Adventure Time Reviews: Season 5 (One Last Job/Another Five More Short Graybles)

You know how Jake apparently used to be a criminal? Well, we find out a bit more about that in this episode. Jake receives a video from some unknown source, and it shows his daughter, Jake Jr., being held hostage somewhere. A mysterious figure in the video tells Jake that they know about his criminal past, and that he needs to get his old gang back together to steal something from the Candy Kingdom. What he needs to steal is something called the Baker’s Shard, the purest form of sugar.

So, Jake gathers up his old gang, all of whom still seem to be criminals. There’s Gareth, that creepy-looking one with the huge head and a face that sort of reminds me of Ricardio. He has the ability to hypnotize people. Next there are the Flying Lettuce Brothers, those two green ones. These guys are my favorite of Jake’s gang. They have the ability to perfectly imitate anyone’s voice after hearing a short sample of it. It’s pretty awesome. Last is Tiffany, the blond one, and he apparently doesn’t have any powers. He’s just very opinionated and has the voice of a four year-old. Anyway, when the group is together Jake lets them know what they’re going after and they think it’s impossible, but they agree to help him once they find out about Jake Jr.’s situation.

They head to the Candy Kingdom and put their plan into action. Gareth and the Flying Lettuce Brothers enter the control room. Gareth hypnotizes the two Banana Guards that are there and puts them to sleep, and then the FLB get on the intercom. Mimicking the Banana captain’s voice, they order the other Guards to go into the courtyard and scream as loud as they can. This way they won’t hear the explosion that Tiffany and Jake are setting off in the vault where the Shard is held. Once the vault is open, Tiffany, who knows the place well, tells Jake how to get to the Baker’s Shard. The vault is full of traps, but Jake makes it past all of them and reaches the Shard. He then hears the voice of Jake Jr.’s kidnapper inside the vault, telling Jake to throw the Shard to them. Jake does, but it’s then revealed that the voice was coming from the FLB. Jake’s old gang tricked him. The gang runs away, and Tiffany pulls the alarm so that Jake will be caught.

Jake chases after them, demanding to know where Jake Jr. is. He catches up to their van and discovers that Jake Jr. is the one driving it. That can’t be safe, she doesn’t have eyes. Jake wants to know why she tricked him, and she says that she had heard stories from Lady about Jake’s criminal past, and she wanted to impress him. Jake tells her that he’s realized his past crimes were wrong, and that he no longer does them. Jake Jr. apologizes and Jake forgives her, and the two walk off together while I wonder what happened to the gang and to the Baker’s Shard.

Well, this is an episode that I would just place in the “okay” category. It’s kind of too bad because I love the idea of meeting Jake’s old gang and of this show doing a heist episode, but I don’t know, it just felt really… blah.

I think there could have been a lot more creativity, in the heist itself and particularly with the gang. I found them and their designs really lackluster. Gareth at least had a cool power even if it’s not one that’s super original, but I just don’t like his design. The Flying Lettuce Brothers also had a great power and one that’s a bit more unique, and as I’ve said they were my favorite part of the episode. Even so, I wish their design had been more interesting. I wish they had all been more interesting, not just in design but in personality as well.

As for the heist itself, for something that they all thought would be impossible, they pulled it off really easily and with a very simplistic plan. I mean, I know the Banana Guards aren’t exactly known for being competent, but they made it sound like getting the Baker’s Shard was going to be a much bigger deal than it was.

There’s nothing bad about the episode per se, I just felt disappointed with it. I think it could have been more, but it seemed lazy. I did discover that Jake Jr. is voiced by Kristen Schaal, the same woman who voice Louise from Bob’s Burgers, though. So that’s a thing.

(As a side note that doesn’t really have to do with this episode, I’ve always wondered about the timeline concerning Jake’s “bad boy” past. Finn and Jake grew up together, right? So, was there just a period of a couple of years where Finn and Jake weren’t in contact, or was Finn just completely unaware that Jake was part of a gang of criminals?)

