In the seventeenth episode of the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender HOLY GOD THIS MIGHT BE THE MOST PERFECT EPISODE YET. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Avatar.
Thank you. All of you. SO MUCH.
As I’ve said in the past, I was interested in doing a show after Doctor Who that was very not that show. Which is not because I didn’t like, as it became obvious very quickly that I was utterly obsessed with Doctor Who. I just like to change things up, to challenge myself with new mediums and new stories and force myself to think about television in different ways.
Unless the remainder of Avatar: The Last Airbender is a story about how mixed-race Mexican-Americans who are gay and suffer from depression are deeply awful people, then I feel like I can safely say that I am a fan of this show. I enjoy it. It challenges me to think different, it has given me a deeply fascinating story to dissect, and it is, above everything else, immensely entertaining.
The thought is always in the back of my mind: What if I start watching a show or reading a book and I end up hating it? What if I am disappointed? And while the things I’ve read and watched had disappointing elements or episodes (WILL NEVER GET OVER “FEAR HER†EVER GRUDGE FOR LIFE), I’ve largely had such positive experiences with the things I’ve tackled. I know that I would disappoint people if I wasn’t honest about not enjoying something, but it’s been so pleasant to assemble these fandoms in such an optimistic loving manner for brief periods of time. With very, very, very few exceptions, I got to see the best of the Harry Potter fandom. I have seen the fantastic parts of the Doctor Who community. I can call myself a Browncoat now. There’s something really rewarding and smile-inducing to be able to say you are a part of something that large and that emotionally supportive. I mean, that’s why a lot of us gravitate towards fandoms, especially online. This is not to suggest that any of you have the same experience with loneliness as I do, but there are brief moments I experience on a weekly basis where I feel that gap inside of myself close just a little bit more.
Thank you for recommending this show so fervently to me over the past year. I promise to make this worth it as much as you make this worth it for me.
AND REALLY, THAT’S NOT SO HARD WITH AN EPISODE LIKE THIS. “The Northern Air Temple†might be the first completely flawless episode of Avatar that I’ve come across, as it deals with so many issues in a very short time with grace and respect. And even beyond that, there are like a billion SHIT JUST GOT REAL moments, too! We all know precisely how much I love such things as well.
The episode opens mid-story, as Team Avatar listen to a man in some unnamed tribe in the forest tell the story of the air benders. It’s not explicitly stated in the episode once, so I’m going to assume that these are members of the Earth Kingdom. They can’t be Air Nomads or the Fire Nation, and they were nowhere near water, so not a water tribe. And I assume that everyone in this fictional world is a part of some elemental group for now, unless I’m proven wrong, so that would mean everyone we come across in “The Northern Air Temple†is an Earth Kingdom citizen. Which is kind of a fascinating concept: these elemental tribes are all spread out in interesting ways, something I suppose I’d not remarked on before. Naturally, the Air Nomads live in the….air. Ok, that makes it sound really silly, but you get what I mean. The water tribes clearly all live next to large bodies at water. (Do they also live at sea? Don’t answer that.) The Earth Kingdom seem to have an expansive spread across the globe, stretching from the South Pole to the North Pole. I say that because Team Avatar have encountered the Earth Kingdom so often on their journey north. That makes me wonder: before the Fire Nation became TOTAL BIGOTS, were the Earth Kingdom villages much closer together? Much larger? We’ve had references to death on the show so far, and Teo outright says that the Fire Nation is murdering people. Plus, we know they exterminated all of the Air Nomads, too. (Wow, that is a really depressing thought. Christ.)
Wow, that was a really long tangent. But it all leads to the first HOLY SHIT WHAT moment of the episode: When Aang expresses his joy at hearing an Airbender tale, remarking that the storyteller’s grandpa must have seen them long ago, the man replies that his grandpa saw them just last week.
WAIT. WHAT. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE. HOW. Isn’t Aang the last of his kind? (Hello, Doctor Who!) (OMG, the Avatar “regenerates†into a new body upon death.) (OMG maybe they are the same show.) (CONSPIRACY.)
Thus, Team Avatar board Appa and head to the Northern Air Temple. For a moment, seeing small figures circling the temple in the distance, it seems the impossible is now possible: Aang is not alone. The story here deals with Aang’s disappointment (and his justified anger) incredibly well, as he becomes concerned with the erasure of his culture and their history.
This is not something I particularly relate with on a personal level, as being a mixed-race adopted person means that my struggle with cultural identity has been WILDLY COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. But I really adore that the writers never shame Aang for feeling the way he does about the Northern Air Temple. Not only does he have specific memories about the place, but as he walks about the temple, seeing how the Earth Kingdom people have changed or covered up so much of the art and natural beauty of the place, he justifiably gets concerned.
Obviously, this is exacerbated by the fact that Aang is the last Airbender, and the responsibility of carrying on that tradition and keeping that culture alive has to be overwhelming and suffocating. I mean…doing that entirely by yourself? I’m overwhelmed just thinking about it. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Aang’s sadness is dependent on this reality. Even if all the other Airbender temples were still full of people, I’d expect a similar reaction from Aang. His history is being forgotten and replaced right before his eyes! On top of that, what it is being replaced with also offends Aang. I get the sense that this is a commentary about how technology replaces so much of the culture that people develop or practice in their own ways, and for Aang, it feels less authentic than air bending for him.
At the same time, Aang manifests this into his distaste for the way these Earth Kingdom folks take to the skies as if they are Airbenders. I get it. I do. Which is why I also like that Aang recognizes the “spirit†present in these resilient Earth Kingdom people, specifically Teo, and opens himself to the concept of change. As he learns more about how these people have used technology to not only appreciate the air in the same way he does, but they’ve done so in order to survive, we watch as he puts aside some of his more stranger feelings to embrace what is being done here.
Teo’s story did feel a bit similar to the idea of becoming disappointed in someone you look up to, sort of like the dynamic in “Jet,†but I did want to comment on something that was really awesome: here is a character in a wheelchair that isn’t tokenized, isn’t there to make us feel pity for, and is a veritable badass. He’s just there, he’s awesome, and it’s not even to make some grand statement on anything. He is a character. He’s in a wheelchair. Those statements are not mutually exclusive. And he is perfectly capable of doing whatever the hell he wants because WHO IS GOING TO STOP HIM? High five, writers, for doing this because this almost NEVER HAPPENS.
And really, this episode is all about people banding together to use what they are best at in order to solve a common problem. There is probably no greater example of this than the gorgeous, beautiful, and perfect relationship between Sokka and The Mechanist. (Does he have a name?) WHERE ARE THOSE IN THE FANDOM THAT SHIP THEM TOGETHER. They are such a perfect fit for each other: silly, inventive, able to solve problems using creative solutions that involve no bending at all, and I’m surprised there wasn’t a scene of the two of them just enjoying a meal together. I’m sure in the extended cut of “The Northern Air Temple,†there are just ten minutes of Sokka and The Mechanist sitting at a dinner table talking solely about delicious food. It was nice to see the episode split between their growing relationship and Aang/Katara growing closer with Teo.
In Teo’s case, winning over Aang’s respect convinces the Avatar to open what is the only untouched area of the entire Northern Air Temple, an area that Teo knows Aang will appreciate because it’s the only spot that’s entirely unmodified by the Earth Kingdom who have taken residence there. Having scene what was behind the locked door at the last Air Temple, I was certainly on edge to see if some other piece of the show’s mythology was hidden away in this unseen part of the temple. Would it be another set of Avatar statues? Some hidden scroll with bending techniques? MAYBE ANOTHER AIRBENDER OR MAYBE ANOTHER FLYING BISON OR MAYBE MORE LEMURS. Oh god, the possibilities were endless! HOW TERRIBLY EXCITING THIS WAS! And the doors unlocked, one air lock at a time, and the great wooden slabs swung open to reveal….
