Mark Watches ‘Avatar’: S03E05 – The Beach

In the fifth episode of the third season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Zuko, Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai are sent on a forced vacation to Ember Island. In an effort to gives us backstory on these Fire Nation characters, the writers…I don’t even know. What the hell did I just watch? Oh, and FIREBENDING WITH YOUR MIND. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Avatar.

I am confused, and for all of the wrong reasons.

I don’t hate “The Beach.” Even when I strongly dislike something (Sherlock’s “The Blind Banker” is a great example), I can still make an attempt to find things to enjoy. And they are here, for sure! We’ve needed an episode about the Dangerous Ladies and Zuko; I’ve wanted more backstory on Mai and Ty Lee since they were introduced; I’ve wanted to see an episode that focuses on the group dynamic and the way they interact with each other now that Zuko is around. This episode gives me all of this, and I’ll still appreciate that.

At the same time….WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING. Writers, this might be one of the most awkward twenty-four minutes of my life and I’ve watched nearly every movie by Todd Solondz.

Ok. SO. I am glad that we got further stories on Mai and Ty Lee and that their backstories helped develop them further as characters, Ty Lee in particular. Thankfully, these stories don’t feel patronizing, and the method of their revelation is neat as well. It’s moments of anger and frustration that bring forth the understanding between these people. It’s about how they feel the need to define the past in their own terms, instead of whatever assumption people have about them. At the same time, it allows Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee to begin to feel that they get why each of them has such distinct personalities and what came to shape them that way. In a way, it’s almost the (barely there) message of the episode: If you take the time to get to know those close to you, you won’t lash out at them as the characters do here.

Azula. I….I just don’t even know what to say about her anymore. Throughout “The Beach,” we get brief, fleeting moments of something hidden deep down inside of her, but her desire to be THE WORST HUMAN EVER ALIVE takes precedent over everything else. Must you manipulate and exploit everything, Azula? IT’S A GAME OF VOLLEYBALL. IT’S A PARTY. IT IS NOT A WAR CAMPAIGN. But at the very least, it’s within her character, and I respect that. Azula has no other way of relating to the world, so it makes sense that she would even translate that over to the way she deals with boys. THIS IS GOOD WRITING. I ENJOYED THIS.

but

but

but

BUT

(you knew it was coming)

what the hell is going on

I am trying to understand this, and perhaps I missed something, or maybe Netflix edited out a scene. Maybe I just don’t get it. But WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FINAL SCENE. What?!?!?!?! WHY. WHY WOULD YOU WRITE THAT. WHAT DOES IT EVEN MEAN??? I tried to look at it as like….a moment of celebration? Like, “YAY WE ARE ALL FRIENDS NOW,” but why are you destroying that young man’s house in the process????? Even worse, why on EARTH would Ty Lee, Mai, or Zuko ever get involved with such a thing? This act was so uniquely Azula-ish, and it makes no sense at all that the other three would help destroy a house and make someone else cry with despair.

I refuse to devote more than a thousand words on this. Few story line twists have ever left me feeling so confused and unsatisfied. I DON’T GET IT.

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I almost wish that, instead, we’d been given more time with Team Avatar, because if there’s one thing “The Beach” does absolutely right, it’s the full introduction of Head Fire Man. I have no idea what his real/fandom name is, so for now, I’m sticking with this. When we first saw the man with the eye tattooed on his forehead, I assumed that it was a mere aesthetic addition to make him look more intimidating. Instead, we learn that Team Avatar is most certainly facing an enemy more difficult than any in the past:

HE CAN BEND FIRE WITH THOUGHT. WITH THOUGHT ALONE.

It must be stated that the sound work done to create the effect when Head Fire Man sends a blast of fire is half of why it is so creepy and horrifying. It’s this delayed crack of power, suggesting that the fire travels faster than the speed of sound. This antagonist exhibits no emotion aside from wrinkle-faced anger. (Seriously, dude, you’re gonna have those creases etched into your face forever if you don’t change your expression.) But even worse than all of this (and it’s already pretty bad), the team discovers they cannot stop any of the attacks this man sends their way. No water bending or earth bending helps. This man has more power than any of them. And what’s left for them to do? They run away on the back of Appa, shaken and jarred by the experience. Rightly so, Katara has a feeling this assassin knows exactly who they are.

THOUGHTS

• Sorry this is dramatically shorter than usual. It’s not because of time constraints or lack of energy. I had plenty of time to write this, but I simply don’t have anything to say. I’d rather be honest and succinct than to find some artificial way to expand a review to twice its current size.
• I will say that I also liked Azula admitting she was jealous of Ty Lee. Finally she expresses some sort of doubt. Too bad it ultimately doesn’t seem to matter.
• For a brief moment, I thought this episode would turn into a Zuko-centric story: His scenes in the old vacation house are probably the best moments of that story line. Part of the reason, besides the writing, were how quiet they were. This episode had a great deal of loud dialogue and I appreciated the silent moments here.
• Why did Azula invite Zuko to the fire? I have a feeling she just wanted to gather more information on him to exploit at a later day.
• It was expected that Zuko would ultimately say that he was angry at himself, but the scene was still done really well.
• Nice parallel between Azula trying to tell a joke and Katara trying to tell a joke.
• Few things are more awkward than Azula trying to hit on a guy. Wow.
• “I heard you telling someone that you’d be partying from dusk ’til dawn. It’s dusk, so we’re here.” “But that’s just an expression.” Chan sounds so DEJECTED when he says this.
• why were there doves. what the hell.
• You know, I think I know why the ending bothered me so much: There are four members of the Fire Nation gang and it feels like this episode was meant as a parallel to Team Avatar, a chance to get to know these characters in a deeper way. We do get to experience this, but I just refuse to believe these characters can be reduced to such violent caricatures as they are here. They have to be more than that, or else what was the whole point of this story?