
So wouldn't the bed of nails be one of the least effective punishments? Because if you evenly distribute your weight and lie on a bed of nails, it doesn't hurt?
Maybe they push you on to it?
That card is adorable! Look at Zuko's ponytail.
And Uncle is wearing two!
… this may be the awesomest and most adorable comment content ever
I love rock-and-roll Appa so much.
…….Zuko's ponytail comes out the top of his party hat.
That wins, right there. ^______^
OMG, ROCK STAR APPA!!
I NEED THIS TO BE A REAL THING ASAP
That card is too adorable. IROH GETS TWO HATS! 😀 (And is that Zuko's ponytail pulled up through the top of his hat? And is he smiling? Whaaaaat this is amazing.)
APPA PLAYING TWO GUITARS
SO AWESOME
Appa is a one man (er, one bison) band. Literally! He can play both solo AND accompaniment guitar! And with his tail he can possibly even do the drums. Hell yeah. B-)
That card is the most wonderful thing in the history of wonderful things. I am filled with Awwww. *shot*
Haha, really? I thought the "justice" system was supposed to be hilariously OTT, so I just did the amused incredulity and the headshaking and went along with it.
I have no Deep Thoughts about this ep right now, but I liked seeing more of Kyoshi, and Aang rocked the facepaint.
I've gotta say, both Aang and Sokka look great dressed like Kyoshi.
Oh, and somehow, the side plot with Zuko and Iroh is a thousand times better than the main story.
What's funny is when I was reading the transcript to refresh my memory, I didn't remember the Zuko/Iroh bits at ALL. I enjoy the main plot so much, though. I completely understand how nonsensical the basis behind the trial is, and it is definitely one of the weaker episodes of the season (although I enjoy it more than "The Swamp"), but it's just so much fun.
This is one episode where I was definitely more interested, by FAR, in what Zuko and Iroh were doing. I mean, they're never boring, but in this episode I was gritting my teeth throughout much of the segments focused on Team Avatar. AAAARGH THE VILLAGERS ARE SO GODDAMN IRRITATING I HATE THEM ALL ESPECIALLY TONG. I mean, I loved Ace Detective Sokka, the brief return to Kyoshi Island (FOAMY MOUTH GUY!) and Kyoshi herself appearing to confess. FUCK YEAH I LOVE AVATAR KYOSHI. And she's voiced by Jennifer Hale! <3 But the villagers were all so annoying it really dragged things down for me.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the plot, Zuko is getting his Blue Spirit on again. Why beg or forage, he figures, when he can simply use force to take what he wants? So far in this season, he's fallen further than he ever has; except that I think he and I would disagree about what is a lower point for him. He would say that it was in the previous episode, when he and Iroh were begging for money, and I would say that it's in this one, where he's reduced himself to little more than a common bandit. He may think there's more dignity in what he's doing now, but in fact there's not. He's preying upon others, stealing their money and food, where in the previous episode Iroh appealed to people's kindness and also sang, AND I THINK WE'D ALL PAY FOR IROH'S SINGING, Y/Y? To me, that is much more honorable and dignified a way to provide for yourself when down on your luck.
Iroh is, as usual, wise and loving and lovable, dispensing sage and well-meant advice to Zuko. He genuinely cares about him and wants the best for him, whatever that may be, and he's realistic about the fact that even if Zuko captures Aang, it won't be a cure-all for what's wrong in Zuko's life. It can't be. Getting the Avatar won't change that his father is an abusive asshole and the WORST FATHER EVER; and having his father's love shouldn't be conditional anyway. It won't change that his sister is a sociopathic monster. Iroh and I both doubt that it would magically take all of Zuko's pain and angst away and make him completely happy, because of those factors, and because we know that Zuko is better than the rest of his family and that being loved and accepted by them is not necessarily what's best for him. We know he needs to realize for himself that his honor is not dependant on his father's opinion, that it's not something someone else can give him, that he needs to break away and find his own path separate from his father and sister. That's why, as sad as Iroh is that Zuko wants to separate, lets him go off without argument and even gives him the chocobo to take with him. He's going to worry about and miss his nephew, but he also has hope that Zuko will find that path he needs and change for the better. Iroh is so wonderful. <3
Other stuff:
– UGH NO WHY DID I WATCH THIS AGAIN FOR MY REVIEW I FORGOT ABOUT THE SPIDER THING AT THE BEGINNING THAT IS MY OWN PERSONAL NIGHTMARE FUEL PLEASE GO AWAY
– Yay, Sokka got his boomerang back! 😀
– I love Sokka's impression of airbending.
– I totally agree about tea, Iroh. YOU ARE SO WISE.
– Aw, Sokka wanted to see Suki. 🙁 So did I!
– The prisoners are so not what I expected and it's hilarious.
– "This is by far the worst town we've ever been to." I COULDN'T AGREE MORE, SOKKA. BTW YOU WERE THE STAR OF THE EPISODE FOR ME. LOVE YOU, SOKKA. <3
Incorrect. Iroh is the star of EVERY episode. Even the ones he's not in.
True, that. That's the amazing power of Iroh's awesomeness.
Exactly. You know what your thinking when Iroh is not onscreen?
"I wonder what Iroh is doing right now."
The answer?
SOMETHING 1000X MORE AWESOME THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE!
"I wonder what Iroh is doing right now."
Knowing Iroh, "drinking tea and/or trolling Zuko" is a pretty good bet… XD
This is my least favorite episode of The Last Airbender. When I introduced my fiance to this show, I made him watch it by himself because I refused to watch it again. This is the only episode I skipped, though I wanted to skip The Great Divide, as well.
I feel there are enough wonderful ten-second moments in this episode to make up for the overall mediocrity of everything. Also it's always nice to see people who AREN'T part of the Fire Nation being HUGE ASSHOLES. Shades of gray!
Hm…I actually enjoy this episode quite a bit, but I guess the pacing is weirs…I never really noticed because all the little things were just so darned enjoyable.
I think the thing about Chin's justice system was just pointing out that there really was no justice, just people who were sure they were right and wouldn't listen to any other explination. I can see where it'd be awkward, though.
