After managing NOT to watch Avatar The Last Airbender for YEARS (I don't have tiiiiime!) @elibyronbaldrsn talked me into watching. I am a RESPONSIBLE ADULT so naturally I stayed up until 4 am getting to halfway through season 1. This is WHY I'm not allowed to watch tv shows, btw. I'm chugging coffee and clearing my schedule for today, lol.
Anyway, @elibyronbaldrsn told me about Toph and I accidentally saw a clip mix of her and I was lost to all reason. NO SPOILERS PLEASE, but yeah somehow I missed there is a disabled main character. I woke spouse up this morning with the words "you have to watch Avatar TLA but not in a way that slows me down at all". LOL.
Okay, I'm not live-tweeting the thing, but I'll send highlights from my texts to @elibyronbaldrsn last night, who puts up with me.
"Okay Zuko's uncle was actually hot in the live-action movie this is upsetting."
"This is NOT a man I would kick out of bed without cause."
"He was honestly the most well-developed movie character. SO SHOCKING THE DIRECTOR WOULD FOCUS ON THE OLDER GUY I AM SHOCKED."
"Awww, Katara frozed them."
"Sokka is so much less annoying than in the movie."
"Oh, I'm glad Zuko had a nice day. (He just won the duel with Zhao.)"
"He made good points but he was an ass. I agree with the BASIC PREMISE that this isn't a job for a teenager."
"Wtf they have rhinos."
"lol omg they tied Sokka's leg to his hand."
"Oof, I feel so sorry for Katara in this episode. The one where Aang has given up on taking her to a water bender because he has groupies."
"Oh no the statue burned down!!"
"He was telling the girls that (girl) statue was him and one girl said in this DREAMY voice 'you were PRETTY' and I died. CHILD. EMBRACE THE GAY."
"Ugh there are earth benders who aren't Toph. WHY MUST I WAIT UNTIL SEASON TWO."
"Can.... can I love the earth king. The bad room that was recently refurbished."
"WE'RE GONNA KEEP TRYING BUT THAT IS A GOOD BACKUP."
"Hang on the hottest man in the world is lifting boulders. Oh, he's shy."
"That lemur is earth bending!!"
"'I'LL SAVE YOU FROM THE PIRATES'??? DID THEY *WANT* PEOPLE TO SHIP THEM?????? I AM JUST SAYING."
"A new gorgeous boy has entered into existence."
Thoughts so far:
- Number of gorgeous guys is good.
- Katara gets the short stick too often.
- Needs more Toph in Season 1.
Aww, now Sokka is sick.
Holy shit. There's a cat with the same name as the demigirl in my WIP (Miyuki). I mean. It's a name, these things happen, I'm just sleep deprived and I thought for a moment I hallucinated slightly.
THIS episode has hot boys who are also ARCHERS.
MY FRIENDS NEED TO SUCK ON THOSE FROGS.
Omg, is the masked person rescuing him Zuko.
Okay, if it IS Zuko then Zhao knows.
hahahahahaha, it *is* Zuko.
Did that bear just poop an egg?
aww, Meng!
Katara, omg, are you asking about love when I want you to be asking about bending? Baby.
Okay, Aang is asking too, so that's a little better. *adorbs*
"I like you but more than normal," oh my babies.
This is the third major episode where Katara has been wrong and Sokka has not, this is slightly vexing to my tits. I realize it's a Worf effect thing, not misogyny. She's characterized as being Right and Responsible, so it's a bigger deal when she's Not.
aww, Aang and Meng!
I really like the hints and pieces of how benders are cool, yes, but WORKING TOGETHER they can do amazing things. Like, when you see Aang and Katara work together, you can just imagine how powerful LARGE GROUPS would be. Cooperative magic building is one of my favorite things.
(psst, no spoilers, my loves! "X survives and has babies Y" is a spoiler.)
A GIRL HAS ENTERED. God, I am such bisexual trash. I need to kiss her with kisses. *sobs*
"You have your father's wit." I DIED.
She's arm-wrestling, I have exploded into a cloud of girl-thirst. I am dead. What is the bounty-hunter's name, I need to tattoo it on my heart. I just want her to fuck me and betray me. Or leave me while I sleep. I'm not picky. I don't want to tie her down. Unless she wants that.
June wouldn't pity me for being in pain, but she'd "just happen" to send money for me to visit a healer.
Aang, I love you and I know you are 12, but you are taking this "Katara's Dad" thing in a bad direction. You made Katara cool her heels for HOW LONG because you had groupies? Baby. C'mon.
"Miyuki, did you get in trouble with the Fire Nation again?" omg
Ya'll are never going to believe that I named my demigirl months before seeing this show. @elibyronbaldrsn can vouch for me!
Aang, what are you doing, this is unfair. Those two kids have made a MILLION detours for you without complaint! You rode carts in Earth town and had groupies in Unagi lake! They infiltrated a fire temple for you so you could look at a statue! And you can't even consider they might want to see their dad? Baby. I know you are 12 years old, but if you REALLY love Katara then you need to empathize with her the way she does with you, baby.
I agree with @davidsgallant; this feels really out of character for Aang? He usually takes joy in other peoples' joys. What's that word we poly people use. When you take joy in your partners' joys. Compersion? That thing. Aang usually has that.
Oh no, he's leaving but June is hunting Katara's scent.
Okay, but this episode doesn't make the most sense because this is POST-knowledge that a comet is coming, so Priorities.
"No wonder your girlfriend left. She's way too pretty for you." JUNE. NOTICE ME, JUNE.
Okay, they have wanted posters but it seems like "child with GIANT ARROW ON HIS HEAD" would suffice. I admire the Fire Nation's philosophy of overkill.
I don't understand this fire bending episode. I thought Aang already knew there was an order he had to follow. I knew that, and I don't know anything! Oh... we're just going to disregard the order after all? Okay???
Guys, I love you I'm not going to do live-tweet watches if I keep hearing "just wait for [name] [place] [event] [villain] [children]!" How can I have suspense over whether someone's going to be a good guy or a bad guy or an EVENTUAL good guy when it's in my mentions? And also I know that Toph has children, so I guess I'm never going to be worried that she might die. Guys. Guys. Guys. Like, I'm not saying don't put spoilery squees on YOUR TL, the show has been out for forever, but folks are @-ing them at me!
*deep breath* Sorry. I'm just. In a lot of pain and trying to enjoy things and I have to not look at my mentions, I guess. Sorry.
Side note: Avatar Roku tickles me because Roku is literally what I'm using to watch this episode on my television.
Aang, you weren't supposed to BURN the leaf, baby. You are not following instructions well-- WHAT THE FUCK AANG.
Lot of feels with Katara being the one injured and the healer. (Also thinking about an old WIP I have where the FIRE guild are the healers.)
Zhao is back! Boy, that guy is everywhere. Someone give him a raise.
Man, I wonder if Jeong Jeong really "saw" Roku or if he was having internalized feels that he externalized onto Aang.
Wow, Zhao has taken a level or three since he lost to Zuko way back when.
lol, omg, Sokka made me laugh. "Thanks for all the first aid over the years!!"
Sokka, omg. "Do you want me to be like you or totally honest?" hahahah
Another handsome boy has entered the show! (We need more handsome girls, though........)
OH. He has a movement disability? They've got his legs wrapped. AANG, YOU BETTER BE NICE TO HIM. I'm fucking crying so hard. HIS NAME IS TEO.
I... actually have an OC in a game named Teo whose legs were broken and a loved one healed him. How. How is this. Did I watch this series and then the government de-neuralyzed me??
Katara is crying at his story, because she is the best. Teo is a sweetie and I just. I'm crying again. You guys, I have a movement disability. Teo taught Katara how to fly before Aang thought to!
Oh, oh, oh, Sokka helped figure out a hard problem!
C'mon Katara! Bend snow or something! I believe in you!
YES, SHE HEARD ME.
Okay. Episode 18. We're SO CLOSE to Season 2 and Toph.
Iroh is singing.
LOL, Katara. "My apologies, Prince Sokka."
Wait, okay, why are they introducing Aang to the teacher but not Katara. That's not cool.
FORBIDDEN FOR WOMEN TO LEARN WATER BENDING WHAT THE EVEN FUCK.
TAKE TWENTY SEATS YOU OLD FUCK OR I WILL SCHOOL YOU IN PAIN.
KATARA IS MORE MAN THAN YOU, FUCK FACE.
Katara, what the fuck, don't back down! What the hell.
UGH, WHY DOESN'T YAGODA BREAK THIS GUY'S FACE.
Yagoda, why you not break this guy's face? I BELIEVE IN YOU, YAGODA.
Oh my god everyone in this tribe is an ASSHAT, I have never been more disappointed.
The fate of the ENTIRE WORLD is on the line and everyone is like "well, but on the other hand, the sexist asshat has a right to--" NO.
TELL HIM TO EAT AN ENTIRE BAG OF DICKS, GROW UP, AND TEACH THE FUCKING AVATAR OH MY GOD.
ENTIRE. BAG. OF DICKS.
YES, Katara, break ALL the things. Fuck their shit up.
I hope she water-bends ice into a fucking dick and smacks him in the cheek with it.
....a whip to the back of the head is honestly close enough. Thank you.
Oh my god the little girls are cheering for her and I'm crying and it's like Utena all over again OH MY GOD.
Oh her necklace. Christ, is he gonna be her grandfather or something? I refuse this.
OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE.
GAWD, is he going to be one of those DICKS who "becomes a feminist" when he realizes he has female progeny? Those men SUCK.
Yeah, okay, he lets her train. Still a bag of dicks. I would send him dick-candy. Stale ones. STALE DICK CANDY.
Mallory has a good Toast article on THOSE GUYS.
I don't care if he's Actual Grandfather or Spiritual "You Could Have Been Mine If Things Had Been Different" Grandfather. BAG. OF. DICKS.
"BETTER LATE THAN NEVER" is cold comfort to the lives of all the lady-waterbenders you FUCKED UP you shitbag.
OKAY and Thomas has pointed out WHAT THE FUCK DO THEY DO when a Female Avatar is born? BAG OF DIIIICKS.
