The Avatar Returns

Episode 21 - Sozin's Comet

Endings are hard. Storytellers have struggled with bringing narratives to a satisfying conclusion for as long as there have been storytellers. And audiences love to debate how well even the most venerated series have pulled it off. On this episode of The Avatar Returns Podcast our hosts have their say on whether, with "Sozin's Comet," the four-chapter series finale film event, co-creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino have successfully completed the epic tale of Avatar: The Last Airbender, or if the whole thing goes down like a shattered war balloon. Topics discussed include the emotional grandeur of Zuko and Azula's final Agni Kai, the resolution of Aang and Katara's "will they/won't they," the music of The Track Team, and of course the ol' deus ex Lion Turtle. Midichlorian-bending has come at last!

Our journey through the world of Avatar has been emotional and inspiring, and we're sad to see it come to a close. But the show must go on, and for us it will go on with The Legend of Korra! New characters, new adventures, a brand new Avatar! But first...

Next: we refuse to let the Aang Gang go quite yet, so before we begin our Korra discussions, we read the first collected volume of Dark Horse Comics' official tie-in series of graphic novels, Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise.

 

 

The Breakdown

• Intro / Banter (00:00 - 07:12)
• Main Topic (07:12 - 1:43:54)
• Outro / Next (1:43:54 - 1:47:51)

Episode 20 - The Southern Raiders / The Ember Island Players

This week on The Avatar Returns podcast, Eric and Katara both feel the power of the Dark Side, one to run a marathon, the other to seek revenge (place your bets on which is which) as we take one last Zuko field trip in chapter 316, "The Southern Raiders." And then the show goes all Community on us and channels its inner Dan Harmon for chapter 317, "The Ember Island Players."

Plus we reevaluate that whole Zutara pairing thing, we alienate our gardening fanbase demographic, and there's a minor medical emergency as one host "pulls their Arlo."

Next: the end is here! The comet arrives and we say farewell to Avatar: The Last Airbender with the four-part series finale film event, chapters 318-321, "Sozin's Comet."

 

 

The Breakdown

• Intro / Banter (00:00 - 11:26)
• Main Topic (11:26 - 1:10:52)
• Outro / Next (1:10:52 - 1:13:12)

Episode 19 - The Boiling Rock, Part 1 / The Boiling Rock, Part 2

Apparently prison break stories lead to weird tangents. This week the boys talk about the verisimilitude of Hogan's Heroes, the connections between Avatar: The Last Airbender and Voltron: Legendary Defender, and that one time Paul and Arlo compared Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Linklater's Boyhood. There's also important stuff, like if bringing Zuko into the main cast and rendering the series essentially a single-plot narrative this close to the finale has affected the tension, and if chapters 314, "The Boiling Rock, Part 1" and 315, "The Boiling Rock, Part 2" really needed to be split into separate chapters. 

And lastly, there's debate over whether to tackle the Dark Horse Comics spinoff series all at once in a single bonus episode, or if we could spread them out over the course of our fast-approaching Legend of Korra episodes. Write in and let us know at tarpodcast (at) gmail (dot) com. 

Next: the penultimate episode of the Avatar: The Last Airbender portion of The Avatar Returns Podcast as we reach chapters 316, "The Southern Raiders," and 317, "The Ember Island Players."

 

 

The Breakdown

• Intro / Banter (00:00 - 16:45)
• Main Topic (16:45 - 52:19)
• Outro / Next (52:19 - 54:13)

Episode 18 - The Western Air Temple / The Firebending Masters

Hello, Zuko here. This week on The Avatar Returns, I finally get to join the A-Plot players as the Aang Gang welcomes me in with open arms in chapter 312, "The Western Air Temple." Paul, Eric, and Arlo discuss my journey through the series to this point, including how Avatar: The Last Airbender has actually been MY story all along. Then in chapter 313, "The Firebending Masters," my new best friend the Avatar and I discover the true meaning of firebending, and no it's not dance! Meanwhile, the hosts talk about something called "Zaang?" 

I don't get it. 

 

Next: The Countdown to the Comet continues with chapters 314 and 315, "The Boiling Rock, Part 1" and "Part 2."

 

 

The Breakdown

• Intro / Banter (00:00 - 12:00)
• Main Topic (12:00 - 58:05)
• Outro / Next (58:05 - 1:00:15)