There's so much wrong with this movie.. I felt so icky afterwards I wanted to take a shower and cleanse my mind with another viewing of Booksmart (2019), but it was already too late and I had to go to sleep.
A couple of thoughts:
- I actually liked the beginning, because I thought this was going to be some sort of stalker story (which it kind of is, I guess) and I wanted to figure out Charlotte's (Allison Williams) motive - jealousy seemed to be too simple.
- Lizzie (Logan Browning) basically "traded" one abuser for another? Anton (Steven Weber) gains her trust, manipulates her mind, then violates her body and calls it a gift, because that's the only way to reach "The Perfection". Charlotte gains her trust, manipulates her mind, then violates her body and calls it salvation, because that's the only way to see the truth - which we then should accept as female empowerment?
- On one hand (no pun intended, seriously) the writers and producers of this film seem to have lived in a bubble for the past couple of years when it comes to the #MeToo movement and such, because this is a rape revenge massacre at its most exploitative.
- On the other hand I wonder if they drew inspiration from some of the most prominent sexual abuse cases that have become public in recent years. The tattoo? Reminded me about this NXIVM sex-cult who branded their victims. The institutionalized sexual abuse of talented girls? Reminded me about those hundreds of female USA Gymnastics athletes, who were abused by their trusted physician. The assault was so subtle and full of plausible deniability that the victims weren't even sure whether they were actually abused. In the movie the abuse is portrayed as some sort of gross religious ritual, with the victims sitting on a stage, strapped to a chair - which we should accept has been going on under the radar for decades?
- But it has a mixed-raced lesbian couple who not only survives but is also making out and the two actresses were even part of the editing process of the sex scene (I guess to make sure it isn't too male-gazey?), so :fist: to progress, or whatever.
I honestly would have profited from some trigger warnings before watching this, so be aware of the following content: Bugs, delusional parasitosis, vomit, suicide, amputation, ableism, paedophilia, child sexual abuse, (threat of) rape and gore in general.
[8.1/10] I really like the approach of this one, with Korra being out of options and having to go to the source of her PTSD in order to move past it. Consulting Zaheer directly is a really interesting way to go, both because it gives the show a chance to go a little Hannibal Lecter with the proceedings, but also because it shows more depth to the series most complicated and interesting villain.
I also like the message of the episode, that part of Korra’s breakthrough needs to come from accepting what happened, not trying to ignore it, outrun it, or overcome it. Dramatizing that through her trying to meditate into the spirit world, and only making it there once she plays out her worst and most harrowing moment is a nice touch. The show does well to play that theme of acceptance in the face of trauma, that it’s not something that can be ignored or expunged, merely faced and accepted. Strong thematic material.
And again, bringing her face-to-face with Zaheer and having him help her through it is a really interesting choice. I like the idea that his interests are aligned with hers because Kuvira is just another tyrant in his eyes. It’s a little convenient (and Korra’s a little too trusting) but again, she’s exhausted all other options. His statements that Korra’s powers are limitless and she’s only holding herself back are interesting, and even the imagery of him floating while in chains is a striking one.
I also really liked the Bolin/Opal story. It’s a little cliché, but it’s nice that a well-meaning romantic gesture isn’t enough to simply wipe away all the bad blood between him and Opal, but that him taking real action to right the wrongs he (however inadvertently) helped create is what gives him a chance to make things work between them again. It’s not the deepest storyline, and parts of it feel justified enough yet a little convenient (like Lin telling Opal they can’t ask others to put their lives on the line to save the other members of their family) but I like the fact that it shows trust has to be earned again.
The rest of the episode feels like table setting. The spirit vines going nuts ‘round the world is a nice touch, and it’s interesting seeing some international diplomacy (even if it’s mostly an excuse for Wu to be an idiiot), but that part of the episode feels like table setting.
Still, overall, this was one of the strongest episodes of the season, and presents a satisfying turning point in the season-long plot of Korra’s recovery.
[7.6/10] We saw the original Team Avatar as kids, all full of potential and talent and a bright future ahead of them. But now we only hear the echoes of their lives as adults, and we learn that as great as they were, as many impressive deeds as they performed to make them chiefs of tribes and police forces and to have statues in their honor, they weren’t always great parents.
