Taking this spot so nobody posts an annoying "FiRsT" Comment, I bet this video is gona be great, can't wait to hear what you have to say about this one.
Zukos change seems less like a sudden shift and more like that you do when you decide you want to change, go way over the top for like a day and then give up the next day.
Exactly what I was thinking while put into better words. It feels too sudden and over the top because Zuko hasn't fully changed but he's trying his best.
@@kaksspl Plus we even see that he NEVER acts like this again throughout the show. It seems to me like he is trying to force himself into being happy and following Iroh but at the same time losing a bit of himself in the process. He is trying to be as upbeat as Iroh is yet it feels unnatural..because it is. That isn't really Zuko...it is what Zuko believes he should be. When he becomes his best self when traveling with the avatar in the next season he doesn't turn back into this bubbly person. He is still a bit angsty. He yells. He becomes agressive and sad at times...but he becomes him. He makes a few jokes every now and again and smiles but he also advice Katara into taking revenge.
@@bibbobella yeah, he basically sees both side of his"choice" in rather quick succession. First he tries the happy zen dude, he thinks Iroh wants him to be, then after the avatar's fall, he becomes the perfect prince his fathers wants him to be. Only after that does he realizes, he's neither of those things. And then can he see his true path more clearly.
It literally reminded me of someone who says "I'm gonna do better!" and then they realize how much work it is and how much easier it is to just fall back into old habits.
A friend I had who was really into new age spirituality once tried explaining chakras to me. He started by asking, “have you ever seen this show called “The Last Airbender?”
I don’t think a lot of Avatars would fully commit to doing it. Like letting go of all earthy attachments, loved ones, friends, families. Idk if one can even go back to loving someone again after opening it. Because that defeats the whole point of having such a loss.
Holy shit I've always loved Azula's line "it's terrible when you can't trust the people who are closest to you" but I never caught that Mai and Tylee look at each other there that is soooo gooood
It's foreshadowing for the audience, but I feel like, here? in this episode? it's more like "is Azula talking about killing us?" "you know she's gonna do it someday"
Maybe also a short and easily missed glimpse into Azulas psyche of never trusting anyone and beeing barely able to deal with it, even though she hides it through her facade
@@KairuHakubi Or it’s them going “yeah, tell me about it” because obviously they can’t trust Azula. Or maybe they’ve even talked more before this about being allies in surviving Azula. They may already have a thread of rebellion in there, already aware that they’re more loyal to the other than to Azula, promises to keep things secret from here…
and, it shows how Azula may try to be in control of everything, but she doesn't have total control over Mai and Ty lee. They are still able to go behind her back without her noticing, because she is always in front. And her being in front is kind of symbolic, because she chooses to be the leader, that means that she isn't able to see everything going on behind her.
Also, like, loosing Appa is a horrible thing for Aang, but it isn't something he can't recover from. We see that over the course of the Desert and the Serpent's Pass. He'll grieve for Appa, but I don't think his death would destroy Aang the same way Katara's death would.
The full moon gag is funny until you realize the more yui forgets to change the moon the more people hama (or whatever the blood bending lady's name is) forces into the mountain
Zuko is doing the high-ride to hit rock-bottom, an actual thing when you are going to have a mental crisis, it usually happens when you finally are aware of the problem but instead of trying to fix it, you now know how to hide it or think that you already solved it because you discovered the problem.
The perfectly smooth cross-subplot transition from Guru Pathik's Light Chakra explanation to Toph discovering metalbemding is still the biggest storytelling flex I've ever seen on any media ever.
Yes! A very specific beat of an already good scene that is so particularly good in its execution. The music and visuals too. They both help sell each other as scenes as well. Like, otherwise Toph's metal bending might have felt out of nowhere slightly? But because it is sitting within the context of guru pathik's scene and wisdom, within the context of Aang's spiritual journey, it is sold unbelievably well. And that in turn makes what Guru Pathik is saying more valid because Toph literally proves him right by bending metal.
I've always believed that Aang looks at the idea of 'letting go of Katara' all wrong. It isn't supposed to be about literally not caring about her anymore, it's about realizing that his duty as the Avatar is more important. Roku is able to master the Avatar State and still have a wife and children.
Yeah but keep in mind that Roku trained with the Fire sages and not with a Guru soo obviously he would be allowed to maintain a family because why wouldn't the Fire sages allow? Guru Pathik says to Aang let go and he even doesn't specify that isn't forever or for a short time, he says to let go implying is forever
@@Eric-py8yy When Aang saw a vision that Katara was in trouble and decided to help, this is a reference to one of the Star Wars episodes - while training under Yoda's wing, Luke saw a vision that Leia was in danger and also went to save her, although his training had not yet finished. By the way, Ozai was voiced by Luke Skywalker, aka Mark Hamill. Aang did the right thing by going to save Katara, because love is the most important thing, renouncing it is like death. Without love, Aang would just be the Avatar who controls his power. And he would never be himself
so many people at the "i have fuck you money" tier that i'm genuinely worried that OA is gonna run out of ideas for ridiculously specific and convoluted compliments
Another cool little detail is that Aang even does the proper “mudras” (the hand and finger positions while meditating) associated with each chakra. It’s not that important of a detail but the show still went the extra mile, their attention to detail is truly incredible.
wait! really? That's a thing?!?! I thought they had different artists just doing their own take on meditative positions. Like they'd seen people meditate and just drew that. But now that i remember how much effort went into the different martial arts and cultural representations, that belief was extremely shortsighted of me and certainly didn't give them their due.
i cant spot the different hand positions for either aang or the guru. they dont seem to match what ive seen online about the proper mudras. can you break it down for me? which chakras does aang/guru do the proper mudras for?
@@fredcho2815 I’m no expert but a quick google search shows that at 7:00 they did the “vam” for the orange chakra and at 8:52 they were doing the “ram” for the yellow chakra. I’m sure they accurately did the others too, just shows how amazing this show is.
Zuko's "illusion of happiness" feels real. Like, yeah, he thought he could make a 180° with himself after last episode, but it is just the start. That's why he ends up fighting Azula in the next episode and joining her later.
@@ensuverna I disagree. It is real change but its the incorrect one. While he can't let his past decide his fate, he can't let go of it either. Zuko understands deep down that it's not his destiny. He changes back to his old ways because there was nothing actually keeping him grounded to the tea shop. The moment with Katara was the closest he got but he still can't imagine a life fighting with/for the avatar.
Zukos behavior is good. As many have already pointed out, suddenly beeing over the top happy is usually not a good sign. But I also think its important for the viewer. You immediately realise something isnt quite right. If he was genuinly a new person, all the side jumping would make less sense.
I always interpreted it as him forcing his supposed happiness. Something I've noticed is people can 180 when they think they need to- and for Zuko, he was finally 'free' from everything chaining him down. So of course, he acts happy- But he pushes it too far. While he won a battle, he hasn't won the war, and it makes his joy feel less genuine. It's forced because while it is who Zuko is, he's forcing it through to the surface and making himself seem happy because he thinks he won. He thinks he's freed himself and so he should be happy. I always interpreted it, therefore... as Zuko lying to himself. Jumping the gun. And he falls into the same trap as before, albeit it less self destructive... He pushes himself onto one side and refuses the other. He refuses his anger. His rage. He bottles it up, thinking he's won. But all that happens... Is he made himself into a time-bomb. Waiting to explode. And we see exactly when that happens.
@@voidnoodle8911 I think he was making an honest effort. It's the first time he truly made a choice in direct opposition to what his wants and beliefs were. Sure he out on a brave face but I've been in similar scenarios. Even under drastic changes you're gonna backside alot. Especially if you haven't fully convinced yourself of the choice you made. It's why he backslides next episode but is able to come to and eventually make the choice he does in Day of Black Sun. Without this 180 and Backslide I'd have believed his eventual turn.
I just like the theory of the moon always being full because Yue is always trying to watch their progress. I think the only time it isn't full is because Sokka and Suki are having a moment so of course Yue isn't trying to spy on that shit.
See, if anyone has problems with how fast Aang went through the chakras, you have to remember, Aang is part of the air nomads, a spiritual people. He has been ingrained spiritual teachings his whole life. So I think it’s more normal for him to pick it up quickly than say if toph or Katara were to try to open up these chakras
@@allycard I feel like that is extra true considering that Aang didn't get over his firebending hangup after this, so obviously he didn't clear that chakra very well at all.
@@stoianandrei3681 probably, like, other people aren’t nearly as spiritual as Aang, so his quick advancement in chakra opening isn’t hard to believe for me
I love how you pointed out that Aang is a metaphor for the world with him unwilling to use fire as it's the problem..... It makes so much sense but my mind just needed someone to point it out to me lol
It seems like every episode OA points out some idea or detail I’d never understood before or seen any other YTer comment on and that’s why I always click on his vids
Just to point out, the original intent of the avatar conceptually was to be the spirit of the world, who was embodied so as to sympathize with those who live in it. Unfortunately Korra killed that, but I always thought it was the superior idea. But that's likely the reason why.
I think Zuko’s sudden change in this episode is experiencing something called “smiling depression.” My theory is that Zuko is highly discontent with his current living situation in the city with his tea shop, but he is trying to fake it till he makes it. Iroh tells him there’s nothing wrong with leading a humble life as a well off commoner, and Zuko may believe this generally, he doesn’t think it applies to him, and his pride and perfectionism say he’s meant for greater things. So for the sake of his uncle, or maybe himself, he’s thrown away his blue spirit mask, the symbol of his violent and unrelenting side, and has adopted a new mask, the face of an enthusiastic server at a tea shop, and he hopes that maybe that mask will become his true self and he can convince himself that he’s happy. His sudden change in demeanor from the last episode to this one feels unnatural to the viewer because it is unnatural to Zuko, and he is trying to tackle his internal struggle the same way he tackles all of his problems, with undying stubbornness and a head on assault.
After reading comments here my new interpretation of what's going on is that Zuko is still following a destiny given to him by someone else, it has just switched from Ozai's to what he thinks Iroh envisions for him. He still doesn't know who he is so maybe someone else does.
I find it so funny that Katara walks in on Zuko and Iroh’s civilian life. But I always thought it was a bummer she ran away. Like what if she didn’t notice them until Zuko was serving her. I know that would’ve changed the story but I’m so curious as to how she and Zuko would both react seeing each other suddenly in that context.
She’s a true sociopath. She definitely has stable control of her mind, being a near master of lightning bending which Iroh says requires “peace of mind.” In the end the thing that makes her lose her marbles was basically her finding out that she wasn’t as good of a manipulator as she thought she was. Her ability to control people was something that defined both her personality and power, losing confidence in that ability rattled her to the core. If her supposed best friends could end up betraying her, why couldn’t anyone else?
