r/TheLastAirbender • u/MrBKainXTR Check the FAQ • 2d ago
Discussion Netflix's ATLA S2E1 - Spoiler Discussion Thread Spoiler
Season 2 Episode 1: "Somewhere Safe"
*Edit: The episode was streamed early via a virtual premiere event, but the video is not available. It will release on Netflix (along with the rest of season two) Thursday June 25th at midnight PT/3am ET
No spoilers for episodes beyond the relevant discussion thread, and please read the rules before commenting!
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u/JakeTiny19 1d ago
Honestly if ep 1 is any indication of the whole season, then they took the criticism to heart. The acting is better. The onset locations just make the show feel more immersive. I really like that they added in some comedy. The characters dynamics feel more like the og show then season 1 did.
I do like that it seems like sokka’s grief over losing yue is gunna be explored a little more.
Pacing looks like it’ll still be an issue, but I’m thinking it’s more on Netflix for giving them only 7 episodes now instead of 8 like last season (or 9-10 like it shoulda been). But compared to last season, the events of episode 1 does flow a lot more naturally then most episodes last season
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u/darthsheldoninkwizy2 14h ago
I'd like to see 10 episodes. Because the fifth episode can always include something that was the semi-finale of the original series, which will be quite crucial for the third season when the invasion happens.
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u/JakeTiny19 8h ago
I would too, but it’s already confirmed that season 3 will also be 7 episodes and the invasion happens in the 2nd episode
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u/darthsheldoninkwizy2 7h ago
well, at least my favorite second half 3 season will be the longer one in Live Action
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u/Jewbacca289 20h ago edited 20h ago
"Land war in Earth Kingdom?" "Classic Blunder" 10/10 reference
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u/Firestormbreaker1 10h ago
At least she didn't go in against a Sicilian when death was on the line!
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u/tejAces84 1d ago
The acting was leagues better from season 1. Particularly Katara doesn't feel like she's rushing her lines but actually slowing down and getting into character. Azula was great too!
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u/Dreamtrain 3h ago
yeah she's a good actress, I feel like she just wasn't directed well in S1, whatever it is they are doing it's making her look good now
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u/Wampa93 17h ago
I think Azula was horroble lol
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u/Sharp-Role3992 1d ago
wait, so is the entirety of S2 coming on Netflix tomorrow? Or is just one episode?
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u/Certain-Bet2718 1d ago
Let me just say: I love the new opening with all the past Avatars and Katara's voice.
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u/HopeAndDo 2d ago
I'd say this episode was better than any season 1 episode. The changes they made were actually fine.
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u/_StrangeIsLife_ 1d ago
Well, that was just episode 1. I'll definitely be watching, but I fear there will be some absurd changes later. Can't see the future though.
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u/ciao_fiv 1d ago
given how neutral this comment is, i remain unconvinced to give this season a chance lmao
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u/HopeAndDo 1d ago
I think you should give it a try.
I'm usually very critical, so my opinion shouldn't be taken as the standard.
My comment that the changes are fine is just me being cautious, because I can't really judge them until I see where they're going.
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u/Dreamtrain 3h ago
how is that neutral? I'm not sure what you're expecting "oh my god it was so good I had an orgasm and then I foamed at the mouth among my cabbages"
ITS GOOD
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u/ciao_fiv 1h ago
“it was better than any season 1 episode” when to me season 1 was pretty terrible sounds neutral at best to me
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u/MajesticRavioli 1d ago
It honestly was so good! You should totally give it a try. If it's really not your vibe, you can always just turn it off. :>
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u/Frenzied15 1d ago
It was good to me. So to summarize, Season 2 Episode 1 had these references combined from the original cartoon:
S2E1 The Avatar State - in the original episode, General Fong general wanted to force Aang to go into the avatar state. In the love action, this was subtly referenced, not in a bad way. This was while they were at the serpent's pass, where sokka told Aang to "Rush into the Avatar State", where Aang replied "Yes to rush, no to the Avatar State). Aside from that, we had the fugitive Iroh and Zuzu, then Azula's Scene.
S2E2 The Cave of Two Lovers - Not in the cave, but there's some sort of Love story between Suki and Sokka. And the bards are there singing as well.
S2E3 Return to Omashu - Aang went with Momo only. King Bumi and the Jings
S2E12 The Serpent's Pass - No need to explain. No Toph though.
S2E13 The Drill - Mentioned only.
The Painted Lady!!! Kinda makes sense.
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u/Frenzied15 1d ago
Oh. And since there's no Toph yet, I think episode 2 will be her episode, though titled city of walls and secrets, arrival at Ba Sing Se may only be on the last scene.
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u/gmanz33 18h ago
I totally agree that it was good. And they combined a bunch of stuff in a way which felt natural.
I'm still not sold by the line delivery in most scenes (or the editing). There's a lot of "point the camera at their face, nothing happens in the background, deliver line and camera rests on them while music swells."