I can't hate this episode, though, because Kyoshi is just such a BAMF! Maaaaan, I want to see more of her time as Avatar. Spin-off please?
Uh, really? I'm going to dispute that. "The Great Divide," anyone?
'The Great Divide' was in series 1. o.O
Series =/= Season. Series is the entire collection of episodes, season is what, in this case, is all the episodes of Book 1 or Book 2 or Book 3.
Bleh, whoops. Sorry for the confusion. 😛 I always called them series, my bad.
American show — "series" means "show". We talk about "season" 1, "season" 2, etc.
LOL Today has been great for confusion due to US/UK terminology differences!
Ah, I do love the confusion this causes. Really, I do.
I think in this context, "series" is meant to describe all three Seasons/Books, not "Series 2" like would be used in the UK.
I think it’s a word choose thing- I know in some placed people call each season a series, and then in others the whole show us a series split up by seasons.
I'm with you. I'd much rather watch this one than Great Divide (and there's one from season 3 I like less as well, but we'll get there when we get there darn it!)
I think what it comes down to with this episode, for me, is that I like many separate bits of the episode, but they don't really come together in a beautiful gestalt for me as so many other episodes do — so put together it's just not as compelling a picture for me.
BUT HOW MUCH DO THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES ROCK???
ZUKO LEAVING OMFG ._.
ALL THE CLEVER DIALOGUE ._.
AVATAR KYOSHI HELL FREAKING YEAH!
Blue Spirit! Momo! Foamy Mouth Guy! And I actually really rather enjoy the Rough Rhinos >.>
Yeah, this is the weakest episode of season 2, in my opinion. It feels like it fits in more with the first season. Though I always love learning more about the previous Avatars. Kyoshi is fierce.
Zuko and Iroh need to stop breaking my heart, though.
The best things about this episode:
<img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/2qnyzqb.gif "/>
Sokka's sort of homage to Sherlock Holmes.
Zuko and Iroh's story
"In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength."
I was 'ehhh' on this episode as well, but I do love Avatar Kyoshi, and that she got to tell her own story. And she had the biggest feet of any Avatar! It pleases my feminist side, albeit in a silly way, that her hometown is so proud of her massive feet.
I also liked the return to Kyoshi Island in general – the world feels like a much more real and cohesive place when we see some of the same people and places more than once. Not that this show struggles with that AT ALL, in general.
Zuko and Iroh.. oh man. Will not spoil. <3 them both.
Speaking as a big-footed feminist, I agree!
I agree, the fact that the Kyoshi islanders are so proud that she had the biggest feet of any avatar is strangely awesome!
Three things about this episode:
1. Sokka Holmes is awesome and funny. XD
2. The leader of the Chin village (was he ever named?) is a totally unlikeable, pathetic, cowardly, smug-faced douchebag. I'll take Zhao over him any day – at least Zhao was a cool badass douchebag.
3. Avatar Kyoshi is UBER BADASS. You don't fuck with her.
Okay, this episode’s plot is a bit silly, I sometimes forget that it exists because it’s filler without amazing characters like the hippies and swampbenders, but it’s still fun to watch! I love that we got background on another past Avatar, especially since Kyoshi is so fierce. She created her own island! And she’s about ten feet tall! There’s also more information about how extraordinarily long-lived Avatars can be. Kyoshi was a fully realized Avatar 370 years ago, so subtracting 112 years for Aang’s life, that’s still at least 258 years shared between her and Roku.
And there's the return of Foamy Mouth Guy! I love him so. And his shame…
<img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/maf7et.gif">
The best part, however, is Detective Sokka.
<img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/r9lj80.gif">
<img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/2mrsmtj.gif">
You're right, there really is no need to analyze it; he's just perfect in this episode.
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/14uutsn.gif">
And then there’s Iroh and Zuko. After yet another inspirational talk from Iroh, Zuko decides it's time to split up. WTF ZUKO? How can you abandon your uncle! What has he done to deserve —
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/2lvfhgn.gif">
Oh, right. What was with all of the droll in this episode?! Zuko, look at your life, look at your choices. At least he has a chocobo? Poor Iroh, he's tried so hard to set Zuko aright. I can't imagine his disappointment and heartbreak. You're killing me, Zuko!
That is a flawless recreation of the intricacies of Airbending. FLAWLESS!
"Zuko, look at your life, look at your choices."
Zuko needs a sassy gay friend. Soooooo much!
DETECTIVE SOKKA IS THE BEST!
<img src="http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/7712/sokkacaine.jpg">
AWESOME.
PERFECT
Chocobo ftw!!
Every time someone calls it a chocobo, I giggle. Love it!
It's not like it could be called anything else. I'm half expecting it to either climb over mountains or fly.
I tend to hum the chocobo theme whenever we see people riding them. 😀
I wait for Zuko to stop and find Chocographs myself.
It's not stated on the show, but I believe that the creators have said that Kyoshi lived to be 230 years old. Benders tend to have longer life spans then normal people (just look at how spry Bumi is at 112), and Avatars tend to live even longer then normal benders.
This episode isn't my favorite, but I like it well enough. Inspector Sokka is wonderful <3
Not much else to say, except Zuko breaks my heart.
Yeah, I really was underwhelmed by this episode, although Sokka's Sherlockian hat thing was great. And I did like that they turned it around and were like OH YEAH KYOSHI DID KILL THAT GUY, SORRY ABOUT THAT. The idea of past lives coming back to haunt Aang is interesting, but it just isn't done very well here.
Although, let's talk about how badass Kyoshi was. She’s like ten feet tall and created a divergent fault to split her homeland from the mainland. How awesomely badass is that?? Hah, I had actually written up this long rambling review for yesterday's episode about how we hadn't seen Earthbending do much more than moving rocks, while Waterbending seemed like the most versatile thing ever, and then we see something like this.
Well…we've already gone through Book Water, so that's why you see a lot of Water variety. We're only part way in to book Earth, so there's still time. 🙂
Yeah, I guess it just feels to me like we should have seen more, since most of the story takes place in the Earth Kingdom. Here we are in the Earth season, and we're still getting new things Water can do: plant bending! It's super cool. For a bit I thought that maybe the giant tree wanted Aang to learn plantbending or something. xD
I think it'll probably improve once Aang gets a master, considering the only realy master Earth bender we've seen thus far as been Bumi, and not much of him either. We have to get to the master before we can get the awesome stuff.
