One of my favorite subtle jokes from Ember Island Players is Toph being played by a big strong buff dude, basically implying everyone lied to the playwright about who she was because they were embarrassed to say they got beat up by a little blind girl.
@@dollin971 It's definitely the showrunners doing that as a homage for the original Toph design, where she was indeed a dude. The same way the entire episode has a lot of self reflection on the entire show. "Did Jet just ... die?" ... "You know, it was really unlcear." is literally making fun of the obscurity of Jets demise, as they danced around the words "He is gonna die" (if I remember correctly, due to Nickelodeon not wanting that or forbidding them to use "death" too often or something to that extent) ... The bit about the little kid telling Zuko, his scar is on the wrong side? Also a nod at earlier scenes, where Zukos character is mirrored for a shot, but they didn't get rid of the scar ... so the scar was on the wrong side ^^ Most of the things in this episode are not in there, just because they are funny. There is usually more to it ^^
Zukos reaction to Katarra bloodbending is perfect. Imagine seeing the girl who says she will end you control another persons body and realizing oh yeah, Im screwed.
for real, they didn't seem to notice that Zuko just saw a new type of bending for the first time ever and was shook. which makes sense for him as it's the most invasive/scariest type bar none at this point.
I wish they would’ve done a little more with it, while I certainly like the subtlety of it… just wish it was a lil bit more noticeable. Like maybe have it where he still doesn’t say anything or gasp but instead we can see his full face react as opposed to only his eyes? Idk just spitballing
Zuko wasn't affected by the cooler because of the lessons iroh gave him in season one, when he had to swim in ice water to get into the northern watertribe, iroh said use your fire-breath and you can see him exhaling fire when he's in the cooler
Fun fact is that this was confirmed to be an airbender technique in the Legend of Korra - Tenzin explains that airbenders are able to warm themselves simply by practising the proper breathing techniques. This plays into Iroh adapting other forms of bending into his own skillset, and passing this perspective onto Zuko, even if he doesn't realise it (in the same way lightning redirection was adapted from waterbending)
So I don't know if y'all notice anything different about Zuko's fire bending? After visiting the Sun Warriors, Zuko no longer grunts when he fire bends.
Also, his fire is spinning and flowing in a much more harmonious way, reflecting his mental state (just like the end of his moral struggle allowed him to redirect his father's very powerful lighting).
The sound effect of his/aang's firebending is also different than all the other firebending we see in the show. Has more of a subtle 'dragons breath' sound effect to it. Love the small details in this show!
Very true; less anger. He's been slowly changing how he bends since Iroh gave him the four elements lesson, but now he feels like he's put together the whole puzzle including his attitiude.
What’s great about the Mai/Ty Lee betrayal at the end of Boiling Rock part 2 is that no one really expects it on first watch, but if you go back through the series again it’s subtly hinted at multiple times. Like at the end of Book 2, when Azula tells the Earth King “It’s a shame when you can’t trust those closest to you,” and you can see Mai and Ty Lee share a really subtle glance at each other from the corners of their eyes. Really brief and very subtle, but it’s just another detail that shows how much the writers had this planned out to a T
Mei shot her some side eye too when Azula told her to help untie Tyler's braid or something so she could talk to Zuko alone. A friendship of fear and blackmail to begin with anyway. No foundation.
@@Crimson_Tango they were not planning to betray her but they defenetily were never loyal to her and their glance was the sign that they both thought "what an irony this is. we are most close to her but she should not trust us because we actually hate her"
@@Crimson_Tango it’s not that they were necessarily planning to betray Azula specifically, but for much of the second and third seasons they’re presented as a trio of very good friends and moments like that a more subtle reminders that they weren’t really truly loyal to Azula for the sake of friendship and all they needed was for her to threaten someone very important to them for them to turn on her (in this case, Mai does it in order to protect Zuko and then Ty Lee does it to protect Mai)
In my opinion the recap episode was definitely needed so that we can have a chill time with the characters before the next couple episodes. "Respite before the storm" as they say.
I would agree it’s the weakest of the four because the entire back half of Book 3 is fantastic, but I still maintain Ember Island Players is the single best series recap episode I’ve ever seen
Every time I watch channels react to this series, one of my favorite things to do is to come to comment section to see all the fans going to incredible length to defend every bit of reasonable and true criticism of the show. Seriously according y’all there is not a single flaw in this whole show. It’s comedic at this point. Especially the fact that the same points are being brought up by all these different people who watch the show for the first time that prove even more that it is an existing fault point in the show. But always count on there being at least 50 comments explaining why it’s perfectly fine that the show did this thing.
@@mr.malcolmthegreat I think you need to calm down because is really is not that deep. We are as an audience are allowed to share our opinions on their commentary seeing as this is... the internet? There are people that will agree with their criticisms and there are people that won't and that's just how it is. The original commenter started with a straightforward "In my opinion" and simply stated why they think the recap episode was necessary in 2 sentences yet here you are ranting to a complete stranger over nothing and throwing a tantrum about how this random person on the internet doesn't share the same opinion as you. Miserable lol
@@leyIand I guess my mood is a little hard to pick up on when all you can see is text. Or maybe that’s just the typical tactic of trying to diminish my point by saying that I’m saying it out of emotion, even tho there is no reason to believe that. Either way, I was calm when I wrote that reply and I shed no tears during or after. It’s not a rant just because it’s has more than 2 sentences. What I said is still true
Mai was taking out guards left and right earlier and now she had Ty Lee to help, but I just assumed that with the prison riot under control by that point all the guards in the prison were able to hone in on the two.
@@Andorski Mai took most of those guards by surprise. They were pretty well surrounded and I' bet that of the guards were pretty powerful firebenders (they'd probably want powerful guards at their maximum security prison for the worst prisoners in the nation).
I always had the idea that Mai was just trying to protect Zuko by any means necessary, when Azula turned to attack Mai that’s when Tai-Lee stopped Azusa’s firebending. I don’t think it was the characters turning on the fire nation but a series of people trying to protect people. Once Zuko was safe and Azula was no longer an immediate threat the girls would of course surrender to their more crazy friend.
I always loved how Ty Lee immediately flips sides as soon as she sees Azula is about to fight Mei. There was zero doubt in her mind about who was actually her friend between those two and she knew it was no longer an option to humor Azula to avoid making waves. It's not easy to write a character who's apparently ditzy but is actually very well aware of what's actually happening all the time, and they did an excellent job with Ty Lee from the very start when Azula went to recruit her from the circus.
I can't believe yall are almost done! I hope you watch Legend of Korra too. Quick little fun joke the creators did in the southern raiders episode when it looked like Sokka and Suki were about to get it on, very quickly, the next day you see Sokka messing with a necklace with flowers on it, this was a subtle joke that the creators put in implying that Sokka got "lei'd" and Suki was "deflowered" Suki got her SOUTHERN parts RAIDED this episode.
LMAO SOKKA WAS A SOUTHERN RAIDER FOR A NIGHT The title of the Episode implies that not only Yon-Rah and the unnamed commander of the fleet are Southern Raiders, but also Sokka. Every time I watch a reaction to Avatar, some comment always teaches me another subtle thing. Avatar community is so unique.
Mai and Ty Lee let themselves get captured. It wasn't them deciding to betray the fire nation and align themselves with the avatar, it was Mai taking a leap of faith and choosing to trust Zuko with the path he had chosen because she loved him. Ty Lee didn't even necessarily choose to side with Mai(though she might have) and likely jumped in to prevent the escalation between two people she considered friends. With Zuko getting away there was no reason for Mai to resist anymore as she has no grudge against Azula, and with Azula subdued by Ty Lee there was no real risk of escalation at that point.
