After being introduced to Avatar: The Last Airbender a few weeks ago, I was looking forward to checking out Book 2: Earth. The show had left a great impression on me with its memorable characters, captivating episodes, and stylish animation, so the pressure was on for the show to keep the quality moving forward. There's only 3 Books on this show, so having a bad middle chapter could really hurt the momentum. Thankfully, Book 2 not only kept the quality moving forward, but it expanded it astronomically. With new characters introduced, a much larger long-term story arc, and memorable moments that range from hilarious, to action-packed, to emotional, Book 2: Earth validated why this show is worth watching. They didn't get lucky with Book 1. They have a story mapped out that constantly gets better with each episode. I love Book 1, but Book 2 is so much better. This chapter has made me see how much I've been missing out on a fantastic show and it makes me very anxious to check out how Book 3 wraps this whole thing up. But don't just take my word for it, let's look at some of my favorite moments to take place in Book 2 and you'll see what I'm talking about.
The Avatar State: A lot of what they do with Aang, voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen, in Book 2 is about the same in Book 1. The big arc for him here is getting to the Avatar State. It comes at a time when he gets super upset and it can actually be pretty scary to see. His voice goes deep, his eyes and arrow glow white, and he is fueled by rage in his attacks. We also got to see Aang in a very vulnerable state when we spend a good number of episodes with Appa missing. We get to see him in an emotional state not yet seen with him. There's much more on the surface than a courageous child. He's getting closer to realizing his full potential and it's a great experience to follow him and watch his greatness unfold.
Love Letdown: Katara, voiced by Mae Whitman, is still one of the least interesting characters at the show, in my opinion. While she had some developing moments and episodes in Book 1, here she really just feels like something for Aang to save and pine for. I wouldn't necessarily call her useless enough to be a damsel in distress. She can still hold her own in a fight, but she's just not very compelling. I'm all for the "will they, won't they" storyline, but you've got to be able to do more with a character besides being someone's potential girlfriend. You've got one more Book show, do something with Katara that blows me away.
Courageous Comedian: Sokka still remains my favorite character because he has just as many memorable brave moments as he does memorable silly moments. Yeah, he doesn't necessarily grow that much as a character in Book 2, but that's because I don't think he necessarily needs to. He is a goof, but he is also a very brave and noble warrior. When you've got that kind of foundation, you can have him be annoyed by nomads, hallucinate from drinking a cactus, have a haiku battle, and awesomely declare that they need to spend their vacation AT THE LIBRARY without needing a whole bunch of development.
Zuko Alone: One of the characters that undergoes the most change in Book 2 is Zuko, voiced by Dante Basco. We get to know a lot more of his backstory early on in the season, and from there, we get to see him walk that fine line between good and evil. The part that sucks for him is that he tries to turn his life around, but other peoples' preconceived notions on the Fire Nation cause them to turn their backs on Zuko when his identity is revealed. It's easy to see how why he's such a beloved character. The tortured soul looking for redemption is a very popular trope and Zuko wears that role on the show very well.
The Tale of Iroh: Already one of my favorite characters, Book 2 really helped fuel the fire (you already know that's a pun, so don't bother asking) of why Iroh is such a compelling character. He has moments of wisdom and levity, and scenes where he is actually one of the fiercest fighters on the entire show. But, the best moment for Iroh is one of the most emotional moments on the entire show. In "The Tales of B Sing Se," we see a day in the life of Iroh and it is both heartwarming and heartbreaking in the span of only a few minutes. Easily one of the show's greatest highlights, especially with it dedicated in honor of Mako, the iconic voice actor for Iroh who passed away before Book 2 was entirely finished. Definitely the hardest I have tried to not cry at a television show in a long time.
The Blind Bandit: One of the show's best additions in Book 2 is Toph, voiced by Jessie Flower. She may be blind, but she is one of the best Earth Bender's in the world and is actually a champion, in an episode that features a very clever spoof of professional wrestling. She's such a well layered character that it's easy to develop her naturally throughout the progression of numerous episodes. Wealthy, but only flaunts it when necessary. People think she needs help, but she's more competent than most of them. And kicks as much butt as Daredevil can. Toph dished out enough Earthbending action and snarky comments to impress anyone.
Queen of Mean: Good God, Azula is crazy! Voiced by Grey DeLisle, the princess of the Fire Nation is an absolute BOSS! Very quickly into her introduction, she makes enemies with every main character on the show. On top of that, she's a more than competent villainess and seems to always counter our heroes and anti-heroes whenever they try and make a move. And, she shoots blue fire. That's just AWESOME!!! She's not like her brother, there isn't a fine line she walks. She's evil to the core and loves every moment of it. She is able to do so much more than most of the villains we've seen on the show so far, and at such a young age. Give me more awesomely evil Azula moments in Book 3 and I'll be a very happy camper.
Avatar: The Last Airbender and images are copyrighted by Nickelodeon Animation Studios
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