Mark Watches ‘Avatar’: S02E16 – Appa’s Lost Days

In the sixteenth episode of the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, we flashback to discover what happened to Appa when he was abducted by sand benders. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Avatar.

Seriously? The writers of this show just gave an entire episode to a character who cannot speak words. My god, this is so wonderful. And it’s made even better by the fact that I have been begging for an Appa-centric episode since THE BEGINNING OF TIME.

All right, obviously I’m exaggerating, but this episode filled in a story that I figured wouldn’t be that complicated or nuance. I suppose I just believed what we’d been told: that the sand benders had sold Appa to traders and that he was being held in Ba Sing Se. The end?

Oh, how wrong I was.

Again, and I’ll probably say it a few times during this review, but the sheer power of “Appa’s Lost Days” comes from the fact that there is so little dialogue. Everything is provided from the reactions of others and from the gestures and growls of Appa as he struggles. We learn right off the bat that Toph did hear Ghashiun tell the other sand benders to put a muzzle on Appa, and we also learn just how hard Appa fought to escape from his captors. The sand benders are disappointed to learn that Appa is carrying no valuables (OH NO SOKKA’S SWORD), so they decide to make a profit by selling him to Earth Kingdom merchants. What’s great is how often every stranger that comes across Appa who has a negative intent completely misjudges how strong and powerful this flying bison is. The first of those are the merchants who buy Appa from the sand benders. We learn that Appa actually heard Aang send out his call on the bison whistle and nearly escaped, had it not been for the spitting darts.

I’d say that it would be a disservice to Appa, though, to assume this is all about physicality. Appa is strong, sure, but a lot of what drives him is his love for his friends, especially for Aang, and it’s his constant motivation to return to those he loves. But before he finds them, he has to go through a terrifying and traumatic journey.

The earth bending merchants sell Appa to a fire bending animal trainer who treats his acquisitions in a way that reflects the meaning of that word: as objects. Appa is merely a wild beast to be trained to entertain others. In the process of training, this trainer uses his firebending as a threat and a rather painful one, I imagine, and I think it creates a new factor that’s kind of frightening. Throughout the course of “Appa’s Lost Days,” we find out how much fire comes to scare Appa. Well…um…..isn’t there going to be a quite a lot of fire in the near future? Like….in Book Three? Or when Aang has to learn fire? OH GOD SO MUCH TRAUMA COMING FOR APPA 🙁 🙁 🙁

But throughout all of this, Appa keeps returning to Aang. The first time, he does this to a nameless boy who shows Appa affection when he helps him with a bale of hay that he couldn’t suck into his mouth. (No, really, it is that simple. And he already did it with melons!!!! WHY DON’T I HAVE THIS POWER). While the boy will always interpret Appa’s interest as a personal one, Appa cannot help but see this young child as his loving friend. A part of that is obviously because Appa misses Aang and here is a young boy who is showing him the same wonder, adoration, and respect. But what Appa goes through at this circus involves a whole lot of shame and humiliation. He’s treated not as the wonderful, majestic flying bison that he is, but an act of entertainment. He’s painted up to be….I don’t know what Appa is supposed to look like. A clown? Either way, he exists for this trainer’s entire benefit and that’s it. And here’s this kid who reminds him of the fact that there are other people who love him and would never treat him like this at all.

This inspires him to escape, but things don’t look for Appa in any sense at all. He returns to the spot where the Library is supposed to be, but finds it empty. (And I might be reading a bit too much into this, but I liked what seemed to be a visual parallel between Appa in the crater where the Library once stood and Momo’s final moment in “Tales of Ba Sing Se” when he fell asleep in a recess of the earth made by Appa’s paw.) From here on out, it’s one complication after another: lack of water; thorns on the tongue; buzzard wasps chasing him; dehydration; exhaustion.

Appa eventually collapses at a nearby farm, drinking and eating whatever he can find, and we get the first flashback to Appa’s past and yet another scene that makes me want to break out in tears. Appa’s comfort comes from the memory of the day that Aang chose Appa when he was a child himself, and I cannot handle how ridiculously cute baby flying bison are. But it’s a depressing memory because Appa recalls Aang saying they’ll be together forever, and now they are not. The promise has been broken because of thieves, and far away, we learn that Aang has been having the exact same dream.

Seriously, please stop crushing my heart, Avatar.

And a lot of this episode does exactly that, and one of the main ways is by showing us how Appa crosses paths with characters we know and gets frightfully close to being saved. For me, this makes his journey all the more tragic. He is awoken by the owners of the farm he crashes at and the owner’s torch causes him to flee once more, where we see him pass over the ship Iroh and Zuko are on while traveling to Ba Sing Se (I do like that Iroh doesn’t wake Zuko to show him the Avatar might be nearby. So….Iroh is totally on Team Avatar’s side RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT.)

Still unable to catch a break, Appa tries to fall asleep again in a different forest (this sorta feels like “The Chase,” doesn’t it?), but is woken up again by a….boar? With spines? Oh god, I don’t know the official name, but I do not that I weep for Appa. Tired, exhausted, covered in spines, he is not having good luck on his journey to find Aang. Thankfully, some familiar faces show up the next morning, as Suki and the Kyoshi warriors come up Appa hiding in the root of a tree. Of course, this seems victorious: Appa has been find! And by good people! But at this point, because of all the abuse he’s suffered, he’s reluctant to trust anyone, even someone like Suki. How is this going to affect the future when Appa is finally reunited with Aang? (I should say if, but there’s no way this show will continue to keep them apart much longer. Right? Right????)

Like nearly everything in “Appa’s Lost Days,” NOTHING GOES HIS WAY. Because just as Suki seems to win over Appa and they clean him up, THE DANGEROUS LADIES ARRIVE. (Oh god, I love their nickname so much.) (Also, in terms of continuity, the three of them are headed to meet up with the drill, right?)

The fight is fantastic, as most are in this series, but I was surprised how it was cut in mid-action essentially. I mean, that’s not a terrible thing at all, since this story is focused on Appa. We’ve just never seen this happen before; as Azula and Suki continue the battle, Appa makes yet another escape. It’s an endless cycle of absurdity at this point, and it made me miss Aang more than ever. Poor Appa. 🙁

(Ok, who is that water bender Appa passes over? OH GOD WHAT IF IT IS SOKKA’S AND KATARA’S FATHER I don’t remember what he looks like because it’s been awhile since I’ve seen him but omg don’t spoil this for me.)