Now I wanna write fanfic with a female Fire Nation Avatar training with the northern Water Tribes and fucking their shit up. She'd have fire AND air before water, so she could melt the ice and blow it away!
Oh god, Sokka is trying to commit suicide by brave mission. Baby.
I wonder why they don't have water wash over the ships and then turn it into ice to expand the cracks.
Zuko, seriously, you're blind-diving into dark water what are you doing.
"Well, aren't you a big girl now?" omg, I s2g this is the ship bait-iest series I have ever watched. I DO NOT SHIP IT YET, but that does not mean I cannot see the bait they're flinging into the water.
Holy fuck, Katara. Look at you rock.
Zuko.... are you planning to WALK back to the Fire Nation from the North Pole?
~DETERMINATION~
Is it too much to ask for Roku to give Aang a hug now and again.
The... ocean and moon... gave up immortality... to become mortals? This is some next level stuff, Zhao. Destroying the moon would be bad, Zhao. I know Dragonball Z did that, but it didn't make sense.
YOU GAVE UP YOUR IMMORTALITY TO BE FISH!?!?!?!!?!?
At least Arwen got to be queen of the humans and had that good D!
How BAD is "being the moon" that "being a fish" sounds BETTER?
"Let's bring the guy who's constantly trying to kill us." Oh, Sokka, never change.
(Side-note: I am for-reals about to start blocking people who tweet "Korra" at me. Let me watch THIS show, PLEASE. Guys.)
In retrospect, it was probably unwise to assume that flammable rope could hold Zuko, yeah.
[TW] Unnnnnnnnnnnnnnngh, so many feels about Yue and depression and suicide.
I... honestly was not expecting Zuko to try to save Zhao from the Ocean.
OKAY SEASON 2 CAN START NOW. BRING ON THE TOPH.
I kinda hate that we never see Yagoda after Pakku stops being so dickish.
The female-character to male-character ratio here could use some work. BRING ON TOPH.
OMG. "Maybe you should worry less about the tides who have already made up their mind about killing you."
Katara quit on him, omg. Good girl.
Aww, Zuko, don't yell at Iroh, baby. You're going to feel bad about that later.
Earth people, what the fuck are you doing. Lord, is EVERY NATION we meet going to be a bag of dicks??
"We're worried about wasting time, so we're going to try to cheat in a way that won't work and will waste a lot of time." Cool, bro. Maybe your world is fucked up NOT because Missing Avatar but RATHER because you're all dicks.
lol, the look on her face at "taking the prisoners home".
"You lied to me!" "Like I've never done THAT before." THAT SMIRK.
Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnd once again Katara is hurt so that Aang could have a breakthrough? Seriously? Guys. GUYS. I wasn't thrilled about it during the fire bending thing, but now we're doing it again. STOP THAT.
I want Azula as my daughter, I would CHERISH her. Baby, we will turn your loyal bitch-queenitude to a good cause.
.....this episode has hippies.
Wait, why do they need a pass THROUGH the mountains, they can FLY.
YES, SOKKA POINTED THAT OUT, THANK YOU.
This episode is bad. @elibyronbaldrsn, this episode is bad.
So I have mixed feelings about Zuko being scarred because we don't get much representation in media. But why don't we see MORE scars? There's a WAR going on, there should be LOTS of people with burn scars like Zuko.
And we get this episode with the girl who has a scarred leg and that's a connection, but. She... should be the 1000th person we've met thus far with fire burns? Hell, Katara alone has met one billion "my parents were killed by the Fire Nation" folks.
Disability rep is good, but it's bad when disability is treated as rare in a setting where it shouldn't be. (Note: All settings.) Same with Teo. We should see SO MANY MORE people with movement disabilities. There's a WAR going on with people who CRUSH LIMBS with STONE.
Aang is worried about running out of light when he can literally summon fire from his palms, I do not understand this. I don't ship Aang and Katara at all. Maybe later. Don't @ me with spoilers thanks.
Mai has entered and I already love her, so that's a thing now.
REMINDER: I would like to not be tweeted the word "Korra" today or possibly ever again.
"MY AURA HAS NEVER BEEN PINKER."
HER AURA HAS NEVER BEEN PINKER.
Holy fuck, Bumi surrendered?
Awww, Sokka is being clever again.
BAD FIRE NATION BABY.
Mai, hahahaha. "Please tell me you're here to kill me."
Katara now taking on TWO badass women, that's what I like to see.
Bumi, what if they just kill you?? You are not the Avatar! You don't reincarnate! They have NO REASON not to kill you! Have you MET Azula?
Ugh, still no Toph.
oh fuck me there are hillbillies.
Oh christ, Yue in the swamp. way to stab us all in the heart, you swamp.
Is there no one in this universe who just uses OARS?
AIM FOR ITS FACE!!!!
IT HAS A FACE RIGHT THERE! ARE YOU *TRYING* NOT TO HIT IT!
"I protect the swamp from people with knives" OH MY GOD, DUDE.
You KILL PEOPLE for cutting VINES. TREES can be TRIMMED. DUDE. DUDE. DUDE.
"You think you're any different from me" YES I AM NOT A MURDERING HIPPY.
"Death is an illusion" SAYS THE GUY WHO MURDERS PEOPLE how convenient.
Sokka is an adorable Scully. "That's avatar stuff, it doesn't count." lol
omg Zuko puts on his Blue Spirit mask to vigilante OMG it's the Gohan superhero cycle all over again how adorbs
"Momo, you need to be a little more sensitive to my boundaries." AHAHAHAHAAHAH
HAIR LOOPIES.
oh my GAWD they made a giant Aang for the festival and-- BURNED IT DOWN???
The Blue Spirit music has a jingling side effect that makes me feel like I have something wrong with my ears.
Katara.... Katara what are you doing.
DUDE, if Kyoshi murdered someone, THEY DESERVED IT.
Aang, oh my god, clearly these people are twitter eggs. You cannot please everyone all the time.
Katara brings up the good point that ya'll are supposed to be SAVING THE WORLD not making FILLER EPISODES.
GET TO TOPH.
GET TO TOPH.
GET TO TOPH.
GET TO TOPH.
GET TO TOPH.
GET TO TOPH.
GET TO TOPH.
GET TO TOPH.
GET TO TOPH.
GET TO TOPH.
oh god they're making a detour I can't. I am going to kill someone with my keyboard.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO TELL HER HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT FILLER EPISODES
...okay can we break out of prison NOW?
..............................why did literally any of that work just now.
BOOMERANG! YOU DO ALWAYS COME BACK. hahahahasdhjadajkdha
omg unfried dough omgggggggggggggg I am dead.
NOW WE GET TOPH. I SUFFERED MUCH TO GET HERE.
(Literally I decided to watch this series FOR Toph, 24 hours ago. I basically didn't sleep last night. HERE WE GO.)
omg, @elibyronbaldrsn, Katara did the thing!
"Hey, strong guys, wait uppppp!" *FROZEN IN ICE*
THE BOULDER's FACIAL EXPRESSIONS.
oh my god, Sokka is being ADORABLE.
The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young blind girl!
Sounds to ME like you're SCARED, Boulder! ahahahsdhjadhakdh
....the Boulder is over feeling conflicted and is ready to bury you in a ROCKALANCHE.
"Do people really wanna see TWO little girls fighting out here?" omg TOPH.
AANG OH MY GOD BABY NO.
omg Katara. "That is a big relief." (that the belt matches the bag)
OMG KATARA giving those boys a LOOK.
"Don't answer to Twinkle Toes, it's not MANLY!" ahasjdhadkjhahahahah
Oh my god, her helpless act. Oh my gawwwwwwwwwwwwwd.
Oh my god her parents.
"They're my parents."
holy shit I'm sobbing now, baby.
"My daughter is blind and tiny and helpless and fragile" oh god honey STOP you need to STOP NOW.
TOPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPH.
Aang jumping out to fight and Sokka just shaking his head and pointing omg.
SOKKA FAINTED! She's the greatest earthbender ever!
Oh my god, her parents! *stabs everything*
hahahaha omg the belt. "OW!"
UGH, her dad is just as awful as that waterbender guy. WHY ARE THEY ALL AWFUL.
We now continue our journey with Zuko, who foolishly threw away the only person who loves him after robbing a kind scarred girl. *eyeroll* Zuko is going to learn some character lessons about not being a total dickpiston.
oh no. an adorable child has appeared. I like that the dad is telling his son to stfu in a world where there's GOT to be a lot of deserters and war criminals and such. like, 'child, mind your own business he's probably just PTSD' and I APPROVE thank you. Good anime parents, A++
TURTLE DUCKS.
Child-Mai is freaking adorable.
...Azula just set her doll on fire and I'd be lying if I said I didn't relate.
Ozai is being a jerk.
That was a solid "This Is Why You Suck" speech, Zuko. Well done.
That episode was okay but had no Toph in it.
ONE NIGHT IN AND TOPH ALREADY SAVED THEM.
"I'M COMPLETELY CALM!!!" oh no I'm Katara hadjhadh
Why can't Toph just open a door in a mountain and they can go in and sleep in there, safe and snug. YOU HAVE AN EARTHBENDER WHY ARE YOU SLEEPING OUTSIDE WHERE THE DANGERS ARE.
"Oh, I'm sorry--I didn't count you, Sokka." ASDHAKJDHKJDHA
I love that Toph spends flying clinging to the saddle. Like. She's capable but still vulnerable and I love her and I understand.
THERE ARE SO MANY GIRLS IN THIS EPISODE.
Ty Lee asking Mai if Sokka was cute oh my babies these precious murdery babies.
.....I can both love Iroh as he is now and recognize that he didn't used to be nice.
"Maybe you should tell him that you need him, too." Toph omg stab me in the heart.
IROH!
NICKELODEON WE HAD A DEAL. A GENRE DEAL.
ohthankgodokaythankyouokaythankgoddess
oh my god Toph's SUIT OF ROCK ARMOR
"You're awfully cute but unfortunately for you you're made of meat" oh Sokka I understand.
I have mixed feels about Katara interfering in the teaching, because I mean. Yeah. BUT. Not everyone teaches good.