Actually, Kyoshi did several types of bending when turning her peninsula into an island. She went into Avatar state, then she created the cracks in the land with earthbending, then with firebending she brought up the molten lava from below, and with airbending she sent the island away from the mainland.
Pretty amazing, really.
Is this the first time we see a fully-realized Avatar use multiple types of bending? Aang doesn't count since he only knows two, and isn't in full control of his powers yet.
Yep, first time we've seen a fully realised Avatar do multiple types of bending on purpose. Aang did some pretty good waterbending in "The Avatar Returns", but he wasn't in control of his actions – it's like his past lives and their skills took over automatically. Same with his earthbending in "The Avatar State", he didn't control that either.
I always kind of figured that the reason they hate all Avatars, not just Kyoshi, is because of how the situation was handled. Instead of talking or actually handing the man his own ass on a platter and telling him GTFO, she basically splits the island off from the mainland and runs off, accidentally killing the man. She probably never went back to the mainland, especially the village of Chin supporters, and discussed it with them, making them feel as though the Avatar never really did his or her job, just senselessly killed a guy (although on accident). The village probably feels like the Avatar is just out to get them instead of doing any good. Then you throw in the hardships with the Fire Nation and bam! A nice scapegoat for their actual problems.
[Stupid long comments.]
While yes, each Avatar is their own person, they are all interconnected together and, to many who don't know them, they are just the Avatar. Not Aang or Roku, just the Avatar. In all honesty, it's like the incessant president wars over who started what that always pop up in Yahoo! People blame the president, no matter who it is for everything, even if he did not do it or was not in office at the time. You can try to talk some sense but they immediately disagree with everything you say simply because it is not what they believe happened.
It wasn't necessarily a total accident that Chin got killed. Kyoshi split the ground right next to him. She might have done that for a reason. I mean, she does say, "I killed Chin the Conqueror."
It's possible that's just how she rolls.
I viewed that as the guy too stupid and arrogant to actually get away from the giant crack in the land. Especially since he doesn't move even after the island is moving away and then falls to his death on very unstable ground that should obviously be dangerous.
I don't know if you've seen all the episodes or not, but while I'd love to continue this discussion, I can't because of spoilers. So… we'll leave it at that.
I have but for the sake of Mark, we shall leave it at this.
A spider in the mouth is such a nightmare to me – but they turned it funny! Props, show.
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Say what you will about this ep, but I think it's pretty funny. I accept the criticisms of this episode, but at the end of they day I find myself not caring about its flaws.
Poor Sokka and his boomerang (and I'm glad he got it back). But hairloopies!
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Zuko, if you're gonna steal, I wish you hadn't done it as The Blue Spirit. I was okay with the previous episode, just cause that was personal, and it was one douchey guy. But letting innocent, probably decent people think of The Blue Spirit as someone to fear and dread makes me feel bad – I'd love for non-Fire-Nation people to revere The Blue Spirit, and now that's not gonna happen. And then Zuko and Iroh split up. At least Zuko's taking some initiative?
Earth Kingdom residents hating the Avatar makes me sad. They're supposed to be allies! But I am always glad the political complexities of a world at war are acknowledged on this show.
Kyoshi Island! Foamy Mouth Guy! Sokka wondering about Suki's whereabouts!
Aang talking to intimidating prisoners about his crush! And slipping out of the stocks so easily!
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So, I guess we can assume that The Southern Water Tribe and the Air Nomads are used to an actual just legal system, and fair trials, given the horror Team Avatar has at finding out how the trial is decided. That's interesting. Makes me wonder how standardized the justice system is, and if the war fractured people enough to make it a free for all, or if there never were any real universal standards amongst the nations.
Wheel of punishment!
Unfried dough shaped like Aang because he wasn't boiled in oil!
Know who was awesome in this episode? Avatar Kyoshi. BAMF.
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I also love Aang using Kyoshi's fans to fight.
Okay, so obviously not the greatest episode ever, but I don't mind it, I guess, since there's a number of things I do enjoy in it.
As you say, this episode has a lot of really awesome pieces, but as a whole it doesn't work out very well. I actually cringed a little when I realized today you'd be watching this– it's just not the best the show can be, and that's always sad.
However, I'd argue it's still better than the Great Divide, because you do get some good character moments. (I do love that Kyoshi showed up and was like "Yeah, I killed him. He deserved it. DEAL WITH IT.") But overall…eh. Not one I really rewatch.
Truthfully, the sheer amount of sadism displayed toward a child in this does always disturb me, even though It Is Fictional and Nothing Really Happened (they seemed to make a point of that by showing Aang could pretty much go, to quote Sokka, "SWISH SWISH SWISH" and get out of it), and it's not even so much that I think it's weird or unrealistic (which actually has been an issue I've had with violence targeted toward children in other media) so much that I just Do Not Like It.
That being said, though, I don't think it's a new thing so far that a lot of the time, though the Avatar certainly has distinct identities in each life, they are often treated or discussed as a single entity. Even if what happened to Chin the Conqueror was so long ago and by a different "person," the idea that they would continue to hold it against the Avatar regardless of the form s/he took didn't really strike me as strange; theoretically, this person had still never faced justice for their actions. And yeah, Aang is a twelve-year-old boy, but this universe has already shown that an effect of war, especially when it comes to the Avatar, is that children won't necessarily be treated differently for their youth, and will be dealing with very adult issues at a young age.
That being said, either I just can't deal with seeing that actually play out, or they just took it to a way bizarre wacky level (I think it's the latter, maybe even to the extent that they felt making it just silly and ridiculous would stop it from getting too dramatic and dark), 'cause yeah, it was weird.