The final place that Appa visits before heading to Ba Sing Se (where I’d assumed he was the whole time!) is the Eastern Air Temple. It’s just as rundown as the others, the same solitary and lonely place devoid of the life and magic that used to inhabit it. Completely lost in the world, it’s the only thing that provides any sort of familiarity to him. We flashback briefly to the days when Appa knew he was happy, playing with his brothers and sisters, and SERIOUSLY MY HEART CANNOT HANDLE THIS.

And what I thought would just be an interesting and entertaining episode like “Tales of Ba Sing Se,” one that would just fill in the narrative blanks for us, instead turns into WHAT THE HOLY HELL IS GOING ON. Appa finds a living person at the Eastern Air Temple. That sentence alone is enough to make my head explode. Frightened and unwilling to trust this stranger, Appa growls at him, and he introduces himself as Guru Pathik. What he proceeds to do is constantly say things that make no sense to me. Guru first states that Appa is not who he was expecting, later adding that he expected both Aang and Appa at the same time.

When Appa reluctantly falls asleep after hours of the same routine, the Guru approaches Appa and begins to…read him? He does this odd thing where he touches Appa and is able to tell so much about him with just that one action. He tells Appa he knows how difficult his journey has been, and how much trust he’s lost. Yet, the Guru insists that in some way, this was supposed to happen. He had a vision of Aang and Appa years before, and that he was waiting here for them.

WHAT???? Who the hell is this man and what is his part in the story?

We don’t get to find out much of anything else at this point, but we once again see that strange interconnected link between Aang and Appa, utilizing that weird whitish line of energy. And in an instant, with a message from the Guru attached to his horn, Appa knows exactly where Aang is.

But this episode couldn’t end on a happy note, could it??? In a rush to find his partner, his best friend, Appa flies furiously to Ba Sing Se, and it’s very shortly upon arriving inside the walls that he hears his familiar whistle. But the Dai Li come back into the story, and we find that Long Feng has been behind this, and in an instant, Appa has been captured and moved under the ground.

GODDAMN IT. Ugh, what is going on with the Dai Li. Please don’t hurt Appa. 🙁

THOUGHTS

  • Why do sizzle-crisps sound so tasty?
  • “You’re so colorful it’s making me nauseous.” OH, MAI.
  • “Who are you, the Avatar’s fangirls?” [Pause] “Oh, I get it! Good one, Azula!”

 

About Mark Oshiro

Perpetually unprepared since '09.
This entry was posted in Avatar and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

263 Responses to Mark Watches ‘Avatar’: S02E16 – Appa’s Lost Days

  1. Thank you, Elizabeth Welch Ehasz, of "Zuko Alone" fame, for this giant CONTINUITYGASM. (I had not realized she wrote both these episodes [in addition to "The Avatar State" and "Return to Omashu"]. Can we just have a giant FUCK YEAH for her very existence as an awesome female television writer? There are not enough of them.)

    1. The flashback to the end of "The Library" now includes the muzzling of Appa that Toph mentioned in "The Desert."
    2. Gashuin admits to having stolen the sand sailer from the Hammi tribe, as the leader noted when he found Team Avatar using it.
    3. Gashuin did indeed trade Appa to some merchants who were planning on selling him in Ba Sing Se.
    4. APPA HEARD AANG'S BISON WHISTLE.
    5. Shirshu spit darts! And we know from "Bato of the Water Tribe" that it takes a lot of shirshu venom to put down Appa.
    6. APPA SAW THE FRIENDLY MUSHROOM.
    7. Appa ends up in Ty Lee's circus from "Return to Omashu"!
    8. Where do you think those cabbages came from? HUH?
    9. Appa goes BACK to the Library!
    10. He also goes to the hive of buzzard wasps! It's like he's following in Team Avatar's footsteps!
    11. Appa and Aang DREAM ABOUT EACH OTHER while Aang is on the Serpent's Pass!
    12. IROH SAW APPA WHEN THEY WERE ON THE SHIP TO BA SING SE.
    13. Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors! This is where she went after she left Sokka after "The Serpent's Pass"!
    14. KYOSHI WARRIORS VS. DANGEROUS LADIES OMG.
    15. SOME WATERBENDER WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE SOKKA AND KATARA'S FATHER SAW APPA TOO.
    16. The Eastern Air Temple!! From Appa and Aang's dream!
    17. Guru Pathik! Okay, fine, we have moved from CONTINUITYGASMING to actually introducing characters we haven't seen before.
    18. This may not be continuity, per se, but the business about Aang and Appa being connected and invisible strings sounds an awful lot like what Hue was talking about in "The Swamp."
    19. Guru Pathik directs Appa to Aang in Ba Sing Se! Which is really convenient since Team Avatar thought he was there the whole time.
    20. The end of this episode destroys my fucking soul. Long fucking Feng has a bison whistle. He calls Appa to him. AND THEN HE EARTHBENDS HIM UNDERGROUND WTF. AND THIS IS THE FOOTPRINT MOMO WAS SLEEPING IN IN "TALES OF BA SING SE." HE DID NOT EVEN KNOW HOW CLOSE HE WAS.

    On the night this aired, Nickelodeon—which was rerunning the series from the beginning just so I could catch up—also aired "The Blue Spirit." Seeing both those episodes in one night convinced me to buy the season one DVDs immediately. Because, as LJer boosette said:

    This is the only show in the universe that could devote an entire episode to a GIANT FLYING BISON and make it even half this DARK AND POIGNANT AND AWESOME AND AAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

    • Tilja says:

      My two cents to your great comment:

      7. Seriously? Ty Lee's circus? I suck at spotting these things.
      10. Actually, I think he was following on Aang's scent. That's why he went to the places he went in the desert.
      15. Let's hope, let's hope, let's hope. I really don't remember and I'm not watching along, so I can hope as well as anyone. 😛
      16. That Eastern Air Temple… I wonder just how long did Aang and Appa spend in that place instead of the South Air Temple, where all those bodies were found.
      17. A Guru like that, I don´t mind finding this sort of characters ever. He looks harmless and funny.
      18. And THIS makes me wonder whether Guru Pathik ever met Hue, I wouldn't be surprised if he did. I'm thinking he probably spent a good deal of time in the Swamp, talking to the giant tree and to all of the creatures and making friends with Hue and with Hue's vines. I'd love to know this somehow and you've made me wish for it with your comment.