"Do you have what it takes?" "No, I don't think I do." IT ME.
omg it's sleeping ON HIS HEAD.
NOW COME BACK, BOOMERANG.
SURPRISING NO ONE, Iroh is a better teacher than self-taught children.
Awwwww, Toph and Katara are BONDING.
.....A historian is measuring his head.
I like how Toph doesn't look at the map and it's like she doesn't care except I mean. She can't SEE it.
SHUSH, CHATTY MONKEY.
"There it is!" ahahahahah TOPH.
Wait, why do they have to CLIMB up to the window, why can't Toph open a hole in the wall?
EARTH BENDERS OPEN HOLES IN WALLS THIS IS ESTABLISHED.
THERE IS A GIANT TALKING OWL OH MY GOD I WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN.
THIS IS SCARIER THAN THE FACE-STEALING GUY.
HOLY SHIT THE OWL HAS TURNED ON THEM.
TOPH IS KEEPING THE BUILDING UP WITH HER BARE HANDS.
okay so I am getting from this series that spirits are DICKS.
and also humans are DICKS.
NOT DICKS:
- Appa
- Momo
- I think that's pretty much it.
"Who lit Toph on fire?"
Okay, if everyone recognizes Zuko on sight, someone give him Kyoshi's makeup.
"I knew it! You two are wanted criminals with a GIGANTIC BOUNTY on your heads!" hahaahah
Aang you can stop yelling at Katara any time now.
okay that's 32 episodes in 28 hours I'm going to bed now, lol
TIP YOUR WAITER.
Woke up, watched Blind Bandit again. Made husband promise to watch Blind Bandit. Going to quit job and watch Blind Bandit.
I still feel like they vastly underuse earth bending so far. That episode with Appa shedding and the girls in their train with lizards shouldn't have been possible. At all. Toph can open a mountain for them to sleep in! Put up a thick wall in front of the speeding train! Open up a chasm in front of the train! Girls coming back up on their lizards? CLOSE THE CHASM. SQUISH.
I love earth, I really want to be an earth bender, but srsly they ought to be the bad guys just because SO OVER POWERFUL. Also, Water Benders should just be fucking drowning people where they stand. BLOOD-THIRSTY REBOOT. A Badass Boast right before combat from a friendly Water Bender: "Did you know you can drown in two inches of water?" Bubble of water around the head, encased in ice you can't break with your hands.
I'd still make fire the healers, in part because they oughta be weak in comparison to earth and water and air. Air is like, "oh dear, were you USING the air in your lungs?"
[Someone mentions Blood Bending] Yeah, I'm not ready to grant Water Benders that because then it's WAY over powered.
OH GOD I JUST GOT ALL KINDS OF DELAYED FEELS ABOUT TOPH'S EARTH PHILOSOPHY. It's about accepting problems and meeting them head-on rather than trying to find a way around or redefining the problem to be Not-A-Problem. THIS is exactly why I decided to watch when I knew there was a disabled main character, THIS RIGHT HERE. Because that's not the ONLY way to be disabled but it's ONE way to be disabled and I have FEELS washing over me like that one No Face gif. Yeah, there's valid concerns about "disabled but also not because magic" characters but that's fixed with variety.
Okay! Home from grocery shopping and made spouse watch the Blind Bandit. Pity my loved ones.
Back to episode 2.12, Secret of the Fire Nation. (The secret is their magic is fart-powered.)
Oh my god, Jet is in this episode I think oh my god he was so adorably hot.
Omigosh, Katara is being pretty.
Zuko and Jet are in the same scene and I'm already shipping them. YOU CAN'T STOP ME.
Toph pulling rank is fucking perfect. "It IS your pleasure to serve me."
MOMO IS HER SEEING-EYE LEMUR!!
OH MY GOD IS THIS SUKI. IS THIS A SUKI EPISODE.
SUKI AND JET ARE IN THE SAME EPISODE TOGETHER. NOW ALL I NEED IS MY BOUNTY HUNTER JUNE.
Toph is just saving the shit out of everyone and no one says-- AHAHAH "Thanks for saving my life, Toph!" "Eh, no problem, Sokka!" asdahda
I ship Zuko and Jet so hard it hurts right now. It doesn't have to be forever! It can be a nice fling! I like flings! Look at them stealing things together! Look at Jet's little approving smile at Zuko! THEY'RE NOT EVEN TALKING AND THEY STILL HAVE CHEMISTRY.
Aww, Katara is mentoring Aang again. They are so adorable and-- AANG YOU WON'T HUG HER?
Oh, look at Sokka using his words! I am so proud of people who use their words.
Jet is talking about his past and a new beginning and I just want Zuko to kiss him. Is that so much to ask? I DO NOT ASK FOR MUCH.
Oh look at Katara being Moses! Wouldn't it be easier to freeze the water and make a path? Like, I do not like walking on ice but (a) they do all the time and (b) she can give it treads, I'm just saying.
TOPH SAVES THE DAY AGAIN. YOU GUYS BETTER THANK HER.
I'm pleased to hear there are other people who ship Jet / Zuko, lol.
Aang is going to DISTRACT it? KATARA, FREEZE THE WATER AROUND IT.
*grumbles about Katara being used for support when she should be killing shit left and right*
Look, but I just. Did ya'll SEE Jet smile at Zuko while they were stealing? Like he'd found a kindred soul? YOU SEE IT TOO, RIGHT?
Gawd, NOW Katara is leading them across on ice.
(And they both have a sense of honor and responsibility for others, and I can't stop thinking about Jet / Zuko.)
Okay, YES, Katara is freezing him. I swear they had someone going behind cleaning up-- TOPH OH BABY.
AUSISDHASDUHAUWIEGQWQEBKEQHWEQUIGASDHASDLKAJDHAJKSDBAKDL
"Oh! Well. You can go ahead and let me drown now." AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Ugh, the pregnant woman is having a baby. I hate that pregnant women in anime means a baby WILL show up that episode. Can we FOR ONCE have a 7-month pregnant person rather than 9-months and ready to pop? I would find it MORE suspenseful for a pregnant woman in fiction not to pop five minutes later, THIS IS WHY I LIKED MAD MAX.
JET. "As soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were. You're an outcast, like me."
"We have to watch each other's backs coz no one else will" KISS HIM MY GOD KISS HIM NOW
"I've realized lately that being on your own isn't always the best path" HOW ARE THEY NOT KISSING. THIS IS A KISSING SCENE.
ugh this is why I write books because in my books I can make people kiss properly
"Hope" is a pretty name but it is not unique okay I will not be pedantic about this.
(Still do not ship Aang / Katara AT ALL. He's into it but she really doesn't seem to be and that matters to me, dammit. I don't really ship Katara with ANYONE yet, but if I had to pick a person it'd be Ty Lee the acrobat girl. Actually, that one is kinda growing on me. Ty is fun and light-hearted but serious at times and she flows with the situation.)
("Azula called louder than fate.")
Mai, stop being perfect.
(Oh god, the pregnant woman is up and walking 5 minutes later, this is WHY I hate the birth-giving thing in anime.)
God, look at Aang being large and in charge for once.
Oh my gosh, Mai and Ty Lee sliding down the-- KATARA, SAVE TY LEE FROM AZULA AND THEN KISSES.
Mai can be with Zuko and Jet.
Omg, Sokka. "So I'm the ONLY one who can ever come up with a plan? That's a lot of pressure!"
No, I'm not saying Ty Lee isn't in love with Azula, just that the relationship is abusive and I want Katara to save her AND KISSES.
SHIPS THUS FAR:
- Ty Lee / Katara
- Zuko / Jet / Mai
- Sokka / Suki
- Toph / literally no one on earth deserves her / MAYBE that cute Earthbender from season 1 IF he properly worships the ground beneath her feet. He was cute.
OMG, Iroh flattering the ticket lady OMG JET TALKING UP ZUKO TO THE OTHERS.
"I can't see a thing" "Oh no, what a nightmare!" ahadhsdhahaha TOPH.
Toph just straight-up refusing to go into the metal machine is my favorite thing.
Oh my gosh, Jet lounging next to Zuko trying his best pickup lines.
Ty Lee, omg. "And friends." *smirk flirty face at Sokka*
Mai just refuses to go into the water, hahahaha. BLESS HER.
"JUST BEND THE SLURRY, WOMAN!"
Aang is earth bending! He did it! He split the machine! There's water and earth everywhere! Toph saved everyone (AS USUAL)!
Azula is so serene about it, ha. I adore her. Oh, no, it was Mai! Hahahaha, I love her even more.
Jet's sense of betrayal over his new boy-crush being a fire bender is real and delicious and PAIN.
GUYS. STOP SAYING THE WORD KORRA TO ME. OR WARNING / EXHORTING / TELLING ME WHAT TO WATCH / NOT WATCH NEXT. THIS IS A BOUNDARY. A, You do not know me. B, I am a bitch-queen who does not care about your opinion. C, I am feeling pressured by 50+ strangers and hate it. I realize you think you're the only one telling me to watch Korra, but there are 50+ of you and you're making me preemptively HATE IT. Like, at this point I would throw every copy of Korra into a fire just for your delicious tears so you're not making a good case. Let me be.
~~~~ B I T C H - Q U E E N ~~~~
"How about THE BOOMERANG SQUAD! It has 'Aang' in it!"
Wait, there was no resolution on Jet! Maybe the next episode?
MORE JET IS PROMISED IN THE "LAST TIME" TEASER.
God, if this doesn't end in tears and kisses I am going to be so disappointed.
Holy shit, Ba Sing Se is huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge.
I love Sokka wanting to get right to business rather than flirting with the tour guide.
oh noooooooooo, I'm getting a strong District 13 vibe.
"Life happens wherever you are." Oh, Iroh.
"It's called being handled. Get used to it." TOPH MY HEART.
JOO DEE STOP SHAKING YOUR HEAD LIKE THAT OMG IT'S THE STEPFORD WIVES.
Jet stalking Zuko omg this is now Twilight.
LORD MOMO OF THE MOMO DYNASTY.
HOLY SHIT, Toph and Katara all dressed up.
