So for some reason, I kept getting copyright notices around the 17:40 mark where I was describing "The Northern Air Temple" episode even though the clips fit youtube's requirements. I tried trimming them down more and reuploading a couple times but it kept giving me the same notice for some reason. So the only way I could make this video public was by letting them cut that whole section (only about a min long). Sorry, I know it's quite jarring, but I hope you enjoy the video anyway!
The storm has Zuko in tears asking for forgiveness to Ozai same is in Old Masters but he is doing it to Iroh one answered with banishment and Scar on hes face other with hug and saying I was never angry with you I was sad because I thought you lost your way. This is the first time they showed why Zuko is doing it.
Don't know how Nickelodeon did it in other countries but as an AVID Avatar fan during the shows original airing in Sweden The Deserter was almost never shown in the random-episode reruns the channel did to fill time between seasons. Getting home from school, turning on the tv and having that particular episode air was like a gift from heaven, it was suuuuch a cool episode. I think the relative rarity of it has created a sort of bias in me, love it so much.
I can't believe how low you put The Storm. It's only the most crucial episode of season one, perfectly showing the similarities between Aang and Zuko. Allowing the audience to realize that Aang might be seen as the hero but he did a bad and selfish thing and Zuko, who is seen as the villain, was exiled because he was trying to be noble and good. No other children's show at the time gave this much depth to its characters, actually showing kids that these characters aren't just good or bad, that there is more grey area and nuance than that. But it's your opinion and if you didn't like it, that's fine. To me, I would've put this episode under "Perfect" and it would've been the only episode of season one to get that ranking.
I agree that The Storm is a great episode for character building and really shows the similarities/differences between Aang and Zuko. I would assume Merphy’s issue is the execution, basically how the story is being told by Aang and Iroh at a campfire. Personally, I love the juxtaposition throughout the episode but I can see why someone might not like how the story was executed.
Her not talking about the amazing growth of Katara in the SWT episodes... I know she's not a fan of the character but she's amazing in those last three episodes (The fight with Pakku, the fight with Zuko, c'mon woman!).
Very surprised storm was so low. I very much disagree that it was done in a boring way. It's supposed to show parallel journeys during a part where both parties are in the same storm as well. And I also just like it way more than Bato or Jet episodes.
I strongly disagree with the ranking of "The Storm." Maybe the setting wasn't quite as complex as it could have been, but I thought that the way it was structured was masterful. The parallels between Zuko and Aang were easy to tell and the dramatic tension of these incredibly tragic stories ramped up more and more to some seriously impressive reveals to previously unanswered questions. However, Zuko's tale is why I consider this episode to be a masterpiece and why I always enjoy rewatching this episode. I love just how nuanced this one episode manages to make Zuko. A lesser episode would have had a simple story: Zuko gets banished by father through being nice and now Zuko is angry and wants to go back home. However, this episode is different. He starts off the episode with his typical bluster, claiming that the mission is more important than any individual's safety while freely risking the lives of his crew to catch the avatar. We've seen Zuko moody before and we associate this behavior with his regular kind of anger. However, the flashbacks shine a completely different light on this interaction. We see Zuko without his literal and figurative scars before the meeting and how he came to be scarred. We saw how Zuko was punished for speaking out for individuals and prioritizing them over the mission, which is in stark contrast to what happened at the start of the episode. And we saw just how badly Zuko was punished for doing so. Clearly, the Firelord saw this as "shameful weakness." The severity of the punishment, the mockery of his entire nation and most importAntly the abuse his father gave Zuko convinced him that Zuko's ways of being friendly and helping are wrong. That he was unworthy of being the prince of the Fire Nation because he was such a bad person. Ultimately, Firelord Ozai got Zuko to hate himself for every good quality in himself and got him to try to change his ways through the natural trust kids have in their parents. However, Zuko failed to change. In the episode's climax, he is encountered with a life or death scenario. And, well, true character is revealed in stressful situations like these. Acting on instinct, Zuko reverses all his poor decisions from earlier on in the episode, saving the life of one of the members of his crew and steering the ship to safety over capturing the Avatar. This might make it seem that this episode has a happy ending. But it really doesn't. Zuko's character makes it easy to predict what happened after the episode. Once the stress left Zuko's body and he contemplated what happened, he undoubtedly hated himself even more. He had let himself return to his "shameful ways" and abandoned the way of thinking that would bring him back home. This drove him further into self loathing and fdrive his desire to become a bad person even more. And it wraps up such a beautifully tragic tale about Zuko. The story is just so well written. I absolutely love this episode. I could watch it over and over again without getting bored.
Facts. And as you write at the beginning we see a strong parallel between Aang and Zuko who despite having totally different personalities both struggle with a strong feeling of guilt and shame for what they have done. This already suggests that these two characters may have a deeper relation than the obvious chase thing. As Iroh said, the Avatar gives Zuko hope. That the blue spirit with its foreshadowing at the end comes right after the storm makes the parallels even more clear
Part of the reason The Great Divide is the lowest rated episode is because it's the only episode Nickelodeon played over. And over. And over. AND OVER for a solid year!