We saw that with Aang and his three kids last season, and we’re seeing it with Toph and her two daughters here. It’s a nice approach, to show that even though our lovable heroes grew and won our hearts in AtLA, they weren’t perfect and did things that left lasting scars on the next generation. It makes sense that Toph would be a wanderer, someone hard to impress and gain the attention of, even as her child.
So I like the grude between Lin and Su Jin here. Both wanted Toph’s attention and affection and each presumably feels like the other had it easier. There’s also a nice undercurrent of Lin seeming a bit resentful that Su Jin has a family. There’s a little too much “here’s the backstory” time, but the conflict between the two is relatable and understandable.
At the same time, the metal city is very cool. On the surface it’s a veritable utopia, with safety, art, culture, and decency. I love that Su Jin is the first person in this show to say, “hey, maybe we shouldn’t have a monarch.” The notion of the Metal Clan as a more progressive place is an interesting one.
But that doesn’t seem to be what interests Bolin as he has instant chemistry with Opal, one of Su Jin’s daughters and a new airbender. Their part of the episode is short but sweet, with Bolin being naturally charming when he’s not trying to be, and then nearly messing it up when he tries to turn it up to eleven. Bolin’s been a favorite of mine for a long time, so it’s nice to see him succeeding in the romance department (rather than creepily hitting on disinterested co-stars or being attacked by domineering water tribe love interests).
And the final bit with Zahir trying to infiltrate Air Island feels a little too obvious for the deception to work, but it’s enough to give him some intel to set up an assault on our heroes, and the ensuing battle between him and Kya is quite thrilling, so it works well enough.
Overall, yet another good episode!
[8.0/10] This one felt a little scattershot. In keeping the Avatar-verse’s original trip to Ba Sing Se, it feels more like the beginning of a larger story that a complete story in and of itself. Still, I liked what we did get, and I’m curious as to where things are going.
The main story was the most complete and most effective. There’s something amusing about seeing Mako and Bolin chase Kai around Ba Sing Se, with the former convinced that he’s a good-for-nothing rascal and the latter excited to have a surrogate little brother. It’s pretty convenient that their misadventures lead them right to their long lost family members, but the results are so enjoyable that it’s easy to forgive.
I don’t know that I ever needed much more backstory on Mako and Bolin than we got in the fine but forgettable “Republic City Hustle” shorts, but I like where TLoK went with this. Again, as with AtLA, there’s some class commentary at play here, with Mako and Bolin coming in as famous athletes and movie stars and meeting their cousins and aunts and uncles who sell rotting fruit and all live together in a small apartment in a slum. It gives color to the notion that their dad wanted to get out and find new opportunities, and speaks to the charmed life that the two brothers lead, in a way that will no doubt lead Mako to offer more sympathy to both Kai and his new, very proud and defensive cousin.
We also meet their grandmother, and while her characterization is pretty minimal at this point (beyond being a loyalist for the queen, in a nice touch that gives the scene a sense of a place), but she seems like a kindly old lady. That adds to the air of tragedy when you realize she has no idea what happened to her son and his bride all those years ago. The way she is so immediately embracing (literally) of her grandsons and wants to show them pictures of their father as a young man is heartwarming from the word go. And while Mako is reticent at first, the episode does well to dramatize his warming to this nice old woman by offering her his treasured scarf, his last artifact from his father.
The family material gets the lion’s share of the attention this episode, and thankfully it’s almost uniformly good stuff.
There’s less time spent with the titular Earth Queen and her errand for Korra, and it’s probably for the best. The whole story is kind of two-dimensional so far. I do appreciate that we meet yet another ruler of the Earth Kingdom who is unhelpful, but in a different direction than the old Earth King (her father) was. She’s greedy and capricious and rude, which makes her a bit grating at times, but I appreciate the political touch that she’s resentful of The Avatar (specifically Aang) for carving up her kingdom.
Korra rolling out to collect taxes for her and protect them against a gang of Mad Max-style bandits is a perfectly acceptable set piece, but comes off a bit perfunctory. It seems obvious that the Queen isn’t all she’s cracked up to be, and that Korra’s likely on the wrong side of this, but (a.) that’s who Korra is, rushing in and not always figuring out a situation before acting and (b.) the prospect of her taking sides against a ruler is an interesting one, so I’m willing to let it slide.