But I've always kind of forgiven it because it has a lot of nice things, like returning to Kyoshi Island and Kyoshi recounting what happened. Like in "The Great Divide," maybe I'm in the minority, but I like the demonstration of how historical recollections can get muddled and subject to bias over time – in this, that effectively both sides were telling the same story, but one was the murder of their leader, and the other the creation of their home. I also just generally love Kyoshi so I'm always cool when we get to see her. And there are a lot of really funny things, like Sokka going into Sherlock-mode and really testing Katara's patience. "Boomerang, you DO always come back!" and "I used to be BOOMERANG guy!" are some of my favorite lines.
And I would talk about Zuko and Iroh but I'm just going to wait. Though I do like how Zuko apparently thinks to get something he thinks his uncle will like, without any other real reason behind it.
Unpopular opinion time: I like Avatar Day
I'm with you. Like I said in the spoiler blog, Kyoshi being awesome can help me forgive a lot.
Also, in reply to certain points in your review (won't tell which, because I don't want to spoil you):
MARK, YOU HAVE NO IDEA. XD
IAWTC. *knows*
I actually don't hate this episode.
It's not my favorite, yeah, but the only episode I ever skip on repeat viewings is The Great Divide.
This one has way too many great moments (ZUKO WHAT ARE YOU DOING LOOK AT YOUR LIFE LOOK AT YOUR CHOICES) (Sokka of the Water Tribe: Ace Detective!) ("I do like stuff") (Avatar Kyoshi, being a BAMF) etc.
Also, I actually think that this town, the villagers, and the "just-us" system are so hilariously over the top, that I just can't hate it.
So yeah, I HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH YOU ON THIS ONE, MARK (Oh gog Mark, please don't hate me for it).
Also, if anybody has played Mass Effect properly (i.e. with femShep), then Avatar Kyoshi becomes even more badass because she's voiced by Jennifer Hale. (She also voices June, another AtLA badass.)
"I'm Avatar Kyoshi, and this is my favorite store in Omashu."
Kyoshi was totally Renegade.
For me, she's Sheena in Tales of Symphonia. 😀
…omg the mental imagery of Sheena = Kyoshi oh gosh
There's a lot of voice actors in Avatar that have also played in Bioware games. That makes the Bioware fangirl in me super-happy.
You and me both. I like my fandoms to play well together.
On a related note:
ajghiahjfkgnaof;gdnsjkafndkl;asnjnkdbajkdf!!!!
HOW DID I NOT NOTICE RAPHAEL SBARGE'S VOICE UNTIL I JUST LOOKED HIM UP!?! I ALWAYS RECOGNIZE RAPHAEL SBARGE'S VOICE AND YET I DON'T RECOGNIZE IT WHEN IT'S ON AVATAR!?!
I feel so ashamed…
This is my least favorite episode (I actually dislike it more than The Great Divide). At least we're done with it like! It's like ripping off a band-aid.
I would just like to say that Sokka cosplays Sherlock Holmes and he now OWNS MY SOUL and can start existing in the real world any time now.
While I would never say this episode was bad… I will say that it's the weakest episode of the season.
~Oh Mark, your preparation is as lacking as always~
This was actually the first episode I saw. Kyoshi and the Zuko/Iroh story made me go back and buy the whole first season. (THAT'S RIGHT, THEY MADE ME.) The other stuff, not so much. So bad, interesting or whatev, this is the one that sucked me in so I'm fond of it.
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LMAO, these are AWESOME!!! XD
I ran through that whole site yesterday. Thanks for making my previously crappy day awesome.
did the same thing 10 minutes ago =D
I love the one with Iroh and Zhao!
Sokka's detective outfit is just made of win. Also, any girl would kill for a hairstyle as badass as Katara's hair loopies! XD
I kind of wish you would just binge watch a few episodes of this in one day Mark because I love these reviews so much and the wait time in between kills me. And I know with a show this great it has to be killing you too!
This episode is like the season two version of "Great Divide", only slightly better. There are some cute lines- "BOOMRANG! YOU DO ALWAYS COME BACK! :DDDD"- some nice character development (holy shit Zuko!), and some cute scenes (FROTHERS!). However, it's most unmemorable and the townspeople tick me off royally.
What I really enjoy is getting a look at Avatar Kyoshi, HBIC. She shows up and unrepentally takes credit for her actions. "Yeah, I killed Chin. He was a complete asshole who tried to take over the world and got in the way of me doing my Avatar thing. He deserved everything he got coming to him. U mad?" She is flawless and amazing and we need more of her.
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Basically, I was Sokka at the end of the episode.
This is my least favorite Avatar episode, mostly because unlike the Great Divide, you can't skip it, if only for the Zuko and Iroh parts.
I rewatched this episode yesterday because I remember it sucking, but I didn't hate it upon rewatching! Actually, the episode raises some pretty important thematic material:
I thought it was interesting that, 300 years ago, there was a power-made EARTH KINGDOM tyrant who amassed huge armies and went around trying to conquer the world. I thought the show makes a very important subtle point here. It's not just the the Fire Nation that has the potential to go rogue because crazy dictators can come from anywhere–from any of the element nations. The Avatar really IS tasked with keeping peace between the nations, like Kyoshi did, and like Aang has to do. History repeating itself…
The other important thematic material introduce here is the concept of Katara's HAIR LOOPIES. We can now refer to them by that name without fear of spoiling Mark. Hooray!!! Mark, you have no idea how much not spoiling you is a matter of not using cool catch phrases from later in the show!
I was very struck myself by the parallels of Chin and Kyoshi to the Fire Lord and Aang. I was even very surprised that Kyoshi actually killed Chin, especially on a KIDS SHOW. Wow.
Hmmm, wondering if that shows just how far Aang needs to go in order to stop the Fire Lord? I can't see him doing that, though. Most villains end up running away, repenting, or being hoisted by their own petard or killed by their own henchmen/followers. But then 'Avatar' is NOT your average children's show!
Technically, Chin killed himself by being a temperamental idiot and stomping around on a new and unstable cliff face.
True, but that doesn't erase Ashley's original point. How far *was* Kyoshi willing to go to protect the world from Chin? If she hadn't "technically" "accidentally" killed him, would she have taken it further? How far is Aang prepared to go?
Obviously, a full discussion of this includes spoilers, but it is something to think about. I think that this episode introduces this idea very subtly.