Jet's friends, omg. "We think you're becoming obsessed with this!"
Oh, JET. My sweet little shitlord with a broken moral compass. If only you knew about Zuko, bby.
"I'M TIRED OF WAITING" oh my god KISS HIM.
OH THEY ARE FIGHTING HOW DOES THIS NOT END IN KISSES I HAVE BEEN SO GOOD I DESERVE THIS.
*tiny voice* YOU all think I've been good and deserve kisses, don't you?
God, the fighting in this series is so pretty. I would have been okay with way way more of this.
"No entry without an invitation," ha, I was wondering.
Katara, omg. *whispers* "She's BLIND." hahahaahahahah!!
Long Feng is so sweet. Bless him, nice man. ........or possibly he's not.
There is more sexual tension in this fight scene than in every other scene so far in this anime, my god.
oh! Aang doing tricks! Rainbow liquid sphere! I love his joy.
Oh no, they arrested Jet that's so sad. Zuko is probably crying inside. (shhh, let me have this.)
Wait, do we know whether the king has any actual authority? Because right now he's looking very figureheady.
Omg, Thomas says Long Feng is voiced by Lex Luthor.
I'm just saying, when the king is sorta CARRIED THROUGH in a curtained litter and doesn't stay to chat, that's setting off alarm bells. Which is funny when you think about it, because surely there are introverted kings. But this one is SUSPICIOUS.
Oh dear, Long Feng is head of the peoples. That's... alarming.
I WAS RIGHT!!!! HE IS A PUPPET!
Oh no. Oh no. Oh Jet. Oh god. Oh god. Oh no. Oh my heart. No I can't I can't I can't I can't I can't oh not Jet. THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!! THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!
The defeated look on Toph's face, my heart. She's always the quickest on the uptake re: authoritarian asshats. And we know why.
Oh god, they have a new Joo Dee it's all Stepford Wives again ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Fuck fuck fuck, it's all District 13 again fuck fuck fuck. and Joo Dee was punished and it wasn't even her FAULT, she did nothing WRONG and it's all their fault.
"You call it dirt. I call it a healthy coating of earth!"
Oh god, Katara telling Toph she's really pretty. No, YOU'RE crying over the filler episode.
Iroh, why are you teaching the mugger to mug better.
(Lost 20 followers since I started the Avatar live tweet. Sorry, ya'll! I know it's a clutter of spoilers if you don't want them.)
SOKKA IS HAVING A POETRY BATTLE. SOKKA IS ~WINNING~ THE POETRY BATTLE.
All good things come to an end, I suppose.
Oh Zuko, OF COURSE you assume all interest in you is suspicion. My poor angst baby.
"What do you like to do for fun." "Nothing." ZUKO.
Zuko did the fountain for her oh baby. And he made a smile. AND HE GAVE HER A COUPON. Okay, he CLEARLY misses Jet I am not wrong about this. I am going to be over here sulking because I can.
I do not actually care about Momo so I'm skipping the rest. I never care much for animal side-kicks. Momo is a good one in that he is not overly annoying. Good Momo.
UGH, do you guys have any idea how hard it is to rewind on Amazon Prime. Okay, he finds a footprint. YES, I ASSUMED THE CHILDREN'S SHOW WOULDN'T END THIS SUBPLOT IN APPA BEING SOLD TO MAKE GLUE, lol. I hope they find him soon because they've been angsting for SO MANY EPISODES and I'm ready to wrap this up.
ugh, I don't want to watch an episode about animal torture. Fast forwarding a little.
And of course he's a fire bender because we are nothing if not subtle I guess. uuuuuuuuugh, do not want this episode. I srsly hate "miserable animal travels alone looking for home" plots. Hate hate hate.
"Long Feng has him" there was that so hard to say, episode?
TOPH. "The poster looks just like him to me!"
"Thank you, I-- Why do you feel the need to do that?"
Joo Dee is terrifying.
"Yeah, let's break some rules!" TOPH
SHE JUST BLEW UP THEIR HOUSE. FOR NO REASON. HAHAHAHA.
"...It's upside-down isn't it? ....I'll just go with Sokka."
Katara's reaction to Jet is PERFECT.
Oh my gosh, Toph is performing lie-detection.
"WORST CITY EVER!"
Every Toph + Katara conversation is the best one.
Ugh, the Blue Spirit bell is bad. My ears are ringing.
Oh gosh, trying to un-brainwash Jet oh gosh my FEELS.
I NEED ZUKO IN THIS SCENE AND INSTEAD HE'S RUNNING AROUND IN A MASK.
Oh gosh, Toph. "There's a tunnel right there." GIVE HER MOST VALUABLE MEMBER AWARD FOR THIS TEAM.
Fuck me, I know Aang is the avatar but this is very Hermione again. Toph is SO USEFUL but she's not the star and I just. Sigh. I know it's ungrateful to complain, but can the blind girl be the MAIN-main character in the next major series we all love? I just want a series where Toph is the main character and Zuko and Jet kiss and it's gay and disabled and scars and feels in the FOREGROUND.
Omg, Toph just DOMINATING this fight and also Jet's curved sword thingies and yes please more now. And, no, I'm not looking for Toph recs. I'm talking about a series where a disabled girl IS the chosen one.
Aww, Jet swung and saved Toph!
Okay, this seems like a good offer from Long Feng. Why WOULDN'T we exit the city now? I mean, WE know that they need to get to the Earth King, but as far as they know, the Earth King is backing Long Feng.
oh god oh god Iroh followed Zuko and is giving him a This Is Why You Suck Speech oh god. IT IS A GOOD SPEECH but I'm afraid he's about to die because that's usually when these things happen.
Jet ohmygod is he going to be okay oh god Katara you need to oh no oh no oh no
"I'll be fine." "He's lying." Toph oh god oh my heart.
Jet and they flew away and I'm not okay with any of this and JET.
*deep breath* Okay, the Appa subplot is over and we've got 3 episodes left in the season.
"I don't trust the new positive Sokka." hahahahahaah.
"Riding bareback is terrifying." Oh Toph. God, she can't SEE up there at all.
God, I'm so proud of Aang every time he earth bends. I know it was so hard for him, so it's like. DOUBLY awesome.
I love the look of complete concentration on Toph's face whenever she fights.
SHE MADE DOMINOES.
HOLY SHIT DID YOU SEE KATARA FIGHT.
Katara used a giant water whip to push ALL THE DUDES into the moat and then Toph turned the ziggarat stairs into a SLIDE omg omg omg
hahahaha. "You invade my palace and break down my fancy door but expect me to TRUST YOU?" I love the writing in this series. "He has a good point." TOPH.
Aww, Sokka did his detective thing that was foreshadowed in a filler episode!
Simultaneously feel bad that Zuko is sick and like OF COURSE he would be dickish while sick, lolsob.
Everything with Zuko's mother, Ursa, is confusing.
Oh, honey, I don't think the Dai Li are going to-- huh. They did.
So the plan is to pre-strike over the eclipse BEFORE the comet comes and I mean. First strikes are kinda bad, but they happen to be right.
Should we be concerned that Long Feng would have staffed the government with loyalists?
Okay, Iroh says Zuko is sick over his decision to save the bison, but I think he's sick because Jet is hurt. NEW CANON. Jet is alive and being healed somewhere and no one better tell me otherwise.
KATARA, DON'T SPLIT THE PARTY.
Wait, but "three women from the Kyoshi isle" doesn't-- no oh god it's Azula, right?
Oh, well, there you go, the Dai Li are loyal to Long Feng and apparently only I could call that because the king is an actual CHILD.
OH GOD IT IS AZULA. THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T SPLIT THE PARTY. ALSO: TOPH.
Zuko is cheerful, what is even happening, am I hallucinating.
Aang will just literally drink anything an old man hands him, Aang I feel like this plan is unwise. god, I have a lot of feels about Aang's counseling session but yes I am in favor of self-forgiveness.
One of the water-tribe has a scarred arm!
Ty Lee and Mai are spilling the beans and I don't know whether to be CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC or if this is ALL PART OF AZULA'S PLAN.
Shit. It was the plan one.
I.... don't know how I feel about "the monk's love has reformed into Katara". She DOES love him, but.
I HAVE BEEN SAYING THAT METAL SHOULD BE EARTH, YES.
"Toph, you rule." YES.
..................................I swear to god, are they damseling Katara again.
*screaming* TOPH THE METAL-BENDER.
Azula is a stone-cold bitch of an actress and I love her.
"Need a ride?" and it startles her because she CAN'T SEE, oh bless.
Could Iroh BE any more adorable?
Oh no, they imprisoned Zuko with Katara, now sexual tension will happen.
Oh my gosh, Aang is getting advice from Iroh and I just. "Perfection and power are over-rated." My babies.
"Now comes the part where I double-cross you." LONG FENG.
@elibyronbaldrsn, you thought I was wrong to like him for being polite, but isn't that a nice way to do business?
Oh oh oh, Katara offering to heal him and touching his face was so sweet.
ZUKO DO NOT TRUST AZULA. AZULA LIES.
Wait, they can't see Azula for steam? That should not be a problem! You can water bend the steam out of your way!
Mai, omg. "Just take the bear."
Zuko, how could you? I am losing my patience with you, child. Do you want me to be HAPPY when Azula betrays you in, like, five minutes from now bECAUSE YOU KNOW SHE WILL.
WAIT, Azula is trying to kill him? How does SHE know about the Avatar State Resurrection Loophole?!?!
That tinnitus bell has attached itself to Azula.
WELL, THE EARTH KINGDOM HAD A GOOD RUN, SERIES OVER-- oh fuck there's another season lol. I need food first.
Lesse. 16 episodes at 24 minutes each is 6 and a half hours. It's 5 pm right now, so I can't finish TODAY, but... soon.
...come for the Avatar live-tweets, stay to watch Ana be ground into a super-villain by people chirruping "korra" at her. The Joker was right, it really only takes one bad day.
Okay. Season 3. I'm disappointed that all seasons have the same opening teaser, tbh. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood was always SO EXCITING to get a new opening.
I'm REALLY disappointed in Zuko being chill about Iroh being in prison because of him. My god.
