Avatar, the Last Airbender 3x06: The Avatar and the Firelord
Right now, among the few series that I watch regularly, Avatar is the one I most enjoy and find most fulfilling. I'm not sure if that says something about the quality of "grown-up" tv -- which it probably does considering all the reality tv series crap (*sorry*) out there -- or the fact that I like my tv to be about characters and growth and not about quick thrills. Since Farscape, there really hasn't been a series that builds its own mythology and complex characters with quite this much excellence. Heroes tries...but it moves slow and IMO has too many characters to make all of them intriguing and entertaining and wholly three-dimensional.
I find it amusing that creators (aside of Farscape, though SciFi itself said this) of shows I've watched in the past have said that viewers don't want arc stories -- Avatar is a kid's show and is one long three-part arc and from what I've heard, is Nick's highest rated series. Perhaps most grown-ups (since I guess being past 30, I qualify) don't have the attention span to watch and remember and pick apart stuff like kids. Or perhaps it's a quality belonging to scifi/fantasy fans in general since the scifi/fantasy fandoms I lurk in tend to have fans that watch and pay attention and discuss and occasionally obsess. ~grin~
Hmm...well, *that* was a very intriguing and unexpected reveal. And coming so soon after Iron's transformation and reveal at the end of the previous episode to boot. But Roku being one of Zuko's great-grandfathers... that's just neat. I really enjoyed the way the two storylines (Aang's and Zuko's) dovetailed together. Aang's comment about giving everyone, even Fire Nation people, a second chance and Zuko's recent resurgence in "who am I?/what should I be doing?" really seems to me to point to the fact that he will soon be making the *right* decision and joining the Avatar and company. Along with Iroh, one assumes.
I also loved how Iroh pulled out that headpiece at the end and gave it to Zuko, telling him it should be worn by the crown prince. I'm guessing that it belonged either to Iroh himself or to Lu Ten. Has he had it this entire time? If not, who brought it to him? White Lotus associates? He technically was crown prince since he's the older brother, not Ozai. Regardless, a very lovely tie-in to the Roku story.
And of course, I have to say it.. Maybe there's hope for a Zuko/Katara romance yet. ~grin~
I also loved how Iroh pulled out that headpiece at the end and gave it to Zuko, telling him it should be worn by the crown prince. I'm guessing that it belonged either to Iroh himself or to Lu Ten. Has he had it this entire time? If not, who brought it to him? White Lotus associates? He technically was crown prince since he's the older brother, not Ozai. Regardless, a very lovely tie-in to the Roku story.
And of course, I have to say it.. Maybe there's hope for a Zuko/Katara romance yet. ~grin~
Right now, among the few series that I watch regularly, Avatar is the one I most enjoy and find most fulfilling. I'm not sure if that says something about the quality of "grown-up" tv -- which it probably does considering all the reality tv series crap (*sorry*) out there -- or the fact that I like my tv to be about characters and growth and not about quick thrills. Since Farscape, there really hasn't been a series that builds its own mythology and complex characters with quite this much excellence. Heroes tries...but it moves slow and IMO has too many characters to make all of them intriguing and entertaining and wholly three-dimensional.
I find it amusing that creators (aside of Farscape, though SciFi itself said this) of shows I've watched in the past have said that viewers don't want arc stories -- Avatar is a kid's show and is one long three-part arc and from what I've heard, is Nick's highest rated series. Perhaps most grown-ups (since I guess being past 30, I qualify) don't have the attention span to watch and remember and pick apart stuff like kids. Or perhaps it's a quality belonging to scifi/fantasy fans in general since the scifi/fantasy fandoms I lurk in tend to have fans that watch and pay attention and discuss and occasionally obsess. ~grin~
Current Mood: 
happy
happyCurrent Music: Transformers score by Steve Jablonsky
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