In the eighth episode of the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang, Sokka, and Katara head to the crescent island in the Fire Nation so that Aang can speak with Avatar Roku’s spirit. When he does, he discovers what his vision means for the future of the world. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Avatar.
If this is what this show can accomplish in EPISODE EIGHT, I think I’m going to be pleasantly surprised with what Avatar is going to do. The storytelling is already intrigued and captivating; I couldn’t believe how tense the scene with the spirit of Roku was, especially since the show did this in just seven episodes. I needed to know what Aang’s vision of the comet meant and what this all had to do with him. OH MAN I AM SO HOOKED, EVERYONE.
This episode first seems like it’ll be Aang alone, as he tries to get Appa to take him to the crescent island in the Fire Nation. But Appa won’t budge, and Sokka and Katara pledge their support to Aang so that they can come too! FRIENDSHIP!
I’m not poking fun at that. I love that this show tells you that you can support your friends through difficult and dangerous situations and that it’s a rewarding thing, even if it doesn’t seem that way when you start off. Seriously, think about it: Sokka and Katara just left their whole families behind to accompany Aang on his journey to the North Pole. I’m actually interested to see how they’ll deal with this in the future. I imagine the brother and sister will begin to miss their home. Surely they’ll return to the Southern Water Tribe, right? (Don’t answer that. Seriously, it’s rhetorical and EVERY DAY I have to remove a comment where someone answers my rhetorical questions.)
I think that I’ll largely avoid discussing what is a bit of a repetitive plot to focus mostly on Aang. We see more of Prince Zuko following Aang to capture him, and his story doesn’t grab my attention until nearly the end. I understand that it’s necessary to get him to the Temple so all the good stuff can happen, but I didn’t find it particularly interesting. What I was fascinated with was the EPIC BATTLE AT THE BLOCKADE.  Oh man, what a fantastic scene. First of all, you can answer this, but were those FLAMING BALLS OF POOP being flung at Appa? Why did they smell so bad? I mean, I’M PERFECTLY OK WITH IT BEING POOP JUST BECAUSE IT’S HILARIOUS.
The decision faced by Zhao, who is manning the blockade, concerns whether he should bomb the Avatar and risk crashing Zuko’s ship, or whether he should let Appa pass. Of course, the man is committed to acts of violence and he cares little for the fate of Zuko. There’s more talk between Iroh and Zuko about Zuko’s banishment from the Fire Nation, since they have a choice as well, to either go after Aang or turn back at the blockade. Zhao and Zuko aren’t that much different at this point of the story. They’re both stubbornly concerned with their own pride, willing to do any destructive thing to get ahead. Their actions here aren’t surprising, as both act to do whatever they need to in order to get both of the things they want.
As the two Fire Nation dudes continue their quest after Aang, Appa proves that he’s the biggest BAMF of them all, able to dodge what looked like a hundred flaming spheres. (Of poop. Oh god, please tell me it’s poop.) Like another moment later in the episode, it’s a chance for someone aside from Aang or maybe even Katara to shine in the limelight. Appa’s always just there and this is a reminder for us to acknowledge that he’s a flying bison who is also a complete and total badass. Do not underestimate Appa.
Breaking past the blockade was a huge moment for our trio of heroes. It did seem like an impossible venture, which is also why I’m glad that when Zuko’s ship gets past, him and Iroh are not foolish enough to believe that they did so purely by their own merits. As Zuko sneaks off in his own ship, using the smoke trail as a disguise, I knew that he’d be a variable in whatever happened in the Temple.
WELL. OKAY. Again. This show takes narratives we’ve seen or can guess the outcome of, and then COMPLETELY TWISTS THEM IN UNEXPECTED DIRECTIONS. I promise that I won’t say this in every review, because it’s already approaching the absurd, but THIS IS A SHOW FOR YOUNG FOLK! This is not the same kind of cartoon I grew up watching. I have to get my brain out of that mentality! Well, it is allowing me to be continually excited by the show, which is a great thing, but just because something is geared for a younger audience doesn’t mean that adults can’t be just as entertained and engaged by it.
It’s been interesting doing all the Mark Does with so much media geared toward a younger audience, because when I transitioned to things like Firely and Doctor Who, they are largely seamless segues. They don’t feel like I’m moving up and down in terms of how entertained I am, or the amazingly powerful messages that I’m able to find.
Basically, this is a massively silly tangent I really felt like taking. Sorry.
Let’s go back to MORE PLOTS THAT SEEM OBVIOUS AND END UP NOT BEING SO. After a long journey, with a fantastic montage of Appa getting increasingly tired, the arrival at the Temple (That Has No Name?) is just as grand as I hoped it would be, lava spilling down the side of the mountain housing the temple. We’d been spending so much time in the Fire Kingdown, encased in browns and greys, that I forgot just how richly colorful this show can be. The reds, oranges, and yellows swirl together on this mountain, and we see more of these motifs as the trio move inside the Temple.
I, of course, expected the place to be empty, since it was long abandoned by the Fire Nation. Instead, upon entering the massive structure, five Fire Sages reveal that they’ve been guarding the place as they were sworn to do. But the world’s changed so drastically in the last 100 years that Aang’s proclamation that he is the Avatar is not met with fanfare, but derision.
Upon escaping their attacks and running through the labyrinthine corridors, a lone Sage encounters the trio and offers them the correct passage to Avatar Roku’s statue. The whole situation stunk of a trap to me, a diversion meant to earn Aang’s trust so that he’d be in a location where he couldn’t escape. But what other choice did they have, especially with more Sages on their way? It’s not a bad choice, I thought, but it seemed way too fishy for me.
EXCEPT THE SAGE WAS TELLING THE TRUTH. See? This episode messes with my perception.
The person who really steps up to the plate to save the day is not Aang, as we’ve come to expect, or Katara, whose heart of gold gives her the strength to be courageous. It’s Sokka’s ingenuity that gets Aang past the door with the five fire bending locks. Of the three, he has no bending powers, and I feel like because of this, he gets left behind a bit. He seems perfectly ok with this most of the time, mind you, but this was a chance for him to show that he’s worth. (Note: Why am I drawn to the male characters who get left in the background too much? Ron Weasley, Cinna, Mickey, and now Sokka. WHAT.)
There was a moment as the door was opened by the Sages, tricked by the soot and charring on the door from Sokka’s plan, that Aang had a split second to determine what he was going to do. Prince Zuko proved to be the wild card in the situation, nabbing Aang just as the door opens. Easily escaping him with his air bending, he rapidly glances between the now-closing door and his friends, who are chained to a pillar. Selfishly, all I could think was, HURRY UP AND LEAVE THEM BEHIND I NEED TO KNOW WHAT AVATAR ROKU NEEDS TO TELL YOU. Man, I would be an awful super hero because I would constantly use my powers just for myself. But I know that Aang actually made the right decision here, and he knows deep down that the vision he had is much more serious than his friends being temporarily trapped by Prince Zuko.
