Episodes
Thursday Apr 21, 2016
Episode 20 - The Southern Raiders / The Ember Island Players
Thursday Apr 21, 2016
Thursday Apr 21, 2016
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."
The Breakdown
- Intro / Banter (00:00 - 11:26)
- Main Topic (11:26 - 1:10:52)
- Outro / Next (1:10:52 - 1:13:12)
Tuesday Apr 12, 2016
Episode 19 - The Boiling Rock, Part 1 / The Boiling Rock, Part 2
Tuesday Apr 12, 2016
Tuesday Apr 12, 2016
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.
The Breakdown
- Intro / Banter (00:00 - 16:45)
- Main Topic (16:45 - 52:19)
- Outro / Next (52:19 - 54:13)
Friday Apr 08, 2016
Episode 18 - The Western Air Temple / The Firebending Masters
Friday Apr 08, 2016
Friday Apr 08, 2016
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?"
The Breakdown
- Intro / Banter (00:00 - 12:00)
- Main Topic (12:00 - 58:05)
- Outro / Next (58:05 - 1:00:15)
Thursday Mar 24, 2016
Thursday Mar 24, 2016
It's the midseason climax as the invasion of the Fire Nation finally begins! But before that happens, your hosts debate the merits of the comedic palette cleanser that is chapter 309, "Nightmares and Daydreams." Say what you will about it, we are forever in it's debt for giving us Momo Yojimbo vs. Appa Mifune!
The Breakdown
- Intro / Banter (00:00 - 09:55)
- Main Topic (09:55 - 1:23:40)
- Outro / Next (1:23:40 - 1:26:19)
Thursday Mar 17, 2016
Episode 16 - The Avatar and The Fire Lord / The Runaway / The Puppetmaster
Thursday Mar 17, 2016
Thursday Mar 17, 2016
Back from another mini-hiatus, The Avatar Returns finds AJ dying. Again.
The Breakdown
- Intro / Banter (00:00 - 14:45)
- Main Topic (14:45 - 1:08:35)
- Outro / Next (1:08:35 - 1:10:50)
Friday Feb 26, 2016
Episode 15 - The Painted Lady / Sokka's Master / The Beach
Friday Feb 26, 2016
Friday Feb 26, 2016
Another episode of The Avatar Returns is here to teach you a lesson...ON YOUR FACE! The boys fight over who gets to be Dock, Xu, and Bushi as they critique chapter 303, "The Painted Lady." In 304, "Sokka's Master," our favorite "regular guy" gets a cool meteor sword, and Eric enrolls in Tae Bo by Iroh. And finally, it's Beach Blanket Zuko in chapter 305, "The Beach." AJ is still iffy on Sideways Eye Guy; Eric drops knowledge on the Chakra Theory of bending sub-styles; and is Avatar: The Last Airbender actually just a retooling of Daria?
The Breakdown
- Intro / Banter (00:00 - 11:15)
- Main Topic (11:15 - 1:15:30)
- Outro / Next (1:15:30 - 1:17:39)
Sunday Feb 21, 2016
Episode 14 - The Awakening / The Headband
Sunday Feb 21, 2016
Sunday Feb 21, 2016
There seems to have been some confusion among the ranks of hosts this week. To clarify, we are only discussion two chapters this time around, not three. Okay, Eric? Only two. But thanks for the enthusiasm, son. The two (not three, two) chapters we discuss this week are 301, "The Awakening," which picks up a few weeks after the tragic events in the Book Two finale, with Aang and Co. traveling on a stolen Fire Navy ship and the entire world believing the Avatar is dead (isn't that great?!), and 302, "The Headband," or as we like to call it, "Footloose in the Fire Nation." The boys chat about Aang's hair, Papa Sokka and Mama Katara, Dance Dance Revolution, and Sideways Eye Guy.
The Breakdown
- Intro / Banter (00:00 - 09:00)
- Main Topic (09:00 - 1:04:20)
- Outro / Next (1:04:20 - 1:06:42)
Thursday Feb 11, 2016
Episode 13 - The Guru / The Crossroads of Destiny
Thursday Feb 11, 2016
Thursday Feb 11, 2016
The Earth Kingdom has fallen. Avatar: The Last Airbender Book Two comes to its Earth Kingdom-shattering conclusion. In chapter 219, "The Guru," Aang zips right through chakra training to master his Avatar State, but can't quite close the deal as he is drawn back into helping his friends. Then, in chapter 220, "The Crossroads of Destiny," Azula ruins everyone's lives. Seriously. She lies, she manipulates, she shoots blue fire like she's a jet engine. Things look slightly less dire when we're reminded that Toph is the greatest earthbender in the world. (And don't you dunderheads ever forget it!) But then Aang gets burned. And Zuko takes possibly the darkest, most tragic turn in the entire series.
The Breakdown
- Intro / Banter (00:00 - 17:00)
- Main Topic (17:00 - 1:16:15)
- Outro / Next (1:16:15 - 1:18:25)
Friday Feb 05, 2016
Episode 12 - Appa's Lost Days / Lake Laogai / The Earth King
Friday Feb 05, 2016
Friday Feb 05, 2016
Yeah, let's break some rules! We radically shift the format of the show this week [Editor's note: no, we actually don't at all] as we reach the penultimate episode of our Book Two podcasts with chapters 216-218, "Appa's Lost Days," "Lake Laogai," and "The Earth King." Paul defends Dai Li dickbaggery, AJ identifies with Azula in a really uncomfortable way, and Eric finally likes a Jet storyline. And in a new regular feature [Ed. note: again, not really], the boys pitch spinoff show ideas; AJ imagines the Avatar/Bone crossover, Suki and the Veni-Yan, while Paul reveals his plans for The Young Sweepy Chronicles.
The Breakdown
- Intro / Banter (00:00 - 04:53)
- Main Topic (04:53 - 1:07:42)
- Outro / Next (1:07:42 - 1:09:30)
Friday Jan 29, 2016
Episode 11 - City of Walls and Secrets / The Tales of Ba Sing Se
Friday Jan 29, 2016
Friday Jan 29, 2016
This week gets off to a weird start as AJ raises an existential question which, among other things, reveals Eric's secret desire to totally mess up some random 16-year old kid's life. Pretending we heard none of that, we move forward with Avatar Book Two. In chapter 214, "City of Walls and Secrets," the full splendor of Ba Sing Se finally begins to open up to us. We talk about the peaceful life Iroh and Zuko seem set to build for themselves here, while the Aang Gang are exposed to the '70s-era conspiracy element of the Impenetrable City as they cross paths with Clancy Brown and his Secret Police. And chapter 215, "The Tales of Ba Sing Se" impresses us with how well it manages to tell what are essentially six complete stories, including Def Jam Sokka going all 8 Mile, Momo's graceful monkey dancing, and the heartbreaking homage to the late great Mako Iwamatsu.
The Breakdown
- Intro / Banter (00:00 - 16:45)
- Main Topic (16:45 - 1:17:55)
- Outro / Next (1:17:55 - 1:19:56)