Netflix missed the point of Avatar
Summary
TLDRThe video script offers a critical analysis of Netflix's live-action adaptation of 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'. It discusses the show's missed opportunities in character development, pacing, and narrative choices, comparing them unfavorably to the original animated series. The reviewer expresses disappointment in the adaptation's oversimplification of complex characters and its reliance on action over substance, while also acknowledging the potential for improvement in future seasons.
Takeaways
- đș The Netflix remake of 'Avatar' has faced criticism for its changes to the original series, with fans feeling the adaptations missed the essence of the original show.
- đ The casting for the live-action series was praised, with the actors fitting the roles well and showing potential for martial arts, despite the script's shortcomings.
- đ The script was criticized for being simplistic and on-the-nose, lacking the depth and character development of the original animated series.
- đ Prince Zuko's character development was one of the few aspects of the adaptation that were handled well, showing complexity and growth throughout the series.
- đ„ The decision to have Zuko fight back against his father in the Netflix version was seen as a misstep, as it undermined the character's arc and the father's threat level.
- đŹ The use of repetitive plot devices, such as the 'diversion' tactic used by the Fire Nation, highlighted a lack of creativity and consistency in the writing.
- đ The special effects and VFX were commendable, managing to bring a live-action 'Avatar' to life with a level of realism that was impressive for the format.
- đ§ The adaptation's pacing was questioned, with important character moments and backstory rushed or altered, leading to a less engaging narrative.
- đŒ The music and sound design of the series, while not explicitly mentioned in the script, are typically key elements that contribute to the overall atmosphere and emotional impact of a show.
- đ The world-building in the original series was deeply admired, and the live-action version faced the challenge of translating that intricate universe into a live-action format.
- đĄ The original creators' departure from the project due to creative differences hinted at the struggles between creative integrity and network interference.
Q & A
What is the main concern of the speaker about the Netflix remake of 'Avatar'?
-The speaker is concerned that the Netflix remake of 'Avatar' does not capture the depth and emotional impact of the original series. They feel the new adaptation has mishandled character development, pacing, and the overall spirit of the original show.
How does the speaker feel about the original 'Avatar' series?
-The speaker has a deep appreciation for the original 'Avatar' series, describing it as a nearly perfect show that moved them to tears and impressed them with its intricate world-building and music.
What was the speaker's initial belief about adapting 'Avatar' into live action?
-The speaker initially believed it would be impossible to translate the world of 'Avatar' into live action due to the intricacies and beauty of the original animation and the failure of a previous attempt with the movie adaptation.
What does the speaker criticize about the Netflix adaptation's handling of Aang's character?
-The speaker criticizes the adaptation for making Aang too mature and serious from the start, removing his childlike whimsy and the growth arc he experiences in the original series.
How does the speaker view the changes made to Katara's character in the Netflix adaptation?
-The speaker views the changes made to Katara's character as detrimental, arguing that the adaptation stripped away her depth and focused solely on her waterbending abilities, which was not the essence of her character in the original series.
What is the speaker's opinion on the pacing and structure of the Netflix adaptation's pilot episode?
-The speaker believes the pilot episode is rushed and poorly structured, with too much information and action packed into the beginning, sacrificing character development and the emotional impact of the story.
What does the speaker think of the Fire Nation's strategy repetition in the adaptation?
-The speaker finds the repeated use of the Fire Nation's strategy of diversion in the adaptation to be lazy writing and illogical, as it does not make sense in the context of the story.
How does the speaker feel about the changes made to Sokka's character in the adaptation?
-The speaker feels that the changes made to Sokka's character were unnecessary and that the adaptation took a more sexist approach by focusing on a sexual tension between him and Suki, instead of portraying him as a misguided but ultimately humbled character.
What does the speaker appreciate about the Netflix adaptation?
-The speaker appreciates the casting choices for the live-action adaptation, as they believe the actors fit the roles well and are able to perform martial arts, which is a significant aspect of the series.
What is the speaker's hope for future seasons of the Netflix adaptation?
-The speaker hopes that the Netflix adaptation will improve in future seasons, with better writing and character development, and that the creators will be given more creative freedom to do justice to the original series.
What does the speaker suggest is a fundamental issue with the Netflix adaptation?
-The speaker suggests that a fundamental issue with the Netflix adaptation is the interference from executives who lack understanding of the story and characters, leading to decisions that undermine the essence of the original series.
Outlines
đș Nostalgia and Expectations for Netflix's 'Avatar' Remake
The speaker expresses their deep emotional connection to the original 'Avatar' series and their initial skepticism about the Netflix remake. They highlight the intricate details and thoughtful world-building of the original, and their concerns about the adaptation process, especially given the failure of a previous live-action attempt. However, they acknowledge that the Netflix adaptation has managed to surprise them with its realistic portrayal and commend the VFX team for their efforts, despite some shortcomings in certain aspects like airbending and scene direction.
