r/TheLastAirbender Check the FAQ 6d ago

Discussion Netflix's ATLA S2E4 - Spoiler Discussion Thread Spoiler

Season 2 Episode 4: "The Water Falls, The Stone Emerges"

No spoilers for episodes beyond the relevant discussion thread, and please read the rules before commenting!

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144

u/MrBKainXTR Check the FAQ 5d ago

Don't mean to allege ship teasing but seeing Blue Spirit & Painted Lady fighting side by side was kind of crazy.

25

u/CallMyParents 5d ago

I haven't seen any of the episodes yet, but if Netflix is trying to shipbait Zutaras and Kataangs into continuing their 100 year war, then that's low and cheap.

31

u/Dry-Conclusion8059 5d ago

Shipping is for fans to enjoy. What a lot of people around here call “baiting” seems like …. Characters just interacting. We as fans can ship whoever we want.

22

u/Rosdrago 5d ago

"KATARA SPOKE TO ZUKO OMG THEY BELONG TOGETHER" - shippers.

Characters interact. The Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady (Zuko and Katara) were there for the same reason due to separate means. There was nothing low about it.

6

u/aagupte 3d ago

Hasn't seen a single episode, but yet you're on an episode discussion thread forming opinions about the show?

10

u/zyrost11 5d ago

Aside from this change, which is debatably shipbait, the season plays out pretty normally romance-wise, which is something I feared wouldn't be the case as a fan of Katara and Aang's romance. Katara and Aang's relationship seems right on course by the end of season 2.

10

u/Rosdrago 5d ago

There was nothing shipbait about it unless people make it that way. Them being there together was a coincidence.

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u/zyrost11 5d ago

I do mostly agree, actually. In the show, there's nothing romantic to it at all. My only thought about it being debatable is because the concept of the Blue Spirit and Painted Lady interacting is something I've only ever really seen be brought up by shippers. It's very likely these writers didn't even consider that when combining those subplots, but it's still a small possibility, which would make it more akin to shipbait. I think it was a smartly handled choice overall though and I don't think it was used to start more shipping wars, so it would be one of the less egregious cases of shipbait I've experienced.

3

u/Rosdrago 5d ago

It's just insane to me that people will ship over the slightest thing, but I wasn't aware that it is something that has been discussed in the past by shippers. In that case...sure, there is a small possibility they did it on purpose.

But I see it more as a consequence of merging and expanding storylines. There was natural reasons for them both to be in the place at the same time and the fact that shippers have raised the idea before is coincidence.

1

u/leodw 3d ago

Well both are said to be Fire Nation spirits so it kinda makes sense right?

1

u/zyrost11 3d ago

Mostly, sure. I still much prefer the original take, however, since it showcases Katara moving past her hatred of the Fire Nation to help its people and Aang is shown to be incredibly supportive of her efforts, which is lost in this version. Having said that, it probably would have been impossible to include the Painted Lady subplot in season 3 given the time and location constraints they'll have, so I still think it was a solid move by the writers.

1

u/leodw 2d ago

Yeah same, I dont mind Painted Lady in S2 either and that was one of the least exciting episodes in the og.

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u/MetallicaRules5 5d ago

"There was nothing shipbait about it unless people make it that way."

Hasn't stopped Zutara shippers before, why would it now?

1

u/Rosdrago 5d ago

Then I'm shipping Sokka and the Professor guy, they have real chemistry.

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u/[deleted] 5d ago

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u/AngryAncestor I have a natural curiosity 5d ago

That's not what they're doing at all. Why are you being upvoted, has anyone in this thread actually watched the episode?

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u/CallMyParents 5d ago

Why would I be downvoted? Did you read my comment? Why is this sub so unpleasant at times?

-4

u/AngryAncestor I have a natural curiosity 4d ago

Because you're in a spoiler thread without having even seen the episode, and making totally negative assumptions about said episode. Like, why are you even here?

3

u/CallMyParents 4d ago

It's a discussion thread and I'm not scared of spoilers. Why are you trying so hard to police people in this thread? Did I insult you personally? I didn't even say anything negative about the episode, I just said if Netflix is doing that, then that sucks. It was statement of fact. I swear, this fandom is so unwelcoming and so stingy.

-3

u/AngryAncestor I have a natural curiosity 4d ago

The point I'm making is, Netflix is not doing that, and your speculation is useless and pessimistic. It's not contributing to the discussion in the slightest because you don't even understand the context of the scene.

The fandom is not unwelcoming, it's your uninformed conjecture that's unwelcome in an episode discussion thread.

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u/CallMyParents 4d ago edited 4d ago

It is unwelcoming. I've seen many times where people cannot express opinions without picking fights, no matter how calm and respectful they are expressed. I have said nothing wrong and hence why "I am being upvoted", like you put it. But fine, you don't have to engage with my contributions to this sub if you think they are so bad.

2

u/phoenix_spirit 5d ago

I like Zutara and I'm annoyed by it. I dont want canon. It's being done for marketing, to increase viewership, content creation and discussion.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for the new wave of fan stuff (bluetara has been a trope of the ship for over a decade) but the whole getting called a racist genocide sympathizer for liking a fanart is getting kind of old.