Inside the chamber with Roku’s statue…I mean, what is there to say? This is easily the best scene in the show that I’ve seen so far, epic in scope and MIND-FUCKINGLY AMAZING as Roku begins to reveal what the image of the flaming comet means. But first (and I have to comment on this), Roku asks Aang, “What took you so long?†Initially, I thought this was a reference to him getting into the temple, and I wanted to yell back, DUDE YOU PUT A BUNCH OF LOCKS ON THE DOOR, CALM YOUR SHIT. But it’s actually a reference to the 100 years it has taken Aang to accept that he is the Avatar, and that is most certainly a long time. There’s a scene earlier where the Sage Shyu explains to the trio why he decided to betray the other Fire Sages, and you can hear the sadness in his voice when he states that he has been waiting a long time for the Avatar to come back. Roku doesn’t sound loud at all, but I do get a hint of disappointment in his voice. Which now makes me more curious than ever: Why the hell did Aang freeze himself for a hundred years?
None of you need me to summarize the story that Roku gives Aang. So, if you’ll indulge me….
;LAJKSDF ;KALJSD AS;DKFJ ASDF;LKJAFDS ;LKASDJF
THE COMET IS WHAT STARTED THE FIRE NATION WAR IN THE FIRST PLACE AND HOW THE HELL DOES SOMEONE STEAL POWER FROM A COMET, BUT I GUESS THAT SHOULD BE THE LEAST OF MY WORRIES CONSIDERING THESE PEOPLE CAN BEND THE FUCKING ELEMENTS BUT THE COMET IS COMING BACK AND FIRE LORD OZAI IS GOING TO USE IT A SECOND TIME TO DESTROY EVERYTHING
A;LKSDFJ A;SKLDFJ A;KSLDJF A;SKLDFJ A;SLKDFJ A;DKSFJ A;LDKSF;AK;AKLJSSF
BUT THIS ISN’T EVEN THE WORST NEWS. AANG DOESN’T HAVE YEARS TO LEARN ALL OF THE ELEMENTS, HE HAS UNTIL SUMMER
“oh hey I’m roku and I’m a spirit and I’m totally telling aang all of this without the slightest bit of concern because I’m a badass spirit and we don’t need to worry because I can haunt shit and that is the greatest thing ever. Oh, right, aang, anyway, so you have to do what normally takes years in just a few months, but I ain’t worried because I’VE SEEN YOU DO IT BEFORE.â€
AD;LFKAJ A;OIWUR ;AKSDJF ZVC JAS;KLDUA F
WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK. WHAT THE HELL, THAT MAKES NO SENSE, WHAT THELKR;AJDS;Â A;LKFDJ DKFJ A; A;LKSDFJAJK
OH SO THERE ARE FIRE NATION WARRIORS OUTSIDE? LET ME ACTIVATE YOUR AVATAR SPIRIT AND WE ARE GOING TO WALTZ OUT THAT DOOR AND DESTROY EVERYTHING
It’s simply amazing and shocking to watch Roku step out of that door and rain down destruction on the Fire Nation warriors. It’s even cooler when Roku starts the process of destroying the whole temple and then switches back to Aang and Katara and Sokka get to see he that he was Roku the whole time.
THIS SHOW. THIS SHOW.
THOUGHTS
- Dude, Zhao, you’re a dick. The end.
- Sozin’s Comet. Seriously, what a fascinating concept. So it comes every 100 years….does that mean it was always around even when the Avatar was in power? Did people use it then?
- This is the first time I consciously listened to the music, and the chanting part in front of the door was a great mix.
- “Did the definition of ‘genius’ change in the last hundred years?â€
- “His butt may be trying to tell you something….â€
- “How’s Aang going to make it out of this?†“How are we going to make it out of this?â€
I love that when they need to open the doors Sokka is all
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/angelsgirl114/320faa20.jpg">
(From xkcd, of course)
No wonder he's my TV Boyfriend <3 <3 <3
When Zuko started dragging Aang away I was SURE he'd miss his chance to talk to Roku. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a kid's show and they wouldn't be so cruel… I hope that stays true in the rest of the series!
Part Two!
Whew, what an episode. I don’t think I really appreciated how much really happened in this episode the first time I watched it. We get a lot of information and set up for the rest of the story. Also, action! Badassery! Thwarted villainy! Avatar Roku! A dramatic chase sequence!
I like how it starts off with Aang wanting to leave Katara and Sokka behind. With Sokka having just been taken to the Spirit World last episode because Aang didn’t know what to do right away, I guess worry about putting his friends in danger is particularly high in his mind. I also like how Katara and Sokka are Having None of That. If they can’t talk him out of going on this particularly dangerous and risky mission, then they are going with him. Aw, the team sticking together is so sweet.
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Of course, then Zuko shows up at the village to get the information. Although I suppose since he started out by asking if the villagers were having trouble sleeping, he could have just taken up a new profession as a door to door mattress salesman. That was a horrible joke, but it is the first thing that popped into my mind when he asked that question. ~Stop trying to sell me things~ Also, geez, he didn’t have to push the guy through the door! He hadn’t even said he wouldn’t talk yet! Jerk.
So, the team swoop in toward the Fire Nation. Instantly they realize that Zuko is behind them. And, we find out more about Zuko. Iroh is pretty plain about the fact that Zuko is not allowed into the Fire Nation but Zuko thinks his father will understand why he is returning and not punish him. Iroh’s basic reaction is “Dude, no.” I mean, different words that I will quote later, but that is the basic idea. He says his brother isn’t understanding. So, yikes, Zuko’s father really doesn’t want him around! I mean, we knew he was banished and all but now we get confirmation that it is from his father and it isn’t, like, he just left in disgrace or something. Zuko will be arrested for returning. That’s harsh.
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So, then Zhao and his blockade show up. I admit that I don’t really understand why Zhao is here, except for plot purposes. He was somewhere entirely different in the earlier episode with him, but whatever. It’s not that it can’t be explained, I just wish they’d tossed off a line about why he was there, specifically. It would give more insight into how the war is going and all that kind of fun stuff. Anyway, Zhao continues to creep me out with his obsession on making a 16 year old boy suffer. I mean, a 12 year old, too, but at least Aang is sort of a threat, being the Avatar and all. Zuko’s political power is pretty much zip next to Zhao, he only has that tiny crew (which Zhao was able to make turn against Zuko last time), he’s banished so it’s not like he has any power to threaten Zhao with… Zuko did beat him in the Agni Kai, but Zhao was all about making him feel bad before that when he clearly thought he was stronger. So yeah, Zhao is basically a gigantic bully.
<img src=http://i.imgur.com/odIL2.gif>
I really am fascinated by the Fire Temple. In a way, it is similar to Kyoshi Island, in that they were both built in honor of a previous Avatar. Now, the temple itself is more similar to the Air Temple, with the room with the Avatar Statues and so on, but the parallels to Kyoshi come from how much Roku’s influence is felt there. But while the Kyoshi Islanders remain true to the memory of their Avatar and continue to honor her (and her new incarnation, Aang), the Fire Sages are actively opposed to Roku’s will and are loyal to the Fire Lord instead. Tsk tsk!