I think a lot of people tend to forget that Ty Lee basically got forced to fight for Azula, she was very happy at the circus and didn't want to leave, Azula demanded it. And then she was always the butt of the jokes for Mai and Azula, mostly treated like a lower class peasant. And Mai was pretty indifferent to everything, but you saw that she got abused by Azula as a early as childhood. I never saw them as uber loyal firenation soldiers and then Mai choose her partner over the tyrant and Ty Lee just didn't want to see her friend getting killed. There wasn't really a point to fight all the soldiers for them, the point was made, that they are not Azulas little toys anymore.
It could be argued that Mai and, by proxy, Ty Lee needed to buy Zuko more time. After all, the "gang" wasn't off the island yet and you don't waste time letting your prisoners get away. We can only guess at the writers motivations but, were I writing Mai, yea... I'd have her fight a little more to ensure Zuko did get away.
I think Azula’s play actor was the most accurate because they would be in big trouble if she didn’t like it. It’s okay for them to make funny/dumb characters of the enemies, but a really bad idea to make a bad portrayal of the Princess who’s known to be quite dangerous and flaunt her power on others.
The Ember Island Players is one of the better recap episodes from any show imo. It has several layers intentionally added by the creators of the show, kind of acting as a meta commentary and sometimes roast on themselves. Some little easter eggs in there too. I highly recommend checking out a breakdown of it to pick up on things you might have missed. This finale is one of the best of any show I've seen animated or live-action. Looking forward to your reactions.
I do enjoy that at the same time Zukos new family is still growing Azula is losing the closest thing to friends that she's got. It's a whole separate arc than Zukos and Aangs.
15:50 - You have no idea how long I have waited for this part. With all the jokes made on this journey from episode 1, I can now mention this bit of info. If I recall correctly, according to the creators at a panel, Sokka and Suki "talked" that night.
The play episode is one of my favourites mostly because of Toph's pure joy at her portrayal but also coz its one of the more creative recap episodes I've seen generally
Jen, I think Azula was always unhinged under the surface. What's kept her in check was the fact that she was the firelord's daughter, his preferred child, and a firebending prodigy, which allowed her to get by with just about everything. She was crappy to Zuko his entire life, taunting, lying, etc. him. I think their mother tried to keep it in check, but Azula was showing manipulative behaviour, and contempt towards others, since she was a kid, and that never diminished. Add to that, she had never been challenged, or threatened, by subordinates, and that's definitely what Mei & Ty Lee are: her underlings. Mei & Ty Lee were Azula's childhood playmates, but that does not equate to friendship in this case. Their true relationship, and power dynamic, are there throughout the series. Mei & Ty Lee, however, appear to have something of a friendship. A small example was when Azula wanted to talk with Zuko on the island, and he dismissed her because he was hanging out with Mei. Azula then said the same thing to Mei, and Mei got up and left without question. Or, bigger yet, when Azula was basically threatening Ty Lee at the circus, ordering the ringmaster to set things on fire, and unleashing all the animals under her, just to get her to join her? She didn't rely on friendship to get her to join her. Mei & Ty Lee, however, appear to have something of a friendship. How Azula treats those around her is not with any warmth or reciprocity, perhaps linked to that zenlike side you speak of, and IMO shows how imbalanced she, and her relationships, are. She has no idea what healthy relationships are.
It's not a filler episode, it's a recap episode. It's one of the best out there, using all original art. Too many are just clip shows, reusing photage from past episodes
It's not a filler episode, it actually has importance to the way the story is paced. It's a break between the post Day of Black Sun episodes and the finale
One detail I love about Zuko is after he learned from the dragons with Aang, you notice when he firebends, he doesnt grunt or yell when he does it, its more relaxed and calm and u can see that when he fought Azula in the boiling rock episode
I feel like Ember Island Players gets better the more you rewatch the show and have the characters memorized like old friends. It has got to be the best recap episode of any show ever, especially because it still advances the characters arcs.
The guy actor who plays Toph in the stage play episode, when he lets out that “sonic yell” of his to this day that’s in my opinion the funniest single moment in the entire show😂😂 It’s just a scream, the pitch and tone is perfect👌
Can’t believe you’re nearing the finale… it’s gonna be well worth the wait. Hopefully you watch korra after this too! Not as good but still a good show
Honestly they might enjoy how different korra is so I’m excited, I had friends who hated it only cus they were so attached to this cast and after some time they grew to enjoy the show
Korra isn’t quite as well put together in terms of story cohesiveness, but there is more adult themes so I could definitely see them enjoying Korra quite a lot.
Korra is best enjoyed after a short break. It's so different from AtLA despite being the same universe that going right into it can be very jarring, making it harder to get into. Though they may like that it's generally more 'mature' the whole way through, instead of the slow build of AtLA.
@@JCrushFitness and the writers still did an good job, they were very limiting in writing because they didnt know how many seasons they would get for Korra
This series was always planned to be only three seasons. With Aang learning a new element in each season. So the decision to end the show when they did was the plan from the beginning. It's a decision that pays off. This show has one of the best endings of any show you'll see.
What I think makes AtLA stand out is how great the do character growth. Zuko's story in particular is done really well because you expect him to Change in book 2 but then are rewarded with him seemingly getting what he had always wanted and feeling more empty than ever. Aang also grows, in a noticeable way, but maybe more gradual as well. he develops a sense of responsibility and wisdom throughout their journey.
In case you guys know that for the play episode, the creators had the actor of Toph be a big buff guy because that was who Toph was originally going to be until the creators decided for Toph to be a little girl. Also, I like that the writers are aware of their audiences. Especially when it was never clear if Jet died or not.
Aang was always like that as sokka says "usually its annoying but today i'm impressed", if you ever re-watch from season 1 you will get it, he was very childlike focused that's why his wisdom was over-shadowed, but you will see he was always full of wisdom, he is the most wisdom person after iroh in the whole series
Ember island players is one of the most underrated recap episodes. There's actually a lot of detail in it, like the fire nation erasing Xiao's failure and replacing him with Zuko since he is the public enemy, them poking fun at the ambiguity of Jet's death, and having the fire lord win at the end. It's guided as propaganda and changes to story to make the main characters look worse, which would be the fire nation's goal. Just great writing
Toph in the play was what the original concept of the character was going ti be. The decided to change her to be a little girl instead of a big muscle man. So they decided to joke about it in the play
I can't remember which one but Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dimartino, the co-creators of the show, were on a podcast about ATLA and discussing Zuko's arc, one of them mentioned the season 2 finale. They were very purposeful not to have Zuko join the team then because it would have been too easy. They wanted to specifically show him get everything that he thought he wanted and THEN truly realize it's not right. One of them said, "Things have to get worse before they get better." And that line made me appreciate Zuko's arc even more than I already did which I thought was impossible because I already loved it so much.
What i love here, Zuko starts called Aang, Katara and Sokka by their names, no longer "the avatar" or "the water tribe" or "the peasant", first it's Sokka then Aang and finally, "Thank you Katara"
There is this theory that Zuko didn't even know/remember their names because he never used them before (and I guess never heard them before either) and he only starts using their names after he heard them once after he joined the Gaang. I think its mere coincidence, but it would be a neat little detail
@@Bensonders Aang called Katara and Sokka by their names in front of Zuko in episode 2 and Katara shouted Aang's name multiple times when he fell into the water in the same episode. He's definitely heard their names before and I'm pretty sure he would try to remember them considering they're the people he's chasing after
The animators confirmed Sokka and Suki did do it. You can see the hickey on his neck the next morning. Also I really like the theory that Hama's bloodbending marked the rest of waterbenders for death resulting in Kaya's death
With the Southern Raiders, I love Zuko's reaction to Katara blood-bending! All told with the eyes, he's like, "HOLY SWEET MOTHER OF.. I mean, yeah, just another Tuesday."
One of my favorite moments of the series you wouldn't get on first watch but when Azula, Mai and Ty Lee are in front of the Earth King, Azusa says its a shame when you can't trust those who are closest to you. When she is saying that, Mai and Ty Lee look at each other, foreshadowing them betraying Azula.