FIRE NATION SUPPLIES????? WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!!?
Had the Fire Nation infiltrated the temple? Were they there RIGHT AT THAT VERY MOMENT? How does this make EVEN THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF SENSE?
Shockingly, the Mechanist arrives just at the moment it’s all figured out: Using his uncanny, brilliant mind, the Mechanist has been creating war machines for the Fire Nation.
WHAT.
It’s truly a depressing, shocking twist, one that was probably inevitable, considering that almost all of the conflict of this story had disappeared by that point. Something had to go wrong, right?
The Mechanist reveals the ugly truth: after a flood devastated their village, taking away his wife and permanently injuring his son, the Earth Kingdom took refuge in the deserted temple, where they were quickly forced into a deal to survive. The Mechanist had to provide the Fire Nation with weapons and they would be left alone.
JESUS. What an awful decision to have to make. Do you face certain tragedy a second time or do you obey the oppressive powers of the Fire Nation just to keep living?
I actually enjoyed that “The Northern Air Temple†didn’t spend much time at all in dealing with the morality of such an act, aside from crushing Teo’s spirit for a brief moment. It’s sort of a beautiful thing how everyone bands their resources together to simply come up with a solution. Of course, when the War Minister comes to collect his next shipment of weapons, Aang does slap him in the face with air, complicating matters just a bit. (Oh my god, what an amazing power. How can I acquire such a thing.)
Given all of this, and the impending destruction the Fire Nation will surely bring to this temple, what can these people do? Continue to berate or shame The Mechanist for his decision so many years ago?
It’s kind of a beautiful thing to watch Sokka figure out how to create a properly working war ballon with The Mechanist, to watch Aang and Katara plan out how they can use Teo’s friends and fellow citizens to take to the air and combat the oncoming soldiers. As the final battle arrives, it’s a few against many. While we’ve all seen that story told time and time again, there’s a reason so many of us love to see the underdogs win. For me, it’s seeing the hope that a minority group could one day rise up so victorious against oppressors like this, as absurd as that may seem. It’s good storytelling, too, especially as they face the impossibility of victory there on that snowy mountain below the temple. They take out a lot of the soldiers, but the tanks that The Mechanist built suddenly appear and, with The Mechanist out of the picture while he helps Sokka, Team Avatar is stumped. How do you fight tanks with Fire benders shooting flames at them? How do you fight tanks with grappling hooks that allow them to ascend vertical cliffs? And how the hell do you fight tanks that use a water balancing system that prevents them from being flipped over?
Each new problem they face, Team Avatar (I’m grouping everyone on that mountain and temple with Team Avatar, FYI) come up with another inventive, genius method of attacking. But it comes down to sheer numbers and sheer power in the end, and with no war balloon in sight, how on earth are they supposed to fend off these warriors?
I love the irony in the idea that the very thing The Mechanist built for the Fire Nation is ultimately used against them, as the war balloon is naturally camouflaged at first, allowing Sokka and The Mechanist to successfully bomb a good portion of the Fire Nation’s troops. Calling back to an earlier conversation they’d had about gas leaks and rotten eggs, the two sacrifice their fuel in order to bomb the mountain, cutting the chain ties the tanks had to that mountain. I actually yelled YESSSSSSSS at my screen when this happened. I LOVE IT WHEN THESE PEOPLE WORK TOGETHER.
That’s why this episode fills me with such joy. Aang essentially “gives†the temple to these people, knowing that they’ll respect and protect the place. As I know they’ll head off for the North Pole, I wondered if we’d see The Mechanist or Teo again, as they proved to be such wonderful allies against the Fire Nation. (By the way, there was no Zuko or Zhao in this episode, which was kind of neat!) OMG I JUST HAD A THOUGHT. What if there’s a huge battle later and The Mechanist and Teo show up to help. Ok, just wishful thinking, BUT THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
And how’s that for a pseudo-grim ending? The Fire Nation manage to salvage the war balloon anyway, since Sokka and The Mechanist abandoned it. DAMN IT I DON’T LIKE THAT.
THOUGHTS
- WHY DID THE MECHANIST GET ALL SAD AT THE VERY END? Was the color supposed to disappear like that? DON’T ANSWER THAT.
- “It’s like the hermit crab. Maybe you weren’t born here, but you found this empty shell and made it your home. And now you protect each other.†OMG SO BEAUTIFUL.
- “This place is unbelievable.†“Yeah, it’s great, isn’t it?†“No, just unbelievable.†SICK BURN.
- MOMO KEEPING HIS MOUTH OPEN FOR BUGS = PERFECTION.
- Katara later choking on a bug is also wonderful.
- “So then the question became, how do you keep a lid on hot air?†“Aww, if we only knew.†SORRY I LAUGHED.
- The Mechanist’s finger-safe knife sharpener is AMAZING.
- “I laugh at gravity all the time! Hahahaha, gravity.†I WANT TO MARRY THIS LINE.
REASONS I DIG THIS EPISODE:
1. "I laugh at gravity all the time. Ha ha! Gravity."
2. The Mechanist is such a kook, but he's a kook with SCIENCE! Sokka has found a kindred spirit!
3. Teo has a flying wheelchair. A FLYING WHEELCHAIR YOU GUYS.
4. WAR BALLOON!!!
5. AANG VERSUS THE FIRE NATION.
6. "This defeat is the gateway to many victories."
I WANT A FLYING WHEELCHAIR SO BAD
You forgot "Aang bends the air itself to his whim for the purpose of pimp-slapping someone," but otherwise, I agree with this.
Sokka's devotion to science makes me so happy. Even with all the magical/spiritual themes in the story, there's still room for good old logic and mechanical skills. And both sides are valuable.
Just yesterday I told my friend that I would sell All Of My Things for a flying or hovering wheelchair. I WAIT FOR THIS DAY.
Oh, I am so happy you love this episode! I never really see it mentioned anywhere in people’s lists of good or bad episodes.It didn’t blow my mind or anything, but I do really enjoy it. I like how the season is semi-bookended with Aang going to one of the Air Temples. But this one is very different from the Southern Air Temple, which was empty, a graveyard. The Northern Air Temple has been re-populated and is surging with life… but there’s a downside.
<img src=http://i.imgur.com/q39OF.png>
I like how the show explored Aang’s reactions to the people living there. First he is so excited, wanting to believe there could be more airbenders left. But when he realizes they aren’t… it gets complicated. And when he sees how they’ve been treating the temple, I can’t blame him for being horrified. They destroyed the history of his people, the only things he has left of them! At the same time, these people are refugees, trying to build a life for themselves. Basically, I think that it is good that there are people living there and that parts of air nomad society are still being celebrated, but that they should have been a lot more careful and tried to preserve a bit more of what was there originally.
<img src=http://i.imgur.com/RlUSR.png>
I also need to talk about Teo and how happy I am with him as a character. He’s a disabled athlete! Now, I haven’t watched every television show ever, but it is so, so rare to find a disabled athlete and believe me, we exist. So it was really cool to see that. His disability is part of the story and informed a bit of the plot, mostly in terms of his father’s choices- wanting to make a life for him where he could be equal, in the air- but there was also so much more to his character than just his disability. It was exactly the kind of balance that I love. Also, he was a lot of fun. I liked how Aang managed to connect to him about having spirit and how he showed Aang the hermit crabs. I am officially a Teo fan.