I liked that there was one that was on their side. I was a bit worried that all the Fire Nation character would be shown as being generally bad (and no, no matter how much I like them, Iroh and Zuko simply don’t count as “good” characters since they are actively trying to capture Aang. They are morally murky sometimes, for sure, and Iroh especially, but until they pledge to stop hunting Aang and take up pottery making for Earth Kingdom kids or something, they are stuck in the bad camp) but here we met someone who actively opposes the Fire Lord and instead is loyal to Aang. Good on him. I mean, they were all coerced to some degree, for sure, and Shyu was serving the Fire Lord before at least passively, but once they knew the Avatar was back they had a clear choice and only Shyu chose to help Aang.
<img src=http://i.imgur.com/LoylF.gif>
I really liked Sokka and Katara both coming up with plans. Sokka’s was more technically smart, using tools to simulate the bending, but then Katara was able to manipulate the Fire Sage’s reaction and predict they’d open the doors and therefore let Aang in. I think it would have been easy to give either Sokka or Katara all of the planning skills in this episode, so I really like that both of them contributed. That’s why you can’t leave them behind, Aang!
(cont)
Of course, Zuko messes all that up by showing up and capturing Aang. That jerk. Though I mean, if he really thought he had the Avatar contained just by holding his hands behind his back, I do not know if I have anything to say to him. Although he did at least tell the Sages to close the doors and it wasn’t like he had any more resources to do much other than grab Aang. But come on, Zuko, you’re goal is to take someone prisoner. At least carry around some rope!
Aang and Roku’s conversation was very interesting. We find out the war really started when a comet passed over head and Fire Lord Sozin and his army’s used it to make themselves more powerful, somehow. We don’t get any specifics on how that worked but we do find out that the comet is returning and that spells bad, bad news. So, now Aang has a deadline for saving the world. How tense! I love that when Aang points out that he hasn’t mastered even just a second element yet, Roku’s response is basically, “Yes, mastering all the elements takes ages. Do it in a few months anyway. Good luck!” REAL HELPFUL THERE ROKU. Just kidding, I love you, please don’t set me on fire 🙁
<img src=http://i.imgur.com/7Bfh4.gif>
So, while that all was happening, Zhao showed up. It did really amuse me how before Zhao showed up, Zuko was all “UGH WHY WON’T THESE DOORS OPEN GRRR” and then afterwards he was like “Haha, Zhao! The Avatar is already in there and you can’t get him out! Hahahaha!” Their hatred of each other would be so amusing if one of them wasn’t a teenager. Anyway, Zhao is at least smart enough to realize that it doesn’t really matter anymore if they get in, since Aang will have to come out and he’s been in there long enough already that it doesn’t really matter.
Of course, he was not prepared for OMGWTFROKU. Then again, is anyone ever really prepared for that? So, like an awesome badass, Roku takes over Aang’s body (something I’m assuming he can only do under certain circumstances, by the way, namely the solstice and being in the temple) and destroys the freaking temple! He feeds it to the volcano! Man, remind me not to piss him off. Also, I am sort of almost proud of Zuko for just getting the hell out of there and not sticking around to try to capture Aang or whatever. Good to see he does have some self-preservation instinct! But seriously, in the scene where all the soldiers are all the floor, Katara, Sokka and Shyu are all worried about Aang… and Zuko just is like “I’m outta here!”, I laughed. But it turned out to be good for him, because he was the only non-flying bison having person there to not get captured by Zhao.
It’s sad that Shyu got captured. Zhao is totally a jerk and blamed all the monks for one being traitor. Way to inspire people to stay loyal to you there, Zhao!
<img src=http://i.imgur.com/cijuK.gif>
And that’s the end! Aang and everyone get free, Zuko is still tracking them, Zhao is a jerk… and now we get some hints of bigger plot going on, with the comet and all. Aang has to learn all four elements by the end of the summer. Not a lot of time indeed.
Quotes:
Iroh: Have you completely forgotten that the Fire Lord banished you?! What if you’re caught?
Zuko: I’m chasing the Avatar! My father will understand why I’m returning home.
Iroh: You give him too much credit. My brother is not the understanding type.
Iroh: Really, Prince Zuko, couldn’t your shoot them down with something more fragrant?
Katara: (to Appa) Oh, you must be tired!
Sokka: No! I’m good! Refreshed and ready to fight some firebenders!
Katara: I was talking to Appa.
Sokka: Well, I was talking to Momo.
<img src=http://i.imgur.com/aR4OQ.gif>
Katara: Sokka, you’re a genius!
Aang: Wait, how is Sokka genius? His plan didn’t even work!
Sokka: Come on, Aang, let her dream.
Katara: You’re right. Sokka’s plan didn’t work… but it looks like it did!
Aang: Did the definition of genius change in the last hundred years?
Last two notes:
I like how when we see Sokka’s plan carried out, it actually showed the bags going off at slightly different times. The fire blasts needed to be simultaneous, that’s why it failed.
Aang talking in glowing form with a bunch of different voices is SUPER CREEPY and also awesome.
I was going to make a comment about the whole Momo-fish thing, but it looks like I don't need to!! Awesome gifs, and awesome review as usual 😀
I love The Voice of Legion for Aang, if only because it would have made me pee my pants if I were six or seven watching this show. I'm talking, nightmares forever. ROFL KIDS SHOW YOUR HERO'S POSSESSED YAAAYYY~~!
Maybe I'm just too Catholic in upbringing but that always caught my attention and made me laugh.
I was still relatively young when I watched this show for the first time (12?) and my sister was younger at about 9. We loved the freaky voices. They were so cool and gave an impression of just how powerful Aang was.
Question: Did you start this series when Mark started? It's just nice to see review from people who haven't seen the series yet, and you have very thoughtful ones each episode.
No, I actually watched it all as aired from early season one, but I keep notes of my initial reactions to most TV shows and make sure to tie those into my reviews. So they are kind of blend of things that stuck out to me the first time around and things I noticed on repeat viewings. I'm glad you like them!
Do not underestimate Appa.
Truer words have never been said. *nods*
FOR SOME REASON I HAD ASSUMED THAT THE FIREBALLS WERE COATING IN SULFUR OR SOMETHING (?!!? I have no idea why except that it's flammable and stinks???) but oh my god poop balls is so much more amazing kjnkfjs.
…coated*
Yeah, I'm kind of in love with the poop theory right now
…and I never expected to type THAT sentence.
I assumed that they were balls of burning pitch or tar. The Mongols used burning pitch in catapults and trebuchets.
I think I read somewhere (Avatar Extras, I think, which admittedly are sort of shady in terms of accuracy) that they're actually giant trash balls, covered in a flammable substance.
"OH MAN I AM SO HOOKED, EVERYONE"
ONE OF US!
Haha! I feel so bad for the Sage that helps them. He's been waiting so long, and he has to betray the others just to do his job! then he gets caught at the end (though he looked pretty satisfied himself that he had done what needed doing, so there's that.) I love him, though, another indication that the Fire nation isn't entirely evil. I can't stand stories that have a "good side" and a "bad side". I can accept evil individuals, some people are, but you can't convince me that every person in a COUNTRY is evil, so I love seeing the shades of grey.
Roku is also pretty awesome and badass. When he starts tearing down the temple, you can really get a feeling of what the Avatar is truly capable of.
Might just be an issue of semantics, but I think you can have good and bad sides without having their members be 100% good/bad people. There are good people in the Fire Nation, but that country as an entity is still the "bad guys."