I never watched ATLA on Nickelodeon -- just watched the series on Netflix for the first time -- and the Great Divide was the worst episode by far. I had no idea that other people thought this, either. So, I'm sure the relentless replaying of that episode contributed to people not liking it, but honestly that episode is just bad (in my opinion).
Very surprised on your thoughts on the storm. I feel the more introspective tone of the episode really helped ground the characters, and also it set the precedent of Aang and zuko mirroring each other.
Yeah i get it though she is used to reading so the way story is told on a show is different.... this also happened with Daniel when he reviewed attack on titan and complained about exposition but its like my dude this is how good shows do exposition soooo :/
(Spoilers through the end of the series in this post!) One of the things I love about The Storm is the deliberate parallels it leads the watcher to make between Aang and Zuko. Obviously those two characters are very different, with one being a pacifist and the other hunting him down for very non pacifistic reasons, and I think up until this point, it was easy to just think of Zuko as being "the bad one" and Aang as being "the good one". Instead, in The Storm, we're shown another side to both characters, back to back, play by play. Zuko did the right thing standing up for loyal men who would be sacrificed for military glory, and in the end he was hurt by his father and banished for his trouble. Aang, on the flip side, was held to an impossible standard and told he was the Avatar too early, but most people would say that running away from home alone in the middle of a rainstorm isn't the right call for a child to make in any situation, even given what happened to him. And instead of dying out there, like any other kid who made the decision that Aang made, he was saved by the Avatar state and is now the only surviving member of his people. (Which is incredibly sad, but also incredibly lucky.) My point isn't to uplift Zuko here and bash Aang, my purpose is to try to explain why I liked the "flashback" narrative perspective really worked for me in the episode. It shows how OTHER people's perspective on the characters in question impacted their life. Both inside the story, and also the story itself. In Iroh's tale about Zuko, we learn that his father's low opinion of him informed his lack of presence and knowledge of the war room that led to his scar, and we learn from the way Iroh tells it that Iroh is firmly on ZUKO's side of the conflict. For Aang, he tells the story himself, which to me is as much about him finally owning up to it and processing his guilt as it was about telling katara and the audience what happened. Inside his story, the way the Monks viewed him, the way other kids viewed him, and the way Monk Gyatso views Aang are all central to why he eventually leaves. I just think it's a very well written episode in terms of the way we get the information, and what that leads us to think about these two (formerly very different) characters. To me, the strongest groundwork for Zuko's eventual switch to the "Good Side" is laid in The Storm, as we begin to understand that in the end, Zuko and Aang are not actually as different as it might appear on the surface.
Wow that was really well explained...man all these comments and videos of ATLA are tempting me to watch the show all over again, even though I myself finished the show recently!!
@@taylor_green_9 Very true! And Aang goes out in the storm to save Sokka and the fisherman. (Though I'll admit, I doubt anyone thought he wouldn't, even for a second.)
It's her opinion, not a definitive ranking. I disagree with her ranking of The Storm (I personally think that one is among the best of the first season) and Jet, but it's really nbd at the end of the day.
While Bato of the Water Tribe has some good parts, I think it's the worst episode. I HATE the trope of someone listening in on a conversation, hears something they don't like, then leaving before they learned the conversation went in their favor. It's the basis of the entire internal conflict in that episode and it annoys the hell out of me.
I doubt I could change your mind about it, but I will try to show you why I gained an increased respect for the ep. True, Aang freaking out over the conversation the SWT were having was contrived, but the ep is more about *why* Aang is worried they'll leave. Aang is dealing with abandonment issues. Despite his happy nature and his friendship with Sokka and Katara, Aang has no home, or family. He's alone, or at least, different. The siblings lost their mother and their father is out fighting, but they still have a place they can call home, they have people who love them. Aang doesn't have that, not in the same way. Bato lets Aang join in on their customs, but Aang can't help but feel like a trespasser, a fake. Sokka thought he missed his chance to be a man when the warriors left, but Bato gave him a second chance. Aang doesn't get to enjoy Airbender rights of passage since no one is alive to pass them on. Bato of the Water Tribe is not my favorite Book 1 ep by a long shot, but it does two things right: 1. That badass fight. 2. It shows badly the Fire Nation fucked Aang up emotionally and it helps hammer in why Aang is so angry about Appa.
your ranking choices completely baffle me. The Storm and the Blue Spirit go in perfect tier, IMO, with the king of omashu near the top of incredible tier. You did my boy Bumi dirty!
“I don’t care about the face stealer” ...what? “I didn’t really care about the avatar merging with the ocean spirit to take out the Fire Nation” wHAt? “The season finale was fine.” WHAT??
