Avatar: The Last Airbender: Season 3, eps 1-4

[meganbmoore]

NOTE: Despite the fact that this is one of those fandoms where everyone assumes that people either don’t care about spoilers or everyone is up-to-date the second there’s something to be up-to-date on, and so I have been pretty decently spoiled if largely against my will, THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS IN COMMENTS. Unless you’re using the spoiler code.

Also:

I love everyone. Except for Jet. I accept his existence because Katara needed a first crush and it seems the only other guys she knew were her brother, 12, or trying to capture/kill them, but that’s about it. There is no character hate here.

The whole Katara/Aang vs Zuko/Katara thing escapes me completely. Largely because one option involves people who are 12 and 14 and a bit awkward to me Cardcaptor Sakura is special and the other is something that has never made sense to me outside of the normal narrative trope. Apologies to fans of both sides.

Also, I still hate almost every mushed ship name ever created. In all fandoms.

MOVING ON!!!!

Everyone was dressed like Fire Nation troops! They didn’t clue in Aang! Who’s supposed to be dead!

Ok, seriously, who thought it was a good idea not to have someone there to clue Aang in when he woke up? When is it ever a good idea to have someone wake up surrounded by what appear to be enemies? (I mean, if it was Fire Nation troops, then he would have been restrained, but you don’t really think that immediately when you wake up in a strange place surrounded by what you think are enemies.)

I liked the confrontation between Katara and her father (someone tell me how to spell that…Hakoda?) and how it was mirrored by the non-confrontation between Zuko and Ozai. And the Fire Nation old lady heralds (or whatever they were) totally beat Sokka in the recapping business.

And was that Yue who came to Aang when he crashed in the ocean? My TV is trying to die on me, so everything had a green cast to it. I liked Yue, though I remain bitter that she pretty much existed to give Sokka angst.

I’m sad that Mai/Zuko didn’t really have any buildup. The pairing was set up pretty obviously in season 2, but it would have been nice to have some transition between that and making out. Though I loved the whole “I love it when you hate the world.” “I don’t hate you.” “I don’t hate you, too.” bit. *squishes* Still, better buildup and development, please. Especially since, aside from Suki/Sokka (and Suki is rarely ever around) this is the only pairing I think I could get into.

Aang trying to change the fire nation schools was sweet, but the boy really needs to learn to keep his mouth shut. (Does anyone else ever read him as ADHD?) I liked Sokka getting too into the whole “being Aang’s father” bit, but was sad they went with the “girl with is nice to new kid has jerky boyfriend” trope. First of all, I always have to think that the girl is either a doormat or not as nice as she seems when she’s with a guy like that. Also, it’s just irritating in general. I was hoping she’d give the guy what for by the end, especially once he betrayed Aang, but nope. *sigh*

I was kind of bored with the polluted river/dying town episode, outside of Sokka’s schedule (I love Sokka’s schedule) and Katara’s stint as a superhero. I really liked that outfit/her paints.

But I loved the whole bit with Sokka’s getting a master! I mean, yes, it was rather odd to have them take a few days off from the SOOPER DOOPER EXTRA TIGHT OMG THE WORLD ENDS IF WE’RE LATE schedule for that, but I’ve read enough shounen watched enough wuxia that I’m used to the idea that the need for speed vanishes when there is the opportunity for training with a master! And his master is part of Iroh’s White Lotus-thingie. I sincerely hope that that is The Super Team Of Super Cool Older People. Or something.

But didn’t the rules of that board game change? Or were they playing a different one? Because they were putting game pieces on the lines here, and I swear they were putting the pieces in the spaces in whatever season 2 episode it was that Iroh was playing.

And Azula! Whose evil plan is to make Zuko look good, claiming it’s to help him, but really knowing it will hopelessly discredit him once Aang is revealed to be alive, because she’s just that good! I want to be as diabolical as she is! Only, you know, not evil.

And Zuko visiting Iroh in prison! Going from pleading to lashing out in 2 seconds…Iroh must have thought it was the second coming of Zuko’s puberty. And Iroh pretending to be mad but sekritly working out and really defining those abs and arm muscles! And no doubt plotting his Magnificent Escape so he can knock sense into Zuko (ok, probably not that part) and be reunited with his tea. Iroh must be reunited with his tea soon. Zuko, why aren’t you smuggling tea to Iroh? I’m sure you could get Ty Lee and Mai to help!

Speaking of Ty Lee, why haven’t we seen her yet? I don’t count Azula telling Mai that she needs help untangling her braid. Though I would have loved to see that scene. And why no mentions of Suki?
  ETA: Does anyone know why LJ wouldn't let me put my own cut text in? Rich text didn't give me an option, and typing the code by hand gave me an error message. I wanted to use "You messed things up in a very special way." as my cut text...

Comments

[telophase.livejournal.com]

UNCLE IROH IS UTTER AWESOME ON A STICK

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I think the closer I go to talking about Iroh, the less coherent I became. Which is why I was saving him for near the end...

On a "clever tool but not so much character awesome" I think they're playing it safe by having us get used to just grunting from him, because didn't his new voice actor only start w/ S3? Best to ease us in.

[woodburner.livejournal.com]

I think his new voice actor had like, a few random lines in S2, especially in that segment that was devoted to Mako. But mostly, yeah, dude started in S3.

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

THIS.

