But couldn't the same thing be said about most of the Fire Nation? I realize there's a difference between casual supporters of a war that's existed for generations and active participation alongside one of its most villainous perpetrators, but at the same time, I'm not convinced that Mai and Ty Lee were motivated from…

Between the melon-chopping scene and the moment when Avatar state Aang rock-cuffs Ozai to the cliff-side, they did an excellent job of showing precisely what killing the Firelord amounted to: summary execution.

@avclub-91546109eaf110327d50b0955865712a:disqus Oh, I don't need Katara's body to get hijacked by the essence of an ancient god for their relationship to have stakes. But some source of conflict or, at the very least, a story development that highlights their independence from one another, would be welcome.

Same with me! This was also my first real introduction to Avatar fandom. I had always enjoyed the show in isolation but never realized what a huge community had grown up around it. Granted, a lot of that community is creepy and maladjusted, but these recaps/threads tended to represent the very best of it.

Nope, he took it from Toph. She does it during the "Bitter Work" training montage.

@avclub-b81b91432eb4e240bd6b4380bf251a26:disqus I had the same thought. I know that "people hanging by their fingertips and getting saved at the last possible second" is a well-worn trope, but Sokka's resignation and Toph's face sold it for me.

You're completely correct about the Kataang stuff being the source of annoyance. It's way too cute and makes me think that Joss Whedon was right: happy couples are boring. Maybe Parts 2 & 3 will throw a few roadblocks in their direction and give me a reason to root for them. As I said below, I'm completely fine with…

Yes, it gets dusty in my living room during that scene as well. It's such a great emotional payoff.

As I've gone back through the series with you guys, I've come to the realization that I occupy a very weird space in the Kataang/Zutara dialectic. I'm grossed out by 12 year olds kissing (though I know they do that) and have a hard time seeing any chemistry between Katara and Aang, but on the other hand, I don't find…

The story is pretty compelling, but I had a hard time getting past the imbalance between the positively Byzantine politics of the post-war Avatar world and the kiddie dialogue. The child-friendly humor of the tv series just doesn't translate as well to the page in my opinion. The story arcs, however, set up some…

I expected to have a whole lot to say when we finally got here. I rewatched the finale last weekend as part of my pre-Korra marathon (I didn't finish in time, but oh well), and while I can nit pick over some pacing issues, and I still can't watch the Kataang kiss (not because I don't find Kataang plausible but because…

Yeah. And what I loved most about the change is that it made me look at Arya in a different way. Before, it always felt like a story about a girl seeking revenge, but Yoren's story helps crystallize the fact that vengeance becomes a strategy for dealing with trauma. That might seem obvious on its surface, but I like…

Not least of which is the implication that she and Tenzin have a history. They probably grew up together.

Yes, that's definitely a redemptive bit of insight for Catelyn, and one that I often forget about.

The ick factor in that arc was initially a bit much, but I love how it ended with the reveal that TCW is a drama addict who can't be in a relationship without a baseline level of conflict.

Elliot's crazy speech in "My Karma" is one of my favorite things ever. The show returns to this well a few times (I think the original was Carla's spewing her insecurities all over J.D. in Season One), but it never gets old for me. I've been married seven years (in a relationship for 10), and I still fear that some…

I know the actress is like 6'2", but it seemed like they were working the perspective shots (making Cat walk a few feet behind and downhill from her) to make her seem even taller.

I haven't read Book 4 yet. I just read the Book 3 scene where (SPOILERS) she and her grandmother try to marry Sansa off to her little brother and it becomes clear that she knows Joffrey is a psychopathic fuckface. Good to know she continues being awesome.

I don't even remember what the specifics were from the book, so I didn't mind it. Seeing Tyrion work his magic was bliss, and I liked how he seemed a little bit more drunk in each scene.

Interesting. This one was possibly the strongest for me so far. The Pyke scenes brought me as close to sympathizing with Theon as I'm likely to ever get. His outburst at his father was on the nose, but it spelled out some things I wish had been spelled out better in the book.