In the third episode of the third season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the group is conflicted by a moral quandary when they find a village of sick and starving Fire Nation citizens and are unsure whether to stay and help or stick with their schedule for Invasion Day. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Avatar.
This is not a favorite episode of mine, but there was a lot at work here that I enjoyed it. At heart, we’re dealing with Katara’s conflicted heart and how that contrasts with what the rest of the group wants to do. It’s also nice that the writers give this season a chance to breathe so that we can spend more time learning about Fire Nation culture instead of rushing through the plot. (That being said, I imagine if you had to wait nine months to see this episode, it may have seemed a tad grating or pointless in the grand scheme of things. I get that.)
What I appreciated right off the bat was how this episode addressed something that both played into Sokka’s character and acknowledged a necessary fact: logistics. The fact that time plays so essentially to the plot means that it’s more realistic to have the characters stop and say, “Hey, we only have x amount of time left to accomplish y,†something you don’t normally see on television. The day of the Black Sun is rapidly approaching, and the team has to both survive and rendezvous with the Water Tribe near the Fire Nation’s capitol. (On top of that, Aang still has to learn fire bending. How on earth is that going to happen? They haven’t discussed it at all.)
Sokka, as we’ve seen before, latches on to the physical technicalities and details of travel. Part of me thinks that Sokka merely wants to be useful; he’s the only non-bender in the group, so it stands to reason that he’d want to make sure that he’s able to contribute to the efforts of everyone. It’s also because Sokka is a pragmatist. He’s set in his seemingly “secular†ways. (I use secular in our sense of the word because I can’t think of something better than it and “non-spiritual.â€) He believes himself to be a person concerned with reason and rationality, and it’s true that he’s often the voice of reason when his fellow friends get a little to absurd for his own tastes. He’s thinking less about the enjoyment of the journey and more about the end point. I mean…that’s basically what “The Cave of Two Lovers†is about, I’d say.
Whereas the writers have, in the past, poked fun at Sokka’s inconsistently rigid routines, here they set up a monumental clash. As Team Avatar arrive in a town suffering from pollution due to a local Fire Nation military plant, they can see the signs of abject suffering: polluted, murky water; starving families; sick citizens; no morale. Katara, naturally, immediately is touched and dejected by what she sees, expressing her desire to help this town.
Thus, we set up “The Painted Lady,†a sort of polar opposite to “The Blue Spirit†once you think about it. Katara wants to stay and help. Sokka insists that they don’t have any spare time to help anyone out, let alone an entire village. Still, Katara can’t resist giving one of the fish to a poor boy, who proceeds to give it to his sick mother, and thousands of hearts break all at the same time.
Unlike “The Blue Spirit,†it seemed fairly obvious from the get-go that Katara was the Painted Lady. I don’t think it’s necessarily fair to compare the two episodes too much, because this episode isn’t aiming to give us some big mystery. This is about Katara’s personal sense of ethics and where she chooses to draw the line. It’s fitting that one of the few water benders who has the power to heal with water is also the young woman who has a propensity to want to help everyone she comes across. The writers do a fine job of not portraying good acts as a bad thing, too, and I was worried it was going to come to that. Instead, as Katara’s lie becomes more elaborate, I feel like the writers are commenting more on the value of good acts. While pretending to be the Painted Lady, there’s no doubt that Katara is doing a wonderfully fantastic thing. At the same time, though, she’s lying to her best friends and her brother, and the lie is requiring even more effort to both keep up and to keep hidden. Appa becomes “sick†with some ailment that makes his tongue purple, giving Katara a reason to keep the group in the village another day while they look for medicine.
Then the village begins to celebrate the appearance of the Painted Lady, who has been helping all of their longstanding problems. As irritating as Sokka can be to Katara about this, he does make a good point to her: The people of this town will soon grow dependent on the Painted Lady unless the real source of the problem is eliminated. So guess who has another reason to stay an additional day so she can destroy the military factory?
I’m glad that the writers at least did not try to save the reveal that this was Katara for the end of the episode, and it seems to me that was the point all along: This was not about the mystery of the Painted Lady, but what Katara did with this creation that mattered. It doesn’t take Aang long to figure out Katara is the one behind the good deeds in town, and he even manages to unknowingly tell her that he finds her attractive. (SCORE.) Katara’s shame over lying to her friends gets the best of her, but surprisingly, she finds that Aang actually thinks it’s awesome that she is helping out the locals. It’s not really spelled out, and I only just realized it, but it makes absolute sense why Aang would be into the idea of a secret hero. Guess who just agreed to be a secret hero himself? oh writers I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE.
So the two work together to destroy the military facility and then try to sneak back into their camp. Which….um….it’s daylight out? It’s not like you’re sneaking back into a dark house at three in the morning. What did you two expect? Sokka and Katara clash immediately and fiercely: Sokka is furious his master schedule is now ruined and he makes no attempts to even say one thing nice about what his sister has done. I am side-eyeing you so hard, Sokka. I mean, to an extent, of course I understand his position. As he says it, invading the Fire Nation will probably help everyone in the end, and it’s certainly a massively important mission for them. At the same time, I feel like he’s almost trying to shame Katara for trying to do good at a time like this, and I think that’s why she reacts so forcefully when he tries to get her to ignore the Fire Nation army that descends upon the city after it’s been discovered that the factory was destroyed the night before. And I do love Katara when she stands up for herself.
I was touched by Sokka’s declaration that he would stick by Katara’s side. I was also excited to see the entire group working together in that brilliant, silly way of theirs to replicate the Painted Lady as best as they could. We haven’t seen that since Katara faked earth bending last season, and the context here is so that she can help people instead of tricking them. I sort of expected that they’d be successful in their mission, but I was completely surprised that the writers actually had Katara’s true identity exposed. In an instant, this is suddenly the most interesting part of the entire episode. If Katara is exposed as a water bender, will the village vilify her as a natural enemy to them? I’m reminded of “Zuko Alone,” when Zuko revealed that he was a fire bender, and how vicious the response was towards him, despite that he did something wonderful for those people.
The difference here is Sokka. Just as the crowd begins to turn to anger, he immediately steps in to defend his sister, who quickly apologizes to the villagers for the deception she pulled on them, offering to help clean up the polluted water as well. I honestly did not expect this to go as well as it did, and I was pleasantly surprised that all agreed to keep Katara’s identity a secret. For me, it’s a sign that the people of the Fire Nation have been painted with a stereotype, one that I probably accepted unconsciously myself, and right here, in this moment, they shed the image their leaders forced on them. This community comes together not only to thank Katara, but to take her advice and help themselves. It’s because of this that I think the Painted Lady decided to show herself to Katara that night and thank her. At great risk to herself and her friends, Katara chose to do whatever she could to help the less fortunate. It’s weird getting two “charming” episodes in a row, but I think the message of “The Painted Lady” really saves all of this from being the least bit forgettable. It’s a solid episode, but not the best the show has ever given us.
THOUGHTS
- “Well, that explains why I can’t catch a fish around here. Because normally my fishing skills are…off the hook! Get it? Like a fishing hook!” I LOVE SOKKA’S BAD JOKES SO MUCH.
- Dock/Bushi/Xu was kind of a rad character specifically because he seemed to take great joy in trolling Team Avatar. I LOVE TROLLING.
- WHY DID YOU TAKE THE TWO-HEADED FISH.
- I love that Aang told The Painted Lady that he knew Hei Bai, as if that was like….credibility? Bless his heart.
An Excerpt from My LiveJournal Post on October 6, 2007
I am having a weird time here, you guys. See, I came into Avatar during a really awesome time in the show, and I was able to move pretty quickly through the first season and mainline the rest of the second season. And when you do that, you don't have to wait a whole week for the next installment. You don't have to wait a week, get one half hour, and then wait another week. You don't have to focus on each individual episode since you always have the next one not too far away.
But…WHAT THE HELL IS THIIIIIIS. Like, I totally appreciate that we're in the Fire Nation and telling Fire Nation stories, but I feel like there's been a bizarre backslide in creativity. I'm not feeling this season, and it's saaaaaaad.
So, let's maybe get the bad out of the way so I can end on a good note?
Katara, just…what the hell. I hate when she gets like this. This wasn't nearly as bad as "Imprisoned," because that would be difficult, earthbending lemurs and overboard captains aside. But, seriously, the impassioned "I will NEVER turn my back on people who need me!!!!!!1111" from the trailer was…actually about this random-ass town? I know she's trying to do a nice thing, but her need to help the downtrodden is almost pathological. Perhaps this stems from her obvious abandonment issues.
And then she has to GIVE A FUCKING SPEECH again. And this time, she doesn't even make any sense! "You can't wait around for someone to help you; you have to help yourselves…[WHICH IS WHY I CAME AND HELPED YOU????]" Ugh. Can we stop making pit stops to teach children moral lessons and get back to the damn plot already?
No, seriously, how much fucking time must they have wasted cleaning up the river? It's a fucking big river! And I like the waterbending/earthbending filtration trick, but Sokka had a schedule! And it seems to leave little room for dilly-dally! How the fuck are they going to get there on time? At this rate, they're going to have to get themselves good and discovered so they can just fly away on Appa.
