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| Saturday, April 25, 2009 03:38 PM |
| On the Viewer - Avatar: The Last Airbender (Book 2, Chapters 11-15) |
 by Fëanor |
"The Desert"
The loss of Appa hits Aang pretty hard, making him act uncharacteristically angry and nasty. Sokka provides some much needed comic relief by drinking some hallucinogenic cactus juice and spending most of the episode high. There's an interesting confrontation between Iroh and Zuko and the two guys sent to find Toph - Xin Fu and Master Yu. The concept of the secret society called the Order of the White Lotus is introduced. It's through this organization that Zuko and Iroh get help and are sent to Ba Sing Se to hide in plain sight. Aang goes into the Avatar State and nearly does some serious damage to the sandbenders who stole Appa, but Katara's embrace is able to calm him. Turns out they sold Appa and he's probably in Ba Sing Se, which is where they were going anyway. So clearly that's where all our characters are headed.
I'm fascinated by the idea of the Order of the White Lotus. But it's tough seeing Aang so hurt and lost without his buddy, and it's tough thinking of our beloved Appa possibly in danger. Momo nearly gets snatched in this episode, too! It's upsetting stuff. Hopefully Appa will be safely back with them soon.
"The Serpent's Pass"
They're bringing back some fun characters from episodes past here, including Sokka's girl Suki, Jet and his band of freedom fighters (who team up with Zuko to do some stealing), and that poor cabbage vendor (such a great running gag). Sokka is ridiculously overprotective of Suki; he's still not over the loss of his last girl. Aang, upset by his outburst at the end of the last episode, is now trying not to feel anything at all - including hope. There's a pretty funny moment where Smeller Bee attributes a long and meaningful speech to her fellow freedom fighter Longshot even though all he did was look at her. There's a really cool action/bending sequence as they fight their way across the Serpent's Pass. Sokka faints watching a baby being born, and Toph embarrasses herself mistaking Suki for Sokka. I was surprisingly moved by the really pretty corny moment with the baby being named Hope and Aang getting his own hope back. All our various characters' relationships are on more solid ground now, and everyone's back on a more even keel. Aang's plan is to head out on his own once again to look for Appa, but he's once again interrupted, this time by a Fire Nation attack on Ba Sing Se. Argh! When are we getting Appa back?! Anyway, good episode - very moving and effective.
"The Drill"
Zuko's sister and her two girl buddies are driving the big drill/battering ram that's attacking Ba Sing Se. The Earth Nation has really become overconfident about the impenetrability of Ba Sing Se. But when their special forces group the Terra Team goes down, it's time to bring in the Avatar and his friends! And they have a plan.
Sokka: "It's dark down here! I can't see a thing!"
Toph: "Oh no, what a nightmare."
Uh oh! After Zuko rejects membership in the freedom fighters, Jet finds out that Iroh is a firebender - thanks to a rather foolish mistake by Iroh (his weakness for tea betrays him).
Heh. Even his enemies think Sokka's cute.
Katara: "Why don't you try blocking my chi now, circus freak?" Nice!
There's a kick-ass fight between Aang and Zuko's sister in which Aang gets to show off all his bending knowledge. Unfortunately, he still gets knocked down - and the drill still breaks through the wall. But then Aang delivers the brutal killing blow to the drill. Awesome!
I enjoyed Sokka's attempts to come up with a cool name for their little gang. Great episode! Loaded with cool action, and very exciting.
"City of Walls and Secrets"
Toph: "You been hitting the cactus juice again?"
Sokka: "I'm just saying, weird stuff happens to us."
I like the stone train that moves via earthbending; cool idea.
Wow, Ba Sing Se is a big city! It's gonna be hard finding Appa here. They've got a tour guide, but she's fake-smiley and not particularly helpful about getting their important information to the King. Also, turns out Ba Sing Se has way too many walls - literally and figuratively.
Ba Sing Se has a cultural authority, and special guards to protect it. And apparently it's all red tape here. They have to wait six to eight weeks for their request to see the King to even be processed. Meanwhile they can't get away from their tour guide, and she's keeping anyone they're talking to from actually telling them anything. Pretty funny moment: the King has a pet bear - just a bear, not an armadillo-bear or a skunk-bear - and this confuses Aang and friends to no end. Love the scene where they talk about manners and Aang and Sokka end up banging heads.
Man: "You don't know what I had to do to get seats this near the bear!"
The bear is pretty hilarious.
Ooh, bad-ass sword fight between Jet and Zuko!
Apparently the King in Ba Sing Se is just a figurehead. Any mention of the war has been outlawed within the walls! They actually brainwash people into believing they're safe and free inside. Oh, this is so creepy and horrifying. Now their tour guide has just been replaced by another woman with the same name, and they're going to be under surveillance as long as they're here. Things were easier for them when they were outside fighting Fire Nation soldiers!
"The Tales of Ba Sing Se"
Huh. An anthology episode. First up, "The Tale of Toph and Katara." They go for a girl's day out, which involves a trip to the spa, and some nice bonding. Good character development.
Now it's time for Iroh's tale. He's wandering around town bringing joy to everyone and getting into wacky hi-jinks. He also easily takes down a mugger, and then rehabilitates him. He helps everyone... but it's his dead son he wishes he could have helped. An incredibly moving story, really powerfully done, and it's dedicated to Mako. I actually teared up a bit. This show is so good.
Next we have "The Tale of Aang." Aang heads to a zoo and tries to help all the hungry, sad animals, but they end up getting out and wreaking havoc. And cabbage guy is back again! "My cabba- Oh, forget it." Luckily, Aang is ultimately able to create a really awesome outdoor enclosure for the animals.
Sokka's story leads to him getting in a haiku duel! Hilarious.
In "The Tale of Zuko," Zuko goes out on a date with a girl! He's not so good at it. He does do a pretty romantic thing with firebending, but when the girl kisses him, he runs away.
There's even a "Tale of Momo!" Poor little guy is really missing Appa. He seems to see him everywhere. He makes friends with some cats, who take him to a footprint apparently left by Appa. It's the only trace of him we've seen yet. It's very bittersweet.
This was quite possibly the best episode of the bunch. It's just a collection of really clever, funny, deeply moving little character portraits. Well done. |
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