@@warpedwhimsical And to add the final nail to the coffin, she herself gets manipulated by Ozai in the finale. She becomes "firelord" out of "loyalty" and staying home is a very important job. We see Azula be a master manipulator and with two lines Ozai pulls her out of a rage state after she gets angry that she is not going to join daddy to burn down the earth kingdom (which was her idea).
Azula was "raised" as her fathers favorite, when in reality Ozai never valued his children for their strengths and weaknesses, but for what they could do for him. Azula was talented and pushed herself to do even better, but Zuko was prone to making mistakes. Azula grew up thinking she was destined for great things, it wouldn't be impossible to imagine Ozai telling her off screen that she would be firelord. She was always in control of what her future would be, so when she's denied that, she loses that control. Remember, Azula is only 14.
You mentioning the water chakra is associated with the genitals and then Pathik says it deals with pleasure and is blocked by guilt. I’ve never known all this before, and it just makes a lot of sense
Speaking of that just kinda just thought of. Did she just kill those 2. I mean they are trapped in that metal case, in the middle of nowhere and toph didn't get the ostrich horse moving again. So that means in about 3 days or so they will die of dehydration.
Speaking of that just kinda just thought of. Did she just kill those 2. I mean they are trapped in that metal case, in the middle of nowhere and toph didn't get the ostrich horse moving again. So that means in about 3 days or so they will die of dehydration.
You know, I'm not at all a religious person, but I really appreciate the way spirituality is portrayed in Avatar. It's not voodoo, it's about finding peace and acceptance within yourself (Aang), and about reflecting on the world around you (Toph). This kind of internal spirituality that doesn't hinge on anything but your own mind actually seems really healthy to me.
@@StarlitWitchy You realize that There have been colonizers that were Buddhist as well right which is what a lot of avatar spiritualities based on? Like there were a fuckton of Eastern Colonizers.
@@StarlitWitchy "cOloNiZeR rElIgIoN" Sorry, did the religion that tells it's followers to be devout, love one another, and try to avoid sinning upset you that much? 😂
@@FalonGrey The Spanish. The British. Manifest Destiny. it’s literally a colonizer religion, as someone who went to 12 years of catholic school, that’s something we learned heavily about.
11:34 I think Appa doesn't count as an earthly attachment because he's spiritually connected with Aang, since it's traditional that Avatars have a spiritual animal companion, which eventually joins them as a spirit later.
This episode should’ve been called The Eastern Air Temple. The other three temples get an episode named after them, so it would be more satisfying than if this one was too.
Well then again, in each other temple episode the whole Gaang travels there and the temple serves as the primary setting for the episode. Here the temple is isolated to Aang's journey. (Granted "The Guru" is also only referring to Aang's portion of the episode but at least there's a delineation.)
I want to point out that Zuko suddenly feeling better only to crash and burn an episode and a half later is actually accurate to real life mental illness. Someone suffering from anxiety and depression like Zuko suddenly seeming to be happy and upbeat is usually a sign that they are actually doing worse than they were before. source: Ive lived with PTSD, anxiety, and depression my whole life and have had several friends with one of these disorders, as well as the explanation was originally given to me by one of my therapists.
^^^ all of this. But also i think its Zuko like… really trying too. Like he’s trying to take all of Iroh’s words to heart, he’s trying to think and act and speak like he’s fully made up his mind and is has made it through to the other side, but hasn’t yet. Because he’s not like this bubbly person at the end of Book 3 either. I can speak from experience as well that i’ve had dark times (autistic, struggle with depression, anxiety, and c-PTSD) and when i have the slightest positive improvement, I can go overboard trying to make myself believe i’m out of the woods so to speak. I see it as a combo of those things.
Hi, o have a friend who’s been acting different for the past few months. We tried to get him to talk about what was happening but he just wouldn’t. A few eels ago he spoke to someone who I’m assuming is both a friend and a psychologist or something (I don’t know because he never really told me anything at all about what was happening. I only know that he was talking to her because every night I’d walk into his room to check on him and find him on the phone with her) About a day after that he was fine and he’s seemed fine ever since. I don’t ask him what was going on because I’m just not sure how to handle it. I don’t wanna be too imposing but I also don’t want him to seem like I don’t care. Now my concern, which I never thought about until I saw your comment, is that he’s better now but only on the outside whilst he could be dying on the inside. So should I really be concerned or nah?
@@tumbikani739 IMO, you have concern for your friend. Whether or not he is actually fine, just asking how he’s doing and letting him know you’re there for him is never a bad thing.
gdi, you're telling me my weirdly feeling better 3 weeks ago was actually the calm before the storm of me being anxious and depressed all over again? (Was literally feeling pretty good after so long for 2 weeks and it's been unraveling again since then. I gotta see someone about this lol)
I've also heard that this episode's end is an homage to Empire Strikes Back where our hero is in the middle of training with a master and sees a vision of his friends in trouble and ends the training prematurely, which then leads to even bigger problems later.
One of my favorite parts of the Sokka storyline and the validation he gets during it was that Hakoda mentions that Sokka’s bravery was the reason he left him to protect his sister. I think Sokka had been under the impression for so long that his father only told him that so that he didn’t feel as bad about going to battle. It must have been a huge weight off his shoulders when his dad related his worthiness to that task, because it showed that from a very young age his father truly did recognize Sokka’s potential as a warrior.
I think Zuko being over the top good makes a lot of sense. Whenever I try to make a big change in my life, I usually take it too far in the direction I want to go. But it doesn’t last when you try to force a change in your life like that. The fact that angry, grumpy Zuko is so happy is foreshadowing that this won’t last
It's really interesting that this season started with someone trying to make Aang autonomously access the Avatar state and the season ends with Aang going to do just that the right way, but that same conflict is what decides the ending of this arc.
ties together with how katara hated seeing him the avatar state due to lack of control and ending with her smiling at aang in avatar state with control
The season also started with the introduction of Azula and her using lightning, the history of the avatar state, and the spirit water. In the season finale, Azula kills Aang on the avatar state and the spirit water revives him
This one is full of excellent moments. I really like the scene where mai and ty lee are talking about how easy it was to beat the kyoshi warriors and steal their clothes, only for Mai to point out how stupid it is for them to give such expositional dialogue, as earth benders could easily overhear them, and they do, as we see the dai li. BUT THEN, they reveal that Azula put them up to it, and that’s why their dialogue was so expositional and unnatural. Most shows would just have clunky dialogue, but not avatar, it’s too smart
I think the key to understanding how zuko feels is directly in his line. He’s in an new environment new furniture new place new job. This can easily make you feel like you have cemented a new you. Then later when his past is in front of him he falls back.
Something I've always thought about when rewatching this episode: when opening the Thought chakra, I always got the impression that letting go of earthly attachments (i.e. those you love) was portrayed as just a bad thing, when I believe there are more nuanced and interesting takeaways. For example, being able to let go and move on after a breakup or possibly the loss of a loved one. Or a parent letting their child go out into the world and live their own life. It's not that you don't care about them, but you are willing to let them go. In some cases, this can even show greater love for this person than jealous obsession. In the context of the episode though, it totally makes sense that Aang wouldn't see it this way, and I thought the whole conflict was very interesting and engaging.
I agree! In my opinion, the only problem for Aang is that he's the Avatar. He's supposed to be the protector of the world, not just one person. If he eventually has to choose between Katara or the world, his duty is to choose the world, I think that might be where Pathik was coming from. But I totally get why he wouldn't want to^^;;
That's probably the case. Pathik's problem is that he phrases it in a way that could easily be misinterpreted as "you must forsake all earthly attachments in order to achieve this spiritual state." It's actually a common issue with mentors who try to teach the "you must let go" lesson. I've seen it in Avatar, I've seen it in Star Wars with Anakin's path to the dark side... they never make it clear that the problem with earthly attachments isn't *having* them, but *clinging* to them.
My interpretation of Zukos behavior here is that of a complete mental breakdown but instead of spiraling into insanity it manifests in complete positivity.
To me, it's more like Zuko's accepted hitting rock bottom and is trying to make the best of his situation. It's a solution, but only a temporary one, since the moment he's offered a chance to return to his old life, he takes it. It's one thing to reject your ingrained cultural beliefs when you believe you have no place in it any more. It's another to reject them when the path to regaining your place is dangling right in front of you.
+H. J. This, I was looking for this. I tried to think of it in terms I was already familiar with like addiction, because it's easy to get over the problem when you're separated from it, but if you have the problem right in front of you, the temptation is usually too much to resist. But this didn't quite fit because it's not really an addiction for Zuko.
Oh, I can't unsee that Katara's water is depicted like flowing blood. Every time I saw that scene I just saw it as water escaping her sac because gravity. Glad this is in my head now.
Avatar is so good at putting creepy but kid friendly imagery in your head Remember like.. everything about Koh? Or Ju Dee's slightly too tense smile? Or how we don't see Zuko getting burned by his father but we hear him scream and we only see Iroh's reaction
@@MILOPETIT I just realized thanks to your comment rhat what made Joo Dee so unsettling is probably the Uncanny Valley... she seems human but also doesnt
I like to think if Aang was the one to see Zuko and Iroh in the tea shop he would notice they are legitimately just selling tea and ask them about it. That is a conversation I would love to see!
Zuko's temporary upbeat and happy attitude only to crash shortly after is a thing I've done a lot when dealing went mental issues and trauma. Doing a big good thing and becoming hopeful that you're getting better, that you can keep pace and improve and change, thinking you've found a new way you can live with... Then to have a temptation, bad news, or messing up, or something that causes that temporary high of improvement to come crashing down and old stuff to resurface
Never realized until now that the scene where Aang rejects his final chakra, and sees visions of Katara in trouble, completely parallels Star Wars: Episode V when Luke left his training with Yoda to save his friends. Hell, even both the Guru and Yoda both claim that they won’t be able to finish their training if they leave now
yep pretty much starwars. Betrayal also happens yet this time its way more meaningful. Beloved character gets imprisoned. Main character loses. There's a lot of parallels to starwars. Also just a lot of parallels to most hero's journey stories
They both train with wise old masters, both seeking power through spiritual growth, and that very growth gives them a vision of a loved one in danger far away.
Also, both protagonists feel like they’re making the wrong choice for the right reasons. Both of them have friends and loved ones that mean everything to them. The choice leads to life changing consequences. In Luke’s case it’s getting his hand cut off and finding out the villain is his father, and almost getting killed in the process. In Aang’s case it’s getting struck by lightning and nearly dying, while Zuko betrays Iroh and everything he worked to correct in his life. This episode is just Empire Strikes Back with rocks air water and fire.