That being said, there was still a lot of good stuff.
For instance, Toph out-awesomed Katara with one line: "Maybe we could clean up the river!"
So I presume they're on the secret river that leads straight to Ozai's digs? Which they will reach on the Day of Black Sun and have eight minutes to take down the Fire Nation? Good…luck with that, guys. I wonder what the plan is. At least that will be awesome. I presume.
That dude was pretty hilarious. I have to say. It's a gag that's been done before, but it's still funny. I loved how committed he was.
Sokka and Aang demonstrating a spirit attack? Comedy gold.
"You look just like a hill with horns!"
Even though it led to painful speechifying, Katara as the Painted Lady was actually a pretty neat idea. I liked the execution of the idea, just not…the characterization behind it.
At first, I kind of hated Katara for lying to everyone and faking a sickness for Appa, but then I thought about it and found the whole situation pretty interesting. Sure, she lied, but only so she could do a good deed that she thought would benefit other people. There's a certain moral greyness there, even though they didn't really dwell on it.
Toph punching Aang.
"I know Hei Bai! We're close personal friends!"
If "She's cooooooming" wasn't a Poltergeist reference, I'll eat my sock. That was awesome.
The fake spirit attack was also pretty awesome, with Toph and Sokka on foley and score. And then Aang airbending from underneath the dock! That's some skillz there!
In conc—oh, fuck it, Ty Lee's probably off watching Dexter. Aaaactually, I sort of love the image of the Dangerous Ladies getting together to watch Dexter. And taking notes.
That damn "I will NEVER turn my back on people who need me!" line was so played up in the commercials, and for it to end up being about this rinky-dink town…no. Bad.
I like the characterization behind Katara's actions, and don't think her desire to help people is pathological or infuriating. I also like her line about not turning her back, and it being about the town made sense. What else was it going to be about? She's like that for people who suffer even when she doesn't know them and they aren't superspecial. It's an admirable quality.
The episode felt no less like a moral lesson than the Headband. Both of these episodes are what I'd expect from a children's show, but surpass those expectations.
"Dear Diary,
New Ideas to Win Over Uncle:
– Take him food he likes this time.
– Introduce him to Mai, and have Mai cheer him up.
– Play pai sho with him. (Will need to give him stick to push around tiles through the bars.)
– Perform my 3-hour one-man play Forever Flaming Darkness.
– Steal Azula's favorite set of thumbscrews, present them to Uncle.
– Tell him FINE, I DON'T CARE, GO AHEAD AND ROT IN PRISON!
– Make him white jade tea.
– Turtleducks." – Zuko
THE FUNNY IS BACK!
<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkafli5WXl1qa02x4o1_400.jpg" border="0"/>
Don't make him white Jade tea! You'll kill him!
Zuko's not a details man. 🙂
The last one is full of win. <3
I want to watch Forever Flaming Darkness.
The idea of Mai cheering someone up….hahahahahah…oh, Zuko’s serious…
ZUKO, YOU ARE SO CUTE WHEN YOUR BLINDED BY LOVE!!!!
Turtleducks is a great idea! (Roasted, with a fine herb coat…don’t look at me like that! I’m an omnivore!)
Jasmine tea, Zuko, Jasmine! Sheesh, you think after all those years spent with Uncle, Zuko would at least learn his favorite tea!!!
3-hour one man play? hmm…I wonder what music Zuko is into ! Lightnin’ Park, Panic! At The Fire Palace, um, Firetalica?
Random unrelated Doctor Who video of the day. How to get rid of the Daleks for good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd-JJTs2aKU&
Will it Blend: Dalek Edition
Some things are just too amazingly ridiculous to be true.
I suddenly feel like blending a sonic screwdriver.
Feed them to the squirrels is my favourite method: http://www.buzzfeed.com/burnred/dalek-squirrel-28…
You don't mess with squirrels. 😉
This link inspired the following AIM conversation:
Friend: Daleks can't die. Because they truly live in the basement of the TARDIS.
Friend: That's why they keep showing up.
Kartikeya200: They just creep out when the Doctor isn't looking.
Kartikeya200: Or, being Daleks, uh.
Kartikeya200: Noisily roll out.
Kartikeya200: But not as noisily as usual!
Friend: "Exteeeerminate!"
Friend: *The Doctor, busy macking with the TARDIS, fails to notice.* "You sexy beast~"
Kartikeya200: I now need fanart of Daleks peeking out of the TARDIS control room floor, a la the first TMNT movie poster.
Friend: Hah!
Kartikeya200: This http://www.movieposteraddict.com/wp-content/uploa…
Kartikeya200: But with Daleks.
Friend: The tagline reads:
Friend: "Exterminate this."
Yeah…it's weird for me, this is one of my least favorite episodes of the entire series and I have no idea why. There's nothing wrong with it. There's nothing really offensive of objectionable here. There's stuff in it I like. Why do I have a hard time sitting down to watch this one?
Still, I'm glad I rewatched it, because it DOES have some excellent moments, and it's really nice to just spend some time in the fire nation since until now it's been nothing but this mysterious, dangerous and far away other place.
I have the exact same reaction. I cannot for the life of me articulate what about it doesn't appeal to me.
This is my least favorite episode, too, but I have a few ideas why:
–Annoying, in-your-face environmental message;
–Dock/Bushi/Xu, who was supposedly later explained to have suffered from Mercury Poisoning (seriously, WTF?!) Either in a commentary or other mention by the creators;
–The Painted Lady herself. If she was there, why didn't she do anything?!
–Not nearly as funny or charming as any other Avatar ep in the series
–No ZUKO SUBPLOT!!!!
Yeah, I was expecting Mark to get MANGRY about how they introduced this character with Multiple-Personality Disorder and played him for laughs. And it's even worse when you find out that the creators explain his behavior as being the result of Mercury Poisoning from the polluted lake. It's really a shame that this black mark exists because I love the rest of the episode.
If they really wanted Doc/Shu/Bushi's "quirkiness" to be comedic, then they should've revealed at the end that they really were three identical brothers the whole time.
This episode inspired my favorite subset of Zutara fanfiction, Painted Lady/Blue Spirit fics!
Too bad you mentioned this, for now I will stalk you everywhere until you give me the link for these fics.
MUST. HAVE. NOW!
Oh, yeah, PaintedSpirit. Some of those were pretty lulzy in the worst way.
I really do like the pairing 🙂 I've had trouble finding quality ATLA fics in general. I'm pretty new to the fandom, so I might just be looking in the wrong places.
I've had trouble too, but I've found a couple of pretty amazing fics–I generally prefer gen or canon pairings, but am open to just about anything that's written well enough to convince me. Probably my favorite is a fic about Toph and Sokka just as friends.
I adore well written Zuko/Sokka friendship fics.
Oh, god. Those are seriously some of the best.
There's actually this one where… Spoilery things happen, so here's a Tinyurl.
http://tinyurl.com/67yh9z7
EDIT: There are too many fics with the same name. What I get for not making sure I had the right one.
This is the real one:
http://tinyurl.com/yzhxku6
I REMEMBER THAT ONE! i like that one, Zuko gets to play hide and seek, and Sokka gets to have fun too =D
Zuko/Sokka Bromance OTP!!! 😀
If you check out artemisrae on Livejournal, she has both a fantastic (although AU) post-series fic that's quite detailed, called "Shadows in the Mind", and she also does a series of "interludes" called "The Adventures of the Blind Bandit and Meathead" which are basically post-series stories about Sokka and Toph as drinking buddies causing trouble everywhere they go. Obviously spoilers for the end of the series, but fantastically written. It's too late for links but bug me tomorrow and I'll link directly.
(And I should say that the first fic is AU only because it was started during early Season 2, so by the time the series ended most of her predictions were wrong.)
I have a loooooong list of great Avatar fic. I am happy to rec.
I have trouble finding them, too, and am always welcome to some reccomendations. But here's one author I particularly like; AvacadoLove. This is his most popular story; http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4414541/1/Another_Bro…
Its an AU, which I usually dislike, but its really well done. Its in a universe where Zuko's exile happened years earlier, and the ship he was on was captured by the Southern Watertribe. Hakoda took pity on this scarred child, and raised him as brother to Katara and Sokka. Meanwhile, Iroh rushed back to the Fire Nation after hearing of Zuko's fate, and never finished his own journey of self-discovery.
Also, the author's got an interesting Harry Potter/ Avatar crossover, which sounds weird, but was surprisingly good.
I love AUs but when I saw that rec in TVTropes I found it a silly premise. I'm so glad I finally clicked, it's a really great fic. This is a different but realistic Iroh and it breaks my heart to see his interactions with Water Tribe!Zuko.
If someone here loves AUs, I recommend "Bringing out the Blue", (unfinished, updated regularly) in which Aang never discovered Zuko was the Blue Spirit and Zuko took that chance to infiltrate the Gaang. There are spoilers at least until the end of s2, but since it usually takes some dialoges from unrelated episodes, there might be something from s3, I'm not sure.
