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adamlewxs
Reviews
Avatar: The Last Airbender: City of Walls and Secrets (2006)
More to Ba Sing Se than meets the eye - a critique of authoritarianism
From the moment we arrive in Ba Sing Se, there's is a creepy an uneasy feeling. Joo Dee is like a robot that can only repeat certain lines and delivers a chilling presence. We see that everyone the gang meets is intimidated into silence as the nature of the city's authoritarian surveillance state becomes more clear.
It feels like there are many different inspirations here - the authoritarian state with high degrees of censorship and control is likely a critique of communist regimes like China and the Soviet Union. The way the war is common knowledge but no one can officially speak about it or acknowledge reminds me of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (and probably mirrors other historical wars too). We also see the corruption in the bureaucracy, with the neighbour of the gang being unwilling to help them since he just got his house after three years of serving the state. Everyone is terrified into silence as they are served disinformation.
We also see the show critique the high degree of inequality, with a poor section literally walled off from the rest of the city whilst the rich have extravagant parties. This could also be found in many modern capitalist countries like the USA. The ruthless Dai Lee reminds us of both the KGB and CIA, with Joo Dee just disappearing after failing to keep the gang from finding out the true nature of power in the city - terrifying how she is simply replaced by someone else with the same name, we are left wondering if that's how she initially got her job too.
I think the only weak point in this episode is the B plot with Jet and Zuko. I love the tension and their fight at the end is great but it also feels forced, with Jet randomly turning up as Zuko needed some conflict. His group randomly goes from a radical militant group ready to destroy entire villages to wanting to 'start fresh' without w satisfying explanation of how/why this change happens. His once loyal followers fuelled by revenge are disillusioned by his pursuit of Zuko - I think this should have been more fleshed out since it just did not seem like a natural follow up to me.
Overall though, a great episode with very creepy undertones !
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Zuko Alone (2006)
Another Step on Zuko's Path to Redemption
Great mix of showing more of Zuko's backstory and his present day character development.
Zuko's better nature is starting to become more prominent with him looking more to do good in the world. We see this in his reluctance to steal from the couple on the road at the beginning and willingness to help the family he meets in the village. We would have never seen this from season 1 Zuko - great character development.
The flashbacks give great insight into how he came to be destructive and selfish (as we first saw him), when it's clear his nature is to be more empathetic. He is under constant pressure to show his strength and power to earn the approval of his father and grandfather. Similar theme to the previous episode with Toph of how destructive family expectations can be, though this time in reverse - where Toph was restricted as her family expected too little, too much is demanded of Zuko. Clear to see how he goes down the wrong path without his mother to bring out the best in him.
Other details that I liked were the continuations of social themes that have been so prominent:
- sexism experienced by Azula seen when Iroh only thinks to send her a doll whilst giving Zuko a weapon
- destructive impact of war and power both through the conflict it creates in Zuko's family (which is suggested to lead to Zuko's father killing his grandfather) as well as on the normal soldiers and their families
- nuance in who is good and bad. Whilst the fire nation are clearly worse overall, we see the corruption of parts of the Earth kingdom army
The only thing that holds this back from being a 10/10 for me is that Azula largely comes off as one-dimensional with how naturally evil she is in all aspects as a young child. Just found it quite jarring especially in contrast to Zuko who's given so much more depth. Perhaps they could have focused more clearly on how the sexism she faced is what drove her to be so cruel since it's only vaguely hinted at in this episode.
Overall, loved the great character showcase for Zuko - maybe the best arc of the whole series and episodes like this are exactly why.
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Blind Bandit (2006)
Great Introduction for Toph
Toph is one of the most interesting characters introduced so far in the series.
I love the way they show her disability as something that enhances her earthbending and gives her an advantage in fights. Interesting commentary on how the constraints society places on her (through her overbearing parents infantilising her) hold her back for more than the disability in itself.
Goes without saying the fight scenes are amazing. Great use of slow motion and camera angles to give the intense moments more of a punch. Also really creative with the way she uses the dust cloud to her advantage in the final fight.
Think the only (minor) flaw is that a couple of the jokes didn't land v well, but not to the point where it drags there episode down.
Overall a iconic episode for an iconic character in the series.