You're right, it's an issue of semantics (and typing fast) that's entirely what I meant. but thank you for clarifying!
I don't mind the "Fire Nation" being the bad guys, it would only make me mad if every person in the Fire Nation were presented as a complete asshole, and I really appreciate it when they don't go that route. Sorry about that, haha!
As far as making the Fire Nation all "bad guys" I think that's more just a matter of what we've been exposed to. The only members of the Fire Nation that we've seen are their soldiers, so we're only getting one perspective of their society.
Hey look, more Zuko characterization! Also more Iroh characterization! And it's Zhao again! I like it. Definitely want to see more characterization of how the Fire Nation works, and what the political realities are for everyone. The fact that Zaho and Zuko are basically fighting each other is really interesting to me.
Fire Sages! Seems kind of weird how many of them are against the Avatar, but this may just be feeding into my desire to see more political world-building. I want to see Fire Nation propaganda, basically.
As always, love the architectural design. And the door. I like these bending locks, basically.
And I like Sokka's and Katara's duo plan. I remember originally being miffed Sokka's plan didn't work, but the resolution was good enough to make my dislike disappear.
Oh look, plot development occurs with the comet, and gives Aang more direction, as well as a deadline. But what I remember really wanting the first time I watched this ep was more info on the previous Avatars. Forward development is of course good, but I just want backstory. Lots and lots of it.
Avatar Roku "coming to life" is really, really awesome, and probably the most holy. shit moment of the show so far. But I'm sad to see the temple go. I wonder how old it is. Lol, I'm mourning fictional buildings now. THIS SHOW.
I was really pleased that Sokka's plan didn't work. First, it would have been two easy; second, what kind of mystical magic lock that only responds to five firebenders or a fully-fledged Avatar would it be if a few hastily improvised bombs could break it?
They said only the Avatar or five fire sages could open it, and they needed five fire sages to open it. I liked that.
The loss of ancient priceless artifacts or architecture is always a loss, fictional or not T_T D:
ZOMG I JUST GOT THE AVATAR ART BOOK IT IS SO PRETTY OKAY TIME TO COMMENT.
OH MAN I AM SO HOOKED, EVERYONE.
Awesome.
Appa’s always just there and this is a reminder for us to acknowledge that he’s a flying bison who is also a complete and total badass. Do not underestimate Appa.
Never underestimate Appa. Or Momo. Or Aang. Or ANYONE.
“Did the definition of ‘genius’ change in the last hundred years?”
I LOVE ALL THE "HUNDRED YEARS" JOKES SO MUCH.
This is the first time I consciously listened to the music, and the chanting part in front of the door was a great mix.
The music is one of the greatest thing about this great show.
THE COMET IS WHAT STARTED THE FIRE NATION WAR IN THE FIRST PLACE AND HOW THE HELL DOES SOMEONE STEAL POWER FROM A COMET, BUT I GUESS THAT SHOULD BE THE LEAST OF MY WORRIES CONSIDERING THESE PEOPLE CAN BEND THE FUCKING ELEMENTS BUT THE COMET IS COMING BACK AND FIRE LORD OZAI IS GOING TO USE IT A SECOND TIME TO DESTROY EVERYTHING
A;LKSDFJ A;SKLDFJ A;KSLDJF A;SKLDFJ A;SLKDFJ A;DKSFJ A;LDKSF;AK;AKLJSSF
BUT THIS ISN’T EVEN THE WORST NEWS. AANG DOESN’T HAVE YEARS TO LEARN ALL OF THE ELEMENTS, HE HAS UNTIL SUMMER
Comets are actually made of ice, so…probably not a great source of power for Firebenders, but IT'S A METAPHOR. Or something. Sozin's Comet is awesome. It gives the show a very clear deadline: it's not going to go on forever. It can't go on forever. Aang has until Sozin's Comet to defeat the Fire Lord, or THE WORLD BASICALLY ENDS.
Haha, I was thinking the same thing about the comet being made mostly of ice but maybe it's not so much about it's composition but the energy given off when passing through the atmosphere?
Maybe Firebenders are really attracted to friction?
Why do I get the feeling there are numerous slashfics out there that use that EXACT reasoning?
…If there aren't, there will be soon.
Goshdamnit guys, "The depiction of comets in popular culture is firmly rooted in the long Western tradition of seeing comets as harbingers of doom and as omens of world-altering change."
-Taken from Wiki.
Not good enough?
"Comets have inspired dread, fear, and awe in many different cultures and societies around the world and throughout time. They have been branded with such titles as "the Harbinger of Doom" and "the Menace of the Universe."
-Taken from the official NASA website
Don't look too much into the scientific side of things when you're watching this show.
Well, "Comet" is a misnomer. if it's something that has passed through the atmosphere before (as we are told it has, since it came 100 years before) than it's something called an "Earthgrazer" that occasionally pass through the atmosphere.
But "Sozin's Earthgrazer" isn't as intimidating/poetic a name, so…
Comets are made of ice and rock… but they look firey when they're in the sky? That's my only explanation. It's one of those things that doesn't make that much logical sense, but this is a world where people can manipulate the elements with martial arts, so I'm not going to question it.
Yeah, you just sort of need to accept it. Maybe its because its a spiritual thing, and the spirits think its fiery, and affect how the Fire Benders perceive it? I don't know, its just one of those things you have to go with.
Oh dude, the music! The music is so good! Especially as the series grow older. You are not prepared…for the music.
Their entrance into the Fire Nation is incredible.
<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfgoq75JVy1qezvkeo1_500.gif "/>
<img src=" http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfgp167Id61qezv…
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The use of colours in this episode to establish the mood for the scenes is wonderfully done. The blue for outside, the red for the temple, and the gold for Aang's meeting with Roku. The ending scene especially is so beautiful. The bright full moon and only the silhouettes of the characters are visible.
<img src="http://images.wikia.com/avatar/images/5/50/Fire_temple.png "/>
<img src=" http://images.wikia.com/avatar/images/9/9f/Roku_M…
Some of my favourite quotes from the episode.
Aang: What if I can't master all the elements in time? What if I fail?
Roku: I know you can do it Aang, for you have done it before.
Zuko: I have no choice, Uncle.
Iroh : Have you completely forgotten that the Fire Lord banished you? What if you're caught?
Zuko : I'm chasing the Avatar. My father will understand why I'm returning home.
Iroh: You give him too much credit. My brother is not the understanding type.
OH MAN I AM SO HOOKED, EVERYONE.
Woohoo!
So, yeah, EVEN MORE PLOT. And now you know what's in store for Aang, and he has less than a year to master all the bending ever, and Lord Ozai is going to use Sozin's Comet to destroy the world!
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/2nu40vo.gif">
Phew.
I guess you can think of it as poop — I have no idea what it is. I like to think of it as a smaller version of the garbage ball from Futurama. Either way, stinky as hell, and Appa is to be commended for his poise! Awesome bisoning.
I like those background characters, too. Maybe it's because they're also spectators to the main action and usually normal guys, and therefore easier to relate to? I'm also drawn to huuuuuge dicks like Zhao, though, so maybe I have weird taste!