FFFFFFFF I LOVE ANOTHER BROTHER. I saw some fan art for it, some of it's nice.
Speaking of AU's, the one i've been reading is called 'Embers' by Vathara on FF.net. it's about what would happen if Zuko could heal with fire in addition to using it as a destructive force. This eventually leads to him finding out how to bend other elements by adding heat to them. A LOT of other stuff happens, but i don't want to spoil it.
That's a rather controversial one, for how it vilifies the heroes and lionizes the Fire Nation conquerors. Personally, from what I've heard about how Kyoshi's portrayed, I don't think I could stand it.
That's is the story that got me into Avatar in the first place, since Vathara is one of my favorite authors. Embers is at a half million words and still going strong!
Yeah, I've seen that one around. I don't know, I liked the premise but was not sold on the writing; most of it felt rather ooc to me and it just didn't work. I am incredibly picky about the quality of my fanfic, though.
There was a little bit of OOC-ness, but personally I thought that came from the fact that the characters were effectively different, especially Zuko and Iroh. As for the quality, you've obviously found yourself some high quality fics. This is practically the best written fic I've found in this fandom- I'm lucky to find my self full sentences most of the time, let alone anything with decent prose.
I know I could probably find some better stuff in the communities, but so many of them are based around shipping, and I prefer having stories that are plot/friendship/family driven.
Ah, I see. Well, like I said, I'm also relentlessly picky about the quality of my fic; a lot of times it doesn't take much for me to immediately backtrack. I enjoyed the premise of the fic, but the rest of it just didn't click for me. However, I can recommend the LJ community avatar_fans; most people who post fic post it there as well, and there's a good mix of pairing and gen fic.
here is a link to my archive of Avatar fic. A LOT of it is Zuko and Toph friendship fic, as I enjoy seeing how they might play off each other, but there's also a lot of gen as well. I personally recommend the "Escapades", which is post-series (somewhat AU because it was written during season 2) and features Sokka and Toph as drinking buddies causing all kinds of havoc. The best of the best also include 'stationary plumes of molten material' which is a Toph character study, and the series of drabbles, which cover almost every character and are really well done.
Yes! <3
As long as you warn for potential spoilers, feel free to link these here so others can read them!
Of course 🙂 Actually, the one I'm thinking of, which I will have to find later, is an AU of this episode with no spoilers IIRC.
Are there good ones? I haven't found any….
My fic choices are Zutara and AU’s, but I think they’re just quality. All are spoilery.
Shadowhawke’s Alchemy of Fire Series, which is unfortunately side-tracked as she goes about publishing a story of her own.
http://www.fanfiction.net/u/737310/Shadowhawke
Agitated Brains has a lot of great one-shots, but I love Fighting from the Ruins. The updating is extremely inconsistent though.
http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1646913/Agitated_Brai…
Sharkflip’s Enslaved, which is not what a lot of people imagine. It’s a very well-developed story with some great attention to detail.
http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1879507/sharkflip
As for Blutara/PaintedSpirit, I like one called Dancing in the Dark, I believe. It’s by DamageCtrl. It’s fluffy, and fairly unbelievable, but I find it charming and cute.
There are others, and they are quite good as well, but I think they might not appeal to people who can’t stand Zutara.
I did reading Dancing in the Dark last summer (oh hello a year reading fanfiction for A:tLA) and have been recommended Enslaved a dozen times but just haven't gotten around to reading it.
I feel like I've read Fighting from the Ruins but I can't for the life of me remember it.
I also read the spoilery fics by Fandomme.
I think this is the episode where the Gaang finally realize that they're fighting normal people too. That the war is hurting EVERYONE, not just the Air Nomads, Water Tribes, and Earth Kingdom.
It really shows how truly evil and corrupt Fire Lord Ozai is.
Not just Ozai, but Sozin and Azulon as well. Ozai's only been in power for eight or so years (not saying you can't do a ton of damage in 8 years, but one hundred years is a lot of time).
True, I suppose I should've included them.
According to the Wiki, Ozai's been in power for five years.
A filler episode, but a pretty enjoyable one. I love Sokka's pragmatic view that "one time help" is not really helpful at all. But it's great to see Katara shine.
Also, Toph+Appa+Sokka = best sound effects team EVER. 😀
I don't rate this episode that highly in comparison to the rest of the show, but I must say it's a very pretty episode. And I wish there were more Katara-centric episodes, so I still appreciate this ep, even if I wish it had more in the way of plot.
I think it's cool that Katara's sense of compassion makes her pro-actively support an entire village full of people and fight for them. Katara is one of the more "traditionally feminine" characters on this show, but I think the way this episode handles her character is quite nice, when it could have so easily been written a different way. It's not about making heartfelt declarations or things of that nature – her compassion is demonstrated through her actions, where she outright schemes to make sure the gaang stays awhile so that she can help. And then when found out by the gaang, that simply means she has more support to give her a greater physical presence against the Fire Nation. I also appreciate that the way this episode is written means we don't dwell too much on Katara being woeful and sad about the state of affairs – that way leads to manpain (or the female equivalent). It's about celebrating what Katara does, not how she feels, and that's in sum why I think Katara's portrayal in this ep is awesome. Because in the wrong hands I think this episode could be entirely trite and eyeroll-inducing. So good on the writers.
And just something I noticed:
<img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/qzm45j.gif">
Spirits really dig the whole "eerie glowy mist" shtick, don't they?
That gif of Yue really does make her look like portraits of Princess Kaguya…
She looks a lot like Chang'e, too (which makes sense).
Toph is the only one who hasn't had an encounter with a floating spirit lady!
I'm completely superficial, and the main reason why I like this episode better than "Imprisoned" is because it's prettier.
I don't think Toph would ever even notice if a floating spirit apprached her. Air is not her natural element as we know; it's even worse for her senses than water.
But she can hear them speaking. A spirit would be right up there with sea monsters in terms of shocking Toph!
She'd still think she's talking to a normal person, she wouldn't be shock by the voice because she doesn't know who has it.
She'd be able to sense a normal person's body with her earthbending, remember?
She can't sense a person unless they are touching the ground, just like it happened with Aang and his airbending. If she hears a disembodied voice, she wouldn't know it is actually without a body so she wouldn't be frightened by it, she'd think is someone playing a trick on her.
But there are no other airbenders left 🙁
So unless Teo rigged up a hovering device…
Works on people on trees or ceilings as well. She couldn't sense the metal box hanging on the ceiling that trapped her. A person on a tree can also deceive her.
I mean she wouldn't believe she's talking to a supernatural being because she can't sense them. Although, if the voice is close enough, do you think she can notice that it's not breathing or have a heartbeat?
It would be sort of interesting to see Toph interact with a spirit, really. To her, it would appear as a disembodied voice (because if there was a body she would feel it, at least on the ground. Otherwise she would likely not be able to tell it was not just a person speaking to her.) I would also like to see her reaction to a spirit because she's so down to earth (I can't think of a way to say that without making a bad accidental pun) and generally acts completely un-spiritual.
As I see it, she's not the only one who hasn't had an encounter with the spiritual world. At least it's fair that way.
…Yue/Painted Lady OTP?
Dammit, why does my brain immediately go towards shipping?
This is not a favorite episode of mine, but there was a lot at work here that I enjoyed it.
It may comfort you to know that this is broadly considered the weakest episode in S3. In other words, strap yourself in, we're about to take the Express Train to Awesomeville and there's no stopping till the end of the line. 🙂
Also, once you get to the end of the line, the train stops at TARDIS central, with a direct link to Hogwarts' Armoured Bear section.
I get the similarities to "The Blue Spirit," but I see it more like "Imprisoned Part II," and I didn't really like the original, so combined with the long wait for new episodes and the slow start to the season after the excitement of late Book 2, I was pretty disappointed by this episode. It has a good message, but I guess I'm way too much like Sokka. MUST GO FASTER.
I will say that I love the detail that the moon in the sky is full, but the reflection in the water as Painted Lady!Katara runs by is a crescent moon like the symbol on her forehead.
<img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/33p5zs7.png">
<img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/24gsmqf.png">
With the real Painted Lady’s reappearance at the end, it seems like the growing strength of the village and its faith in their protector helped bring her back. I like that the Painted Lady doesn’t interfere directly, but is pleased by people taking care of themselves and their environment.
I read as an explanation that the Painted Lady simply couldn't appear because of the polluted river (and considering Bryke's love for Miyazaki, it's quite likely).
I like that explanation!
Mark really needs to watch that movie if he hasn't already.
This is headcanon now.
I always saw the Painted Lady as being essentially a river spirit, so with the river badly polluted, most of her spiritual power was gone. I'm sure she wanted to help, but she probably couldn't do anything until the river was clean. It felt to me very similar to the scene in Spirited Away with the ancient river spirit and the pollution that crippled him.
Random fact: Every time I see that crescent moon on her forehead, I think of Sailor Moon. And in Bato of the water tribe she gets a crescent moon painted on her forehead as well, which also makes me think of Sailor Moon.