    • Coyote_Sister says:

      YOU KNOW BOOSETTE OMG. She is so cool.

      it's a small internet, sometimes.

    • valdora says:

      Don't forget that when they're raiding Appa's saddle bags one of the Sandbenders opens the umbrella they got back in The Fortuneteller.

  2. thefireandthehearth says:

    So yeah, this episode is so so depressing and Appa deserves all the hugs in all the world and omfg is Suki all right and who is this Guru Pathik fellow and fuck you Long Feng and yeah. To alleviate some of the pain, have a baby sky bison picspam!

    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/ZDUCA.png"&gt;

    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/5ZsAv.png"&gt;

    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/4frvn.png"&gt;

    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/MUjrk.jpg"&gt;

    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/eOXFh.png"&gt;
    Baby Appa by picklelova via Deviantart

    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/u2Ygj.jpg"&gt;
    Baby Appa Feltie by cre8vsteph via Deviantart

    Actual comments below.

    • thefireandthehearth says:

      So yeah, there's not much I can say about this episode other than "OH APPA LET ME CUDDLE YOU AND FEED YOU APPLES" and "WHERE IS MY BABY SKY BISON" but I'll try. First off, yay for Mark getting an episode devoted soley to Appa! And so well done an episode, too. This, like the previous episode, is another good example of ATLA going outside usual narrative techniques. It's is a gorgeous episode, both from a storytelling and a general artistic standpoint. There's very little dialogue and the plot in no way suffers for it.

      I think the flat-out saddest part of this is when Suki has to chase off Appa with the flaming branch. From Appa's standpoint, the first person to care for him in weeks is attacking him. And from Suki's standpoint, she hurt or scare Appa, but she's trying to do the right think and get him to Aang. She'd much rather escort him as he deserves, but Azula had to come along and wreck that plan.

      HEARTBREAK FOREVER APPA COME HOME

      • kartikeya200 says:

        I think the flat-out saddest part of this is when Suki has to chase off Appa with the flaming branch. From Appa's standpoint, the first person to care for him in weeks is attacking him. And from Suki's standpoint, she hurt or scare Appa, but she's trying to do the right think and get him to Aang. She'd much rather escort him as he deserves, but Azula had to come along and wreck that plan.

        Me too, me too. 🙁

    • Tauriel_ says:

      ZOMG LITTLE PLUSH BABY APPA!!!!!!! *cuteness overload*

      WANT. ONE. NAO.

      • thefireandthehearth says:

        It's gorgeous, isn't it? And it's made by needle felting, which… oof. Takes a braver soul than I to try and make something that small and with that amount of detail with needle felting.

        • nanceoir says:

          Dude, that's needle felted? I've never tried needle felting, but just watching someone do it, I thought, "Man, that's, like, way too much work for me!" Now I'm even more impressed!

    • MichelleZB says:

      That's, um, the cutest thing ever.

    • OMG, I need that tiny plushie baby Appa in my life.

      NEED IT LIKE BURNING.

    • Jay Gatsby says:

      My bleeding heart. NOOOOOO!

  3. echinodermata says:

    Oh look it's the episode dedicated to Appa that Mark kept wanting!

    Hate that fire nation circus guy. Whip made out of fire? Fuck you. Even if it's mostly used for show and not really being physically used against the animals (much).

    But I did like that there was apparently a little fire nation kid that was sympathetic and yay Appa made a friend. I always appreciate sympathetic fire nation residents.

    And then yay female Air Nomad! I know we briefly saw one as a previous Avatar, but
    this one gets to speak, at least? And she encouraged the friendship of baby!Aang and baby!Appa, which was adorable omg.
    <img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/33kxgtd.gif"&gt;

    But can we just talk about Iroh lying to Zuko? I find Iroh's big reaction to seeing Appa, and his subsequent lying to Zuko pretty fascinating. Plz to be telling me what Iroh is thinking, show. Because more Iroh development is always cool.

    And then Suki! Love you Suki. And I'm glad Appa found someone he knows. Suki leading some Kyoshi Warriors! And being compassionate! And helping Appa who looked like crap! And making the tough decision of waving fire in front of Appa so that he wouldn't stay in the fight!

    OMG Dangerous Ladies against Kyoshi Warriors! And we don't get to see how the fight ends!
    <img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/1znpvro.gif"&gt;

    But aw, Appa returns to the Air Temple. That's so sad ow my heart.
    But new character who's mysterious and what is going on?

    And then more sadness because this show wants to rip out my heart.

  4. lilah80 says:

    "Dear Diary,
    Ropes, ropes, no! Want Aang. Cabbage, fire whip no! Fly, fly. Sleeping, people scream, no! Spiny, spiny don't like. Girls nice. Girls fire fire, no! Home empty, not home. Want Aang. Brown man. Sleep, sleep. Fly, fly, fly. Whistle! Aang whistle! Not Aang, trap trap!" – Appa

    Appa deserves his own diary entry more than Zuko this episode. We will return to your regularly scheduled dose of emo on Tuesday.

  5. Tauriel_ says:

    but is woken up again by a….boar? With spines?

    It's a BOARCUPINE. Best named hybrid in the whole world of Avatar, Y/Y? 😀

  6. Dragonsong12 says:

    This episode is just so beautiful and sad, and I love that they let the animation tell the story rather than the writing. Not that either has ever been lax, but animated shows tend to depend more on the writing, and it's nice to see such rich storytelling in the art as well.

    No wonder Long Feng made that cryptic "if you ever want to see your bison again" line. Ugh.

    • H. Torrance Griffin says:

      Congratulations on your marriage to the Villain Ball Long Feng. You want the boy out of town, hand him the fuzzball and contact info on the main armies in the field….