Mai continues to be perfection in a goth dress.
Katara, baby, why are you furious with your father?
"I hate not being able to do anything," Aang says to Toph who has been away from earth goodness knows how long. Baby.
I really wish Toph was the avatar MC. Not gonna lie. (Yes, I assume she can see with metal now; sooooo not my point.)
Katara, you washed the ship but skipped the freezing step. That is an important step.
LOAD THE TOPH, omg.
God, Sokka looks so different in his growed-up clothes.
"I'm not going out if I can't wear my arrow" AANG OH MY GOD YOU ARE BEING A BIG BABY ABOUT THIS.
Ugh, I wish she'd yelled at him rather than left. If ever we needed a yelling Katara.
Katara... what the fuck did you THINK he meant by "I need to do this alone".
WHY DID EVERYONE PICK UP THE STUPID-BALL.
"It's selfish and stupid." RIGHT. "You're talking about me too, aren't you." DAD BIGGER THINGS HERE.
Ozai saying that Azula talking Zuko up is giving me a lot of confused feels, ngl.
"Why'd you do it?" "You're going to have to be a little more specific." AZULA IS BITCH-QUEEN OF MY HEART.
God, did she give Zuko the credit so that if Aang survives, he is the one who takes the blame.
IS THIS A CONTINGENCY PLAN because honestly it's a good one.
OH MY GOD IT IS ashdakjdahskajh!! AZULA! (still love her tho)
Well, Aang, I hope your babytantrum was worth it as you're about to drown. Again. Like the last time you left on a tantrum. Like, you are not doing well on the whole "learning from mistakes" thing, Aang. I know you're 12! But still. God, and you left Appa too! You swore you wouldn't do that!
THOSE ARE ENEMY BIRDS.
Why is Katara baring her navel. No one else is baring their navel.
Oh. Iroh. Oh, Zuko. Christ, all my heart pain.
An excellent episode on how the American school system is prison-based and designed to grind us into powder. (Not all schools. Just the ones I went to.)
Yes, Katara is pretty. I still don't like the outfit.
Aang... sigh.
Baby, no, it's not fair that you had no childhood. I understand why you want to be a normal kid. I really, really do. But. I'm tired of having to relearn the "oh we're on a deadline" lesson every other episode. Every season is, like, 12 filler episodes and then stuff happens super fast in the last three and it's stuff you'd like to last longer. Yue's sacrifice was literally two lines and then boom, I am just saying I would have given up a filler episode to flesh that out.
....a secret dance party.
God, Iroh.
You KNOW it's killing him inside not to answer Zuko, even if it's the right answer.
He looks so miserable, the poor thing.
Ah, Zuko continues to make good life choices, I see.
..............in an unprecedented move, I agree with Sokka over Katara.
I mean, YES, good people help people in need. But... they are on a schedule SET BY CELESTIAL REALITY.
Okay, but guys the Painted Lady is a spirit and you have AMPLE EVIDENCE that spirits are dicks.
Katara, where did you get the makeup for that.
...I have colonialist feels about sailing into a village and changing everything for them without asking.
"I KNOW HEI BAI WE'RE CLOSE PERSONAL FRIENDS" ahahahahahahaah
Role-playing a spirit is not a wise idea in most settings, Katara.
Okay, so she's been fake-slowing the group so if they get to the Fire Lord 2 days late, it's all her fault. God damn it.
YOU COULD MAKE A LIST, KATARA. "PEOPLE TO HELP AFTER WE KILL OZAI".
Follow-through after victory is one of the biggest weaknesses with heroic groups. Like that time you saved Appa and FLEW OFF, leaving Jet and Longfellow and Smellbottom or wev behind. And because it's a filler episode, they break into the factory in 30 seconds. There are apparently NO guards.
If you wash the factory into the lake that will cause MORE pollu-- oh whatever.
Sigh, and in an event that NO ONE COULD HAVE PREDICTED they've decided to wipe out the village. This is not a moral lesson! You can't just win by trying! Goddamn it, there's no STAKES if it's just a matter of-- THEY'RE BLAMING SOKKA?!?!
I'm tearing out all my hair, my god, Sokka is RIGHT and they're calling him heartless for pointing out how RECKLESS and SELFISH they've been. The moral of this episode is that when faced with the peril of 1,000,000 vs. 100, you should SAVE THEM ALL rather than JUST the million. Thanks, filler episode, I feel like we learned a valuable moral lesson. Save 1,000,100 people rather than just 1,000,000. *eyes roll away*
The problem of whether to save a few or many is a REAL MORAL PROBLEM! Whole philosophies struggle with it! You can't just afternoon-school-special the problem away with OH I HAVE AN IDEA LET'S SAVE EVERYONE ALL THE TIME.
Katara can now lift ships, which would have come in handy in the non-filler episodes.
lol, and the village turns on her, which is honestly hilarious and awesome.
...and the children give them the idea to take care of themselves ohmygod this is just awful.
And we end on a mental illness joke, wow, that episode was maybe the worst one.
Oh, haha, no, a real spirit showed up to validate Katara because we wouldn't want to think maybe they shouldn't have-- okay I'm over it.
"The fire is going to destroy that town" THEY HAVE FIRE BENDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They're going to spent 15 filler episodes to get to Ozai and then everything is going to happen in 5 packed minutes aren't they.
So Sokka is going to be okay with doing training when previously he has been focused on the outcome. He has a running countdown of days until the eclipse but now he's going to be okay with training with a master. Sure.
I'm living for the cuts to Iroh, but they only last a few seconds each time.
THEY HAVE SOKKA DOING CALLIGRAPHY I CANNOT. what even is characterization.
I can't skip this episode because I'd miss Iroh!
OH, IROH.
~muscles~
Irohsexual.
Why is Toph the one to scold Aang about people seeing his tattoos, she doesn't usually focus on things people can see.
Still in love with Mai.
...Azula's plan to destroy the volleyball team is adorable? "You will NEVER RISE from the ashes of your SHAME AND HUMILIATION. Well, that was fun." HAHAHAHAHAHA I LOVE HER.
I don't even, like, IRONIC-love her, I actually love her I do not understand what I'm supposed to hate about her. "We are the perfect party guests. We arrive right on time because we are punctual." I LOVE HER.
Mai and Zuko are fucking adorable.
Azula wanting to learn how to talk to guys is cute, but... again... characterization... she is a MASTER manipulator already?? You can't be the best liar/manipulator in the world PLUS not understand that "WE SHALL BE THE STRONGEST COUPLE IN THE WORLD" is off-putting.
Cute filler episodes wreck characterization, I'm just going to say it.
Like, she's cute not knowing how to people! But.... she very clearly KNOWS how to people.
Oh, Mai.
Are they ever going to explain his mom / Ursa?? It was this thing! Ursa disappeared the same night King Azulon died! Then it just got dropped!
"Well, that was random." Yes, Toph, I agree with you. Thank you. Mock the filler with me.
ZUKO, DO NOT YOU DARE SPEAK DOWN TO TY LEE.
I love Mai more than anything.
AZULA OMG. "She was right of course but it still hurt!"
This one is not filler but a little confusing so far. Zoku / Sozin and Aang / Roku cut back and forth. Oh gosh, they were friends (AND PROBABLY LOVERS). HE GAVE HIM HIS CROWN. You can't tell me not to ship it.
Swole Roku now.
"May I borrow him" ON THE NIGHT OF HIS WEDDING.
"Our people are peaceful happy and we're so fortunate in so many ways" SO LET'S START A WAR.
Oh, there are too many emotions in this scene for them NOT to be lovers.
Sozin came back for him!
Oh. Oh my god, Sozin. How. How could you. How.
"It's like these people are BORN bad," ahahahah Toph. Toph. I hear ya, Toph.
Oh, it's an in medias res opening, I hate those. I'm already siding with Toph over Katara.
"That way I wouldn't have to talk to anyone" YES SOKKA.
HAHAHAHAHAH! "I WON!"
For the record, I don't like how often they set Katara up to be wrong. (Or "right" but for the wrong reasons.) Katara is right that they need to keep a lower profile and also Aang broke his promise but we're not dwelling on that?
Sokka, you're writing a note from someone who can't read or write.
They're solving things with words! It's like Season 2 all over again and not Season 3 anymore!
...............................................or maybe not.
Why why are they doing this why why they don't need the money.
What if something goes wrong, like, literally what is the point of this?
Oh hahaha the cell is made of wood literally no one could have predicted this.
"I can't believe I was so stupid" BUT LITERALLY THERE WAS NO REASON TO DO THIS.
Why aren't more things made of wood in this verse.
WHY ARE THEY THROWING ROCKS AT HIS HEAD WHEN THEY CAN TAKE OUT HIS FEET WITH THE ROCK HE'S STANDING ON
Mmm. I have feels about that episode, tbh.
....not going to sort my disabled feels out right now. Would take too long.
Okay that was a solid ghost story, Katara.
NO DO NOT GO TO THE INN WHAT ARE YOU DOING NO
"So she's got a hobby" oh Katara. I am so sorry that you, the femme Worf of the group, must be the wrong one.
BUT THOSE ARE VERY CREEPY PUPPET DOLLS KATARA BABY
Aww, Toph's key bending!
OH NO SHE'S WATER TRIBE OH NO THE FULL MOON IS COMING RUN FLEE RUN
SHE BENDS SHE BENDS OH GOD RUN AWAY AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN JUST IN CASE
Look, I'm sure she's an innocent bab, but JUST IN CASE please flee forever because there's a GOOD CHANCE she's evil REMEMBER THE PUPPETS.
okay, Katara, baby, "water in places you NEVER THINK ABOUT" was said in a terrifying way.
hahahaha, Toph's face after Sokka yells about the moon.
NO OMG KATARA SHE BENDS PEOPLE HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE WITH THE LILIES
This is creepy and @vesaldi is right: best episode of Season 3.
...okay I like her now and I want Katara to become a remorseless heartless moon witch, tbh.
I AM A FICKLE SOUL IN MY AFFECTIONS and maybe I like evil powerful women.
Only god can judge me.