So, um…
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-unWz-u1md_g/TgJQ79MHnNI/AAAAAAAAAuc/tFa05oU53KY/s800/Screen%252520shot%2525202011-06-22%252520at%2525201.29.04%252520PM.png">
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-onfiFYHJuV4/TgJQ8IWlH3I/AAAAAAAAAug/Gkequn1IhTM/s800/Screen%252520shot%2525202011-06-22%252520at%2525201.29.56%252520PM.png">
That's perfect!
Haha, that's great!
I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE.
I never noticed that about the reflection!
By far, my favorite part of this episode is the "Spirit Magic doesn't work like that Sokka" exchange. Because you're expecting Aang to be all mad, and instead he corrects Sokka demonstration will an equally silly one of his own.
It is almost as great as Sokka's airbending display in "Avatar Day"
Indeed! I always love it when Sokka demonstrates things using self-made sound effects, because that is frequently how I explain things to people!
<img src="http://th392.photobucket.com/albums/pp2/thkstitch/Avatar%20the%20last%20airbender/th_thSpirit20Magic.gif">
That's our Sokka!
This episode was what the spoiler dispute in this comment thread was all about, in case you were curious.
Not a great episode, and it does have another use of "crazy," but far from terrible.
Don't be that guy, please.
Which guy, the Shay guy?
Hm?
This certainly isn't one of my favourite episodes either, but I certainly don't dislike it. It has some sweet sentiments about helping people and environmentalism which aren't too over the head, and like any episode, its got some beautiful scenes and some funny scenes. I agree that the fact that the spirit was Katara was obvious, but again, I don't think that was the point.
Its interesting you point out the relationship to 'The Blue Spirit', because I've discovered that a lot of fan artists did, too. Specifically the Zutarans; shipping the Blue Spirit/ The painted Lady became all the rage.
I feel the same way about this episode as I do with The Swamp in that you're coming off of some really good episodes to a kind of, not eh, but not the same as the ones before.
I love Katara's need to help them and I do like that once Sokka has yelled he agrees to help her no matter what. Yay good sibling relationship!
What's also awesome is that Dock/Bushi/Xu is (are?) listed as such on ff.net in the character choice.
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/painted1.jpg">
The artbook doesn't really contain any commentary on this episode, so it's mostly going to be wordless artspam today.
That said, Paul Eiding, the guy who voices Dock/Xu/Bushi also uses this voice for something like 99% of the older male characters in Fallout 3 (THERE ARE A LOT OF THESE) without ever changing his pitch or tone. I watched this before I ever played Fallout 3, so this was VERY DISTRACTING, but it became rather hilarious to assume they were all just one guy following my character around and changing clothes with Superman speed. One minute he's a priest, next minute he's a scientist, then he's motherfucking Herbert Daring Dashwood, you better recognize.
For some reason this never really bothered me much in Oblivion, but I can't ignore it in Fallout. I blame this episode!
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/painted2.jpg">
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/painted3.jpg">
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/painted4.jpg">
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/painted5.jpg">
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/painted6.jpg">
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/painted7.jpg">
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/painted8.jpg">
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/painted9.jpg">
I just noticed that the (top pic) factory kinda looks like Cthulhu.
Oh my goodness you're so right about him in Fallout 3! I didn't even realize it was the same guy but as soon as you said it… well, I'm not sure if this is going to improve or destroy the replay value of that game for me… Not in a bad way, just I think I'll find it distracting now. I know when I played Dragon Age I nearly chortled myself to death imagining it was Aeryn Sun having all those conversations with Alistair…
Have you played Mass Effect 2? Morrigan is a badass Asari matriarch bartender and a Quarian admiral! (And another character that's kind of a spoiler.) I <3 Claudia Black so much.
Is Mark watching Farscape at some point? Must go recommend…
Of course I have! I'm looking forward to the holidays more for Mass Effect 3 than anything else… But yeah, I realized she did those as well, but she had a lot less dialogue in that game than she did in Dragon Age. Though to be fair the Quarian admiral was a bit Peacekeeper-ish, but not in an insane sort of way. Claudia Black is amazing and should be in everything ever. Keep using her voice acting skills, Bioware, I beg of you!
I love Farscape so much, but a lot of people can't handle it's cracked-out-ness. I, obviously, do not have that problem. If anything, I have the opposite problem.
I guess Aang was assuming the Painted Lady was a spirit and therefore would have interacted with Hei Bei in the Spirit World.
I think Sokka was so angry at Katara not just because of their schedule, but because Katara was helping Fire Nation. Sokka is incredibly prejudiced against any and all members of the Fire Nation regardless of their situation. So it hurt him that Katara is helping people who in turn support the army that led to the decimation of their home and the murder of their mother. Sokka is a Water Tribe warrior and doesn't want to help his enemies, even if those people are not directly responsible for anything that has happened.
It really speaks volumes about Katara's character that she would do so much for this village, but maybe the pollution of the water spoke to her Waterbending side and balance in the elements.
He's not completely against everything that has to do with the Fire Nation, remember he defended the old man in 'Jet', who was attacked by the Freedom Fighters because he was a Fire Nation citizen?
lol Aang wants to be credible with another Spirit. Hey, I would too.
And I've got to say I'm with Sokka a lot here, but he and I share many of the same qualities. He does go overboard, though, but Katara sometimes tries too hard to do the right thing.
Like the others have said… There's nothing really wrong with the episode… it's just one that I'm willing to skip over and never really remember all too well.
Except that I do love Sokka's awesome map and schedule.
"WHY DID YOU TAKE THE TWO-HEADED FISH."
Why wouldn't you take the two-headed fish? Two for the price of one! 😀 😀
You heard the swampbenders music in the background when they where cleaning the river?
You know, you should really pay attention to the music, it's awesome!
I think the show, quite honestly, is worth a re-watch just for the music. Themes come back from previous seasons, drawing interesting parallels with current events, and… it's just fantastic.
The thing that always gets me with this episode is Aang swimming in the river at the beginning, which is not so much a river as slightly liquid sludge. It's pretty much the Ankh. So why are you swimming in it, Aang? YOU HAVE A RECENT WOUND. ON YOUR BACK. THAT IS GOING TO GET SO INFECTED. It makes me upset every time I see it.
That aside, this one definitely feels very close to 'Imprisoned' for me, in that it's more of Katara speechifying and helping people out, which suits her character, but… eh. It doesn't do much for me. Not that it's bad that she does that. I can fully support her impulse to do so, but… yeah. After almost a whole year of waiting for more Avatar, I wanted to see some action and not these somewhat-filler episodes. This episode also felt like a painfully obvious moral lesson, which was definitely grating compared to the more usual subtlety I'd come to expect from this show. :/
I think his wound probably cauterized itself what with the intense burning of lightning and all. But it's still gross to go swimming in the polluted river XD
I think it just healed/scarred over when Katara healed it.
It's pretty much the Ankh.
Man, the Fire Nation's version of Ankh-Morpork leaves a lot to be desired…
Of course, if Long Feng had been more of a badass, and more morally gray, then Ba Sing Se could have been a pretty good Ankh-Morkpork…
Of course, now I'm imagining the gAang in AM…
Aang: "Hi, I'm the Avatar"
Average AM Citizens: *look entirely unimpressed*
Random passerby: "Throw a brick at 'im!"
Nah, Ba Sing Se is the exact spiritual opposite of Ankh Morpork. The latter is a true higgeldy-piggeldy city, no central planning, chaotic and unpredictable and alive. Ba Sing Se is structured, divided, planned, and dead inside.
(Actually, one slight correction – I think there is true urban life within the lower rings of Ba Sing Se, but the city as a whole literally cut off its own circulation with its strict zoning.)
Also, Ankh-Morpork has the BEST RULER EVER. Seriously. I'd take Lord Vetinari over crappy democracy any day.
This. SO MUCH THIS.
I live in Australia. We've gone from slimy Little Jonny (Srsly, I met John Howard a couple of times, he's a slimy git) to goodnatured but useless Rudd to freakin' Marilyn Manson wannabe Gillard.
At least Vetinari would stabilise the economy.
Yeah, but the problem is that Vetinari can't rule forever. However much he might want to.
Indeed. Also, Vetinari would run rings around Long Feng. Not just rings, he'd run intricate celtic patterns around Long Feng. All while leaving Long Feng in power and thinking he's in control. <3
Man, now I'm imagining Avatar/Discworld crossovers too. Only with Om telling Yue about that time when to protect his worshippers, he broke into Dunmanifestin and beat up half the Disc's pantheon. Then the next day, Yue and La show up at the home of the Sun Spirit…
I am now going to go ahead and picture Erchoyvp Pvgl (/rot13) as Ankh-Morpork until I am proven wrong.
Oh god.
Xbeen as Carrot.
Gramva as Vimes.
SO MUCH WANT let me dream
I think Xbeen will probably be more like Angua. As for Gramva, who else could they be but Lu Tze?
Wait– has Mark read any Discworld? Because if not, I need to go attack the suggestion threads.
It has been already been suggested there, but cannot be recommended enough.
MARK, PLEASE PLEASE READ DISCWORLD. I want to see your reactions to Sam Vimes.
And Carrot.
And Nobby.
And Tiffany Aching.
And Granny Weatherwax.
