Avatar: The Last Airbender: Avatar Day
June 1, 2015 7:26 AM - Season 2, Episode 5 - Subscribe

It's Avatar Day in an Earth Kingdom city, which to Aang's horror, is celebrated with the burning of avatar effigies! Aang is confronted with the actions of his past incarnation, the mighty earthbender Kyoshi, and placed on trial. Meanwhile, Zuko again dons the Blue Spirit mask in an attempt to make his and Iroh's life more comfortable, but is confronted by his uncle's wisdom. Also, it is true, boomerangs always come back.

On a note: James Hong was the voice of the city leader, his second role on the show. Previously, he played the grumpy air bending master, Tashi in "The Storm."
posted by Atreides (10 comments total)
 
"That's why it's called justice - because it's just us! Hahaha!"

For all the serious subject matter in this episode (Kyoshi and her expediency, the idea of BOILING AANG IN OIL WHAT NO) it always comes to my memory as one of the loopier episodes in season two.

The sympathetic prison gang is my very favorite. Well. Weeeellllll...Sokka's detective gear gives them a real run for their money, I have to say.
posted by angeline at 8:45 AM on June 1, 2015


I love how we get to see how amazingly POWERFUL Kyoshi was. Wow! Earth bending to create her own island!

Also, I loved how Kyoshi and Roku's effigies were stern-faced and Aang's had a huge grin.
posted by jillithd at 8:53 AM on June 1, 2015


Forgot to note, Aang slipping out of the stocks was called back in Season 4 of Legend of Korra, when Ikki slips in and out of her bonds while talking with her guards in a similar heart to heart fashion.
posted by Atreides at 9:14 AM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]


The little bit where Aang impersonates Sokka describing the Case of the Missing Seal Jerky is a delightful little bit of business.

Frothing Mouth Man shows up again.

And since it's Avatar, the guys in jail give good love advice.
posted by tchemgrrl at 9:21 AM on June 1, 2015


This is such a good Sokka episode. Master Swish, "Or if Katara lost her ... hair loopies", "I WANNA SOLVE IT!", "I do believe in the power of stuff", the aforementioned boomerang ...

Aang looks good in Kyoshi makeup, too.

Momo wins best animal early on for poking at Sokka's mouth spider. I did like that rateater thing that appeared briefly, too.

This episode is ridiculous (so of course I loved it), and probably has the best crowd reaction scenes in the show so far (frothing guy, rude noises guy, "we used to be great" guy).

I am very angry at the Blue Spirit for not picking up the spilled produce before he vamooses. I do not like the potential of no more Iroh for a while.
posted by minsies at 10:38 AM on June 1, 2015 [3 favorites]


The pacing/tone of this episode is kind of weird because this is 95% filler (adorable filler, but filler) for the Gaang but a major plot development for Team HONORRRRR. It's not a bad episode, but I'm glad that it's the last placeholder episode for a while, arguably ever. Highlights:

- Sokka and Katara's sibling detective rivalry
- Boomerang came back!
- Aang at his most charmingly Aang. You knew the stocks gag was coming but that didn't make it any less funny. And love advice from the other prisoners, awww.
- KYOSHI. Voiced by Jennifer Hale, for the record.
-- This is actually a really important moment for the Avatar mythos, since it not only expands the known limits of the Avatar's power but establishes that Aang's reluctance to take life is something particular to his character, not all his lives.
- Aside from more/better supplies, the only luxury good Zuko acquires after his bouts of robbery are tea and a tea set for Iroh. Not to condone theft, but again, awwww.
- Continuing what I said last episode, Zuko is so lost without the quest for the Avatar/his honor that he'd rather push away the only person who loves him than try and figure out who he can be now. Incidentally losing a lot of honor along the way damnit Zuko
posted by bettafish at 12:32 PM on June 1, 2015 [3 favorites]


Huge Girly Warrior Kyoshi with her giant feet is my favorite, always.
posted by emjaybee at 2:54 PM on June 1, 2015 [3 favorites]


Aw man, Kyoshi is nothing but ♥ for me. In my dream world, we have a "tales of the Avatars" series, and we get to see Kyoshi kicking ass and taking names and stomping all over the world.

What I also like about this episode is that it shows how quickly the news about Aang the Avatar is getting around the world. I mean, there's no radio or telegraphs or anything like that - there's just word-of-mouth and posters, but there's enough news going around that this village not only got their Kyoshi and Roku statues all ready to go, they also built a giant Aang one (complete with that grin).

And although they hate the Avatar, there must be villages and people out there who suddenly have hope for the first time in years. That, as Katara says, one day, Aang will save the world.

And I love that.
posted by Katemonkey at 12:55 AM on June 2, 2015 [2 favorites]


If this was a filler episode, it's proof of how good the show is that it didn't feel like filler while I was watching it. OK, plots weren't advanced very much, but we did see the potential of an Avatar-level bender (creating her own island), Iroh and Zuko parting ways (with more great lines from Iroh: "In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength."), and the Gaang (I like that :)) realizing that there were people and communities that were against the Avatar in the past, shifting the narrative from Fire Nation Baaaad to There Were Conquering Nations In The Past, Too.

There are also the fun little details that made this a great episode. I liked that Aang flinched in his right eye, when the fire thrower lobbed the burning stick into the right eye of the giant Aang effigy, the murder mystery story line, foaming fanboy's attempt to hide when Aang wasn't there and his foaming was for naught, and community service being an option on the Wheel of Punishment. Unfried dough people for all!
posted by filthy light thief at 7:25 AM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]


Finally got those longer thoughts done...now for the next episode!
posted by Atreides at 11:45 AM on June 4, 2015


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