{"id":374,"date":"2011-05-26T13:00:45","date_gmt":"2011-05-26T20:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=374"},"modified":"2011-05-25T17:40:54","modified_gmt":"2011-05-26T00:40:54","slug":"mark-watches-avatar-so2e06-the-blind-bandit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2011\/05\/mark-watches-avatar-so2e06-the-blind-bandit\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Avatar’: So2E06 – The Blind Bandit"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the sixth episode of the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender<\/em>, OH MY GOD TOPH<\/em> AND OH MY GOD WRESTLING HOMAGES<\/em> AND OH MY GOD BADASS BATTLE SCENES<\/em> AND OH MY GOD HOW DID I NEVER WATCH THIS SHOW<\/em>. If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re intrigued, then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch Avatar<\/em>.<\/p>\n

SERIOUSLY, HOW DID I GO SO LONG WITHOUT WATCHING AVATAR<\/em>.<\/p>\n

My god, in light of the previous episode, I think my brain may have exploded from the sheer awesomeness of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Blind Bandit.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d And while there are so many things this episode does beautifully, I think I was most in awe of the fact that it payed one giant homage to professional wrestling.<\/p>\n

I believe that this is largely an American social phenomenon, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one I grew away from as I got older, but I can recall many an easy weekend afternoon plopped on the couch while wrestling was on the television. I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t as into it as my brother and my father, but it was a constant in my household. It was entertaining on such a base level that, until I got it into my head that it wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t cool<\/em> to like wrestling, that it never bothered me that I had to watch it so much. It was such a casual experience for me, and I enjoyed the absurdity of it, the spectacle of the performance.<\/p>\n

I went through a weird \u00e2\u20ac\u0153rebellious\u00e2\u20ac\u009d period where I tried to tell my parents that watching wrestling was sexist and I LEARNED THAT WORD IN SCHOOL TODAY, AND THEY ARE NEVER WRONG AT SCHOOL. But it took me a while to realize that most of my life, I lived in this vacuum-like bubble and wrestling was far more popular than I ever though it was. At heart, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not all that different from what many of us find entertaining: these wrestlers play a role, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s drama, there are twists and turns, and throw in a dash (okay, to be fair, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s more like a few gallons) of violence, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really not that far from a lot of dramas and sitcoms people watch.<\/p>\n

But anyway, it was this weird, constant institution in my life, and I imagine that for a lot of people, they may not realize how present<\/em> professional wrestling was in their lives as an American. In that sense, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Blind Bandit\u00e2\u20ac\u009d reminded me just how fun<\/em> the concept was, and, like the nomads in \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Cave of Two Lovers,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d these characters are all written with a bit of love in the intent of the writers. Which is actually pretty rad, considering that the bulk of the wrestlers are kind of assholes in the story.<\/p>\n

I did not expect for us to have Aang\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s vision from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Swamp\u00e2\u20ac\u009d answered rather completely just two episodes later. Team Avatar is still searching for an earth bending master for Aang when they come up a possible teacher at an \u00e2\u20ac\u0153academy\u00e2\u20ac\u009d run by Master Yu in some unnamed village. I put \u00e2\u20ac\u0153academy\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in quotes like that because it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not really quite what the name entails, as Aang\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s free lesson introduces him to a master who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a bit too flashy than what he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s looking for. (Plus, his \u00e2\u20ac\u0153lesson\u00e2\u20ac\u009d involves him getting a rock thrown into his stomach, which I cannot imagine feeling good on any universe ever.)<\/p>\n

The group thinks they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve gotten a lead on a possible earth bending master when they overhear two young men discussing Earth Rumble VI. (No, seriously, even the name is very<\/em> pro wrestling. Bless this show.) We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll talk about Katara\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s spectacular badassery later, because I really, really<\/em> need to gush about what happens next.<\/p>\n