We also get a bit more build on the Zahir v. Zuko end of things. It’s nice to see Eska and Desna again (and sure, Tonraq too, I guess), but more than that, the notion of a secret arctic prison for firebenders is incredibly cool. We don’t get much of P’Li, the firebender meant to complete Zahir’s quartet, but there’s hints of Azula there, so I’m certainly curious. I’ll say this -- Zahir’s Avatar-verse evil Fantastic 4 may ultimately prove to be a dud, but the build for it has been fantastic.
Last but not least, we learn that The Earth Queen is rounding up airbenders and trying to train them to be her personal army, with Kai the latest victim. It just wouldn’t be Ba Sing Se if people weren’t getting kidnapped by the Dai Lee, huh? But I like it as a reason to put Team Avatar in direct conflict with The Earth Queen.
Overall, another superb episode in this season.
[8.7/10] Again, it’s great to be excited about the world of possibilities TLoK is unleashing in its third season. I love the notion of Team Avatar going on a balloon quest to recruit the new airbenders and finding that it’s harder than I thought. I find myself going back to “The Promise” -- the first Avatar comic book, and there’s a straight line between that and Season 3 of Korra in how both have something exciting happen -- the fall of Ozai and the rebirth of airbending respectively -- but in both instances, Team Avatar has to deal with the fact that folks aren’t exactly ready to have their lives disrupted by this grand new thing just yet.
To that end, I love the asymmetry between Tenzin and Kuon, the first new airbender Team Avatar meets along the way. Tenzin is myopic in his excitement to rebuild the airbending nation, and doesn’t really consider what he’s asking of people. Kuon, meanwhile, is glad to have his new power, but has lived a long and happy life where he is and has a family, and isn’t exactly ready to uproot and go become a monk. It makes sense that as excited as Tenzin and his family would be about this new development, everyone else is reluctant to sign up for the life of discipline and aestheticism that Tenzin’s way represents.
To that end, I laughed like hell at the montage of Tenzin trying to persuade people to join him by promising vegetarianism, lack of possessions, baldness, tattoos, and being best friends with a bison. It’s nice that the show has him deliberately choose not to try to force people to join him (though it makes me wonder what the point of Korra’s interaction with the basement-dweller was), but it wrings the comedy out of the difficulty of finding willing recruits.
To that end, I got a huge kick out of the street performance to try to recruit more airbenders. Putting on a show is such a T.V. solution, but it’s also tons of fun. Bolin makes for a natural barker, and circus-like demonstrations of the gang’s powers are an enjoyable pitch.
Heck, I’m even interested in Kai, the new airbending moppet who agrees to join the group. His “I’m an orphan and a thief!” incorrigible shtick is pretty cheesy, but I like the possibilities he introduces. Mako’s awkwardness around Korra isn’t much of a throughline for the character this season, but giving him a young version of himself to joust with and mentor is great. And the notion of Jinora having a crush on him, something her father seems poised not to approve of, is interesting territory to explore as well, since we don’t really know how dating fits in with the airbending lifestyle.
If that weren’t enough, the villains are getting their band back together too. It’s much more action for action sake, and establishing the baddies as badasses, but watching Zahir free Ghazan using just a pair of rocks (which Ghazan proceeds to turn into a lava-like circular saw blade) and free Ming-Hua using a barrel of water (which she immediately turns into tentacle power) was a complete thrill and makes the villains seem like a real challenge for the good guys.
Last season, I asked where the show could go in terms of antagonists after doing what basically amounted to an Evil Avatar, but I like the idea of an Evil Team Avatar being the next big threat. Sure, the original AtLA kind of already did that with Azula’s trio, but this feels different with the elemental mix-and-match, and the prospect of a firebender love interest joining their trio.
Plus, we get motherfucking Zuko! And he’s riding a dragon! And he may be the one who put all these people away! It’s nice to see that despite the seventy years that have passed, some of the original Team Avatar members are still around. It’s mostly a tease, but I’m excited to see what his role in this becomes, especially since he’s the one member of the group we haven’t gotten to see as an adult yet..
Overall, this season is off to a great start, and I’m excited by all the new and interesting directions it’s taking.
[8.8/10] One of the exciting things about the first episode of The Legend of Korra was how much possibility it felt like there was to this new world filled with new challenges. How had the world changed in seventy years? What was it like in an industrialized city? Who were the Equalists? Who were the Triads? What role did Tenzin and Lin Beifong and the other people populating this new setting have to offer.