      • @MeagenImage says:

        But then he would be out of Long Feng's control. Long Feng didn't get to be the chief of he secret police and the true power behind the throne by letting people he *could* be controlling go uncontrolled.

  7. Tauriel_ says:

    Interesting factoid: The four Air Nomad Temples were divided – the Southern and the Northern ones were occupied by male monks, and the Eastern and Western ones were occupied by female nuns. But of course, young Airbenders in training still traveled between them – Aang chose his flying bison in the Eastern Air Temple, and if I recall correctly, he was supposed to be sent there to continue his training after he was told he was the Avatar.

    (I don't think this is a spoiler, I only meant it as an interesting fact, but if the mods feel it is, go ahead and delete it.)

    • @UnaMorgan says:

      I think it's safe. Also, all air bison were bred in the Eastern Air Temple. That's why there are still remains of the breeding grounds, and why Appa would feel most drawn to the place where he was born.

    • linguisticisms says:

      Additionally, Air Nomads were born at the Eastern and Western Air Temples (…well, naturally, since that's where the women lived, and they're the ones giving birth), and at a young age the boys were sent to the Northern or Southern Temple to be raised and trained.

  8. Shay_Guy says:

    Quoth the Avatar wiki:

    On March 27, 2007, this episode received a Genesis Award from The Humane Society of the United States in the category "Outstanding Children's Programming," which the HSUS Genesis Award press release described as "…a mythical tale about animals held captive for human entertainment that resonates with the way animals are used in circuses today."

    It's never mentioned, but Guru Pathik is 150 years old — the oldest present-day character yet.

    • Pelleloguin says:

      Was just about to post this. I think it's great that Avatar can cover so many topics that are not only relevant to our society today, but they do it in such a respectful manner that gets the point across without dropping the Aesop anvil over your head.

    • audzilla says:

      I also recall reading somewhere (though I can't find the source) that the show was also recognized with an awared for its powerful and authentic depiction of war and refugees. Both well deserved bits of recognition.

      • Matt_Thermo says:

        The "depiction of war and refugees" thing was from when it won a Peabody award.

        Here's the exact quote from the Peabody site stating why it was chosen for one.

        "Unusually complex characters and healthy respect for the consequences of warfare enhanced this American-made, anime-influenced martial-arts adventure."

    • TheWelshPirate says:

      Good thing they didn't see the episode with penguin-sledding.

  9. kaleidoscoptics says:

    Goddamn is this an earn your happy ending show or what. Bumi’s imprisoned, the Earth Nation is ruled by a bunch of isolationist fucks who don’t care about anyone outside of their precious Ba Sing Se, Appa gets captured, tortured, escapes, and then gets captured AGAIN, this time by fucking Long Feng?? Way to rip out people’s hearts and beat them to death with them.

    This episode in general is SO SAD. ;_; Even the heartwarming parts, like where they show Appa dreaming about when he met Aang, and then it switches to Aang having the same dream. And then the Kyoshi warriors showed up and saved Appa—only to get (presumably?) captured by Azula. Not to mention the horrific animal cruelty in the circus.

    God this show is SO DEPRESSING.

  10. Stephalopolis says:

    Baby Appa is one of the most adorable things ever.

    I must say, I kept yelling out at Appa during the whole desert scene. "DON'T DRINK THE CACTUS JUICE!!!" "NO APPA! DON'T GO IN THERE, THAT'S WHERE THE TRACKER JACKERS LIVE!" Sadly, he never listens to me 😛

    Also,

    "(I do like that Iroh doesn’t wake Zuko to show him the Avatar might be nearby. So….Iroh is totally on Team Avatar’s side RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT.)"

    I like to view it more as Iroh is on Team Zuko. He wants what's best for his nephew and what will best allow his nephew to find his way.

    • Riel says:

      "I like to view it more as Iroh is on Team Zuko. "

      Agreed 100%

      • Avatar_fan_mom says:

        YUP.

        He wants a life for Zuko with some freedom in it…free from this obsession with catching the Avatar and regaining his honor…free to LIVE a real life, and not just grasp at what always seems to be out of reach for him.

      • Classtoise says:

        That and he might feel that the last thing Zuko needs on a boat full of people who (don't know they) hate him is to freak out and rant about the Avatar and his father. Iroh is likely erring on the side of caution for Zukos sake.

  11. arctic_hare says:

    Let's count them up!

    2. Jet will reappear in season two.
    3. Aang will be trained by an earth bending master we have NOT met yet.
    4. Sokka will be reluctant to feel romance to someone else after the loss of Princess Yue.
    5. We will see a story about Appa? Look, I don’t know what they could tell BUT LET A BOY DREAM.
    6. HELL, LET US HAVE AN EPISODE DEVOTED TO MOMO, TOO.
    8. This is becoming less of a prediction list and more of a wish list, because now I want to see Uncle Iroh in a flashback as well.
    9. We will meet Aang’s earth bending master BEFORE the halfway mark of the season.
    10. We will see much, much more of Zuko’s unnamed sister.
    11. All right, let’s get to the REAL SHIT. I predict that Aang will go into the Avatar state before the halfway mark of the season.
    13. We will find out something more about what Ba Sing Se is. I don’t want to say too much because that might be something for season three, but it is an Earth Kingdom town, so why not in Book Two? I SAY YES.

    That's… pretty damn good, I'd say.

  12. Stephalopolis says:

    Also… Momo last episode was SO CLOSE to finding Appa… Appa just happened to be somewhere/somehow underneath him. Which, to me, makes Momo sleeping in that footprint all night even more depressing.

  13. Toph13139 says:

    You like "Dangerous Ladies"?

    I prefer "Ozai's Angels". ;D

    • Viyamusic says:

      The name "Ozai's Angels" is nice, but remember, even though Fire Lord Ozai is the one technically in charge of the Dangerous Ladies, Azula is the one calling the shots. She likes being in control and wouldn't necessarily take orders from a nameless face. Their independence…that's what makes them even more- Dangerous.

      But that's my preference.

      • calimie says:

        Mine too. I don't like the "Ozai's Angels" name, it removes them of their agency (even if the fanart with the pose is great).