There are probably not a lot of people who consider season 1 as their favorite season (including me), but can we all take a moment to appreciate all the foreshadowing and plot build up that happens!? Jet ends up becoming a reoccurring character whose pure hatred for the Fire Nation blinds him from the corruption of the Earth Kingdom (especially Ba Sing Se), which ultimately leads to his death. The Storm shows that Aang and Zuko aren't as different as they seem on the surface. The Blue Spirit shows that these two characters are capable of working together in such beautiful harmony. The Northern Air Temple might have been a small loss for the Fire Nation, but they learn from this mistake and use the War Ballon design the led to their defeat to make intricate war ships that we see in Season 3. The shoe that Uncle Iroh drops when he's been captured by Earth Kingdom soldiers is used to track him again in the Four Part finale of season 3 (I think episode 19/part 2). This episode also shows how spiritually in tuned Uncle Iroh is, and this fact is referenced in later seasons as well as LOK. Princess Yue's sacrifice is mentioned in many later episodes (Boiling Rock, anyone?), but my favorite would be in The Serpents Pass. Sokka and Suki are talking at night, and they're just about to kiss. In the background, you see the bright moon hovering over the two, and then Sokka pulls back. It's beautifully sad because the moon is a constant reminder that Sokka couldn't save someone who was really important to him, and he's too scared to get close to Suki because he doesn't want something bad to happen to her. There are probably a lot of other things that I missed, so please tell me in a reply. I really liked Season 1 when I first watched it, but it wasn't until my second time watching it when I realized that it was freaking AMAZING! It's still not my favorite season, but I do enjoy rewatching a lot of these episodes.
Aang battles a volcano in "The Fortuneteller" and is victorious against it, which foreshadows that Aang will succeed where Roku failed (Roku died to a volcano). The volcano symbolizes the war. It is no coincidence that this episode has such heavy foreshadowing and is also called "The Fortuneteller".
I was so hurt when she didn't put a single episode in perfect because in my opinion, the seige of the north pt 1 and 2 and the storm should be in perfect
Always love to see more Avatar content, but I 99% disagree with this list My ranking. 1. The Storm 2. The Blue Spirit 3. The Siege of the North p2 4.The Waterbending Master 5. Jet 6.The Siege of the North p1 7. Winter Solstice p2 8. The Southern Air Temple 9. The Avatar Returns 10. The Deserter 11. The Northern Air Temple 12. Winter Solstice p1 13. The King of Omashu 14. Imprisoned 15. Bato of the Water Tribe 16. The Fortuneteller 17. The Waterbending Scroll 18. The Boy in The Iceberg 19. The Warriors of Kyoshi 20. The Great Divide I actually said "are you serious!" out loud about five times watching this video, but I guess different people like different episodes for different reasons. 44
I agree with the list except I think the Northern Air Temple should be higher because of the ending and the line of someone in the fire nation saying this loss will lead to many victories, because the fire nation now has balloons which would be used at the time of Sozin's Comet
I'm being extremely nitpicky but Sokka and Katara didn't learn Aang was the Avatar in the first episode. The only one that thought Aang was the Avatar was Zuko in episode 1. Aang knew himself but didn't want to tell them since he was at the time was scared of the responsibility of it.
One thing I love about the season finale is when Zhao has the Moon Spirit in his hands and Iroh threats him saying that whatever he does to it, he will unleash ten times fold on Zhao, and when Zhao kills the spirit Iroh attacks him almost instantly. I don't know why but seeing him actually following up on his words, attacking someone from his own "side" makes me respect him a lot more than I already did.
I strongly disagree with her ranking of the storm (like most people in the comments), because I'd put it at the top. I also love 1.18 and 1.20 and would've put them on the top tier as well. But I agree with her ranking of The Deserter, which is often severely underrated (especially given its consequences).
You know that scene where Aang being the Avatar is confirmed by him choosing the correct artefacts from his past life? How many people here know that that's how Vajrayana Buddhists choose the Dalai Lama?
I started watching Avatar because of how much you loved it. Now I'm halfway through season 3 and loving every minute of it. Iroh is pretty much my favorite character of all time.
the storm is amazing, the perfect mirroring of the hero and (then) antagonists, and lays the initial layer for understanding how they could become friends
Merphy... forgive me but i got to get serious here... how can u *NOT* mention the introduction of The (Mighty) *Cabbage Man* on Ep 5 (Although it doesnt place it on a higher rank but IT is ImPoRtAnT )
I’m actually kinda happy to see a list like this. I feel like a lot of my opinions on this show have been shaped by popular consensus and I think it’s nice to see a more personal ranking.
Perfect = The Storm, Seige of the North (Part 1 + 2), Winter Solstice: Part 2: Avatar Roku, The Blue Spirit Incredible = The Deserter, The Southern Air Temple, The Waterbending Master Great = The Avatar Returns, Imprisoned, The Waterbending Scroll, The King of Omashu Good = The Boy in the Iceberg, The Warriors of Kyoshi, Winter Solstice: Part 1: The Spirit World, Jet, The Northern Air Temple, The Fortune Teller Eh = Bato of the Water Tribe, The Great Divide
The Deserter needs to stop being slept on, It is the episode that really introduces a core theme of the show with some incredible visuals and in the sound. It is Perfect
I feel like you missed the point of the storm... The episode cleverly show you how similar aang and zuko are... The way Its told is sooo smart with cleverly placed fladhback....