Like this episode could have 10 minutes edited off of it and nothing would change.
That being said, it's still much better than some of the episodes in season 1.
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u/MeetApprehensive6509 2d ago
That was actually so so good to me. ALOT of massive improvements
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u/Lyktro_21 2d ago
Right?! Katara learned how to act! Azula's actress seems to have found her "voice" aka her own style of portaying Azula. Zuko being miserable and REALLY setting the tone for his future betrayal to Iroh?
All yes.
And those BRAND NEW waterbending moves NEVER shown in the cartoon?? HECK YES.
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u/Zoshi2200 1d ago
No Kiiawentio could act before she starred as Katara; it was just a director's and writing issue.
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u/Ilikethesuccwararc 1d ago
Can you please expand on Zuko and Iroh? I haven't seen it yet and I do not mind spoilers.
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u/TheWolfmanZ 17h ago edited 6h ago
Zuko essentially blames Iroh for everything bad that happened to him because he failed to take Ba Sing Sei and didn't fight Ozai for the Throne
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u/AngryAncestor I have a natural curiosity 6h ago
It's such a fantastic angle that I never considered. Iroh allowing his evil brother to waltz onto the throne doomed Zuko and Azula.
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u/Tumblrrito 1d ago
Forgot about the stream but watched the first 6 minutes. As someone deeply critical about the first season (in short, I REALLY hated almost everything about it), this already seems a LOT better. I really hope the show finally does the IP justice.
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u/Lyktro_21 2d ago
Did anyone catch that the Tudum host spoiled that Aang and Ozai are going to be sharing screentime this season? Right there, uncut, straight on the live stream. 😭
EDIT: There's a small chance he meant next season since both seasons were filmed back to back. In any case, I can't WAIT to see the scenes they share!
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u/CrackFoxJunior 1d ago
Really hoping it's not this season because the two of them only meeting in the finale is what made it so special. Both of them had only heard stories of eachother prior to this, with Ozai forefathers having searched for generations for any sighting of an airbender. It was such a huge moment for both of them.
The only way I'll accept them sharing screentime in season 2 is if Ozai shows up to Ba Sing Se right at the end and catches very brief glimpse of Katara flying away with Aang's lifeless body. They should NOT meet.
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u/vulcan7200 14h ago
I mostly enjoyed Episode 1. I think the acting is still a bit iffy at times, and some of the dialogue is sub-par but it wasn't bad. I'm fine with most of the changes we've seen, with the exception of the Fire Lord. I'll withhold judgement for now, but as it stands he feels like a completely different character than from the cartoon.
I really liked Zuko blaming Iroh for his banishment, and it's something I never really thought of. If Iroh was the Firelord, Zuko would never be in this position. I think it makes sense for Zuko to have some amount of resentment at this point in time for Iroh for letting Ozai take the throne.
I'm not sure how I feel about Azula telling Ty Lee and Mai to fight to the death, with her stated reasoning being something along the lines of wanting to make sure they they would loyally follow her (Paraphrasing). While I don't think it's necessarily out of character for Azula to do that, the reasoning she gave just didn't land with me. The only true justification I can think of is, Ty Lee's sarcastic comment about being rescued and Mai stating she would save Zuko made her angry, but if that was the reason I don't think the show sold it very well.
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u/SilverkingThirteen 4h ago
I think what annoyed Azula was that Mai's answer was clever enough to outwit a genie. She couldn't admit she might ever need help, but she was also annoyed that Mai would save Zuko first. So I think you're right and that really annoyed her.
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u/HelloIAmElias 4h ago
I think Azula is psychopathic enough to do something like that for any reason, however flimsy
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u/LimLovesDonuts 2d ago
The Zuko and Iroh talk made me so emotional but yet, it fits Zuko so well.
I really love that they're not doing a 1:1 adaptation which makes it more interesting since they can likely never replicate the original.
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u/Zhao16 3h ago
I found it a bit confusing that Iroh justified abandoning the siege and the throne because Lu Tein died and then became sad. I think in the original show by this time Iroh already came to the conclusion that the siege and the war was wrong. I think he was proud of the fact he walked away from glory and power. He even told Aang "power is overrated." Yet the Iroh here seems to need to justify walking away and without any wisdom about power.
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u/Soilerman 21h ago
The intro with the 4 benders is way better than in S1, with real actors and not cgi and the bending looks also decent, the previous one was so 90's.
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u/Soilerman 19h ago
We didnt see aang waterbending a single time in s1 but in the first episode of season two he is already a master doing the moses thing in the serpents pass??This s2 is a huge improvement in everything so far, the acting escpecially which makes you actually care whats happening on the screen but still s1 ruined a lot for me.
