Avatar State, Yip Yip! Part 2

Let’s just get right to it.

Jet

I honestly have no idea how I forgot to mention this episode in my last post. I love, love, love this episode, guys. How could I have forgotten to mention it? Whatever. I’m talking about it now. But where to start?

How about we start with this? Even though we see so little of him throughout the series, I really like Jet. Remember when I said I like depressing/disturbing stories? I also like depressing/disturbing characters, and good God is Jet disturbing. He’s a manipulative, twisted extremist, but you can’t blame Katara and Aang for becoming so smitten with him because he’s also charismatic and charming. And hot. So you really can’t blame Katara for being smitten with him. Jet knows what effect he has on people, that he can easily get people to follow him, and he uses it to his advantage. Disturbing.

When I first saw this episode, I really loved the Freedom Fighters. Especially Smellerbee, just because I love her name. “Smellerbee” is the most amazing name ever. If I ever have a daughter, I’m so naming her Smellerbee. Anyway, back to the Freedom Fighters. A ragtag group of kids and teenagers who live in tree houses and make it their personal mission to troll the Fire Nation? What’s not to love? Well, later on we find out that Jet and his gang are assholes. Jet is planning on flooding an Earth Kingdom town that some Fire Nation soldiers have taken over. Yeah, an entire town where innocent Earth Kingdom people are still living. He says that making sacrifices are necessary in a war. That’s true, except the people he’s sacrificing have no idea that they’re going to be sacrificed. At first, it looks like his plan worked. Even after finding out about his plan, Katara and Aang are too late to stop him. And then Jet starts talking about what a victory this is, how the valley is now safe. Excuse me, how is the valley safe? There’s no one left in the valley because you killed them all. DUDE, YOU ARE SO CREEPY.

As it turns out, though, Sokka (who didn’t fall for Jet’s charms the way Katara and Aang did), managed to get everyone out of the town before it was flooded. He single-handedly saved a town, y’all. What I find interesting is that Jet in a way is everything Sokka wants to be. Jet’s a good leader, he’s respected, and he’s an extremely skilled fighter. However, while Sokka wants to defeat the Fire Nation as much as Jet does, he knows where to draw the line. He’s not going to harm innocent people who were just unlucky enough to be in the way.

What I really love about this episode, besides Jet’s insanely creepy character, is that this was the first episode to show us that not everything is black and white. The Fire Nation isn’t pure evil and the other nations aren’t purely good. Jet thinks that what he’s doing is totally justified given what the Fire Nation has done to him and to the rest of the world, but in his obsession with getting revenge he’s lost sight of the fact that what he’s doing is no better than what the Fire Nation does. I also love this episode because it’s one of the few episodes that focuses on Sokka, and the fight between Jet and Aang is one of the best fights in the series, in my opinion.

By the way, did anyone else notice something different about the animation in this episode? The colors are so red and everything just looks darker, it makes the whole episode feel unsettling and foreboding. I can’t help thinking that the change in color scheme for this episode symbolizes Jet’s anger at the Fire Nation, and the violent extremes he’s willing to go to to get his revenge. Or maybe I’m over-analyzing it. I’m a Creative Arts student, okay? All we do is over-analyze color schemes.

That’s a lot to say about just one episode. And I was actually trying to keep this explanation short. See why I love this episode so much? Definitely my favorite Book 1 episode.

The Serpent’s Pass

Suki returns! And so does Jet, who’s slightly less creepy! I like that Zuko and Jet actually seemed to bond a little. Talk about irony, am I right? I practically shit my pants when Jet told Zuko that he knew who he was from the start.

It was nice seeing Sokka finally work through his heartbreak over Princess Yue, as well as seeing Aang work through his heartbreak over losing Appa. Also, there were some sweet moments between Aang and Katara that warmed even my heart. I usually hate romance, but I must admit that Aang and Katara are absolutely adorable together. There’s just something so pure and sweet about their relationship. All in all, this is just a really sweet episode. I may have a fondness for dark, depressing tales, but I can still appreciate a nice, touching story every now and then.

… Oh, that’s right. This episodes ends with a shot of the Fire Nation trying to drill their way in to Ba Sing Se. Wonderful.

I also laughed way too hard at all of the fake Avatars trying to get on the ferry. Tee hee.

City of Walls and Secrets

Fine, the main reason I like this episode so much is the because of the fight between Zuko and Jet. That fight was hot.