“A Breath of Fresh Air” offers that same exhilarating sense of possibility, in a way that little, if anything, in Season 2 ever really did. While obviously it’s not the same as starting a new show in a new setting, the notions of spirits living alongside humans, of new airbenders for the first time in 170 years, of public unrest and disapproval of The Avatar, and Korra doubting her own capabilities, all present so many wonderful and intriguing places for the show to go from here.
And at the same time all these new exciting developments are unfolding, there are all these great little character moments sprinkled in. Bumi desperately trying to convince his family that he was airbending while throwing anecdotes about knitting a sweater for BoomJun is the right kind of cute. Bolin imitating Mako’s broodiness is a laugh riot. Korra and Asami making confessions about their relationships with Mako and forming a bond is very endearing for both of them, and Korra’s bad driving takes the edge off. And as always, Tenzin giving Korra advice when she’s frustrated, letting her know that she can’t solve the daily problems and has to think about the bigger issues of bringing balance to the world, is another wonderful paternal moment between the two.
Exciting plot developments are great, but if you don’t develop interesting characters and important relationships like this, it’s all for naught.
But man, those possibilities are exciting. I love the notion that it’s been just a couple of weeks, and already the spirits and humans are bristling at one another. It makes complete sense that there would be growing pains with such a huge transition (something the Avatar comics explored a bit too), and I like that the show leans into both sides of that. Korra is questioning herself and wondering if she made the right choice or if all this change is actually good, and the people (as represented by the press and the president) aren’t necessarily happy about this new arrangement that’s disrupting their lives.
At the same time, there’s new airbenders! If anything speaks to a sense of renewal that Korra is brokering, it’s that. I love that Bumi is one of the folks who gets the power, because his shock and delight at saving himself from a big fall, or stopping a saucer thrown by his nephew, or trying with all his might to recreate the moment, make for some amusing and endearing moments.
But I really like the story of the random guy who gets airbending powers and is afraid of himself. His stand on the top of the bridge in Republic City where Korra comes to try to talk him down calls to mind the famous scene with Superman talking to a suicidal woman. This being Nickelodeon, they obviously don’t go as far with it, but I like that they treat receiving bending as something hard for some people. The guy is understandably freaked, and Korra commiserating with him, knowing how change brings challenges, but ultimately saving him, bumps this up a nothch. (And Tenzin’s scenes with his kids explaining his excitement about this development and the following one where he welcomes the guy are all kinds of heartening).
Of course, a new season means we have to introduce a new big bad, and I have to admit I’m a bit underwhelmed by Zahir. There’s definitely intrigue from a guy with no bending powers who has to be trapped in a big metal box in a remote area suddenly getting those abilities. But his poetry-spouting villain monologuing doesn't do much for me. That said, the idea of an evil airbender is one that, naturally, the show’s never done before, so like with almost everything here, I’m excited at the possibilities.
Overall, a great way to start the new season, full of promise.
[8.5/10] I’m not sure I ever wanted or needed to know how The Avatar started. Shows can run into trouble when they over-explain their origins. This franchise’s spiritual predecessor Buffy the Vampire Slayer managed to wring some interesting stuff out of it, but too often it turns the magic and lore that gain force from their being mysterious into boring, contrived connections with the story in the “present day.”
Thankfully, “The Beginnings Pt. 1” avoids that by basically turning into a fable. The story of Wan (Steven Yuen!) not setting out to accomplish some mystical journey, but just scraping by, and inadvertently finding a place with the spirit world feels more like something Aesop would come with than the show’s typically more semi-serious lore. It’s a nice touch, showing the humble, rough-hewn origins of this sacred lineage rather than something stuffier or hushed.
That extends to the art style, which has a nice pop-up book style that distinguishes it from the harsher angles and more clearly-defined lines of TLoK. The design work here is great, from the adorable yet nicely motley crew of spirits that Wan runs into in the forest, to the tussling uber-spirits, to the grand city on a lion-turtle’s back. There’s a distinctive character to this time and place, and it helps make Wan’s story feel like it’s own thing rather than mere backstory to the adventures of Aang or Korra.
(Incidentally, I started out with a pretty strong Aladdin vibe from this one. Seeing Wan trying to nab food and escape from some troublesome guards, only to bring it back to his secluded hideout, feels of a piece with the 1992 classic. But then, you know, he started talking to a deep-voiced lion-y creature who starts him on his destiny, and that pretty well clinched it.)
