Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 3 has serious issues.

[Uzumaki Goku]

I loved Book 2. One of the best seasons of any show I've ever watched, but Book 3... has serious issues and I rank it as the lowest of the three Avatar seasons. After the end of Book 2, it was time to embrace fully serialized storytelling but instead... we got a bunch of filler.

The first half of Book 3 basically consists of the Gang having a bunch of filler episodes in the Fire Nation. The idea was sound, show the Fire Nation was not necessarily their enemies, but way too much time is spent on this while we're just waiting for the Black Sun Invasion meanwhile Zuko's existential crisis is being dragged out much longer than it needed to be at this point, we knew he was going to turn to Aang's side, it was time for it to finally happen.


The problem. The day of the Black Sun is the middle of the season. So that means very little time is spent with Zuko actually becoming a part of the gang. The Day of Black Sun should've been moved up a few episodes. The finale also has a lot of stories going on, maybe too much. Ozai's plan to destroy the Earth Kingdom was so obviously a late addition and they admitted as such on the commentary. Also, Azula should've been defeated by Zuko and Katara working together in my opinion. Azula was more Zuko's fight than Katara's.

But that's just me.

 

[Ashby]

Aang should have killed Ozai. Baby shit.

 

[Deleted member 6173]

My main grips with Season 3 was:

Ozai getting his bending removed was stupid as hell.

Sokka getting a space sword was silly and he barely even used the sword.

Combustion man being defeated so easily was painful to watch. Really a stray boomerang beat him?

 

[Uzumaki Goku]

Aang should have killed Ozai. Baby shit.

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It makes sense but the problem it was never really brought up until the finale that Aang would have a problem with killing Ozai.

 

[icyflamez96]

I didn't mind that there was "filler". Those were some dang good eps, and I guess I didn't take Avatar "seriously" in that way where I'm always wanting concrete progress each episode. Wonder how I'd feel if I watched it now.

Aang should have killed Ozai. Baby shit.

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What happened was a copout yeah.

 

[Uzumaki Goku]

I didn't mind that there was "filler". Those were some dang good eps, and I guess I didn't take Avatar "seriously" in that way where I'm always wanting concrete progress each episode. Wonder how I'd feel if I watched it now.



What happened was a copout yeah.

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As was Aang's method of "unlocking" the Avatar State. Really unearned.

 

[Deleted member 56803]

Yes, there are issues. Humor drags it down, filler permeates, and there is too heavy a reliance on fanservice. Still, a far better Book than all of Korra.

 

[NHarmonic.]

I loved Book 2. One of the best seasons of any show I've ever watched, but Book 3... has serious issues and I rank it as the lowest of the three Avatar seasons. After the end of Book 2, it was time to embrace fully serialized storytelling but instead... we got a bunch of filler.

The first half of Book 3 basically consists of the Gang having a bunch of filler episodes in the Fire Nation. The idea was sound, show the Fire Nation was not necessarily their enemies, but way too much time is spent on this while we're just waiting for the Black Sun Invasion meanwhile Zuko's existential crisis is being dragged out much longer than it needed to be at this point, we knew he was going to turn to Aang's side, it was time for it to finally happen.


The problem. The day of the Black Sun is the middle of the season. So that means very little time is spent with Zuko actually becoming a part of the gang. The Day of Black Sun should've been moved up a few episodes. The finale also has a lot of stories going on, maybe too much. Ozai's plan to destroy the Earth Kingdom was so obviously a late addition and they admitted as such on the commentary. Also, Azula should've been defeated by Zuko and Katara working together in my opinion. Azula was more Zuko's fight than Katara's.

But that's just me.

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Zuko completely proved on that fight he had the advantage. He didn't need to burn Azula to the ground or anything, he skillfully demonstrated his supremacy. Azula just took advantage of his kindness.

Damn, what an incredible animated fight that was, with that glorious OST.

BTW season 3 gave us 2 of the best episodes ever: The puppetmaster and The southern raiders.

 

[Uzumaki Goku]

Yes, there are issues. Humor drags it down, filler permeates, and there is too heavy a reliance on fanservice. Still, a far better Book than all of Korra.