Pervertedness aside, this episode was interesting because in previous episodes Ba Sing Se was said to be the last city where refugees could be safe from the war. But there’s a twist! Unfortunately, Ba Sing Se took that idea a little too far by completely ignoring the war. They pretend that it doesn’t exist, they flat-out refuse to acknowledge it, and they’ll even go so far at to brainwash anyone who talks about it! It’s sick, but it once again shows that not everything is black and white.

Also, this:

Seriously, can I just marry Iroh? We’d be a perfect, tea-loving couple.

The Tales of Ba Sing Se

There isn’t really that much to say about this episode. It was just cool seeing what everyone’s life is like living in Ba Sing Se. Zuko’s awkwardness on his date was pretty hilarious, as was Toph’s reaction to being forced to do something girly. I know that feel.

And Iroh singing Little Soldier Boy/Leaves from the Vine. Excuse me while I tearbend inconsolably.

Sokka’s Master

I was so grateful for this episode because it addressed something that had been hinted at throughout the series but never stated: Sokka feels inferior because he has no bending abilities. Finally, this was being dealt with! Seeing Sokka feel so dejected and useless was heart-breaking. Why do I always gravitate towards over-shadowed characters like Sokka? Oh right, because I totally know their feels.

Of course, Sokka’s not as useless as he thinks he is. Not only is he the one who comes up with all of their plans, he’s the one who keeps everyone in good spirits (kind of ironic, considering he’s so negative most of the time). I liked seeing how Aang, Katara and Toph really do love having Sokka around, even if they don’t always show it. Without him, they can’t get anything done. Even worse, without him they get bored. Gasp! You see, Sokka? You’re not just the comic relief guy.

The Beach

Who doesn’t love this episode? I love it for a different reason than most people, though. Or maybe we all love it for the same reason. I’m not sure why everyone else loves this episode.

I love it because this is the first episode where Azula actually seemed human. Until this episode, I had kind of forgotten that Azula, Zuko, Ty Lee and Mai are teenagers. Normal teenagers don’t act the way they do (well, okay, maybe some teenagers do act like Zuko, Ty Lee and Mai to some extent). It was weirdly interesting seeing the four of them try to fit in with normal teenagers who don’t have nearly as many issues as they do. Plus, it’s pretty hilarious watching Azula fail so badly at being normal.

Azula has the best smack talk.

By the way, I just want to say how much I appreciate Ty Lee’s character. I love that this show doesn’t make her weak or stupid just because she’s girly. Not enough shows have characters like this. Azula and Mai are also complete bad asses, of course. In fact, these three are probably the most bad ass trio ever.

The Boiling Rock Parts 1 & 2

Yeah, I’m counting these two together. Deal with it. Another episode where Sokka gets to show how smart and bad ass he is when he’s not too busy being the comic relief! Not that there isn’t any humor is these episodes.

Tee hee.

I liked how awkward Zuko and Sokka were at first. It makes sense because, well, what are they supposed to talk about? They evntually start bonding, though. After all, Zuko’s been through everything that Sokka goes through in these episodes. Obsessions with regaining your honor and impressing your father, potentially dangerous ideas that clearly weren’t thought through. Zuko’s been there and done that.

Possibly the best part of the episode, however, was when Mai saves Zuko and Sokka and finally stands up to Azula. “I love your brother more than I fear you.” OH SNAP! To make it even better, Ty Lee then saves Mai from Azula. Hell. Yes.

I love Zuko and Mai’s relationship, by the way. It’s so amusing to me and surprisingly sweet.

The Ember Island Players

This episode is silly, stupid and pointless, but I can’t help loving it because it’s so silly, stupid and pointless.

Also, this:

 

Well, that pretty much ends my list. There are so many other episodes I wanted to mention, but I tried to narrow it down as much as I could. Honestly, there isn’t really an episode of this show that I would consider bad, it’s just that there are some I like more than others, and even the ones I like the least are just “meh”, not bad. You know a show is good if even its worst episode is “meh”.

If you’ve never watched Avatar: The last Airbender, I definitely recommend it. It has a great story, amazing character development, kick-ass action scenes and gorgeous animation. And it’s a show for kids. I love that a show like this exists for kids.

Oh, and stay away from the live-action movie. It’s terrible.

Avatar State, Yip Yip!

You know what I love? Avatar: The Last Airbender. You know what else I love? That so many people I know have now watched the series and love it too. You know what else I love? Lists. So, for no reason other than boredom, here’s a list of some of my favorite Avatar episodes, the ones I can rewatch a thousand times and not get tired of.

Note that these are in episode order, not in order of preference. And for most of this I’m pretty much going to assume you’ve seen the show and know exactly what/who I’m talking about.

