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| Sunday, May 3, 2009 10:30 PM |
| On the Viewer - Avatar: The Last Airbender (Book 2, Chapters 16-20) |
 by Fëanor |
"Appa's Lost Days"
We must finally be getting close to getting Appa back, because now we're jumping back in time and covering everything that's happened to him since he was stolen. It's pretty agonizing - we see how close he was to Aang, how he tried to answer the whistle, and how he ended up in a circus where he was trained and tortured by a cruel firebender. He escaped, and had more crazy adventures, trying to find food and rest and getting into fights with other creatures and humans. There's a bittersweet moment where he and Aang share the same dream, about when they first met, and when Aang chose him. There's also an interesting scene where he flies over Zuko and Iroh; Iroh sees him, but doesn't tell Zuko about it.
Suki and her fellow warriors find Appa, but unfortunately so does Azula and her two friends. Appa gets away, but it's not clear what happens to Suki. On and on Appa flies - but he doesn't know where to find Aang. He goes back to the old abandoned Air Temple and meets a guru who had a vision he would help the Avatar and came here to do so. He calms Appa, gives him a message for Aang, and is able show him where Aang is. Appa gets all the way to Ba Sing Se, flying right by Aang, but is then tricked and captured by the Dai Li. Damn it!!
"Lake Laogai"
Sokka has been trying to draw Appa.
Toph: "It looks just like him to me."
Sokka: "Thanks, I- Why do you feel the need to do that?"
Iroh's tea-making is going so well, he's offered his own shop! Zuko's not very excited, but he is interested when he finds a flyer for Appa.
The original Judy is back and trying to stop the Avatar and friends from spreading flyers. But Aang slams her and kicks her out. Looks like the Dai Li have some kind of hypnotic control over Judy. Jet seems to be helping, but we know he's been hypnotized and brainwashed, too; he gets them a tip that Appa was sent far away, but it's no doubt a trap set by the Dai Li to get them out of the city. Luckily they figure it out before they leave, and Jet helps them find the place he was brainwashed. This is where they program all the Judys. So creepy!! But wait, is this all part of the trap?? Yes, it is. Appa is here, but it's Zuko who finds him. Time for a showdown with the Dai Li.
Uncle Iroh is pissed at Zuko for taking on the Blue Spirit identity and trying to follow "his destiny," when they've started to build a happy life here. It's time to ask yourself, "Who are you, and what do you want?"
Jet really did change, and he beat the hypnotic suggestion, but Long Feng killed him. Brutal. And now after all that Appa's already gone. Or is he?? Appa flies in and saves the day, beating the crap out of the entire Dai Li. Dude, I'm a little ashamed to say it, but I totally cried with joy.
Zuko finally gives up his Blue Spirit personality - and possibly his mad quest to catch the Avatar, as well.
Some bittersweet moments, but ultimately this is a really joyful episode. Finally our heroes are all back together again, and have escaped the oppressive bondage of Ba-Sing-Se.
"The Earth King"
The gang decides to actually go back to Ba-Sing-Se to take another shot at telling the Earth King the information about the solar eclipse. And they get captured again, and have a really difficult time convincing the King they're telling the truth. Argh! So frustrating! On the plus side, there's a fantastic action sequence while our heroes are infiltrating the King's palace wherein the three benders in the group beat the crap out of the King's guards in truly awesome and epic fashion.
(I forgot to mention before: it's great hearing Clancy "Kurgan" Brown's voice as Long Feng.)
Meanwhile, poor Zuko picked up a fever somehow. That guy has the worst luck. But it does present an excuse for a creepy/cool fever dream. Iroh explains that it's not a natural sickness: Zuko's decision under the lake started a war within himself that has to fight itself out now. Cool.