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Korra really doubled down on Book 3's problems, didn't it?

 

[janusff]

I just, don't have any of those problems in the OP with book 3. I really dug most of those eps. The dance party in the cave episode where Aang goes to school was great. Sokka finding a master and making his meteor sword was rad. I dug that there was a major battle in the middle of the season. And of course, the last 4 eps were just plain epic.

 

[Tuck]

Energy bending was awesome, the way it was introduced, less so.

Space sword was awesome, the way it was barely used, less so.

Besides that I loved the season. Calling those episodes filler does them a great disservice.

It makes sense but the problem it was never really brought up until the finale that Aang would have a problem with killing Ozai.

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I think it's reasonable that the reality of the situation wouldn't hit until right before, though it probably should have happened before the day of black sun.

Korra really doubled down on Book 3's problems, didn't it?

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Not really, Korras problems are in a league of their own.

 

[Deleted member 56803]

Korra really doubled down on Book 3's problems, didn't it?

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So damn much. I cannot understand the following at all. From the deus ex machinas, humor issues, hamfisted political movements, and sluggish pacing the show is a mess. It really shows how starved for representation LGBT community is that they latched onto that nonsense.

 

[NHarmonic.]

Yes, there are issues. Humor drags it down, filler permeates, and there is too heavy a reliance on fanservice. Still, a far better Book than all of Korra.

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lmao, one of the worst takes i've ever read on this forum.
Korra was great. Just the amazing art direction and animation makes it one of the best shows ever.

 

[Deleted member 18944]

Every season of ATLA is amazing and this is a bad take.

 

[Takyon]

Yep.
Season 3 is massively flawed on both a structural and episode-by-episode basis.
I still like it though, and I'm a massive fan of the series.

 

[Lant_War]

So damn much. I cannot understand the following at all. From the deus ex machinas, humor issues, hamfisted political movements, and sluggish pacing the show is a mess. It really shows how starved for representation LGBT community is that they latched onto that nonsense.

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Especially when it wasn't shown on screen

 

[Deleted member 56803]

lmao, one of the worst takes i've ever read on this forum.
Korra was great. Just the amazing art direction and animation makes it one of the best shows ever.

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I'm happy that you like it, what ever brings you joy is a good thing. However, let us not blow it out of proportion here. The first two seasons are muddled as hell. Good concepts, terrible execution. Season 3 seemed like it would be a return to form, but it suffered from even more issues. Don't even get me started on season 4.

 

[kvetcha]

Coincidentally, just finished The Last Airbender this last week, and enjoyed it quite a bit. I didn't feel that Book 3 was significantly weaker than the other seasons, and the production values were certainly there. Enjoyed it more than Book 1, tbh. Show didn't truly find its footing until Book 2.

Haven't seen Korra yet, but it's on the docket.

 

[Serene]

I'd bet that, at least in part, the issues with how the Zuko/Azula stuff wrapped up is tied to the Book 4 that never happened.

 

[Deleted member 56803]

Especially when it wasn't shown on screen

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Having the bravery to show it years after the show ended in a comic few people will read isn't particularly brave at all.

 

[kvetcha]

I actually really liked the Azula stuff in the finale, but the stuff with Ozai felt a bit rushed.

 

[Uzumaki Goku]

I like Book 1overall. (The Great Divide not withstanding)

Book 2 is flawless.

 

[Takyon]

Man season 2 is fucking amazing though. The finale didn't need a two-parter or 4-parter episode, because the writers did such a good job of having all the convergent plot-points pay off in "the crossroads of destiny".

 

[onyx]

I had no problem with it. I rewatched the entire series recently and still think it's the best.

 

[Lord Vatek]

I'd agree it's not as good as Book 2 but it's better than Book 1 (which was good too) and better than all of Korra.

The hierarchy goes:

AtLA Book 2 > AtLA Book 3 > Korra Book 3 > AtLA Book 1 > Korra Book 4 > Korra Book 1 > Korra Book 2.

 

[Deleted member 5593]

Aang not killing Ozai and instead getting the ability to remove his bending was consistent with his pacifist values.

 

[ObbyDent]

I agree, I've been saying this for 12 years. Book 3, despite some serious highs, has some serious lows as well.