Yup, I was definitely very struck by the parallels between Chin's efforts at conquering the world and the present Fire Nation's. It's definitely a moment where the show is making it clear that the Fire Nation are not INHERENTLY villains and megalomaniacs, and that the Earth Kingdom (whose citizens have been mostly welcoming and helpful in the show) is just as capable of producing the same kind of megalomaniacal conqueror.
I like that balance, too. A bad few dictators can happen to the best of us.
I sort of feel like this episode touched on some of the same themes as "The Great Divide" (something that people are mad about that happened forever ago, etc.), except that this episode was a lot more entertaining. Personally while I wasn't terribly engaged in the overall story, there were so many great moments in this episode that more than made up for it. Loved Sokka's mouth hanging open when the villagers set fire to the statues/effigies? of the avatars (there must be a gif of that somewhere??), and his boomerang love was too cute! Sokka Holmes was amazing and loved it when Kyoshi herself appeared with the truth. I've never followed along with fandom, since this is my first time watching the show, so I never know if a particular episode is loved/hated/indifferent, but for myself, while this isn't my FAVE EPISODE OF ALL TIME, I did enjoy it.
OMG and how did I forget Zuko/Iroh?? I literally CRIED when Zuko left 🙁
There's another minor callback to early season 1 that I absolutely loved: when the story of Chin is being told, we see his territory spread throughout the entire Earth Kingdom except one very specific spot on the map. Looks like Iroh wasn't the only one who had trouble there. 🙂
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Hey, people, can you stop using spoilery usernames?! X(
Mark, this past weekend we had an AVATAR marathon… and i kept telling my daughters "I cant wait for Mark to see this episode"… or… "Mark is going to love this!!"… or… "Mark is going to freak!!!"
they now think I have a boyfriend names MARK
What she said! Resident of Nerdfighteria Island.
I still think Nerdfighteria Island should become a real thing. There are very nice little islands for sale in the Carribean for only about a million dollars! We just need to find a really rich person.
Or pay 5 dollars each. Which I would absolutely do.
DFTBA 🙂
Sokka makes this episode for me, but otherwise I agree it's pretty meh. Sokka Holmes and boomerang are awesome forever, though.
I am 100% with you on being like WTF at these villagers. How does this legal system make any sense. OH RIGHT, IT DOESN'T.
The one thing I remembered and would rewatch on this episode is Aang fighting with those fans. That was a total win for me. I don't know why, but that shot of him pausing in the alley, full makeup, fans behind his back…just waiting for the BAMF moment to start up again, that stuck in my head. I loved that for some reason.
I refuse to dislike this episode, solely on Iroh being that awesome. That's how much I love that man.
I also like this episode. I think it helped, upon rewatch, that I knew going into it it was mostly goofy filler, so I was able to enjoy the hilarity more. And there is SO MUCH hilarity! There are so many little things like Aang being able to slip right out of the stocks but wearing them most of the time anyway. And Sokka getting to shine is always welcome. And Kyoshi backstory yay <3
That may be very trrue.
Although this episode isn't as amazing as most of the other episodes, I actually do enjoy it. There are so many great Sokka moments, which I always love; and we got to see Kyoshi in action!
For me, while the townspeople and the Mayor are seriously irritating, and could have been written in a less heavy-handed way, I think they introduce a couple of good points. That is, that people can be so rigid in their mindset (in this case, their hero was killed by an avatar, therefore all avatars are evil) that a harmful world view is passed down from generation to generation, but Aang has to deal with their mindset anyway, and chooses to do so in the context of the Town's (messed up) justice system. The other is that people who are still technically on your side might be really frustrating and incorrect, but Aang tries to submit to their legal system anyway. It would have been easy to use bending against these people to get his way out of a messy situation, but it was interesting to watch Aang try to do what he saw as the right thing.
Yeah, it gets almost-painful watching the Mayor and townspeople acting so sadistic towards Aang for what his past incarnation did, but I think it is an interesting bit of realism that there would be communities outside of the Fire Nation that hate the Avatar.
I love Avatar Kiyoshi. No nonsense Avatar.
"I didn't kill Chin the Conqueror!"
*glowy eyes*
"I totally did. What now."
The bit with the justice = just us reminded me of Young Justice XD
OMG YESSSSSSSSSS
I think of Young Justice every so often and get sad at how the core three have changed in the DCU.
I know! I used to be excited about the show, but now not so much >:
I was too and then I found out that Superboy acted distant and that Robin acted more like Dick than Tim (whereas the opposite was true for Teen Titans).
Yeah, we call him Timmick, because that's a weird fusion right there.
I didnt mind this episode…..I am unable to place it in any sort of category of 'like' or 'dislike' but I always watch it when I rewatch my DVD set. I think it's the Zuko/Iroh sidestory and Kiyoshi's backstory. She's probably one of the strongest Avatars ever and proud of it and her big feet. As a girl with big feet I liked that little note, because for some odd reason people always seem to beleive that girls all have very dainty feet. Not all of us do and would like the shoe company's to realize that. Really though, she just show's up and is all "Yeah I killed him. And I made my own island in the process. So? What are you going to do about it?" I love that.
Yeah, some parts of this episode were a bit more annoying than I remember them being. Could have done without the whole going-to-gather-the-evidence thing, very boring. This ain't Scooby Doo, kids.
I do like the idea behind the plot: different villages have different historical relationships to the Avatar. I didn't mind so much that the villagers were taking out their anger on Aang. I mean, if we're taking the show seriously, Aang really is Kyoshi. Which takes my Western-mind some getting used to. This whole reincarnation thing is absolutely standard belief in large parts of the world, but I'm still trying to get my head around it. I felt like this episode was here in part to help us really understand how reincarnation is understood in Avatar-world.
Kyoshi. What a BAMF. As a big tall woman myself who routinely is forced to buy men's shoes because I have very large feet, I fell in love with Kyoshi for having big boots. I feel you sister. Also your fans are amazing. Just … so much love.
There was a great crowning moment of awesome when Aang jumps out of Kyoshi's clothes to go fight with his fans. SO COOL. I would have thrown up my arms if I hadn't been watching this episode in the gym on my iPod surrounded by hardcore gym people.