Also fun fact, some people say the reason zuko wasn’t super frozen when he was in the cooler is because in season one iroh told him fire bending came from the breath and that air benders could heat themselves with only their breaths, some think zuko learned this airbending technique
I know that a lot of people will probably say this but the Ember Island Players is one of my favorite episodes of the series. However, it wasn’t when I first watched the series as it aired. I really wanted the show to just get to the series finale which was coming up after this. That being said, it’s meant to be a recap that isn’t just a clip show highlighting the big moments of the show. Instead it was getting you up to speed while also sneaking in meta humor regarding the writer’s and fandom’s opinion on the story so far. They fly over Great Divide because a lot of fans thought the episode was a waste of time; they couldn’t show Jet dying due to censorship from Nickelodeon; and they even poked fun at the whole Zuko/Katara pairing because a lot of fans really wanted them to be a couple even though they had no romantic scenes together. The creators were very aware and receptive to fan opinions. It’s honestly worth looking into, it’s incredibly rare to see a fanbase support show writers/creators as much as Avatar: The Last Airbender’s does.
“ all caught up, all finished” Ehhhhh There’s canon comics from the creators that are direct sequels to this and answer unanswered questions from the show. Also Korra is a whole sequel to the show that adds to the world and lore
@Hyperion I liked what Korra added for the most part in terms of the four nations. But what I hated was the spirit world adaptations. Spirits in avatar all had uniqueness and seemed otherworldly. The spirit world was really ominous and we never saw just random spirits floating around. Yet in Korra most of the spirits are just these weird blobs of energy and had no passion behind them. It was just a really bad retcon imo
The southern raiders is my favorite episode. I love that they showed that you don't need to forgive everything or hold a grudge, there are some things you can just let go at some point. That's so important. Plus I just love Zukos and Kataras very mature and wholesome relationship (yes, I ship her with Zuko way more than Aang) and I just love them both as characters. The boiling rock is great too.
Ember Island Players taking the anime trope of a Clip Show and turning it into honestly one of the funniest episodes ever was a stroke of genius. Most animes will actually just replay the clips from previous episodes, which makes those kinds of episodes feel cheap and ultimately there to pad out the season's episode count. By taking the episode concept and making it into an actual in world play that the characters go and watch is just a genius idea.
I thought you guys would be over these types of comments by now atleast. That's the only reason I continued watching. But statements that equal..."the show just started getting good" are just false and shows a lack of appreciation for this story as a whole. Sure at the time we all wanted a season 4, not because we just started enjoying the show, but because we loved it from the start and didn't want it to end! I know I'm gonna come off as a fangirl, but I don't care. Every video you drop these comments as if there are a TON shows that are SOOOOOOOO much better than avatar. When in all honesty shows like avatar are in short supply. I agree with the commenter that say you will prefer Legend of korra. That's not a good thing though. Korra as a show is not as well written as the original. So I think you'll like korra because you will get the instant gratification (aka the heroes make it out with little character development... but hey big pew pew bending powers!!!) that can be a side effect of poor writing. Season 3 of avatar the last Airbender is the culmination of years of arcs and plotlines, it has depth and heart. And Imo you nor Jen have never appreciated it. Anyway I'm done ranting now. Happy holidays yall.
The reason Mai and Ty Lee didn't put up a fight was because they literally had no where to go. They were in the middle of a boiling lake and if they got on the gondolas than Azula would have ordered it to be cut down. I think it was a decision to make a tactical surrender. They could have fought and ran, but then be stuck, and even if they did get away, they'd be on the run when they are from prominent Fire Nation families and probably have not faced much adversity in terms on living in the wild with very little. Or, they could surrender, get arrested, and because they are from those prominent families, probably land in a cushy prison in comparison to what could happen. Of course it was a gamble because you don't know how mad Azula was and she could just order them executed. I really like that they eventually betray Azula. In the second season when she is putting the team together, she pretty much threatened both of them to get them to join her. Mai less so, I think she just kind of demanded Mai come along, but Ty Lee turned her down and Azula burned the safety net while Ty Lee was doing the gymnastic stuff, then basically said she would come back every day to watch (and terrorize Ty Lee). You don't really see it coming, but it makes perfect sense after the fact that Mai and Ty Lee would have more loyalty to each other and, at least in Mai's case, Zuko, than they would Azula.
Theres a lot of small details in the plays animations that I love. When "aang" goes into the avatar state and "azula" shoots "him" with lightning, "aang" opens her eyes just a tiny bit to see and catch the lightning
Holden: I'll (cosplay) be the Firelord! Me: Which one? There's Sozin, there's Azulon, there's Ozai, there's...Ozai's successor... But I love how in The Southern Raiders (Katara episode) in the end, Zuko says "Violence wasn't the answer. So what're you gonna do when you face my father?" Then Aang doesn't know what to say. Also, the person who voiced the Zuko from the play is Dante Basco's (Zuko's Voice Actor) brother. And HONOOOOR!
I liked Mei from the first episode she appeared in. The writers also did a brilliant job of setting her up to be the one that finally defies Azula. It's one of those things that, when it happens, come as a genuine surprise. But, once you think about it, you realize that she was really the most likely person to stand up to her.
The voice actor for the Zuko actor in the play was Zuko's voice actor Dante Basco's real life brother. Also Aang being played by a woman was basically mimicking the practice of using female actresses to play young boys like in the play versions of Peter Pan.
Fun Fact: Fire breath is another reason why Iroh is known as the Dragon of the West (and he gave a demonstration of it in the Book 2 finale). So that means Zuko learned that move from Iroh, just as he learned how to redirect lightning. It's not a standard move everyone learns.
@@PixelPandas It's conflicting info, really. Iroh asks Azula if she would like to know how he got the name "The Dragon of the West", and she says she's not in the mood for a lengthy anecdote. He says, "It's more of a demonstration, really." Then he breathes fire.
@@Gestrid I think Iroh said that to confuse Azula, Azula probably thought that he was going to tell her about the time he “killed” the dragon but instead he breathed fire
I was waiting on this one! These episodes are some of the best especially The Boiling Rock episode. The play kinda hit some nostalgia feels in that you realize how far we’ve come and how close the end is
12:18 every style of bending has super hard techniques. Lightning and fire propulsion are def the top 2 for fire. Azula so crazy and full of hate that shes so good at fire bending. A true prodigy tbh.
The fact that we get a set of prison break episodes, a vengeance episode, and a parody recap all leading up the 4 part finale, make this stretch of the series one of the best farewells to any show
I don't know if it's a fan theory or confirmed by the creators but there's a theory that "breath of fire" that Iroh taught Zuko is actually a move Iroh created by reading about how Airbenders regular their temperature with there breath. because if it was a regular firebending move, then coolers wouldn't really work as a concept. Boiling Rock is also where fan's think Azula started losing her mind, not in the finale because of Ty Lee and Mai prioritizing love over fear, which is completely opposite of what Azula had been taught by Ozai. There is also a fan theory that Suki is actually a descendant of Kyoshi, who was the first Avatar to have children. There is actually a comic called _Suki Alone_ about her time in prison but it's sort of told through the eyes of Kyoshi who is narrating the comic. The name Kya is actually what they had originally named Katara in the original pilot. I don't know if you remember the moment where Sokka says he barely remember what his mom looks like? That is even sadder when you realize that he and Kya look identical. Also at the end of Southern Raiders, look at the size of the bubble that Katara creates. It's insane! Ember Island Players is maybe one of the best recap episodes because most recap episodes are just clip shows. The play is the perfect example of propaganda, from making our heroes out to be idiots, fairly accurate depictions of Azula nad Ozai, and the ending of Ozai taking over the world. The voice of Actor Zuko in the Ember Island Players is the Zuko voice actor's Dante Basco's brother.