That shot of Ozai is seriously awesome, i love that he just looks like an enraged firely monster there. So perfect! Thanks for posting it!
Is it weird that when I see Ozai there I think he's some fire-spewing frog?
No, he has a giant mouth! He's roasting flies!
I must have looked away at a pivotal moment b/c I did not even notice Roku = Aang at the end there. FACEPALM
As I am currently experiencing a personal crisis, the only thing I can say at this point is this:
Avatar Roku is a fucking badass.
Take note Aang, you can grow up to be that cool.
And as far as Roku saying "I've seen you do it before" I guess he's referencing a past life of theirs? That a previous Avatar had to learn all this bending really quickly? I don't know.
That's possible. What I thought he was saying at that point is that he's masted the four elements however many thousands of times in his past lives, he should be able to do the accelerated course.
Seriously, he comes back from the dead in spirit to destroy crappy Fire Sages. Do not fuck with Roku!
I hope whatever your crisis is ends up okay for you.
Thank you! I hope so too.
Remember, any old man in this series is A TOTAL FUCKING BADASS WHO YOU SHOULD NOT FUCK WITH UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
-Iroh? He'll wreck your shit without even firebending.
-Bumi? Dude's 112 and still RIPPED.
-Roku? THE FLOOR IS LAVA.
This. So much this. *clamps hand on mouth as not to spoil anything*
Please feel/be better soon.
Avatar Roku marks the second use of my favorite fucking martial arts-bending thingy throughout this whole show which is the "finish a badass attack by levelling your hands, palms to the floor, and move down until your arms are straight" thing. (Haru's dad also does it in the move that sends the Warden plummeting into the ocean). I love it love it love it so much, I just think it's so cool. Like "Whew, lost my temper, bringin' it back, oh sorry, did my temper flare up destroy your entire temple, you nasty villianous bastards, oh yes it did, bam"
It's hard when everything is laid out quite nicely and then one, little thing knocks everything out of balance.
Just a tiny typo I noticed in case nobody else caught it yet: We’d been spending so much time in the Fire Kingdown, encased in browns and greys, that I forgot just how richly colorful this show can be.
I believe you meant Earth Kingdom, not Fire. XD Beyond that, EEEEEEEEEEEEEETHISEPISODE and to avoid spoilers, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEVERYTHINGINEVERYEPISODEOFTHISSERIES!!!!!!!
Also, something that makes me smile every time I think about it: Roku is Japanese for six, so every time I hear about Avatar Roku, I think of him as Avatar Six, even though he's not the sixth Avatar. (Also, I now feel like this is somehow spoiler-y, even though it's first of all, not important, and, if not explicitly said, very heavily implied by the statues in the Southern Air Temple, so, if there is an issue with this, I AM SO VERY, VERY SORRY, but I don't think it is…)
I think you're okay. 🙂 Those statues made it pretty obvious there's more than six Avatars. And I don't think it's ever explicitly said how many Avatars there have been.
I think you are misunderstanding Avatar Roku. He didn't say "I've seen you do it before" but rather "You have done it before". To me it means that since Aang is the Avatar, and he has lived many lives before, he has mastered the elements many times before.
Yes, that is what Roku is saying. He's saying Aang has mastered the elements before in previous lives, so he can do it again.
(Note: Why am I drawn to the male characters who get left in the background too much? Ron Weasley, Cinna, Mickey, and now Sokka. WHAT.)
I don't know, but ME TOO.
Roku's a BAMF, y/y?
I have so many other things to say, but they're spoilers, so instead I'll just go asdjfasdfkjas!!!!!! and hope that's coherent enough. 🙂
I once again can't comment on this episode itself because You are just not prepared.
However, I will ask you to note the pile of corpses that were in the room with Gyatso's skeleton back in Episode 3.
<img src="http://piandao.org/screencaps/ep3/ep3-547.png" width="360" height="240">
<img src="http://piandao.org/screencaps/ep3/ep3-548.png" width="360" height="240">
When they were alive, they were probably comet-powered firebenders. For all of Roku hyping up their power level under the comet (I believe the exact words were "stronger than you could even imagine" or something to that effect), Gyatso must have taken out 20 of them by himself. Truly he is among the greatest BAMFs to ever BAMFed.
GYATSO FOR PRESIDENT OF OUR HEARTS
We don't even have to worry about the nomination killing him later on because OH WAIT HE'S ALREADY DEAD DOOP
I read a theory once (based around the positions of Gyatso and the soldiers around him) that Gyatso took out the fire benders by SUCKING ALL OF THE AIR OUT OF THE ROOM AND SACRIFICING HIMSELF TO SUFFOCATE THEM. it is basically my favorite theory for how his fight with the soldiers went, because holy shit awesome.
Wow, I really like that theory, too!
You know, for an old vegetarian dude who was probably averse to killing, he sure was bad ass!
omg. FIRE COATED POOP BALLS IS BASICALLY THE MAIN DETERMINANT IN WHY AVATAR IS SUCH A GREAT SHOW.
the end.
oh, and there's also the fact that OMG SOZIN'S COMET
and
OMG AANG NEEDS TO LEARN ALL THE ELEMENTS BY SUMMER
and
OMG SHIT JUST GOT SO REAL.
My inner 12-year-old is greatly amused by the juxtaposition of your first line and your last.
lol wow, you're seriously fantastic. i didn't realize it 😛
LOOOOVE this episode. It's funny- when I was watching this show with my friends, I was always "OOO OOH this is one of my favorite episodes!" And they're always like, "…they're all your favorite episodes."
I just love the "Greeeeat. We made it to the Fire Nation."
You pretty much said everything I was thinking when I first watched this, but man. Iroh is still so awesomely, politely badass.
Also, in what universe did you think that anyone could ever mess with Appa? None of them, that's which universe.
I think the left behind characters are meant to become loved by the audience. Sokka is so pragmatic, and such an asshole, but so loveable that you just cannot hate him.
I'm so glad you are enjoying the hell out of this show. And, as always, you are NEVER PREPARED. Oh. I'm just so excited for everything that's to come, because we are just getting started.
Two quick things:
1) Roku didn't say "I've seen you do it before"; he said "You've done it before." Roku is Aang's past life, and he has all those dozens/hundreds of past lives that we saw in the Southern Air Temple, and all of THEM had mastered all four elements. So it's not so much talking about time travel or Roku being able to see the future as the fact that he knows that Aang, as the Avatar, has already mastered all the elements in his past lives. Does that make sense?
2) Hahaha, I love the poop balls idea. I always thought they were just rocks covered in tar, though, so they'd light on fire? The bad smell would then be burning tar. But what do I know!
This episode really gets things cooking! The whole "you have until the end of summer" twist really starts to pour the pressure on poor Aangie.
(Note: Why am I drawn to the male characters who get left in the background too much? Ron Weasley, Cinna, Mickey, and now Sokka. WHAT.)
Looking at one particular show in your to-watch list, and knowing what little I do about its fandom, this made me snicker.
The "You've [mastered the elements] before" line from Roku refers to the many, many, MANY reincarnations of the Avatar who have mastered all four elements before Aang. I really love this line, as it serves as great encouragement for Aang. It's as if Roku is saying "You may be the only remaining Air Nomad, but you still have a near-infinite line of complete badasses backing you up (not to mention a group of loyal friends)."