AHHHHHHHHHH OMG I FORGOT ABOUT THE THING TOPH HEARD BECAUSE THEY JUST DROPPED IT.
Well played, writers. Because Toph's thing was PRETTY CREEPY.
People! Yes, good, save them! Ha, Sokka's delight at being right is adorable.
"Skins filled with liquid" omg.
Okay, this one is my second favorite after Blind Bandit.
"Once I had mastered the rats, I was ready for the men." THE GOOD WRITERS ARE BACK OMG WELL DONE YES.
omgggggggggggggg just gonna roll around in my feels about how GOOD that line is it is a GOOD line
*wraps self in quilt embroidered with that line, rolls around on the floor with quilt*
"It's your duty to use the gifts you've been given" WELL PLAYED HAMA
"You should have learned the technique before you turned against me." I mean, she's not wrong.
EXTREMELY QUALITY FIGHT SCENE.
Oh god, did Hama convince her to bloodbend on Hama. IDEOLOGICAL VICTORY. OH GOD SHE EVEN SAYS SO.
WELL DONE, WRITERS AND ALSO HAMA. And I'm pretty sure Very Famous Voice Actress I Associate With Babs Bunny.
Is Aang not going to learn fire bending except for that five minutes that one time?
Sokka doesn't care about the impending invasion and that is SO OUT OF CHARACTER from earlier and I just.
Aww, look at the cute sheep-- LOOK AT MAI AND ZUKO.
"We died because of your tiny bladder" this is HONESTLY how I would let the team down.
...why does Katara know "yoga stretches can do wonders if you do them in extreme heat" when has she ever been in extreme heat
Oh gosh. Mai trying to cheer Zuko up.
"I kinda think I might slightly feel a little bit better" oh Aang literally everytime my mom asks me about my back.
I feel like Ozai would be a scarier villain if we saw him more often, like I regularly forget he exists.
I also somehow assumed that Zuko would eventually join them and travel with. This seems increasingly unlikely. I have a lot of feels about Zuko. He's been out there. He knows what the army is doing RIGHT NOW. I feel like he has to know about the comet. He's damaged and from an abusive family and BELIEVE ME, I get that. I do. But setting aside whether it's reasonable or understandable (it is, it SO is) there's a certain point where he's complicit. I don't know. Season 3 is very careful not to show Zuko looking on while Fire Nation warriors murder innocent civilians, I notice.
Haru is back! I will allow him to worship Toph.
AS A WRITER, I have very strong feelings about what writers choose to show and hide from us.
Aww, look at Sokka giving a presentation!
Aww, look at Sokka being bad at it! Adorbs.
...are there no water benders from the norther tribe coming?
Submarines! And Toph is sick omg baby.
Iroh is about to be awesome isn't he. We are not worthy witnesses.
Oh I do not ship Aang / Katara at all, poor babies. That look was an OH SHIT HOW DO I WITH HIS FEELS look in my books.
Zuko, do not you DARE leave without telling Mai in person, I will cut you! SHE will cut you!
That kiss was like "ah um oh. yes I too care for you in a caring way ahh". Babies.
omg I never thought I would be happy to see the swamp guy.
Oh, that's why you don't split the party. Damn.
...fuck the feed is stalling on the video. TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, PLEASE WAIT.
Okay, we're back! MUCH LIKE THE AVATAR.
"What would we do without you?" "Perish and burn in hot magma!"
"I am SO GLAD we added you to the group!" SOKKA ahahashadh
HOLY SHIT AZULA AND ZUKO
Mmmph, I have feels about Katara sitting out the big Azula battle because healing. Sigh. I can BOTH recognize that Katara is perfect and nurturing AND have feels about nurturing girls somehow always being sidelined.
Toph, just metal bend a prison around Azula!
Ugh, I've been wondering about Suki for forever and didn't want to ask.
AHHHHHHHHHHHH THIS WHOLE ZUKO / OKAI CONVERSATION IS JUST.
Okay but IDEA have Toph bring down the mountain on the fire benders?
Like, leave and just SQUASH EVERYONE FLAT. Pretty sure the Dai Li can't counter THAT.
THIS IS NOT "FLY THE RING TO MOUNT DOOM WITH EAGLES" LIKE MY IDEA IS ACTUALLY GOOD AND WOULD WORK.
Oh god, they aren't even going to SUGGEST that Toph bring down the mountain I am so sad. Oh well.
OH YOU FUCK DO WE NOT GET TO SEE IROH DO THE THING?
This is JUST like the time I was denied a Zuko / Jet kiss. *stews*
Boy, a LOT of this show depends on the Fire Nation being humane enough not to kill their prisoners.
Mmph. There's 3 and a half hours left, I'm not going to make it. My earlier calculations were based on 24 minute episodes.
Fuck, that's disappointing. Oh, but maybe I'll dream of Hama!
WHY DIDN'T THEY TAKE HAMA WITH THEM TO THE BATTLE GOD. Don't give me that look. She would have been awesome. She would have directed a river in Ozai's bunker and flooded them all to death.
Ugh, I don't WANT to stop, but I won't be any good live-tweeting in 3 hours. ("But, Ana, how would that be any different from the rest of this obscenely long thread?")
I've decided I love the irony of filler-episode Katara being NO I WILL NEVER TURN MY BACK ON ANYONE and then "lol bye dad, enjoy prison."
Still not pleased at how much of the show absolutely hinges on the Fire Nation not killing its prisoners. Hmm. In a previous episode we were told that Fire Nation takes its prisoners into battle to be slaughtered, but the Black Sun contradicts that.
Dad is like "y'all go, we're gonna wander down there and surrender" and Haru's dad is like "srsly, it'll be fine, done this before." And sure, maybe they were putting on a brave face, but I'm gonna bet they aren't ruthlessly slaughtered off-screen.
Also I'm VERY UNHAPPY I didn't get to see Iroh escape, sob. I like his scenes and I was looking forward to that, lol. Amused that Zuko missed him by that much because Zuko is shit at communication.
Thoughts while sailing dramatically away into the sunset: "Should I have told him I was coming? Maybe I should have told him I was coming."
I still don't understand what happened with Ursa yet. I can believe that Azula was telling the truth and Azulon DID order Ozai to kill Zuko, but Ozai said Ursa was "banished" which is a legal proceeding, not "fled quietly". And the thing is, if it were a legal proceeding, Iroh would know. Iroh would have done whatever it took to find out about Ursa. He would have loved his sister in law. And if Iroh knew, Zuko would know. Iroh uses his words and I love that about him. So Iroh doesn't know what happened.
So did Ursa flee because Ozai said "great job making it look like an accident, honey! Now leave and never return"? Because that's unwise. An accident looks suspicious if your wife disappears the same night! That could have (and should have) undermined Ozai's claim over Iroh. NOW I'M NOT SAYING there wasn't a good reason, I'm saying we still haven't been shown that work. Don't @ me with likely handwaves, thanks!
Anyway, I had to call in sick coz I hurt myself with yard work on Saturday (which I think was in this VERY THREAD) so lemme get some food. Okay, I have food and pills and blankets. The blankets are mostly for emotional support, because it's Texas and hot.
(I'm pondering how MUCH of my deep and abiding love for Hama is because I love the voice actress and associate her with my childhood. If Babs Bunny wants me to blood-bend, it must be the right thing to do.)
NOTE: Someone asked me to Storify this thread and honestly I don't know if that's even possible; I think it stops loading after 120 tweets.
Okay, we're going to the Western Air Temple. Btw, it bugs me we never see any lady air benders. They better not solve that with segregation. Gender segregation hurts transgender people like enbies.
I'm angry at Zuko for not giving Mai a chance to leave btw. Like, you're not the only one miserable here, kiddo!
I'm pleased that Haru has joined us, though. Haru is allowed to court Toph if he can be properly worshipful.
...why are the air temples upside down, do they BEND IN THEIR SLEEP what is
TOPH. "Who's..? Nevermind. If it's important, I'll find out." I LOVE HER.
Aww, Zuko's adorable little practice speech oh my god child. CHILD.
"Hello, Zuko here." *head tilt smile*
FINE, I forgive him for being a DICK but only because I'm a sucker for shaggy hair.
Wait, remember when Toph could lie-detect, like.
"Well, that's not his name, but..." hahahahahaahahahahahahah omg you children.
So we... we just aren't doing the lie detection thing anymore. lol. THAT'S FINE, IT WAS OVER POWERED ANYWAY. oh okay it's back now. Aww, Toph is the compassionate one because she knows messed up families.
Toph is reasonable. Katara is wrong (again). One of them ought to be the main characters. "I'm beginning to wonder who's the blind one around here." SHOW, WHAT THE FUCK. Strike that line from the canon.
Oh Toph and Zuko. Babies.
Haru....... just. stand over there and be pretty, baby, it's okay. lol
Sokka omg hahahahhahahaha "You are a master of surprise."
We'll tell him he's coming back to be our prisoner and then we'll jump him and REALLY make him our prisoner!
IF YOU KEEP ATTACKING I WON'T PAY YOU
How is this guy DOING this thing, I demand some kind of something! He's not bending! He feels like he's from another set.
Don't run! Katara, whip out water-ben-- jaslkdhalkdj okay then.
Zuko looks scared of Toph. I APPROVE. Healthy fear and proper worship of Earth Lady Queen Toph.
Sifu Hotman, lolsob. JERK BENDING.
"I've lost my stuff." "I didn't touch your stuff!"
....okay so Katara being like this is going to be a multi-episode thing okay. It's valid for her to have Real Feels over this, but when Toph and Sokka and Aang are being accepting and she's not, it's just. siiiiiiiigh. Can someone OTHER than the femme be wrong in ways that put the world at risk by hampering the group and also being "femininely" catty and
I DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT IS A LOT TO ASK, like, literally Sokka could be the one not accepting Zuko! (OR BOTH OF THEM!) They were BOTH there at the beginning when Zuko threatened to kill their family, so it would undo a lot of gender snarl if they BOTH didn't. You wouldn't accidentally fall into Catty Bitch OR Forgiving Femme if more than one person wasn't on board with this plan.