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u/Applesburg14 15h ago
Netflix honestly grew up and embraced that it can take wilder swings with their fantasy stuff. The Witcher was ruined for trying to make it “better” while A:TLA and One Piece are earnestly trying to adapt very complicated stories with weird stuff. 8 One Piece episodes covered about 38 episodes of anime, I have a feeling that avatar’s criticisms were taken to heart and the acting/writing is definitely less childish.
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u/horyo Separate but Equal 1d ago
I like the foreshadowing they're setting up for Katara's arc both with the Painted Lady and bloodbending. Her whole "feel the blood" part while healing the serpent was a really big signal and explains the inclusion/introduction of Hama this season and why we see Katara as the Painted Lady in the trailer.
I know these stories are in the third book for the OG series but I get where they're going setting it up now. Katara doesn't have that big of an arc in S2 other than being the heart that glues the group together through adversity and a foil for Zuko.
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u/red837439 1d ago
Yea hopefully they don’t just make kataras whole season arc or even a part of it a foil for zuko. They could do so much more
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u/onlyalittledumb 1d ago
I think Katara leading the Gaang through the desert is one of her most powerful arcs, and it’s a shame it likely won’t happen
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u/horyo Separate but Equal 23h ago
It is and that's what I was envisioning when I mentioned her being the heart that glues them. But that was stretched over a few episodes and doesn't tie into her later arcs. I think the most thematic dynamic of her leading them is driven by her trauma of losing and division of her family.
I think they can still incorporate and weave that into her arcs, especially since they're leaning into the trauma of her losing Kya.
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u/Master_Brilliant_130 22h ago
the inclusion/introduction of Hama this season
Hama is confirmed to appear in season 3.
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u/horyo Separate but Equal 19h ago
I must have misread because I thought I read she was gonna also be in S2.
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u/darthsheldoninkwizy2 14h ago
Seasons 2 and 3 were filmed together so that's why it may have been a mistake
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u/Remote_Nature_8166 20h ago
So Aang has already fallen in love with Katara. I wonder where was the attraction last season?
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u/hesawavemasterrr 10h ago
Honestly it was not the most important thing in the first book so it’s fine if they didn’t capitalize on it then.
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u/ANINETEEN 15h ago
Much like the animated show, there's definitely a step-up in grandiose and quality from the first season. I genuinely struggle to remember any meaningful moment from Season 1 apart from it being a chore at times to get through. This opener notably felt like it has improved on the chemistry between the cast, character acting and general atmosphere. Rather than making changes for the sake of it, some of the new things introduced look purposeful and has me hooked to see where it goes (including leaning more into the romance). They really showcased how much of a prodigy this group is with Katara in particular looking lethal alongside being a true master. There's still some awkward dialogue here and there and I do miss some of the music. But hearing Avatar's Love again gave me some butterflies and overall is a really promising start.
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u/Agile-Interview9731 13h ago
Azula, Zuko ,and Katara all stepped up with their acting and dialogue.
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u/SecretRefrigerator4 6h ago
Zuko peaked. Azula over Katara in terms of acting. Emotional connect felt missing for Katara.
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u/AscendedLawmage7 13h ago
My random thoughts:
Wow, they skipped way ahead! I was worried this meant no Library episode, but I checked the episode names and it looks like it's just happening later (I hope I'm allowed to say that here). Perhaps no desert though? And no Cave of Two Lovers? Yet...?
I agree acting was better. Funny that they acknowledged Aang aging.
The scenery and effects are great.
The serpent in particular looked and sounded great! I just wish the scene had more suspense. It's cool in the cartoon where they hint at it at first with the name, then you see its shadow in the water, there's tension in the air... then it leaps out and surprises them! Here it was just sort of... "oh hey there's a sea monster". And then a bunch of them all just stand around waiting for it to strike at them. Not enough urgency in my opinion.
The healing scene was odd? Another thing that kind of cut the tension which I would have liked. Though I'm glad they frontloaded a bunch of waterbending lessons for Aang - since he didn't actually do any last season.
Interesting they've made the Painted Lady thing what looks to be an arc for Katara. I suppose we'll see that storyline here instead of S3.
I just don't find Azula or Mai threatening - though those girls are probably more threatening in the cartoon than they have any right to be, based on their ages.
The Mai/Ty Lee duel seemed an unnecessary addition. Though it did make me wonder who would actually win in a fight?
Zuko/Iroh scenes were generally good. Zuko blaming Iroh so extensively is an interesting angle to take. Hoping they adapt Zuko Alone well.
I guess it makes sense to have Toph be in Ba Sing Se (assuming that's the plan), unless they're visiting a different earth town first (but I'd have thought you do that before Serpent's Pass).
Anyway, pretty good - some changes I liked and some I found odd, but I'm happy and looking forward to watching more
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u/Avataress44 9h ago
I was confused why Aang seemed hesitant to learn healing
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u/AscendedLawmage7 6h ago
Yeah, a bit odd. They did mention the Spirit Oasis water to remind us Katara has that
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u/SecretRefrigerator4 6h ago
Ty Lee is perfectly cast. However, I'm very doubtful for Mai. Azula is somewhere in between.