đŹ Critique of Netflix's 'Avatar' Pilot Adaptation
The speaker critiques the Netflix adaptation's pilot, which condenses the first three episodes of the animated series. They discuss the pacing and structure of the original series versus the remake, expressing disappointment in the latter's approach to revealing key plot points and character development. The speaker is particularly critical of how the adaptation handles the emotional impact of Aang discovering the fate of his people, arguing that the original's restraint and timing were more effective than the remake's expository approach.
đ¶ The Mishandling of Aang's Character in the Adaptation
The speaker delves into the misrepresentation of Aang's character in the Netflix adaptation. They argue that the showrunners have failed to capture Aang's childlike innocence and maturity, instead presenting him as a serious and focused character from the outset. This change undermines the character's growth and the narrative shift in the original series, where Aang's reluctance to accept his responsibilities is a key plot point. The speaker also criticizes the adaptation's decision to remove Aang's playful nature, which was a significant aspect of his personality in the original series.
đ Undermining Character Development in the Adaptation
The speaker criticizes the adaptation for its approach to character development, particularly with regards to Katara and Sokka. They argue that the adaptation simplifies Katara's character arc by focusing solely on her bending abilities, neglecting her leadership and empathetic qualities. Similarly, Sokka's initial sexism is addressed, but the adaptation's attempt to remove it results in a less nuanced character dynamic. The speaker also laments the loss of the original creators' input due to creative differences, suggesting that this has significantly impacted the quality of the adaptation.
đ„ Zuko's Character Arc and the Philosophy of the Adaptation
The speaker discusses the changes in Zuko's character arc in the adaptation, highlighting the significant moment where Zuko stands up to his father. They argue that this alteration undermines the original's portrayal of Zuko's reluctance to confront his father, which is a crucial part of his character development. The speaker also criticizes the adaptation's overarching philosophy of prioritizing spectacle over substance, which leads to fundamental changes in key characters and a focus on immediate payoffs rather than long-term storytelling.
đ The Decline in Writing Quality and Repetitive Plot Devices
The speaker criticizes the writing quality of the adaptation, pointing out the on-the-nose dialogue and the overuse of the diversion tactic in multiple episodes. They argue that the adaptation's writing feels like a first draft with placeholders that were never replaced, leading to repetitive and sometimes illogical plot points. The speaker also expresses frustration with the adaptation's apparent disregard for continuity and internal logic, suggesting a lack of oversight and attention to detail in the writing room.
đ Hope for the Future of the Adaptation
Despite the criticisms, the speaker expresses optimism for the future of the adaptation, hoping that the Netflix corporate overlords will listen to the criticism and allow for more creative freedom. They acknowledge the potential of the adaptation and express happiness for the cast and crew who will continue to work on the show. The speaker concludes by encouraging viewers to watch the original series, highlighting its superior storytelling and character development.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄAdaptation
đĄCharacter Development
đĄStreaming Services
đĄCasting
đĄWorld Building
đĄVFX (Visual Effects)
đĄPacing
đĄCreative Differences
đĄMisogyny
đĄRedemption Arc
đĄExecutive Meddling
Highlights
The Netflix remake of 'Avatar' is discussed in depth, with a focus on how it compares to the original animated series.
The remake is praised for its visual effects and the attempt to translate the intricate animation into live action.
Criticisms include the handling of the pilot episode, which is said to rush through important character moments and emotional reveals.
The original series' handling of Aang's discovery of the genocide of the airbenders is contrasted with the remake's approach.
The remake's writing is criticized for being too explicit and lacking the nuance of 'show, don't tell'.
The character development in the remake is seen as lacking, with characters like Katara and Sokka not given the depth they had in the original.
The remake's changes to the character Giyatso are discussed, with the video arguing that the focus should have been on the living characters instead.
The remake's handling of sexism and character flaws is critiqued, with the argument that it simplifies complex issues.
The original series' character arcs, such as Zuko's, are praised for their complexity and emotional depth.
The remake introduces new elements to Zuko's backstory, which are seen as both positive and negative.
The remake's approach to action scenes is discussed, with the argument that it sometimes sacrifices story for spectacle.
The writing of the remake is criticized for being simplistic and repetitive.
The remake's use of the same plot device three times is highlighted as an example of lazy writing.
The video expresses hope for the future of the show and the potential for improvement in subsequent seasons.
The importance of the original creators' vision is emphasized, and the video criticizes the interference of executives.
The casting of the live action series is praised, with the actors being commended for their performances.
The finale of the first season is critiqued for its lack of narrative coherence and repetitive plot devices.
The video concludes with a call for the Netflix corporate overlords to listen to criticism and allow for more creative freedom.
Transcripts
- I know, I am too old to be getting this worked up
over a Netflix remake of a cartoon
that came out when I was 11,
but this is not just any cartoon.
It's not like they're rebooting "Jimmy Neutron"
and I'm off pissed about it.
"Avatar" is a nearly perfect series.
It's one I enjoyed a lot when I saw it as a kid,
but rediscovering it as an adult, actually blew my mind.
It's a show that moved me to tears multiple times.
It's something that the creators clearly put so much thought
and care into getting every detail right
from the world building to the music.
