Previously on Avatar… IGN revisited one of the great animated series of all time, Avatar: The Last Airbender! Since we’re missing some reviews in our backlog — in this case, episode 209 through 311 (22 episodes total) — we thought it’d be fun to fill that gap, while also looking back at what made the show so great. (Two turtle ducks with one stone!) We’ll be reviewing episodes Tuesdays and Fridays, so feel free to follow along by watching the episodes with us via DVD, iTunes or Amazon Prime!
For more on IGN TV’s summer flashback reviews, click here.
Warning: Full spoilers from the episode follow.
If “The Day of Black Sun, Part 1” was the “false high” episode of Book Three’s midway duology, then “Part 2” was definitely the “all is lost” moment for our heroes. Part of what made this installment so exhilarating was the fact that it took place almost in real time, specifically during the 10-minute eclipse. Granted, the buildup here was a little hasty, as Sokka employed a series of logic leaps to determine Ozai was hiding in a nearby underground bunker, but that didn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things.
Where “Part 2” really succeeded, at least in terms of the Gaang, was the dynamic between Aang, Sokka and Toph as they split off from the rest of the group to track down the Fire Lord. Little moments like Aang “interrogating” the Fire Nation dignitary, and Toph ripping open the large metal door really put us in the moment, while still offering lighthearted quips. (“I am so glad we added you to the group!”) Even the team’s encounter with Azula had some funny moments, like Azula passing Toph’s lie-detector test with flying colors. (“Okay, you’re good, I admit it.”)
The big set piece here was also great, featuring the return of two Dai Li agents, Azula’s acrobatics, and some excellent bending displays from Aang and Toph. True to form, Sokka contributed in his own way, by pointing out that Azula was stalling until the eclipse was over. Honestly, this was the only bit that irked me, because not one minute after Sokka acknowledged Azula’s scheme did he turn around and fall for another one of her ploys. While it was smart of Azula, ever the strategist, to bait Sokka using Suki in order to bide more time, it was annoying that neither Aang nor Toph seized the moment to go after Ozai, which was the whole reason they had come there in the first place. But to be fair — as I noted in my last review — we knew a showdown between Aang and Ozai would have to wait until the series finale, so there wasn’t much that could be done anyway.
“Don’t you want to know what happened to your mother?”
“Part 2” was particularly notable for Zuko’s role in the eclipse — namely, his confrontation with Ozai. Indeed, it’s been a long and windy road for Zuko, but here the young prince finally realized his true destiny: to join the Avatar and usher in an era of peace for the Fire Nation. This was a powerful few scenes between Zuko and Ozai, with great voice acting from both Dante Basco and Mark Hamill. I loved how Zuko finally unpacked everything that had been on his mind: his terrible upbringing, the Fire Nation’s evil, how he saw Iroh as a father, and, most importantly, his true calling.
There was a great payoff here too, with Ozai drawing out the conversation long enough for the eclipse to end, even mentioning Zuko’s mother to keep his son in the room. (Alas, the truth about Ursa wouldn’t be revealed until after the show was over, in “The Search.”) But it was so satisfying and awesome to see Zuko redirect Ozai’s lightning, drawing from his training with Iroh during his exile, thus proving he had learned more than Ozai suspected.
Even the way this episode ended was pretty powerful. Not only did the Fire Nation airships signal the end of the invasion, but it also set the stage for the series’ home stretch at the Western Air Temple, where Zuko will soon become an official member of Team Avatar…
