ATLA - 305 - The Beach
Oct. 19th, 2007 09:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
retro_eidasThis ep was a comedic motife throughout, but I am wondering if the comical exterior was hiding some darker themes and foreshadowing underneath. You could say it's synonymous with those flashbacks of the happier, childhood summers that are now long gone. That one's true nature cannot be hidden, no matter how normal things may seem on the surface or try to be. I'm pretty sure Iroh had a line once on the lines of, "The family is not what it seems." No, no it isn't.
This ep was a little bizarre to watch. However, I take it this ep was something of a calm before the storm. We see these people bonding to see how well these bonds hold up against the pressure of the fast approaching Day of Black Sun. As we have every ep so far in S3, we get another moment to see the human face of the aggressors, but now through some of it's key players. These characters are still, despite everything, teenagers and have teenagers' problems but ... all of this in the backdrop of Zuko's assassin viciously attacking the Avatar and friends? Giving us more insight on why these characters are the way they are, making them all a little more human, but also we're definitely not to forget the other side of what they all are... the aggressors.
I don't necessarily feel anymore sympathy for Azula than I did before. She's still "crazy and needs to go down", as Iroh so succinctly put. There was something of a tragic spin, however, as it's always a bit sad to see the origins of someone whose gone so wrong (and is, honestly, too fargone now to be saved). The megalomaniac in Azula is so thoroughly ingrained in who and what she is, she can't get away from it. Not even on a day at the beach. That she just can't be a normal teenage girl, because it's just not in her to be so.
However, they all at least got a little more development. Especially Mai (who rather needed it paired off with such a major character like Zuko). I'm still kind of irritated there was virtually no development towards the place the Mai/Zuko pairing is when we first saw it and up to now, but I can deal with it a little better than before.
I'm also glad we're all but assured a Combustion Man vs the gAang rematch. His powers are every bit as wicked cool as the trailers eluded. A gAang rematch, or maybe Zuko can get a taste of his own medicine when Azula sends that guy after his ass when he runs off after Avatar Aang (as the kid obviously has a problem with the whole discretion thing) reveals himself to be alive? Oh, you totally know this is going to happen. Karma is a bitch, ain't it Zuzu?
And as is required in all of my ATLA posts.... Toph is still majorly bad ass. She's the only one that managed to hold her ground while all the rest of them got blown away like tumbleweeds.
I am a bit of an idiot, however, as I didn't stick around and watch the trailer for next week. I stupidly flipped the channel beforehand. UGH! Anyone care to give me a recap?
This ep was a little bizarre to watch. However, I take it this ep was something of a calm before the storm. We see these people bonding to see how well these bonds hold up against the pressure of the fast approaching Day of Black Sun. As we have every ep so far in S3, we get another moment to see the human face of the aggressors, but now through some of it's key players. These characters are still, despite everything, teenagers and have teenagers' problems but ... all of this in the backdrop of Zuko's assassin viciously attacking the Avatar and friends? Giving us more insight on why these characters are the way they are, making them all a little more human, but also we're definitely not to forget the other side of what they all are... the aggressors.
I don't necessarily feel anymore sympathy for Azula than I did before. She's still "crazy and needs to go down", as Iroh so succinctly put. There was something of a tragic spin, however, as it's always a bit sad to see the origins of someone whose gone so wrong (and is, honestly, too fargone now to be saved). The megalomaniac in Azula is so thoroughly ingrained in who and what she is, she can't get away from it. Not even on a day at the beach. That she just can't be a normal teenage girl, because it's just not in her to be so.
However, they all at least got a little more development. Especially Mai (who rather needed it paired off with such a major character like Zuko). I'm still kind of irritated there was virtually no development towards the place the Mai/Zuko pairing is when we first saw it and up to now, but I can deal with it a little better than before.
I'm also glad we're all but assured a Combustion Man vs the gAang rematch. His powers are every bit as wicked cool as the trailers eluded. A gAang rematch, or maybe Zuko can get a taste of his own medicine when Azula sends that guy after his ass when he runs off after Avatar Aang (as the kid obviously has a problem with the whole discretion thing) reveals himself to be alive? Oh, you totally know this is going to happen. Karma is a bitch, ain't it Zuzu?
And as is required in all of my ATLA posts.... Toph is still majorly bad ass. She's the only one that managed to hold her ground while all the rest of them got blown away like tumbleweeds.
I am a bit of an idiot, however, as I didn't stick around and watch the trailer for next week. I stupidly flipped the channel beforehand. UGH! Anyone care to give me a recap?
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no subject
Date: 2007-10-23 09:35 pm (UTC)I hope for that "Oh sweet JESUS, what have I DONE" moment. Soon. I feel like Zuko has sunk pretty low at this point and really hope it's rock bottom now so he can start to pick himself up and start the upward climb -with newly-buff Uncle Iroh by his side.
I think Mai's a goner too (not in the "dead" sense, just in the "ex" sense) because his relationship with her is symptomatic of Zuko's current descent into madness.
Toph pwns.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-25 06:17 pm (UTC)I get a distinct feeling the longer Zuko stays in the palace and acts how he's been acting, the more painful the epiphany is going to be for him. Hubris and all that.