Now, for a long time I thought it would be impossible
to translate this world into live action,
partly because of how intricate
and beautiful the animation is,
and partly because the last time they tried to do it,
it was a fucking disaster.
I've seen way too many people say
in regards to the Netflix adaptation,
"Hey, at least it's better than the movie."
Yeah, I would hope it's better
than one of the worst films ever made.
You don't get points for that.
Because of how goofy and awkward this movie looked,
I assumed it just couldn't be done
that this world was simply unadaptable to live action
and in a lot of ways Netflix proved me wrong.
This show looks probably as good
as a live action "Avatar" could.
I mean nothing will ever truly compare
to vibrant and fluid 2D animation,
but the VFX team that worked on this
did a really good job of making something
that very easily could have looked dumb as shit
looked pretty realistic.
Except for the airbending,
I don't know what happened there.
Yeah, a lot of the scenes are directed a little jarringly
and it's way too dark sometimes,
but with what they were tasked with bringing to life here,
I think they deserve a lot of credit.
But it's funny to me that Netflix nailed the part
that I thought couldn't be done well
and messed up all of the stuff
that should have been a slam dunk.
Let's start with the pilot,
because I started writing this video
10 minutes into the first episode.
The pilot condenses the first three episodes
of the animated series into one premier,
which on paper works really well.
The end of episode three really is where the prologue ends.
We've established the world,
we've introduced the characters
and a little bit of their backstories,
and they're literally flying away from their past
as they venture forth onto their journey.
And while the very beginning of the show
doesn't quite reach the heights that it eventually will,
I think this is all paced really well
and does a good job of doling out enough information
to explain what's going on,
while still having the restraint to hold onto some things
that can be revealed when the time is right.
We open on two of the three main characters,
Sokka and Katara.
We learn that they're siblings
who live in the Southern Water Tribe.
Katara is a waterbender, Sokka is not.
He belittles her ability, they bicker for a bit,
it escalates, and then Katara water bends so hard
that a 12-year-old bald kid falls out of an iceberg.
Wait, that's not just any bald kid that's the avatar.
No one's seen him in 100 years.
What the hell?
No time to stop and explain everything though,
because they have inadvertently alerted
a nearby Fire Nation ship of their presence.
This is Prince Zuko and his Uncle Iroh.
They've been banished from their home
and sent on a now three-year quest to find the avatar.
A quest that may just be about to end.
Some chaos ensues, a fight breaks out,
but ultimately, with the help of his new friends,
Aang is able to escape Zuko
and the three of them fly into the sunset.
Now, that brings us to episode three,
and there is still a crucial piece of information
that the showrunners have not yet revealed to Aang,
because they're waiting until the right moment.
The gang heads to the air temple that Aang grew up in.
A place where Sokka and Katara know
is probably filled with dead airbenders,
but they don't have the heart to break it to him.
He's so cheerful and excited to just show them
where he used to play with his friends.
How do we tell this kid that everyone he knew and loved
was murdered by the Fire Nation?
Instead, they try to cheer him up and keep him distracted.
We see a flashback of Aang's former life.
He's talking to his friend and mentor, Giyatso,
someone who we can tell he clearly cared a lot about.
Aang talks about how overwhelmed he is
at the thought of being the avatar,
and Giyatso assures him that everything will be all right.
We cut back, they keep exploring for a bit,
they find Momo a little pet to go with their big pet.
Things are going great until, oh, shit.
- Firebenders, they were here?
(somber music)
Giyatso.
Oh. - Oh, man.
Come on, Aang.
Everything will be all right.
Let's get outta here.
(ominous music)
- This is a really important scene
for the beginning of a Nickelodeon show
that up until this point has been pretty lighthearted.
Seeing your main character, who's just a kid,
find out about the death of his entire people
and then freak out
and have to be calmed down by his friends.
It's a really powerful moment that can only happen,
because the writers held onto this reveal
until the time was right to reveal.
So now, let's talk about how Netflix handled the pilot.
Instead of starting the show on our main characters,
we open on an epic chase.
This is streaming, baby.
We gotta put a fight scene within the first 10 seconds
or people are gonna turn it off
and go watch "Love Is Blind".
If you don't brutally murder someone right now,
I'm taking my ass to Freevee, but you know what?
I'm fine with this cold open.
I understand you're just trying to grab people's attention
and a quick little action sequence
that shows how ruthless the Fire Nation can be
is not the worst way to do it,
but it should have ended here.
You say this line.
- This isn't about the airbenders.
This is about one who lives among them.
- But the avatar is yet to be revealed.
- Which is why we have to kill them all.
- And then we cut to present day
to the three main characters similar to how the cartoon did.
I actually think that would've been
a really effective opening,
because if you've never seen the show
and you just watch the Fire Lord say,
"We gotta kill all the airbenders."
And then you cut 100 years into the future
and you see an airbender that survived,
you'd probably be like, how did that happen?
I'm gonna stick around to find out.
Instead, we come back from the title sequence
and we're still in the past
on the day of aforementioned invasion.
I guess we're just gonna do the whole show chronologically,
lest anyone be confused.