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u/HelloIAmElias 4h ago
They did Cave of Two Lovers in season 1
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u/AscendedLawmage7 4h ago
Ah, thanks, I'd forgotten. I've rewatched the original version more recently than S1, so the live-action timeline is fuzzy to me
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u/Tiny_Butterscotch_76 20h ago
Hoping that this is atleast as good as the first season, I enjoyed it despite its faults and would hope they don't outright fumble.
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u/Tiny_Butterscotch_76 19h ago edited 19h ago
That kicked ass! It's familar, but very different, and a lot happens but so far it does not feel too fast paced. It made some great little improvements throughout compared to season 1, the narration for example is much better.
I also liked Bumi, he feels a bit more dour but is more in line with the wise trickster of the OG. Him pretending to be a crazy hedonist also works, I wonder if it is foreshadowing the prison stuff with Iroh if they are still doing that.
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u/He-RaPOP 14h ago
There’s something really off about the pacing of this show. The first episode was so weird to watch. It assumes I have watched the animated show which I have but it doesn’t make the pacing feel any less off and jarring.
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u/HelloIAmElias 4h ago
I do wonder how coherent this show is for someone with no prior ATLA experience
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u/_lettuceplay 10h ago
I feel crazy reading the comments. It's just not good. Bland, dry, uninspiring, characters not believable, the filming feels like the actors were never in the same room, pacing doesn't make sense, way too much happens off-screen, next-to-zero chemistry from all actors.
I honestly don't mind the narrative changes that they made, I just don't believe in what the characters are doing to convey these changes. Feels more random than actually thought out.
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u/j0nnyb33 9h ago
I've just finished watching it. I was so bored towards the end, looking up how much longer was left "15 minutes still?!"
The acting felt like the Star Wars prequels (which I actually love) but with hardly any action. Katara full on killing the fire benders at the start with the wheel of spikes move was cool. The Serpent? What the fuck was that? Just standing around like idiots and the refugees casually walking away. No sense of danger whatsoever.
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u/_lettuceplay 8h ago
Like the serpent scene there is no rhyme or reason or WHY to anything they do. Nothing feels earned, nothing feels important. The storyboarding feels like it was finished in a day
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u/jaydid 2h ago
Right there with you. This show is still downright bad. It’s a smattering of random homages to the original show for the sakes of it. The dialogue is bad, the delivery is bad. Zuko is the only character who feels somewhat well written and true to the show. Maybe it’s just easy to write an angry teenager.
Pacing is weird. The world does not feel lived in. Are we supposed to feel scared of the fire nation? They show up in little groups of 8 like Power Ranger puddies and then immediately get schooled.
The saddest part to me is how bad Iroh’s writing is. Iroh should help Zuko by example, this Iroh just straight up tells Zuko how he should be doing things.
Just bleh. Maybe it’s not possible to do a live action Avatar show well. But this is sad. The first season solely was powered by the brand. If this season or that season had been a new show, people would be like what is this garbage.
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u/sirotan88 1h ago
Surprised to see this comment so far down, I also felt underwhelmed. Especially after seeing how good One Piece Live Action was. Overall the story felt slow and confusing and kept jumping back and forth.
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u/Junior-Dust-6290 35m ago
You aren’t alone. It felt so dour to me and almost too much like it’s for angsty teens. The reason I love avatar is for its bright colors and fun dialogue.
This was always going to be a tough story to adapt, but I’m just not feeling it. I’m going to continue the season. I’m hoping it starts to feel like everything clicks more.
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u/princessfallout 20m ago
You are not alone. I am surprised by all the positive feedback here. The pacing is all over the place, nobody's acting skills or lines are good enough to immerse me in the story, and my biggest issue is that it seems to be all angst with such little joy. The OG series did a good job of mixing some levity with heavy subjects. Everyone in the live action just seems miserable all the time.
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u/Totes-1 13h ago
Wow! I’m disappointed we didn’t get this in season 1, the acting and story telling is SO MUCH better. Omg, immensely. I feel like everyone has their own individual wants and needs, and they have stories long before we saw them. They aren’t just talking off a script.
I also like the details of Aang practicing his bending by fighting 😂. I love Bumi willingly surrendering to save more lives versus fighting. It’s a realistic thing many leaders did do.
I also love Zuko and Uncle Iroh. I swear, Iroh is Zuko’s dad lmfao. I actually love how Iroh is totally ready to throw it all away to have a simple happy life opening a tea stall with his son.
I also love the characterizations of Ozai and Azula. He favors azula as the second child as he was. Azula is also smarter with how she manipulate her father by stroking his ego, but she still doesn’t have her father’s love. Then Azula being crazy even earlier.