 

[kvetcha]

Y'all are not making me look forward to Korra.

 

[Uzumaki Goku]

Y'all are not making me look forward to Korra.

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I stopped watching Korra during Season 2 and never looked back.

 

[NHarmonic.]

Having the bravery to show it years after the show ended in a comic few people will read isn't particularly brave at all.

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mmm the authors talked about it the same day the episode aired. Nick would've never allowed a kiss like that so they did what they could.
Considering Nickelodeon, it was a bold move.

Sad that you downplay these characters. Not surprised with your hyperbolic comments.

 

[Lord Vatek]

I stopped watching Korra during Season 2 and never looked back.

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That's a mistake. Book 3 is legitimately great.

Book 4 has issues but is still very solid.

 

[Uzumaki Goku]

mmm the authors talked about it the same day the episode aired. Nick would've never allowed a kiss like that so they did what they could.
Considering Nickelodeon, it was a bold move.

Sad that you downplay these characters. Not surprised with your hyperbolic comments.

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Look guys, this thread about Book 3 of Avatar. Not Korra.

 

[SugarNoodles]

meanwhile Zuko's existential crisis is being dragged out much longer than it needed to be at this point, we knew he was going to turn to Aang's side, it was time for it to finally happen.

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No no no no what makes Zuko such a great character is that he flips to the good guys as a part of a genuine character arc. Not just some inevitability of being an anti-hero trope.

Also, Azula should've been defeated by Zuko and Katara working together in my opinion. Azula was more Zuko's fight than Katara's.

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I think you missed the point. Souls defeated herself. This wasn't supposed to be some ultimate showdown of power.

Zuko couldn't compete with Azula as a fire bender; him beating her in a fight was never the point. She ultimately failed because of her flaws as a character.


My main gripe with season 3, aside from the cop out in regards to Zuko and Katara's obvious chemistry, is that the writing doesn't latch onto the threads that set up for Aang entering the avatar state in the final showdown, and instead it ends up looking like he just falls ass backwards into victory. It's particularly frustrating because the connection between his wound and his blocked chakras is spelled out.

 

[FFNB]

This thread reminded me that I don't actually own Avatar: The Last Airbender on Blu Ray. So I just bought the complete series! Thanks, OP!

I've only watched through the series once, but I remember overall being satisfied with how the final season went. I'm very much looking forward to revisiting it once my set arrives. I also loved The Legend of Korra, primarily for how different it was from Avatar. In a way, it reminds me of Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross. Both are fantastic, but different, with their own highs and lows and individual tones, scope, and creative/narrative goals.

 

[Pata Hikari]

Aang should have killed Ozai. Baby shit.

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No. He should not have.

 

[Sign My Guestbook!]

My only real complaint is that Aang got his powers back way too easy. A sparring session would've unblocked his freaking chi.

Other than that I loved Season 3.

 

[Pata Hikari]

My main gripe with season 3, aside from the cop out in regards to Zuko and Katara's obvious chemistry,

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You mean the chemistry that didn't exist.

 

[Pau]

Aang should have killed Ozai. Baby shit.

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I'm not sure what people expected of the show when they say stuff like this. Aang being forced to kill Ozai would have been way too cynical for the show.

 

[FF Seraphim]

Season 3 is when the writers' strike happened right? You can tell the quality of story dipped in S3, still good but not as great as S2. Still a fuck ton better than all of Korra.

 

[vectorj]

I rewatched it at work during lunch last year. I think energy bending is a cop out..that they made work. I'm not sure if there was anything to be gained from having Ozai get killed. He kept the Fire Nation's Imperialism going another generation. But the fact that he was the 3rd Fire Lord that kept terrible atrocities going was a reason why Aang's more peaceful conclusion worked. He didn't want to keep the atrocities going. He brought order/balance back to a world that only knew war for the last 3 generations by ending it with a somewhat peaceful conclusion.

I also liked that the season focused so much on Zuko and the Fire Nation. The perspective rounded out the series/world, and gave it so much more depth. The scene at the end where Zuko/Aang are in the Fire Nation Palace mirroring a scene from Roku/Sozin's childhood was such a good conclusion. They managed to mend the friendship of the Fire Lord and Avatar. It's beautiful, I'd say!