And the Nac Mac Feegle.
And the Librarian.
And Death.
And the Death of Rats.
And Susan.
And Nanny Ogg, who's basically a female incarnation of Uncle Iroh. With a cat.
And Vetinari.
And Greebo.
And Magrat.
And AGNES. (Guessed who my favourite character is yet?)
And Polly.
And Esk.
And Mort.
And Rincewind. And ESPECIALLY The Luggage.
And Angua.
And Moist.
And Mr. Nutt.
::upvotes all the Discworld comparisons::
<img src="http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll211/davetheshady/i%20has%20a%20problem/argh.jpg" />
And more! (One spoilery cap for s3)
OMG THE FIRST ONE AT THE LINK I LOVE IT
This isn't one of my top favorite episodes, but it does have some cute elements nonetheless. For whatever reason, I'm not particularly drawn into Katara's story but I actually have a lot of sympathy for Sokka. I'm the oldest of four kids and the wrangling of groups of children is kind of a specialty: it's more difficult than you might expect. I know that Sokka's initial stance wasn't exactly full of warm fuzziness, but I like that he's a big-picture sort of guy, and the Gaang really needs that, as much as they may resist it at times. He sees that they have to keep a schedule, he's the one that planned this invasion, and he understands, unlike his sister, that her stopgap measures of helping the town aren't going to solve the root of the problem. But when they do have a chance to fix everything? He goes for it, because he loves his sister. I've been there and done that more times than I can count. As much as we talk about parallels between Aang and Zuko, I don't think it gets mentioned enough that we have a similar parallel between a functioning sibling relationship and a truly screwed up one: Sokka and Katara, doing it right since 2005.
Also, Toph playing the crowd so that they'll clean the river = awesome and inspired. Go Toph!
As an oldest sibling, I also feel like I understand Sokka's brain. Great comment.
Last episode showed us how the Fire Nation molds its citizens. This episode shows us that the Fire Nation is built of normal communities, like the kind you could see anywhere in Earth Kingdom. It really is a great parallel to "Zuko Alone", with the conflict being caused by soldiers who are supposedly on the same side as the villagers.
How many children's shows protray the blatent vandalism seen here as an entirely positive act? I'm personally side eyeing Katara for keeping everyone out of the loop on that plan. Sokka could have been placated if it was spun as damaging the Fire Nation's war supplies. And really, if you're planning to destroy a metal factory, bring Toph along!
I do like the touches of how Toph acts in the background of the village scenes. I don't know why she keeps going back there when she is clearly uncomfortable walking on wood over water.
Out of all the episodes of season three is the one I can remember better because the plot is fairly simple. I was glad that the season gave us viewers some time to decompress from the craziness that was season 2. I thought the jokes were fairly funny especially from Sokka. I understood his impatience a lot better than I used to because I am a huge stickler when it comes to being on time somewhere. He is the strategist of the group and sometimes just the comic relief but once in a while he break from that to be supportive of Katara.
As a quick side note did anyone else notice the song "falling leaves" in the background when the group first visited the village?
"Crazy" is ableist.
Please don't use it on this site.
Sorry, I didn't mean to use that word in that way. I was trying to contrast the relatively low key starter episodes with the fast paced, hectic plot that was the second season. If I could change it I would. But, please understand me when I wasn't calling the show or any of the characters "crazy", I was just talking about the overall pacing.
"Hectic" is an excellent and accurate word.
I didn't notice! What's the song "falling leaves"?
Remember from Tales of Ba Sing Say? It's the song Iroh played for the child and later played for his son's birthday.
Isn't that "Brave Soldier Boy"?
I dunno the official name, but both titles y'all have used are lines from the same song
"Leaves from the vine
falling so slow
like tiny fragile shells
drifting in the foam.
Little soldier boy,
come marching home.
Brave soldier boy
comes marching home.
And if it is, then yes, I noticed that. They have used that tune many times–and also another one of Iroh's songs, "Four Seasons".
What I love about Sokka's schedule, is that it includes a sight gag for animators. According to the talented Ruftoon, Anyone familiar with animation productions will recognise the chart used to keep track of production- they pretty much look the same at every studios:
<img src="http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x15/rufftoon/Sokkaschedule02.jpg">
And of course, Ruftoon spoofed it as well:
<img src="http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs25/f/2008/106/a/2/Why_Avatar_episodes_are_late_by_rufftoon.jpg">
Ruftoon wrote, "As we're all waiting for the rest of season 3 of Avatar to air, I think I have found one of the reasons for the delay- there was a swap and Sokka has been messing with the original Avatar production schedule!"
😀
That cartoon is beautiful, and Sokka would totally take its advice.
Thank you, by the way, when we were rewatching it last night I said, "oh, you can tell that's a real schedule. I wonder what it is?" Mystery solved!
I love the amazing Rufftoon, and this comic is definitely one of my faves!
That's awesome! I didn't know that!
You gave me a great idea. Now I desperately want to see "The Painted Lady" and "The Blue Spirit" working and fighting together! Oh I So Wish there was something like that to look forward to!
Not likely given that Zuko threw the mask away at the end of "Lake Laogai."
It is a pretty popular pairing on DeviantArt, though:
<img src="http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t251/beeftony/Prizeart___Forgotten_Fairytale_by_s.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Source,Photobucket Uploader Firefox Extension">
<img src="http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t251/beeftony/42166_Hits__Painted_Spirit_by_Katsa.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Source,Photobucket Uploader Firefox Extension">
<img src="http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t251/beeftony/Zutara___The_Painted_Spirit_by_Seto.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Source,Photobucket Uploader Firefox Extension">
<img src="http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t251/beeftony/Lady_and_the_Spirit_Colored_by_Kesq.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Source,Photobucket Uploader Firefox Extension">
<img src="http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t251/beeftony/4046832aa836512ef551e28711fb723f-d1.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Source,Photobucket Uploader Firefox Extension">
There's also a fanfic starring the actual Painted Lady and Blue Spirit that Katara and Zuko took their inspiration from.
While I am not a big fan of the episode, it has it's nice points. It shows a lot of character growth for Katara, who used to hate anything and everything Fire Nation. Now that she is there and has seen the people, she has come to realize that many in the Fire Nation are innocent bystanders, and in the case of this village, they are being hurt by their own people. She could have left them, and I always got the feeling that a Season 1 Katata would have, but here she chooses to help them. I also like that while Sokka was upset at her lie, he comes to help her in the end.
It's a nice moment for the characters to show compassion to the 'enemy' and show the audience that the actions of the few (Fire Nation royalty and military) don't always show the will of the many. (The villagers and last episodes school kids, who are told from birth that the Fire Nation is actually helping people by spreading their way of life.)
I really like this episode for one reason, and it's kind of a bizarre reason, but it is a reason nonetheless: I am SO INTO anthropomorphic personifications. To clarify, while Hei Bai is awesome and pandariffic, one of my favorite fantasy tropes/character styles/whatevers is the spirit of the river, or the mountain, or the forest, or whatever. It's one reason I love the Codex Alera, by Jim Butcher; a mountain has a guardian spirit, and it's a big-ass angry grampa essentially yelling "YOU KIDS GET OFFA MY LAWN", if by "kids" you mean "endless amounts of insectoid zerg rush kekekeke".
The Painted Lady and Yue both are this kind of AP (lots of letters ; 😉 and that kind of thing just FASCINATES me. I write endless fanfics about these kinds of characters. So yeah, while the plot in this episode is sorta weak, and the whole schedule vs altruism thing is a melting pot of WTF moments, I just freaking love the concept of the Painted Lady enough to ignore it all.
There's a simpler word for what you're thinking of: genius loci, which means "spirit of place." They're protective spirits of particular locations, and a good term for a lot of the local nature spirits that show up in various Asian mythologies, particularly Japanese legends. (Which fits, since the Fire Nation is Japan.) Now that I think about it, it occurs to me that there is a Japanese spirit called Ame Onna, or Rain Woman. I don't think there are a lot of details about her, but it's quite possible the Painted Lady could be based on that myth, as well as the general idea of river spirits (which are often dragons).
I strongly disapproved of Katara's actions. Yes, she saved the village and that was lovely and sweet and blah blah blah. Throughout this entire episode she displayed a complete inability to grasp the big picture, first by wasting time, then by merely alleviating the symptoms of the village's problem. Hell, even when she does address the root of the problem, she doesn't even consider the obvious fallout of destroying a military installation. And really this whole endeavor will be rendered completely futile when those soldiers return with reinforcements to wipe that village off of the map. It has nothing to do with it being Katara, I wouldn't even let this slide for Toph. /rant
While the mystery of who the Painted Lady was wasn't played up in the episode itself, it was in the trailers and sneak peeks, making for a lot of speculation. A common theory (and one of my favorites) was that she was Ursa. Alas, it was not to be.
I don't really have any meta for this episode. It's one of those I tend to skip over when re-watching Season Three. Not because it's bad or anything, I just don't really get that invested or interested in the story.
That being said, I totally dig how Aang totally digs Katara's eco-terrorism.