We meet Aang and Giyatso
and see them stand and talk for a while,
and then we get to watch some people sit
and talk for a while and we cut back Aang and Giyatso
and they do more standing and more talking
and then Aang flies away
and a whole bunch of murder happens.
Oh my God, so much murder.
I'm talking several uninterrupted minutes of murder,
because remember, this is a show for grownups.
Cartoons are for babies.
We got a bunch of dead bodies in this one.
What's crazy to me about this entire sequence
is that while they're so insistent on showing something
that I honestly think had more emotional impact
to just see the aftermath of,
they make no attempt to show us
any aspects of Aang's personality.
I mean, don't get me wrong, the writers take the time
to explain Aang's personality to us.
He and Giyatso tell us all about him.
- I know who I am.
I like to play Airball and eat banana cakes
and goof off with my friends.
That's who I am.
- I feel bad for this kid,
because he seems like a very good actor,
but the writers keep giving him lines
that make it sound like he's about to burst into song.
- Monks don't even trust me to feed the baby bison
and I'm supposed to save the world?
- Why can't I just be a kid?
But this isn't even the worst example of
tell don't show that they do in this episode.
Remember I told you about how Aang
finds out that all the airbenders are dead.
How he stumbled upon the corpse of his former best friends
surrounded by all of the firebenders
it took to take him down?
Here's how they do it in this show.
- Most 'em had just arrived for the Great Comet Festival.
- The Great Comet Festival.
The last time that the Great Comet was seen in the sky
was 100 years ago.
- Someone just tells him about it.
- Everyone in the village knows this story,
but you don't just as you don't know that
airbenders haven't been seen in generations
and that the Southern Air Temple was the first to fall,
because you've been trapped in that ice this whole time.
- Gran Gran reads out loud the entire opening theme
for like two straight minutes,
while he has to just sit there and give reaction faces,
before running out of the room crying.
And he's sad for like 10 seconds
and then everything is fine.
No time to mope, buddy.
You gotta do another walk and talk.
This is unfuriatingly bad writing.
You took one of Aang's most impactful moments
from the beginning of the show
and turned it into someone else's monologue.
It's so weird to me when shows are clearly in a rush
to establish as much information as possible, I guess,
because they think people will get confused
and turn it off if they don't have their hand held
through every interaction, but it feels counterintuitive.
I think what gets people
to continue watching something is mystery.
You don't need to answer every question
I have within seconds of me having it.
You can reveal information in small doses
and slowly add to it piece by piece.
That's what's gonna compel me to keep watching something
not paragraphs of expository dialogue
whenever you feel like you've got some lower blanks to fill.
It's also weird to me that they still try
to recreate the Air Temple moment in this episode,
even though it's not new information for Aang.
He goes and sees dead Giyatso
who was evidently much easier to kill this time around
and still goes bananas and still has to be calmed down,
but it doesn't really make sense,
because he already knows about this.
- My friends, they're all gone.
- [Speaker] What is he doing?
- It actually feels like kind of an overreaction
considering he barely gave a shit about it earlier.
Also in the original, Katara is the one
to calm Aang down while he's in this state.
She tells him that she knows what it's like
to lose someone you love, but the world needs him
and they're here to help no matter what.
It's a great moment for the three of them,
because it gives closure to Aang's past,
while bridging the gap into this present journey
they're about to go on.
In this version, Katara just watches
while we see a bunch of flashbacks
from earlier in the episode
in case you were looking at your phone during that part.
- Aang!
- [Speaker] You are my friend.
- I really don't understand the obsession
with Giyatso in this version.
He is an important character,
but more so as a memory for Aang
like a symbol of what he lost.
He's not that relevant to the present day journey
they're about to go on.
What matters the most, is their relationship,
their friendship is the foundation
that this entire series is built on.
So, I think you're doing a huge disservice to that
by taking interactions away from Katara and Sokka
so you can give them to a guy who died 100 years ago.
They do this multiple times in the show.
They keep bringing Giyatso back
instead of giving that valuable screen time
to the more important characters.
They even do this in the opening title scroll
in the pilot episode.
In the original, Katara is the one who does this voiceover,
which kind of establishes the show
as being from her point of view.
And the very iconic lines she says at the end.
- [Katara] But I believe Aang can save the world.
- Actually, tell us something about her.
They tell us that she's optimistic
and believes in her friends no matter what.
So, they actually managed to add characterization
into a sequence that is at its core exposition.
It's a very efficient use of dialogue.
In the remake, they take this away from Katara
so they can again give it to a character
who died 100 years ago.
And that's not even mentioning the fact
that everything that's said in this version
of the title sequence gets repeated
multiple times throughout the episode.
It's a very inefficient use of dialogue.
- [Speaker] The avatar, the one person with the ability
to master all four elements,
the avatar, the next master of all four elements.
- Only the avatar, the one person
who can master all four elements.
- Only the avatar, master of all four elements,
but when the world needed him most, he vanished.
- [Speaker] When the world needed
the avatar the most he vanished.