IIRC, and I don't know if it's a rumor, but apparently the live action movie took away time from the creators that could've been spent on the animated series...so if that's true, then Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dantet DiMartino + others involved moved mountains to ensure they gave the show a great conclusion.

 

[Uzumaki Goku]

Season 3 is when the writers' strike happened right? You can tell the quality of story dipped in S3, still good but not as great as S2. Still a fuck ton better than all of Korra.

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It was 2007, right?

 

[Sign My Guestbook!]

I'm not sure what people expected of the show when they say stuff like this. Aang being forced to kill Ozai would have been way too cynical for the show.

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Might've been better if they'd spent more time building up Aang's ability to do that. Introduce the "I can't kill him" problem earlier than they did, and have some interesting episodes that interweave the other characters' growths into the training arc.

 

[Pata Hikari]

I'm not sure what people expected of the show when they say stuff like this. Aang being forced to kill Ozai would have been way too cynical for the show.

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It would have gone completely counter to the themes of ending a cycle of violence.

All Aang killing Ozai would have done is prove that Ozai's worldview was right.

 

[SugarNoodles]

You mean the chemistry that didn't exist.

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Okay.

 

[Deleted member 3815]

It has been a very long time since I have watched Avatar: The Airbender, made difficult due to Nickelodeon making it unclear to whether the Blue-ray box set contains subtitles.

But from what I remember the problems that I had were;

1. Energy bending being introduced far too late into the show for all the crap I give to Korra being a deus ex machina in how she was given the ability to air bend and go into the avatar state. This was a deus ex machina moment for Aang, same for him suddenly regaining the Avatar state when the first episode of season 3 states that he lost the ability to do it.
2. Zuko's mother plot was introduce far to late into the show and was never resolved on screen. I don't care that it continued in the comics, I am not interested as I shouldn't have to read other pieces of media just to get the full story,
3. Zuko and Katara should had gotten together rather than Aang and Katara,
4. Maybe it might have been me missing a lot of the sub clues due to watching the show without subtitles but I feel that Azula descent into madness wasn't telegraph well,

Aang should have killed Ozai. Baby shit.

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Aang is a air nomad and they are a pacifist by nature. Aang killing Ozai would be out of character for him. What they should had done was spent the season exploring this fact and thus introduce energy bending earlier.

It really shows how starved for representation LGBT community is that they latched onto that nonsense.

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When you are constantly queer baited, you will take what you can get and use it to push for more and better representation.

mmm the authors talked about it the same day the episode aired. Nick would've never allowed a kiss like that so they did what they could.
Considering Nickelodeon, it was a bold move.

Sad that you downplay these characters. Not surprised with your hyperbolic comments.

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I was all for Korra and Asami getting together but I wouldn't say it was bold as Korra and Asami never really interacted throughout the entire show and not in the level of expressing romantic feelings.

I mean they made a big song and dance for all the hetro relationships, and there were a lot in the show, but didn't apply the same for Korra and Asami. It was an anemic attempt on the writers part and the confirmation had to from the writers on twitter and from other medium, rather than the show itself.

Though I will say that it's ironic and funny that Nick wouldn't allow it but yet now are making tweets showing support for the LBGT+ during pride month.

 

[FF Seraphim]

It was 2007, right?

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Just looked it up. Strike was right near the start of the season.

 

[djinn]

Aang should have killed Ozai. Baby shit.

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Yuck. Absolutely not. The best part of the finale was Aang sticking to his morals and still winning.

 

[Pendragon_1095]

I personally like Korra Book 3 over ATLA book 3. Other than that the other seasons of ATLA are damn good. As for the filler, this also is a problem in The Dragon Prince by the same creator.

 

[Elderly Parrot]

Got some rogue shippers on the loose

 

[Uzumaki Goku]

I personally like Korra Book 3 over ATLA book 3. Other than that the other seasons of ATLA are damn good. As for the filler, this also is a problem in The Dragon Prince by the same creator.

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Supposedly, the writer and the creators had different strengths and weaknesses.