i'm rewatching a:tla again. this thread is for my thoughts.

"the boy in the iceberg": so much of katara and sokka's family dynamic is revealed in one convo, wow. also, while sokka's initial attitude toward the kyoshi warriors sticks out in my head, didn't realize his bleh attitude toward women surfaced so early. our boy grows so much.

someone should get this boy a coat. he's gotta be cold.

"the avatar returns": boomerang!

we witness the avatar state in action so early, but i guess the writers wanted us to take aang's power seriously even in the early stages, and that was the best way to show it before he started working on mastering other elements.

"just a guy with a boomerang" the character establishment done so well so early i--

"the southern air temple": okay but why didn't all the statues/temples light up when aang entered the avatar state in the fight against zuko?

i love zuko so much my boy just wants love

like i get what katara's going for and i don't want to belittle her loss, but uh, i don't feel like the death of one family member compares to the genocide of one's entire people

"The Warriors of Kyoshi": top tier episode. let's goooo.

I know there's a lot of Kataang discourse, but Aang really do be acting like a kid showing off for his mom in this one.

I've been really into Kyoshi math since I found out she lived to be soo old. This man just said she was born 400 years ago and has been dead for centuries, which doesn't quite match her age.

Another interesting tidbit, Kyoshi wasn't standing next to Roku in the Avatar sanctum at the Air temple despite her having been the last Earth Avatar.

Even tho Sokka has been a shithead up to this point, this episode makes me love him for how he's willing to admit when he's fucked up and take steps in order to grow. This episode has always been memorable to me bc of this.

Also Suki.

"I am a warrior, but I'm a girl, too."

"The King of Omashu": "my cabbages" 1

"my cabbages" 2

Bumi's so fucking weird. I love it.

how anyone ever defeats an earth bender in battle is beyond me. those dudes are so op.

omg aang totally does think like a mad genius in his final duel with ozai in order to come up with a non-lethal solution

"my cabbages" 3

"The Spirit World": just realizing how Sokka and Iroh's kidnappings mirror each other in this episode.

omg, does Iroh's ability to see Aang and Roku's dragon in spirit form have to do with his relationship to the last dragons? it's such a small detail, I had forgotten.

also forgot that Aang learned about "a comet" this early.

while season 1 overall is about aang traveling to the north pole to master waterbending, it feels episodic because it's also very much about the introduction and establishment of character relationships (Suki, Haru, etc.). It's a lot of (seemingly) one-off adventures.

"The Waterbending Scroll": "my cabbages" 4

Okay, but when Zuko says, "I'll save you from the pirates"? -chef's kiss-

Seriously though, this is the first episode where you can really feel that tension/spark between Zuko and Katara, imo.

also thinking about how both of them struggled so much when first learning to bend and later became great masters.

This fight scene between the pirates and Zuko's soldiers really shows the methods nonbenders have had to cultivate to compete in a world of benders.

One last thing about this episode, love the subtle setup for the Lotus secret society.

"Jet": okay, I get Jet's appeal, but Haru was right. there.

city in the trees is so on my id list tbh

Katara out here accusing Sokka of being jealous when she really showed her ass last episode.

this show does an amazing job at showing the impact of war and its violence in part because it's so good at nuance. sometimes the "good guys" do bad things (Jet) and vice versa (that Fire Sage).

"The Storm": I think this is the episode where Iroh explains how Zuko got his scar--a turning point in the audience's perception of Zuko's character. Although, there's been hints of his compassion (his mercy on Zhao, choosing Iroh over the Avatar).

This is a very public agni kai, which is why I never understood how more people didn't know about Zuko's scar/banishment ?? Especially fellow Fire Nation.

Also, the storytelling structure in this episode is top tier. The parallels this show has between certain characters at certain points is truly genius.

"The Fortune-Teller": Sokka giving Aang advice about girls as if he even knew any girls his own age besides Katara before leaving his village. *~aloof~*

"Bato of the Water Tribe": The ice dodging scene is so good. teamwork? hell yeah it does. sokka's mind? blowing.

okay uncle iroh a little creepy in this one

Also, while Aang acts childish in this episode, the more I think on it, the more justified I feel it is. He's lost his whole culture, his whole people. It would be hard to witness others experiencing those connections while fearing further loss.