- Episode one shouldn't feel
as rushed at the end as it does.
It's roughly the same runtime
as the three episodes it's adapting.
So, it's not that they didn't
have the time to tell the story,
it's that they misused the time they had.
They add in all this stuff
that probably would've been better,
if it was just kept a mystery.
They waste so much time repeating the same information
just from different sources
and they replace interesting character development moments
with vague mumbo jumbo.
- Bending is about energy and balance.
By feeling the energy around you, you can find balance.
By finding balance you can feel the energy.
- Aang, what the fuck are you talking about?
Remember, energy is balance,
which is energy, which is balance.
Whoa, thanks, Aang, I'm water bending now
and I am internet bending.
Ooh, sorry about that.
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Now, before I continue just getting mad
about every single aspect of this show,
I do wanna answer a more general question of like,
what should we expect out of an adaptation?
Because it may sound like I'm trying to say
that this should have been
a one-to-one recreation of the original show.
When that is not the case.
You can and should be able to change things.
Why even bother spending all this money
to make something that looks worse,
if it's gonna be exactly the same,
but those changes need to enhance the story.
They can't be at odds with the spirit of the show
or fundamentally change a character.
So, that brings me to episode two.
In the months leading up to the show's release,
I kept seeing aggregated quotes about it
from cast members from the creators,
and every time I did it,
it made me a little bit less optimistic
about what we were going to get.
One of those quotes was how the creators of the show
very nobly, got rid of the sexism that Sokka had
a little bit of at the beginning of the cartoon,
because that was 2005 and we're a lot smarter now.
Obviously, I don't need to tell you
that there are tons of movies and TV shows from 20 years ago
that absolutely have not aged well,
but I think you're missing the point,
if you try to lump this show in with those.
Sokka is an overconfident, but misguided teenage boy
who grew up isolated from the rest of the world
where he has been tasked with being the sole leader
and protector of his entire village.
As a result, he begins this show with a pretty dated sense
of what men and women should be expected to do.
He's constantly making belittling remarks to his sister.
He meets the warriors on Kyoshi Island
and is relieved to see that they're just girls.
Here's the thing though,
the show is not glorifying his behavior.
In fact, they're very much doing the opposite,
because you know what happens
right after he says these things?
He is immediately proven wrong.
He underestimates Suki and the rest of the Kyoshi warriors
and they kick his ass.
He's so embarrassed by this that he comes back
with his tail between his legs
and apologizes and begs to learn from them.
It is meant to be a humiliating
and humbling experience for him.
One that also props up the women around him.
It's vindicating for Katara
who's had to deal with this bullshit her whole life
and it is establishes Suki as a badass.
It's not unchecked.
It's not something that the showrunners are celebrating.
His misogyny is immediately met with repercussions.
Are we really at a point
where we can't even show a character on TV
doing something morally disagreeable?
Can audiences truly not understand the difference
between a real life human being expressing a shitty belief
and that belief being portrayed in a piece of fiction?
And look, I'm not here to die on the hill
that you gotta keep the misogyny in the show, man.
It was so funny.
Like there's other ways for the writers
to show Sokka having a flaw
that Suki can use to get a leg up on him.
So, what do they do instead?
She walks in on him taking a bath
and just fucking stands there
staring at him with googly eyes
and then in their training scene together,
they have to stop every 10 seconds,
because of all the sexual tension.
- Avoided, we've avoided a lot of things
by living the way we do.
- Jesus Christ.
Do you see the point that I'm trying to make here?
Instead of Suki being this cool
and confident intellectual superior to Sokka
who always has the upper hand on him
and is always able to shut him down
whenever he tries to pull some shit,
they decided to just make her so horny she can't function.
I gotta say it's a little ironic
that in an attempt to remove sexism from the show,
they actually took a more sexist approach
to designing her character.
They stripped away everything that made her who she was,
made her absolutely obsess over Sokka,
who doesn't do anything to earn it,
and then they have the nerve
to act morally superior to the original writers.
Also, does anyone in this village respect privacy?
Shaking my head.
On the topic of absolutely
destroying strong female characters,
let's talk about Katara.
Her entire arc in this show is just,
man, I'm not so good at bending.
And then Aang is like, "Yeah, you are."
And she's like, "Huh, you're right.
I'm actually the best."
She has not given any personality whatsoever.
Her entire existence is tied to her water bending ability,
which is not what made her
such a great character in the cartoon.
Instead of showing how fiery and passionate Katara can be
and how her optimism sometimes backfires,
because the world they're living in is so beaten down
and how she can be a great leader
and friend to everyone around her.
Not just because she's strong, but because she's empathetic
and brings out the best in people.
They just made her real good at fighting, and that's it.
- You are a waterbender.
That is who you have always been and always will be.
- And she doesn't even need any help,
because she's so talented.
Always has been in fact.
- I wasn't even really trying.
- It's just not an interesting choice
when compared to how the original show handled her growth.
They had this great episode early on
where Katara gets jealous of Aang,
because he's the avatar
and everything just comes so easily to him.