It’s a neat story of Wan hunkering down with his friends as streetrat, “stealing” the ability to firebend in order to rebel against the upper crusty/food-hoarding Chus, and then getting banished to “The Spirit Wilds” where the spirit creatures prey on humans, leaving some half-transformed after possession.
That’s another thing I really enjoyed about this one. There’s very little exposition. TLoK just throws you into this world and expects you to keep up. You watch Wan and others receive the ability to firebend, with the expectation that they’ll give it back and just have to follow along. You see a guy who’s half tree without some wistful recollection of how it happened, instead seeing a later possession-transformation gone wrong that explains it with few words. Nobody has to tell us that The Spirit Wilds are a dangerous place, you just hear Wan ask to keep his fire so he can defend himself and then watch his close shaves and misadventures there.
The fable part of the story comes when he seeks refuge in a spirit oasis, is refused entry for his humanity, but then gains admittance after showing mercy to a deer-cat caught in a snare. It’s a simple morality tale, but it helps explain The Avatar’s connection to the spirit world and how he learns to bend (fire at least) better than anyone else. Again, seeing the diverse and interesting designs of the spirits helps, but it’s neat to see his little montage that sets him on his way to becoming a master.
The other side of the coin is that him interfering in the Rava/Vaatu battle that represents the struggle between Good and Evil is a little too cheesy and straightforward for me out of the gate, but I’m willing to see where they go with it.
Overall, a really interesting episode that delves into the deepest depths of Avatar lore, but does its own thing and doesn’t feel like a contrived vignette to explain Korra’s predicament, which is impressive.
[9.2/10] Avatar: The Last Airbender has been scary before. There’s moments where our heroes are under threat or some strange new monster or power is after them, or some freaky thing called “the face dealer” is in play. But never before has the show been as downright creepy as it is here. “The Puppetmaster” plays like an episode of Tales from the Crypt, with a mystery, a friend turned tormentor, and a dark secret.
The very idea of bloodbenders, of someone who can control other life forms, be they animals or human beings, is intriguing and haunting in turn. The episode builds up to that nicely, with Hama initially taking water from plants, and seeming slightly unnerving in her presence before the big reveal. One of the things I like about Avatar is that it takes the natural nerd-y questions about these elemental powers and takes them to their logical, sometimes disturbing extremes, whether that’s Toph being able to bend metal or Hama being able to manipulate human beings filled with fluid.
But what I like about Hama is that the show doesn’t make her just an evil witch. For one thing, she is a link to Katara and Sokka’s history and tradition. She is, for all we know, the last water-bender from the southern water tribe. There is a sense of communion with her and Katara, a connection between them that Katara cannot forge with anyone else given the circumstances and what the Fire Nation did to their people. That immediately makes her reveals, her attacks, and her methods more damning and haunting – because she is, at least nominally, on the side of the good guys.
And yet what I love about Hama is that she’s basically Magneto from X-men (right down to breaking out of prison built to evade her powers using substance contained in a human being). She does terrible things and she has a binary, retributivist view of right and wrong that perpetuates the cycle of violence. Still, you absolutely understand who she is and what she does and why she is that way given what she’s been through and what’s been done to her. She’s seen the worst of the fire nation’s trespasses against her people; she’s seen the way they wiped out her brothers and sisters, and she has no forgiveness in her heart for them or anyone who bears their brand. She is a victim rounding up the descendants of her tormentors. That is horrifying, but complex.
It’s also unnerving because she tries, and arguably succeeds, in passing that legacy down to Katara. Hama is worried about the practices of her people dying out, and so works to teach bloodbending to Katara, to force her to use the techniques. The very sight of her controlling Aang and Sokka and using their bodies to attack Katara is creepy enough, and the same goes for the way she contorts Katara’s arm. But the real tragedy is that she forces Katara to use the bloodbending to stop her, passing this terrible mantle down to her in the process.
AtLA can be scary, but it can also be much deeper than that. “Puppetmaster” succeeds at telling a horror story as good as any that could be whispered around the sort of campfire at the beginning of the episode, but it grounds it in complicated notions of vengeance, legacy, and agency that take a horrifying thing and given it an unavoidable human dimension.
[9.5 /10] Oh man, I love me a format bender! I’ve talked a little bit about how it feels like the show’s momentum has stalled out somewhat with the journey to Ba Sing Se. There doesn’t seem to be the same urgency to the quest that there was in Season 1, even as the quality of the show has markedly improved. But this is the perfect kind of episode to do in the midst of this lull, a series of quick-hit pieces that give nice character moments and mini-adventures.