Re: Balls of poop.
I always thought they were flaming pitch or tar, both of which were used as weapons in pre-modern warfare and would stink. But I just Wikipediad Greek fire and learned that it was probably sulfur-based, which would also smell.
Okay, first I have to point this out, because I was rewatching things to catch up with Mark and I remember some folks back on the Warriors of Kyoshi post were talking about how Kyoshi wasn't visible in the giant room full of statues at the Air Temple. Some people were speculating it was either because the artists wanted to focus on Roku or a simple continuity error. I thought this too, until I saw:
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/avatarkyoshi.jpg">
For the record, it looks like Aang then walks behind her to get to the Roku statue, but it's kind've hard to tell. ANYWAY. I've already gushed about how I love these two episodes, so let's get on with this party.
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/rokustatue.jpg">
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/firetemple.jpg">
When we came across pictures of the Yellow Crane Tower, we thought that the curling, flame-like rooftop corners were a perfect motif for Fire Nation architecture. The Fire Sage's temple was the first place we exhibited these design elements.
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/templedoor.jpg">
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/crescentisland.jpg">
The Fire Sage's temple is located on Crescent Island, which is the outer-most tip of the Fire Nation archipelago.
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/roku.jpg">
So, should Commander Zhao die in ALL OF THE IRONIC FIRES ever? I THINK SO.
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/zhao3.jpg">
The power-hungry and arrogant Zhao was created to give Zuko a rival to contend with in his pursuit for the Avatar. We wanted to have an antagonist that wasn't too over the top like most animated evildoers.
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/zhao2.jpg">
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/zhao1.jpg">
When I wrote the character, I was really inspired by Jason Isaac's villainous performances as the British colonel in The Patriot and Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies. When it came time to cast Zhao, I used Jason Isaacs as an example of the kind of actor I'd like to get. The casting director said, "What if I can actually get you Jason Isaacs?"
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/firenationsoldier1.jpg">
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/firenationsoldier3.jpg">
Designing the Firebenders was a long and varied quest to create a force of soldiers that looked intimidating and scary. They needed cool-looking armor that could be easily drawn, since we would see so many of these guys. Early versions of the Firebenders' helmets had horns inspired by rhinoceros beetles. Their face masks ultimately resembled graphic skulls with dead, empty eye sockets.
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/ship.jpg">
Firebender helmets inspired the blade-shaped bow of Zuko's ship.
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/ship2.jpg">
Zuko's ship was meant to be an old clunker from the early days of the Fire Nation's war…Zhao's much bigger ship represents the newer, more advanced fleet.
I love how Sokka has stumbled upon the idea that sufficiently advanced
technologycleverness should be indistinguishable from bending. We got a glimpse of that in "Imprisoned" where he gets the idea of using airbending+pipe+rock to create fake earthbending, and now we see him trying to use everyday materials to create fake firebending.Of course, it doesn't actually work so well, but I still think Sokka is awesomely clever for thinking it up. XD
I was kind of turned off my Sokka being 'the skeptic who was wrong' in the earlier episodes of this show, but I love how you can take his skepticism, and get to technology and non-bending solutions. This is the portryal of Sokka's personality and worldview that I like.
Exactly! Sokka is a natural skeptic, and in most fantasy/sci-fi stories, that would bite him in the back. But his skepticism stops him relying on magic or bending, and allows him to think critically- the perfect combination for scientists and inventors!
As you can now see, Sokka is more often than not 100% correct, which is why he defies this trope.
This episode was made perfect for me by the sight of Clement von Frankenstein in the credits. SERIOUSLY-BEST NAME EVER!!
Oh and I'm fairly sure I know what drew you to Mickey at least 😉
My musings on your love of Sokka- gruff but hilarious snarker with a heart of gold? WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE?
Pretty sure this quote isn't a spoiler, but…
"That's me, the meat and sarcasm guy."
Yes, fantastic episode!
And Mark, oh man. You are in for such a ride. Things are only now just getting started! This is really just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how epic and amazing this show is! Book 1 has awesome stuff like this, yet I still have to consider it my least favorite season because what's to come is JUST THAT EPIC!
Seriously, things get exponentially better from an already awesome point. Also, who down-voted this person? What is wrong with their comment?
probably because saying stuff like, the next season will be great, or 'those eps are something to look forward to' can be seen as spoilers.
I certainly don't think I've spoiled anything in my comment. What I've said was a matter of opinion, not hinting at anything that actually happens. Mark could know nothing of what's to come other than whatever it is, someone named Nikki sure liked it.
I've read the rules on spoiling and simply talking about how good you think something is is not listed. Besides, people have been doing that in pretty much everything Mark has reviewed!
Sorry, the thought of spoiling anything freaks me out, but I honestly don't feel that I have.
I don't think it's been downvoted – comments that start out with an account seem to have an automatic +1. Comments like this, with no account, have no starting rating.
Now….. I think this might be a bit too close to spoilery for my taste…
Um… why, exactly?
Mostly because it tends to drift into expectation. Basically, if you just say "What's coming up is so good! I prefer all the later episodes to these early ones," that shouldn't really affect how Mark goes into them, because its too general. But when people tend to rate certain seasons or epiosdes above one another, Mark's expectations will change. He might go into Book Two with very high expectations, and then be disappointed, for example.
I know, it seems minor, but…
Ah, true. I was just trying to say “YOU ARE NOT PREPARED,” only with more words. I can certainly understand going into a season with high or low expectations based on word of mouth, but I find this can actually help one enjoy the material even more. For example, when I first watched the sixth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I, like a lot of people, was severely disappointed. But after reading the intriguing discussions over at the A.V. Club’s Buffy/Angel reviews, I discovered a new appreciation for that season’s ambition.
So, basically, I was just trying to get Mark and other ATLA virgins pumped for what’s to come while also showing my major fanlove for a certain season without revealing anything regarding plot. It looks like my comment has already been deleted, though, so I’m not sure why I’m still trying to defend it. 😛
There's also the matter of singling out an element.
Well, I believe by this point Mark and other first time viewers would easily be able to deduce that the next “Book” would be called “Earth” since the Avatar cycle (Water, Earth, Fire, Air) has already been established and every episode at this point comes with “Book One: Water” stamped at the top (My friends and I managed to figure it out pretty quickly when the show was still airing, and we were just little elementary school kids who regularly pretended to be Harry Potter characters, Digimon, or Teen Titans out on the playground! Que memorias.). Besides, I don’t think the title of the season is on the same spoiler level as, say, a plot twist or something else that would make it impossible for Mark to enjoy the rest of the show.
SPOILER POLICY: DO NOT REVEAL ANYTHING THAT HASN'T YET BEEN SHOWN, EVEN IF (YOU THINK) IT'S AN OBVIOUS CONCLUSION.
You know Ron's "I'll be a knight" chess BAMF business in Sorcerer's Stone? That's Sokka.
I've been following the recaps, but I haven't watched the first season in a good year, and I'd forgotten just how much I loved Roku's "You've done it before" line and how it calms Aang down.