<img alt="" src="http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h90/TariElensar/kataang13.jpg" />
(Pic mine, done for Kataang Week 2009)
I think their actions fall more along the lines of Industrial Sabotage.
I kind of like that other episode too, though I see whay people dislike it. I'm just glad I'm not alone!
I remember all the significance people gave over the line, specifically who the person in the corner of that scene was, since all they could see was a shoulder. It was of course Sokka, but no one knew about the Season 3 garb, and figured red=Fire Nation= Zuko, and many took it to mean that not only had Zuko joined the group, but also that he and Katara were now an item. Shippers were noooot pleased.
….
I never heard that theory before, but it make a horrible sort of illogic.
I know you hate shipwars Mark, but the Canon!Zutarians were not done getting ever more scary at this point.
hahahaha omg PLEASE DISCUSS THIS MORE. I had no idea! I actually enjoy when you all give me context within the fandom <3
A Canon!Zutara forum is a among the most hilarious places on the internet.
They once had a 4-page thread analyzing the half-second glance that Zuko gave Katara in Season 1, Episode 2
I'm pretty happy to report that the Zutara thing seems to have calmed down? I hear all these horror stories, but… I joined a few Zutara groups well after the last episode had aired, and everyone just seems to want to read fanfiction or look at fanart where the two characters are together, which is pretty normal shipper behaviour. I don't really see any other shenanigans.
And I know what shipper shenanigans look like. I modded a Harry Potter shipping forum while the books were still coming out. HP shippers did not joke around.
Did you miss the drama over the announcement of Korra details? Without spoiling, the creators basically confirmed a canon pairing was canon in an interview. After the same pairing was confirmed in the show. The fandom still managed to have a complete freak-out over it.
I did notice some complaining, but nowhere near the kind of drama I was expecting based on what I'd heard the shippers in this fandom were like. Perhaps HP scarred me, but it all seemed pretty tame.
This discussion seems like it will veer off into spoilers really easily, so I'm just going to leave it.
And they took it so personally! Like the creators brought it up solely to spite the shippers and ruin their post-canon hook-up fics.
Zutara shippers are perfectly civil now. When the show was airing however, some of them were responsible for a lot of internet bullying (their frustration probably came from being a majority on the internet whilst being apparently ignored by the writers). That's were the bad reputation comes from, which is sad because current shippers don't deserve it.
I don't see how they were being ignored by the writers. Zutara got a lot of nods in the second and third seasons, after they found out that it existed and was a popular ship. And just because a ship is popular doesn't mean that the show has any obligation to make it canon.
Form what I've seen, dedicated shippers (not just zutarians) tend to be very self-entitled.
Why do I get the feeling one of those people was the same person who posted a pages long essay trying to use Alchemy to support the Harmonians before HP7 came out?
Nah, that's more like the Draco/Hermione shipper who sent an angry letter to JKR outlining why they should be together after JKR shot the pairing down in an interview. Or, for a more obscure fandom example, the Eriol/Tomoyo shippers who turn similar hair colors and conversations about their respective canon love interests into proof that the two are destined lovers.
The one I boggled at the most was from the YouTube evidence video series, claiming that a lunar eclipse and a solar eclipse having happened in the real world in the same year was somehow a favorable sign for Zutara.
And the worst part is that the vid-maker sounded completely serious and sincere about it and I could not tell if she was joking at all.
IT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR TWICE A YEAR
Scariest part? They kept escalating well after the series was over.
One thing bugs me. Are Doc/Shu/Bushi:
a) One fantastic troll
b) Three separate people
c) One person afflicted with MPD
<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dETyCYtynx8/SbvbbjFppAI/AAAAAAAAAPM/cRTybXGQPLo/s400/Mystery LOGO.jpg" border="0"/>
MPD is now known as DID, or Dissociative Identity Disorder.
That said, I heard a theory that the Doc/Shu/Bushi situation was supposed to culminate in a gag where it would be revealed that they were, in fact, a set of triplets, but said gag was cut for time.
d) One person afflicted with mercury poisoning (a.k.a. mad hatter disease)
Could be a "multiple system". I wouldn't call such an arrangement an affliction if it didn't interfere with daily life.
Well, Doc/Shu/Bushi seem to work fine. As long as each one has his hat… 😉
All in all, I think he just really likes to screw with people.
Can someone ROT13 the other episode? I'm really curious now which one you're referring to.
I think it's "gur ornpu" but I'm not entirely sure
I was referring to Avtugznerf naq Qnlqernzf. I thought the one you mentioned is actually liked by fans, but I'm not into fandom.
But Avtugznerf naq Qnlqernzf is brilliant. "Ab Sverybeq Bmnv lbh'er abg jrnevat nal cnagf!"
omg you are using code to post spoilers.
that is fucking awesome. Thank you for being considerate of me!!
It's like having the cake AND eating it!
Posting spoilers on what's probably the most spoiler-free part of the Internet – AND NOT ACTUALLY SPOILING ANYONE! 😀
If you hang out in areas of the internet that post a lot of rot13, though, you start to see familiar patterns, so don't look too close!
That's my favorite episode of Season 3! It is truly one of the best things I have seen on my television, even if it is filler.
Ack, what is this code? I can almost grasp what you are saying, but feel that I have missed a vital leap.
Here! Hope this helps
http://www.rot13.com/index.php
Ha, that's brilliant! Shame we hadn't found out about this sooner. I could have avoided calling River "Spoiler Lady" beneath declarations of "BEWARE; FUTURE EPISODE DISCUSSION".
I just found out about it the other day. Apparently it's a cipher where you swap letters by 13 places. Go to rot13.com and you can reverse the cipher.
Really? How could people hate that episode! I quote that one all the time too! It's brilliant
i dunno i like Avtugznerf naq Qnlqernzf. it was funny and creepy in it's own way.
Ha, the one I don't like much is Gur Ehanjnl.
Yay for ROT13! Man, this site teaches me so much stuff!
"gur ornpu" is one of my top 3 non essential Season 3 eps (EG: eps that can be considered "filler")
(The other 2 include "The Headband" and an awesome episode yet to come!)
Love gur ornpu as well…for reasons we will discuss once we get there 😉
Gur Ornpu is necessary, but we'll cross that bridge later.
I would pay large sums of money. LARGE SUMS I SAY!
I knowa lot of people think both this episode and "The headband" are "filler", but in all honesty, both these episodes serve a very important purpose to the overall narrative. For the last two seasons, we've ben told that "The Fire Nation" is the enemy. Not "The Fire Nation Military", or "The Fire Nation Royal Family", just that "The Fire Nation" as a whole, is "The Enemy!"
So I think it's very important that we get a few episodes early in the season that humanizes these people. Gives them depth and personality. To show us that the Fire Nation isn't a country of Zhao's, Azula's, and Ozai's. In "The Headband" we see that the Fire Nation children are just like any other children, and that their teachings would actually leave them thinking that this war is somehow a good thing for the world. It's makes us understand that people supporting this war from inside the Fire Nation, aren't necessarily doing it out of any evil or malice, it's what they've been taught is right.
In "The Painted Lady" we get to see something a little more remarkable. That the war is even causing suffering and hardship for it's own citizens. These are people who are part of the Fire Nation who are no better off than those that this war is being fought against. In fact, I wouldn't doubt that, if this scenario is being played out in more places across the Fire Nation, a good deal of the peasantry may be in just as much favor of the Avatars return as is the rest of the world.
Couldn't agree more. These last two episodes have really shown what the war has cost the Fire Nation, which is something we haven't been able to see before. We see the government actively lying to its citizens (that it's taught – and apparently generally believed – that the Fire Nation wiped out an "Air Nomad Army" suggests that the reality is not something that would be palatable to the population as whole – and that these people are being lied to in order to maintain their approval of military actions they may not agree with), that entire cultural facets of the Fire Nation have somehow disappeared (and I don't mean just "Flameo, hotman!"), and now that the military industry is poisoning the nation's environment and costing its citizens their livelihoods – and if people challenge it, they face very severe retaliation.
So I agree with you, I think it's definitely valuable that they showed us this.
Totally agreed! This is the sort of nuance that makes the show so fantastic.
No my good friend, they're not filler episodes. Please look up the actual definition of the term,
First of all, Matt_Thermo didn't say they were filler, but that they were frequently considered to be filler — an assessment he voices disagreement with.
Second, language is defined by its usage. The usage of "filler episode" to mean "episode which does not significantly advance the main plotline(s)" is common enough that it is a legitimate definition up for deeper discussion than a mere "that's what the dictionary says!"
Interesting that language being defined by usage applies to "filler" but not "crazy". But then, "filler" isn't a term used to describe people, so I guess it isn't really the same.
………
Dude.
Nobody is arguing that using "crazy" as an amplifier/derogatory/whatever is incorrect usage. The issue is that it's an oppressive usage, not that it's a prescriptively incorrect usage.
Ah. Makes more sense now. Thanks!
Yes, I understand what the term "filler" initially meant (used in reference to anime adaptations of manga, wherein the anime would add story lines that didn't appear in the original manga to "fill" time because the manga the anime was based on was catching up to the anime. One of the most notorious examples being Naruto).
