The last half of Netflix’s first season of the live-action “Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024)” reboot moves through each episode like a soft breeze — steady but slow during certain moments.
Episode five, “Spirited Away”, was particularly dull as Aang, played by Gordon Cormier, Katara, played by Kiawentiio Tarbell, and Sokka, played by Ian Ousley, travel to the spirit world and encounter the entity Koh, also known as the “the Face Stealer,” Koh’s performance fell flat compared to how previous characters were introduced like the Mechanist or Avatar Kyoshi.
Koh was intimidating with striking face makeup at first but he was actually pretty reasonable and released all of his hostages in the end, including Katara and Sokka.
Aang never even needed to airbend because all it took to “defeat” Koh was to return a stolen totem.I admit Koh’s storyline in the original animated series didn’t garner my attention either, but watching the trio relive their most painful memories in the second half of the live-action series again was underwhelming and slightly repetitive.
Another element of episode five was the talking fox that Sokka sees in the spirit world which was later revealed as Princess Yue who is played by Amber Midthunder. It threw me for a loop and unfortunately made Princess Yue unremarkable for me when she was introduced in episode seven even though I adored her character’s sacrifice in the original series.
In the 2009 original animated series, Princess Yue becomes the moon spirit which granted water benders their powers back while fighting the Fire Nation. This storyline was central to the final two episodes in Netflix’s new series.
For me, the only scene that saved episode five from being deemed forgettable was Monk Gyatso, played by Liu Kay Siu, and Aang’s reunion in the spirit world.
Viewers last saw Siu in the first episode of the series where he attempted to protect a group of young airbenders but unfortunately succumbed to the Fire Nation’s attack.
It was heartwarming to see Siu back on my screen after his painful death and display a strong familial bond as his character Gyatso helps Aang figure out how to defeat Koh.
Although Aang has much to learn and rightfully turns to past Avatars for guidance, it frustrated me how often he had his eyes closed in the Avatar state amid the most action-packed scenes.
In episode eight titled “Legends,” the Fire Nation mercilessly killed Northern waterbenders when they lost their powers.
When Aang finally wakes up from his beauty sleep and rejoins the conflict after what feels like years, the damage has been done and characters in the North, including Hahn played by Joel Oulette, are already dead.
Aang, Katara and Sokka head to the North so Aang can train with waterbending masters, but he doesn’t even learn a drop of waterbending when he leaves.
The 2024 reboot’s main character may be Aang — and Cormier exudes his virtuous and boyish charm well — but it is Zuko who drives the show’s plot deeper.
When I watched the animated series as a kid, I was annoyed every time Zuko thwarted Aang, Katara and Sokka’s missions.
He just always appeared at the worst times and I didn’t care for his brooding manner, specifically when it was targeted at his Uncle Iroh.
But Netflix’s new series portrays Zuko as a character who deserves my sympathy through details I may have brushed over.
After watching many episodes in the original series, it was easy to dismiss why Zuko was so determined to capture Aang and it clouded over his heroic backstory.
I really liked how Netflix focused on how Zuko saved the crew of soldiers who run his ship from being sacrificed in Fire Lord Ozai’s war plan.
Dallas James Liu portrayed Zuko in the new series and although Liu is just as brooding as the animated character, he portrays Zuko with newfound strength and loyalty.
My favorite moment from Zuko this season was when he left the North with an injured Iroh, played by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, in the final episode instead of taking the opportunity to pursue Aang.
That’s just one example of Zuko’s small but impactful glimpses of humanity and it made me root for him when he captured Aang even if it delayed Katara and Sokka from returning from the spirit world.
I can’t wait to see how Netflix handles Zuko’s redemption storyline later on, especially because he is my new favorite character.
Other remarkable characters that blazed throughout the series were strictly from the Fire Nation.
General Zhao, played by Ken Leung, was entertaining to watch as the main villain even when he stabbed the fish that represented the Moon Spirit and really showed viewers the lengths of his quest for power in episode eight.
This just set the stage for the final episode’s closing scene where Princess Azula, played by Elizabeth Yu, took control of the Earth Kingdom while the Northern Water Tribe was distracted.
Viewers previously saw Azula harness blue fire which represents her cruelty and mastery of her powers, according to an article by Comic Book Resources.
Yu is sinisterly convincing as Zuko’s sister whose flames are clearly attributed to her sadistic personality.
I can’t say the same for Katara who despite being deemed a waterbending master, barely makes a splash in the final four episodes.
I know this means that the second season will feature her teaching Aang how to waterbend but overall, Tarbell’s performance is lukewarm in the first season as Katara.
Tarbell lacks the desperation I recall Katara had in the original animated series to be taken seriously by those around her.
When visiting the Northern Water Tribe, the actress for Netflix’s series is expressionless even when acting out what viewers see as highly impressive water bending skills.
For entertainment purposes, squeezing all of the characters’ development into eight episodes is an impossible task but Katara advanced her powers too quickly and almost unbelievable even in a fictional universe.
The last half of Netflix’s live-action series treads slowly starting from episode five but the season’s final episode is a gust of wind with key moments from only Zuko, Zhao and Azula that offered a passionate and fiery layer to the show.
The main cast consisting of Aang, Sokka, and Katara have yet to evoke my interest beyond satisfactory but mediocre performances.
Needless to say, I am hoping for more Fire Nation moments and I can’t wait to watch Azula’s reign over the Earth Kingdom in season two.