But what this showed about her character
is that she desperately wants to be good at water bending,
will go to great lengths to be able to do it,
and has to work twice as hard as Aang.
So, when we get to the end of the season
and she does surpass him in skill,
we know it's because she worked really hard to get there
and that is more admirable
than her just being handed this power.
I mean, literally handed.
Gran Gran just gives her this scroll
that in the original show
she went to great lengths to steal.
For Katara, her main motivation in season one
is to get to the Northern Water Tribe
so she can find someone to teach her water bending.
Something she's always wanted,
but has never had access to,
because she's always been the only waterbender in her tribe.
And then they finally get to the North Pole,
and I guess she doesn't actually need that,
because instead of asking Pakku to train them,
she begs him to let her fight.
First of all, why are you asking permission?
He's not gonna stop you, just go do it.
What is he gonna follow you around
and tie your hands behind your back,
'cause you're trying to fight the Fire Nation?
Just go fucking do it.
But the point they're trying to make is
that she's so powerful
she doesn't even need someone to teach her.
Okay, well, then why doesn't she
just go defeat the Fire Lord herself?
She has this line at one point where she's like,
"We need you, Aang. I need you."
No, you don't.
You don't seem to really need anyone.
The fact that everything comes so easily to her
makes it so there's no payoff at the end.
It makes this line.
- You found a master, haven't you?
- You are looking at her.
- Kinda dumb actually.
All you did was read one scroll that your grandma gave you
and now you are a water bending master.
What a journey, huh?
This story will be told for generations.
They gave her zero depth in this show
and it's really frustrating.
You may notice while watching this show
that Netflix seems to have a fear
of giving any of the main characters an unlikeable traits.
God forbid any of these children ever make a mistake
or have a redemption arc.
They need to start the show already perfect.
That is such a boring way to write your characters.
It's also a huge disservice to your actors
by giving them nothing to work with.
One of the foremost characteristics
of Aang early on in the show is that he's still just a kid.
He's a 12-year-old boy who has been given
this overwhelming responsibility of saving the world.
It's something that understandably
scares the shit out of him.
So much so that he runs away.
That's how he ends up in the iceberg for 100 years.
It's the inciting incident of the entire show.
That guilt follows him
and it's a really important part of his growth,
but Netflix seemed to be so concerned
with having their main character make an incorrect decision
that they changed the reason
for him flying out into the middle of a storm
to him just going for a stroll.
- You're right, just needs to go up
where things makes more sense.
- I gotta go up where things make more sense.
The ground ain't so good for thinking.
Don't worry guys, it was just an accident.
He wasn't avoiding responsibility,
because he is a child who wasn't ready for it yet.
He was just getting some fresh air
in the middle of a lightning storm.
Okay, great.
So, instead of him showing signs of immaturity,
he's actually just an idiot.
Another thing about Aang still being a kid
is that he's not always focused on the task at hand.
That's something he has to grow into.
This is his very first line in the original show.
- Will you go penguin sledding with me?
- He's constantly getting distracted
and wanting to go on side quests, because he's a little boy.
Of course, it's not like that the whole show,
but it gives him a starting point
so by the end you can see how much he's matured.
Netflix Aang don't got a whimsical bone in his body.
He is extremely serious
and solely focused on getting from point A to point B.
He's not written like a child.
He's already the season three version of Aang.
Netflix, if you want your characters to be able to grow,
they need to have a place to grow from.
Yeah, he takes the time to deliver his little soliloquies
about how much he yearns to goof, but those are just words.
We never actually see him do those things.
It also makes it so his whole interaction
with Bumi makes no sense.
Bumi's like, "There's no time for fun, Aang,
you've gotta go save the world."
It's like, yeah, he knows that.
He's already very good at not having any fun.
This is one of the worst written arcs in the entire show,
because everything they say contradicts what they're doing.
Bumi tells him to quit playing games
and go do your job as the avatar.
Meanwhile, he's the one holding him hostage,
giving him games to play.
Aang wants to leave the entire time.
Just let him go and he'll do the things
you're asking him to.
Aang's immaturity also lends really well
to the narrative shift that happens in the first season,
'cause for a long time he is like,
yeah, yeah, I gotta save the world eventually.
But first let's go here
and fuck around here for a little bit.
And then we get to episode eight and the former avatar
is like, no dude, you actually have
to defeat the Fire Lord by the end of the summer,
'cause this comment is gonna come
and if you don't do it before that he's gonna be invincible.
- Mastering the elements takes years
of discipline and practice.
But if the world is to survive,
you must do it by summer's end.
- It's this great shift in momentum
that adds even more stakes to the equation.
It puts a timer on everything.
They kind of do that in this one.
They give 'em a vision of the North Pole being attacked,
but that doesn't do anything to address the overarching goal
of having to learn and master all three of the elements.
Something that small note here,
he doesn't do any of the entire season.
They set that up as one of the main goals
in the original first season
and we see a bunch of examples
of Aang learning water bending
and before having it pay off in the finale.
Aang doesn't water bend once in this version.
He's so behind it's actually stressing me out.