Yeah, I never understood Aang's understanding of the last chakra. I never took it as letting someone go forever; only the attachment to the physical realm. I always understood it as if your love one were to die, you have to be able to move on since you are the Avatar. You would have to let them go.
The thing is, as much as Aang is an avatar and is an airbender monk, he's still a kid deep down. Letting go of your emotions feels inhuman, empty. Hard to do even for adults. Harder for kids going into puberty.
Exactly. It's about learning to detach yourself from whatever you're attached to so that you can remain focused on your mission. This is a very useful skill for somebody in Aang's situation. Can't have him thinking about Katara's safety when he's busy fighting Ozai or have him go bloodlusted Avatar State whenever he sees her get injured.
Even with that interpretation, it's not a concept most 12-yr-olds would be comfortable with. I think most people STILL have little memories from even earlier years that still pop up occasionally and bother them to a degree, regardless of how irrational it is. Frankly, I'd be more worried than proud if Aang were totally cool with giving up on things lost.
@@WingMaster562 he doesn’t let go of his emotions? Where is that said? He is still allowed to feel, he can have love for people but must be willing to accept that sometimes people go away.
0:14 As Zuko says, "Things are looking up, uncle." he turns so that the camera faces his un-scared side. Did you notice that? ... Also, I love how that paragraph of analysis was self-aware.
A really neat visual feature is how Kataras water flows out like a pool of blood. It feels like something you appreciate, with the nice animation and the cleaver way of making it look more gruesome.
That goes agains their definition, shame is strictly internalized, otherwise it wouldn't be shame, guilt is recognizing doing something wrong, but that won't make it define you (that is shame). But both can be induced by others, or develop without "outside help", so there is that.
If you add the concept of hurting, that's right. Guilt is feeling bad because you hurt someone else, shame is just feeling that you suck. It's an utterly self-focused emotion, simultaneously selfish and self-destructive, while guilt is productive and focuses on other people. It's very difficult to feel guilt if there was no other person involved, but you can hate yourself easily with no interaction.
11:57. Another interesting note is that Aang pointed out how “three chakras ago” (when he was opening his air chakra) his love for Katara was a good thing, and now it’s supposedly holding him back, which doesn’t seem to make sense. That’s actually the source of a character’s internal conflict; not knowing whether to listen to their head (crown chakra) or their heart (air chakra. Genius.
Whenever someone tells Toph that she can't do something she immediately proves then wrong "she can't see" learns to see through the earth, "she can't earth bend" learns from the badger moles, "you can't bend metal" just watch me
Speaking of how badass Toph is, one can only imagine the fear that she would strike into her enemies if she were the Avatar, right? Would probably make the fire nation yield with her earth bending.
@@robertkovarna8294 I guess the closet we would get to seeing Avatar Toph would be Kyoshi. I imagine Kyoshi would have been pretty terrifying. If Sozin fucked with her like he did with Roku she would have wiped his ass off the planet instantly.
I adore that scene about aang not letting go of katara, that's the moment I think where he realized that it wasn't just a boyhood crush anymore, that it became genuine feelings of love and affection for katara, and the realization that he would give up all the power in world not to lose her is what makes him leaving more human and believable to be
Another cool stuff i noticed in this episode is that every single location for each chakra goes from bottom to top just as they are located in the body, they start in kind of a subterranean cave and the last one takes place at the highest point of the highest tower of the eastern air temple. Also the element associated with each of the chakras is present on its respective lesson (earth/cave, water/waterfall, fire/ sunrise, heart/ air nomad statues, sound/ echo or throat singing, light/sunset light, cosmic energy/ clear night sky) ... Oh i've just watched this show soooo many time, i love it!!!
Aang foreshadowed twice earlier in the series “what id give to be a metal bender” while on top of the drill, and i believe as far back as when he’s chained up in the blue spirit episode
The reason Zuko's change feels so hollow all of a sudden is probably because he's intentionally trying to act out of character. Considering he's been so mentally taxed over the last while to literally put him out of commission, the writers probably were setting up this facade as foreshadowing to the return to normalcy in the finale. It sort of creates this interesting dichotomy where we see him do the opposite of what he's been doing; instead of dramatically siding with his father, he's dramatically on his uncle's side until a decision comes and breaks this fragile facade.
One thing I love is how Toph shakes her hand after punching the metal the first time. Like she expected it to hurt a lot, but then just kinda didn't as much as she was expecting.
Hey, thanks for pointing out the badger mole statues being replaced! I can't believe I missed that critical piece of information the first time around. Also, the bit about the chair for the lemur had me dying. That's such a funny joke that I didn't get the first time around. She asked for a chair specifically for Momo. That's so sweet and yet so funny
I remember watching this with my brother and when Ozai's shadow shows up at 6:00, he shouted: "It's Sozin! Uh, I mean Azulon!", he knew it was actually meant to be the current Fire Lord, but he just couldn't remember the his name because he made that little impact on him.
I just wanna say: "It's another one of her tricks!" "There's a giant hole in the box! How is that a trick!?" Is my favorite comedic exchange in the whole series. It's just the perfect response to that line.
Love that one and I also like Master Yu saying "Nice try Toph, but you can't fool me!" Just milliseconds after Xin Fu had to stop him from doing exactly what Toph was wanting him to do.
I always got big Empire Strikes Back vibes from this and the finale. I know that the Hero's Journey and all that mean that everything resembles Star Wars at least somewhat, but this really goes all in.
I mean the destined hero literally has a vision of his friends in trouble during a critically stressful part of training and then leaves training and is explicitly warned by the spiritual master not to go. And they both end up falling for a trap. The only way it can be more empire is if azula cut off his hand and told aang that she was his father
I think I was the most hyped for this video. Seeing Sokka and Zuko happy, as well as Toph being an absolute badass is only half of what I love about this episode c:
when he says that what makes Azula a great villian is her mental stability then i instantly think about the finally where she has the opposite of mental stability
I totally agree. This is one of my favorite episodes of the entire series. Seeing Aang's avatar spirit as a giant version of himself floating in the cosmos is one of the coolest things I've ever seen and I love that we share the same reaction. And I always cry when Aang thinks about his grief, and his entire people appear before him and then flash into steam, fading away forever. Its really easy to forget that his entire way of life and culture were erased, since that idea has taken a back seat with how much has gone on throughout the show. But its incredibly sad, actually. Aang didn't just lose a family member or a friend. He lost everyone and everything. This is the reason why he's so easy to sympathize with, and why you root for him to succeed in whatever he does, and why you want to side with him on almost every issue. Even in the end when he refuses to kill the firelord. Its not about doing what he needs to for the betterment of all people and the balance of the world. That ideal of pacifism is that *last* connection he has to his people and he can't even imagine abandoning it, even if its the rational decision. That's why I love Aang so much in this show, because he feels like a genuinely real person.
Can I just say that I love the "I have f*ck you money" shoutouts. I never feel like I want to skip the Patreon part of the episode because they're so amusing!
9:55 I would also attribute this to aang’s spiritual upbringing. if it were sokka going on this journey, they’d need a whole episode just to teach him how to do the meditation foot crossover thing
Two things: 1st) While in episode time, Aang takes about 10 minutes to clear his chakras, we clearly see multiple hours of almost a full day passing on his journey, though it could be a couple of days of journey. 2nd) The scene at 12:24 and its successive scenes in later episodes are among my favorites of the series as well.
there's nothing implying it takes several days. We dont see Sokka and Hakoda with each other for several days, it's been a day. Same thing with Katara and the invasion. Zuko says "it's the opening of his [Iroh's] teashop" meaning it's still the same day. Aang is more than likely able to go through the chakra's because he is an air nomad. The Air Nomads are monks and are the most spiritual of the 4 nations.
the ba sing se epsiodes are my favorites of the whole series, the arc from the drill to the season 2 finale is so strong, and you can really tel how much the show has grown since the beginning of the first season. even though we barely see hakoda save for one flashback, the emotional swelling of the music when sokka sees him for the first time just hits so hard. everything just works. Even though aang is very in touch with his spirituality, during this episode we see the setbacks he still caries with him.
The moment when Katara sees Zuko and Iroh in the tea shop is deadass one of the most stomach-dropping moments in the whole show for me. Also, Aang leaving before unlooking his final chakra is akin to Luke leaving Dagobah early in Empire.
4:35 I laughed so hard. Also, just wanted to say thanks for making this series. It's hard for me to watch through A:TLA again normally. I don't want to blame mental stuff but as much as I love the show, inattentive ADHD makes it almost impossible to do. Your series, on the other hand, has given me the ability to 'watch' it again in a format different enough to keep my attention, and your insights and humor are always greatly appreciated.
Man, I feel this. I also have inattentive ADHD. I just "watched" this show through again, for probably the 20th time, recently. And by "watched" I mean it was background noise while I played games. Because I can't just consume one type of media and enjoy it without the goblins in my head screaming for more stimulation.
13:57 - i believe that at this point long feng still has control of the dai li, and azula & co posing as kiyoshi warriors have no legal authority to detain katara. the earth kingdom gestapo can sort of do whatever they want, and since mister french braid is pulling the strings, he is effectively the one who has katara and can use her as bait even though azula is the one who captured her.
I've always read Zuko's happiness in this episode as performative. It's something I did in the past when my family has done stuff to chear me up, because sometimes that doesn't work, but you think it would hurt them more if their efforts up til then went to waste. The drastic shift here reads as insincere because maybe it's supposed to. Zuko is just behavinging what he thinks his happy should be. I know that that implies that Zuko's crazy out of character chipperness somehow fools Iroh, but I don't think it's hard to believe that Iroh was just willing to believe that Zuko's happiness could genuinely happen then, he believed Zuko was trying to be happy and wanted it to work even if it started as pretending to be happy. Zuko is trying to convince his uncle, but more so himself that he can be happy with what they have.
It is possible for Iroh to be fooled or not care. He has always wanted Zuko to give up what he wanted, possibly to focus on simpler pleasures like tea. So even though it is out of nowhere, since it matches what Iroh sees as progress, he accepts Zuko’s behavior as sincere and not performative/forced/indicative of a person barely holding things together.
9:18 Honestly that kind of makes sense to me. It's quite possible that due to both his raw talent with airbending and his destiny as the Avatar, that he got a lot of special training and focus from the monks, possibly preventing him from spending a lot of time with his peers. Not to mention that whenever Aang talks about his friends from the past, Gyatso is the only other airbender he really talks about with all the others being from somewhere else, this tells me that Aang probably didn't have a lot of close friends among the nomads.