(cont~)
Also, this was the first time we got to see a true battle, wasn’t it? We saw Kyoshi Island, but that was just Zuko, who left as soon as Aang did. There was the town in Imprisoned, but our heroes were only involved in taking over the boat. They ran the blockade in Avatar Roku, but that was different, as well. This was the first “pure” battle. Anyway, it was very interesting.
<img src=http://i.imgur.com/CNoaJ.gif>
I like how they used the air advantage to help them, though of course they needed more to win. But, they were able to end the battle before the Fire Nation reached the Temple itself and didn’t seem like they had any casualties. So that was good. Blowing up the gas was enormously risky. I still wonder what the story behind the gas was. How did the airbenders deal with it? Did they use it for something? I may just have missed something.
Also, lots of steampunk in this episode. The tanks! Those things were horrifyingly awesome. I liked how hard they were to beat. You really get a sense of how formidable the Fire Nation is. Even when Katara was able to take out two of them, she had barely made a dent. I also found it interesting how the weapon system is actually the bender inside, for the most part. It’s interesting… they clearly have fairly advanced technology, but because they also have bending, it changes what sort of things they develop. Because when you can just man the tank with a guy shooting fire from his finger tips, you don’t really need to give it a weapon’s system of it’s own. Especially because if it fell into enemy hands, they couldn’t use the weapon against you- they could man it with their own bender, sure, but the way it was designed seems to favor firebending techniques.
<img src=http://i.imgur.com/2ktYv.png>
Contrast that, by the way, with the war balloon, which would work equally well for anyone. Which was why it was built for the Fire Nation, used by Sokka and Teo’s dad (both non-benders), and then fell into Fire Nation hands at the end. Bad news!
Also, sky bison polo. WHAT.
Quotes!
Aang: I laugh at gravity all the time. Hahahaha, gravity.
Katara: Do you think we’ll really find airbenders?
Sokka: You want me to be like you or totally honest?
Katara: Are you saying I’m a liar?
Sokka: I’m saying you’re an optimist. Same thing, basically.
Aang: This place is unbelievable.
Teo: Yeah, it’s great, isn’t it?
Aang: No. Just unbelievable.
Katara: Wait! How do I land this thing? What if I land- (choking) Ugh! Blegh! Bug! Bug! That was a bug!
Teo’s Dad: This boy’s a genius!
Sokka: Thank you! You’re a genius!
Teo’s Dad: Thank you!
Sokka: So the question became, how do you keep a lid on hot air?
Katara: Ugh, if only we knew.
Also, I just think this image is really pretty. And I like how Katara tries new things.
<img src=http://i.imgur.com/6r0e3.png>
(PS: yes, Avatar and Doctor Who are the same show. Appa is a TARDIS. That’s why Aang didn’t age!)
I thought the gas was just there naturally?
Perhaps in a bright and steampunk-filled future, a TARDIS will become an Avatar's spirit guide…
Yeah, I would imagine that the gas was just there, and the airbenders dealt with it by… moving it out of the way. It'd be pretty easy for them.
You really get a sense of how formidable the Fire Nation is. Even when Katara was able to take out two of them, she had barely made a dent. I also found it interesting how the weapon system is actually the bender inside, for the most part. It’s interesting… they clearly have fairly advanced technology, but because they also have bending, it changes what sort of things they develop.
The funny thing about that is that the Mechanist is the one who designs their war machines, or at least he worked on and perfected them. As much as the Fire Nation likes to portray itself as superior, it still relies on the creative mind of a non-bender from a different nation to invent technology. But you're also right that even though other benders could use the tanks, firebenders are better suited for them because of the nature of their element. They're incredibly powerful and terrifying.
Your comments are always so deep and engaging. Keep up the good work!
…Appa being a TARDIS is totally my headcanon now.
Of course, when the War Minister comes to collect his next shipment of weapons, Aang does slap him in the face with air, complicating matters just a bit. (Oh my god, what an amazing power. How can I acquire such a thing.)
<img src="http://i51.tinypic.com/n6e5e.gif">
Best part of the episode, after laughing at gravity. I think we all wish we were capable of air slapping people, sometimes.
flawless gif.
Thank you 🙂
If someone were to Photoshop Shyamalan's head onto this, it would win all the things.
My God.
Somebody. Do it .
This…this is awful. But at least it was a learning experience.
<img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/9hnoft.gif">
If I have nightmares about his face tonight, I'm blaming you.
I think it's quite good. And if you give anyone else nightmares, I'd consider it mission accomplished.
<img src="http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/8753/winternet2.jpg">
ohhhh my goodness. you're fantastic. you win everything.
lmao omg that is amazing
MADE OF WIN.
MUST CIRCULATE THROUGH THE INTERNET.
I posted this on CAPSLOCK_ATLA. They love it so far. Warning for at least 7 spoilery icons.
http://capslock-atla.livejournal.com/1109577.html
Haha, spread the joy. And you deserve credit since it was your idea! 🙂
LOL! Now that I've seen Aang air-bitch-slapping Shyamalan, I can die a happy man.
Unless the remainder of Avatar: The Last Airbender is a story about how mixed-race Mexican-Americans who are gay and suffer from depression are deeply awful people
Oh man, you are going to hate this new character they introduce in season two called Markara. He's a mixed-race Fire Nation-Earth Kingdom gay kid who suffers from depression, and he's just a deeply awful person.
But then Momo teaches him how to love.
Oh lord, the scene where Markara punches Aang in the face and makes him cry? I couldn't stand it!
Thank heaven for Momo, though I think Appa helped on the side.
Well yeah, but Aang was dancing his bulge in front of Markara's face, so I kinda got it.
Well if Markara hadn't eaten Aang's tuna sandwiches in the first place they wouldn't have even been in that situation in the first place. I blame Markara; he started it. Not to mention that part in season 3 where he convinced Sokka to read the first chapter of Twilight and got him addicted.
Good lord, Twilight!Sokka was unbearable. I never would have penned him as a Team Edward guy, it felt so out of character.
That episode with the sparkles was pretty hilarious, though.
Oh, and that one where Markara kept hitting on Haru when they returned to his village? Haru already has a boyfriend, Markara, stop it! And it didn't help that Sokka was still in his Twilight-Fanboy stage at that point, and it would be another five episodes before Katara showed him the joy and wonder of Harry Potter.
What really made the show unbearable for me though was when Markara and Zuko teamed up and started riding Zuko's 400 foot tall purple platypus-bear with pink horns and silver wings.
Momo/Markara/Iroh 4 lyfe
<img src=http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad311/Chritter710/Doctor/spoilers.gif>
I can never help but laugh at the scene where they're all like cheering and applauding and everything's nice…
then the war balloon flies by and Sokka yells "WE'RE GOING DOWN!" hahahaha! It just doesn't seem to fit!…wonderfully.
…I don't have anything else to add, you covered it so well.
"being a mixed-race adopted person means that my struggle with cultural identity has been WILDLY COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND."
Uh, WORD (except for the adopted part, but I still have issues of people not believing my mother is actually my mother).
"For me, it’s seeing the hope that a minority group could one day rise up so victorious against oppressors like this, as absurd as that may seem."
Social revolution on my kid's show? YES PLZ.
