The Last Airbender Series: The Storm and the Societal Definition of Duty

The episode "The Storm" provides very important backstory to two of the most intriguing characters in the film. First is Aang, who, due to the impending attack from the Fire Nation, is told that he is the Avatar well before he turns 16. While he is accepted as a stellar Airbender before this announcement, afterwards he finds himself alienated from his peers, forced into a much too rigid training regiment for a 12 year old, and torn apart from his mentor and friend Monk Gyatso. These changes pile up, and the young Aang realizes that is unready to take his place as Avatar and flees from the air temple. The other story is Zuko's, haunted by his physical and mental scars. His father invites him to a war meeting, where he is expected to listen and observe the Fire Nation's military leaders discuss strategy. But when a general proposes to use recruits as bait for more experienced soldiers, Zuko intercedes, saying that it is dishonorable to allow Fire Nation soldiers to die so unceremoniously. By doing so, Zuko angers his father, who challenges him to an Agni Kai (Firebending battle). Though he asks for mercy and had no intent of speaking against his father, his father teaches him a permanent lesson, by scarring his son's face and banishing him from the Fire Nation for his cowardice. This episode brilliantly portrays Aang and Zuko as outcasts, showing that the primary evil in the first season is no more different than primary good. But they are treated as outcasts for different reasons, and it revolves around their definition of duty. Aang shirks his responsibility as Avatar, thus not performing his duty. But by actively standing up for seeming injustice in the war room, Zuko oversteps his bounds of authority, despite being crown prince. Aang's story shows the typical notion of societal duty, stepping up and taking responsibility when necessary. But Zuko's story shows the twisted form of duty in the Fire Nation, which promotes subservience rather than standing up for what one believes to be right.

The Last Airbender Series: The Great Divide and What Went Wrong (and What Could’ve Been)

                Many ATLA fans would consider “The Great Divide” to be one of the worst episodes of the series. Whether it was the hackneyed story or the horrible twist ending, ATLA fans seem not to agree with it. I can completely understand these sentiments. The plot was over-the-top with its forced agenda of comparing the literal and figurative great divide. The stories, the legends of each tribe, which were also not creatively named, were not very original. I mean, hate derived from wrongful imprisonment because of a crazy ritual (I mean, some people juggle chickens).  Of course, the *SPOILERS* tale that Aang made up to convince everyone that the ritual was a game was a complete sham of an ending. Yes, the inevitable alliance between the previously warring tribes was foreshadowed in the battle, but the reason for this peace was ridiculous. I know that the ATLA team has used deus ex machina to get out of some jams (haters of the LoK ending can certainly attest to that), but this story may be the most egregious case of this because it does absolutely zero in terms of character or plot development. But I think this is the largest problem of this episode. It had no bearing on any other episode. In the “The Ember Island Players”, the actors play at this idea by merely flying over the Great Divide, because any casual watcher of the series does not need this episode to understand the story. But what could they have done to make this episode important?

                It is clear that this episode is removable. While it shows the gripes that Aang has to deal with as Avatar, it pushes them aside in an unremarkable way. This is a problem with ATLA because they are so limited with what they can reasonably do with Aang. While they have been given more reins and leniency throughout the series, there is no such thing as a “gritty” Aang. He cannot go about dispensing vigilante justice, nor can he impose divine judgment on anyone. His actions are limited in these scenarios, but what can he do? He can grow as a character. In the first season, he is still growing into his role as Avatar. He is reluctant to take charge and be decisive, something that contradicts his airbending nature. The great divide should not have been focused on two opposing tribes in the Earth nation, but rather on the struggle Aang faces to unite these tribes. If this were the case, we would not need any silly legends about the tribes or any wrapped-up ending. We could have Aang, fight within about which tribe is right and which is wrong. Maybe it could about whether either tribe is even morally obligated to be right or wrong. This forces Aang to become decisive…or it does not. They easily could have created an unsolvable problem that haunts Aang, something that causes him to be so indecisive that it ruins his entire psyche. The episode already has the scene set-up for something like this. The two tribes have very vague places where they derive their hate. This ambiguity could lead Aang to make a decision, whether it is wrong or right. He could doubt this decision to Katara or Sokka. It could harden his resolve. Creating a problem like this would have turned the Great Divide from a bad episode, into the turning point of the series.

                Of course, the question is, how does this affect the rest of the series? Much of the first season is Aang growing into the role of Avatar. He realizes that his actions have resounding impacts. He learns that he no longer is a representative of the airbending nomads, but the world as a whole. He has to bear this responsibility. What better way to shape this idea than by giving him problems that the world will ask him to solve? Questions that he will have to solve, but is not capable of doing so. That type of episode would have unbelievable repercussions for the series as a whole. Of course, we have an episode, which forces the issue, which has its own agenda, which shows the growing pains of a new show. Now that shows a great divide.