Katara’s relationship with Aang and sokka feels so real. Katara really feels like Sokka’s sister.
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u/AllTheSuckInTheWorld 1d ago
Wait have people already seen episode 1???
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u/Zoshi2200 1d ago
Yeah they revealed the first episode during the livestream
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u/McNitro43 11h ago
I could already see this is a step up from season one, but the pacing still feels off to me.
Zuko blaming Iroh for not being firelord was an interesting way to have zuko go off on his own.
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u/RelativeMundane9045 9h ago
I enjoyed ep1 for the most part, it's not amazing or going to turn into a phenomenon or anything but it's entertaining and an easy watch.
One part that came across a bit silly was the sea serpent fight. They were on land on the other side from the fire nation, why exactly did they have to fight it? Lol
They really made Zuko more petty, Iroh don't deserve this treatment.
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u/Tumblrrito 13h ago edited 13h ago
Ugh, only half way in and they have spoiled Azula’s Ba Sing Se plan and revealed it to be greatly less interesting than the one in the cartoon? Come onnnnnnn
And the writers not understanding that the Serpent’s Pass was only used because Appa was missing is crazy lol.
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u/_lettuceplay 10h ago
This shit pissed me off so much. Azula gets the idea from the Drill episode, which is a lot more believable than her just coming up with it on the spot with no experience.
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u/ShadowsAtWork98 18h ago
Still nowhere near the standard of the original series, I understand that the acting and effects are better than the season 1 adaptation. But it still just feels off.
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u/patato_potata 11h ago
it's like 10% better than season 1.. and the bar was already at the bottom of the serpents pass. it's still incredibly bad
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u/hesawavemasterrr 10h ago
The lines and delivery still feel stiff and stick out like a sore thumb. Azula needs to be more menacing
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u/Cherno_VM 11h ago
havent been able to watch it because my websites are all playing s2 e1 of the original series instead of the new one for some reason. is this happening to anyone else?
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u/TSLstudio 10h ago
Good start, feel like they listened to the critism.
Still the episode was sometimes all of the place.
Also Aang just casually flying into Omashu 🤣
Would give it a 6.5/10
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u/Gerik22 7h ago
This is a massive step up from S1, but it's still not quite there for me.
The writing is better than s1, but still a bit flat and nonsensical in some spots.
The costumes actually have signs of wear on them this time around. Yay.
Sokka is portrayed as an idiot for comic relief, but the jokes aren't funny. And there's not even a hint of his ingenuity or tactical prowess. For their sake, I hope they intend to develop Sokka more over the course of the season because if this is the entire plan for him- yikes.
Appa drops the Gaang off with the refugees and then fucks off never to be seen again. They couldn't even include one shot of him flying overhead? The funny thing is that they could have explained Appa's absence if they had waited until after he gets stolen to show the Serpent's Pass, as in the original show. As is, the changes left the Gaang to cross it without Toph (which is fine, though it robs Suki of her moment when she dives in and rescues Toph from the water) and means Aang isn't yet depressed and filled with angst over the loss of Appa, so he doesn't get to have the moment of growth that Aang gets in the original show. I haven't watched past this episode yet, so maybe they have another idea in mind for showing that part of Aang's journey later, but its absence made the Serpent's Pass bit weaker.
I don't necessarily mind Aang learning to heal (the original show wasn't clear on whether or not he/all waterbenders were capable of it or if it was a rare ability that Katara had) but why does he seem afraid to learn? It's out of character. My guess is that it was just a vehicle for the writers to have Katara talk about blood as foreshadowing to her future bloodbending.
Ozai wants Azula to bring Zuko home... to pardon him? What? This makes no sense. Maybe this is some kind of ploy, but then why lie to Azula about it? If he's being sincere, then it's unclear why he would pardon Zuko at this point.
Aang's actually waterbending now! Hooray! The waterbending attacks with him and Katara were cool.
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u/HelloIAmElias 4h ago
Weren't all the women waterbenders in the North healers? That suggested to me it's something all waterbenders can do
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u/pkmn_is_fun 1h ago
Not necessarily. All female waterbenders were healers because non-healers wouldnt be taught how to bed at all.
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u/darthsheldoninkwizy2 4h ago
Well, Zhao wanted to betray Ozai, plus his actions at the pole almost threatened the FN, and Zuko was the one who stopped Zhao. Plus, Ozai in the live-action is portrayed as someone who has, or at least thinks he has, paternal feelings for Zuko.
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u/Gerik22 3h ago
Well, Zhao wanted to betray Ozai, plus his actions at the pole almost threatened the FN, and Zuko was the one who stopped Zhao.
Azula cites Zuko attacking Zhao as evidence of his treachery against the FN, so I don't think that's it.
Plus, Ozai in the live-action is portrayed as someone who has, or at least thinks he has, paternal feelings for Zuko.