I am so happy to see such a positive review for this episode, since I really love it. It's the first with a truly steampunk feel, but it does a lot more than just be interesting in design.
I personally love the idea of the fake "airbenders" using technology, as opposed to the magic that is bending, to fly. I also loved Sokka's enthusiasm for this society. Makes total sense to me. Aang's displeasure also felt totally in character too. We've seen Aang and Sokka representing very different philosophies, and the juxtaposition between their takes on the world before. But this is a great episode to showcase that.
While I personally love the use of technology in this episode, I do sympathize with Aang's sense of betrayal. It is his culture that's being toyed with, after all. I'd be pissed too.
And I think it's pretty fantastic of Aang to be able to forgive, or at least accept, these fake airbenders so quickly. In his shoes, I'd be resentful about that initial hope that there were still airbenders around being crushed, and then I'd probably hold a massive grudge against anyone who would desecrate aspects of an almost-lost culture. So good for Aang – it's a big moment for him in the sense that he has to accept the reality of his life, and the war. He has so much weight on his shoulders, but he carries it still. So I give Aang enormous respect for this episode.
I'm also sympathetic to the need for the Earth Kingdom's refugees needing a place to
relocate to, and that the the technological changes were made in an effort to give them something of an advantage. We're being shown a complex political world where there's not necessarily one right answer. Basically, war fucks things up. I think the show is at its best when it's not expressing moral imperatives and is instead portraying realistic compexities of war and politics. I feel like this episode is a pretty good example of why so many adults are drawn to this show. It's the nice mix of a layered story about war times coupled with hope. It's the right tone for a kid's show, but it's also interesting enough for older demographics. I didn't think The Great Divide was a horrible episode, but if it represented what this show is normally like, there wouldn't be nearly as many fans.
The war balloon in the air chamber was also a nice twist. Sympathetic characters do sometimes have to do bad things, but it doesn't necessarily make them bad people or less sympathetic. (And I think that was my main problem with the way Jet was portrayed – it was too easy to turn against him.)
I also deeply appreciate that Teo's disability is not a big deal: he's just another character with a visible difference from others. Now, I don't personally have any disabilities, and I fully admit to a lot of lack of awareness towards my privilege, and that ableist language is one of the hardest things to get rid of in my vocabulary. But I thought this episode did well.
Teo was respected as a character, and none of the characters were all omg wheelchair before learning that he's still a human being capable of doing stuff. He was just another character, representing to me visibility for people with physical disabilities without having to be part of a moral message. Which isn't that common, and especially not in children's media (fuck Glee, by the way). Additionally, when people with disabilities aren't there to represent a lesson for other characters, they commonly seem to be angry with life, or conversely they're happy and their life is meant to represent a triumph over adversity or something. It's refreshing to see a character in a wheelchair avoiding both those narrative stereotypes. (Also, his goggles are cool.)
Sokka's contribution to the war ballon design was nice. I like when he gets to help with a clever non-bending solution to problems. And I appreciate how often the show lets him contribute.
In conclusion, have some pretty.
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/2mcdggj.jpg">
<img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/jhrd3t.jpg">
And have some Momo:
<img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/2im767a.gif">
I love this comment. I completely agree about the representation of war. It's amazing that a kid's show on Nick provided us with such a complex and, for all that it is fantastic, real world.
Basically, war fucks things up.
I have this not-very-interesting theory that most stories boil down to "war is bad" or "love is good." Some stories have both. Harry Potter is all about the Power of Love, and Avatar is all about the Horribleness of War. So is the Book Thief, obviously. I DUNNO, THIS IS JUST MY THEORY THAT I MADE UP.
(fuck Glee, by the way).
WORD.
I just realized something. Sokka and the Mechanist are kinda like the Avatar version of the Mythbusters. Sort of. LOOK, I JUST WANT TO SEE THE MYTHBUSTERS BLOWING THINGS UP IN AS MANY DIFFERENT FICTIONAL UNIVERSES AS POSSIBLE, OKAY. IS THAT WRONG?
Sokka want big boom.
(OMG I'M IN LOVE WITH THIS IDEA THANK YOU)
Except Sokka's totally an Adam.
IF THAT IS WRONG, I DON'T WANT TO BE RIGHT!
NO, IT IS BEAUTIFUL AND RIGHT. Now I'm sad that there was never a Sokka-Mechanist spin off.
Sokka: "Kids, don't try this at home."
Mechanist: "We're what you might call professionals!"
Narrator: "On today's Fable Breakers…"
Now I'm wondering who they'd add when they expand the cast.
Because, as all FableBreakers fans know, if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing. 😀
THIS IS FANTASTIC.
"On this episode, what happens when you mix Menthos, Diet Coke, and a flying bison? Also, can waterbending and electrodes be used as a taser? Find out on today's Mythbenders."
LOVE THIS IDEA!
MOST BEAUTIFUL SHOW EVER.
O hai, Harry Potter on a flying wheelchair! XD
<img src="http://images.wikia.com/avatar/images/e/ee/Teo_2.png">
Also: Teo is handiCAPABLE, oh yeah! B-)
Love the aerial battle and Sokka being a genius inventor.
….he does look like Harry, my God.
Sokka: You mean you people actually think logically?
Mechanist: That's the idea!
Sokka: TAKE ME WITH YOU.
THAT. is how I feel about so much of my life. Especially just coming back from Walt Disney World. UGH. CROWD HIVE MINDS ARE THE WORST.
I am so glad you loved this episode, and I completely agree with pretty much every word you said (as I often do). Teo is awesome, the Mechanist is awesome (AND VOICED BY ODO OF STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE), and the themes they deal with in this episode are also awesome. So basically awesomeness all around. WIN.
It's true, the only thing that would make the Mechanist cooler is if he occasionally doubled as a curmudgeonly shapeshifter.
Katara: Do you think we’ll really find airbenders?
Sokka: You want me to be like you or totally honest?
Katara: Are you saying I’m a liar?
Sokka: I’m saying you’re an optimist. Same thing, basically.
Sokka shares my disbelief in optimism, we continue to be ~made for each other~ (that's not optimism, just fact!).
Katara later choking on a bug is also wonderful.
Oh hi River Tam.
I know we're not supposed to like them but I really admired the Fire Nation tanks! What cool technology! I'm loving all the sciencing in this show.
"Hahahaha, gravity." I'm still laughing at it.
"(Hello, Doctor Who!) (OMG, the Avatar “regenerates” into a new body upon death.) (OMG maybe they are the same show.) (CONSPIRACY.)"
Oh no. I guess you're not going to be as surprised as you could have been when Eleven appears as one of Aang's past lives. Who knew he was originally from the Earth Kingdom? I would have guessed Air.
Fun fact: cabbage guy originally sold apples, but the Doctor convinced him to change up his merchandise.
Fun fact: The Doctor taught Iroh how to play Pai Sho. He stopped playing when Iroh won his 100th game in a row. The TARDIS was running out of tea.
“This place is unbelievable.”
“Yeah, it’s great, isn’t it?”