Things start off nicely with Katara and Toph having a spa day together and running into a trio of mean girls afterward. There’s something cathartic about the two of them using their bending powers to humiliate the bullies. But what really makes this one nice is the way it not only builds the sometimes shaky friendship between the two of them, but reveals some of Toph’s personality and insecurity. There’s a clear sense that Toph’s personality is somewhat a reaction to her princess-like upbringing, but also a reaction to her disability – that she turned an insecurity into a source of strength and part of who she is, but it still tugs at her a bit deep down under the surface. Katara telling Toph that she’s pretty, even though Toph professes it doesn’t matter to her, is a nice moment of bonding, and despite her protestations, it clearly means a lot for her to here.
It packs a punch in just a little bit of time, which is also true for Zuko’s story. Watching the socially awkward kid go on a date with and endlessly patient girl is a treat. (I guess being handsome buys you a lot of slack in Ba Sing Se.) His stilted attempts to make small talk and cover up his Fire Nation past are quite amusing. But the real show comes when he lights up those lanterns for his date, showing that behind his icy exterior there’s a young man who cares about doing nice things for other people. He doesn’t want to give into his feelings in this moment, because he feels he has a destiny, something that means he can’t put down roots or make connections with others in a place like this, but as he tells his uncle, it’s nice to do have those feelings, and it may be one of the few times Zuko’s had that sort of human connection apart from his mother and uncle.
Much of the episode, however, is just interested in providing some fun adventure or humor rather than anything too too deep. Aang leaning into his love of animals and using his Avatar powers to make an shiny, new, impromptu zoo after the old one has fallen into squalor is a nice story about him playing Superman – helping out with every day things and not just saving the world. Similarly, it’s slight as all get out, but Sokka getting into a haiku rap battle with the teacher at a local school is just silly enough to work.
Even Momo’s story is mostly a Warner Bros.-esque caper. I’m always impressed when shows tell stories without dialogue, and while I wouldn’t want a full Momo-episode necessarily (his little interlude with the baby in Omashu recommends against it) watching him run afoul of some souped up alleycats, free them from the chopping block, and then get the first big hint of Appa is a tidy little tale that has a lot of fun and creative direction in it. (His dance is eminently gif worthy.) There’s even the hint of melancholy with Momo missing his big bison-y buddy, and the scene of him curling up in Appa’s footprint is especially sweet and sad.
But holy cow, nothing in the episode can top Iroh’s story in the sweet and sad department. While most of the characters in A:TLA took a while to grow on me, Iroh was one of the few who clicked right from the start. Whether it’s Mako’s delivery, or just the character’s Impish charms, there was always a nice blend of off-kilter wisdom but a well of deep feeling as well. This story was the perfect encapsulation of that. The way he goes around Ba Sing Se as a humble but caring traveler, looking out for everyone and everything, from plants to babies to schoolboys to muggers, is delightful.
You see his helpful bent, and the way he’s apt to help young boys of all ages. His song for the little baby is cute and his manner with this kid is adorable. Him getting into hijinks with some kids player earth-bending soccer is classic. And only Iroh could turn getting mugged into a teachable moment. The way he not only disarms his mugger with ease, but then bonds with him and encourages him to be a masseuse is wonderful.
But then, the scales fall. Iroh goes up to a tree, sets up a shrine to his deceased son, and sings the same song about a lost soldier boy, this time in tears. Suddenly, the reason for Iroh’s kindness, here and with Zuko, becomes much more clear. He wishes he could have helped his own son, to allow him to avoid such a fate. We know that Iroh was broken by this loss, that he might have beaten Ba Sing Se himself if such a devastating personal tragedy hadn’t cracked his spirit in twain.
But in the aftermath, Iroh reassembled himself into the kind, caring, avuncular caretaker we know, who has a connection to this world and its inhabitants deeper than anyone else we’ve seen. It’s a poignant moment, one that casts all his other guidance and care throughout the series into stark relief. That’s what these sorts of episodes do at their best. They don’t just cut the writers some slack by allowing them to write shorts rather than full episodes. Instead, they give you those powerful moments, the ones that are glancing, but which give you insight into who these people are, apart from larger story demands. As Iroh’s heart-rending moment up on that hill illustrates, sometimes those are the most affecting moments of all.