I was really not a big fan of Sokka in season one so any episodes primarily featuring him might have gone into the Eh category for me and there were a handful I would consider perfect (The Storm, The Deserter, The Blue Spirit, Imprisoned, Winter Solstice Parts I & II), but these are minor quibbles. So glad you are devoting time to this worthy subject. It's been a real unexpected pleasure from a channel I originally joined only to hear about books. Avatar Season One Episode Rankings: Perfect: Chapter Six: Imprisoned, Chapters 7 & 8: Winter Solstice Parts I & II, Chapter Twelve: The Storm, Chapter Thirteen: The Blue Spirit, Chapter Sixteen:The Deserter Incredible: Chapter One: The Boy in the Iceberg, Chapter Three: The Southern Air Temple, Chapter Five: The King of Omashu, Chapter Nine: The Water Bending Scroll Great: Chapter Two: The Avatar Returns, Chapter Four: The Warriors of Kyoshi, Chapter Eighteen: The Waterbending Master Good: Chapter Fifteen: Batu of the Water Tribe, Chapter Seventeen: The Northern Air Temple, Chapters 19 & 20: The Siege of the North Parts I & II Eh: Chapter Ten: Jet, Chapter Eleven: The Great Divide, Chapter Fourteen: The Fortunteller
You should really rewatch "Storm") It is great character development episode and also drawing parallels between 2 main characters, and it doesn't just introduce lightning redirecting, but has a great emotional scene with Zuko yelling at the skies trying to catch lightning while feeling broken) that scene alone raises it up at least 1 tier up)
Actually I think you should reconsider the Great Divide episode as its actually quite profound. The idea of generational conflicts that have gone on for so long that the participants don't really have a clue as to what really happened is something that actually exists in the real world. Aangs resolution of it underscores the fact that the two tribes had long moved past the original source of the conflict but were trapped by it due to their self identities being entangled with the idea being the victims. Once they were able to let go of that and embrace a new narrative, they could move forward with their lives.
Another Avatar video from Merphy, that is always great! But I had to realize my ranking would have been quite different. My least favourite episode is the Waterbending Scroll for example (although I think that is fine as well!) - a lot of people hate the Great Divide because of Aang's lie, but the WS ends on them joking about lying is okay, when it is to pirates. Also something for Winter Solstice Part 1: we get to see Zuko choosing saving his Uncle rather than pursuing the Avatar - which early on shows his priorities!
I would love to see you make this list again. I'm very interested in where you put "The Storm" and "Bato of the Water Tribe" in particular. I probably would have swapped them if it were up to me, though that's probably why thousands of people don't watch me do this. XD
I really feel like you went way too hard on the worldbuilding aspects of the first season and missed some great moments because of your focus. We see Iroh having a connection to the spirit world and destroying the firebenders after the moon spirit is killed. Also Aangs moment of him fusing with the ocean spirit is great as you see the balance this world is reliant on.
The storm isn't great just for backstory but for how not parallels zuko and aang. How they both made a "mistake" in the past, paid for it,and is working to fix it. They both end up helping people which is aang s ultimate goal while it's not really zukos showing how twisted zukos goal is and hinting at his redemption potential
If I was making this list, I would’ve put The Blue Spirit in perfect, because it shows how far Zuko is willing to go, reinforcing that he’s not capturing the Avatar for the Fire Nation, he’s doing it for himself....also him with the swords is always amazing, and that’s the first time we see it
I think what Book 1 does really well is set up the characters. It takes it time with the worldbuilding and exploring, which makes the next two plot heavy seasons that much more investing.
I feel like people are so quick to judge Aang in The Great Divide. Those people put their own tribes and other people, in danger. Over a feud they weren't alive for or clearly remember. Aang doesn't think it's worth the bloodshed, so he takes away their agency and creates peace over the foundation of a lie. Thus proving how pointless the feud was to begin with. I think it's also a great parallel and foreshadowing towards Aangs refusal to kill the Fatherlord. Edit: PS: It's still my least favorite episode. And I love every episode.
The season finale is one of my absolute favourite episodes! That's the only S1 episode I'd put in perfect. I get chills when the Zhao kills the moon spirit and everything is black and white, only Aang+ocean spirit and firebending have any colour
I’m excited to see what you rank each episode in Book 2. So many great episodes and Tales of Ba Sing Se or Zuko Alone stand as some of the highest points in the series.
You're insane the siege of the north is probably the the best episode(s) in the whole series...it was the first big holy shit moment where I knew I was watching something special.
I’m so glad I finally found someone who likes The Waterbending Scroll. That episode is extremely underrated and it has some of the most enjoyable/funny moments of Book One, if not the series.
How you gonna do The Storm so dirty like that? It showcases aangs regret & feelings towards himself & how he puts the blame of the genocide on him, even going so far to momentarily enter the avatar state. It shows irohs care for Zuko & the tradegy behind him all the while drawing parallels between Zuko & Aang.
I was onboard with your ranking up until you put the final episode at fine/good XD This was still a great video and I can't wait to see your rankings for the next 2 seasons.
Jet is a Fantastic episode, all of the color, design and life it breathes into the world, it shows sokkas intuition and how he is untrusting of others. It shows that not just the fire nation is bad, people can be of nation & be just as horrible
Merphy describes the episode. Me: OMG I LOVE IT SO MUCH, IT'S THE BEST! I could not do a tier ranking on Avatar. I would just need two tiers: One for The Great Divide and one tier above for every other episode called "perfection".
Merphy, I am so glad I found your channel. Your opinions seem to always align with my own. If I were to rank my subbed to channels, you would be in the Perfect/Uncle Iroh tier.