“No, just unbelievable.”
no lie, i love aang in this episode so much. i mean he freaking bitch-slapped that fire nation soldier WITH THE AIR. WHY CAN'T I DO THAT IN REAL LIFE.
i really like this episode, but for some reason i hardly ever rewatch it. it's a shame, really, because it really has it's great moments.
not gonna lie, i have to side with aang in regards to the reconstruction of the air temple. when the bulldozer smashed through the sculpture of the monk, my heart shattered into a million tiny pieces of sorrow. (reason #2 Why Aang Is A Badass In This Episode: flipping that bulldozer off the cliffside. LIKE A BOSS.) it's so depressing that the mechanist was just breaking through the walls of the air temple like LOL NO BIG DEAL, when it's one of the last remnants of aang's culture. god. so depressing. 🙁
not that i don't like the mechanist, mostly because he reminds me so much of sokka–and sokka is everything wonderful in the universe. i understand why they would have to remodel the temple, but still :((((
I totally agree about the whole smashing-the-temple stuff. When I first saw this episode I was like WHAT NO WHAT ARE YOU DOING THOSE ARE IMPORTANT CULTURAL ARTIFACTS. D: Seriously, can we at least write these things down and make a record before you DESTROY THEM?
In my head I like to imagine Aang taking the Mechanist aside and having this discussion with him, like "Hey, you can live in this temple, but at least make a record of this history before it's gone? Seriously, I was 12, I didn't have time to learn everything before everyone else disappeared."
yeah that would have been better. it wasn't so much the rebuilding of the temple, but the way it was done irked me. it made it seem like the mechanist didn't really care about the history of the temple. i mean, that civilization was completely WIPED OUT. those temples are basically all that's left (save for aang, momo, and appa).
ugh the extinction of the air nomads is so depressing.
See… I kinda side with the Mechanist and the refugees.
On the one hand, yes, they're destroying the history of the Air Nomads…
But the temple is a safe place (sort of, as we find out) and they can make a life there, and the only people that would mind them being there aren't around any more.
Which is a huge part of why I side with the Mechanist… there ARE no Air Nomads any more, as far as they know. There's no one for the history and culture to matter to, except maybe history majors at the local community college. If there even are schools in this series at all.
I'm not saying that they shouldn't be trying to preserve it, but why should they? Why should they care, when they're trying to just survive? Why should they care to preserve the architecture and art of a lost civilization, when they need as much room as they can get on a mountain-top with a finite amount of space?
Also, Aang's attitude for the first part of the episode towards the refugees really annoyed me. Not gonna lie. I get why he's like that, but I didn't agree with it.
that's a really good point.
i understand where the refugees are coming from, but i sympathize more with aang when it comes to the reconstruction of the temple. those temples are the only memories left of what he grew up with.
it's probably just the history geek inside of me that always freaks out when i see this episode, but hundreds of people were killed in that temple. there's no one left to preserve their culture. i know that the refugees need to survive, but i can understand why aang would be so angry. those people are defacing the place of his people, and (at least in the beginning of the episode) they don't seem to care very much.
in the end, i'm glad that aang made his peace with the whole situation. i mean, it's not like they shouldn't be able to reconstruct the temple at all, but at least with a little more discretion.
but then again, you are right. they didn't know there was any other air bender left to take offense to it, so what's the point of preserving the temple?
i don't know, but i did feel really bad for aang.
I brought the last DVD of season one with me the last time I visited my mom, and convinced her to watch a bit while we ate breakfast. This was the first episode she saw, and she enjoyed it enough to watch the next one as well. She doesn't generally like animation, but that's how great Avatar is, and this episode is probably one of the best examples of why.
my only problem with this episode is that i love avatar and it should go on forever and ever
I am a huge Sokka fan, so I love any and all episodes where he can showcase how awesome he is. Another great Avatar episode. Basically, all my thoughts line up with what you've already said. So glad you decided to take on this project after we all pretty much begged you to 😛
"(OMG, the Avatar “regenerates” into a new body upon death.) (OMG maybe they are the same show.) "
LOL. You are officially a Whovian, Mark. Every work of fiction seems to have at least one character people decide is a Time Lord. My favorite is Ms. Frizzle from Magic School Bus. (Her bus is obviously a TARDIS, don't deny it.)
How much do I love that we get a kickass disabled character on this show? So fucking much. You almost never see that in TV. And he isn't just "that disabled character," but a character who's fleshed out and given a personality. Love it!
After yesterday's episode was so black and white, I love how gray this one is. People making bad decisions for understandable reasons! Characters conflicting over equally valid points of view! I like that the show didn't paint the mechanist as evil, just an unfortunate trying to survive.
The end, though is clearly setting us up for the finale. We’re getting close, aren’t we? The Fire Nation's tech is intimidating enough without aerial capabilities. I guess it’s just good that they don’t seem to have discovered zeppelins yet. Though I’m betting that’s how it’ll work out eventually, because, dude, zeppelins!
No, see, zeppelins are reserved for alternate universes only. Ergo, the Fire Nation isn't allowed to invent/discover them unless we go to an AU/they come from an AU.
The zeppelins are reserved for that awesome AU episode where we find out what the ATLA world would be like if Iroh didn't love tea. What a scary reality that was.
*shudder* That's just wrong. That's… like… a Rose who doesn't love drugs levels of wrong!
Doctor: Rose! I can't believe I found you! Here!
Rose: ….what's this?
Doctor: Its cocaine. Quickly!
Rose: Ugh! Doctor, why the hell are you giving me drugs!
It is only then that the Doctor notices the zeppelins in the sky, and Iroh in the background with a 'no tea' sign…
But what if they DO discover/invent them? It's only a small step from a hot air balloon to an airship, and THEN WHAT? I ask you! Will it mean that all this time we're watching some FAKE PARALLEL AVATAR WORLD??? WHERE'S THE REAL AVATAR WORLD??? I ASK YOU!!!
*panics*
LOL, that looks kinda cool. 😀
OMG Ms. Frizzle is SO A TIME LORD.
I think Mrs. Frizzle is River Song. You have to admit the resemblance…
Hmm, similar, but I personally like to think she's another regeneration of Romana.
If only she could be both! ;D
Maybe River is Romana using the Chameleon Arch?
Haha, yes. Other Time Lords/Ladies: Mary Poppins (because her bag is obviously bigger on the inside), The Janitor from Scrubs (because he has no other name and nobody knows anything about him. Obviously a Time Lord whose brain got scrambled in a Chameleon Arch accident), and Howl from Howl's Moving Castle (novel version, because how else would some guy from real-world-Earth manage to pick up dimension hopping?).
This episode is high up there in my list of episodes (Because I liked ALL OF THEM to some degree, so I cannot choose a favorite episode), because of Teo. I liked that they just showed the kid in a wheelchair and left it at that. Nobody fawned over him, or looked down on him, or anything like that. They just accepted him. Also:
<img src="http://www.deviantart.com/download/68404987/Teo__s_Ridin___by_Booter_Freak.png" />
This ES person needs a Tumblr because I have a hard time navigating Deviantart and can't find them.
Her username is booter-freak. She is truly a goddess in the fandom.
Booter-Freak is frigging amazing. Mkjcaylor, if this makes it easier to find, here's a link to her devArt page (click on the "Gallery" tab to see her work), but be warned that there are TONS OF SPOILERS ALL UP IN THAT PLACE.
I have to admit, I am a little surprised that this appears to be your favorite so far. Certainly, I like it a lot! But, 'The Storm' will always hold a special place in my heart, I suppose <3
I do adore the hermit crab analogy. It's a beautiful way to think of the situation, and it helps Aang to come to terms with the fact that other people have moved into the temple. I hope the refugees are a bit more careful about preserving the history after this, though.