OR IMAGINE IF AANG WERE A GIRL (like I've been wanting) then we could have two femmes with two different reactions. (Toph is not femme and that's okay she doesn't need to be, but it matters for representation problems. Because "just like the guys - and also cool" is a THING. See also Queen Susan and Lucy of Narnia, etc.)
Katara is not participating in the bender conversation about how others learned their art. I just... I love Katara, I just feel like she's undermined as a bender. She's mom and healer and obstacle but not an equal sometimes. "Let's all trade theories about how to get better at bending!" but Katara (who got VERY GOOD on her own) doesn't say a word.
She was able to duel that Master Baggadicks WITHOUT ANY FORMAL TRAINING AT ALL. She should have THOUGHTS on bending! This was a VERY long conversation and Katara didn't participate AT ALL except to mock him at the very beginning.
"Zuko, I think the past is trying to kill me." ahahahahaha baby.
Okay, so they didn't bring the girl benders along to the ancient temple? Because they... wouldn't care about ancient bending? I... *digs out stress ball*
Ha, okay, so Sozin continues to be a bag of dicks. I like how literally everything wrong with everything ever is traceable to Sozin being a brat.
The irky thing about Katara being wrong is that it IS an obstacle, not something we work through with her as the focus. By which I mean Katara easily could have been the one helping Zuko through the temple, and they could trust each other like an MC and support would do.
But she's not the MC so they left her and Toph back at the camp. Which is terribly frustrating to me--they should be here. This is a great example of how MORE WOMEN and IN MORE SCENES will fix a lot of "accidental" bad tropes. Because there ARE enough bad tropes that sometimes you'll fall into either no matter what you do--UNLESS YOU HAVE MORE WOMEN.
AND IT DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T LIKE THE SHOW, I am actually very adept at liking things that don't represent me. I'm a fat bisexual vaguely-feminine disabled sorta-woman, I'd be in serious trouble if I didn't.
CREEPY FIRE NATION STATUES.
Oh my gosh, Katara is a dancer, how is she NOT HERE so many missed opportunities.
DON'T TOUCH THE MYSTICAL GEMSTONE.
"I'm just very suspicious of giant glowing gems sitting on pedestals!" YES BEST LINE.
Write that one down next to "Miyuki, did you..." and "Once I mastered the rats..."
And Azula's "she was right of course!" ha.
"It feels almost alive" OH GOD IS THERE A DRAGON IN THERE
IS IT A DRAGON EGG
Wow, bet you wish you'd brought the girls. Are the girls not going to come rescue them???? Did the girls just stop existing? They're not going to come get them? Oh. A man has showed up. Literally the Sun Warrior leader could have been a woman. Ran and Shao had better be women. Both of them. This is right and fair.
Ahhhh, this is good stuff why can't she be a woman! THIS IS GOOD STUFF. "It's like a little heartbeat." YES. We did see a famous lady earth bender (Omashu) but she was Juliet. (She MADE Omashu, I mean.) And exceptionalism can't fix lack of parity anyway. We deserve mediocre women too!
"Stop cheating off me!" baby hahahaha
Ran and Shao appear to be dragons instead of women.
EVEN THE ASSHOLE IS A MAN, literally I don't think they paid lady voice actors for this episode. #GiveYourMoneyToWomen
Oh! I remember why the dragon dance looked so familiar! It's the Goten / Trunks merge dance! *NOSTALGIA* Dragon Dance, Dragonball Z, wonder if there's a root context they're drawing from there. I like.
"Since I hurt Katara" who isn't here she is not necessary to the moral lesson about her SALT THERE IS ONLY SALT SALT
How Zuko Got His Groove Back
"But seriously, don't tell anyone." lol
Bathroom break and also more coffee and a canister of salt, lol.
By the way, can I take a minute to talk up CLAYMORE? Watch Claymore, it's so good.
Almost EVERYONE is a woman, so you don't have these tropes in play. There's MULTIPLE femme women and butch women and andro women and and and. So you don't have ONE femme who picks up the Mom, Caring, Catty, Healing hats and juggles them awkwardly on her femme head. EVERYONE is a woman except a sorta-kinda love interest who does NOT expand to take over the plot, and a few support characters.
Also you will note that Katara was the Catty Bitch at their ridiculously kind and sympathetic dad, so I just. I'm okay with her having a character that doesn't forgive easily, honestly that could be written in a POSITIVE way because girls ARE socialized to forgive at the drop of a hat, and that DOES harm them. But I don't feel like they hit that note.
Zuko and Hadoku are made out to be long-suffering patient men weathering the hysterical lady-feels she needs to get out of her system. And her scene with Hadoku was, almost verbatim, "I know you're right and I know I'm wrong but I have emotions" and I just. In both cases, Sokka (the boy) understood and forgave Zuko and Hadoka almost instantly because dudes don't emotion.
It's not necessarily bad! But it fits into a pattern of a LOT of fiction about gender roles. So I have a kinda "ehhhhhh" face. It is important to remember that a book/series can be TOTALLY "right" and yet fit into larger wrong tropes. That's why you can't really "but it made SENSE for the virgin to survive / the black man to die first / the white man to save the natives" because problematic tropes aren't about "did the writer justify it in THIS instance" but rather about how our society makes stories.
Problematic tropes usually aren't about the INDIVIDUAL book/series AT ALL. That's a tree. I look at forests.
(But seriously, watch CLAYMORE if you can. It's fucking amazeballs.)
So okay is this going to be about Sokka breaking off and rescuing people on his own?
ANATAR omg. #Anatar
Okay, it's a Sokka / Zuko episode after the Aang / Zuko episode. So we... just don't have girls in this show anymore?
("That's rough, buddy." hahahahahah)
Srsly did they just not want to pay the voice actresses anymore? Was there a case of strep? Did someone refuse to sleep with the director?
IS THIS LIKE STAR TREK ALL OVER AGAIN.
I see... one woman in this crowd? None that have spoken yet.
A girl! At the table! Seven words so far!
THE WARDEN IS A WO-- oh. No? I guess not, nevermind. False alarm, everyone!
I saw a ponytail and got excited, sorry.
"No, what you said made no sense at all." ahahahahaahah
This makes no sense! Why would you take Zuko in! Just overpower the ONE GUARD and leave with Suki!
awjawehawkjeawajkaldjald this makes no sense and there's no Toph and I refuse.
This bulky prisoner guy could have been a woman too. I am just going to make a note of everyone who could have been a woman don't mind me
"Is it right to risk all of our freedom on the slim chance my dad is going to show up" oh
So the writers ARE aware of the moral dilemma they dodged in the Painted Lady, it's just that Sokka gets to voice it not Katara
"It's your call Sokka" OR YOU COULD ASK SUKI?
"Is it right to risk Suki's freedom" but you're not going to ask her input?!
This is the THIRD (Zuko, Aang, Sokka) incident of a boy "loving" a girl but making decisions FOR her instead of asking what she wants. "Love" without empathy and humanization isn't love! It's ownership! It's caring about your favorite possession! But it's not love! "Is it right to risk Suki's freedom" is the point where you ASK HER!!! That's love! That is what love does!
And, sure, they're teenage boys but they ALL do it! It's not a "flawed character trait" when they all share the exact same misogyny and it's never called out or shown to have any kinds of consequences askjdhaksjdhaksjhaewiuqoweqy. There is a PROBLEM with men "loving" women but making decisions for us without our input and this reinforces that!
A (silent so far) girl has arrived. Thoughts on whether this will pass Bechdel?
Oh my god, Zuko and Sokka are talking IN FRONT OF SUKI about how maybe they ought not have come???! "If I had just cut my losses at the invasion, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess." WOW, I am so sorry Suki. Suki, baby, dump him and go be part of my excellent Katara / Ty Lee matching.
Zuko is the one giving the "you have to try" speech and I mean Suki COULD have been the one to--
Okay, the silent girl didn't say anything. She was just there to be the guy's girlfriend?
I remember Seasons 1 and 2 having talking girls, did they change writers?
Oh, this is one of the LONG episodes so I have to go without Toph for more than 24 minutes this is an injustice.
Agh, this is frustrating! There were women and disabled people in this show and they talked a lot and now it's Angsty Boy and Growed Up Boy.
Bets on whether there will be a 45 minute episode in which Toph and Katara save the world without any boys? *passes hat around*
This makes girls seem passive! They stay with the wounded and the children while the men care about family and learning and rescues and
*sigh* oh well, whatever I guess.
maybe I'll just go watch Blind Bandit again, I don't even care in the slightest about Sokka and his dad. I'm sure they'll be fine, sigh.
I love that Zuko and the Warden are sparring over Mai, because god forbid we hear from ACTUAL Mai.
*very home-and-garden television voice*
- women make great accents for any room
- make sure you color-coordinate your women for maximum effect
- a woman can be a good focal point for any room, as well as a conversation piece!
"After all he's done, it was hard to trust him" THIS IS KATARA'S SPEECH! It wasn't hard for you, Sokka! It took you less than 24 hours!
I'm literally going to cry. It's stupid, but it seriously hurts to just have all the women SHOVED so gracelessly aside. 40 episodes of build up making me care about Katara and Toph only to be like "lol, nevermind they're tending a fire or something"
There's obviously a way off the island, there's a fucking gondola, guys.
Oh, thank GOD, Mai showed up.
.....so let me get this straight.
They caught 3 people escaping: Talking Dude, his girlfriend, and his best buckaroo.
They lined up all the guards to determine who helped them escape.
So instead of doing the three prisoners one at a time and seeing if they pick out the same person, they decide to just do the one.
Because, I mean, that would have at least given the girlfriend a line to read?
Literally what the fuck happened to this show? Did they straight-up have an embargo on lady voice actresses? I'm HONESTLY ASKING.
"Because I'm a people person." AZULA. I HAVE BEEN TELLING PEOPLE YOU ARE, YES.
How did Mai get there in an hour? Surely she wasn't on the prison island already? How did Azula get there so fast? Zuko acted like this place was relatively remote from the main Fire Nation island, which makes sense.
LOL. "Aren't you angry?" "Normally I would be, but I've been working to control my anger."
ZUKO WHAT THE FUCK!