Oh no, they're breaking up the band! Aang is headed to the East Air Temple to learn with the guru, Sokka's heading to meet his father, Toph's going to meet her mother, and Katara's staying with the King. But I can already feel it all going wrong. Long Feng is still a serpent lying in wait. I'm sure the letter from Toph's mother is a trap, and that the three Kyoshi warriors who arrived at the palace are really Zuko's sister and her pals in disguise. Argh! And I was right about all that. Damn it! One thing that doesn't really make sense about that, though: why, after Sokka found out that his girlfriend had arrived, wouldn't he stay a few minutes longer so he could see her before he left? It's a bit of a plot hole.
"The Guru"
Hmm. Zuko seems too happy and well-adjusted. I don't think this fever thing is really over yet.
Aah! The Earth King is telling the "Kyoshi warriors" all about the plan to invade the Fire Nation during the eclipse! Not good.
Man, it'd be cool if Toph could figure out how to bend metal.
Zuko's sister wants to take over the Earth Kingdom from the inside by controlling the Dai Li and orchestrating a coup.
The guru's going to help Aang open his chakras so he can master the Avatar State. Cool.
Aw, Uncle Iroh has his own tea shop. I'm very pleased for him. But I still don't think Zuko's transformation is entirely sincere. I hope it isn't, anyway. It's creepy seeing him so happy and emotionally open.
Aang is opening the hell out of these chakras.
Oh, sweet, Toph is going to metalbend! Awesome! At least one of our heroes is having a triumph this episode.
Oh crap! Katara spotted Iroh and Zuko in the tea shop! She's going to call them out and ruin everything.
It's even worse than I thought! The people Katara chooses to tell about Zuko are the "Kiyoshi warriors!"
In order to master the final chakra, Aang has to let go his Earthly attachments, including his love for Katara. But he can't do it. This sequence is exactly like Luke leaving Dagobah before his training with Yoda is complete. He sees his friends in danger, lets his feelings for them cloud his judgment, and runs off before he's ready. Nice reference!
Meanwhile, Azula's plan to use the Dai Li to overthrow the Earth Kingdom is working perfectly. She's even managed to set a trap for her Uncle and her brother. Argh! This is pretty horrific. Hopefully it will all somehow come out all right in the final episode of Book Two...
"The Crossroads of Destiny"
Azula's got command of the Dai Li and plans to have them take out the King and his five generals simultaneously.
Iroh breathes fire! He rules so hard.
Hilarious. Zuko doesn't escape with his Uncle, but instead says: "I'm tired of running. It's time I faced Azula." All Iroh can do is *facepalm*. Heh. Yeah. Pretty much. Of course Zuko is immediately captured by the Dai Li. He's such a fuck-up.
So Iroh comes to the Avatar for help. Team-up! They sweat a Dai Li warrior for information and now they know what's going on and where to go to find Zuko and Katara.
Sokka describes Zuko as an angry jerk, then says to Iroh, "No offense." Iroh says, "None taken."
Uh oh. The coup is successful.
I love the King's pet bear, Bosko.
Long Feng tries to double-cross Azula, but the Dai Li wait to see where the chips will fall, and Azula wins them over, through sheer will and balls. She's such a bad-ass.
Azula tricks Zuko yet again by offering him what he's always wanted - his honor and his father's love. Good God, he's stupid. When will he learn?!
Ha. I love how apathetic Azula's one friend is. She knows when she's outnumbered and beaten, and isn't even interested in playing out the whole fight. "Just take the bear."
Aang is overwhelmed by attackers, and tries to open the final chakra, but he fails and is defeated by Azula. Katara rushes in to save him, and Iroh covers their escape. Rather than use her magic healing water to fix Zuko's scar, as she'd offered to do, Katara ends up using it to save Aang from his injuries.
Everything has gone horribly wrong! I noticed a parallel with Empire Strikes Back in the previous episode, but I think the connections to Star Wars go deeper than that. The Books in general are proceeding in a similar way to the films of the original trilogy. The first Book ended with a triumph for our heroes, which was tempered by loss. The second has ended with a dark defeat and a kind of cliffhanger. Hopefully the third will end with ultimate victory, and a rousing chorus of the "Yub Yub" song.
I wish I had the first disc of Book Three right now! I would already be watching it. |
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