I truly believed that we were seeing yet another one-off episode with only hints to the larger story at hand, but I was thoroughly enjoying myself this time. The design of the arena was my first indication that this was something special, as the spacious, angular design reminded me of the arenas I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d seen on TV, though at the time, I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t aware yet that this was going to be a reference to pro-wrestling. That<\/em> became obvious when the first two competitors were brought out, The Boulder and The Hippo, and I knew their names and their performances were these loving references towards something that was a part of my childhood. (My god, The Boulder\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s character in the ring is MAGICAL. I love that he speaks about himself in third person. SO SPOT ON.) Sokka only adds to the realism here, and I adore that he becomes the Boulder\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s biggest fan in just one match.<\/p>\n

As The Boulder effortlessly moves through each of the challengers, Aang is confident that this dude is not<\/em> the one who needs to teach him, as he is not one who \u00e2\u20ac\u0153listens to the earth,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as Bumi recommended to him.<\/p>\n

That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s when The Boulder has progressed to the final round and is set to fight The Blind Bandit, the previous Earth Rumble champion. And out steps a small little girl. Who is blind. Who has no qualms about insulting a sighted man who is certainly five times larger than her. And then she laughs when she calls her opponent The Pebble. And then HOLY FUCK WHAT THE SHIT IT IS THE GIRL FROM AANG\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S VISION IN \u00e2\u20ac\u0153THE SWAMP\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh my god it is so perfect and so fitting and I just sat on my couch and giggled to myself for like ten seconds straight. THIS IS AMAZING. AMAZING.<\/p>\n

Having already done an episode with a disabled kid in \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Northern Air Temple,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and doing it quite well, I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t worried that they would tokenize or fuck up The Blind Bandit\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s life, and yet I still<\/em> wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t prepared for the incredible<\/em> message this episode tells other kids: You are not a lesser human being if you are disabled.<\/p>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sorry in advance if I just turn into a gushing, dripping mess, but this entire scene where we are introduced to Toph is just…supreme. Fantastical. Magical. Amazing. Unbelievable. The animation gives me chills, as the colors rush from the world and bright waves of sound reverberate through the earth and Toph is able to listen<\/em> to the earth, to wait patiently for the right moment to strike, and strike<\/em> she does, forcing the Boulder into the splits and then smoothly knocking him right out of the arena.<\/p>\n

I just…I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t. I WAS SO UNPREPARED.<\/p>\n

OH GOD IT JUST GETS BETTER. Because then, Xin Fu, the show\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s host, offers a bag of gold to anyone who can defeat The Blind Bandit, and Aang is the only one to speak up. I find it hilarious that he chose a ring of fighting<\/em> to try and talk to The Blind Bandit. Aang has a unique advantage over her, too: because he can air bend, he can float above the earth, making it incredibly difficult for Toph to hear him. When he accidentally wins the match (no, seriously, it totally looked like an accident!), she is incensed by the loss and leaves the arena in a huff, preventing Aang from talking to her.<\/p>\n

Of course, my brain was running at a million miles an hour this point. TOPH HAS TO BE AANG\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S MASTER, RIGHT? OH GOD HOW AWESOME WOULD THAT BE. CLEARLY THIS MUST HAPPEN. And I think the writer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s were totally aware that people would react this way, and they did something FUCKING AMAZING with this expectation: They showed us how unfair this line of thinking is.<\/p>\n

I think Aang expected Toph to uproot her life to teach him, and Team Avatar all<\/em> anticipated that, thinking that just by mention that Aang was the Avatar would mean they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d get what they wanted. While Aang is a tad excited by the prospect, I imagine the whole trio was a bit flabbergasted after visiting Toph at the Bei Fong estate and listening to her harshly reject the opportunity to teach Aang. Why wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t<\/em> she want to teach the Avatar? they were probably thinking.<\/p>\n

Well, the writers then promptly show us why: Because she is not simply a tool to be used to advance their cause. She has an entire life and entire experiences that they know nothing about and she certainly does not have the privilege to just up and leave her family.<\/p>\n