Im also really surprised about your thoughts on the season finale, the finale of season 1 to me is some of the best avatar has to offer, like episode 20 itself is probably in my top 5-10 episodes. Of course I respect your opinions though, it's just interesting to see someone with so vastly different thoughts than me on the show
Unpopular opinion: I actually liked The Great Divide..it was relatable to me. I know exactly how it is to be between two hotheaded (groups of) people. It was so frustrating to watch because I've been there and it's EXHAUSTING. People can be so annoying and stupid...
Am I the only one who enjoyed The Great Divide? Like, I just dont get the hate for it. It's funny, we get nice alternate art styles for the stories. I don't have any problems with filler. And the ending is perfectly fine too.
If memory serves me right, the moon is either in Waning or Waxing the night Aang shows Katara what he learned from Pacu. And the moon is full when the Fire Nation attacks. I don’t think it’s possible to determine 100% but at the bare minimum, Katara mastered water bending at the least in a couple to a few weeks and at a larger scale several weeks. We also have to consider the time it takes the Fire nation to organize its large battalion and travel to the North Pole.
Do you plan to also read "Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Rise of Kyoshi", a novel based on the story and life of Avatar Kyoshi? Right now, I'm still debating whether I should read it and it would be great to hear your opinion.
I really loved it, and say it's absolutely worth a read. Kyoshi's origins are actually completely different from what I expected, but kind of perfect based on what we know of her from the series. But yeah, I loved it as a typical YA book and thought it did some great world building. (not gonna lie, I also just really enjoyed how gay it was, because I'm still annoyed at how much Nick censored Korrasami) Complaints would be...it's admittedly a little predictable (it's easy to guess what's going to happen, but not *how*) and the middle is kind of slow. Yeah, Merphy said she would read it (my guess is after the Korra comics, since I think she's going in airing/publishing order). The sequel's coming out in 17 days (7/21/20).
The storm is the best episode in s1! The mirroring between zuko and aang made the rest of the series more interesting. So i strongly disagree, to me its incredible/perfect
I am Amazed by how much I disagree with these rankings, like every can have their own opinion but damn. For me it goes 1. Siege of the North pt2 (perfect) 2. Blue Spirit (perfect) 3. Southern Air temple (perfect) 4. Siege of the north pt 1 (incredible) 5. The Storm ( incredible) 6. Avatar Roku (incredible) 7. The Deserter (incredible) 8. King of Omashu ( great) 9. Warriors of Kioshi (great) 10. Jet (great) 11. The Spirit World (great) 12. The Waterbending master ( good) 13. The Avatar returns (good) 14. The Boy in the Iceberg (good) 15. The Fourtune Teller (good) 16. The Northern Air Temple (good) 17. The Waterbending Scroll (ok) 18. Inprisoned (ok) 19. Bato of the Water tribe (ok) 20. The great Divide( we all know it’s bad)
In my opinion, the fortune teller is worse than the great divide. I hated the crushes and everyone acting like idiots for the plot. Of course, if you think great divide is worse that's fine. It just doesn't annoy me as much as the fortune teller does
His name is Haru. FAKE FAN FAKE FAN jk Edit: I'm pretty annoyed about The Storm's placement, I'll get it over it but it will take a little bit. I think you missed what the episode does so well and I don't understand at all why, but whatever. Also, imprisoned isn't that good. It's definitely in the fine tier for me.
The king of Omashu is underrated. Bumi is the best character besides the main characters. Before you comment Iroh, Zuko, Azula, etc I consider them main characters
So for some reason, I kept getting copyright notices around the 17:40 mark where I was describing "The Northern Air Temple" episode even though the clips fit youtube's requirements. I tried trimming them down more and reuploading a couple times but it kept giving me the same notice for some reason. So the only way I could make this video public was by letting them cut that whole section (only about a min long). Sorry, I know it's quite jarring, but I hope you enjoy the video anyway!
Dont push yourself. Your content is perfect the way it is ;)
1x12 is perfect IMO
No worries! I didn't even notice the jump!
The storm has Zuko in tears asking for forgiveness to Ozai same is in Old Masters but he is doing it to Iroh one answered with banishment and Scar on hes face other with hug and saying I was never angry with you I was sad because I thought you lost your way. This is the first time they showed why Zuko is doing it.
I was about to comment about that edit, but thankfully I found this first.
The Storm, The Blue Spirit, and The Siege in the North are top tier. However, The Deserter is also a pretty underrated episode.
Don't know how Nickelodeon did it in other countries but as an AVID Avatar fan during the shows original airing in Sweden The Deserter was almost never shown in the random-episode reruns the channel did to fill time between seasons. Getting home from school, turning on the tv and having that particular episode air was like a gift from heaven, it was suuuuch a cool episode. I think the relative rarity of it has created a sort of bias in me, love it so much.
Nebbus that’s so cool!
@@LordZeebee we didn't get much of it here in the states either. We had a lot of great divide spam though...
The storm episode got WAY too much criticism, the campfire parallelism was perfect 😎
Don’t forget about Bato of the Watertribe! honestly every episode of the entire show was good
"Hey look, it's the Great Divide!"
"Let's keep flying."