The Warriors of Kyoshi

Okay, I’m cheating a little bit here. I don’t know if this could be considered one of my favorite episodes because I don’t actually watch this one that much (actually, I rarely watch episodes from Book 1 unless I’m rewatching the whole series). However, this episode has a special place in my heart because it’s the episode that made me officially fall in love with the series. The first two episodes were a good introduction to the story and characters, but they weren’t exactly riveting. The third episode was more interesting, but I still wasn’t completely sold. This episode was the one that made me scream, “Fuck it! I’m an Avatar fan now!” Well, I didn’t actually scream it, but I thought it.

You can probably guess why I loved this episode so much. I wasn’t expecting Sokka’s misogynistic attitude to be addressed so early on, and I wasn’t expecting it to be so blatant. This is a show for kids, after all. I was surprised just to hear Katara call Sokka “sexist” in the first episode. It’s rare for kids’ shows to talk about bigotry, and it’s really rare for them to do it well. Anyway, I like that the Kyoshi Warriors wear dresses and make up while kicking your ass. They’re extremely skilled fighters, but they’re not going to deny their femininity. Awesome! I also like that after sulking for a while about being beaten by “a bunch of girls”, Sokka finally accepts that the Kyoshi Warriors are simply more skilled than he is, apologizes to their leader, Suki, and asks her to teach him. Good for you, Sokka! My favorite part of the episode, however, is when Sokka is saying goodbye to Suki, and he apologizes once again for “treating her like a girl when he should have treated her like a warrior”, to which Suki replies: “I am a warrior. But I’m a girl too.” This is still one of my favorite lines of the entire series. It’s so simple, but it says so much. “Girl” and “warrior” are not mutually exclusive concepts. Women can be whatever they want to be, and they are still women, and Sokka should have respected Suki no matter what she was. Seriously, it’s like this episode was made for me.

Also, this:

The Storm

Again, not an episode I watch that often, but it stands out to me because not only is it the episode where we finally find out why Aang ran away, which I had been waiting for, it’s also the episode where we find out how Zuko got his scar and why he’s so desperate to catch the Avatar, which I had also been waiting for. Both stories are heart-breaking. In Aang’s case, it makes you realize that despite how cheerful and goofy he is, being the Avatar is far from easy. There’s a lot of responsibility being forced on him. He feels guilty for abandoning the world when it need him most and he knows that everyone expects him to save it now, but he’s terrified. He’s only twelve, y’all. That’s a lot of shit to deal with.

Zuko’s story might be a little worse in a way. I mean, he was burned by his own father (ON HIS FACE) and then he was banished and told that he couldn’t return home until he found the Avatar, who hadn’t been seen for a hundred years. All because he spoke out of turn during a war meeting. It’s no wonder he’s so messed up.

So, why do I like this episode if it’s so full of depressing backstory? Well, call me a sadist, but I like depressing stories. The more unhappy something is, the more I’m going to love it.

Maybe I’m a little messed up too.

The Blind Bandit

I love this episode because it introduces us to Toph, my favorite member of the  main group (Iroh is my favorite character overall). Can we just take a minute to appreciate how bad ass Toph is? This chick is blind, but she’s able to “see” by feeling vibrations in the ground through her feet. Despite her disability, she’s far from weak. She’s tough, delightfully sassy, and able to effortlessly take out a bunch of overly-macho dudes on her own. Not to mention she later becomes the first Earthbender to figure out how to bend metal. Seriously, guys, Toph is awesome.

Zuko Alone

Here we get a little more backstory on Zuko (yay!), mostly about his relationship with his mother and sister when he was a child. His relationship with his mother is quite adorable, and apparently Azula was as terrifyingly crazy when she was a child as she is when she’s a teenager. We also get to see a kinder side of Zuko when he befriends a young boy and later saves him from some corrupted Earth kingdom soldiers. Unfortunately, the sweetness of his relationship with the boy is ruined when he announces that he’s the son of the Fire Lord. Oops. It also makes you realize how distrustful of the Fire Nation everyone has become. Zuko risks his life to save a boy he’s only known for a few days, but the second the boy and his family find out he’s a Firebender, they despise him and want nothing to do with him. Of course they have a reason not to trust Firebenders, but it’s still kind of sad that everyone from the Fire Nation is automatically thought to be pure evil.

You know what? I didn’t mean for this post to be so long. Turns out I had more to say about the episodes than I thought I would. So, I’m going to stop here and continue the list in another post. Stay tuned!