Love this episode because the main story line branches off into 4 interesting unique stories and then simultaneously brings them all back plus like 3 other sorry lines all to converge at the crossroads of destiny. It's fantastic
It took me until this episode to realize the direct contrast between the course of Sokka and Zuko's lives. They have a lot in common: they both had to come to grips with being involved in a war at a young age. For Sokka, he was a man enough already in the eyes of his father to be trusted with protecting his entire village, becoming "something of a prince" himself, whereas Zuko was seen as not man enough by his father and Azulon for speaking up about sacrificing the 41st division of the fire nation army, and then not man enough to face his father in an agni kai, so he was stripped of his title as prince. For both of them, these very formative moments would be the last time they see their fathers for a long time, with both of them going on to work through understanding the destinies that they were assigned in those moments. In the end, both Sokka and Zuko overtook their fathers' roles in their respective nations, both accomplishing more than their fathers ever could have. Sokka became a man that Hakota couldn't have been prouder of, and Zuko became a man that Ozai would be disgusted by, but they were both incredibly good examples to the little boys in the show's audience of what a good man looks like. The concept of 'being a man someday' was a complicated one for me growing up with an abusive father and no other intimate examples of what a man is, and I think it's beautiful that the show had this message in there that your upbringing doesn't have to limit the extent to which you can choose to be a good human.
Dang, Zuko has parallels with the entire Gaang. The show does a fantastic job portraying Aang's parallels with him. With Katara in the very next episode they talk about what they have in common and (further elaborated in Southern Raiders) how its shaped them. For Toph, both coming from privileged lifestyles that try to go on their own before realizing having companionship is better. That might be the weakest commonality, hence why they don't get a whole episode together to bond, but it's still there.
there’s a youtuber who analyzed the dichotomy of zuko and sokka in terms of toxic vs healthy masculinity. and they went in depth about azula and kataras displays of toxic vs healthy femininity
I'd just like to say that your content really does put a smile on my face, and watching it really is a highlight of my day when a new video come out. You create a unique and inviting atmosphere for the audience, and that's no small task. So thank you for your work, It's truly appreciated.
too be fair on the moon thing, you can have a moon look full for several days in a row, because the sliver missing is usually blurred by the glow of the moon if its small enough, depending on weather and light polution you could have a moon LOOK full close to 40% of the cycle between full and halfmoons, which I wanna say is even more if you count both the cycle before and after a full moon, might make it 40% of the entire cycle, I dunno.
Dude I'm 30 now and been married 7y. I've watched ATLA at very different points in life, and it always has a deeper layer I had to be ready to understand. These days, there are many episodes that make me misty eyed.
That sounds like an Iroh quote "Shame and guilt are two separate but linked feelings. Guilt is when you perceive others thinking badly of you for something you've done, but shame, shame is when you are disappointed in yourself ."
I didn't have the same conflict Aang had with the last chakra. I interpret "forget it" as a willingness to let go. You may have feelings for it, but be ready to leave it behind if you ever need to. To not be bound by it.
Thank you for pointing out those Badger-Mole statues, I'm not sure how I've lived this long without knowing about that or if I can even call my life before now "living"
2:58 "He's, what, minimum 110 years old then? If they were like colleagues he's probably at least 160? 170? If your body weight - in pounds - is ever LOWER than your age I think that's a pretty enormous accomplishment." 🤣🤣
When it comes to Zuko suddenly changing, I think it's because, up to that point, he had refused to truly give up on getting his father's forgiveness and going home. Despite his dad literally sending Azula to arrest him, despite being impoverished fugitives for probably months, I think he was unwilling to let go of the thing he'd spent 3 years of his life pursuing. But finally, when he realized that capturing Appa would be pointless and made the choice to set him free, it was like the last little bit of his stubbornness was released. Finally, he accepted that he could never go back to the way things were. He would never see his dad or his home again. Earlier, we saw him being tempted by Jin to let go, too, and he actually seemed to be very conflicted over it, but just couldn't do it. He refused to actually do anything that would tie him to Ba Sing Se, cause his determination to return to his old life was holding him back. But once that was finally gone, he could then start to try make a new life for himself. I don't think he was really as chipper as he seemed after getting over his sickness. I think, honestly, it was more like he was directing all of his energy towards his new goal of living as Li instead of Zuko. And to do that, he's basically forcing himself to see only the positives and do whatever he needed to make the best life possible. One of Zuko's best traits is just how determined and hardworking he is when he sets his mind to something, after all. But then, as we know, Azula just HAS to dangle that carrot in front of him again. And suddenly, his old obsession comes right back. Because it was never really properly dealt with. He didn't give it up by choice. He gave it up because he thought it was hopeless. But then, she gave him hope again. Obviously he's going to choose to follow Azula. It only makes sense. I honestly think what went on with Zuko in these episodes was done masterfully well. But that's just me.
I think you have shame and guilt backwards, at least when it comes to the source. When you feel guilt, you typically don't need others to say anything because you know you did something wrong. Shame, on the other hand, usually only comes when you know someone knows what you did.
no i think you two are right but just missing each other's point. What i think OA meant is something closer to this: Guilt is feeling bad about what you did (often to other people), while shame is feeling bad about who you are (regardless of how people perceive you). but i might be wrong (those two words already have pretty big overlap anyway)
Another cool detail about this episode is when Aang is meditating he uses different hand postures for different chakra's. Amazing work by the people who did their research
I remember when I first watched the series as a kid being really confused at how earth benders couldn't do anything with metal, since it all pretty much comes out of the ground anyway, specifically the imprisoned earth benders in S1 was a bit frustrating to watch with it in the back of my mind. The moment with the guru talking about what makes up metal while Toph also figures it out was still a little internally frustrating at the time for the same reason but still felt a lot better seeing it could be done in the end. I got a lot more comfortable with the idea after this episode since it acknowledged that it can be done.
It's worth noting that metal is considered its own element in a number of Asian cultures, so it's possible that a similar conception exists in the world of ATLA which needs to be overcome by someone like Toph
Hey guys, do me another favor and leave me a like and comment, let's keep this ball rolling baby
Taking this spot so nobody posts an annoying "FiRsT" Comment, I bet this video is gona be great, can't wait to hear what you have to say about this one.
FiRsT!
well crap
I binged all your content in like 2 days lmao, thanks for bringing a new way to appreciate ATLA into my life!
hey when you’re done with atla will you do lok? orrr no bc lok doesn’t hold the same value to you as atla
Zukos change seems less like a sudden shift and more like that you do when you decide you want to change, go way over the top for like a day and then give up the next day.
Exactly what I was thinking while put into better words. It feels too sudden and over the top because Zuko hasn't fully changed but he's trying his best.
Yes, exactly. I agree.
@@kaksspl Plus we even see that he NEVER acts like this again throughout the show.
It seems to me like he is trying to force himself into being happy and following Iroh but at the same time losing a bit of himself in the process.
He is trying to be as upbeat as Iroh is yet it feels unnatural..because it is.
That isn't really Zuko...it is what Zuko believes he should be.
When he becomes his best self when traveling with the avatar in the next season he doesn't turn back into this bubbly person.
He is still a bit angsty. He yells. He becomes agressive and sad at times...but he becomes him.
He makes a few jokes every now and again and smiles but he also advice Katara into taking revenge.
@@bibbobella yeah, he basically sees both side of his"choice" in rather quick succession. First he tries the happy zen dude, he thinks Iroh wants him to be, then after the avatar's fall, he becomes the perfect prince his fathers wants him to be.
Only after that does he realizes, he's neither of those things. And then can he see his true path more clearly.
It literally reminded me of someone who says "I'm gonna do better!" and then they realize how much work it is and how much easier it is to just fall back into old habits.
A friend I had who was really into new age spirituality once tried explaining chakras to me. He started by asking, “have you ever seen this show called “The Last Airbender?”
This was posted 23 minutes ago
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@@Iianator he activated his chakras
@@sand2159 2 episodes * [ 14:31 ]
@@Iianator he dominated them chakras (if u a patreon u will gain 2 ep ahead
About the time he took to clear his Chakras, I think him being an already educated monk might help.
yeah, i really dont see kyoshi doing the chakra thing lol
Yeah he's a master Airbending monk already
@JelliusMaximus i dont think so, im pretty sure each avatar had to find its own way to do it. for aang, a monk, it was through meditation.
@JelliusMaximus she actually didn't, in the novels she had spiritual training but not the chakra process
I don’t think a lot of Avatars would fully commit to doing it. Like letting go of all earthy attachments, loved ones, friends, families. Idk if one can even go back to loving someone again after opening it. Because that defeats the whole point of having such a loss.
Holy shit I've always loved Azula's line "it's terrible when you can't trust the people who are closest to you" but I never caught that Mai and Tylee look at each other there that is soooo gooood
It's foreshadowing for the audience, but I feel like, here? in this episode? it's more like "is Azula talking about killing us?" "you know she's gonna do it someday"
Maybe also a short and easily missed glimpse into Azulas psyche of never trusting anyone and beeing barely able to deal with it, even though she hides it through her facade
@@KairuHakubi Or it’s them going “yeah, tell me about it” because obviously they can’t trust Azula. Or maybe they’ve even talked more before this about being allies in surviving Azula. They may already have a thread of rebellion in there, already aware that they’re more loyal to the other than to Azula, promises to keep things secret from here…
and, it shows how Azula may try to be in control of everything, but she doesn't have total control over Mai and Ty lee. They are still able to go behind her back without her noticing, because she is always in front. And her being in front is kind of symbolic, because she chooses to be the leader, that means that she isn't able to see everything going on behind her.
Never thought of that@@All-ze9cl
No, you know what's cold? Not playing with aang because he's the avatar.
they didnt want to go penguin sledding :(
They weren’t cold for long lmao
@@derekmann8239 _DAMN_
@@derekmann8239 it took longer then it should've for me to get that
No wonder Aang didn't think of them when thinking about grief.
Aang doesn’t think of Appa when he’s thinking of what attaches him to the earth because Appa detaches him from the earth
Damn thats true
Ha
true
Pffft 💀
Also, like, loosing Appa is a horrible thing for Aang, but it isn't something he can't recover from. We see that over the course of the Desert and the Serpent's Pass. He'll grieve for Appa, but I don't think his death would destroy Aang the same way Katara's death would.
The full moon gag is funny until you realize the more yui forgets to change the moon the more people hama (or whatever the blood bending lady's name is) forces into the mountain
It is hama
Oh shite ur right... terrifying
dangit Yue, stop mooning people!
headcanon accepted. the moon coninuity is so bad because Yue isnt very good at being the moon yet
maybe it's just yues vengance as she gave her life during / because of a fire nation siege
Zuko is doing the high-ride to hit rock-bottom, an actual thing when you are going to have a mental crisis, it usually happens when you finally are aware of the problem but instead of trying to fix it, you now know how to hide it or think that you already solved it because you discovered the problem.
The perfectly smooth cross-subplot transition from Guru Pathik's Light Chakra explanation to Toph discovering metalbemding is still the biggest storytelling flex I've ever seen on any media ever.