- It would've been wise to have
focused on your training during your journey.
- I swear to God, if they start season two
and Aang is already very good at water bending,
implying that there was a bunch of progress
that happened off screen, I'm gonna lose my mind
and don't try to tell me that I already have.
This is me on a good day.
As you watch more of the show,
it makes a lot of the additions more frustrating,
because everything has a cost.
If you have to cut out character development moments,
so you have the space to show
a bunch of airbenders getting set on fire,
you might wanna take a step back
and reconsider your priorities.
It starts to become a little obvious
why the creators of the original show left this project
almost four years ago over creative differences.
According to them, they were promised
that they would be given the job
of guiding the show in the right direction
and they were lied to.
Dude, I'm so tired of these dumb ass executives
who make $2 million every second
getting involved in things that they have no knowledge in.
Why even hire the original creators of the show,
if you're just gonna ignore their input
and act like you know their story better than they do?
Why the concern over making characters unlikeable
when that was never a problem to begin with?
Everybody loved Katara and Sokka and Aang
even with their imperfections.
Imperfections are what make characters relatable
and it's like this was all supposed
to be the problem with network TV.
streaming was supposed to be the solution to this.
We're not gonna micromanage
and enforce a bunch of arbitrary rules.
We're just going to trust the showrunners
to do the job that we hired them to do.
Yet, somehow over the course of the past decade,
we've just kind of reinvented cable.
So, good job everyone.
I honestly, wouldn't be surprised to learn
that most of the issues with this version of "Avatar"
are the result of meddling from people
who should have just stayed the hell away,
because there is potential here.
Underneath all of the baffling decisions
are the bones of what could have
and could still be a much better series.
For starters, I think they did
a fantastic job with the casting.
I imagine it's way harder
to cast for live action than animated,
because not only do they have to have the perfect voice,
but they also need to look the part and be the right age,
and in this case, be able to do martial arts.
The fact that they're able to check so many boxes
with these kids is impressive.
I just hope that going forward
they get better material to work with.
The only character they consistently write well for is Zuko.
This guy's got it.
He totally nails the intimidating on the outside,
but a little sensitive on the inside.
And between him, Iroh, Zhao, Lieutenant Jee,
I think almost all of the Fire Nation scenes
were more cohesive and well written
than anything that the rest of the cast was forced to do.
Going back to my point that you can
and should be able to make changes
in an adaptation if they make sense,
I thought a couple of the additions they made
to Zuko's character worked perfectly.
One, there's the reveal that the crew
Zuko protected from being sacrificed
in the meeting that led to his banishment,
it's actually the same crew that he's been commanding
for the past three years since then.
So, I thought that was a really cool way
of tying everything together.
It makes so much sense that
I was actually surprised when I went back
and rewatched season one of the animated series
and realized they didn't do that originally.
I also like the scenes they added with him and Iroh,
like the flashback to Iroh's son's funeral
where we see Zuko give him his condolences
as well as a gift to remember his son by.
They have another moment like that at the end
of this episode where Zuko is about to set off
on his never ending quest to find the avatar
and Iroh's like, "Hey, mind if I come along?"
And Zuko's pretty resistant to the idea,
but then Iroh says this.
- Everything I need is on this boat.
- It's a very sweet moment,
especially with the little nod they do
to "Leaves from the Vine".
A famously sad episode from season two,
but I do think it's worth pointing out
that this only works for the people
who have already seen the entire animated series.
This only has the emotional weight that it does,
if you're going into this show with 30 hours of context.
Keep in mind, this is episode four of the live action.
If this is your first exposure to these characters,
this moment is not going to have
nearly the same significance to you.
It's nice, but it feels a little premature.
Netflix "Avatar" has an instant gratification problem
where they don't wanna set anything up
that can be paid off later.
They just want that payoff now.
And I get that some of that
was probably due to the uncertainty over
whether they would even get a season two and three.
So, they were trying to be as impactful as they can
with this first season,
but it's only gonna make their job harder in the future.
Like where do you even go with some of these characters?
There was one big change with Zuko
that feels emblematic of the entire philosophy
they approach this show with.
There's an episode in season one
of the cartoon called "The Storm"
where we see these juxtaposed flashbacks
of Aang and Zuko's pass
and we learn about the moments that sent them
on the trajectories they're now on.
For Aang, it's running away from home
and for Zuko it's getting banished from home.
He speaks outta turn in a war meeting
and disrespects everyone in the room
by saying they should come up with a better plan.
Ozai does not appreciate this and he tells Zuko
that he's going to have to do an Agni Kai,
AKA a fire bending duel.
But when Zuko shows up, he is shocked to find out
that it's not the general he's supposed to fight
it's his own dad.
Zuko begs not to have to fight him.
In fact, he outright refuses.
But this only makes Ozai more angry.
Zuko has now disrespected him twice,
so he burns his face and tells him he cannot come back home
until he finds the avatar.
The Netflix version plays out pretty similarly,
but with one major difference.
This time, Zuko fights back,
because why would we keep one of the most important moments
of the show when we'd be missing out
on an awesome fight scene?
