3x05 The Beach

Absolutely shocked that this episode isn't higher up on "best of" lists for the show. "The Beach" is phenomenal, and not just for it's odd, wacky, "let's try something new" tone - it's also a fantastic character study of the show's main antagonists by putting them in the spotlight and giving them a chance to shine. Obviously Zuko is the focus here, specifically centered on his own feelings of isolation and anger that have been festering for so long. It's surprising that Azula of all people is the one to help him get out of it, and while Azula herself remains as deliciously evil as ever it's also nice of her to get some development beyond that as we see just how unable to function in society she actually is, making her character tragic in a way. Both Ty Lee and Mai get important development too, particularly Ty Lee whose feelings of wanting to be noticed finally explain her own willingness to help Azula.

Of course, it helps that this is just a really funny episode overall. Azula trying to woo a boy is hilarious, Zuko and Mai's antics are relatable, heartwarming, and also very funny, and the entire volleyball scene is a laugh riot. And while they aren't in it that much, Team Avatar's encounter with the now revealed Combustion Bender. Amazing stuff all around.

[4.8/5] Yes! I always wanted to see Avatar do a parody of Dawson’s Creek!

Wait what? You mean they were being serious? Oh god.

That’s probably overly snarky, but this was not a good episode, folks. I get what they’re going for -- it’s an attempt to capture that reflective vibe groups of teenagers get sometimes, but it lacks the ring of truth and it’s done in a pretty shoddy manner. The emotions are loud and the pop psychology is shallow as all getout. In a different episode, I might chalk that up to well-observed takes on how hormonal teenagers deal with one another, but the whole thing feels like caricature rather than realism.

Instead we get brief, lame, and clumsily-delivered backstories on all the antagonists. Tai Lee was one of seven sisters, so felt the need to distinguish herself. Mai was taught to be quiet and behave and so is reserved. Zuko is angry at himself because he doesn’t know right from wrong and is confused about his place in the world. And Azula carries baggage from her own mom thinking she’s a monster.

This could be humanizing for these characters, but it’s delivered in such a hamfisted, unnatural way that it can’t help but feel more like a side trip to The O.C. than something true to Avatar. The only nice touch in the four bad guys’ interactions is the way that Azula tries to be down-to-earth and friendly and can’t help plotting destruction and steamrolling everything in her path. There’s more show than tell there, even if it’s just as loud, so it goes further in establishing Azula’s problems and temperament than all the navel-gazing ‘round the campfire in the world.

The one bright spot in this is Team Avatar vs. Weird Laser-Blasting Metal Man. There wasn’t much to it, but for a guy whose look and powers initially struck me as kind of goofy, the show turned it into one hell of a fight. The sound design on his laser blasts was outstanding, with the delayed pops selling the firework-like impact of the attacks. And the design of the exploding rocks and way he can blast through bending powers made him seem legitimately formidable for our heroes. I’m still not sure what his deal is, but at least we got a cool fight sequence out of it, with presumably more to come.

Still, the meat of this episode -- Team Azula getting all introspective and socially awkward in a beachside town -- was the absolute pits, and a blemish on the otherwise interesting character development has been able to muster so far.

EDIT 2/6/2019: On rewatch, I'd probably go a little softer on this episode. I still pretty much hate the scene around the campfire, where every bit of emotional exposition is as ham-handed as possible. But I like a lot of other stuff with Team Azula better. It's a surprisingly great Azula episode. I like the comedy and character of her only knowing how to dominate and not how to relate to people. It humanizes her without changing her as an antagonist. And as much as I dislike the villain team announcing their feelings, Zuko's walk through his family's old beach house, laden with memories and a past he can never go back to no matter how much he might want to, is actually pretty powerful. There's a sense of growing up and noticing the passage of time in a meaningful way for the first time there that's worthwhile. It's still not my favorite episode, but I think that if you just cut the shallow psychological stuff around the campfire and toned down some of the goofy beach denizens, it would at least rise to the level of "solid."