I always LOVE how they did that!
Yes! A very specific beat of an already good scene that is so particularly good in its execution. The music and visuals too. They both help sell each other as scenes as well. Like, otherwise Toph's metal bending might have felt out of nowhere slightly? But because it is sitting within the context of guru pathik's scene and wisdom, within the context of Aang's spiritual journey, it is sold unbelievably well. And that in turn makes what Guru Pathik is saying more valid because Toph literally proves him right by bending metal.
I've always believed that Aang looks at the idea of 'letting go of Katara' all wrong. It isn't supposed to be about literally not caring about her anymore, it's about realizing that his duty as the Avatar is more important. Roku is able to master the Avatar State and still have a wife and children.
Yeah but keep in mind that Roku trained with the Fire sages and not with a Guru soo obviously he would be allowed to maintain a family because why wouldn't the Fire sages allow? Guru Pathik says to Aang let go and he even doesn't specify that isn't forever or for a short time, he says to let go implying is forever
Thank you
Hormones
@@Eric-py8yy When Aang saw a vision that Katara was in trouble and decided to help, this is a reference to one of the Star Wars episodes - while training under Yoda's wing, Luke saw a vision that Leia was in danger and also went to save her, although his training had not yet finished. By the way, Ozai was voiced by Luke Skywalker, aka Mark Hamill. Aang did the right thing by going to save Katara, because love is the most important thing, renouncing it is like death. Without love, Aang would just be the Avatar who controls his power. And he would never be himself
@@ИлонаЛысенко-й2вhe almost died due it.
Had Katara used the spirit water on Zuko, avatar would have been no longer.
so many people at the "i have fuck you money" tier that i'm genuinely worried that OA is gonna run out of ideas for ridiculously specific and convoluted compliments
Never. Never.
he needs to make a new to teir how does FUCKING MONEYYYYYYY sound
Real modern problems
@@jhmar1121 he has another tier. It’s almost $900
@@greganderson6371 oh really i didn't know that i just watch his stuff on youtube i don't do patron
Another cool little detail is that Aang even does the proper “mudras” (the hand and finger positions while meditating) associated with each chakra. It’s not that important of a detail but the show still went the extra mile, their attention to detail is truly incredible.
wait! really? That's a thing?!?! I thought they had different artists just doing their own take on meditative positions. Like they'd seen people meditate and just drew that.
But now that i remember how much effort went into the different martial arts and cultural representations, that belief was extremely shortsighted of me and certainly didn't give them their due.
i cant spot the different hand positions for either aang or the guru. they dont seem to match what ive seen online about the proper mudras. can you break it down for me? which chakras does aang/guru do the proper mudras for?
@@fredcho2815 I’m no expert but a quick google search shows that at 7:00 they did the “vam” for the orange chakra and at 8:52 they were doing the “ram” for the yellow chakra. I’m sure they accurately did the others too, just shows how amazing this show is.
Zuko's "illusion of happiness" feels real. Like, yeah, he thought he could make a 180° with himself after last episode, but it is just the start. That's why he ends up fighting Azula in the next episode and joining her later.
Exactly. It's not REAL CHANGE. He's just trying it on to see how it feels.
@@ensuverna I disagree. It is real change but its the incorrect one. While he can't let his past decide his fate, he can't let go of it either. Zuko understands deep down that it's not his destiny. He changes back to his old ways because there was nothing actually keeping him grounded to the tea shop. The moment with Katara was the closest he got but he still can't imagine a life fighting with/for the avatar.
Thophs metalbending scene is my personal favorite from the whole show. She really doesn't care about any limitations pressed on her by the world.
Thoph???
Thoph lol
Thoph the greatest earth bender to ever live.
Yeah the whole time I'm like "metal is just pretty rocks you can yeet that crap all the same"
@@I_Dislike_TH-cam_Handleslaughs in Kyoshi and Bumi.
Zukos behavior is good. As many have already pointed out, suddenly beeing over the top happy is usually not a good sign. But I also think its important for the viewer. You immediately realise something isnt quite right. If he was genuinly a new person, all the side jumping would make less sense.
I always interpreted it as him forcing his supposed happiness. Something I've noticed is people can 180 when they think they need to- and for Zuko, he was finally 'free' from everything chaining him down. So of course, he acts happy- But he pushes it too far. While he won a battle, he hasn't won the war, and it makes his joy feel less genuine. It's forced because while it is who Zuko is, he's forcing it through to the surface and making himself seem happy because he thinks he won. He thinks he's freed himself and so he should be happy.
I always interpreted it, therefore... as Zuko lying to himself. Jumping the gun.
And he falls into the same trap as before, albeit it less self destructive... He pushes himself onto one side and refuses the other.
He refuses his anger. His rage.
He bottles it up, thinking he's won.
But all that happens... Is he made himself into a time-bomb. Waiting to explode.
And we see exactly when that happens.
@@voidnoodle8911 I think he was making an honest effort. It's the first time he truly made a choice in direct opposition to what his wants and beliefs were. Sure he out on a brave face but I've been in similar scenarios. Even under drastic changes you're gonna backside alot. Especially if you haven't fully convinced yourself of the choice you made.
It's why he backslides next episode but is able to come to and eventually make the choice he does in Day of Black Sun. Without this 180 and Backslide I'd have believed his eventual turn.
Moon discontinuity is so cursed in a story where the moon phases have so much significance and I love it
I just like the theory of the moon always being full because Yue is always trying to watch their progress. I think the only time it isn't full is because Sokka and Suki are having a moment so of course Yue isn't trying to spy on that shit.
@Nish The Great ^which is a big reason why the moon continuity is a point of emphasis by OA
Even without bloodbending in consideration it still makes water benders stronger
@@Vael221 There were way too many full moons in season 1 as well though.
He's right
See, if anyone has problems with how fast Aang went through the chakras, you have to remember, Aang is part of the air nomads, a spiritual people. He has been ingrained spiritual teachings his whole life. So I think it’s more normal for him to pick it up quickly than say if toph or Katara were to try to open up these chakras
also I feel like these lessons are not meant to get your pools 100% clean they are just a means to an avatar state.
@@allycard I feel like that is extra true considering that Aang didn't get over his firebending hangup after this, so obviously he didn't clear that chakra very well at all.
@@Dachusblot well to be fair the guru mentions this directly saying how that chakra didnt really open as well
So let's say Azula try to open her Chakras(i am an pro Azula redemption/healing advocate) it will take longer and it will be more...terrifying?
@@stoianandrei3681 probably, like, other people aren’t nearly as spiritual as Aang, so his quick advancement in chakra opening isn’t hard to believe for me
I love how you pointed out that Aang is a metaphor for the world with him unwilling to use fire as it's the problem..... It makes so much sense but my mind just needed someone to point it out to me lol
It seems like every episode OA points out some idea or detail I’d never understood before or seen any other YTer comment on and that’s why I always click on his vids
Just to point out, the original intent of the avatar conceptually was to be the spirit of the world, who was embodied so as to sympathize with those who live in it. Unfortunately Korra killed that, but I always thought it was the superior idea. But that's likely the reason why.
I think Zuko’s sudden change in this episode is experiencing something called “smiling depression.” My theory is that Zuko is highly discontent with his current living situation in the city with his tea shop, but he is trying to fake it till he makes it. Iroh tells him there’s nothing wrong with leading a humble life as a well off commoner, and Zuko may believe this generally, he doesn’t think it applies to him, and his pride and perfectionism say he’s meant for greater things. So for the sake of his uncle, or maybe himself, he’s thrown away his blue spirit mask, the symbol of his violent and unrelenting side, and has adopted a new mask, the face of an enthusiastic server at a tea shop, and he hopes that maybe that mask will become his true self and he can convince himself that he’s happy. His sudden change in demeanor from the last episode to this one feels unnatural to the viewer because it is unnatural to Zuko, and he is trying to tackle his internal struggle the same way he tackles all of his problems, with undying stubbornness and a head on assault.
After reading comments here my new interpretation of what's going on is that Zuko is still following a destiny given to him by someone else, it has just switched from Ozai's to what he thinks Iroh envisions for him. He still doesn't know who he is so maybe someone else does.
Yeah i think so too.
I find it so funny that Katara walks in on Zuko and Iroh’s civilian life. But I always thought it was a bummer she ran away. Like what if she didn’t notice them until Zuko was serving her. I know that would’ve changed the story but I’m so curious as to how she and Zuko would both react seeing each other suddenly in that context.
Or what if she had watched them from a safer distance for awhile? I agree that it’s such a bummer.
Don't suggest that! Don't give any room to the Zutara shippers
@@meunierduhoussoypaul7315 As if the Zutara shippers wont just take up construction and make their own room.
"Azulas mental stability makes her a great villain"
Azula: flails like a fish while breathing fire like a psycho
She’s a true sociopath. She definitely has stable control of her mind, being a near master of lightning bending which Iroh says requires “peace of mind.” In the end the thing that makes her lose her marbles was basically her finding out that she wasn’t as good of a manipulator as she thought she was. Her ability to control people was something that defined both her personality and power, losing confidence in that ability rattled her to the core. If her supposed best friends could end up betraying her, why couldn’t anyone else?
*Made. Made her a great villain. After that she was a great victim.
@@warpedwhimsical And to add the final nail to the coffin, she herself gets manipulated by Ozai in the finale. She becomes "firelord" out of "loyalty" and staying home is a very important job. We see Azula be a master manipulator and with two lines Ozai pulls her out of a rage state after she gets angry that she is not going to join daddy to burn down the earth kingdom (which was her idea).
That would be after she lost and was no longer a threat (villain) anymore
Azula was "raised" as her fathers favorite, when in reality Ozai never valued his children for their strengths and weaknesses, but for what they could do for him. Azula was talented and pushed herself to do even better, but Zuko was prone to making mistakes.
Azula grew up thinking she was destined for great things, it wouldn't be impossible to imagine Ozai telling her off screen that she would be firelord.
She was always in control of what her future would be, so when she's denied that, she loses that control.
Remember, Azula is only 14.
You mentioning the water chakra is associated with the genitals and then Pathik says it deals with pleasure and is blocked by guilt. I’ve never known all this before, and it just makes a lot of sense
Yeah they _probably_ could have gotten away with saying "groin" if the next line wasn't about pleasure.
Wait the chakra that represents the genitals and flows from PLEASURE
Uh I uh really don’t need to explain
@@lazyliongames6660 Charles in charge
@@KairuHakubi Charles not in charge
@@KairuHakubi he had the greatest plan
I’ve always loved the moment Toph first metal bends. Her little “WOOH” as she shakes her hand off feels perfect.