I can't believe how low you put The Storm. It's only the most crucial episode of season one, perfectly showing the similarities between Aang and Zuko. Allowing the audience to realize that Aang might be seen as the hero but he did a bad and selfish thing and Zuko, who is seen as the villain, was exiled because he was trying to be noble and good. No other children's show at the time gave this much depth to its characters, actually showing kids that these characters aren't just good or bad, that there is more grey area and nuance than that.
But it's your opinion and if you didn't like it, that's fine. To me, I would've put this episode under "Perfect" and it would've been the only episode of season one to get that ranking.
I agree that The Storm is a great episode for character building and really shows the similarities/differences between Aang and Zuko. I would assume Merphy’s issue is the execution, basically how the story is being told by Aang and Iroh at a campfire. Personally, I love the juxtaposition throughout the episode but I can see why someone might not like how the story was executed.
SirKappy Facts
SirKappy Facts
It was one of my favorites by far in this season!
Next to the siege of the north and the blue spirit
The Storm to all other episodes:
*“Don't flatter yourself, you were never even a player”*
...gets put in fine
@@dhaniboi506 No no no, it gets put in Good, duhh
@@saniancreations below Bato of the water tribe lol
I expected the Storm to be in the perfect tier.
Honestly, The storm is perfect. I love this episode, and probably my favorite of season 1, except maybe the finale.
The Storm below Bako and Jet. The Earth King invites you to Lake Laogai.
Underated comment lol
I am honored to accept his invitation.
Her not talking about the amazing growth of Katara in the SWT episodes... I know she's not a fan of the character but she's amazing in those last three episodes (The fight with Pakku, the fight with Zuko, c'mon woman!).
Very surprised storm was so low. I very much disagree that it was done in a boring way. It's supposed to show parallel journeys during a part where both parties are in the same storm as well. And I also just like it way more than Bato or Jet episodes.
Jet is a great episode, but Bato is probably worse than Great Divide.
I strongly disagree with the ranking of "The Storm." Maybe the setting wasn't quite as complex as it could have been, but I thought that the way it was structured was masterful. The parallels between Zuko and Aang were easy to tell and the dramatic tension of these incredibly tragic stories ramped up more and more to some seriously impressive reveals to previously unanswered questions.
However, Zuko's tale is why I consider this episode to be a masterpiece and why I always enjoy rewatching this episode. I love just how nuanced this one episode manages to make Zuko. A lesser episode would have had a simple story: Zuko gets banished by father through being nice and now Zuko is angry and wants to go back home. However, this episode is different. He starts off the episode with his typical bluster, claiming that the mission is more important than any individual's safety while freely risking the lives of his crew to catch the avatar. We've seen Zuko moody before and we associate this behavior with his regular kind of anger.
However, the flashbacks shine a completely different light on this interaction. We see Zuko without his literal and figurative scars before the meeting and how he came to be scarred. We saw how Zuko was punished for speaking out for individuals and prioritizing them over the mission, which is in stark contrast to what happened at the start of the episode. And we saw just how badly Zuko was punished for doing so. Clearly, the Firelord saw this as "shameful weakness." The severity of the punishment, the mockery of his entire nation and most importAntly the abuse his father gave Zuko convinced him that Zuko's ways of being friendly and helping are wrong. That he was unworthy of being the prince of the Fire Nation because he was such a bad person. Ultimately, Firelord Ozai got Zuko to hate himself for every good quality in himself and got him to try to change his ways through the natural trust kids have in their parents.
However, Zuko failed to change. In the episode's climax, he is encountered with a life or death scenario. And, well, true character is revealed in stressful situations like these. Acting on instinct, Zuko reverses all his poor decisions from earlier on in the episode, saving the life of one of the members of his crew and steering the ship to safety over capturing the Avatar. This might make it seem that this episode has a happy ending. But it really doesn't. Zuko's character makes it easy to predict what happened after the episode.
Once the stress left Zuko's body and he contemplated what happened, he undoubtedly hated himself even more. He had let himself return to his "shameful ways" and abandoned the way of thinking that would bring him back home. This drove him further into self loathing and fdrive his desire to become a bad person even more. And it wraps up such a beautifully tragic tale about Zuko.
The story is just so well written. I absolutely love this episode. I could watch it over and over again without getting bored.
I agree so much! I love the way it was told and the two settings, along with the carefully crafted way this episode was done.... I love it so much.
Facts. And as you write at the beginning we see a strong parallel between Aang and Zuko who despite having totally different personalities both struggle with a strong feeling of guilt and shame for what they have done. This already suggests that these two characters may have a deeper relation than the obvious chase thing. As Iroh said, the Avatar gives Zuko hope. That the blue spirit with its foreshadowing at the end comes right after the storm makes the parallels even more clear
Anyone got a TLDR?
@@wollinwande2900 The Storm is a fantastic episode. ;)
SO well said. Beautiful❤️ And also the parallels between Aang and Zuko are such an underrated element of this episode.
Part of the reason The Great Divide is the lowest rated episode is because it's the only episode Nickelodeon played over. And over. And over. AND OVER for a solid year!