[woodburner.livejournal.com]

"Ok, seriously, who thought it was a good idea not to have someone there to clue Aang in when he woke up? When is it ever a good idea to have someone wake up surrounded by what appear to be enemies?"

I'd agree with you but he was out long enough to grow some hair. It'd be hard to make sure someone was ALWAYS around so somebody'd be there when he woke up.

IROH. GOOD GOD I LOVE THAT MAN.

And yes, Hakoda is correct. (Man, that Hakoda, what a dilf. ♥_♥)

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

3 weeks. So, true, it's just...THAT HAPPENS EVERY TIME FICTION DOES THAT!

[oxymoronassoc.livejournal.com]

did you use lj-cut text="blah blah" as your tag? LJ can sometimes be a little bitch.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Yup. Then switched to rich text to make sure it worked, and nope.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

I’m sad that Mai/Zuko didn’t really have any buildup. The pairing was set up pretty obviously in season 2, but it would have been nice to have some transition between that and making out.
It's your lucky day! I've just uploaded aformentionned transition that exists in comic book form: http://www.mediafire.com/?zzyn2nzzukm

Also I basically agree with everything you said. Especially the equal bored regarding Aang/Katara vs Zuko/Katara; and the necessity to smuggle Iroh tea.

[ms-treesap.livejournal.com]

\o/ Thank you so much for that comic!

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

you're welcome!

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I shall DL when I get home!

My reaction to Zuko joining Azula was not "How could you hurt Aang!" or "How could you turn on Iroh!" or "But she's evil!" or even "But you betrayed Katara's trust!" (though that one was more because he had to reason to give her loyalty) but "But Zuko! What about Iroh's tea!"

Katara/Aang works fine for me as he has a crush and she'll probably reciprocate when they're older" but the whole" True Love"! thing is awkward. Zuko/Katara makes sense as pairing types, but for the actual characters, the show made the idea absurd (to me) almost from the first episode. It's like the show said "Yes, anything else ever would automatically pair these two because it's a common narrative trope, but let's try something different..."

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

My reaction to Zuko joining Azula
well, mine was 'how stupid can you be to trust Azula when you know always lie', but the tea thing is totally as important.

Zuko/Katara makes sense as pairing types, but for the actual characters, the show made the idea absurd (to me) almost from the first episode.
YESYES exactly. God know I love the FoeYay trope and that I'm willing to ship Zuko with almost anything from Azula to Toph and Jet (the poor boy); but Zuko/Katara, with those characters? It just doesn't clinch.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Well, trusting Azula being a stupid thing to do is a given. And, honestly, Zuko...can often not be smart. So I wasn't surprised.

I can do FoeYay (hi there, Basara) but it...needs to make sense. And Zuko/Katara only makes sense in the context that it's what usually happens. Which, IMO, makes it not happening nice, but...

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

And, honestly, Zuko...can often not be smart.
True enough.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

...Azula playing yenta is canon?

[twitches]

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

well, semi-canon.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

But it's Azula! Helping her brother get laid! I feel there's something deeply, deeply wrong here, beyond any witty remark, a practically Cthuluesque sense of utterly alien geometry at work.

Azula

Plays

Yenta

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

But it's Azula! Helping her brother get laid!
Sexual control by proxy. You're surprised??

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Sexual control by proxy. You're surprised??

Well, it involves Mai, so I probably shouldn't be.

And she got Ty Lee to help her BAD PLACE BAD PLACE I'M IN THE BAD PLACE!

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

Thank you for digging that up, as I was about to!

[ryanitenebrae.livejournal.com]

^^; I didn't decide I liked the ship I sort of like until . . . late into this season, so, yeah.

The scene with Zuko visiting Iroh in prison is wonderful. ;_;

"The Painted Lady" is a rather annoying episode, except for Katara being the Painted Lady, really.

Also, the script for the first part of season three was actually created before Mako died, so Iroh not talking much just, well, happened.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Most of Avatar's episodes with" messageS" are irritating unless you're the target audience, IMO. When is fine overall, because they're good for the target audience. Just less endearing for the older fans.

[fourthage.livejournal.com]

Sokka's schedule was awesome. I need him to come schedule my life for me.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

WAKE UP 43 MINUTES EARLY! DOUBLE UP ON FOOD AND POTTY BREAKS!

[shiegra.livejournal.com]

I really liked the Aang/Katara relationship because it was love--but not necessarily romantic love, not at that age, just as deep (or deeper) and able to blossom into it. They admire each other and respect each other and fight for each other and aren't all that bothered or embarrassed by each other's less flattering sides. The emotion has maturity. You can, of course, love someone without wanting to jump their bones that instant--something the majority of fandom seems to forget.

Of course, the ragged here-and-there episodes of the TV show I've seen are, you know, all over the place, so I could be off on that impression.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

In the first season and most of the second, it's pretty much like you describe, with the added aspect of Aang having a (pretty much pure and age appropriate) crush that she was largely unaware of. It's taking on more of a "true and epic love" aspect, though.

[snarp]

So if I read as much as you, will I develop your awesome powers of guessing future developments?

That was Yue giving Aang wise advice post-mortum, yes. When I am a glowy blue spirit, I will only give unwise advice to the living.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

SHUSH! NO HINTS!

(Yeah, reading so much starts to clue you in on what to expect, especially in something only meant to outsmart 8-12 year olds...)