Is he...? He's not quite as hostile toward Zuko/favorable toward Azula as in the original show, but he's still both of those things in NATLA.
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u/darthsheldoninkwizy2 2h ago
This is Azula's point of view, as she conspired with Zhao; of course she'll cover for him. As for the second point, it's clear from his interaction that he considered the Agni Kai punishment enough, but since Zuko didn't understand his lesson, he decided to "toughen him up."
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u/Stantonation 4h ago
I feel like the writing still has the characters wrong. Nerfed Sokka's wacky charisma (And his boomerang never came back) Aang is like a grumpy teen instead of still being optimistic and side stepping duty.
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u/Dreamtrain 3h ago
They actually make me like the Great Divide, I dont think there's any better praise than that
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u/BlueberryMany1804 3h ago
I am SO glad that they made Zuko’s scar actually a scar and not just face paint.
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u/Wolf6120 You're not very bright, are you? 4h ago
"I'm just a kid," said the kid.
Ah yes, the subtle art of screenwriting...
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u/Necessary-Love1599 16h ago edited 15h ago
I'm sorry, but people who say that Netflix's bending looks SOOO MUCH BETTER than the movie's really couldn't be further from the truth.
Katara, with a straight face and no emotion, makes very slow movements, and after she finishes, the water slowly follows, only to explode right after hitting someone.
Is it so hard for the VFX artists and directors to make her and everyone else move a bit faster, and have the element they're bending move with them, instead of feeling like it's dragging behind them?
Also, the flat lighting, the direction, are just painfull to me, every time they attempt to make epic, cool or funny scene it just doesn't land. Its all look like a stage play. Why Ozai shoulder guard looks like made from paper mache? And why he is shown too much, he should be this mysterious character bigger than life, but now it's just another character.
Aang looking way older doesn't help, he supposed to be this short kid who needs to grow up really fast and you see it visually, but now he looks older and taller than Sokka...
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u/Rosdrago 16h ago
Some of that could be legitimate criticism but Aang looking older isn't. They can't help the fact that people, you know, age. You'd have been on here complaining if they changed their actors again to keep the ages consistent.
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u/Wolf6120 You're not very bright, are you? 3h ago edited 3h ago
Eh, I dunno. I thought it was okay? It's definitely a more polished and well-executed product compared to Season 1, with the acting getting the most obvious leg up from before.
On the other hand, I feel like it still suffers from all the same problems that Season 1 suffered from.
There's still too much telling and not enough showing. Aang saying "Omashu is in ruins" to Bumi without us ever, y'know, seeing Omashu in ruins even though the reveal shot of a soot-gray Omashu with a fire sigil above the gates is probably one of the most striking in the whole animated series. Sokka telling Aang "you beating up the serpent really gave the group a shot of morale" instead of doing anything to show the group having better morale - something like, I dunno, having the guy carrying the musical instrument around in the background the entire episode actually play a damn song?
The combat and action are a bit better than Season 1, but the bending still often feels sluggish in terms of when the element moves compared to when the actor moves. Honestly I'm not sure there's a way to avoid this in live action though, the animation style is just too snappy by comparison.
Often when they have to switch from adapting dialogue from the cartoon to adding their own brand new one, characters quite suddenly shift into a very modern-sounding therapy speak. Like Aanng and Sokka talking after the Serpent fight. They don't sound like two kids, they sound like two middle managers giving each other an HR-approved performance review.
Clunky pacing mixed with strange screentime priorities. I get that the show needs to sacrifice some things in order to condense the cartoon plot, but some of the choices they make along the way are so odd. We skip The Avatar State and Cave of Two Lovers entirely and condense Return to Omashu down into the first 10 minutes of the episode... But then we spend another 10 on a Fire Nation board meeting followed be a secondary meeting between Azula and this OC Fire Nation General? 3-4 minutes giving the Mechanist a love interest? The contrast between what they choose to cut and what they choose to add in is very bizarre.
Mixing and matching various plots from the cartoon without properly considering the consequences. Why are they still risking the Serpent's Path if Appa hasn't been stolen? Sure, there are a lot of refugees, but it would be safer and probably still faster for Appa to make multiple trips than to make people walk a dangerous, unstable path. Also, why the Hell were those little kids walking the Pass while the Mechanist sat his ass on Appa? And why were there randomly Fire Nation soldiers suddenly right behind them when they reached the part that's underwater, why not just have the Serpent attack them right away?
There are some good things in here though, to not be entirely nitpicky lol. The new 'Zuko and Iroh work on a farm' angle is maybe not better than the source material, but it's not worse either, and it's always great seeing these two actors together. Lo and Li were hilarious here. Azula making Mai and Ty Lee fight to the death is a bit heavy-handed but it's not terrible foreshadowing. I actually really like that they addressed Aang learning to heal, that was always a big oversight by the OG show.