It’s actually perfect that it ends here.. too many shows these days are dragged out and go from good to really bad because the writers run out of good ideas. It’s nice to see a show that ended on a high note and they always had an ending in mind rather than just writing it as they go along and make season after season to fill a television slot
I really love how Jen’s picked up on the beginning of azulas breakdown. I remember her making comments on how mentally strong she is in previous videos. Can’t wait for her to see how that progresses in the last few episodes.
@@xfireflarex I’m sure they’ve already watched and filmed by now. If not I think they know people will be talking about the show and are avoid comments until then.
I’ve learned to like the Ember play episode. It’s pretty much a whole recap of what we, the audience, had to go through with the characters but also having this light, humorous feel to it before getting the final heavier episodes
19:19 here’s a fun theory, since Kama started blood bending her way out of the fire nation prison, the fire nation realized that prisoners are too dangerous, so they started to kill water benders
The boiling rock is such a masterpiece for me because we clearly see the color of side character. With this episode, we can see may is such a loyal women to zuko, and ty lee is loyal to their friendship so they don't want them to hurt each other.
one of my favorite hidden things in the southern raiders episode, saw this is a post once, is that the southern raiders were looking for Hama who had escaped and on the run. hence why instead of capturing the water benders like they normally would, they weren't taking prisoners and killing the "last waterbender". so essentially Hama is responsible for katara and sokka's mom's desth
I SCREAM EVERYTIME WE GET TO KATARAS AND EPISODE!!! She was absolutely SCARY and she usually annoys me but I have to give respect because she A MASTER! You understand she’s a prodigy because her Master says it in season one after their one on one showdown! However when she is using every single form of water bending on this solo journey you really understand that she learns by sight! Which is opposite of toph who is literally blind and the fights they have constantly and what she learns from Toph along the way. It’s really beautiful story telling all around. Just wanted to put my two cents 😂🥳
that little 3 word sentence really has taken me far in life... and you said it perfectly with "I guess that's all you really can say" "That's rough, buddy." Holds a very near and dear place in my heart... most people just get it. Ya'know?
Perfect for this snow storm. Level 3 can't leave the house so you already know I'm kicking back with a cappuccino for another reaction to my fav show ever. Merry Xmas!
The Ember Island Players is actually meant as a series recap for the series finale. It's actually kind of a clever way to do that. It's also got a lot of inside jokes about the prior episodes. For example, they skipped The Great Divide ("Eh, let's keep flying.") since the fandom generally regards that as the worst and most unimportant episode of the series.
You can actually find early hints of Azula using fear to control her "friends". When Azula first recruits Ty Lee in Book 2, Ty Lee turns her down. Azula then says that, before she leaves, she's going to see Ty Lee's show. Ty Lee's expression changes. She's fearful. (She was facing away from Azula at the time.) Azula then has the safety net below Ty Lee's tightrope set on fire, and all the animals in the circus are set loose at her command. Ty Lee's expression while staring down at the flames is fearful. Azula then visits her friend backstage again, saying that she's going to have to catch her show again the next night. Ty Lee calmly (almost too calmly) says there won't be another show because she's sensing that the universe is telling her it's time for a career change, and she has decided to join Azula on her mission.
Notice how they said they’re “weren’t taking any prisoners today” and Katara said her mom was “gone” and the man had no weapon. That means Katara saw the burnt corps of her mom when she came back with her dad 19:55 😬
Couple fun facts about the Ember Island Players episode: 1. Dante Basco's brother voices the Zuko actor 2. The Aang actor being a girl is based off of Peter Pan notoriously being played by women because of their more nimble figures. 3. the Zuko actor's last line in the play, "Honor" is what Dante Basco writes in his autographs.
About Mai and Ty Lee not fighting off the guards-- I was always under the impression that Mai knew she wouldn't survive an attack by Azula (it looked like Azula was going to shoot her with lightning), but it was her intention to try to take Azula down with her. Ty Lee's attack on Azula was clearly unexpected by both of them. Mai was in shock by what had just happened and Ty Lee was freaking out over what she had just done. They were captured in this moment, but there were also an overwhelming number of guards, so they would've been captured or killed anyway.
19:18 Well, if you closely look at their mom Kya, you'll see she's wearing the necklace Katara now always wears... She's 100% dead unfortunately. Katara said she was gone to imply death instead of straight up saying the word dead. This happens a few times in the show.
I think with Mei and Ty Lee, they just weren't ready to truly turn on their own country. Mei attacked the soldiers to save Zuku, but she was clearly in shock when Ty Lee took out Azula. With Ty Lee, it's suggested that Azula intended to kill Mei with lightning, and Ty Lee had to intervene to save her friend's life - but that doesn't mean she viewed the soldiers as actual enemies. Sure she wanted to escape, but to where? And with Mei frozen in place, she couldn't just run off alone. My theory, anyway.
You guys got into this whole thing at the right time. Three new animated movies and a new animated series in the next couple of years. Are you going to be reacting to THE LEGEND OF KORRA?
one thing that’s super specific, in the morning after zuko asks about sokka’s mom sokka is looking at a flower necklace, that same necklace is named a lai, why is this important because last night he got “lai”d
Merry Christmas everyone!
U too and Gods bless. Cant wait for your reaction on the finale.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!
Happy holidays. Do well to watch Avatar Korra after
One of my favorite subtle jokes from Ember Island Players is Toph being played by a big strong buff dude, basically implying everyone lied to the playwright about who she was because they were embarrassed to say they got beat up by a little blind girl.
It’s also a nod to her alleged original character design, so it’s subtle on a couple levels
🤯 why didn’t I piece that together lmaoo
that's a great observation!
Or the showrunner just thought it would be funny...
@@dollin971 It's definitely the showrunners doing that as a homage for the original Toph design, where she was indeed a dude.
The same way the entire episode has a lot of self reflection on the entire show.
"Did Jet just ... die?" ... "You know, it was really unlcear." is literally making fun of the obscurity of Jets demise, as they danced around the words "He is gonna die" (if I remember correctly, due to Nickelodeon not wanting that or forbidding them to use "death" too often or something to that extent) ...
The bit about the little kid telling Zuko, his scar is on the wrong side?
Also a nod at earlier scenes, where Zukos character is mirrored for a shot, but they didn't get rid of the scar ... so the scar was on the wrong side ^^
Most of the things in this episode are not in there, just because they are funny. There is usually more to it ^^
This stage play is still better than the film adaptation…
100%
What film adaptation? There was never a film adaptation of Avatar The last Airbender!
There is no movie in Ba Sing Se
Lol and it's kinda commentary on the show and what some audience members thought about some things (I.e. Katarra x Zuko shipping)
I have been invited to Lake Laogai…
"Thats rough buddy" kills me every time
A meme is born everyone !
it's the sonic scream for me
That’s all anyone can say if they hear that 😅
Zukos reaction to Katarra bloodbending is perfect. Imagine seeing the girl who says she will end you control another persons body and realizing oh yeah, Im screwed.
for real, they didn't seem to notice that Zuko just saw a new type of bending for the first time ever and was shook. which makes sense for him as it's the most invasive/scariest type bar none at this point.
Not to mention, he didn't have anyone there to tell him she can only do it at the full moon.
I wish they would’ve done a little more with it, while I certainly like the subtlety of it… just wish it was a lil bit more noticeable. Like maybe have it where he still doesn’t say anything or gasp but instead we can see his full face react as opposed to only his eyes? Idk just spitballing
Zuko wasn't affected by the cooler because of the lessons iroh gave him in season one, when he had to swim in ice water to get into the northern watertribe, iroh said use your fire-breath and you can see him exhaling fire when he's in the cooler
And zuzu is goated
Not to mention he's learned true fire bending at this point from the dragons
Fun fact is that this was confirmed to be an airbender technique in the Legend of Korra - Tenzin explains that airbenders are able to warm themselves simply by practising the proper breathing techniques. This plays into Iroh adapting other forms of bending into his own skillset, and passing this perspective onto Zuko, even if he doesn't realise it (in the same way lightning redirection was adapted from waterbending)
@@georgercop curious to learn how he studied air benders since they were all dead
And even without his fire breath, pretty sure Zuko's pretty resistance to cold since he swam in ice cold water and even travelled through a Tundra.