Look at all the fire.
Zuko refusing to fight his dad
was the best way to show us who he is.
How unlike his father,
he's not willing to hurt the people he loves.
Netflix kind of respected that idea.
I mean, Zuko does refuse to fight for a few seconds
and he does eventually get burned by his uncaring father.
The problem is you can't justify
Zuko getting banished forever,
because he lost a fight
to the world's most powerful firebender
that wouldn't make any sense.
So, they had to add in another wrinkle
to make sense of their first wrinkle,
which is that Zuko actually could have won.
He just chose not to,
and that's where this scene completely loses me.
Ozai is supposed to be the ultimate threat.
The world's most feared villain
looming over every second of Aang's journey.
And you're telling me some random 13-year-old kid
could beat him in a fight.
What are we doing here?
I also just think it's better for Zuko's arc,
if he doesn't stand up to his dad yet,
because then it will mean way more when he eventually does.
What this decision showed to me is that
the creators of knockoff "Avatar"
will always choose flash over substance.
If we have to fundamentally change to important characters
so we can get one extra minute of pyrotechnics,
you bet we're gonna be doing that,
because this is a show for grownups.
Tell me again why the show made for grownups,
Netflix's "Game of Thrones", had to dumb down its writing?
Every line of dialogue is so on the nose.
- This was my home, and now it's gone.
- They always choose the simplest way to convey a point.
- But the one thing I do know is,
I'm the avatar, and this is just the beginning.
- Oh, I get it, because he's the avatar
and this is the end of episode one.
Compare these two lines that serve the same function
and tell me which of these shows is made for babies.
- You will learn respect
and suffering will be your teacher.
Compassion is a sign of weakness.
- Compassion is a sign of weakness.
Compassion. - It was weakness.
- The script feels like a first draft
filled with a bunch of placeholders
that just ended up holding that place forever.
I think the moment that made me realize,
oh, they truly don't give a shit
about what they're doing here,
is when they reused the same twist three times.
So, just like in the original,
Zuko objects to the Fire Nation's plan
to attack one place as a diversion
so they can actually attack somewhere else.
But then in the first episode, they added in this thing
where the Fire Nation tricks the Earth Kingdom
into thinking they're going to attack
one place as a diversion
so they could actually attack somewhere else.
And then in the finale, it's revealed that the whole fight
that just took place was, get this,
a diversion so they could actually attack somewhere else.
How is the rest of the world not catching on by now?
They only have one strategy.
- The entire world will turn their attention
to the earth benders.
- A masterful rouse Your Highness.
The enemy's firepower focused on that diversion,
we can launch pinning attacks here.
A masterful rouse Your Highness.
Why attack the North at all?
- Distraction, the north was never the true target.
- A masterful rouge Your Highness.
- Not only is that such lazy writing,
but the last one doesn't even make sense.
They attacked the Northern Water tribe
to distract them from Omashu,
but both of those sieges
happened over the course of one day.
Even if they somehow knew it was happening,
because they got like an email about it,
they still couldn't have gotten there in time to help.
And it's not like the Earth Kingdom
was distracted from Omashu,
because they were busy helping the waterbenders.
They weren't there.
These two things have nothing to do with each other.
This wasn't a diversion.
You just did two attacks at the same time
and one of them worked and one of them didn't.
Also, did they not say in episode four
that they knew Omashu was gonna be attacked?
- Fire Nation forces are on the move.
They'll be here by dawn.
- Why write in that they knew it was gonna happen,
if you're gonna make them so unprepared for it?
- You're under attack?
- We will be, but we will be ready.
(suspenseful music)
- Is anyone in the writing room
keeping track of things that they've said?
I know some people are gonna watch this video
and accuse me of just being a hater,
but like I didn't want to not like this show.
Believe it or not, it's way more fun for me
to like stuff than it is to not like stuff.
I will root for success for this show and everyone involved.
I got genuinely emotional
watching the cast react to the news
that they got picked up for two more seasons,
and I didn't even like the first one.
I'm just happy for them
that they get to keep working on this.
I think there's a lot of room to grow
and I'm happy that they're being
given the opportunity to try and do that.
I hope that the Netflix corporate overlords
who push for all the changes
that people are complaining about
can listen to the criticism
and realize that they're only
making things worse by intervening.
I don't think they're going to do that,
but I will choose to be blindly optimistic
until proven otherwise.
At the end of the day,
I would rather this show exist than not at all.
It didn't cost me $100 million to make,
all I had to do was watch it.
"Avatar" is one of my favorite shows of all time,
and even if the best thing about this adaptation
is that it's convinced people to go back
and discover the original series for the first time,
I'll take it.
And if you are one of those people, welcome.
Sorry, I spoiled the first 20 episodes,
but a lot more stuff happens after that.
Season two is where everything goes up another level.
They haven't even introduced Toph yet.
They replace Admiral Zhao with Azula,
and that's a huge upgrade.
It gets so fucking good, man.
If you haven't seen it yet, just go watch it.
What are you waiting for, for this video to end?
It already did.
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)