      • Tauriel_ says:

        I think the term "faceless name" would be more appropriate in Ozai's case… 😛

  14. simplefaith says:

    Ah, "Appa's Lost Days." Fun Fact: The original title was "Animal lovers/People with pets, we're totally going to screw with your emotions right now," but Nickelodeon thought it was too long. True Story. ;P

    I honestly never would have expected an episode fully dedicated to Appa, but I'm so glad they did it! It's a beautiful testament to Appa and Aang's relationship. Appa isn't just transportation, he's a good friend, and how the writers treat Appa as a character with his own agency and story to tell is lovely. <3

    With all that said, WHY MUST IT ALL BE SO TRAGIC??? Dammit, writers! Appa just could not catch a break! And then he dreams about when he and Aang first met and then Aang's having the same dream and I just had to go hug one of my family's cats because it was all TOO MUCH. Wahhhhh T_T

    …*ahem* I'm good. Anyway, great episode.

  15. Kaci says:

    I love this episode so much, mostly because I love Appa, but also because, as someone who studied screenwriting in school, and who had it trained into her to rely on dialogue to tell a story (seriously, even in prose, I still write so dialogue heavy that I'm often reminded that no one can see character's physical movements or what the space they inhabit is like, even though I see those things clearly in my head–as a director would) that the idea of sitting down to write a story like this–one that says so much while actually verbalizing so little–seems impossible. And yet not only did it happen, but it happened in one of the most heartbreaking episodes of the entire series.

    Well done to not only the writers, but to the animators who had to share the burden of telling the story through images.

  16. Dragonsong12 says:

    Oh and also "They're not just props"
    AHEM AHEM SHYMALAN MAYBE YOU SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO THE SOURCE MATERIAL OF THINGS YOUR ADAPTING!

    (sorry for getting all over your awesome post!, it IS awesome, though)

  17. kartikeya200 says:

    <img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/lost1.jpg"&gt;

    This episode, THIS EPISODE. Unending tragedy forever. Hope you saved some creys from Tales of Ba Sing Se, because you're going to need them for this one, aren't you?

    <img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/lost2.jpg"&gt;

    <img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/lost3.jpg"&gt;

    The episode "Appa's Lost Days" won a Humane Society Genesis Award for its depiction of animal cruelty in the Fire Nation circus.

    <img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/lost4.jpg"&gt;

    The art book refers to this as a 'Boar-q-pine', you're welcome.

    <img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/lost5.jpg"&gt;

    <img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/lost6.jpg"&gt;

  18. Ashley says:

    It came to me later, but I think that Appa dressed as a clown was a shout out to Dumbo! Poor Appa.

    Baby flying bison = best ever.

  19. MocataJoy says:

    I didn't post any haikus yesterday, so here goes:

    Stupid, spiky boar
    You should know not to attack
    Appa is badass

    Long Feng can suck it
    putting Appa underground
    if only Aang knew!

  20. jennywildcat says:

    I wanted Appa to stay with Suki so she and the other Kyoshi Warriors could bring him to Aang… but nooooo, Ozai's Angels just have to show up and ruin everything. DX

    There's enough depressing and sad things in this episode, so I'm going to focus on the positive. Like BABY APPA!! *squee*

  21. tigerpetals says:

    This is the only episode that I remember crying over. The baby air bison in particular, and how they're all extinct now. There will be no more Appas ever again.

  22. MiniatureMoose says:

    Dammit, earth. You're supposed to swallow up the characters we HATE, not the ones we like.

  23. chichichimaera says:

    Man, this week has been pretty busy for me, but now I'm back! I have to say that the whole Ba Sing Se arc is probably my favourite in the show. Brainwashing, secret police, a puppet king, and the equivalent of 'We have always been at war with Eastasia'. 8D Everything about this makes me happy. Plus Iroh gets to work in a tea shop, and we see more of Zuko adapting to not being a prince anymore.

    This episode. ;_; Appppaaaa. Love the fight between the Kyoshi Warriors and the Dangerous Ladies tho, and Long Feng continues to be evil. (I love characters you love to hate. 😀 😀 😀 )

    Some more Texts From The Fire Nation
    <img src="http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i95/Gestalt1/tumblr_ljpf0vW04O1qi3k37o1_500.jpg&quot; border="0" alt="Photobucket">

    <img src="http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i95/Gestalt1/tumblr_lj7ggwrnAS1qi3k37o1_500.jpg&quot; border="0" alt="Photobucket">

    <img src="http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i95/Gestalt1/tumblr_ljila9k6Cq1qi3k37o1_500.jpg&quot; border="0" alt="Photobucket">

  24. Pelleloguin says:

    Episode Haiku:
    Appa hates fire
    and those cruel circus people
    Now he's underground.

    I am so glad they got an an award for this episode. I love how the animals are not just the funny sidekicks, they are a full on crew member with their own personality. You feel for them during the whole episode.

  25. audzilla says:

    Dialogue-light storytelling is my very favorite, and very well done here. I don't have long to ruminate over what I'd say about this episode, so I will leave it at: props to Appa's voice actor, who communicates an awful lot wtihout words.

    • thefireandthehearth says:

      Appa's voice actor is Dee Bradley Baker, who's probably second only to Frank Welker in terms of animal/alien/strange non-human voices. He's flat-out amazing and he does most of the animal voices in ATLA, including Momo.

  26. GeneralNerd84 says:

    This is one of my favorite episodes right here. Coming after Tales of Ba Sing Se it might have been a bit risky, but it doesn't feel like filler at all, mostly because while it doesn't advance the plot it makes us want to get back into it all the more.

    I can't wait until Tuesday.

    • Avatar_fan_mom says:

      Is it sad that I am looking more forward to next Tuesday through Friday than I am to the wedding I'm attending tonight?