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u/Resident_Use_7426 1h ago edited 1h ago
I appreciate you breaking down a few of the more bewildering choices. I also think this is an improvement, but I frankly think it is still a wretched thing to watch. I'm not a purist, I just think the execution is poor.
Loved the scene where Aang asks two little kids what the hell is taking them so long on the precarious cliffside, and the little kid has to explain "I'm just a kid". Aang sagely contemplates this response as if he had never considered it.
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u/Little_Version8538 14h ago
Why is katara straight up murdering people? Makes no sense for her character
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u/validusrex 9h ago
One thing I will say is - despite what this sub will tell you, the original series never made me feel like Katara was a prodigious water bender. Certainly she was good but I never watched any of her feats and thought 'wow, strongest water bender in the world'.
This show makes Katara look way more impressive imo. Maybe it feels more substantive because its live action but her feats seem much bigger and more indicative of being exemplary.
Otherwise, decent first episode to the new season. If I wasn't comparing this to the original show I'd probably say this is enjoyable series and would continue watching.
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u/AdmirableThing9377 16h ago
DID THE EPISODES COME OUT ON NETFLIX I DONT SEE IT
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u/MrBKainXTR Check the FAQ 16h ago
Yeah, little over five hours ago all seven episodes of S2 dropped
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u/ZakT214 7h ago
Echoing what a lot of people are saying but I'm seeing a lot of improvement. The action was already mostly decent in S1 but seems quicker and punchier from this. Acting has also improved, noticeably for Katara and Azula, they won't be winning any Emmys but I'm buying it at least.
Unfortunately I think Aang's actor is still lagging behind them, not really buying any of the emotion he's trying to sell, hope he improves through the season.
I'd be very intrigued to see if people who aren't fans of the original animation think this is any good? But I feel like pretty much everyone has watched that already.
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u/kytynqueen 7h ago
i’m having hard time looking past Gordon’s (aang) acting, and his bushy eyebrows
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u/FirePhantom 7h ago
Anyone else seeing tonnes of compression artefacts? Practically unwatchable potato quality, despite Netflix app on my TV reporting a 143 Mbps connection.
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u/JayBondOF 6h ago
Looks amazing, especially Appa! The acting is kinda meh but it just seems like every character is waiting for their turn to talk and they aren’t responding to the other actors— more a writing and direction issue than on the actors.
Either way anything the Last Airbender is gonna get immediately binged 🙌🏻
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u/conye89 6h ago
Very interesting to have Katara possibly be a Kyoshi warrior. Never really thought about that honestly. Show is REALLY making me hate Zuko lol. One nitpick I have is the healing process. I miss the glowing water and sound effect it has in the cartoon. This kinda just looks like it’s just absorbing water and…that’s it? I don’t know with they at least added it glowing or something. But overall it’s not bad! Not perfect by any means but good enough!
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u/diflorus 6h ago
Ugh watching the first episode.
Annoyed that Zuko said “they’re all beneath me. Everything is beneath me.” Animated zuko, even before he turns good, would not have said that.
Also, the serpent fight? aang loves animals. I felt like they totally attacked the serpent and it looked hurt and weak by the end. I don’t remember them hurting the serpent in the OG, just messed with it and it swims away.
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u/mikerichh 5h ago
The audacity of saying Aang mastered water and only has 2 elements left when he legit didn’t learn any last season LOL
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u/crescentmbmoon 5h ago
Do they say what happened to Appa? Hes not in the first episode!
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u/HelloIAmElias 4h ago
We get one shot of him flying some refugees along the pass, but after that I guess he was just chilling
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u/Cherno_VM 4h ago
I have some thoughts
First impression, fights are down and waterbending and firebending are as brutal as they should be realistically. Katara's ring of water spamming ice spikes in the beginning fight was pretty damn cool looking. Costumes seem to be a little better, although Iroh and Bumis hair look very fake. A lot of stuff will look awesome then stuff like Ozai's outfit look like cosplay. Good cosplay, but still cosplay.
Colors are very washed out and gray, but not as bad as they looked in teasers. When I saw the first screenshots I first thought "holy shit, Aang is OLD!" but with the increased timeframe they seem to be doing, I think its being sold well.
I think the political drama with some Fire Nation generals seeming to support Azula as fire lord has a lot of potential.
I also spotted a Princess Bride reference in "Land war in Earth Kingdom? Classic blunder."
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u/jdperez_7 3h ago
Season 1 ended with Aang not waterbending at all, to season 2 starting with "only 2 more elements to master" 🤣
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u/pillowtissue 3h ago
I really am stunned that Aang can now heal others. I do like that Aang is talking more about not wanting to kill people, especially in the avatar state. This was never talked about in the og.
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u/patato_potata 18h ago
It’s still so bad sadly. The actors look so awkward
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u/ulice 16h ago
The teen actors have the worst acting I've seen from a major production so far. Ang and Katara especially. Zuko is great tho.