Final thoughts? Some excellent moments that definitely redeem the episode. And crying forever omg ZUKO noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"This is by far the worst town we've ever been to" Ok, that made me laugh a LOT. They do have some bad luck when it comes to this sort of thing, huh?
"Boomerang! You DO always come back!" That made me laugh even MORE. ILU Sokka.
Overall, this episode just made me laugh, Nothing special, but I actually kind of enjoyed the break really.
On the other hand, NOOOOOO ZUKO DON'T LEAVE IROH HE IS THE GREATEST EVER. I also feel like this might mean we see less of Iroh. :(:(:(
OT but has anyone seen shyfully around lately? I hope she’s alright. 🙁
I haven't seen her around lately either, I hope everything's okay.
Oh shit, where is she? I haven't seen her around either.
Hopefully it's just a simple case of RL getting busy and not too serious :s
I really enjoy Avatar day. I think the main story was meant to be ridiculous so that all the emotional weight of the episode would be on Zuko and Iroh's parting. I actually enjoyed the way the tone shifted.
What I love about "the worst town we've ever been to" is that it shows that tyranny and empire-building are neither a modern phenomenon nor solely contained to the fire nation. Here we have a small nation, part of what would eventually become the Earth kingdom, ruled by a cruel tyrant bent on conquering all the surrounding lands to increase his empire. Rather than be ashamed of their beginnings, this town clings to their past and only wishes to be powerful again.
I wonder if their horrendous justice system is, like their Avatar-hate, a hold-over from the days of Cheng the Conqueror that they keep as a reminder of their "glorious" past.
P.S. I love the prison guys so much. I hope they land on community service too.
P.P.S. I think a lot of what allows this horrendous system to be treated so lightly is that these villagers don't pose any real threat. Aang has decided not to fight back; but if he did, he could totally take them all. They can do no more to Aang than Aang will allow.
PPPS "There! Community service. Now serve our community!" I don't care if it was random or deus ex machina, I laughed.
This is my second least favourite episode of Avatar, just a hair above the Great Divide. It just…rubs me the wrong way, for many of the reasons Mark said. Its got its good points, don't get me wrong. Zuko and Iroh's story is fascinating and compelling. Sokka and Momo are hilarious. I love seeing Kyoshi Island again and having that bit of continuity. Furthermore, the origin story of Kyoshi, with the past Avatar being channeled through Aang, is incredibly awesome and epic, and I could watch it one hundred times.
But overall, this episode just falls flat for me.
Bit sad that this is the episode going on today, because forced restriction to internet will make me less active around here for a few weeks. I will say; have fun everyone, and to all readers and watchers, you're not prepared.
Aww, you'll be missed. This isn't the best episode to leave on. I hope you can still comment on occasion!
omg I am sorry you won't be around. But this will all be here and you'll get to binge read reviews when you return!
Indeed I shall! And I will laugh at your un-prepared-ness with every one.
We'll miss you! I always enjoy you're comments, and I hope we still get still get to see you!
Mike and Bryan said that like Katara, Sokka had the genetics to become a water bender, but he didn't have the attitude to try or expand on that talent, and it died when he was younger.
THIS IS THE MOST TRAGIC THING TO EVER HAPPEN!
I never noticed it before, but Sokka's "Swish-Swish" segment is drawn as though it's being filmed with a wide-angle lens.
There are more such moments in the show, actually, where the animation simulates wide-angle lens. Which is awesome, it adds a kind of realism to it.
Yeah, I'd always noticed it during "Momo vision" during the Blue Spirit episode, but it never reallly occured to me why things looked odd during the "Airbending Slice" bit.
WAIT WHAT REALLY????
…ah, I guess that works, actually. His temperament is kind of fundamentally unsuited to being a waterbender, while he makes a FANTASTIC non-bender, and so we get the Sokka-Katara sibling dynamic we all know and love. XD
OMG.
Yeah… except their whole genetics explanation made no sense so we can also choose to ignore it.
Wallace Wells says hi.
all the thumbs up for you.
I feel this Aang-plot of this episode was designed to be light, if a bit senseless, as a means to advance certain other bits of information, such as the history of Kyoshi Island, what is happening with the Kyoshi warriors, and introducing us to Kyoshi herself. It was kind of like a weak broth of chicken which isn't filling but does have good tidbits floating in it. And on the side plot, we have a healthy dose of morality and chance for character growth.
I think it’s a telling sign when the subplot overshadows the main one. Zuko’s journey of enlightenment is way too brief for what eventually happens, but even the tiny glimpse we get of it is just SO FANTASTIC. He returns to his Blue Spirit persona to rob a rich Earth kingdom citizen after he decides he can no longer take the shame of the situation he’s in. When Iroh and Zuko discuss Zuko’s newfound fortune later in the episode, it’s obvious that Iroh knows his nephew has done something wrong, and he tells him one hell of a piece of advice: ”In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength.”
AND IN RESPONSE, ZUKO DECIDES TO STOP TRAVELING WITH UNCLE IROH.
can you hear my heart breaking
can we please have an entire episode devoted to this.
what an AMAZING character development, because it could go so many ways from here, so while I’m sad Zuko will go off on his own and there’s a chance we won’t have as much Iroh, I’m genuinely excited to see where Zuko’s story will head from here.
^ gotta love Zuko. Mark….you are not prepared….
Remember "The Great Divide" back in season one?
Avatar Day is this season's "The Great Divide", In more ways than one…
I love Avatar Day! I like it a hell of a lot better than The Great Divide.
It's one of those "fun" episodes that gives us a little more insight into the characters without being part of the overarching storyline. I love how Aang slips out of the stocks and converses with the "hardened criminals" about how to approach Katara romantically. I love how Sokka decides he's Sherlock Holmes while sort of making Katara play Watson. I love Foamy freaking out and then taking it back once he realizes Aang isn't with them.
And I especially love Avatar Kyoshi, who says she killed Chin the Conqueror (funny how he went from Conqueror to Great after 300-odd years) when really all she did was go "FUCK YOU, I'M MAKING MY OWN ISLAND." Chin just didn't step back even though the ground would obviously be unstable after such a large amount of Earthbending. Gotta give the man some props for not backing off.