So I don't know if y'all notice anything different about Zuko's fire bending? After visiting the Sun Warriors, Zuko no longer grunts when he fire bends.
Also, his fire is spinning and flowing in a much more harmonious way, reflecting his mental state (just like the end of his moral struggle allowed him to redirect his father's very powerful lighting).
The sound effect of his/aang's firebending is also different than all the other firebending we see in the show. Has more of a subtle 'dragons breath' sound effect to it. Love the small details in this show!
Very true; less anger. He's been slowly changing how he bends since Iroh gave him the four elements lesson, but now he feels like he's put together the whole puzzle including his attitiude.
“For a fire bender he sure is getting roasted a lot” GOOD ONE HOLDEN! I like it!
Sokka would have been proud
What’s great about the Mai/Ty Lee betrayal at the end of Boiling Rock part 2 is that no one really expects it on first watch, but if you go back through the series again it’s subtly hinted at multiple times.
Like at the end of Book 2, when Azula tells the Earth King “It’s a shame when you can’t trust those closest to you,” and you can see Mai and Ty Lee share a really subtle glance at each other from the corners of their eyes. Really brief and very subtle, but it’s just another detail that shows how much the writers had this planned out to a T
I thought the glance was referring to them 3 acting as kyoshi warriors and are trusted and also literally in close proximity with the earth king
Mei shot her some side eye too when Azula told her to help untie Tyler's braid or something so she could talk to Zuko alone. A friendship of fear and blackmail to begin with anyway. No foundation.
That would imply that Mai and Ty Lee were planning to betray Azula which I don't think they were.
@@Crimson_Tango they were not planning to betray her but they defenetily were never loyal to her and their glance was the sign that they both thought "what an irony this is. we are most close to her but she should not trust us because we actually hate her"
@@Crimson_Tango it’s not that they were necessarily planning to betray Azula specifically, but for much of the second and third seasons they’re presented as a trio of very good friends and moments like that a more subtle reminders that they weren’t really truly loyal to Azula for the sake of friendship and all they needed was for her to threaten someone very important to them for them to turn on her (in this case, Mai does it in order to protect Zuko and then Ty Lee does it to protect Mai)
In my opinion the recap episode was definitely needed so that we can have a chill time with the characters before the next couple episodes. "Respite before the storm" as they say.
I would agree it’s the weakest of the four because the entire back half of Book 3 is fantastic, but I still maintain Ember Island Players is the single best series recap episode I’ve ever seen
Every time I watch channels react to this series, one of my favorite things to do is to come to comment section to see all the fans going to incredible length to defend every bit of reasonable and true criticism of the show. Seriously according y’all there is not a single flaw in this whole show. It’s comedic at this point. Especially the fact that the same points are being brought up by all these different people who watch the show for the first time that prove even more that it is an existing fault point in the show. But always count on there being at least 50 comments explaining why it’s perfectly fine that the show did this thing.
Oh, they'll need it
@@mr.malcolmthegreat I think you need to calm down because is really is not that deep. We are as an audience are allowed to share our opinions on their commentary seeing as this is... the internet? There are people that will agree with their criticisms and there are people that won't and that's just how it is. The original commenter started with a straightforward "In my opinion" and simply stated why they think the recap episode was necessary in 2 sentences yet here you are ranting to a complete stranger over nothing and throwing a tantrum about how this random person on the internet doesn't share the same opinion as you. Miserable lol
@@leyIand I guess my mood is a little hard to pick up on when all you can see is text. Or maybe that’s just the typical tactic of trying to diminish my point by saying that I’m saying it out of emotion, even tho there is no reason to believe that. Either way, I was calm when I wrote that reply and I shed no tears during or after. It’s not a rant just because it’s has more than 2 sentences. What I said is still true
to me it looked like Ty Lee and Mai just gave up and let themselves get captured because they had no means to escape
This and running from Azula is probably very hard
Plus they were in shock.
Mai was taking out guards left and right earlier and now she had Ty Lee to help, but I just assumed that with the prison riot under control by that point all the guards in the prison were able to hone in on the two.
@@Andorski Mai took most of those guards by surprise. They were pretty well surrounded and I' bet that of the guards were pretty powerful firebenders (they'd probably want powerful guards at their maximum security prison for the worst prisoners in the nation).
I always had the idea that Mai was just trying to protect Zuko by any means necessary, when Azula turned to attack Mai that’s when Tai-Lee stopped Azusa’s firebending. I don’t think it was the characters turning on the fire nation but a series of people trying to protect people. Once Zuko was safe and Azula was no longer an immediate threat the girls would of course surrender to their more crazy friend.
I always loved how Ty Lee immediately flips sides as soon as she sees Azula is about to fight Mei. There was zero doubt in her mind about who was actually her friend between those two and she knew it was no longer an option to humor Azula to avoid making waves. It's not easy to write a character who's apparently ditzy but is actually very well aware of what's actually happening all the time, and they did an excellent job with Ty Lee from the very start when Azula went to recruit her from the circus.
The way you Holden can hear Azula’s voice actor in different characters that do NOT have the same pitch or pattern is CRAZY 😂
I can't believe yall are almost done! I hope you watch Legend of Korra too.
Quick little fun joke the creators did in the southern raiders episode when it looked like Sokka and Suki were about to get it on, very quickly, the next day you see Sokka messing with a necklace with flowers on it, this was a subtle joke that the creators put in implying that Sokka got "lei'd" and Suki was "deflowered"
Suki got her SOUTHERN parts RAIDED this episode.
LMAO SOKKA WAS A SOUTHERN RAIDER FOR A NIGHT
The title of the Episode implies that not only Yon-Rah and the unnamed commander of the fleet are Southern Raiders, but also Sokka.
Every time I watch a reaction to Avatar, some comment always teaches me another subtle thing. Avatar community is so unique.
Poor toph she could feel the vibrations
korra
@@joshholland8564💀💀💀💀
Mai and Ty Lee let themselves get captured. It wasn't them deciding to betray the fire nation and align themselves with the avatar, it was Mai taking a leap of faith and choosing to trust Zuko with the path he had chosen because she loved him. Ty Lee didn't even necessarily choose to side with Mai(though she might have) and likely jumped in to prevent the escalation between two people she considered friends. With Zuko getting away there was no reason for Mai to resist anymore as she has no grudge against Azula, and with Azula subdued by Ty Lee there was no real risk of escalation at that point.
I think a lot of people tend to forget that Ty Lee basically got forced to fight for Azula, she was very happy at the circus and didn't want to leave, Azula demanded it.
And then she was always the butt of the jokes for Mai and Azula, mostly treated like a lower class peasant.
And Mai was pretty indifferent to everything, but you saw that she got abused by Azula as a early as childhood.
I never saw them as uber loyal firenation soldiers and then Mai choose her partner over the tyrant and Ty Lee just didn't want to see her friend getting killed.
There wasn't really a point to fight all the soldiers for them, the point was made, that they are not Azulas little toys anymore.
It could be argued that Mai and, by proxy, Ty Lee needed to buy Zuko more time. After all, the "gang" wasn't off the island yet and you don't waste time letting your prisoners get away. We can only guess at the writers motivations but, were I writing Mai, yea... I'd have her fight a little more to ensure Zuko did get away.
@@Bensonders Exactly. I'm also surprised by the people that see Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee and think they're all actually friends.