GIFS
WHAT OTHER LIVING AIRBENDERS
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/2wmlxsg.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
Not really airbenders
<img src="http://i55.tinypic.com/16ixeaf.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
But lots of cool steampunk
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/2ed15aw.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
WHAT THE HOLY HELL FIRE NATION INSIGNIA
<img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/w1tuf6.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
Kick ass battle scene
<img src="http://i51.tinypic.com/2lxh4ch.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
Ominous ending
<img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/107ki6r.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
A++ gif spam. 😀
Perfect GIFspam is perfect.
What episode is that Simpsons one from?
WHAT IS THAT BABY'S DEAL??? I can't stop watching it.
Until Ron Weasley showed up and taught Rory how to play Wizard's Chess. Now the Doctor sits and knits elf hats with Hermione. He wears elf hats now. Elf hats are cool.
Dumbledore met Bumi once. Surprisingly, the world didn't end. Until they started exchanging fashion tips.
Admiral Zhao and Lucius Malfoy are secret lovers. No one knows why they are so attracted to each other…
I love this thread so much.
I laughed at every single comment….. <3
Teo's character and the way he's handled is pretty good. When he's first introduced, none of the characters remark on him being in a chair. It's just 'Hey, cool! You can fly!' It's mentioned once and then forgotten about.
And the furry hermit crabs always cheer me up. I want one.
Mark, I just want to tell you that your reviews are one of the highlights of my day…they are so much fun to read, and I love hearing your perspective on things. Your life has been very different from mine, and it is very enlightening to hear your opinions and thoughts on issues in this show and the books you've reviewed. Please never stop!
Hmm, well this being Avatar and all, I can only assume that at some point in the future Teo is going to put his mind into the body of a blue cat-person [/predictable joke]
ahhh i see what you did there.
I see you what did there. 😛
<img src="http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae86/springaldjack/what-you-did-there-i-see-itthumbnai.jpg" />
I am glad I watched the show almost at the same time as the review went up! Anywho, I really liked this episode because it introduces so awesome characters, Tao and the Machinist. Also, this is the first full scale battle Team Avatar has to fight. The animation done during the battle scene was amazing, the pacing was perfect! The tanks were very ominous looking to me and for a minute I thought that they would break into the temple. But, I was blown away by the combined genius of Sokka and the Machinist. I love Sokka and was a very happy fan girl to see his inventive nature being used again like when they went to Roku's temple.
Mark you discuss a fundamental part of Avatar which is people banding together to achieve a common goal. We have seen this time and again in Avatar with the great divide, Bato of the watertribe. This act of working together is essential to their survival and I love how this show keeps reinforcing that. With that said, I am so glad you chose this show, and I can't wait until you finish the season. You are so unprepared for what is to come, Mark!
The Mechanist is voiced by Rene Auberjonois, who we heard before as the leader of the Gan Jin in The Great Divide. It's awesome that he was able to come back as a much better character after being wasted like that his first time out.
I happened to watch an episode of DS9 before The Great Divide, and I was all "Hellooooo, what is DS9 doing in my Avatar?"
Then it happened again.
Love Rene!
I'm such a sucker for shows that find creative uses for technology in order to adapt to a seemingly uninhabitable environment. I would gladly follow the mechanist into any environment!
This episode has Rene Auberjonois again, and in a (muchmuchMUCH) better role, huzzah. So yes, excuse me while I voicecrush some more. There's pretty much no trivia in the book for this episode, so sit back and enjoy the pretty pictures.
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/northernair2.jpg">
We were never totally satisfied with the look of the Southern Air Temple, but luckily we had an opportunity to improve on it when the story took us to the Northern Air Temple. The designs and vistas turned out much more dramatic and impressive.
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/northernair1.jpg">
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/northernair3.jpg">
The Mechanist is Odo?
:O :O :O
:DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Yep!
Pretty excellent, isn't it?
the northern air temple is so beautiful. i love the design of this show so much.
First major battle of the series WOOHOO!
<img src="http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h90/TariElensar/GIFs/YJwoohoo.gif" alt="" />
Watching you geek out over this show is so amazing, Mark. Welcome to the Avatar Fandom bud.
<img src="http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h90/TariElensar/GIFs/PGSMfistbump.gif" alt="" />
Yaaay, PGSM gif!!!
I love the way they handled Theo's character.
"Oh, you can fly?!"
"Yes I can."
"NEAT!"
No big ol "Just because this person has (insert any physical or mental or other challenge here) doesn't mean he's different." line that has been in every other kids show out there. Theo's just a normal kid to them. Why bother with any Aesop when you could be learning how to fly from him and then letting that show you he's just a normal guy? Same thing with his father, can you really hate him when he was just trying to keep his family safe? Not really. And when given the chance, he helps Aang and the others. I just want to hug both of them. (I love it when shows can use gray themes and morals. The real world is never black and white.)
Amen to that.
Well, if I met any guy who could fly, I honestly wouldn't care jack if he was disabled or or an alien or even if he was evil, cos c'mon guys, he can fly!
P.S. They're called the Gaang. 🙂
Team Avatar is used also, though. ( I prefer the gAang, but each to their own.)
Here are a few thoughts:
1) This is the first episode where I realised HOW GODDAMN STEAMPUNK this whole show is. Really, guys.
2) I found the part where Sokka and the Mechanist "invent" odourized natural gas SO AMUSING for some reason. We have that in our world too OMG! We totally make our gas smell like rotten eggs TOO! I LOVE SCIENCE.
3) As Mark said, "The Fire Nation manage to salvage the war balloon anyway, since Sokka and The Mechanist abandoned it." Right?! And, more disturbingly, they have the DESIGN to the war balloon.
Yay #2 I loved it too!
I always love when people in alternate universes invent real-world things. SCIENCE IS AWESOME.
Ooooh the ending to this episode gave me chills!
That's something I LOVE about a good show – while the main conflict of the episode is resolved, there's still something left that will have a greater impact later on…
The hot air balloon thing is SO gonna come back and bite them in the ass, isn't it?? I can just see the Fire Nation revealing them at some dramatic point in the future.
And it was great to see Sokka being so creative. I really like how he's not just a one-dimensional character – he's often the comic relief, sure, but he's a also a smart guy and very capable in a fight.
SOKKA FOR- no, I won't say it. Don't want to jinx Sokka. 😛
(WILL NEVER GET OVER “FEAR HER” EVER GRUDGE FOR LIFE)
I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOUR HATRED FOR FEAR HER, MARK. IT GIVES ME JOY. <3
Ahem. Anyway. I really enjoyed this episode too, for the reasons you talked about, Mark: the complexities of the situation, Teo being a character who happens to be disabled and no one really makes a big deal of it or ~learns a lesson~, everybody working together so well, the Mechanist is awesome, etc. Plus one you didn't mention: as others have said already, the Mechanist is voiced by Rene Auberjonois, who will always be Odo from Deep Space Nine to me, and I LOVE Odo and DS9, so that added an extra dollop of happy to this episode for me.
I felt for Aang here, I really did. I was so full of hope and shock when I thought there might be some Airbenders still living there (in fact, I had the SAME EXACT REACTION YOU DID, MARK lol I love it when our reactions coincide like that), and yet… I had this sinking feeling in my stomach that it wasn't going to work out quite that well. And then he saw what they'd done to the Temple, and… I don't blame him one bit for being so upset. I would be too. So oodles of respect to him for being able to accept them in the end. Plus, on the other side, you have people being displaced by the war and needing a new home. It's just not a simple, cut-and-dried situation any way you look at it, and I love the show and this episode for doing something like that.