YOU COULD AT LEAST ASK! "I'm leaving. Do you want to come with me?"
"Hey, uh, fellas, I think your girlfriend's taking care of it." And I mean, she is, but silently and I just. OKAY ANYWAY MOVING ON.
We're just gonna leave and get back to Toph and Katara and it'll be lovely forever.
(Dear writers, write more lines for your women. Like, literally make sure women talk more per episode than men. All episodes.)
Ty Leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
(How are they even here?)
They're going to cut the line with the princess on-boar-- she can literally fly now.
Mai, my fucking heart. "Saving the jerk who dumped me."
Mai. I am sorry. You deserved love and kindness and more lines. I am sorry. You deserved a boyfriend who would ASK what you wanted and not LEAVE YOU BEHIND TWICE. Zuko hesitates to think about a war balloon and NOT to think about the woman who saved his life and will be HURT for it.
"I love Zuko more than I feared you."
UGH, Zuko how could you not even CARE, he didn't think of her for a MOMENT, I am not going to forgive this.
MORAL EVENT HORIZON FOR ANA: CROSSED
Ugh, I am literally so furious right now.
Wait, so they brought the talky guy but not his SILENT GIRLFRIEND???!?!??!!?!?!
WHAT. THE. FUCK. why did they give him a girlfriend only to leave her behind without a thought??? I... what the fuck did I just watch what was that abortion of an episode doing in an otherwise very good series?
Why did they give the Talky Prisoner Guy a girlfriend at all? Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Did I miss something? Did she escape and I missed it because I was live-tweeting?
I AM PERFECTLY HAPPY TO BE WRONG AND TO HAVE MISSED SOMETHING.
...Katara just yelled at Zuko for saving her life. This is what I mean about making a character's mistrust Sympathetic vs. Hysterical. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING" when someone saves your life is the Hysterical Illogical Womanly one, to be clear.
lol, Suki and Sokka.
"She hates me and I don't know why" lol baby she literally just told you why.
Did you know that this episode could have been written with Katara telling Zuko how her mother died instead of Sokka doing it for her? "I know who killed your mother. I'm going to help you find him." I... guess we bypassed the conversation about whether she wants that.
"Is it your turn to take a little field trip with Zuko?" like this is literally why boys in shows make me wary they take over the narrative. I think it's been 2 hours since a Bechdel test moment, when we had BUNCHES of those before with Toph and Katara.
What happened? This honestly feels like a different show. DID they get new writers? This is like the Zuko show instead of an ensemble cast. Has Katara previously showed ANY interest in killing the man who took her mother? I've been watching these for 48 hours, and...?
"She needs this, Aang!" Like, literally, I have never gotten the impression that Katara wants to murder anyone over her mother? This is new?
"Maybe revenge is what I need!" I... what?
"Then you didn't love her the way I did!" oh god I'm done.
I'm going to finish this for closure, but this isn't Avatar this is something else with different people oh god they're wearing skin suits.
She's blood bending and I missed the part where there was a full moon I guess.
Ana, is the first woman in this episode a nagging harridan created to make a Fire Nation general seem sympathetic for living with her? LOL, who would do that? Create a nagging mother stereotype to make the audience feel bad for the guy? That's just hack work, ha.
Okay, that episode is over, now do we get a Toph episode with the disabled girl? *hopeful face*
Because we had an Aang-Zuko episode, and a Sokka-Zuko episode, and a Katara-Zuko episode so now the disabled Toph gets an episode, yes?
...not only has Toph not spoken yet, she's not even on the Avatar play poster. I remain hopeful.
ZUKO IS ON THE POSTER BUT TOPH IS NOT?
Toph spoke! To say she can't see the play at all. ...oh. Katara is offering to speak the play to her.
okay can I just be a little pissed that the one person who doesn't get a theme episode is the disabled girl I identify with
Toph isn't even in the play I guess?
It's kind of meta that the only way I would get a Season 3 Toph is if they recast her as a burly dude. *slouches over*
Zuko is literally pointing out that he's the one who gets character development and Toph gets side-lined. Ouch. It's not that I don't care about Zuko! But there's a disabled blind girl RIGHT THERE and she hasn't had plot in HOURS and I just. *curls up*
*whispers* I just don't get a lot of disabled girls, sorry.
I think I should just stop this. I've lost 54 followers and probably nobody needs my disabled glums. I'm real sorry, everybody. Sorry.
ahhhhh, it's just. I started watching this FOR Toph, you gotta understand. Literally all of Season 1 was just "gettoTophgettoToph". And we finally got to her (episode 6, but we got there!) and I finally saw someone kinda like myself in a show and it was PERFECTION.
And then an angsty boy came in and took all the plot for himself and it's not that I hate the angsty boy! I like him! But. But there was a disabled girl who did AMAZING THINGS and now she's just a disabled girl who sits in the corner. And that hurts.
Even if it shouldn't, it hurts. Oh well.
They should've done the prison escape episode with Katara and the southern raiders episode with Sokka. Katara is family oriented and it was so hard for her to leave her dad, so it makes sense to want to rescue him.
She had that whole THING about how "I'LL NEVER TURN MY BACK ON SOMEONE", so the rescue plot fits her perfectly. 45 minutes of plot. Sokka said he can't even remember what his mother looked like, and 24 minutes of angsty revenge fits him very well.
*deep breath* Okay, I'm going to watch the last hour and thirty, but I don't know if I plan to tweet it. Okay. God. Toph being MELON LORD was a thing I needed. My good girl throwing flaming rocks at people. Yes.
Aang being conflicted about killing is a nice touch, because I was honestly wondering how they were going to approach that.
"Everyone else went on a life-changing field trip with Zuko." *BLINK* So they... see what they did wrong by sidelining the disabled girl but think it's funny? I mean, unless they're going to fix it now. MAYBE they're going to fix it now? MAYBE the lampshade was an apology and she really WILL have a life-changing trip with Zuko?
"This is the worst field trip ever." And she makes a sad face. Oh. Okay. She actually tells him her parents didn't know how to love her and I know those feels and it was treated like a joke. PSA: Parents are one of the biggest dangers that disabled children face. Not all parents, of course, but many of them.
Ozai, I know you're trying to be evil, but "Phoenix King" seems a little silly-- JUNE IS BACK.
Series idea: Toph is the Avatar and June is her Reluctant Guardian taking her to a plot destination. Toph tells June sometimes about her painful relationship with her parents. June doesn't WANT to warm up to her, but it happens anyway.
(Honestly, I'm kinda describing June as Teresa of Claymore so maybe I should just watch Claymore again, lol.)
When June gets Toph to the plot destination, they learn that the Avatar has to be sacrificed. June realizes she can't allow this. June and Toph fight their way out of the Plot Destination and decide to save the world via a THIRD option that will keep the Avatar alive. Imagine June on her Xirshu with Toph in her lap, riding away at full speed, fighting off the priests who want to sacrifice her.
Iroh would be Toph's grandfather, obviously. Bumi would be June's grandfather.
Oh god, Iroh pulling him into a hug.
TOPH BLIND-FIRING THEM INTO AN AIRSHIP.
Toph covered in metal gives me soooo many feels. She is perfection. (And deserves plot, not just to be a canon for the other MCs.)
"I can't believe the Captain remembered my birthday!" lol
Okay, they're taking Azula in a "crazy evil" direction when she never showed signs of that before, so that's very disappointing but okay.
"I banished everyone because they couldn't be trusted", like, Azula doesn't trust people. She's always had minions she doesn't trust.
I'd be okay with the Ty Lee / Mai betrayal breaking her, but only if we'd had an episode to focus on that. That would've been development. Like, we could've had a nice dungeon scene with Azula yelling at Ty Lee. "YOU WERE THE ONLY PERSON I TRUSTED" etc.
God, would you not just give ANYTHING for a conversation between Ty Lee and Mai and Azula why were they shuffled off the show. (They're even doing the "crazy disheveled" thing. Her hair is all down and loose. It's played 100% to the trope.)
Is Jeong Jeong flying? Is that just a thing everyone can do now? (I mean, I'm a DBZ fan so I can deal.)
Wow. Okay. Azula. Um. Well. That is a thing that happened.
Aang is being a growed-up Avatar and this is lovely in every way.
OH OKAY IT'S FINE FOR KATARA TO SIT OUT ANOTHER FIGHT NO I DON'T MIND.
Is that really why they made Azula "crazee", so that Zuko could finally take her alone without Katara's help? Srsly??
Do not write female characters out of climactic battles. Do not write female characters out of climactic battles. Do not write female char
Aang chose not to redirect lightning at Ozai. He's still having feels about killing.
I pause here to note that we have two climactic battles happening: Aang v Ozai and Zuko v Azula. Toph and Katara are in neither of them.
This is why female support characters aren't ENOUGH. Because when you do your "showdown" scene, the female support will be shoved off-stage.
Make the chosen one female. Make the ship captain female. Make the avatar female. Make your main-main-super-main character female.
Oh god, they had Katara here to be threatened with fridging. *double face palm*
Ha, Bumi continues to be adorably awesome.
Oh, wow, I canNOT recommend Season 3 to anyone triggered by ableist portrayals of mental illness. I am sorry. I really really loved Katara bringing Azula down, but the fit Azula threw right after casts a big pale over it, imo.
Ah! That was a clever solution to the no-killing problem. I was afraid they'd wimp out with a Disney Death.
Wait, but. Katara and Sokka have their dad, and Zuko is king and Aang is the avatar, but where's Toph's closure? God, they just... they didn't care about Toph's ending. They... didn't care.
Wow, I just. Okay, I'm done with Avatar and will probably never talk about it again. That hurts. And, no, I don't give a hot shit if they fixed it in a comic or another series. THAT. DOES. NOT. COUNT.
You do not sideline the disabled girl as not getting a happy ending while we spend 10 minutes on Zuko and then tell me "oh she had a comic". I hear, loud and clear, that disabled people don't matter. We're allowed to help others, but our pain is, AT BEST, good for a laugh.
She wrote a letter to her mother. She told Zuko she was hurting for feeling unloved. And we get NO closure on that.
*EXPLODES INTO THE ANATAR, FLIES OFF*
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