Yes!! In the agonizing year between Book 2 and 3
I never watched ATLA on Nickelodeon -- just watched the series on Netflix for the first time -- and the Great Divide was the worst episode by far. I had no idea that other people thought this, either. So, I'm sure the relentless replaying of that episode contributed to people not liking it, but honestly that episode is just bad (in my opinion).
OH. So that's why I remember it perfectly.
Honestly though, the fact that this was Avatars worst is a true testament to how great the series was as a whole
@@fatilumkins8730 Exactly! There really isn't a "bad" episode of Avatar
Merphy: this episode is GREAT.
Merphy: ranks the episode as “incredible”
😂😁
Matthew Haynes incredible isn’t better than good enough.
I think Editing Merphy was actually a Merphy from an alternate dimension
As someone who has lost count as to the amount of times I've researched the show, the storm and the water-bending master have been ranked criminally.
Gonna have to disagree with the storm, it's one of the best episodes in the series for character development
Merphy: "I think that ranking's fair."
Editing Merphy: "It is NOT fair!"
Very surprised on your thoughts on the storm. I feel the more introspective tone of the episode really helped ground the characters, and also it set the precedent of Aang and zuko mirroring each other.
Ooh you're gonna get some criticism for ranking The Storm on the lower end, haha. Great video anyways ;)
rightly so
Sanian Creations Yeah I couldn't believe my eyes and ears
Yeah i get it though she is used to reading so the way story is told on a show is different.... this also happened with Daniel when he reviewed attack on titan and complained about exposition but its like my dude this is how good shows do exposition soooo :/
(Spoilers through the end of the series in this post!)
One of the things I love about The Storm is the deliberate parallels it leads the watcher to make between Aang and Zuko. Obviously those two characters are very different, with one being a pacifist and the other hunting him down for very non pacifistic reasons, and I think up until this point, it was easy to just think of Zuko as being "the bad one" and Aang as being "the good one". Instead, in The Storm, we're shown another side to both characters, back to back, play by play.
Zuko did the right thing standing up for loyal men who would be sacrificed for military glory, and in the end he was hurt by his father and banished for his trouble. Aang, on the flip side, was held to an impossible standard and told he was the Avatar too early, but most people would say that running away from home alone in the middle of a rainstorm isn't the right call for a child to make in any situation, even given what happened to him. And instead of dying out there, like any other kid who made the decision that Aang made, he was saved by the Avatar state and is now the only surviving member of his people. (Which is incredibly sad, but also incredibly lucky.)
My point isn't to uplift Zuko here and bash Aang, my purpose is to try to explain why I liked the "flashback" narrative perspective really worked for me in the episode. It shows how OTHER people's perspective on the characters in question impacted their life. Both inside the story, and also the story itself. In Iroh's tale about Zuko, we learn that his father's low opinion of him informed his lack of presence and knowledge of the war room that led to his scar, and we learn from the way Iroh tells it that Iroh is firmly on ZUKO's side of the conflict. For Aang, he tells the story himself, which to me is as much about him finally owning up to it and processing his guilt as it was about telling katara and the audience what happened. Inside his story, the way the Monks viewed him, the way other kids viewed him, and the way Monk Gyatso views Aang are all central to why he eventually leaves.
I just think it's a very well written episode in terms of the way we get the information, and what that leads us to think about these two (formerly very different) characters. To me, the strongest groundwork for Zuko's eventual switch to the "Good Side" is laid in The Storm, as we begin to understand that in the end, Zuko and Aang are not actually as different as it might appear on the surface.
Wow that was really well explained...man all these comments and videos of ATLA are tempting me to watch the show all over again, even though I myself finished the show recently!!
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
My thoughts exactly. And sets up the duality of the journey between Aang and Zuko.
This episode also shows Zuko doing the right thing when he eventually chooses his men's safety over his mission to capture the Avatar
@@taylor_green_9 Very true! And Aang goes out in the storm to save Sokka and the fisherman. (Though I'll admit, I doubt anyone thought he wouldn't, even for a second.)
I really feel like you over hyped some fine episodes and underrated almost perfect ones....
Tastes differ, I kind of agree with you but i'm sure her mind will also change if she were to rewatch it in a few months
It's her opinion, not a definitive ranking. I disagree with her ranking of The Storm (I personally think that one is among the best of the first season) and Jet, but it's really nbd at the end of the day.
Me: Sees a completely subjective topic.
Also Me: It's okay to be wrong Merphy, I forgive you.
Everything changed when Merphy ranked 'The Storm'
While Bato of the Water Tribe has some good parts, I think it's the worst episode. I HATE the trope of someone listening in on a conversation, hears something they don't like, then leaving before they learned the conversation went in their favor. It's the basis of the entire internal conflict in that episode and it annoys the hell out of me.
I doubt I could change your mind about it, but I will try to show you why I gained an increased respect for the ep.
True, Aang freaking out over the conversation the SWT were having was contrived, but the ep is more about *why* Aang is worried they'll leave. Aang is dealing with abandonment issues. Despite his happy nature and his friendship with Sokka and Katara, Aang has no home, or family. He's alone, or at least, different. The siblings lost their mother and their father is out fighting, but they still have a place they can call home, they have people who love them. Aang doesn't have that, not in the same way. Bato lets Aang join in on their customs, but Aang can't help but feel like a trespasser, a fake. Sokka thought he missed his chance to be a man when the warriors left, but Bato gave him a second chance. Aang doesn't get to enjoy Airbender rights of passage since no one is alive to pass them on.