Rating: 4.5/10

More Graybles! This one is slightly different, since the theme is not told to us in the actual episode, but it appears to be about the stages of grief. Also, rather than going smoothly from one Grayble to another, they kind of just… keep interrupting each other. There’s one about Finn and Jake making a time machine for Jake Jr., who is nervous about the future. There’s another one about Princess Bubblegum forcing Cinnamon Bun to sleep without a nightlight so he can get over his fear of the dark. He gets hysterical with his nightlight taken away and destroys his own residence as well as multiple others trying to find “soft light”. Then there’s a Grayble with Ice King and the penguins voting on what they should watch on TV. There’s a really weird Grayble about the Lemongrabs where they’re playing with a doll and I guess they disagree on what that doll should be doing. They accidentally break the doll, which causes the original Lemongrab to scream, “ONLY ONE!” And then he eats Lemongrab 2. R.I.P, Lemongrab 2. I guess. I don’t even know what I just saw. The last Grayble is about Mr. Fox, alone is his house and seemingly depressed. Something weird happens, where Mr. Fox is able to see his sub-conscious and it draws him a treasure map, but it’s interrupted by Cinnamon Bun bursting through. We then go back to the first Grayble to see the conclusion of it. Jake Jr. is disinterested in the time machine, and BMO’s alarm is going off because of an intruder. It turns out to be Cinnamon Bun, and Jake Jr. gives him a new nightlight, so he leaves happily. And the time machine doesn’t actually work. The theme of each Grayble? Finn, Jake and Jr. are acceptance, Cinnamon Bun is denial, Ice King is bargaining, the Lemongrabs are anger, and Mr. Fox is depression. So the stages are in reverse order.

All right, another one these Graybles episodes. I’m starting to get a little tired of them, actually. Or at least, I’m starting to get tired of reviewing them. I’ve already said what I think about episodes like this, and there’s never a lot to say about each new one.

I guess I can talk a bit about each individual story. I really liked the overall theme of these Graybles, but I didn’t actually care for the stories themselves that much. Cinnamon Bun was incredibly annoying in this episode. Finn and Jake’s story didn’t do a whole lot for me, though I did enjoy Jake’s creative shape-shifting. Ice King’s story was pretty cute. And Lemongrab’s. Oh my God, Lemongrab’s.

When did Lemongrab become one of my favorite characters?! I hated him when he first showed up and now he cracks me up. I mean, I don’t think I’d want him in every episode but still, my feelings about this weirdo have done a complete one-eighty and I still don’t know how it happened.

Rating: 5/10

SpongeBob Reviews: Season 7 (SpongeBob’s Last Stand/Back to the Past/The Bad Guy Club for Villains)

Ooh, I love the dark look of this title card. It gets the point across nicely, with the small, lonely patch of grass surrounded by concrete that appears to be slowly creeping onto the grass, while the sky in the background is a dull, brownish-grey with only a streak of bright blue on the horizon. Even the title itself sounds ominous.

Right, I’m not here to review the title card, though to be honest I think the title card is more interesting than the episode and kind of would like to review it. Okay, so, SpongeBob’s Last Stand is an Earth Day Special, and we all know what that means: some overly-preachy environmental message that we’ve all heard a thousand times in movies like Ferngully and Pocahontas. Yeah, Earth Day Specials are usually lame. Was this one lame? Well, um, not really but kind of-ish? Let’s start at the beginning.

SpongeBob and Patrick are jellyfishing, and they find out that a highway will be built through Jellyfish Fields. SpongeBob wants to stop this from happening because it will destroy the jellyfishes habitat and blah blah blah. You get the idea. SpongeBob tries to get more people to help, but no one but him and Patrick are willing. So, why didn’t they ask Sandy? I’ve sure she would have wanted to help. He tells Mr. Krabs about the new highway, and the two find out that the highway will go directly over the Krusty Krab and straight to the Chum Bucket. Yep, turns out Plankton is behind everything. So now we have to save the Krusty Krab, too? Whatever. SpongeBob and Krabs go to confront Plankton on this, but Plankton tells them that he doesn’t give a barnacle. Those are his exact words. Oh, you can bet I’ll be quoting that from now on. Krabs is ready to give up, but SpongeBob isn’t. He and Patrick protest the new highway to no avail. When it comes time for the highway to be built, SpongeBob tries to put himself in the way of the construction, but even that does nothing as Plankton is happy to run him over. With their home destroyed, the jellyfish overrun Bikini Bottom. Because of this, everyone in Bikini Bottom (OH, THERE YOU ARE, SANDY) helps get rid of the highway, thus saving Jellyfish Fields. And the Krusty Krab.

Okay, so, I’m not saying that the environment isn’t important or that kids shouldn’t be getting environmental messages like this, but do they have to get them this often? And do they always have to be presented in such a preachy way? Granted, SpongeBob’s Last Stand isn’t as preachy as most environmental episodes of other shows are, but it’s still pretty preachy. Or maybe I’m just tired of seeing morals like this because I’ve seen it done in tons of movies and shows already, so it’s very possible my irritation is just a bias.