But yeah, I liked it. It's not one of the greatest episodes, but it's fun.
Except for when Zuko ditches Iroh. ZUKO WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU??? I just don't understand how he can have been with Iroh for two years (I think Iroh's been with him since his exile? I don't know, I'm just assuming) and not understood the douchey capacity in which his biological father resides and the clearly superior manner of his uncle. It's like, do we have to punch you in the face, Zuko?
do we have to punch you in the face, Zuko?
I love you for this. OBVIOUSLY ZUKO NEEDS TO BE PUNCHED IN THE FACE.
This is definitely the closest Season 2 comes to a "fluff" or filler episode, much more so than "The Swamp" or "Cave of Two Lovers".
I believe the person who wrote this show was also a writer on "Invader ZIM", and it shows. Things like Justice='Just Us' and the Wheel of Punishment, and the overall set up for the main plot here definitely feels like it would be more at home in a ZIM episode. But in Avatar, I agree that it just feels off.
What elevates this above "The Great Divide" are the little things. The humor is great through out. Sokka as a steam-punk Sherlock Holmes is just fun to watch, and I think the line "Boomerang, you DO always come back!" is worth watching the episode for. And there's the great progression of the Zuko/Iroh storyline.
And I loved the bit with Kyoshi. I like seeing that several hundred years ago that one of the Earth Kingdoms attempted a world take-over. Just like the Fire Nation, only with less genocide.
All I have to say about this episode is that I have such a crush on Kyoshi it's embarrassing. Oh, and I think Aang should've used the fans longer in the fight scene because airbender + fan must = incredible fighting powers, mustn't it? But mostly, KYOSHI <3 BEST AVATAR EVER (at least that I know about).
I LOVE Avatar Day. ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS. And the prison scene! I love when Aang gets out of the…. blocky thing without even trying.
HATERS GONNA HATE. I'm going to admit i'm not a big Great Divide fan (I… don't think I've ever seen the entire thing. Which is saying something, as I've seen every other episode at least twice..) but otherwise, i've loved every episode of the show so far.
Boy, I have to read some Discworld some day!
Yes, you do! Discworld is awesome. 🙂
I will always love this episode for "Boomerang, you DO always come back"
Sokka is my favorite character possibly of all time
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/comeatme.jpg">
Had to.
PERFECTION.
PURE AWESOMENESS.
I actually don't mind this episode at all. Yes, it's the closest thing we get this season to fluffy, useless filler (only the Zuko B-plot saves it from being totally disposable) but it's so random and silly I can't hate it. Given a choice between this and The Great Divide I'd definitely take Avatar Day any time. The Wheel of Punishment! The Avatar not being boiled in oil! Boomerang! Kyoshi showing up and being all "Hells yeah I killed that guy, DEAL WITH IT." It's definitely the weakest episode of the season, but I don't hate it at all.
And actually I don't even mind that it's filler. One of the things with this particular season of Avatar is that I feel like it's so tightly written that nothing is lost by having one filler episode. Like, for example, I can think of quite a few anime series that have only a small amount of episodes and end up wasting several on filler, leading to a rushed ending. By contrast, while this season wouldn't lose anything by not having Avatar Day in it, I don't feel like this ep wasted any time that could have been better used elsewhere, either. I think it's a mark of how well this season is written that it can fit a single unnecessary but fun little filler ep in there. YMMV, obviously.
Yeah, I had never really noticed that trend until I started rewatching with Mark's reviews. We had "The Great Divide" just before "The Storm", and now we have "Avatar Day" just before….
Well, you know the drill: Mark, unprepared, mind blown, yadda yadda…
Kind of off-topic, but every time someone says "Aang fights with Kyoshi's fans" I imagine him arguing with some Kyoshi-lovers about who's the better Avatar, him or Kyoshi.
Or he gets into a heated debate with the metal fans.
This is one of the episodes that's just "meh" to me, but it does have some great lines and moments.
"That's the biggest me I've ever seen!"
"AIRBENDING SLICE!"
I love Sokka's love for his props. MAD PROPS TO YOU, SOKKA. …*cough*
FOAMY MOUTH GUY!!! <3
I love the moment when Aang pulls his head and hands out of the board. It's such a classic cartoon moment.
WHEEL! OF! CARPET! SAMPLES!
Zukoooooo don't you realize Iroh is the BEST THING EVER. 🙁 🙁 🙁
"BOOMERANG! You do always come back!" Hee hee hee. It's a cheap joke but I LOVE IT.
You're right that the entire story about the townspeople thinking the Avatar is always the same person is absurd. Aang doesn't have all his past lives' memories so how would he even know what had happened? Also, why would there still be a footprint from 300 years ago? Doesn't it rain?
I do like the idea of the town thinking Chin was this great leader when in fact he was a tyrant. Something about that is appealing to me. How much do we really know of our own history? Sadly we do not have TARDISes to go back and see how it REALLY happened.
Also, we get Kyoshi Island backstory. And we get to see Kyoshi at the height of her power, using her awesome Avatar bending skills to MAKE AN ISLAND. It's kind of ambiguous whether she killed Chin on purpose, though. He just kinda stood there as part of the land crumbled away.
PS. Mark, you are so not prepared.
Matter of fact, I am going to go watch it right now.
Since Katara's hairloopies are such a popular topic today…
TRIVIA TIME!: The original design for Katara was basically the same, except for the two thin braids that hung down loosely from her temples.
<img src="http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc112/Lucky_Starr17/EarlyKatara-2.png">
The animators had difficulty constantly making them sway when she moved or in the breeze, so they decided to attach the ends to the back to form "hairloopies". When the creators were later researching Inuit culture for influence with Water Tribe designs, they discovered this was actually a traditional hair style for teenage Inuit girls.
That's pretty cool! 😀 Thanks for the trivia!
I had read that hair loopies were in fact a traditional Inuit hairstyle. So when I watched the movie Atanarjuat/The Fast Runner, I was thrilled to see…real-life hair loopies!