The moment Suki said "I knew you would come" I immediately knew Holden was gonna say something.
I think Azula’s play actor was the most accurate because they would be in big trouble if she didn’t like it. It’s okay for them to make funny/dumb characters of the enemies, but a really bad idea to make a bad portrayal of the Princess who’s known to be quite dangerous and flaunt her power on others.
It's also basically a propoganda piece, so of course it portrays their leaders as cool but the gaang as a bunch of idiots
The Ember Island Players is one of the better recap episodes from any show imo. It has several layers intentionally added by the creators of the show, kind of acting as a meta commentary and sometimes roast on themselves. Some little easter eggs in there too. I highly recommend checking out a breakdown of it to pick up on things you might have missed. This finale is one of the best of any show I've seen animated or live-action. Looking forward to your reactions.
“I’m about to celebrate becoming an only child” Azula is something different 🤣
I do enjoy that at the same time Zukos new family is still growing Azula is losing the closest thing to friends that she's got. It's a whole separate arc than Zukos and Aangs.
15:50 - You have no idea how long I have waited for this part. With all the jokes made on this journey from episode 1, I can now mention this bit of info. If I recall correctly, according to the creators at a panel, Sokka and Suki "talked" that night.
The play episode is one of my favourites mostly because of Toph's pure joy at her portrayal but also coz its one of the more creative recap episodes I've seen generally
Can't believe next up we have the finale. Such an amazing group of episodes
Jen, I think Azula was always unhinged under the surface. What's kept her in check was the fact that she was the firelord's daughter, his preferred child, and a firebending prodigy, which allowed her to get by with just about everything. She was crappy to Zuko his entire life, taunting, lying, etc. him. I think their mother tried to keep it in check, but Azula was showing manipulative behaviour, and contempt towards others, since she was a kid, and that never diminished.
Add to that, she had never been challenged, or threatened, by subordinates, and that's definitely what Mei & Ty Lee are: her underlings. Mei & Ty Lee were Azula's childhood playmates, but that does not equate to friendship in this case. Their true relationship, and power dynamic, are there throughout the series. Mei & Ty Lee, however, appear to have something of a friendship.
A small example was when Azula wanted to talk with Zuko on the island, and he dismissed her because he was hanging out with Mei. Azula then said the same thing to Mei, and Mei got up and left without question. Or, bigger yet, when Azula was basically threatening Ty Lee at the circus, ordering the ringmaster to set things on fire, and unleashing all the animals under her, just to get her to join her? She didn't rely on friendship to get her to join her. Mei & Ty Lee, however, appear to have something of a friendship.
How Azula treats those around her is not with any warmth or reciprocity, perhaps linked to that zenlike side you speak of, and IMO shows how imbalanced she, and her relationships, are. She has no idea what healthy relationships are.
The Ember Island Players episode is no doubt the funniest Avatar episode ever, God it’s so funny and so meta all at once
Right?! I love it soo much.
If netflix does that live action series they should have the actors from the movie as the ember island players
@@joshholland8564 that’d honestly be hilarious
@@joshholland8564they all grown up now 😭
The theatre episode is one of my all time favorites. That is how you do a filler episode!
I see the end comment " at least the effects were decent." as a pre jab at the movie. even though the movie wouldn't be released for a few years.
It's not a filler episode, it's a recap episode. It's one of the best out there, using all original art. Too many are just clip shows, reusing photage from past episodes
@@Stupranos I kind of felt that movie's effects were meh as well. The live action failed on every level for me ^_^
It's not a filler episode, it actually has importance to the way the story is paced. It's a break between the post Day of Black Sun episodes and the finale
@@realKhalilG You could say it FILLS the gap between said episodes huh?
One detail I love about Zuko is after he learned from the dragons with Aang, you notice when he firebends, he doesnt grunt or yell when he does it, its more relaxed and calm and u can see that when he fought Azula in the boiling rock episode
My favorite and most quotable moment from ATLA “That’s rough Buddy…”
I feel like Ember Island Players gets better the more you rewatch the show and have the characters memorized like old friends. It has got to be the best recap episode of any show ever, especially because it still advances the characters arcs.
Zuko’s, “that’s rough buddy” cracks me up every single time.
What a way to start Christmas Eve! I’m so glad y’all are watching this and cannot wait for the finale!
The guy actor who plays Toph in the stage play episode, when he lets out that “sonic yell” of his to this day that’s in my opinion the funniest single moment in the entire show😂😂
It’s just a scream, the pitch and tone is perfect👌
And they reacted like 😐🙂😐🙄
@@DannyPotato ya lol🤷♂
Can’t believe you’re nearing the finale… it’s gonna be well worth the wait. Hopefully you watch korra after this too! Not as good but still a good show
Honestly they might enjoy how different korra is so I’m excited, I had friends who hated it only cus they were so attached to this cast and after some time they grew to enjoy the show
Korra isn’t quite as well put together in terms of story cohesiveness, but there is more adult themes so I could definitely see them enjoying Korra quite a lot.
Korra is best enjoyed after a short break. It's so different from AtLA despite being the same universe that going right into it can be very jarring, making it harder to get into.
Though they may like that it's generally more 'mature' the whole way through, instead of the slow build of AtLA.
Korra seems more their style, so I definitely hope theyre gonna check it out.
@@JCrushFitness and the writers still did an good job, they were very limiting in writing because they didnt know how many seasons they would get for Korra
This series was always planned to be only three seasons. With Aang learning a new element in each season. So the decision to end the show when they did was the plan from the beginning. It's a decision that pays off. This show has one of the best endings of any show you'll see.
What I think makes AtLA stand out is how great the do character growth. Zuko's story in particular is done really well because you expect him to Change in book 2 but then are rewarded with him seemingly getting what he had always wanted and feeling more empty than ever. Aang also grows, in a noticeable way, but maybe more gradual as well. he develops a sense of responsibility and wisdom throughout their journey.
In case you guys know that for the play episode, the creators had the actor of Toph be a big buff guy because that was who Toph was originally going to be until the creators decided for Toph to be a little girl. Also, I like that the writers are aware of their audiences. Especially when it was never clear if Jet died or not.
Aang was always like that as sokka says "usually its annoying but today i'm impressed", if you ever re-watch from season 1 you will get it, he was very childlike focused that's why his wisdom was over-shadowed, but you will see he was always full of wisdom, he is the most wisdom person after iroh in the whole series
Ember island players is one of the most underrated recap episodes. There's actually a lot of detail in it, like the fire nation erasing Xiao's failure and replacing him with Zuko since he is the public enemy, them poking fun at the ambiguity of Jet's death, and having the fire lord win at the end. It's guided as propaganda and changes to story to make the main characters look worse, which would be the fire nation's goal. Just great writing
Toph in the play was what the original concept of the character was going ti be. The decided to change her to be a little girl instead of a big muscle man. So they decided to joke about it in the play
I can't remember which one but Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dimartino, the co-creators of the show, were on a podcast about ATLA and discussing Zuko's arc, one of them mentioned the season 2 finale. They were very purposeful not to have Zuko join the team then because it would have been too easy. They wanted to specifically show him get everything that he thought he wanted and THEN truly realize it's not right. One of them said, "Things have to get worse before they get better." And that line made me appreciate Zuko's arc even more than I already did which I thought was impossible because I already loved it so much.
What i love here, Zuko starts called Aang, Katara and Sokka by their names, no longer "the avatar" or "the water tribe" or "the peasant", first it's Sokka then Aang and finally, "Thank you Katara"
There is this theory that Zuko didn't even know/remember their names because he never used them before (and I guess never heard them before either) and he only starts using their names after he heard them once after he joined the Gaang.