" I AM THE GREATEST EARTHBENDER IN THE WORLD! DON'T YOU TWO DUNDERHEADS EVER FORGET IT! "
@@asepheleleshabalala1352 I feel like if the show wasn’t PG, she would’ve said something different.
@@Flome810 Key word for replacement being "Dunderheads"
Speaking of that just kinda just thought of. Did she just kill those 2. I mean they are trapped in that metal case, in the middle of nowhere and toph didn't get the ostrich horse moving again. So that means in about 3 days or so they will die of dehydration.
Speaking of that just kinda just thought of. Did she just kill those 2. I mean they are trapped in that metal case, in the middle of nowhere and toph didn't get the ostrich horse moving again. So that means in about 3 days or so they will die of dehydration.
You know, I'm not at all a religious person, but I really appreciate the way spirituality is portrayed in Avatar. It's not voodoo, it's about finding peace and acceptance within yourself (Aang), and about reflecting on the world around you (Toph). This kind of internal spirituality that doesn't hinge on anything but your own mind actually seems really healthy to me.
Definitely a breath of fresh air after so much of the colonizer religion lol. It's nice
@@StarlitWitchy You realize that There have been colonizers that were Buddhist as well right which is what a lot of avatar spiritualities based on?
Like there were a fuckton of Eastern Colonizers.
A bit, yeah. Still, it's at least somewhat better to be at peace be a use your morals are rooted in something outside of your own mind.
@@StarlitWitchy "cOloNiZeR rElIgIoN"
Sorry, did the religion that tells it's followers to be devout, love one another, and try to avoid sinning upset you that much? 😂
@@FalonGrey The Spanish. The British. Manifest Destiny. it’s literally a colonizer religion, as someone who went to 12 years of catholic school, that’s something we learned heavily about.
11:34 I think Appa doesn't count as an earthly attachment because he's spiritually connected with Aang, since it's traditional that Avatars have a spiritual animal companion, which eventually joins them as a spirit later.
This episode should’ve been called The Eastern Air Temple. The other three temples get an episode named after them, so it would be more satisfying than if this one was too.
I agree (i commented the same thing) imo its one of the few small details they got wrong in this masterclass of a show
Yeah, specially when the title it already has isn't that special
Well then again, in each other temple episode the whole Gaang travels there and the temple serves as the primary setting for the episode. Here the temple is isolated to Aang's journey. (Granted "The Guru" is also only referring to Aang's portion of the episode but at least there's a delineation.)
I completely agree.
I think this video already established that Guru Patik is a temple himself.
The "we have never seen or see him again" joke is pretty funny. Gets me all the time.
Huh? Are there more than one of those? I thought it was just a throwaway.
sadly the joke never gets made again, would've been a funny running joke
@@peterhandscomb8409 God damn. You had to do it to me:(
I want to point out that Zuko suddenly feeling better only to crash and burn an episode and a half later is actually accurate to real life mental illness. Someone suffering from anxiety and depression like Zuko suddenly seeming to be happy and upbeat is usually a sign that they are actually doing worse than they were before.
source: Ive lived with PTSD, anxiety, and depression my whole life and have had several friends with one of these disorders, as well as the explanation was originally given to me by one of my therapists.
^^^ all of this.
But also i think its Zuko like… really trying too. Like he’s trying to take all of Iroh’s words to heart, he’s trying to think and act and speak like he’s fully made up his mind and is has made it through to the other side, but hasn’t yet. Because he’s not like this bubbly person at the end of Book 3 either. I can speak from experience as well that i’ve had dark times (autistic, struggle with depression, anxiety, and c-PTSD) and when i have the slightest positive improvement, I can go overboard trying to make myself believe i’m out of the woods so to speak. I see it as a combo of those things.
@@emraup he is a little bubbly
Hi, o have a friend who’s been acting different for the past few months. We tried to get him to talk about what was happening but he just wouldn’t. A few eels ago he spoke to someone who I’m assuming is both a friend and a psychologist or something (I don’t know because he never really told me anything at all about what was happening. I only know that he was talking to her because every night I’d walk into his room to check on him and find him on the phone with her) About a day after that he was fine and he’s seemed fine ever since. I don’t ask him what was going on because I’m just not sure how to handle it. I don’t wanna be too imposing but I also don’t want him to seem like I don’t care. Now my concern, which I never thought about until I saw your comment, is that he’s better now but only on the outside whilst he could be dying on the inside. So should I really be concerned or nah?
@@tumbikani739 IMO, you have concern for your friend. Whether or not he is actually fine, just asking how he’s doing and letting him know you’re there for him is never a bad thing.
gdi, you're telling me my weirdly feeling better 3 weeks ago was actually the calm before the storm of me being anxious and depressed all over again? (Was literally feeling pretty good after so long for 2 weeks and it's been unraveling again since then. I gotta see someone about this lol)
I've also heard that this episode's end is an homage to Empire Strikes Back where our hero is in the middle of training with a master and sees a vision of his friends in trouble and ends the training prematurely, which then leads to even bigger problems later.
If you think about it, Avatar has a lot of similarities with Star Wars.
@@danielislam9144 you can't just say that and not give out examples
@@swampymender4400 y'know like how Ozai (Darth Vader) is the protagonist's (Appa) father
@@randallmokjialung3592 Wtf are you even saying, bro
@@swampymender4400 surely you didn't miss the reveal with Ozai and Appa during the finale
One of my favorite parts of the Sokka storyline and the validation he gets during it was that Hakoda mentions that Sokka’s bravery was the reason he left him to protect his sister. I think Sokka had been under the impression for so long that his father only told him that so that he didn’t feel as bad about going to battle. It must have been a huge weight off his shoulders when his dad related his worthiness to that task, because it showed that from a very young age his father truly did recognize Sokka’s potential as a warrior.
I think Zuko being over the top good makes a lot of sense. Whenever I try to make a big change in my life, I usually take it too far in the direction I want to go. But it doesn’t last when you try to force a change in your life like that. The fact that angry, grumpy Zuko is so happy is foreshadowing that this won’t last
facts
how did you comment on this 2 weeks ago...
@@Cyver patreon subs got early access
Preaching to the query there
@@Cyver
How do people still not understand the concept of unlisted Videos?
It's really interesting that this season started with someone trying to make Aang autonomously access the Avatar state and the season ends with Aang going to do just that the right way, but that same conflict is what decides the ending of this arc.
ties together with how katara hated seeing him the avatar state due to lack of control and ending with her smiling at aang in avatar state with control
The season also started with the introduction of Azula and her using lightning, the history of the avatar state, and the spirit water. In the season finale, Azula kills Aang on the avatar state and the spirit water revives him
This one is full of excellent moments. I really like the scene where mai and ty lee are talking about how easy it was to beat the kyoshi warriors and steal their clothes, only for Mai to point out how stupid it is for them to give such expositional dialogue, as earth benders could easily overhear them, and they do, as we see the dai li. BUT THEN, they reveal that Azula put them up to it, and that’s why their dialogue was so expositional and unnatural. Most shows would just have clunky dialogue, but not avatar, it’s too smart
I think the key to understanding how zuko feels is directly in his line. He’s in an new environment new furniture new place new job. This can easily make you feel like you have cemented a new you. Then later when his past is in front of him he falls back.
Facts
I do wonder how things would’ve gone if Katara didn’t freak out over seeing Iroh and Zuko.
Yeah 😔
Something I've always thought about when rewatching this episode: when opening the Thought chakra, I always got the impression that letting go of earthly attachments (i.e. those you love) was portrayed as just a bad thing, when I believe there are more nuanced and interesting takeaways. For example, being able to let go and move on after a breakup or possibly the loss of a loved one. Or a parent letting their child go out into the world and live their own life. It's not that you don't care about them, but you are willing to let them go. In some cases, this can even show greater love for this person than jealous obsession. In the context of the episode though, it totally makes sense that Aang wouldn't see it this way, and I thought the whole conflict was very interesting and engaging.
I mean grief would fit more for the examples you used and there's another chakra for that.
I agree! In my opinion, the only problem for Aang is that he's the Avatar. He's supposed to be the protector of the world, not just one person. If he eventually has to choose between Katara or the world, his duty is to choose the world, I think that might be where Pathik was coming from. But I totally get why he wouldn't want to^^;;
That's probably the case. Pathik's problem is that he phrases it in a way that could easily be misinterpreted as "you must forsake all earthly attachments in order to achieve this spiritual state."
It's actually a common issue with mentors who try to teach the "you must let go" lesson. I've seen it in Avatar, I've seen it in Star Wars with Anakin's path to the dark side... they never make it clear that the problem with earthly attachments isn't *having* them, but *clinging* to them.
My interpretation of Zukos behavior here is that of a complete mental breakdown but instead of spiraling into insanity it manifests in complete positivity.
To me, it's more like Zuko's accepted hitting rock bottom and is trying to make the best of his situation. It's a solution, but only a temporary one, since the moment he's offered a chance to return to his old life, he takes it.
It's one thing to reject your ingrained cultural beliefs when you believe you have no place in it any more. It's another to reject them when the path to regaining your place is dangling right in front of you.
+H. J. This, I was looking for this.
I tried to think of it in terms I was already familiar with like addiction, because it's easy to get over the problem when you're separated from it, but if you have the problem right in front of you, the temptation is usually too much to resist. But this didn't quite fit because it's not really an addiction for Zuko.
@@redeye4516 The greatest addictions of all time are approval and power.
Perfect analogy, by the way!
Oh, I can't unsee that Katara's water is depicted like flowing blood.
Every time I saw that scene I just saw it as water escaping her sac because gravity.
Glad this is in my head now.
Avatar is so good at putting creepy but kid friendly imagery in your head
Remember like.. everything about Koh? Or Ju Dee's slightly too tense smile? Or how we don't see Zuko getting burned by his father but we hear him scream and we only see Iroh's reaction
See for me it was the reverse, but I had to reverse engineer it in my head to realize it was from the water skin
@@MILOPETIT I just realized thanks to your comment rhat what made Joo Dee so unsettling is probably the Uncanny Valley... she seems human but also doesnt
@@cheerio3442 Yeah yeah that's actually a perfect example of uncanny valley in animation
I like to think if Aang was the one to see Zuko and Iroh in the tea shop he would notice they are legitimately just selling tea and ask them about it. That is a conversation I would love to see!
Zuko's temporary upbeat and happy attitude only to crash shortly after is a thing I've done a lot when dealing went mental issues and trauma.
Doing a big good thing and becoming hopeful that you're getting better, that you can keep pace and improve and change, thinking you've found a new way you can live with...
