Episode by episode | Avatar: The Last Airbender s1 e1

Avatar: The Last Airbender is, in this guy’s humble opinion, the single greatest series aimed (primarily) at kids to ever grace my TV (or computer) screen. With some of the best characters, themes, fight sequences and morality stories I’ve personally come across, my love for this show is perhaps justified, but somehow re-watching the series again as an adult for the seventh time (I think, give or take a viewing) is a little hard to justify to myself. So I thought I should really look into why I love it so much, on an episode by episode basis. Much and more has been written about ATLA and subsequently TLOK but hopefully someone is interested in reading up on what is without doubt (again, in my eyes) the most ambitious animated series ever made (It would be very hard to compare ATLA to anime, the styles are very different so take that with a pinch of salt). So, here begins an episode by episode review of a series that isn’t particularly relevant anymore, that everyone has likely watched already. Yep, this’ll rake in the page views for sure.

The opening for the first episode introduces the world and sets the stage for the show as a whole quite well; establishing the avatar as the protector of the balance between the four elemental nations (Earth, Fire, Water and Air) and reveals a little of the scope and length of the war, where after 100 years the Fire nation are nearing victory. Finally the introduction ends with the narrator (whom you know to be Katara from the rest of the episode) stating that she still has hope that the Avatar will return and save the world. Pretty great set up if you ask me and boy do they ever deliver on the premise. 

Enter the episode itself and we are quickly introduced to Sokka and Katara and what I’ll put down as the first moral lesson; while Sokka is attempting to spear a fish Katara catches one herself with waterbending and Sokka dismisses her abilities of hand, while doing so allowing the fish to escape and soaking himself in water; a nice little story warning of the pitfalls of judging someone’s abilities without allowing them to actually use them. From there we are introduced to a variety of characters; Aang who emerges from an iceberg with glowing eyes and tattoos, his flying bison Appa (who is our first taste of the menagerie of wonderfully strange animals throughout the series), and Zuko and Iroh the banished prince and his uncle who are hunting for the avatar. 

These, as we are told, are apparently penguins

Running down these characters the show instantly reveals a lot of their character traits and motivations; Katara who is unhappy with being looked down upon because of her gender and expected role in the tribe (wonderfully done with a natural introduction as to how her views have come about, demonstrating the disbelief that Sokka has regarding her ability to catch a fish as that’s not the role she is expected to play, Sokka is holding the spear and is at the head of the boat filling said role), Sokka who just doesn’t want to have anything to do with ‘magic water’, airbenders or other things that don’t make sense, Aang who is cheerful and fun-loving despite the responsibilities and pressures of a world he doesn’t fully understand (both because of his young age and his time in the iceberg), Zuko who is fuelled by anger and a vague allusion to his honour (at this point unexplained) and finally Iroh who loves tea.

The visual language introduced is fantastic as well; with three of the four elements represented via the costumes of the introduced characters; black, gold and red for the fire nation, white, purple and blue for the water tribes and orange, yellow and blue for the air nomads (clearly taking quite heavy influence from the traditional robes of Buddhist monks, just as the water tribe outfits draw upon the Inuit’s heavy furs).

Visually the show is overflowing with style and musically it does so as well with a great score made up mostly of tribal drums and percussion, unusual stringed instruments and cymbal swells; making for an understated but perfectly fitting musical score that really helps set the mood and atmosphere for each scene. The end credits were always a bitter-sweet memory for me as it represented the end of my favourite show, but I also loved the music and hearing it again after ending on a bit of a cliff hanger is wonderful and incredibly nostalgic for me as I’m sure it is for any of you who may have watched it.

Overall this episode is a great introduction into a detailed, vibrant and joyous world that walks the line between making the content age appropriate for younger viewers and also dark and deep enough for older viewers in a way nothing else I’ve seen has managed. With fantastic art, music, characters and direction this episode does a really good job of introducing everything you really need to know without veering into exposition; something much easier said than done.

 

Aaand a post script: I didn't discuss the story in it's entirety as some may not have watched it. If that's you either watch it or ignore these posts! In all future posts I will fully discuss the plot and even though the show is not ruined without the element of the unknown; it's not made any stronger for it's absence, so don't spoil it for yourself!