  27. @maybegenius says:

    APPA NOOOOOO YOU WERE SO CLOSE 🙁

    But this is still hilarious:

    <img src="http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d61/lostluck_personal/TV%20gifs/comeatmeuppa.jpg"&gt;

    This is a surprisingly enlightening and complex episode. As you said, one would expect that this would be pretty straightforward: Appa was stolen, he did some traveling, he ended up in Ba Sing Se. But of course, this show is never that simple. I love the interwoven stories and the new tidbits of information we're able to glean. It's very DUN DUN DUN. I really love that Appa got his own story, though I wish it wasn't such a miserable one 🙁

    The only thing in this episode that made me harumph was when Ty Lee said, "You are NOT prettier than us!" Like. Why. What's the purpose of that line. And Ty Lee doesn't strike me as the kind of person who would usually say something like that? She's just so cheerful and happy-go-lucky, and it was an uncharacteristically nasty thing for her to say, in my opinion. IDK. Boo.

    • Tauriel_ says:

      Then again, this coming from a girl who said "My aura has never been pinker!" 😉

    • I laughed at that GIF only so that I would stop crying over this episode.

    • Avatar_fan_mom says:

      Totally agree on the Ty Lee thing. I guess it never really bothered me while watching the episode, but now that you mention it, it does seem uncharacteristic. While she is super-adorable and bubbly, she never has come across so mean-girlish. (Yeah, that's a word now.) Definitely seems out of character for her.

      Eh, I guess not every line of every episode is *perfect*….(though I suppose I'll let it slide since this show is THE closest thing to perfection I have ever seen.)

    • fizzybomb says:

      It is my personal headcanon that Ty Lee's line was an in-universe non-sequitor, perhaps:
      – the end result of a train of thought we didn't get to see
      – referring to some conversation the Dangerous Ladies had and which the other two have completely forgotten about by now
      – a callback to some other event that would put the line into context. A noodle incident, if you will.

      • exbestfriend says:

        I'm going to go with your headcanon, because it really takes me out of the action in that scene.
        It may be the only part of Avatar that I have truly hated (so far). It seems especially obnoxious in the middle of a fight scene between two of the most bad-ass female groups to ever be shown in a children's show.

        And look- I'm not trying to say that girls don't pull that type of shit on each other and I'm not trying to say that it isn't realistic, but it makes me feel like the writers were going for a cheap laugh at the expense of female stereotypes and it sucks. It just made me think "You are better than this" and the thing is, they are.

    • Hotaru_hime says:

      UGH, those chains on Appa!!
      *tears forever*

  28. @UnaMorgan says:

    The creators were heavily influenced by legendary director/artist/writer Hayao Miyazaki. You can REALLY see it here; the boar reminds me of the opening for Princess Mononoke.

    • Avit says:

      Strangely, I didn't even catch the catbus reference despite being a huge Miyazaki fan — not until fellowfen pointed it out. I am not sure which one I like better!

    • Tauriel_ says:

      There are so many Miyazaki-ish creatures in A:TLA that I've lost count. 😛

      Hei Bai's monster form
      the Koizilla
      Koh
      Appa
      the boarcupine
      Hu's vine monster form

      And I'm sure I missed a couple…

  29. fantasylover120 says:

    This is seriously one of the coolest storytelling techniques I've ever seen on TV. Think about it, has there been another show that has shown entire episodes from the point of view of an animal? That doesn't talk? Oh Avatar, how I love you and your writers. It's no wonder they got awards.

  30. Caterfree10 says:

    *waves hands over crystal ball* All answers will come in due time~ (OH GOD, THIS IS KILLING ME ASLKFJHDSLFKJDHSFLKJDSH)

    But man, I too was surprised by this episode because I also assumed we would never see Appa's side of the story. But I'm very glad we did, because this is also one of my favorite episodes (I LOVE SO MANY EPISODES THIS SEASON, INCLUDING ONES STILL YET TO BE SEEN <3). Appa is awesome and always needs love. ^_^<3

    *EAGERLY AWAITS THE NEXT-

    FUCK I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MONDAY FOR YOUR NEXT REVIEW FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU *SOBS*

    • arctic_hare says:

      Tuesday, actually, he's putting up a proper review of the Doctor Who mid-season finale on Monday.

  31. Nomie says:

    The first time I saw this episode, I sobbed. For twenty-two minutes straight. I have not been able to watch it since because I am so terrified of having the same reaction and dehydrating into a withered husk. (I was so emotional in part because it was a few weeks after our beloved family dog had to be put to sleep, but still. Also it reminds me a lot of the Bluebird of Happiness sequence in "Follow That Bird," for anybody else who is old enough to remember that movie. TEARS FOREVER.)

    That said, it is a brilliant piece of storytelling, and Mark, every time you asked where Appa was I had to sit on my hands so as not to tell you OH, JUST WAIT.

    Crap, now I'm gonna cry again remembering the episode. CURSE YOU, AVATAR!

  32. Bard Child says:

    This was just a powerful episode for me. It makes the watcher really empathize with Appa and see him as a character in the Avatar story and one just as valued as Aang or anyone else. I think touched me was have kids empathize with Appa, so one day they will use that empathy towards other animals and avoid abusing and hurting them

  33. Teaspoon Capacity says:

    This episode always gets me in tears, without fail. Major props to Dee Bradley Baker, who can convey so much through Appa with no words at all. I CRYZ FOREVAR.

  34. Avit says:

    Those flashbacks were heartbreaking. Everything was heartbreaking, but especially the flashbacks.

    Oh, well, let's look at happier things. Air Nomad nuns! As interesting an effect as it is, I kinda wonder why they went to the trouble of keeping long hair in the back — I mean, Chinese Buddhist nuns shave their whole heads and brief Google search suggests the same for Tibetan ones — but I suppose the creators wanted to maintain visual dimorphism between the sexes, bluh.

    And there are no more Air Nomad nuns any more, so I guess that's not really a good heartbreak-avoiding strategy, is it? 🙁

  35. MeeChee says:

    This episode holds a special place in my heart. The Cave of Two Lovers was the first episode I watched, and it piqued my interest in the show, but Appa's Lost Days was the second and it drove me to seek out the past episodes that I had missed. The fact that the creators could make me feel so much for an animal that I literally knew nothing about with so little dialogue was my first clue that Avatar was not your average cartoon.