No long rewatch today thanks to a few storms earlier, but I was waiting for you to watch this one! (I totally have a list of episodes in my head where I'm all "ooh, will be fun to see Mark's reaction to that", haha). What's Aang going to do?!
I love Sokka's little moment of glory, even if it didn't work as planned. I guess it sticks out more after what we can largely consider a Katara episode (Imprisoned) and an Aang episode (The Spirit World).
Sokka is my absolute favourite character in this show (and I love a lot of the cast a ridiculous amount), and it's little moments like that that make him appeal to me. I must be like you, Mark, I liked Ron and Mickey too. I'm always so sad when people act like Ron isn't important or loyal or whatever. 🙁
See, now the comet thing confuses me even more. Comets are made of ice, so I'm assuming firebenders would draw their energy from the comet through….the extreme heat caused by earth's atmosphere? That would be through friction, which supports the whole "firebenders make sparks with their chi and guide the resulting flame" theory". But then, how is Roku able to manipulate lava like waterbenders are able to manipulate water? EsPECially since lava is merely extremely hot earth/iron/minerals, which would technically mean earthbenders should be able to control lava.
But……OMFG SHUT UP BRAIN JUST ACCEPT IT AS A BADASS INCREDIBLY AWESOME TV SHOW.
Srsly, nitpicking on things like that is never smart since ANY magical/supernatural story has SOME sort of discontinuity.
In other news, the BAMF curve of ATLA continues to go up!!! 😀
how is Roku able to manipulate lava like waterbenders are able to manipulate water? EsPECially since lava is merely extremely hot earth/iron/minerals, which would technically mean earthbenders should be able to control lava.
Well, Roku IS a fully realized avatar, meaning he can control earth, water, and air as well as fire.
LOL. Nah, that struck me as well, especially after the recent "clouds are made out of water" Fun Fact!
Feel free to delete this if it can be interpreted as a spoiler. I can never tell.
I think Firebending is meant to encompass all things hot or energy-based. The generally accepted theory among fans is that Lavabending can only be accomplished by Avatars, since it’s somewhat of a combination of Fire and Earth. Bryke may have commented on the subject, but I don’t remember if there was ever any Word of God given.
Well I wouldn't say that as mud and slurry become one of those things that both earthbenders and waterbenders manipulate. Similarly either and earthbender or a firebender should manipulate lava.
True, but I see slurry as being two substances mashed together (water and earth), whereas lava is just one substance (superheated earth). The reason, I think, both water- and earthbenders can bend slurry is because when a waterbender moves the water in the slurry, the rock is carried along (and vice cersa for an earthbender).
It's always been my interpretation that the energy that Firebenders gain from the comet is because of a spiritual thing. Of course it's not LITERALLY a flaming ball of fire in the way that a star is, but the Firebenders wouldn't know that, and it makes sense that things like comets would become an important symbol in their culture.
That's how I've always took it generally. I mean in reality the world isn't based 4 elements, it's a spiritual, symbolic thing.
It'd be interesting to see a world that WAS based on each of the elements. You could be an Oxygenbender, a Hydrogenbender… etc.
Hmm good point. Now I'm all curious and pondery.
First keysmash review of Avatar: the Last Airbender! Bravo and here's to many more!
(Out of curiosity: are any of your friends offline into this show, Mark? Just sayin': AIM formats may be a necessity later — all I'm sayin')
But yes, this is in fact where shit gets real. Every episode from here on in takes on a sense of urgency which I think is entirely innovative for children's programming. Never before have I seen a show so entirely propelled on danger for a demographic this young. And I read comic books, for cryin' out loud! This show makes it clear how high the stakes are and there's no room for less than extraordinary in our characters and that's just the brilliance of it — they are less than extraordinary. They're all flawed, they all have so much to learn so it really feels like there's a possibility, nay, a probability even that they will fail. That's something new for me to encounter for this medium: thus why it is so goddamned fuckin' awesome. To more keysmashes!
Until the end of summer. Seriously bro, I can't even lose twenty pounds from now until the end of summer. If someone told me to learn all four elements, I'd be like "Well, shit, brother-man, sounds like we all best get to workin' on our bucket-lists".
This episode is totally amazing. IMHO. The action scenes are impeccable for keeping you on your seat, and the INFO.
SHIT SON.
I love how Roku's not even worried about Aang being able to do it. He's just like, "I know you're a twelve year old kid on the run from the largest army in the world with no one except two other kids to help you, but EHHH IT'S FIIIIIIIIIIINE. You've done this all before!"
I love Sokka because I love his ingenuity and cleverness. I think that he would be a total Ravenclaw if he were in HP. (Oddly, I think that he, Aang, Katara, and Zuko represent each of the Houses. BUT I AM JUST THE WORLD'S BIGGEST NERD, IGNORE ME.) And I do like that this quality isn't just pulled out of nowhere. We saw in 1.02 that he was building shit like a watchtower as a fifteen year old kid. That couldn't have been easy.
Also, I always assumed that those fireball things had sulfur in them. Wow, my mind is boring.
I did a breakdown of the characters that have been introduced so far as HP houses, (excluding Aang), but my reasonings involved a load of spoilers, so I won't link them. But I put Sokka in Ravenclaw, and Katara in Hufflepuff. I can't mention the others those have spoilers too ]:
BUT I AGREE. Sokka is the perfect Ravenclaw.
I remain thoroughly convinced that Sokka and Luna would be the best of friends.
It's interesting because I would think the houses would line up with the elements like this: Gryffindor = fire, Slytherin = water, Hufflepuff = earth, and Ravenclaw = air. But there's no way Katara is a Slytherin, is there?
Ohhhh, Sokka. Fully rounded characters who aren't just filling the comic relief slot FTW.
Also: it cracks me up that all these years later and the "but how does the comet work, it's made of ice!" debate still goes on. Not saying that it shouldn't be or anything, it just cracks me up how this ostensibly-for-kids show gets everyone so into it that debating things like how exactly the comet helps firebenders is totally normal. LOVE THIS SHOW SO DAMN MUCH.
Also also: this is the episode that cemented my love for Avatar's characters more than anything. We've already seen that it does very well with female characters, kids that act like kids, and different cultures and ethnicities being represented, but how many kids shows do you come across that manage to skip past the ageism issue as well as this one? We've seen Iroh kick ass, we've seen Bumi kick ass, we've seen implications that Gyatso kicked ass, and now Roku…all characters definitely past middle-age who are just as important to the plot as the kids, and who aren't just relegated to being mentor characters or comic relief but are still just as sharp and intelligent and BAMF as anyone else in the show.
AVATAR IS OLD PEOPLE LOVE AND IT IS SO DAMN AWESOME.
Given the examples we have so far, Avatar is old man love. Just pointing that out.
Well, given that we're only on episode 8 and there's still over 2 1/2 seasons left, it's entirely possible that there's older ladies who are totally BAMF, too. Heck, even GranGran seemed pretty tough in the few scenes of her we got. Not saying anything more to avoid spoilers, but remember, there's over 50 episodes left still!
(Note: Why am I drawn to the male characters who get left in the background too much? Ron Weasley, Cinna, Mickey, and now Sokka. WHAT.)