The way that Toph\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s family treats her is simply horrifying, probably the most depressing thing this show has ever given us. We learn that all of the fantastic earth bending she does is all one giant secret, that her family does not want Master Yu to teach her anything \u00e2\u20ac\u0153dangerous,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and that she should stay at the basic level. In short, her family not only doubts that she is talented, but they want to restrict her from trying<\/em> to be so, believing she is too \u00e2\u20ac\u0153fragile\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153weak\u00e2\u20ac\u009d all because she is blind.<\/p>\n

Excuse me while I curl up and sob myself to sleep.<\/p>\n

This gives the entire dinner sequence a completely new subtext. While the passive-aggressive war is<\/em> slightly funny, I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help but feel that this was Toph\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s way of violently telling Aang that he needs to knock it the fuck off<\/em> and stop pretending like he has any right to invite himself into her house like he does and try to ruin the system she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s built to cope with her parents. Granted, she does explain this to him in person that night, long after dinner, but at the time, it was a very clear message to Aang: Her life is not a strategy<\/em> or a teacher<\/em>. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hers and hers alone, and he needs to respect that. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not to say that Toph doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t<\/em> want to run away with Team Avatar, as she makes it clear that she is also envious of the freedom that Aang has. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just that this situation is not at all as simple as Aang imagined.<\/p>\n

The wrestlers from earlier in the story then make everything even more<\/em> interesting, as Xin Fu is convinced that Aang and Toph purposely threw the fight to split the winning gold. After kidnapping the two of them and asking for the gold back, Sokka, Katara, Master Yu, and Toph\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s father all show up at the wresting arena to get their friends\/daughter back, which Xin Fu obliges. However, he states that he is not<\/em> going to give the Avatar back, as the Fire Nation will pay him nicely if he turns Aang over. (Side thought: REALLY. Ok, I guess this isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t the first time we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen this, but I was slightly shocked that these earth benders were totally fine turning over the one dude who could stop the Fire Nation.)<\/p>\n

Few things I have ever seen on television have made me leap up in joy and thrust my fist in the air as if I was watching a game-winning shot in basketball quite like the moment that Toph rejects her father\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s definition of her abilities. I mean, I already wanted to reach through the screen and…well, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not a violent person so\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6.scold him loudly? Shake my finger at him? That sort of thing. But he outright tells Katara that Toph is weak and helpless and fragile and she cannot assist Aang\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fight against the earth benders and he does this all while she is standing next to him<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Seriously. I cheered. Such a huge moment, and THIS IS FOR A SIDE CHARACTER, TOO. Bless you, writers, for giving this much attention to someone who is not even on the main cast. Oh, and for making her the greatest earth bender ever<\/em>. How unbelievably rad is her technique??? Watching her decimate each and every one of Xin Fu\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s minions\/fighters is cathartic<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Oh, but this episode is not done with me. Not at all. As Toph confronts her parents, apologizing for lying to them, I honestly believed we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d see this huge redemptive moment where Toph\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s father apologizes for all the awful things he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s done to her.<\/p>\n

NOPE. NOT AT ALL. He instead declares that he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel any different about her, that he loves her just the same, so he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to make sure that she is confined within the house and guarded at all times.<\/em><\/p>\n

Heartbreaking until the end of time. As Toph\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s father tells Team Avatar to leave the house, we see tears flow down Toph\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s face and we know that her father just took away the last bit of agency from her. Her fighting in the Earth Rumble was her only bit of independence, and now it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been taken away from her.<\/p>\n

Just when I was prepared to never heal again<\/em>, upset at the very thought that this mega-rad girl was introduced and that she would not<\/em> be traveling with Team Avatar, the writers metaphorically punch me in the face<\/em>. Because guess who comes running up to Appa, claiming her parents have changed their minds about her? Oh, Toph, I tried to resist comparing myself to you, but after living in an absurdly strict, abusive household where my parents berated me to my face, I finally had to run away, too.<\/p>\n

Seriously, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no doubt in my mind that Toph will become one of my favorite characters on this whole show, possibly even #1.<\/p>\n

Nah, just kidding. UNCLE IROH FOREVER.<\/p>\n

THOUGHTS<\/strong><\/p>\n