  36. Whitney says:

    This episode also always makes me bawl ugh. I just want Appa and Aang to find each other again so they can have a happy reunion and everything will be beautiful and nothing will hurt. ;-;

  37. Avatar_fan_mom says:

    Oh Appa…poor Appa…

    Again, here is what could have been a lame filler episode, but NO…the writers unleashed an amazing tale starring our beloved big-hearted sky bison! SO many details in this episode…and so many more questions!

    (Um, yeah, don't actually answer these…)

    What happened with the Dangerous Ladies vs. the Kyoshi Warriors???
    Where did Long Feng put Appa???
    And will the gAang find him??
    What's up with Pathik???
    Will Aang get that letter from him???

    When will this show screw something up??

  38. Avit says:

    Eh, I'm sure the voices + adulthood would have made it fairly clear.

    You know, I never really gave "on the run" any thought. Just assumed they were wiped out in a short, brutal period of time. But imagining being a temporary survivor, that's… gods, that's another kind of ouch.

    • Tauriel_ says:

      Well, they were only seen in a very brief flashback. Gyatso had much more screentime. So how can you portray an instantly recognisable female Airbender (she must have her arrow visible, obviously)? Shave the front half of her had, keep the rest of her hair long, and give her more "feminine" version of Air Nomad clothes. Yes, I know, gender stereotypes and everything, but I think the lack of screentime, the limits of animation, and the need for them to be identified immediately as women (without them having to speak) are good enough reasons for that. Just my two eurocents.

  39. Harlock says:

    Don't know if I already said it in another review but….I still like the term "Ozai's Angels" better than "Dangerous Ladies" ^^
    They even have their own poster XD
    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3108/3141161746_39

    • shirtninjas says:

      Did they put the wrong names over the wrong people because real movie posters always do that?

  40. plaidpants says:

    Man, I thought last episode was heartbreaking, but this one! Poor Appa! That was my constant refrain the entire episode. He was always so close to finding everyone but they'd just miss him. They need to find him next episode – pronto!

  41. Hotaru_hime says:

    APPA.
    I just wanted to cry. Poor Appa!! He's had more misery in those months without Aang than he's probably had in his entire life.
    I WANT THERE TO BE SKY BISONS.
    FUCK THE FIRE NATION.
    YOU KILLED ALL THE SKY BISONS (OR SO I AM ASSUMING)

  42. Matt_Thermo says:

    "Also, in terms of continuity, the three of them are headed to meet up with the drill, right?"

    This battle would have actually happened a couple of days after the events in "The Drill", since that episode takes place immediately after "The Serpents Pass". Which would have been later in the day from when they parted with Suki. And one of the other Kyoshi Warriors said "I can't believe you found the Avatar's bison. Didn't you just see the Avatar a few days ago."

    So this scene is probably taking place at roughly the same time that Team Avatar is dealing with Joo Dee. Which would put Appa's capture sometime after the events in "City of walls and secrets". Which would make sense since at this point Long Feng knew Aang was looking for his sky bison and, given the way he runs the city, would needs that leverage ("I understand you’ve been looking for your bison. It would be quite a shame if you were not able to complete your quest" ) to make sure Team Avatar plays by his rules.

  43. fizzybomb says:

    (OH NO SOKKA’S SWORD)

    Actually, that was his club. A tragic loss, all the same. He brought that from home! 🙁

  44. jubilantia says:

    *TEARS* Oh, why must there be animal cruelty? It's definitely an important message, that animals are, for the most part, defenseless and need their people to care for them. And the people that are cruel to them will never go away, unfortunately, but it still makes me really, really sad.

    In any animal story, there will be cruelty or death. For instance, any time there is both a dog and a Newbery Medal on the cover of a book? That dog is gon' die. OH my heart. '

    It's heartbreakingly lovely how they connect Aang and Appa that way. It's almost like the daemons in the Golden Compass series, and I think when you see the tangible strength of their connection, Aang's actions in the Desert make even more sense.

    Anyway, once again we have a masterful story, woven seamlessly into the rest of the main plot, developing yet another wonderful character. Bravo, Avatar crew! Or rather, yip yip!

    • stefb says:

      "In any animal story, there will be cruelty or death. For instance, any time there is both a dog and a Newbery Medal on the cover of a book? That dog is gon' die. OH my heart. ' "

      Oh God having 'Where the Red Fern Grows' flashbacks.

      • Still can't believe they make kids in school watch that. Why do you want classrooms full of kids bawling, year after year? WHY. (Still recovering, thanks.)

        • Avatar_fan_mom says:

          You know? I couldn't believe my 4th grade dtr just watched Old Yeller on the last day of school…wtf?

  45. cswike says:

    Remember back in your review of The Desert??

    "To an extent, I get it. I get that Appa represents more than Aang’s flying bison and more than just his friend. Like Momo, he’s one of the only remaining remnants of his entire culture. The three of them are all that’s left of that airbenders, and if you stole that from Aang, it is absolutely enough to send him into a rage."

    Yes, that… plus, as you now know, they are literally BFFLs 🙁

  46. Delia says:

    Wiki "lion dance" and you'll find that Appa was dressed up similar to the lion dance costume.

  47. freeradicals says:

    Oh, this episode. It shows just how much the writers invest in all of their characters that you can have such an intense episode focused on the "animal companion" character. i think it is brilliant, but this is the one episode I have never been able to watch again during the many times i have re-watched this series. It makes my heart hurt, and I cry a little, and that's some damn fine storytelling if the episode about the character who is incapable of speech and is an animal can send me into a spiral of sad for a day or two. Anyway. It is very well done, but I haven't been able to watch this episode again.

  48. Annabelle Diamond says:

    I found this episode so traumatic. Dear god this is a children’s show for crying out loud.
    I loved that we got to see how Appa and Aang met. Ah Appa was so cute when he was little *flail*. Also Aang didn’t have his arrow. Did anyone else notice that? Now I want to know how he got the arrow. Because Appa is the last sky bison an animal from the air nation and Aang is the last air bender and people know that Aang has a bison does no one stop to think if this bison is the Avatar’s? I mean really. No one. What is wrong with this picture!!! I rate this episode as EPIC SADNESS

    • Hotaru_hime says:

      The arrows are tattoos that Airbenders receive on Mastery.