OMG I JUST HAD A THOUGHT. What if there’s a huge battle later and The Mechanist and Teo show up to help. Ok, just wishful thinking, BUT THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
OH YES THAT WOULD SERIOUSLY ROCK. 😀 Defeating baddies with cool and interesting gadgetry and contraptions is always awesome. I dunno if there's a trope name for it, but it's one I love. Just cause it's really fun. Good example would be in one of the Suikoden games, where you can send out cavalry and archers and whatnot… and then an eccentric inventor dude with catapults and stuff. 😀
In conclusion, the temple is beautiful, the ending is all sorts of D: and Momo is forever wonderful. THE END.
OOOH! I know that Suikoden reference you just made! Suikoden 5 is probably my second most favorite PS2 game ever. (Sorry, but Persona 4 takes the top spot~)
Babbage, Sorensen, you two are so awesome~
That game is just chock full of amazing characters.
I'll stop now, before this turns into a love-fest for Suikoden.
The rest of your comment was wonderful like always too, by the way.
*is going end up replaying both Persona 4 and now Suikoden 5 over the summer*
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeees, much love for Suikoden V! 😀 And for the series in general, really. And thank you!
This was a very good episode, and I definitely remember loving Aang and Team Avatar so much more when they saw Teo, found out he was disabled, and had no "but don't you miss walking?" reaction. They just accept him as a fellow kid having fun. It improved all of their characters in my eye.
However. I cannot look at the airship and not think of this:
<img src="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080706021848/wowwiki/images/thumb/e/e0/ZeppelinWC3.jpg/185px-ZeppelinWC3.jpg">
"I laugh in the face of danger! AH HA HA HA HA HA!"
"Whatwhatwhat?!"
<img src="http://images.wikia.com/avatar/images/a/ac/Hermit_crab.png">
hooray for giving us crabs, Aang.
I've been waiting for you to get to this episode because I knew you would love it, especially Teo!
A few episodes ago I mentioned that Zuko is kind of what the HP fandom wanted for Draco, and I think in a way Sokka is what the fandom wanted for Ron. Obviously I LOVE RON MORE THAN AIR, but remember back when we all thought Ron's chess skills would come back into play and he would end up being a war strategist or come up with a crucial, creative idea that Hermione wouldn't have thought of? I still kind of wish Ron had been given more credit for his brains. I love that Sokka gets to excel in his own way even as the non-bender in the group. YAY SOKKA.
Oh oh but I CAN think of something crucial that Hermione didn't think of!!! He's the one who thought of going to the Chamber of Secrets to get basilisk fangs because Griphook took the sword and so they didn't have anything to destroy the horcruxes anymore! But they did after his idea!
(although I agree that those chess skills probably SHOULD have been brought back more often)
Ron also figured out the Taboo on Voldemort's name.
My headcanon says that Ron has some latent psychic ability
Yeah, Sokka getting to excel even though he doesn't have any bending skills is great. I love Sokka. <3
I am so ecstatic that you liked this episode and that you are enjoying the show. Although, if someone were to not like Avatar, I would be pretty sure that they kick puppies for fun.
Also- heeeeee parenthesized conspiracy theories.
I love all the elements in this episode that you mentioned, but like Imprisoned, it's one I don't go back to very often. I guess the episodes with the heaviest concepts are the ones you like the most.
What I love most about this episode, though, is that it's a great example of everyone being presented as a full character. You see good and bad aspects of people from each nation throughout the show. It is this that keeps the Fire Nation from being unrealistically demonized, and you see the flip side of oppression, and how people respond differently to it. Some people rise up and fight, some roll over, and some hunker down until they can stand up and fight.
Wooooo Avatar!
Part of me wants to scream spoilers, but I like living, so…
How many episodes are left in this season? I don't even know.
Three, although the final two are occasionally counted as one movie.
Woah, we're that close to the finale? THAT MEANS WE ARE REALLY CLOSE TO THAT BIT THAT I LOVE. AND ALSO THAT OTHER BIT WHICH IS AWESOME.
*sits on hands* Must. Not. Spoil.
Oh yeah, the final two episodes of this season were originally aired together as (basically) one episode, weren't they?
Ugh, I can't believe we're so close… I always forget that it's only 20 episodes per season.
Heh, if I had a Euro for every time I wanted to scream spoilers, because Mark raised some very interesting point/question/good guess in his review, I'd be a rich person… 😛
It's like their constant mantra was 'well that was nice but WE CAN DO IT BETTER AND PRETTIER'.
Bless.
you can definitely see how much work and thought the creators and the animators put into this series. fffff why is this show so perfect.
I was so surprised when Ozai turned out to be Davros! Though, once it turned out that the Fire Nation Army are all just bipedal Daleks, I should have realized…
No, no, I will NOT draw a Dalek with a little Fire Nation emblem on it.
yes, you totally will [/jedimindtrick]
I would say this is the laziest, most terrible photoshop I've ever done, but I'd be lying.
<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/kartikeya/Avatar/ozaidalek.jpg">
STILL AWESOME. Ahahaha I love the arms. Reminds me of Trogdor. "Let's put one of those beefy arms back on for good measure."
Does she have a pink aura?
Ah, no. I was going more off of Kari's other side, but I see your suggestion too.
If you care who I meant, this website goes to a page about the character in question. Spoilers at that link.
http://bit.ly/vmlb2
Ah, I can see that. They're both good choices for Avatar-Kari.
To be honest I found this episode mediocre but I loved the fact that they have disabled character that isn't troped up to the max. Honestly thought, Teo is the only character with a disability that wasn't troped. Disappointing.
Over all I thought this episode was dynamic and evoking. I've always had the head canon that Teo is a reincarnation of an Air Nomad <3
The "I laugh at gravity all the time" quote has to be among the best quotes ever, even though I've sort of forgotten it after not watching this show for some time. It even edges out the laser cows quote! (Note: The laser cows quote isn't from Avatar: The Last Airbender, but instead from a webcomic)
"Laser cows! They're like real cows! Only with lasers."
Any Gunnerkrigg Court references are good references.
Just sayin'. 😀
Photobucket isn't letting me see the pictures. This saddens me, because I love the artbook stuff.
Wow, that's the first time I've hit the bandwidth limit. Should be fixed now!
Honestly? Theo was the only real memorable thing in this ep for me because he was so freaking awesome and he could fly. On rewatch I now do see many other things I missed the first time around though and my opinion has gotten higher on this ep. Still not my favorite of season 1 (that will probably always be a tie between The Storm and The Blue Spirit) but I have to admit it's better then I remember.
SEASON TWO! SEASON TWO!
I GLIDE MY WHEELCHAIR THROUGH THE AIR SOMETIMES
SAYIN AYOO MY NAME IS TEO
(I have no idea where the image macro is for that D: )
Hey, isn't it cool how we've been watching Katara progress so much in waterbending since she got the scroll? She's often seen practicing some move or another in the background of an episode, and her growing skill and power have really been showing lately – she moved a whole lot of water in order to get Sokka's boat over the rocks in "Bato of the Water Tribe", and this week she managed to freeze tanks in place. Which is quite the step up from barely managing to freeze men into place in the beginning of the season. I just really like how this mini-arc of hers has been steadily moving forward without needing to have attention called to it.
I’m actually re-watching each episode in time with every review, and I’m glad I am. Mark, I have to say it’s a joy to be experiencing this show anew through your reviews. In a way, it’s like watching the show again for the first time. And in another way, watching a kid open a new Christmas present every day.