"The Deserter": The setting in this one confuses me. Are they actually in the Fire Nation? If so, how??? Or is it an Earth Kingdom village that's been conquered?

"I don't know why, but I thought you'd be better than Zuko."

"The Waterbending Master": I never understood why the Northern Water Tribe was so much larger than the Southern. I know raids happened in the South during the war, but how come the North could protect itself and the South couldn't?

I actually have a lot of questions about the Water Tribe (and the Air Nomad tbh) geographic organization. Like is there only one village in the whole South Pole?

And now we see the roots of Sokka's sexism.

"The Siege of the North: Part 1": Love the mirror images of the old ship in the South Pole and the ship the Northerners take out in this battle. It's sort of a living flashback.

Honestly, I hate every time someone expects Aang to pull off something miraculous because "he's the Avatar." HE IS TWELVE!! TWELVE!

"I'm just one kid." SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE ONES IN THE BACK

Iroh loves Zuko so much.

"Well, aren't you a big girl now." ~chills

this fight between zuko and katara

"The Siege of the North: Part 2": Koh says that they stole the face of the Avatar's love 800 or 900 years ago, but that was the Avatar right before Kyoshi.

Azula! That's it. That's the tweet.

"The Avatar State": General Fong is just another Jet. A reinforcement of the lesson that even "good guys" can do bad things.

"The Cave of Two Lovers": I would say this is the first episode where Zuko really learns about/begins to question the Fire Nation's harmful actions.

"Return to Omashu": I love the Fire Nation girl squad. And I get that Azula is ruthless, and that that's her appeal. But I really do hate how she manipulates Ty Lee into joining her.

"The Swamp": In this world of bending and spirits, Sokka's still like, nope, no magic here.

"The Blind Bandit": Sokka and Katara shopping are just me and my sister.

Okay, but I love Katara in this episode and how her "feminine wiles" are just whooping ass.

TOPH Getting to this point in the series makes me so happy because all my faves are on the scene.

Toph's character is so genius because not only is she a badass who defies gender roles/norms, her blindness is, in a way, her strength. Her ability to see with her feet makes her a unique, god-tier earthbender. God, so much love and care went into these characters.

"Zuko Alone": but how next level would it be if zuko also had childhood friends

"The Chase": "Thanks, Appa. I don't know what we'd do without you." The foreshadowing.

The thing about benders is that they're dependent on that ability. Katara is so scared of Ty Lee's chi blocking bc she doesn't know how to fight without her bending. None of them seem to, in any battle, bc benders don't think they need such skills. But wouldn't they be useful?

Hmm, also some foreshadowing for Zuko as firebender in our gaang with this fight against Azula.

"The Library": This series has so many little details and callbacks, like Zhao discovering the library. Still fucking things up from beyond the grave.

*~lion-turtles~*

like I said little details

Also, I totally thought Appa was missing for the entirety of book 2, but it's really only half. It just feels like forever.

"The Secret of the Fire Nation": "my cabbages" 5

okay but I always thought the sea serpent looked like rayquaza

Sokka has only brought up Yue three times since the North Pole, but each time we really see what her loss meant to him.

"City of Walls and Secrets": See, Zuko learned to fight without bending and that shit comes in handy.

"The Tales of Ba Sing Se": time for me to be destroyed

lol i chickened out earlier

but anyway

idk why Toph doesn't seem to know how to make herself up in this one when she did a fab job last episode ??

"my cabbages" 6

"Appa's Lost Days": oh to be a young airbender choosing a baby air bison

"Funny, what invisible strings connect us all." Taylor Swift is an Avatar fan confirmed.

"Lake Laogai": Something else I appreciate about Avatar--the variety of canon romantic pairings. Katara has feelings for Jet, for Aang, & tension w Zuko. Zuko also has Mai ofc. Sokka meets Suki, has a relationship w Yue, then reunites w Suki. Ty Lee expresses a cas crush on him.