      • daigo says:

        More specifically, the Airbending tattoos were modeled after the Sky Bison's markings. They are drawn along the lines of Chi flow (which is why they glow when Aang enters the Avatar State) and are granted when someone masters all 36 tiers of Airbending, or when they create a new technique. Aang mastered 35 tiers and created a new move (the Air Scooter) to earn his tattoos, which he was able to do so at a young age because he was the Avatar.

        Notice that in the flashbacks from The Storm, the other Air Nomad children had no tattoos yet.

        • Bobby says:

          Also important to note that Aang was the youngest airbending master ever (even counting his past lives).

  49. Jay Gatsby says:

    From this point on, I will no longer cause harm to another creature. I will merely subsist on grains and fruits.

  50. Discreetly says:

    Mark, I've created this account today so you can understand how and why this episode has effected me more than any other in the show. Or any other show for that matter. It is the most depressing episode I have ever seen in my entire life.

    Simply put, Appa is the last of his kind in a significantly more permanent sense than Aang is and this episode distinctly reminds us of that fact. When Appa remembers flying around with all his little brothers and sisters in his dreams, it's sweet and cute, adorable in every sense of the word. But I also know that there will never be any little sky bisons ever again, they won't ever fly like they used to. I know the world as a whole has lost this incredibly intelligent species that can make friends and love and care for them. The entire species of the sky bison will cease to exist when Appa does. It doesn't help that they can fly so majestically, are so innocent of violence they're entirely vegetarian and damnit they're so cute. Knowing all of this and knowing that there will never be any sky bisons ever again is literally the most depressing thing I can think of.

    I literally started crying (full waterworks) as I wrote this post for what it's worth. Now I just have to think about how Mako is actually dead and I'll be out of commission for the rest of the day.

    Damnit.

  51. I love watching the credits to see the voice actors, and I see so many I recognize that heck, who's to say that Blum won't show up, too? Maybe the VA community is really, really small.

  52. Alan says:

    Oh god. APPA. brb tearbending everywhere.

  53. Avatar_fan_mom says:

    Hehe…you aren't alone. My kids and I actually discussed where we could keep Appa during this episode. Ultimately, we decided that we would have to build a huge barn with all the amenities a sky bison would need. Totally worth the cost.

  54. Avatar_fan_mom says:

    The Mai one is amusing…part of me thinks she is secretly attracted to women anyway.

    That second toph one is super creepy though. Bleh.

  55. Avatar_fan_mom says:

    Right??

    How DO you make the Perry the Platypus sound? We were trying yesterday…(and by we I mean me, my husband and our 3 kids.) No one came close…

  56. Macy says:

    APPA BB I WANT TO GIVE YOU A GIANT HUG AND NEVER LET GO
    As for the "Dangerous Ladies", the fandom also likes to call them "Ozai's Angels".

  57. bookgal12 says:

    This episode reminds me a lot of Wall-E for some reason. Mostly because of the emphasis on non-human characters and how without words they can still pack an emotional punch. I remember watching the scene with the fire-nation kid and Appa and I liked how cute it was. I liked how important detail is in the series, and how they keep bringing back small items. For example we see Sokka's sword and when Appa is flying in Ba Sing Se we see those pathers that chased momo in the previous episode. I want to say more about the guru, but I will be patient and wait for more reviews to come.

  58. syntheticjesso says:

    When I first watched this episode, I bawled my eyes out. It doesn't help that Appa's face reminds me of my oldest cat's face, and thinking about my sweet Tesla going through all of that absolutely breaks my heart even more. I was in tears through the whole episode, and at one point I had to pause it to completely break down and cry and hug Tesla. Then when she squirmed away, I found Hawking and gave her hugs too.

    I realize that this makes me a complete sap, but I DON'T CARE. This is a fantastic episode, and I am so glad to find out that they won an award for it.

  59. Classtoise says:

    A new Haiku.

    omg Appa
    Why are they so mean to you
    I want to hug you

  60. Classtoise says:

    Also, don't THINK this is spoilery (they mention it a few times), but Sokka and Katara's father is not a Waterbender. He's just a warrior.

    (Like I said I'm pretty sure it's not a spoiler, as they mention a few times that the Fire Nation took all the Benders, but he's off fighting in the war)

  61. Pingback: property and casualty insurance companies

  62. Pingback: Wholesale Jewelry

  63. Pingback: Best Diet Plan

  64. Pingback: http://www.xfruits.com/network/Arts_Entertainment/

  65. Pingback: Credit Card Consolidation Loans

  66. Pingback: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Searching+for+the+Right+Alternatives-a01074282504

  67. Pingback: Married Dating

  68. Pingback: Great Acne Cure ebook

  69. Pingback: save sexless marriage

  70. Pingback: keurig B60

  71. Pingback: Schwinn 240 recumbent exercise bike

  72. Pingback: Consumer Proposal Ontario

  73. Pingback: Discount Lanyards

  74. MocataJoy says:

    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/mnt8V.jpg&quot; alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" />

  75. Pingback: Atlanta Falcons

  76. Pingback: relationship Problems

  77. Pingback: עבירות מס

  78. Pingback: Colon Cleanse

  79. Pingback: waring pro mg 800

  80. Pingback: Television Reviews

  81. Pingback: קידום אתרים בגוגל

  82. Pingback: Villa Ile Maurice

  83. Pingback: קידום אתרים בגוגל

  84. Pingback: Free Magazine Subscription

  85. Pingback: deck lighting

  86. Pingback: Self Catering in Mauritius

  87. Pingback: Villas in Mauritius

  88. Pingback: Location Ile Maurice

  89. Pingback: cordless drill kit

  90. Pingback: NCAA Pool table Light

  91. Pingback: covered patios houston

  92. Pingback: Small Business Networking

  93. Pingback: panelsawsource.com

  94. Pingback: dewalt table saw

  95. Pingback: criminal defense attorney boston

  96. Pingback: marriage advice

  97. Pingback: Los Angeles Carpet Cleaning

  98. Bedwetting says:

    Exactly what I had been on the lookout for. Quite well-timed guidance to me. Many thanks for your time and effort, and doing this. Thanks alot : ).

  99. Pingback: northern industrial air compressor

  100. Pingback: Black & Decker chain saw

Comments are closed.