I know exactly what you mean Mark bc I'm always drawn to the same characters. (Ron is my favorite ever!!!) But I've thought a lot about this before and so be prepared for a long rant ahead.
Basically, I think the importance of these characters is that they're so normal, particularly in comparison with everyone else who seems to have a super special power! (like airbending, or crazy intelligence, or being a time lord!). While it would be cool to have such powers, for most of us, we don't. I mean, for example, I'm pretty smart but am nowhere near genius level, I'm average looking – have some good aspects and parts of me I'm not fond of, I'm pretty lazy when it comes to cleaning/studying but am a pretty good listener. Anyway, the point of that all is to say that for most us, we don't have super powers so it can be really easy to feel like we're not important or we don't matter to the story.
The great thing about these characters, however, is that we're shown even though they're ~average~, they are so crucial to the story. Think about how the trio falls about when Ron leaves the extended camping trip – they're lost without him despite his being "average." I think these characters remind us of ourselves (at least, that's the way I think about it) and remind us that despite being average, we can do awesome/amazing/wonderful things.
TLDR: we love these characters bc they're awesome.
Thank you! That's an awesome explanation!
I still see comments where people say that Ron could have been taken out of the entire story and nothing would change–it's like the people READ the books but didn't understand anything in them whatsoever.
Sokka is definitely one of my favorite characters (along with Ron 😀 They'd get along so well–they could bond over their love for food and being Mr. Average-but-Awesome)
HA except that Harry would have DIED IN THE FROZEN LAKE WITH THE SWORD IN IT FOREVER.
I have to applaud how the plot gained a bit of urgency here:
"Most people in your position were clued in at 16 then spent years mastering their extended powers. You are twelve and have several months. Oh and last time you chickened out your hometown got fried. I could tell you 'no pressure' but that would be silly."
Oh man, part 2.
It never fails to impress me. When my sisters and I were first watching the show, my dad was impressed by the Avatar Roku/Aang fire smackdown. It is awesome.
Yeah… you are not prepared. We are not even halfway through this season yet. Like, they have not even started really trying for epic, this is all still mostly setup of the plot and establishing the characters/setting. Just wait. 😀
I've been following along by reading the episode synopses on Avatar wiki. For people who've already watched the entire series, the last bullet point under trivia for this episode is interesting.
That bullet-point IS interesting, and makes sense!
…okay I have to go read all the other trivia now.
Oh yeah… I always forget to upvote things when I comment on them. I was trying to show that it was at zero, when I thought that all comments were automatically at +1 to begin with. I didn't know that about the non-account postings having a 0 rating. Sorry about the minor freakout.
As for spoilery stuff, I thought that spoiling specific events, character appearances, or episodes was bad, but general declarations of "this will be awesome" were okay. Especially since Mark pretty much stated in this post that he is anticipating that what is coming will be really good.
Also-why am I here! Internet is of minor importance! Must get back to thesis! *arrrgh*
Actually, "expectation spoilers" are still considered spoilers on this board. If you were here for the Doctor who blogs, Mark had obviously known in advance that "Blink" was a very important/good episode, and frankly, that did change how he went into it, considering that was the only episode we did a liveblog for. So expectations of things going into it the first time do matter, and Mark has said he doesn't want to see these sorts of comments about upcoming things, even though they are vague and an opinion.
Good-luck on the thesis!
But does it apply when talking about the entire rest of the series as a whole rather than saying something in regards to a specific episode or event?
Well, if it's actually spoilery it can always be deleted, I guess..
Generally, just err on the side of caution. But I would say singling out anything, even an entire season, should be avoided. The rest of the series is more ambiguous, though, I agree. But generally, it's simply best to avoid comments about upcoming things. That way, you don't have to second guess yourself.
Yeah, I would agree that if you find that you're debating yourself on whether or not it could be considered a spoiler, it probably could be and you're better off not posting it.
"Note: Why am I drawn to the male characters who get left in the background too much? Ron Weasley, Cinna, Mickey, and now Sokka. WHAT."
I have SO MANY COMMENTS! But they are all about BTVS, and we're not there YET. I'm so interested in what you're going to say about BTVS-things!
So strange. When I rewatched this episode, I began comparing each character to their BtVS counterpart. It didn’t quite hold up, but it was still fun. 🙂
All this episode makes me want to do is spoiltalk. So I'll just say that I think you will be pleasantly surprised with what Avatar is going to do, I sure was. Glad you like the show, it's one of my favorites.
This is the first time I consciously listened to the music, and the chanting part in front of the door was a great mix.
Oh man! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the music for this show. To EPIC PIECES.
The Track Team did a seriously awesome job with the score for this show, and I am still pissed we don't have an official soundtrack yet.
YESSSS. Shout-out to the music!!
The music to this show is absolutely beautifully done.
I'm so glad you are getting into this series. I need to start rewatching this season, since it has been forever since I have seen it. I wish they would release the soundtrack for this series, since it is so awesome! As from what I remember from this episode, Appa was being a flying bad ass, which made me smile in glee.
I didn't get the impression that the comet came around ever 100 years. I mostly explained it to myself like this: One hundred years ago it was on it's way somewhere and now it's on its way back. Both ways it passes the Avatar world. Of course the Astrology of the show might not actually include such things as orbits, but it could be a pattern more like 10.000 years, 100y ears, 10.000 years … etc. or even more variable, if we really do get into orbits, that can be different sizes and shapes and add in different speeds.
Ohhhhh man. YOU PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH YOUR COMMENTS ARE TEMPTING SPOILERS (Mark included).
So instead I will do a happy little dance (er, a metaphorical dance, that is). I call this dance the "OMG MARK LOVES AVATAR TOO NOW YAYYYY" dance. Its full title is actually the "OMG MARK LOVES AVATAR TOO NOW YAYYYYYYYY WE HAVE DRAGGED HIM INTO YET ANOTHER SERIES THAT WE LOVE AND BRAINWASHED HIM INTO LOVING IT TOO MUAHAHAHAHAHA THE PLOT IS WORKING ALSO I AM TOTALLY FLAILING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I AM A COMPLETE GEEK AND I LOVE ATLA AND MARK KEYSMASHED AND IS SO NOT PREPARED AND ALSO THIS IS ONLY EPISODE EIGHT OMG *faints*" dance, but it's just a tad too long.
You know, I don't act like this at all in real life… at least, not when anyone else is around 😉
Hey Mark, I'm really tired and I can't be arsed to read through all of the comments because I've been up all night, but I was just wondering if anyone has told you that Zhao was voiced by the actor who played Lucius Malfoy in the HP movies. Jason Issacs. It's hard to tell at first because he doesn't sound British, but if you look at Zhao and imagine Issacs with giant monkey sideburns you can kind of see the inspiration in the character model. Also both characters are assholes.
This is just one of those things you should really know, you know? It's pretty badass.
Oh and I won't say anything else except you might want to look up who voices Ozai. But only when you get to an ep with him in it, OK!?
It's funny because if you watch Jason Isaacs in interviews, he is the furthest away from being an asshole that you can get. He's always so humble and appears gracious and clearly loves his job. I think he loves playing the baddies so much because it's his complete opposite.
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