The songs in this episode are awful. Actually, the first song they sing is okay, it’s not very memorable but it’s kind of fun. That “Give Jellyfish Fields a Chance” song, though? Awful. It’s obviously a parody of John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance”, which, as a Lennon fan, I love the idea of. But all Give Jellyfish Fields a Chance is is a string of random words with a chorus that goes “All we are saying is give Jellyfish Fields a Chance”. Literally, it’s just a bunch of random, unrelated words in the verses and then that chorus. You think I’m kidding or exaggerating? I’m not. That’s what it is. Look it up and see for yourself.

The jokes in this episodes ranged from laugh-out-loud funny to facepalm-worthy. I laughed more than I facepalmed, though, so that’s a good thing. I also liked some of the darker imagery that was used, like when the Krusty Krab is desolate and empty after the highway was built, and when Bikini Bottom is overrun by jellyfish.

Overall, I’d say this episode is slightly below average, but it’s still watchable.

Rating: 4.5/10

After helping out Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, SpongeBob and Patrick are shown their room full of memorabilia, which includes their time machine. Even though they were told not to touch it, Patrick touches it, launching the four of them back in time. There, we see a younger and fitter Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy fighting Manray who apparently doesn’t age because he always looks the same. Or maybe he’s just in really good shape. What’s his secret? Anyway, Patrick freaks out and drags SpongeBob back to the time machine, leaving Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy stuck in the past. That’s when Barnacle Boy has his best line ever: “Why haven’t we had those two classified as villains yet?” 10/10 I cried. SpongeBob and Patrick go back to the present, but it’s an alternate timeline where Manray has taken over Bikini Bottom and forced everyone to be his slaves (Squilliam makes a small appearance that literally lasts ten seconds and I still had a mini fangirl meltdown my God what is wrong with me?). SpongeBob goes to the Krusty Krab to find out if he still has a job in this alternate timeline, and there he finds Barnacle Boy working as a cashier. Well, I always did think he and Squidward were similar. They even look similar! Oh, and Mermaid Man is working as a fry cook. SpongeBob convinces MM and BB to go back in time again and defeat Manray. They do so, and in classic time-travel confusion, a bunch of different SpongeBobs and Patrick keep showing up to stop Manray. While Manray is confused, the younger Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are able to place him under arrest, saving the future.

I love time-travel and all of its weird rules and paradoxes, so when I found out what the plot of this episode was, I was really excited. It turned out pretty good, though not quite as good as I was hoping. Most of the jokes got a giggle out of me, but I would have liked to have spent more time in the alternate timeline where Manray has taken over Bikini Bottom. I think it had more potential and I would have liked to see it explored more. They probably could have stretched this one out a few more minutes and made it a special (it’s already pretty long for just a regular episode anyway), which would have allowed for more time to explore the alternate timeline.

I liked how cold and dark everything (including the inside of the Krusty Krab) looked in the alternate timeline. Did I ever mention that I love when this show uses darker animation/imagery? Because I do. When it’s done right, that is. Anyway, I liked the look of the Manray’s Bikini Bottom, and even the citizens looked appropriately downtrodden and tired. Everything in the alternate timeline had an cold, grim, unsettling feeling, it was really interesting, and it just makes me wish we’d gotten to spend more time in it.

Overall, this is a decent episode, but I don’t think it quite reached its full potential.

Rating: 6.5/10

SpongeBob and Patrick watch a tape of “the lost episode” of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. The episode is basically just what’s on the tape. A bunch of villains, which includes Manray and the Dirty Bubble (like I’m going to bother listing the rest), are meeting secretly. Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy suspect that they’re up to no good, so they crash the meeting along with the Ponderer, Miss Appear, The Elastic Wasteband, and Professor Magma. Wait, what? Professor Magma? It’s Captain Magma, damn it! And where’s the Quickster? And why do their costumes look nothing like they do in Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V? Am I seriously geeking-out over super heroes in a cartoon? Yes. Yes I am. Anyway, a fight ensues ending with the villains being caught. Apparently they were only having a book club meeting, so MM and BB can’t imprison them. That’s it.

This is kind of a neat idea for an episode. It’s different, at least. I can’t say I laughed at much, but it did keep me entertained and the fight was kind of cool. I also like the old-fashioned art style that was used for the lost episode, that was a nice touch.

I liked seeing some of the Super Acquaintances from Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V (either it or part III are my favorite MM and BB episodes), that was a nice reference and I appreciated it. But, I’m sorry, I must bring this up again: why is Captain Magma called Professor Magma instead, why do they all look nothing like they did in MM and BB V and where is the Quickster? I know it’s a nitpick, but  it bugged me a lot.

Oh well, this is still a pretty fun episode, but I probably wouldn’t revisit it. Although I would like to join the villains’ book club.

Rating: 6/10

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!