But, just like the term "Mary Sue", it's moved beyond it's initial meaning, and the term "filler" is now used by most people to refer to episodes of a show that don't advance the overall story.
Yes, it's an incorrect usage, but that doesn't stop people from using it. Hence why I put it in quotations.
Totally agree. Even though I was always a huge Avatar fan, I never got into the internet fandom at the time, so I didn't realize that so many people were underwhelmed by this episode. I personally love it for the reasons you've stated. Plus, I don't care if Katara's "I will never turn my back" speech wasn't used in a context that was "epic" enough by the hungry fans' standards. It was still an important line that made me literally get up and cheer for an awesome character.
I agree with this whole comment. A+ analysis of Katara.
Okay, I'm just going to admit this: I didn't know Katara was the Painted Lady until late in the episode. Like, when she actually confessed it. Even when they showed the shot of her face, I was like, "Oh look! Another female waterbender! I wonder how she and Katara will get along." *FACEPALM*
Also, this:
Aang: "You know, you’re really pretty for a spirit. I don’t get to meet too many spirits, but the ones I do meet…not very attractive."
Yue: )-:<
Hahaha, I'm glad I'm not the only utterly clueless one. I even was thinking: how weird that a Fire Nation spirit uses waterbending elements.
*facepalm*
Well, he eventually needs to learn it, right? I suppose you do make a good point. The Invasion is more important initially.
Not the best ep, but I admit I never quite got the level of hate this received.
It does seem a mixture of 'The Blue Spirit', 'Imprisoned', and Zuko Alone'; and it also drives home that Katara is not a Big Picture sort (in D&D terms it solidified her as Chaotic Good).
One complaint I recall what the lack of a FN Lynch Mob chasing our heroes out of town once Katara's true nature was revealed (as compared to Zuko Alone). However one big difference was that they only knew Katara as Jane Random Waterbender even at the end (some may have suspected something about the kid with the headband, but The Avatar is dead right?). No matter what sort of tales were circulating about the Water Tribe Sea Reavers, it would be hard to think of her as One Of Them, whereas Zuko gave his set of townsmen little choice with his announcement of Birth and Lineage
Oh, I almost forgot! This Gif I made a long time ago.
<img src=http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh224/C1991_91/DockShuBushi.gif?t=1257234063"/>
I tried to find images where he had the same expression.
♪ Call on meeeee, call on me…
HAHAHHAHAHA
And does the Gaang know that, or take it into consideration? They really should.
I don't remember but I don't think so?
Probably just as well, since directly answering questions about future events is like the definition of a spoiler.
I think so – given all the contact the Dangerous Ladies had with the totally inexperienced Earth King, it seems pretty probable.
Not to mention capturing his generals. But I don't really get the impression that the Gaang realizes that Azula in all likelihood knows about the eclipse and will be planning a counter. Sure, they altered their plans based on not having access to a large army anymore, but they haven't seemed to alter their plans to accommodate the lack of surprise.
Yeah, they don't seem to be acting like they know Azula knows.
THIS. <3
Also: Fnzhenv Nccn irefhf Fvsh Zbzb (jub gbgnyyl ybbxf yvxr Lbqn). ONQNFF!
Surely not my favourite episode, but pretty good nontheless. It's just most other episodes are so great, that a merely "good" episode stands out negatively. Still, some good fun scenes (two headed fish, Sokka's plan) and some nice water bending (which we see relatively rarely compared to all that rock throwing, fire blasting and air blowing). Also some insight into Katara, although it is mostly a retreat of Imprisoned. The more important thing is probably the look into every-day life of the rural Fire Nation and their suffering under the military regime.
Comparing this episode to "The Great Divide" is really insulting to "The Painted Lady" however. There fits the whole Great Divide between the quality of said episode and this one.
I saw Sokkas reaction more as him being upset Katara just kind of decided “This one individual town is much more important than the entire world”. So much so that she’d rather sneak around and betray her own brother to help total strangers who’ll benefit more by the Fire Lord being taken down, then just say “Hey, Sokka, can we find some room in the schedule to help these people?”
If anything, he was being more rational. She was willing to screw Aangs one chance to face the Fire Lord on even grounds (until they find a Firebending master) because she felt sorry for some people who were going to be helped in the long run anyhow.
I mean, he even shows in the end that he’s not going to ditch his little sister, so there was literally no reason for her to hide it. In fact, it shines negatively on her MORESO because she didn’t think highly enough of her brother to go “Well, he might not give two shits about these people, but surely he loves his sister enough to help her make a difference”. After the whole series STARTED that way (“You comin’ or not?”)
Its harsh but I must say I agree that this is not one of Katara's more rational moments.
Katara did try to tell Sokka, in the beginning. She straight up said, "We need to help these people" and he said "No, these people are on their own."
So I understand, at least, why she snuck around to accomplish her goal.
What I DON'T understand is why she set out to accomplish said goal in the first place. Katara is not my favorite character (I much prefer Toph) and this is another example of her motherly nature taking over. However, where that was helpful in "The Desert" it works out REALLY BADLY here. She acts in a totally irrational manner (sorry, but screwing up such an important schedule for one small town is pretty irrational) and doesn't listen to Sokka (or show him much respect) at all. I agree, it is not her finest moment.
I actually liked this episode a lot. It wasn't my favorite, but I didn't mind the slow pace. Hmmm that might have something to do with the fact that I (unfortunately) started watching Avatar at the end of Book 3, so I wasn't dying to know what happens, but how they got there in the end. Overall I thought it was a good Katara centric and I liked watching it again.
LOL. Oh my God I love that so much.
…. I think this episode was like…. Umm… I guess…. Umm… A cookie. Yes. Very common. Very good. Very… forgettable. o-o Sorry. But as you said, after nine months of waiting and then we get this… u_u
That's a good point. I'm a Mai fan, and a Mai/Zuko shipper, and there's a lot of Mai bashing in the fandom, especially (for example) in the comments at DevArt, or fics at FF.net. So it seems like Zutara shippers are more hateful than they actually are.
And that goes both ways. I wrote a Mai/Zuko fic where Katara featured prominently, and when I posted it to a Mai/Zuko comm on LJ, I got feedback congratulating me on "making that [gendered slur] Katara almost likable", and I was like, "…I was just trying to keep her in character. WHY YOU GOTTA HATE ON KATARA?"
Misogynist haters don't deserve ships and OTPs! Katara and Mai are both brilliant women, with strong virtues and flaws. I don't understand why shipping one of them with Zuko means you have to bash the other. It's not like acknowledging that Mai or Katara is likable will suddenly ~tarnish~ your ship.
I'm in Mexico watching this in the hotel cafe because that's were the internet is. When I find this amusing in the episode I laugh and people keep giving me weird looks.
It's totally filler but it's perfect.
Fnzhenv qhry orgjrra Nccn naq Zbzb!
It was mentioned in a previous thread, but the common fan theory is that the river's pollution prevented the Painted Lady from manifesting. Other people have made Miyazaki comparisons, but it's not unheard of in Western works, either; specifically, in Prince Caspian the river spirits couldn't do anything until a bridge over their river had been destroyed.
Could have been something like that, I suppose. But since it's never addressed, it will always bother me. And if the purpose of the Painted Lady is to watch over the town when it's in need, and they are a fishing town, then almost any problem the town has going to have something to do with the river being polluted/drying up or something. If she can't manifest unless the river is healthy, she is not the most useful of spirits.
I prefer Hei Bai.
This is a good summation of The Problem of Evil. Why do bad things happen to good rivers when there's a spirit around?
That one has always seemed easy to me. Either the spirit is limited in power or different in morality.
It has to do with the antropamorphic nature of these kinds of spirits. They aren't guardians "assigned" to protecting a natural feature. The idea is that natural landscapes had their own "soul" to them, and the spirits were physical representations of that. The Painted Lady doesn't protect the river, she is the river. She shares a symbiotic relationship with the villagers. She "watches over them" by providing them with the food and water for their livelyhood, and they're expected to respect her and keep her clean and clear. The pollution created by the factory is the equivilent of injecting her with a nasty blood infection. It leaves her sick and weak.
Hei-Bai is a differnent situation. His whole forest wasn't destroyed, just a portion of it. Sokka said it looked "like a scar", and appropriately enough, Hei-Bai reacted like a wounded animal. He only calmed down when Aang explained to him that, although it still hurts, the wound has already begun to heal.
This makes A LOT of sense.
Though I never loved Hei-Bai for the way he stood up for his forest.
I love Hei-Bai because he's a panda. ^_^
Mark's Trivia Corner: Sokka's schedule scroll was the actual Avatar production schedule!
Yes, I was at least glad that this episode shows us where Katara stands. She will never turn her back on people who need her, and that's just how she rolls.
While the season starts off slowly, I kind of appreciate that they've taken some time to do some character-driven episodes here in Season 3.
So I've posted this three times and it hasn't shown up, so sorry if it ends up a repost!
I love "V sbetbg zl cnagf naq zl zngu grfg!"
UPVOTE ONE MILLION
Yeah, you know what? I totally love Mai too, and I think I'm more like her than I am like Katara. Everything she says is awesome to me.