I think its mere coincidence, but it would be a neat little detail
@@Bensonders Aang called Katara and Sokka by their names in front of Zuko in episode 2 and Katara shouted Aang's name multiple times when he fell into the water in the same episode. He's definitely heard their names before and I'm pretty sure he would try to remember them considering they're the people he's chasing after
The animators confirmed Sokka and Suki did do it. You can see the hickey on his neck the next morning. Also I really like the theory that Hama's bloodbending marked the rest of waterbenders for death resulting in Kaya's death
Sokka was also wearing a Lai the next morning. He got "lai'd".
"I've never seen Azula so unhinged"
Oooh Jen, you have no idea!
When Mei says “I love Zuko more than I fear you,” gets me every time!
With the Southern Raiders, I love Zuko's reaction to Katara blood-bending! All told with the eyes, he's like, "HOLY SWEET MOTHER OF.. I mean, yeah, just another Tuesday."
I love the added metal instrumental to buff Toph’s scream LOL The comedic timing in your editing is good Holden
One of my favorite moments of the series you wouldn't get on first watch but when Azula, Mai and Ty Lee are in front of the Earth King, Azusa says its a shame when you can't trust those who are closest to you. When she is saying that, Mai and Ty Lee look at each other, foreshadowing them betraying Azula.
Also fun fact, some people say the reason zuko wasn’t super frozen when he was in the cooler is because in season one iroh told him fire bending came from the breath and that air benders could heat themselves with only their breaths, some think zuko learned this airbending technique
I know that a lot of people will probably say this but the Ember Island Players is one of my favorite episodes of the series. However, it wasn’t when I first watched the series as it aired. I really wanted the show to just get to the series finale which was coming up after this. That being said, it’s meant to be a recap that isn’t just a clip show highlighting the big moments of the show. Instead it was getting you up to speed while also sneaking in meta humor regarding the writer’s and fandom’s opinion on the story so far. They fly over Great Divide because a lot of fans thought the episode was a waste of time; they couldn’t show Jet dying due to censorship from Nickelodeon; and they even poked fun at the whole Zuko/Katara pairing because a lot of fans really wanted them to be a couple even though they had no romantic scenes together. The creators were very aware and receptive to fan opinions. It’s honestly worth looking into, it’s incredibly rare to see a fanbase support show writers/creators as much as Avatar: The Last Airbender’s does.
Can't believe you're almost done. That was a fun ride with your hilarious reactions!
“ all caught up, all finished”
Ehhhhh
There’s canon comics from the creators that are direct sequels to this and answer unanswered questions from the show. Also Korra is a whole sequel to the show that adds to the world and lore
Without spoiling directly Korra damn sure TAKES AWAY a lot.
@Hyperion I liked what Korra added for the most part in terms of the four nations.
But what I hated was the spirit world adaptations. Spirits in avatar all had uniqueness and seemed otherworldly. The spirit world was really ominous and we never saw just random spirits floating around. Yet in Korra most of the spirits are just these weird blobs of energy and had no passion behind them.
It was just a really bad retcon imo
“Cool motive, still murder”
I caught that Jake Peralta line there😁
Zuko has the best character development I‘ve ever seen.
LOL both of you making the same joke when Suki said "I knew you'd come" is amazing. XD
5:23 ok what, BOTH if you this time?! 😂😂😂
Jenn making Holden take the “juicy” back was hilarious 😂
The southern raiders is my favorite episode. I love that they showed that you don't need to forgive everything or hold a grudge, there are some things you can just let go at some point. That's so important. Plus I just love Zukos and Kataras very mature and wholesome relationship (yes, I ship her with Zuko way more than Aang) and I just love them both as characters. The boiling rock is great too.
I love how great a villain Azula is, she is so clearly insane, not just evil but full out crazy.
Happy New Year! Any chance we'll get the next set of episodes today? Looking forward to them!
Ember Island Players taking the anime trope of a Clip Show and turning it into honestly one of the funniest episodes ever was a stroke of genius. Most animes will actually just replay the clips from previous episodes, which makes those kinds of episodes feel cheap and ultimately there to pad out the season's episode count. By taking the episode concept and making it into an actual in world play that the characters go and watch is just a genius idea.
I thought you guys would be over these types of comments by now atleast. That's the only reason I continued watching. But statements that equal..."the show just started getting good" are just false and shows a lack of appreciation for this story as a whole. Sure at the time we all wanted a season 4, not because we just started enjoying the show, but because we loved it from the start and didn't want it to end!
I know I'm gonna come off as a fangirl, but I don't care. Every video you drop these comments as if there are a TON shows that are SOOOOOOOO much better than avatar. When in all honesty shows like avatar are in short supply.
I agree with the commenter that say you will prefer Legend of korra. That's not a good thing though. Korra as a show is not as well written as the original. So I think you'll like korra because you will get the instant gratification (aka the heroes make it out with little character development... but hey big pew pew bending powers!!!) that can be a side effect of poor writing.
Season 3 of avatar the last Airbender is the culmination of years of arcs and plotlines, it has depth and heart. And Imo you nor Jen have never appreciated it.
Anyway I'm done ranting now. Happy holidays yall.
The reason Mai and Ty Lee didn't put up a fight was because they literally had no where to go. They were in the middle of a boiling lake and if they got on the gondolas than Azula would have ordered it to be cut down. I think it was a decision to make a tactical surrender. They could have fought and ran, but then be stuck, and even if they did get away, they'd be on the run when they are from prominent Fire Nation families and probably have not faced much adversity in terms on living in the wild with very little. Or, they could surrender, get arrested, and because they are from those prominent families, probably land in a cushy prison in comparison to what could happen. Of course it was a gamble because you don't know how mad Azula was and she could just order them executed.
I really like that they eventually betray Azula. In the second season when she is putting the team together, she pretty much threatened both of them to get them to join her. Mai less so, I think she just kind of demanded Mai come along, but Ty Lee turned her down and Azula burned the safety net while Ty Lee was doing the gymnastic stuff, then basically said she would come back every day to watch (and terrorize Ty Lee). You don't really see it coming, but it makes perfect sense after the fact that Mai and Ty Lee would have more loyalty to each other and, at least in Mai's case, Zuko, than they would Azula.
Theres a lot of small details in the plays animations that I love. When "aang" goes into the avatar state and "azula" shoots "him" with lightning, "aang" opens her eyes just a tiny bit to see and catch the lightning
Holden: I'll (cosplay) be the Firelord!
Me: Which one? There's Sozin, there's Azulon, there's Ozai, there's...Ozai's successor...
But I love how in The Southern Raiders (Katara episode) in the end, Zuko says "Violence wasn't the answer. So what're you gonna do when you face my father?" Then Aang doesn't know what to say.
Also, the person who voiced the Zuko from the play is Dante Basco's (Zuko's Voice Actor) brother. And HONOOOOR!
I liked Mei from the first episode she appeared in. The writers also did a brilliant job of setting her up to be the one that finally defies Azula. It's one of those things that, when it happens, come as a genuine surprise. But, once you think about it, you realize that she was really the most likely person to stand up to her.
The voice actor for the Zuko actor in the play was Zuko's voice actor Dante Basco's real life brother. Also Aang being played by a woman was basically mimicking the practice of using female actresses to play young boys like in the play versions of Peter Pan.
Fun Fact: Fire breath is another reason why Iroh is known as the Dragon of the West (and he gave a demonstration of it in the Book 2 finale). So that means Zuko learned that move from Iroh, just as he learned how to redirect lightning. It's not a standard move everyone learns.
that’s not the actual reason, the reason is because it was thought that Iroh killed the last dragon, the dragon of the west
@@PixelPandas It's conflicting info, really. Iroh asks Azula if she would like to know how he got the name "The Dragon of the West", and she says she's not in the mood for a lengthy anecdote. He says, "It's more of a demonstration, really." Then he breathes fire.