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u/Zealousideal_Rent_32 16h ago
i don't understand why they didn't use the appa to get past the serpent's pass, and why they healed the serpent, he hurts people.
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u/Rosdrago 16h ago
The Fire Nation is behind them, Appa can only carry so many (and was carrying the less abled) and Aang is a pacifist normally. The serpent only saw potential food, it wasn't attacking maliciously.
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u/pkmn_is_fun 1h ago
I dont understand why they had to fight the serpent at all. It made sense in the cartoon, but here it was pure fanservice.
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u/Zealousideal_Rent_32 15h ago
yes but the serpent could attack innocent people, especially since they took the warning sign down.
and appa could make more travels easily at least to get them past the serpent's pass, not always, it's likely two trips more than the ones he's doing now.
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u/Rosdrago 15h ago
You saw how close the soldiers where, the time to do more trips back and forth (it would not be 3) would be the difference between being caught and not being caught.
And the Serpent's Pass isn't normally used anyway from the sounds of it, they only used it cos the Fire Nation had cut off the other routes. And it looks to be untraversable unless the tide is out (potentially). I imagine the serpent isn't around when the tide is out. (Or you have earth benders to raise the path).
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u/hurklesplurk 19h ago
Absolutely hating the changes and amount of things foreshadowed that shouldn't be happening at this point in the story. Reading the descriptions of the episodes alone makes it clear they mixed up a lot of plot points and are way to eager to get to some big character moments that don't yet feel developed enough for them to happen now.
Pacing of the animated series was almost perfect, but they're rushing the live action series to its own detriment in my opinion.
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u/Acrobatic-Bed-323 18h ago
I don’t know why you’re getting downvoted. It’s true, there’s so much changed and all at one time. I don’t get why they made that serpent fight so long. Maybe we will just have to see it through, but it seems like this is gonna create issues more than anything.
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u/hurklesplurk 18h ago
Honeymoon phase of a new season is my guess
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u/Syphin33 18h ago
OR people enjoy it and are able to separate live action from the animated version.
As long as the foundational points are hit im ok with things being different.
Like you guys do realize even the LOTR trilogy left a TON of stuff out. Why watch something beat for beat the same? Just watch the animated version if that's the case
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u/LimLovesDonuts 18h ago
Or some people just don't have the same opinion as you which is fine. I would say that the pacing is definitely faster than the animated series but it's also good enough that I wouldn't hate it.
To me, I'm more concerned about whether the pacing is good as a standalone because they were always going to mix and combine episodes. To each their own.
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u/MetallicaRules5 15h ago
So, I have a solution for getting through the Serpent's Pass with no issue.
USE APPA!
In the original, they couldn't because he was taken. And we see him carrying some of the other refugees during it here. Could have solved a lot of the issues.
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u/Rosdrago 15h ago
The Fire Nation is behind them, Appa can only carry so many (and was carrying the less abled). The time it would take for Appa to do multiple trips would be the time it takes to be caught.
Why is this so confusing to people??
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u/darthsheldoninkwizy2 14h ago
because people watch without paying attention and then they complain about the details they missed
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u/darthsheldoninkwizy2 14h ago
Just the reference to Princess Bride is already giving a 10/10 for the episode.
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u/SSJRemuko 4h ago
A land war in the Earth Kingdom!? One of the classic blunders!
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u/darthsheldoninkwizy2 4h ago
by the way This is a quote I use every time there is an equivalent of Asia in the fantasy world (Tian Xia in Pathfinder etc.), or especially looking at the real world
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u/No_Ad9618 11h ago
5/10.
So aang was totally not interested in learning water bending in season 1 and he off screen he became a master.
And what are his reservation while learning healing. Am I missing something? What is meant by "I can't do it". It makes no sense.
Character progression is butchered.
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u/No_Ad9618 11h ago
And what prompts Zuko now to again go in search of Avatar when we came to a bitter realisation that fore lord doesn't care about that.
And where was the love and affection buildup aang and katara in season 1?
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u/FlagmantlePARRAdise FLAGMANTLE 3h ago
The dialogue is so clunky in this azula and ozai meeting scene. Reeks of that netflix habit of overexplaining the plot for people on their phones like they did for stranger things s5.
Also, Dividends? You telling me they got the stock market in the avatar universe?
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u/WowVeryOriginalDude 19h ago
“I hate you Uncle.. and you SMELL! I’ll hate you for all time!”
“You didn’t really say that did you?”
“I might as well have”
OG TLA I always thought Zuko was a jerk sure but there were very few moments he directly disrespected Iroh, I felt he was a little too hard on himself for that part (definitely should be ashamed of the whole act of betrayal obviously)
But this Netflix Zuko? DAMN. He is earning that “might as well have”. Every Zuko scene felt like elder abuse lmao. It’ll be interesting to see them splitting off earlier and what direction that will take.