Then to have a temptation, bad news, or messing up, or something that causes that temporary high of improvement to come crashing down and old stuff to resurface
Never realized until now that the scene where Aang rejects his final chakra, and sees visions of Katara in trouble, completely parallels Star Wars: Episode V when Luke left his training with Yoda to save his friends. Hell, even both the Guru and Yoda both claim that they won’t be able to finish their training if they leave now
I have been waiting for someone to see this episode as dagobah for years.
yep pretty much starwars. Betrayal also happens yet this time its way more meaningful. Beloved character gets imprisoned. Main character loses. There's a lot of parallels to starwars. Also just a lot of parallels to most hero's journey stories
They both train with wise old masters, both seeking power through spiritual growth, and that very growth gives them a vision of a loved one in danger far away.
Thank youu, I'm glad someone else commented this, saves me a job lol
Also, both protagonists feel like they’re making the wrong choice for the right reasons. Both of them have friends and loved ones that mean everything to them. The choice leads to life changing consequences.
In Luke’s case it’s getting his hand cut off and finding out the villain is his father, and almost getting killed in the process. In Aang’s case it’s getting struck by lightning and nearly dying, while Zuko betrays Iroh and everything he worked to correct in his life. This episode is just Empire Strikes Back with rocks air water and fire.
“Can’t waterbenders bend people?”
Yes, as proven by me (a master backbender) you can in fact MAYBE get on my level.
Well your sister can also bend people
@@suchomimustenerensis that sounds wrong
@@suchomimustenerensis
*... If you're thinking what i'm thinking,*
*...You can't be thinking what I think you're thinking.*
@@suchomimustenerensis So are you telling me she’s trans?
@@Flome810 Hell yeah. Trans Katara.
Yeah, I never understood Aang's understanding of the last chakra. I never took it as letting someone go forever; only the attachment to the physical realm. I always understood it as if your love one were to die, you have to be able to move on since you are the Avatar. You would have to let them go.
You'd think the Guru would help him with that.
The thing is, as much as Aang is an avatar and is an airbender monk, he's still a kid deep down. Letting go of your emotions feels inhuman, empty. Hard to do even for adults. Harder for kids going into puberty.
Exactly. It's about learning to detach yourself from whatever you're attached to so that you can remain focused on your mission.
This is a very useful skill for somebody in Aang's situation. Can't have him thinking about Katara's safety when he's busy fighting Ozai or have him go bloodlusted Avatar State whenever he sees her get injured.
Even with that interpretation, it's not a concept most 12-yr-olds would be comfortable with. I think most people STILL have little memories from even earlier years that still pop up occasionally and bother them to a degree, regardless of how irrational it is.
Frankly, I'd be more worried than proud if Aang were totally cool with giving up on things lost.
@@WingMaster562 he doesn’t let go of his emotions? Where is that said? He is still allowed to feel, he can have love for people but must be willing to accept that sometimes people go away.
0:14 As Zuko says, "Things are looking up, uncle." he turns so that the camera faces his un-scared side. Did you notice that?
...
Also, I love how that paragraph of analysis was self-aware.
A really neat visual feature is how Kataras water flows out like a pool of blood. It feels like something you appreciate, with the nice animation and the cleaver way of making it look more gruesome.
The misspelling of clever makes it even better.
6:38 I would actually argue the opposite, that shame is felt from other people and guilt is internalized
Probably a scripting error
That goes agains their definition, shame is strictly internalized, otherwise it wouldn't be shame, guilt is recognizing doing something wrong, but that won't make it define you (that is shame). But both can be induced by others, or develop without "outside help", so there is that.
I was about to comment the same
If you add the concept of hurting, that's right. Guilt is feeling bad because you hurt someone else, shame is just feeling that you suck. It's an utterly self-focused emotion, simultaneously selfish and self-destructive, while guilt is productive and focuses on other people. It's very difficult to feel guilt if there was no other person involved, but you can hate yourself easily with no interaction.
@@IceBen4444 common expressions say otherwise. ex: bring shame upon yourself/family, how others view you. guilt is internal.
11:57. Another interesting note is that Aang pointed out how “three chakras ago” (when he was opening his air chakra) his love for Katara was a good thing, and now it’s supposedly holding him back, which doesn’t seem to make sense. That’s actually the source of a character’s internal conflict; not knowing whether to listen to their head (crown chakra) or their heart (air chakra. Genius.
Whenever someone tells Toph that she can't do something she immediately proves then wrong "she can't see" learns to see through the earth, "she can't earth bend" learns from the badger moles, "you can't bend metal" just watch me
Toph. AKA, the worlds biggest badass. And she's a little girl who can't see! Who knew the key to being a true badass was to be like Toph?
Speaking of how badass Toph is, one can only imagine the fear that she would strike into her enemies if she were the Avatar, right? Would probably make the fire nation yield with her earth bending.
@@robertkovarna8294 I guess the closet we would get to seeing Avatar Toph would be Kyoshi. I imagine Kyoshi would have been pretty terrifying. If Sozin fucked with her like he did with Roku she would have wiped his ass off the planet instantly.
@@Squishito Most likely. And with a lot of rocks flying toward him most likely. Not even the other elements.
Toph Defiance Beifong
I adore that scene about aang not letting go of katara, that's the moment I think where he realized that it wasn't just a boyhood crush anymore, that it became genuine feelings of love and affection for katara, and the realization that he would give up all the power in world not to lose her is what makes him leaving more human and believable to be
Another cool stuff i noticed in this episode is that every single location for each chakra goes from bottom to top just as they are located in the body, they start in kind of a subterranean cave and the last one takes place at the highest point of the highest tower of the eastern air temple. Also the element associated with each of the chakras is present on its respective lesson (earth/cave, water/waterfall, fire/ sunrise, heart/ air nomad statues, sound/ echo or throat singing, light/sunset light, cosmic energy/ clear night sky) ... Oh i've just watched this show soooo many time, i love it!!!
badgermole statues were replaced and it's very critical info, thanks for pointing it out!
I'm surprised how deep into the comments I had to dive to find this.
Now you've made me surprised on how long it took to find someone who said this, i thought it would take like 4 seconds but i guess not
I agree. Also I'm just commenting for the algorithm.
Aang foreshadowed twice earlier in the series “what id give to be a metal bender” while on top of the drill, and i believe as far back as when he’s chained up in the blue spirit episode
But of course he never learns metalbending, he has to wait 71 years and one change of look to do it.
@@stoianandrei3681
*And as Toph says, he's doesn't have the guts to do it.*
This episode is so underrated man
-Avatar's chakra stuff
-Freacking METALBENDING
-Sokka and his dad moments
PERFECTION, one of my personal favorites.
The reason Zuko's change feels so hollow all of a sudden is probably because he's intentionally trying to act out of character. Considering he's been so mentally taxed over the last while to literally put him out of commission, the writers probably were setting up this facade as foreshadowing to the return to normalcy in the finale. It sort of creates this interesting dichotomy where we see him do the opposite of what he's been doing; instead of dramatically siding with his father, he's dramatically on his uncle's side until a decision comes and breaks this fragile facade.
One thing I love is how Toph shakes her hand after punching the metal the first time. Like she expected it to hurt a lot, but then just kinda didn't as much as she was expecting.
Hey, thanks for pointing out the badger mole statues being replaced! I can't believe I missed that critical piece of information the first time around.
Also, the bit about the chair for the lemur had me dying. That's such a funny joke that I didn't get the first time around. She asked for a chair specifically for Momo. That's so sweet and yet so funny
I remember watching this with my brother and when Ozai's shadow shows up at 6:00, he shouted: "It's Sozin! Uh, I mean Azulon!", he knew it was actually meant to be the current Fire Lord, but he just couldn't remember the his name because he made that little impact on him.
Book Two: Earth is one of the greatest single seasons in television history.
Westworld Season One is a pretty solid contender too
I get what you're trying to say but it clearly isn't.
@@tamastasi428 "One of" forehead
I just wanna say:
"It's another one of her tricks!"
"There's a giant hole in the box! How is that a trick!?"
Is my favorite comedic exchange in the whole series. It's just the perfect response to that line.
Love that one and I also like Master Yu saying "Nice try Toph, but you can't fool me!" Just milliseconds after Xin Fu had to stop him from doing exactly what Toph was wanting him to do.
0:40 I believe it is just Zuko himself playing into the role. A kind of "Fake it 'till you make it" mindset.
I always got big Empire Strikes Back vibes from this and the finale. I know that the Hero's Journey and all that mean that everything resembles Star Wars at least somewhat, but this really goes all in.
I mean the destined hero literally has a vision of his friends in trouble during a critically stressful part of training and then leaves training and is explicitly warned by the spiritual master not to go. And they both end up falling for a trap. The only way it can be more empire is if azula cut off his hand and told aang that she was his father
I think I was the most hyped for this video. Seeing Sokka and Zuko happy, as well as Toph being an absolute badass is only half of what I love about this episode c:
Hyped train, yeaaahh :P
when he says that what makes Azula a great villian is her mental stability then i instantly think about the finally where she has the opposite of mental stability
I totally agree. This is one of my favorite episodes of the entire series. Seeing Aang's avatar spirit as a giant version of himself floating in the cosmos is one of the coolest things I've ever seen and I love that we share the same reaction. And I always cry when Aang thinks about his grief, and his entire people appear before him and then flash into steam, fading away forever. Its really easy to forget that his entire way of life and culture were erased, since that idea has taken a back seat with how much has gone on throughout the show. But its incredibly sad, actually. Aang didn't just lose a family member or a friend. He lost everyone and everything. This is the reason why he's so easy to sympathize with, and why you root for him to succeed in whatever he does, and why you want to side with him on almost every issue. Even in the end when he refuses to kill the firelord. Its not about doing what he needs to for the betterment of all people and the balance of the world. That ideal of pacifism is that *last* connection he has to his people and he can't even imagine abandoning it, even if its the rational decision. That's why I love Aang so much in this show, because he feels like a genuinely real person.
10:05 there’s also Aang being a monk. He has WAY more mental control over himself than the average person so maybe that lets him speedrun talk therapy
This episode is phenomenal. I think they do pretty well in all three season finales. Can't wait for more.
Anyone else imagine Toph saying, "And I took that personally"
Can I just say that I love the "I have f*ck you money" shoutouts. I never feel like I want to skip the Patreon part of the episode because they're so amusing!
9:55 I would also attribute this to aang’s spiritual upbringing. if it were sokka going on this journey, they’d need a whole episode just to teach him how to do the meditation foot crossover thing
Two things:
1st) While in episode time, Aang takes about 10 minutes to clear his chakras, we clearly see multiple hours of almost a full day passing on his journey, though it could be a couple of days of journey.