I ship Zutara because, well, they have that good scene in the cave in Ba Sing Se. I thought they had a good moment, and I liked it, and found their dynamic interesting. Had nothing to do with Mai.
I cannot comment more because of spoilers.
lol when I watched this and we saw the Painted Lady for the first time it didn't even clock with me that it was Katara. She looked so different, older.
I did like the whole Blue Spirit/Painted Lady parallel and it's inspired some beautiful art.
It's a common phenomenon. See Die for our Ship, and Ron the Death Eater for when it's not necessarily ship-related.
I know that's it's unfortunately common practice 🙁
It serves no purpose to bash a character, unless the writer wants to prove their immaturity and misogyny (because more often than not it's a female character being bashed).
Part of the hate this episode got was that the names of the first several episodes leaked long before the season started, and some people thought that "The Painted Lady" meant an episode about what happened to Suki or something about Kyoshi. No such luck.
…….YEA! THEY DO THEY DO! I ALMOST FORGOT! i'm following a person on deviantart who wrote one i think. i never read it though.
Exactly. A girlfriend's not a therapist — Zuko doesn't need a girlfriend to 'fix' him, he needs a girlfriend who can get on his level, and his girlfriend deserves a boyfriend who can do the same for her. I think it works well for Mai and Zuko and they seem to bring out the hidden humor and casualness in each other's personalities.
ETA: I just have a problem with the 'opposites attract' kind of shipping. There has to be mutual ground for compatibility!
Zuko and Katara do have the impulsiveness and temper in common… but those traits don't exactly lend themselves to a good relationship.
I'm pretty easy when it comes to shipping. I like both "We have so much in common, we're meant to be!" romances and "We're totally different, but our differences complement each other" romances, so I'll go with anything the creators want to give me in any particular episode.
You sound a lot like me. I tend to ship the same way too. Don't care what the particular dynamics are, if I think they're cute together and the story seems to be leaning in that direction I'm all on board!
Why did we get accustomed to using "Dangerous Ladies" instead of the more awesome moniker "Ozai's Angel's"?
Dangerous Ladies is what they're known as by the characters in the show. Most fandom I've seen prefers Ozai's Angels, but there is a large variable that call them the Dangerous Ladies. Since Mark calls them the Dangerous Ladies then it makes sense that his community, us, call them that as well.
*Bro fist* I do thing Ozai's Angels is an awesome moniker.
I'm actually a Mai/Zuko shipper myself, but what makes you think Katara would be like that with him if they were together? I mean, they bonded in the cave over the fact that they've both lost their mothers, and it's not like Katara's never had pain in her life? What would make you think that she wouldn't "acknowledge that his pain is real before [she tries] to suggest something that would help" or that she's likely to "just [say] 'cheer up.'" Has she ever treated any character like that? Maybe Haru, but I don't think she was quite that bad even with him, and certainly not since then.
Sorry if I seem overly defensive, I'm just surprised that you would characterize her like that.
(Incidentally, my real problem with Zutara – as in, the reason I don't care for it personally, not the problem I have with people who do – is that I think Katara is a better match with Aang. I love Zuko as a character, but he must be really depressing to be around and being his girlfriend must be a pain. She deserves someone like Aang, who's had just as much pain in his young life but is wise enough not to spend all his time angsting about it. They'd have so much fun together after the war!)
I think Katara and Zuko are approaching life from opposite angles. Katara has had terrible things happen to her, mostly losing her mother, but she still had support with Sokka and her father. Even when things look hopeless, she still keeps believing not just that it will get better, but it HAS to get better.
Zuko, on the other hand, had pretty much everything he did and was rejected. He seemed to get support from his mom, but she disappeared early, and he didn't have anyone after that until Iroh. But by the time Iroh showed up, I think Zuko was almost too broken to believe anyone would support him and his actual personality: he became so obsessed with seeking his father's vision and support that he lost sight of everything else. If Katara runs on hope, Zuko runs mostly on desperation edging into despair. He gets better, but pretty much all the progress he makes is fought and denied tooth and nail, because he just doesn't know who or what he wants to be.
I think their personalities would be very likely to conflict. I don't doubt that Katara would empathize with Zuko, but I don't think her approach would be much welcomed, either. Katara would want to talk it out, and I can't see Zuko opening up. They might work something out eventually, but their approaches to the world are so different I would imagine more conflicts and fights than real understanding. Not to say it couldn't be done, but it would take a LOT of work, and honestly, most Zutara fics I have seen tend to be "Katara is captured by Zuko to lure Aang into a trap oh noes!" and then they fall in love. >_>;
Not one of my favorites, but I put up with it cause I like the humor in it and after you get past this episode the rest of the season is really awesome.
They can both be Lu Tze! And Xbeen will be Lobsang to Gramva's Lu Tze (don't tell me you don't get the cocky vibe from the material released so far).
LOBSANG. One of my favorite characters-that-only-get-one-book.
Yes it is hilarious.
Ab! Zl eblny cnegf ner fubjvat!
(Nyfb njrfbzr orpnhfr vg TRGF PENC CNFG GUR ENQNE!)
This show, seriously.
Seriously have you read Avatar's TRGF PENC CNFG GUR ENQNE! page on TV Tropes? It is both amusing and frightening simultaneously
I have, I love it so much! 😀
Besides, if it WAS the Ankh, he wouldn't be swimming, he'd be leaving a wake that stayed open for almost a minute. *thinking of Colon in Feet of Clay XD*
Fun fact: "Painted Lady" used to be, and still is, slang used to refer to ladies of the night.
Also, this scene…
<img src="http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t251/beeftony/623.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Source,Photobucket Uploader Firefox Extension">
<img src="http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t251/beeftony/624.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Source,Photobucket Uploader Firefox Extension">
<img src="http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t251/beeftony/624.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Source,Photobucket Uploader Firefox Extension">
<img src="http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t251/beeftony/626.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Source,Photobucket Uploader Firefox Extension">
…is so rife with subtext I can barely describe it. Yes, Aang just blew air up Katara's dress. On a kid's show. That actually happened.
None of that was complaining, BTW. I love Avatar is able to include these sly references that fly over children's heads and let the adults feel smart for catching them.
Because I can't resist:
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/MtKmi.gif" alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" />
WOOOOooooooOOOOOoooooo…..
I have my own little theory about why Dock was affected by the mercury poisoning the way he was. See, I think that Dock had two brothers named Xu and Bushi, but they both died from poisoning. Dock, already mentally unbalanced, couldn't handle it and now pretends to be the other two in order to keep them alive and to not to feel so alone. The reason why I think Dock is the original personality is because of Bushi's comment that Dock is "crazy" (ugh, ableism get out of my ATLA 🙁 ) and pretends to be other people (maybe Bush knows this because he was the older brother would would look out for Dock?). Also, he is only named as "Dock" in the credits, and is the only one known by a nickname.
Just a weird little theory that popped into my head one day, and know I can't look at Dock/Xu/Bushi with feeling IMMENSE SADNESS.
*without feeling*, not with.
Goddammit, I spent like 5 minutes proofreading that comment.
I have another theory for why the end of this episode turned out differently than "Zuko Alone". While the Fire Nation village still thought of the other nations' citizens as "the enemy", they don't see them as an immediate threat like the Earth Kingdom village would. It's highly unlikely for the FN village to get attacked or taken over by an invading EK or Water Tribe army. As a consequence, it's easier for the FN villagers to overcome the initial hatred for "the enemy" and acknowledge the help.
Ha ha, no, it was definitely not the parody version.
Season three is my least favourite of the series. Like, one and two have little moments that annoy me, like the great divide, that was just a waste of my fucking time, and i was pissed of after that one, but over all I enjoyed the two seasons. Season three however has SO many moments that PISS me the FUCK off SO severly that I can't even bring myself to watch the whole season again, and can only go back to little moments I like (that I can't go into detail about cause it would be spoilers)
I agree with this so much! Mai is great, and I even like her with Zuko at this point in the show. But for where Zuko's character NEEDS to go, I think Katara is a better match.
I love that the Painted Lady is actually real at the end.
I think the difference between this and "Zuko Alone" is, actually, that the Fire Nation Army has committed so many atrocities that the Earth Kingdom citizens are opposed to ALL firebenders. The Fire Nation citizens in this tiny river town, on the other hand, probably haven't been attacked by any waterbenders, so they don't have a direct negative image of them. (ETA: Dammit, looks like Hyatt already made this comment. OH WELL)
It's weird to me that they had the dude with all the different hats/personalities, but they didn't actually acknowledge that he was basically doing the same thing he berated Katara for; i.e., pretending to be something he's not. I kind of wonder what the point of that guy was.
The bit with Toph earthbending to make an ominous drumming noise and Appa helping by growling menacingly! I just love it. TEAM AVATAR. WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE EERIE ATMOSPHERES.
"I shall do my best not to make an ass out of myself today."
Is it bad that I kind of want to make a cross-stitch sampler of this and hang it over my wall?
No, not at all. "Not being assish today" is probably the best short-term goal you can hope to achieve.
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