Avatar Recap: Book 3, Chapter 6
In the latest episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender, we get a huge load of expository back story which adds a great deal to the story that's going on presently. Both Aang and Zuko learn about their forebears and see how it affects their present day lives. We're really starting to get into some serious stuff here, so you should really only click the jump if you've seen the episode for spoilers lurk within.
When Aang is visited by Roku's spirit and is instructed to visit the island home of the previous Avatar. At the same time, Zuko receives a mysterious note to go find and learn the story of his great grandfather, the former Fire Lord Sozin.
What follows is easily the best episode of the season so far. And it barely even touches on our current heroes. A great storytelling device is used to learn about the history of the Fire Nation and how it came to be. All we really know is from the open credits that 100 years ago, the Fire Nation up and decided to take over the world. But like most things, it's not as simple as that.
We go back to well before the Fire Nation went on its rampage across the planet, where Roku and Sozin are young men, and best friends to boot. I really enjoyed how the episode shows that they started out as just average people, like anyone else. There wasn't some huge plan from the beginning or a devious plot to betray a friend.
Meanwhile, Zuko sneaks his way into one of those fancy hidden underground chamber thingies to read the final words of his great grandfather. We learn that Sozin started out like anyone else, just like Roku. But his demeanor quickly changes as he becomes the new Fire Lord. True to the spirit of this show, it's not as simple as him always being power hungry and then he becomes evil and wants to take over the world. To his own eyes, he has only the noblest of intentions. The Fire Nation is highly prosperous and he wants to make their way of life the way of the world. Sure, there was a lust to have power over all behind his reasons, but I think that he truly believed he was doing the right thing for the world. Obviously, he and Avatar Roku disagree and when he gets in a fight with his old friend, Roku easily hands his own ass to him. Everything about this episode was fantastic and emotionally powerful. And if that wasn't enough, we get a huge reveal at the end of the story. Zuko easily deduces that Iroh is the one who tipped him off to finding out about his great grandfather, but not the one he was thinking about. Yes, Fire Lord Sozin was his ancestor on his father's side, but on his mother's side, he is directly related to Avatar Roku himself. Both parts lie within him and cause him constant struggle. When Iroh reveals this secret to him, we finally get a chance to hear his new voice actor after the untimely passing of his previous voice, Mako. For most, I believe that the voice is close enough. It's a very good version of it. But I like to think I have a sharp ear from all my years of watching toons and I am pretty discerning to the different sounds and intonations of different voice actors. It'll never be the same, but I'll just have to get used to it. Though I doubt they could have gotten anyone better. Mako had such a wonderful, distinctive way of talking. Again, this has been the best episode of the season, and I can feel that it's only going up from here. I have heard that some of the newer episodes have been released in the UK early, and that you can probably find a torrent or two of them floating around. But something about waiting a week for each new chapter really adds to the experience for me. It gives me something to look forward to. But I will be waiting with baited breath for the next episode to see where the story takes us. Flamey-oh, everyone.
Roku goes to live in peace on a secluded island with a small village. Unfortunately, this island also has a big volcano. When the volcano eventually erupts, Roku does his best to contain the disaster and get his people to safety. He manages to pull off the latter of the goals, but the ash and magma and smoke get the better of him. When his old friend Sozin shows up to help him, it looks like all might be well. But Sozin has a change of heart and allows the disaster to consume his old friend, who was the only one standing in the way of his grand designs.
What say you?!