2nd) The scene at 12:24 and its successive scenes in later episodes are among my favorites of the series as well.
there's nothing implying it takes several days. We dont see Sokka and Hakoda with each other for several days, it's been a day. Same thing with Katara and the invasion. Zuko says "it's the opening of his [Iroh's] teashop" meaning it's still the same day. Aang is more than likely able to go through the chakra's because he is an air nomad. The Air Nomads are monks and are the most spiritual of the 4 nations.
Helping out with the algorithm, I'm excited for the premiere!
the ba sing se epsiodes are my favorites of the whole series, the arc from the drill to the season 2 finale is so strong, and you can really tel how much the show has grown since the beginning of the first season. even though we barely see hakoda save for one flashback, the emotional swelling of the music when sokka sees him for the first time just hits so hard. everything just works. Even though aang is very in touch with his spirituality, during this episode we see the setbacks he still caries with him.
Yeah, the second season overall seems like the best one to me.
The moment when Katara sees Zuko and Iroh in the tea shop is deadass one of the most stomach-dropping moments in the whole show for me.
Also, Aang leaving before unlooking his final chakra is akin to Luke leaving Dagobah early in Empire.
4:35 I laughed so hard.
Also, just wanted to say thanks for making this series. It's hard for me to watch through A:TLA again normally. I don't want to blame mental stuff but as much as I love the show, inattentive ADHD makes it almost impossible to do. Your series, on the other hand, has given me the ability to 'watch' it again in a format different enough to keep my attention, and your insights and humor are always greatly appreciated.
Man, I feel this. I also have inattentive ADHD.
I just "watched" this show through again, for probably the 20th time, recently. And by "watched" I mean it was background noise while I played games.
Because I can't just consume one type of media and enjoy it without the goblins in my head screaming for more stimulation.
If I remember right, the Guru survived to about 150, a bit younger than Aang's true age. They STILL don't hold a candle to AVATAR EFFING KYOSHI!
How old was the avatar of death??
@@Jetticus1 "the avatar of death" 🤣🤣
Kyoshi was just too angry to die.
@@blobbertmcblob4888 too angry and too tall
Older than Aang actually. Aang's 112. Unless you meant how old Aang was at the point of death, then yeah, that's 165.
13:57 - i believe that at this point long feng still has control of the dai li, and azula & co posing as kiyoshi warriors have no legal authority to detain katara. the earth kingdom gestapo can sort of do whatever they want, and since mister french braid is pulling the strings, he is effectively the one who has katara and can use her as bait even though azula is the one who captured her.
I've always read Zuko's happiness in this episode as performative. It's something I did in the past when my family has done stuff to chear me up, because sometimes that doesn't work, but you think it would hurt them more if their efforts up til then went to waste. The drastic shift here reads as insincere because maybe it's supposed to. Zuko is just behavinging what he thinks his happy should be. I know that that implies that Zuko's crazy out of character chipperness somehow fools Iroh, but I don't think it's hard to believe that Iroh was just willing to believe that Zuko's happiness could genuinely happen then, he believed Zuko was trying to be happy and wanted it to work even if it started as pretending to be happy. Zuko is trying to convince his uncle, but more so himself that he can be happy with what they have.
It is possible for Iroh to be fooled or not care. He has always wanted Zuko to give up what he wanted, possibly to focus on simpler pleasures like tea. So even though it is out of nowhere, since it matches what Iroh sees as progress, he accepts Zuko’s behavior as sincere and not performative/forced/indicative of a person barely holding things together.
9:18 Honestly that kind of makes sense to me. It's quite possible that due to both his raw talent with airbending and his destiny as the Avatar, that he got a lot of special training and focus from the monks, possibly preventing him from spending a lot of time with his peers. Not to mention that whenever Aang talks about his friends from the past, Gyatso is the only other airbender he really talks about with all the others being from somewhere else, this tells me that Aang probably didn't have a lot of close friends among the nomads.
Love this episode because the main story line branches off into 4 interesting unique stories and then simultaneously brings them all back plus like 3 other sorry lines all to converge at the crossroads of destiny. It's fantastic
It took me until this episode to realize the direct contrast between the course of Sokka and Zuko's lives. They have a lot in common: they both had to come to grips with being involved in a war at a young age. For Sokka, he was a man enough already in the eyes of his father to be trusted with protecting his entire village, becoming "something of a prince" himself, whereas Zuko was seen as not man enough by his father and Azulon for speaking up about sacrificing the 41st division of the fire nation army, and then not man enough to face his father in an agni kai, so he was stripped of his title as prince. For both of them, these very formative moments would be the last time they see their fathers for a long time, with both of them going on to work through understanding the destinies that they were assigned in those moments. In the end, both Sokka and Zuko overtook their fathers' roles in their respective nations, both accomplishing more than their fathers ever could have. Sokka became a man that Hakota couldn't have been prouder of, and Zuko became a man that Ozai would be disgusted by, but they were both incredibly good examples to the little boys in the show's audience of what a good man looks like.
The concept of 'being a man someday' was a complicated one for me growing up with an abusive father and no other intimate examples of what a man is, and I think it's beautiful that the show had this message in there that your upbringing doesn't have to limit the extent to which you can choose to be a good human.
fantastic insight! I haven't thought about the parallels between Zuko and Sokka that much but there are a lot.
Dang, Zuko has parallels with the entire Gaang. The show does a fantastic job portraying Aang's parallels with him. With Katara in the very next episode they talk about what they have in common and (further elaborated in Southern Raiders) how its shaped them. For Toph, both coming from privileged lifestyles that try to go on their own before realizing having companionship is better. That might be the weakest commonality, hence why they don't get a whole episode together to bond, but it's still there.
there’s a youtuber who analyzed the dichotomy of zuko and sokka in terms of toxic vs healthy masculinity. and they went in depth about azula and kataras displays of toxic vs healthy femininity
loving this. I'm gonna be really sad when he reaches the end
We’ve got one more episode in book 2, 21 in book three, then 52 in LoK. There’s a year and a half of content left at this rate.
But yeah, I agree
Then he needs to do an overanalyzing overanalyzing Avatar series where he overanalyzes these videos.
Another great video, but did you know that the Yuyan can pin a fly to a tree from 100 yards away without killing it
I love that when he mentions cosmic energy at 11:46, it lines up perfectly with when aang throws his arms up
I binged this entire channel in two days. SUCH good content and I’m really looking forward to the next episode!
I'd just like to say that your content really does put a smile on my face, and watching it really is a highlight of my day when a new video come out. You create a unique and inviting atmosphere for the audience, and that's no small task. So thank you for your work, It's truly appreciated.
too be fair on the moon thing, you can have a moon look full for several days in a row, because the sliver missing is usually blurred by the glow of the moon if its small enough, depending on weather and light polution you could have a moon LOOK full close to 40% of the cycle between full and halfmoons, which I wanna say is even more if you count both the cycle before and after a full moon, might make it 40% of the entire cycle, I dunno.
"Babe, wake up, your favorite episode is being overanalyzed"
-my imaginary girlfriend
Press F to pay respect
you have to let your imaginary girlfriend go
F
Dude I'm 30 now and been married 7y. I've watched ATLA at very different points in life, and it always has a deeper layer I had to be ready to understand. These days, there are many episodes that make me misty eyed.
I love how much you love sokka not just because hes funny but because he has legitimate anxieties and strengths that define his character
That sounds like an Iroh quote "Shame and guilt are two separate but linked feelings. Guilt is when you perceive others thinking badly of you for something you've done, but shame, shame is when you are disappointed in yourself ."
I didn't have the same conflict Aang had with the last chakra. I interpret "forget it" as a willingness to let go. You may have feelings for it, but be ready to leave it behind if you ever need to. To not be bound by it.
Like how Avatar Roku had a wife and could still do the avatar state
"thats what makes her a great villain her cunning and mental stability"
her mental what now
Thank you for pointing out those Badger-Mole statues, I'm not sure how I've lived this long without knowing about that or if I can even call my life before now "living"
2:58
"He's, what, minimum 110 years old then? If they were like colleagues he's probably at least 160? 170? If your body weight - in pounds - is ever LOWER than your age I think that's a pretty enormous accomplishment."
🤣🤣
god, the metalbending scene gives me chills no matter how many times I watch it
Something about the music makes it so special
When it comes to Zuko suddenly changing, I think it's because, up to that point, he had refused to truly give up on getting his father's forgiveness and going home. Despite his dad literally sending Azula to arrest him, despite being impoverished fugitives for probably months, I think he was unwilling to let go of the thing he'd spent 3 years of his life pursuing.
But finally, when he realized that capturing Appa would be pointless and made the choice to set him free, it was like the last little bit of his stubbornness was released. Finally, he accepted that he could never go back to the way things were. He would never see his dad or his home again.
Earlier, we saw him being tempted by Jin to let go, too, and he actually seemed to be very conflicted over it, but just couldn't do it. He refused to actually do anything that would tie him to Ba Sing Se, cause his determination to return to his old life was holding him back.
But once that was finally gone, he could then start to try make a new life for himself. I don't think he was really as chipper as he seemed after getting over his sickness. I think, honestly, it was more like he was directing all of his energy towards his new goal of living as Li instead of Zuko. And to do that, he's basically forcing himself to see only the positives and do whatever he needed to make the best life possible. One of Zuko's best traits is just how determined and hardworking he is when he sets his mind to something, after all.
But then, as we know, Azula just HAS to dangle that carrot in front of him again. And suddenly, his old obsession comes right back. Because it was never really properly dealt with. He didn't give it up by choice. He gave it up because he thought it was hopeless. But then, she gave him hope again. Obviously he's going to choose to follow Azula. It only makes sense.
I honestly think what went on with Zuko in these episodes was done masterfully well. But that's just me.
I think you have shame and guilt backwards, at least when it comes to the source. When you feel guilt, you typically don't need others to say anything because you know you did something wrong.
Shame, on the other hand, usually only comes when you know someone knows what you did.
no i think you two are right but just missing each other's point. What i think OA meant is something closer to this: Guilt is feeling bad about what you did (often to other people), while shame is feeling bad about who you are (regardless of how people perceive you). but i might be wrong (those two words already have pretty big overlap anyway)
Another cool detail about this episode is when Aang is meditating he uses different hand postures for different chakra's. Amazing work by the people who did their research
I remember when I first watched the series as a kid being really confused at how earth benders couldn't do anything with metal, since it all pretty much comes out of the ground anyway, specifically the imprisoned earth benders in S1 was a bit frustrating to watch with it in the back of my mind. The moment with the guru talking about what makes up metal while Toph also figures it out was still a little internally frustrating at the time for the same reason but still felt a lot better seeing it could be done in the end. I got a lot more comfortable with the idea after this episode since it acknowledged that it can be done.
It's worth noting that metal is considered its own element in a number of Asian cultures, so it's possible that a similar conception exists in the world of ATLA which needs to be overcome by someone like Toph