@@Gestrid I think Iroh said that to confuse Azula, Azula probably thought that he was going to tell her about the time he “killed” the dragon but instead he breathed fire
I was waiting on this one! These episodes are some of the best especially The Boiling Rock episode. The play kinda hit some nostalgia feels in that you realize how far we’ve come and how close the end is
12:18 every style of bending has super hard techniques. Lightning and fire propulsion are def the top 2 for fire. Azula so crazy and full of hate that shes so good at fire bending. A true prodigy tbh.
The fact that we get a set of prison break episodes, a vengeance episode, and a parody recap all leading up the 4 part finale, make this stretch of the series one of the best farewells to any show
I don't know if it's a fan theory or confirmed by the creators but there's a theory that "breath of fire" that Iroh taught Zuko is actually a move Iroh created by reading about how Airbenders regular their temperature with there breath. because if it was a regular firebending move, then coolers wouldn't really work as a concept. Boiling Rock is also where fan's think Azula started losing her mind, not in the finale because of Ty Lee and Mai prioritizing love over fear, which is completely opposite of what Azula had been taught by Ozai. There is also a fan theory that Suki is actually a descendant of Kyoshi, who was the first Avatar to have children. There is actually a comic called _Suki Alone_ about her time in prison but it's sort of told through the eyes of Kyoshi who is narrating the comic.
The name Kya is actually what they had originally named Katara in the original pilot. I don't know if you remember the moment where Sokka says he barely remember what his mom looks like? That is even sadder when you realize that he and Kya look identical. Also at the end of Southern Raiders, look at the size of the bubble that Katara creates. It's insane!
Ember Island Players is maybe one of the best recap episodes because most recap episodes are just clip shows. The play is the perfect example of propaganda, from making our heroes out to be idiots, fairly accurate depictions of Azula nad Ozai, and the ending of Ozai taking over the world. The voice of Actor Zuko in the Ember Island Players is the Zuko voice actor's Dante Basco's brother.
It’s actually perfect that it ends here.. too many shows these days are dragged out and go from good to really bad because the writers run out of good ideas. It’s nice to see a show that ended on a high note and they always had an ending in mind rather than just writing it as they go along and make season after season to fill a television slot
I really love how Jen’s picked up on the beginning of azulas breakdown. I remember her making comments on how mentally strong she is in previous videos. Can’t wait for her to see how that progresses in the last few episodes.
shh
Spoilers
@@xfireflarex I’m sure they’ve already watched and filmed by now. If not I think they know people will be talking about the show and are avoid comments until then.
@@owentamborini6111 assumption is the mother of all failures
I’ve learned to like the Ember play episode. It’s pretty much a whole recap of what we, the audience, had to go through with the characters but also having this light, humorous feel to it before getting the final heavier episodes
@Holden Hardman was the phrase 'Cool motive still murder' was that from Brooklyn 99
19:19 here’s a fun theory, since Kama started blood bending her way out of the fire nation prison, the fire nation realized that prisoners are too dangerous, so they started to kill water benders
The boiling rock is such a masterpiece for me because we clearly see the color of side character. With this episode, we can see may is such a loyal women to zuko, and ty lee is loyal to their friendship so they don't want them to hurt each other.
one of my favorite hidden things in the southern raiders episode, saw this is a post once, is that the southern raiders were looking for Hama who had escaped and on the run. hence why instead of capturing the water benders like they normally would, they weren't taking prisoners and killing the "last waterbender". so essentially Hama is responsible for katara and sokka's mom's desth
I SCREAM EVERYTIME WE GET TO KATARAS AND EPISODE!!!
She was absolutely SCARY and she usually annoys me but I have to give respect because she A MASTER!
You understand she’s a prodigy because her Master says it in season one after their one on one showdown!
However when she is using every single form of water bending on this solo journey you really understand that she learns by sight! Which is opposite of toph who is literally blind and the fights they have constantly and what she learns from Toph along the way.
It’s really beautiful story telling all around. Just wanted to put my two cents 😂🥳
One cool detail is that after Zuko meets the dragons and learns true fire bending he stops grunting when he bends
15:52 the transition on Jen’s face kills me!
that little 3 word sentence really has taken me far in life... and you said it perfectly with "I guess that's all you really can say"
"That's rough, buddy." Holds a very near and dear place in my heart... most people just get it. Ya'know?
Perfect for this snow storm. Level 3 can't leave the house so you already know I'm kicking back with a cappuccino for another reaction to my fav show ever. Merry Xmas!
The Ember Island Players is actually meant as a series recap for the series finale. It's actually kind of a clever way to do that. It's also got a lot of inside jokes about the prior episodes. For example, they skipped The Great Divide ("Eh, let's keep flying.") since the fandom generally regards that as the worst and most unimportant episode of the series.
You can actually find early hints of Azula using fear to control her "friends". When Azula first recruits Ty Lee in Book 2, Ty Lee turns her down. Azula then says that, before she leaves, she's going to see Ty Lee's show. Ty Lee's expression changes. She's fearful. (She was facing away from Azula at the time.) Azula then has the safety net below Ty Lee's tightrope set on fire, and all the animals in the circus are set loose at her command. Ty Lee's expression while staring down at the flames is fearful. Azula then visits her friend backstage again, saying that she's going to have to catch her show again the next night. Ty Lee calmly (almost too calmly) says there won't be another show because she's sensing that the universe is telling her it's time for a career change, and she has decided to join Azula on her mission.
Notice how they said they’re “weren’t taking any prisoners today” and Katara said her mom was “gone” and the man had no weapon. That means Katara saw the burnt corps of her mom when she came back with her dad 19:55 😬
Oh man, I don't even think you guys are ready for the finale. I promise you guys won't be disappointed
Couple fun facts about the Ember Island Players episode:
1. Dante Basco's brother voices the Zuko actor
2. The Aang actor being a girl is based off of Peter Pan notoriously being played by women because of their more nimble figures.
3. the Zuko actor's last line in the play, "Honor" is what Dante Basco writes in his autographs.
About Mai and Ty Lee not fighting off the guards-- I was always under the impression that Mai knew she wouldn't survive an attack by Azula (it looked like Azula was going to shoot her with lightning), but it was her intention to try to take Azula down with her. Ty Lee's attack on Azula was clearly unexpected by both of them. Mai was in shock by what had just happened and Ty Lee was freaking out over what she had just done. They were captured in this moment, but there were also an overwhelming number of guards, so they would've been captured or killed anyway.
"That's rough buddy" is probably the most famous line in the series
*You miscalculated*
*I love Zuko more than I fear you*
Jeezuz Christ
Merry Christmas by the way
Zuko: Did Jet die?
Sokka: It was really unclear.
The episode with Katara and Zuko always gets me so emotional! T.T
Fun Fact: Sokka and Suki gave each other leis, so they both got lei'd.
19:18 Well, if you closely look at their mom Kya, you'll see she's wearing the necklace Katara now always wears... She's 100% dead unfortunately. Katara said she was gone to imply death instead of straight up saying the word dead. This happens a few times in the show.
These episodes are my absolute favorites across the whole series, the buildup to the finale!!!
For context… I’ve never seen a ranking video that didn’t put the last 4 episodes of this show into the 1st place spot
I think with Mei and Ty Lee, they just weren't ready to truly turn on their own country. Mei attacked the soldiers to save Zuku, but she was clearly in shock when Ty Lee took out Azula. With Ty Lee, it's suggested that Azula intended to kill Mei with lightning, and Ty Lee had to intervene to save her friend's life - but that doesn't mean she viewed the soldiers as actual enemies. Sure she wanted to escape, but to where? And with Mei frozen in place, she couldn't just run off alone.
My theory, anyway.
You guys got into this whole thing at the right time. Three new animated movies and a new animated series in the next couple of years. Are you going to be reacting to THE LEGEND OF KORRA?
one thing that’s super specific, in the morning after zuko asks about sokka’s mom sokka is looking at a flower necklace, that same necklace is named a lai, why is this important because last night he got “lai”d