<img src="http://storage.canalblog.com/98/75/110219/23568441.jpg">
<img src="http://thumbnails.truveo.com/0009/54/1C/541C99C77E94F36796259D_Large.jpg">
<img src="http://archives.universcience.fr/francais/ala_cite/evenemen/pole/images/atanarjuat.jpg">
<img src="http://thumbnails.truveo.com/0008/ED/E5/EDE5B9BCC3E4952C3FC6F2_Large.jpg">
Ah, thank you! I was trying to find some pictures I know I've seen of Inuit women wearing the hair loopies to put in my post, but I couldn't find them.
But does a movie count as "real-life"? Or is that movie a real-life documentary?
It's not a documentary, but it's supposed to be a very accurate portrayal of traditional Inuit life, with all Inuit, mostly amateur actors. So… not quite exactly real life, but pretty darn close.
This was my first episode. Imagine knowing nothing about Avatar and seeing this. I quickly decided that anything with this much logic that was so devoting to brain-bending and preconception-challenging had to be for me.
You are SO UNPREPARED for the rest of the series. I'm psyched.
Even though I know this episode is a weaker one, I have such a big ol' cartoon crush on Kyoshi the the HEARTS IN MY EYES when she shows up always promptly make me overlook every other thing I might have disliked.
KYOSHI, EEEEEEEEEEEEE ~
Avatar Kyoshi is an undisputed badass. But the best part is that she's so unapologetic.
Also, the rough rhinos got totally IROHED.
I always took the utter ridiculousness of the legal system of the village in this episode to be a comical yet disturbingly accurate take on the truly fucking ridiculous legal systems that our world has really had.
For instance, in ancient Rome, testimony from a slave could only be considered valid if the slave testified under torture. Or just look at the very concept of trial by ordeal (trial by fire, water, etc) or trial by combat: the guilt or innocence of the defendant isn't determined by anything resembling EVIDENCE, it's determined by whether they survive the experience or not! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_by_ordeal
I felt that the episode was pointing out, in a way, that the modern concept of a fair trial based on evidence is not something that comes automatically and can be taken for granted, and that the human race has used some radically different and even ridiculous legal systems in its time.
Also, I kind of like the Rough Rhinos for one single reason: in my headcanon there's a popular song in the Fire Nation called Rough Rhino Roundup, that when you hear it as a small child you think it is just a jaunty little ditty about weapons specialists, and then you grow up and realize that it's really about… something else entirely. Because (and again, this is just my headcanon) the Rough Rhinos as a squad has been around for ages; it hasn't always been comprised of its current members.
That's my contribution to the discussion today, anyway.
I actually always enjoy this episode. I'm willing to take a break from such an intense overall storyline (especially given that my preferred character is He-Man Zuko of Super-Angst) for a little riduculousity and Avatar Day gives me time to spend with Katara and Sokka. They're characters that are rounded out by the series but you have to admit that they're prioritized as themselves somewhere lower than The Trio or just Aang. So that's a bonus. (Any extra time with Sokka is a bonus).
And come on. Aang's relationship advice is so ~cute~!
This is now my favorite Tumblr ever.
I took this episode as a huge note on unfair law systems, bigotry and political sefishness. Most of all, the part where nothing of its rubbishness changed afterwards. It's a good mirror on so many things happening in our current society.
And a good way to show Zuko's side story. As Avatar has to show the avatar in each episode and the things that happen to others parallel to the main story, you can't always have mythology, you have to dose it with the rest of a normal journey.
I don't find the episode appealing but I understand the point. If it's a filler, it's a necessary one. Just like in every single serial story.
I was sick earlier this week and its put me so behind in doing the comments. There seems to be a large consensis that this episode is not that great. While I agree with it on some level, the town's treatment of Aang is just plain dumb in my opinion. There were certainly a few key things that stopped it from being like "The Great Divide". One of them is Sokka's embodiment of a detective, it was funny and cute and it made me smile. Which in my opinion is a good thing since this show sometimes is all about the drama of the situation. Another key thing I wished I saw more of was the interactions between Zuko and Iroh. As much of a fangirl of Iroh as I am, I am glad Zuko decided to leave. He has a LOT to figure out and he feels that he has to do it by himself. The last part I enjoyed was the emphasis on Avatar Kyoshi, because she was a badass and another positive role model for girls growing up. I think I have mentioned many times how much I wish this show was around when I was younger. This is one of the many reasons why.
<img src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ40ejM4zphBnvB27Mfeles3JEhU46G4_TM0S3213koSkJKRhwa">
Who wouldn't want to aspire to be like her growing up?
Mark, let me just say that I had not heard of you or your blog before you started watching Avatar…nor have I ever been part of any fandom. But this show? THIS show is amazing. (Ok, not this episode per se…but you know what I mean.)
While watching this series, I also found myself wanting to watch and know more about what was going on with Zuko and Iroh at this point of the story than "team avatar." I don't know if it was because of all the seeming nonsense or low intensity stories, or because the dynamics of Zuko's storyline are just SO intriguing and inherently more interesting at this point. It shows the depth of Zuko's turmoil that he chooses to leave Iroh and travel alone. I mean, he had a pretty f*cked childhood to say the least, and a few wise one-liners (albeit AMAZING one-liners) aren't going to turn him around. I think Iroh in his glorious way understands that he has to find his own way, as much as it obviously pains him to let him go. It's really beautiful actually. Very buddhist in nature as well…to let go of attachments. It is fair to say that by this point in the series I had developed actual feelings for these animated characters…(weird!)…I want to give Zuko a hug and want to sip tea with Iroh. Actually, I want Iroh to be in my family and instill his wisdom into my children…
Anyway, back to team avatar…Avatar day was kind of fluffy to me, but there are a few pearls to pull from it. I think what I took from this episode (and this theme has been introduced before) was that as Avatar sometimes you have to do things that may be unpopular to some for the sake of balance and fairness. Beyond that, there was quite a bit of humor and entertainment to be had. Remember…kids show on nickelodeon…there have to be some laughs thrown in.
Thanks for all your reviews!!! I am SO excited to read along and "watch" your reactions to something I adore so much 🙂
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