The characters (at least the older ones) don't just have one mainline romantic partner. They have crushes and flings and circlebacks. More true to actual teen romantic experiences.

Yo, they could make an in-Avatarverse Handmaid's Tale with the stories of the Joo Dees.

"The Earth King": Would also like to know more about the Earth Kingdom's power structure bc both Bumi and the Earth King are kings ?? But Bumi is the king of Omashu and the Earth King of the whole kingdom ?? I guess ??

This show does such a good job of showing how classism and privilege leads to ignorance that harms others.

"We just found Appa and got the family back together."

"The Crossroads of Destiny": seriously, this kids' show is so good at depicting war and political turmoil, there's a literal coup

okay but cities under cities? up there with cities in trees.

"The Awakening": The betrayal of the Dai Li kind of confuses me. Like they picked Azula over Long Feng then tore down the walls of Ba Sing Se for her. But what power did she really have over them? It made sense for them to betray the Earth King, but then after?

a glimpse at how history is rewritten by the colonizers/victors

"The Painted Lady": also cities on the water

All the talk of colonies makes me think that must have been where "The Deserter" takes place.

This episode subtly puts forth the idea that an outsider can't know the best way to help w/o consultation (re: katara not considering who the army would blame) & that true activism can't happen w/o the involvement of those being advocated for (re: river cleanup).

"Sokka's Master:" Here we see Sokka put into action what he learned with the Kyoshi Warriors about humility and the desire to learn.

okay but why is there a stick there

"The Beach": let's go to the beach beach let's go get away

I am always baffled by how information does/does not travel around the Avatarverse, but seriously how do these high ranking Fire Nation teens not know what the crown prince/princess look like?!?!?!?!?!?!

All I want is a story about Ty Lee and her six identical sisters. Is that too much to ask?

"The Avatar and the Firelord": okay but there's something strange about the Avatar's descendants interacting with the reincarnated Avatar

"The Puppetmaster:" you ever think that maybe there's still a prison full of elder waterbenders that no one thought to liberate

Early on in the show, we see Katara struggle to learn waterbending without a teacher, but this episode truly shows the impact of cultural genocide on her people. She, more than anyone, comes closest to understanding Aang's monumental loss.

"The Eclipse": This scene between Zuko and the Fire Lord just proves what I've been saying about the true superiority of benders who learn nonbending fight techniques.

"The Firebending Masters": I like that Aang and Zuko have to work together to do The Dancing Dragon because I love watching how Aang fights/works with Katara/Toph. It shows how much their specific styles have molded his and the closeness of their relationships.

"The Ember Island Players": this episode is literally just the show poking fun at itself/its fandom

"The Phoenix King": Zuko brings more to the group than just firebending. His background provides tactical knowledge (prisons/navy organization), cultural information (Sun Warriors), & tracking capabilities. So much of second-half Book 3 stems from this.

"Into the Inferno": The first time I rewatched ATLA after it returned to Netflix, I didn't remember many details. That rewatch, Azula's mental decline felt v sudden. This time I caught its beginnings at the moment when Mai & Ty Lee betrayed her.

honestly firebenders using their bending like jet packs or little rockets is a power move

that part where Sokka covers Toph's body with his tbh their friendship is my fave

Azula even agreeing to an agni kai with Zuko shows her state bc she straight up refused earlier in the series.

Up until the end, the show maintains the parallels with Aang fighting the Fire Lord and Zuko fighting Azula.

"Avatar Aang": Ty Lee in a uniform is kinda weird since her whole personal mission is to stand out.

Zuko's mom really is that loose end.

I finished! But before I end this thread, a last couple points.

I mentioned some ?s I had about Water Tribe & Earth Kingdom organization. Also wondering why Air Nomads are called nomads when they lived in temples?

I mentioned at one point that Sokka had mentioned Yue 3 times. Between her ascendance and the end, Sokka mentions her 6 times: in the swamp, on cactus juice, to Suki, in her defense during "The Puppetmaster," to Zuko, and during the play. Aang also sees her in a vision once.

Coincidentally, the cabbage joke is also made 6 times, with the man being mentioned in the play episode on top of that.