Coming to this site has actually become one of the highlights of my day. Like everybody else, I can’t wait for you to explore this series even further, and I have to mentally restrain myself to not give anything away. With that said, I have to give away just one thing…
It
Keeps
Getting
Better!
There's this wonderful comic by Booter-freak called "It's Avatarded if…" and one of the panels has a Doctor Who joke. Someone definitely needs to post it when Mark finishes the series (I am incapable no matter how many instructions I get)
Well hello hello HELLO there. You know that feeling you get when you discover a little slice of the internet that you really should have known about before? Well I've got that now. Oh BOY have I got that now. Episode-by-episode impressions from an enthusiastic, spoiler-paranoid television junkie? Oh yes, my nirvana. And you're doing Avatar! Lovely. I couldn't be a bigger fan of this show without getting a tattoo. So I'm going to catch up, then I'll be on board from here on out.
Wonderful website you got here, Mark. I just wish I'd been told about it a little sooner. Now then, let's get to it!
*waves* Welcome to the site!
Also, if you want somewhere to safety discuss spoilers and laugh at how unprepared Mark is, we have a side blog just for that.
http://markspoils.blogspot.com/
Welcome! Check out Mark Reads, as well. 😀
Pingback: Weblin Avatar » Mark Watches 'Avatar': S01E17 – The Northern Air Temple | Mark Watches
Oh Mark, you are NOT PREPARED. Also, I am not going to spoil you for my own protection and because it really does ruin everything for you, but why must you taunt us so?
Okay first off I wanted to comment how great (well, not great for them obviously, but a really fantastic detail) it is that Teo and the Mechanist and the others were forced out of their homes by something that wasn't the war? I understand and fully support that Avatar shows the consequences of war from every angle, but at the same time we need to remember that, even in war time, other things happen that completely change peoples lives. The Fire Nation has a lot of crap to own up to, but they are not singlehandedly responsible for every tragedy in the world…
The Mechanist, aside from being a pure genius and Sokka's soulmate, had only one goal, to protect the people he cared about. By building weapons for the fire nation, he succeeds in that goal. That, until Aang's epic air-slap (that I REALLY MUST LEARN HOW TO AIRBEND AND DO THAT MOVE RIGHT NOW!) was really his only involvement in the war. I wonder if that's how he could live with himself after making that decision, to save his own at the expense of the rest of the world. Being removed from the warzone, it's not unusual for us to forget, or outright ignore, its effects.
And now I have to wonder, the basic necessities, such as a bathhouse, surely existed before the extinction of the Air Nomads. After all, the Air Nomads had to bathe sometimes, right? Why would they not have simply revamped and used the existing facilities? Made improvements only where they were necessary? Why did the Mechanist feel the need to demolish a courtyard and build a new bathhouse when there was one already built waiting for him? I don't understand… anyone have an idea?
I wondered that too, but then assumed that a lot of stuff has probably broken down over the hundred-odd years the air nomads have been gone – there would have been nobody to do maintenance, and a lot of it was probably airbending-related in the first place (since we know basically all the Air Nomads were benders). Perhaps he couldn't make anything that still existed work for them? idk.
I see it as kind of like hurricane Katrina. The hurricane was awful, but the aftermath was the real tragedy, because the gov't could have stepped in a lot faster and a lot better, and they didn't. The flood might have forced these people from their homes, but it's the Fire Nation's fault that they had to basically make a deal with the devil in order to survive.
… I do remember you asking once what was the official name for the Avatar group. I can't give you the official name, but from what I know, a commonly accepted name (fan wise) is the Gaang.
Also, <3 you for doing this. =D
I was so happy to see Teo! I kept waiting for the show to mess up, to call attention to his disability in some negative way that would infuriate me, because that's what TV shows DO, they treat disabled people like shit. And seeing the history of this show using ableist words, I wasn't the most optimistic. But no! Not only was his inability to walk not mentioned negatively, it wasn't mentioned AT ALL. He's just there! Flying and not walking and being a complete well-rounded character! I LOVE IT. All my hearts, Avatar. All my hearts are for you
Damn it, Mark. I really enjoy your reviews, but every single time you seem to make some off-hand comment that forces me to tape my fingers together to keep myself from flooding spoilers. But the last thing I want to do is to spoil things for you, so all I'll say is: YOU ARE STILL NOT PREPARED.
Anyway, only three more episodes left in the first season! The last two is actually a two-parter. I'm not sure if they were aired together, but I think you should still review both of them on the same day, especially since today is Thursday. Neither you nor your fans will want to wait the whole weekend to get to the final episode of the season, so I think it would be great if you reviewed the final two episodes tomorrow and we could start Book 2: Earth first thing next week.
Honestly, the only thing that disappointed me was that the Mechanist didn't make some sort of steampunk wheelchair for Teo. Because that would've been awesome.
the fire nation have powerful tanks to conquer earthbenders on land…massive ships against the earthbenders…and the funny thing is the last element they're missing is the one that helped take them down here
Well, they have a war balloon now…
Oh man, I was so excited for you to get to this episode. Teo is one of my VERY FAVORITE CHARACTERS in the show. Okay okay, I love like every character in this show, BUT HE'S UP THERE. This is just such a phenomenally done story featuring a disabled character who is not defined by or othered because of his disability and I LOVE IT FOREVER. SO FUCKING GOOD. I want everyone who writes disabled characters to watch this show and TAKE SOME GODDAMN NOTES.
Other than that, all I can do is gush about this story and the artwork and the music and the battle scene and the amazement and joy and ambiguous fear and OMG. Love this episode.
I love the amount of design that went into that bison statue that we only see for a second before it gets destroyed.
"For me, it’s seeing the hope that a minority group could one day rise up so victorious against oppressors like this, as absurd as that may seem."
Not at all absurd, Mark! Racism is still a terrible reality, but there are no more ships kidnapping Africans. I'd say that was a monumental victory, even if it took as long as it did for their descendants to get equal treatment, which was another monumental victory. Progress is slower now for minorities, but still visible. Would there have been a Latino Comics Expo in the 60s? Possibly not. Would there have been white people there? I doubt it. But there was one last week, which I went to (and wasn't the only non-Latino either), and it was really fun! There needs to be so much more happening to bring minorities to the forefront and to show how foolish and needless racism is. Skin color is incidental. Human is human. I think hoping for a minority group to be triumphant is valid and necessary. Positive change begins with the hope for more.
"There’s something really rewarding and smile-inducing to be able to say you are a part of something that large and that emotionally supportive. I mean, that’s why a lot of us gravitate towards fandoms, especially online. This is not to suggest that any of you have the same experience with loneliness as I do, but there are brief moments I experience on a weekly basis where I feel that gap inside of myself close just a little bit more."
This is exactly how I feel sometimes. I have a supportive friend group that encourages my fandoms and a loving family but there are still moments where I feel so alone. A place like this makes me feel slightly less lonely to know that there are other people out there who like the same shows as I do (Browncoat forever!). I am so happy to have found this blog, thanks for being so amazing Mark!
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LOVED IT SO SO SO MUCH.
The only thing I don't understand is-how did the temple room become storage for the weapons? Wasn't the whole point that it was the only one left untouched because an airbender had to open it? So how did The Mechanist get the weapons he was making inside?
Fair enough 🙂
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Oh God, when I saw all those pipes stabbing the history of the painted walls and the pollution coming from the once beautiful temple, I felt like someone was twising a knife in my gut. It was awful, it still breaks my heart just thinking about it.
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"As long as we have the skies, we'll have the fire nation on the run" completely reminded me of "burn the land and boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me".
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