Bato of the Water Tribe is not my favorite Book 1 ep by a long shot, but it does two things right: 1. That badass fight. 2. It shows badly the Fire Nation fucked Aang up emotionally and it helps hammer in why Aang is so angry about Appa.
your ranking choices completely baffle me. The Storm and the Blue Spirit go in perfect tier, IMO, with the king of omashu near the top of incredible tier. You did my boy Bumi dirty!
“I don’t care about the face stealer”
...what?
“I didn’t really care about the avatar merging with the ocean spirit to take out the Fire Nation”
wHAt?
“The season finale was fine.”
WHAT??
Hey I complete respect your opinions, just here to put the obligatory "the storm is a masterpiece" comment because the storm is a masterpiece :)
There are probably not a lot of people who consider season 1 as their favorite season (including me), but can we all take a moment to appreciate all the foreshadowing and plot build up that happens!?
Jet ends up becoming a reoccurring character whose pure hatred for the Fire Nation blinds him from the corruption of the Earth Kingdom (especially Ba Sing Se), which ultimately leads to his death.
The Storm shows that Aang and Zuko aren't as different as they seem on the surface.
The Blue Spirit shows that these two characters are capable of working together in such beautiful harmony.
The Northern Air Temple might have been a small loss for the Fire Nation, but they learn from this mistake and use the War Ballon design the led to their defeat to make intricate war ships that we see in Season 3.
The shoe that Uncle Iroh drops when he's been captured by Earth Kingdom soldiers is used to track him again in the Four Part finale of season 3 (I think episode 19/part 2). This episode also shows how spiritually in tuned Uncle Iroh is, and this fact is referenced in later seasons as well as LOK.
Princess Yue's sacrifice is mentioned in many later episodes (Boiling Rock, anyone?), but my favorite would be in The Serpents Pass. Sokka and Suki are talking at night, and they're just about to kiss. In the background, you see the bright moon hovering over the two, and then Sokka pulls back. It's beautifully sad because the moon is a constant reminder that Sokka couldn't save someone who was really important to him, and he's too scared to get close to Suki because he doesn't want something bad to happen to her.
There are probably a lot of other things that I missed, so please tell me in a reply. I really liked Season 1 when I first watched it, but it wasn't until my second time watching it when I realized that it was freaking AMAZING! It's still not my favorite season, but I do enjoy rewatching a lot of these episodes.
Aang battles a volcano in "The Fortuneteller" and is victorious against it, which foreshadows that Aang will succeed where Roku failed (Roku died to a volcano). The volcano symbolizes the war. It is no coincidence that this episode has such heavy foreshadowing and is also called "The Fortuneteller".
Literally everything with Jeong Jeong. Zhao and the Library. Koh and Avatar Kuruk.
I just watched the Storm! Objectively one of the show's best-paced and best-told stories!
Her: Puts "The Storm" in fine.
Me: Unsubscribe.
Same
I was so hurt when she didn't put a single episode in perfect because in my opinion, the seige of the north pt 1 and 2 and the storm should be in perfect
@@andresramirez3673 the storm is perfect as well
same... Placing the fortune teller and other over the storm like wtf
Thats rough buddy
I’m a little confused on why the Kyoshi Island episode is the highest ranked? To each their own I guess.
I think she just loves any sokka development episodes. Those seem to be ranked the highest.
Always love to see more Avatar content, but I 99% disagree with this list
My ranking.
1. The Storm
2. The Blue Spirit
3. The Siege of the North p2
4.The Waterbending Master
5. Jet
6.The Siege of the North p1
7. Winter Solstice p2
8. The Southern Air Temple
9. The Avatar Returns
10. The Deserter
11. The Northern Air Temple
12. Winter Solstice p1
13. The King of Omashu
14. Imprisoned
15. Bato of the Water Tribe
16. The Fortuneteller
17. The Waterbending Scroll
18. The Boy in The Iceberg
19. The Warriors of Kyoshi
20. The Great Divide
I actually said "are you serious!" out loud about five times watching this video, but I guess different people like different episodes for different reasons.
44
This is much more reasonable. Not exactly how I'd rate them, but better than Merphy's.
I agree with the list except I think the Northern Air Temple should be higher because of the ending and the line of someone in the fire nation saying this loss will lead to many victories, because the fire nation now has balloons which would be used at the time of Sozin's Comet
Wow, someone eho knows how to put a list together. Came to the comments for something like this... good job.
MjWarlock11 that’s a good list but why is the warriors of kyoshi the 2nd worst
FINALLY! Someone who thinks Jet is a good episode!
I'm being extremely nitpicky but Sokka and Katara didn't learn Aang was the Avatar in the first episode. The only one that thought Aang was the Avatar was Zuko in episode 1. Aang knew himself but didn't want to tell them since he was at the time was scared of the responsibility of it.
One thing I love about the season finale is when Zhao has the Moon Spirit in his hands and Iroh threats him saying that whatever he does to it, he will unleash ten times fold on Zhao, and when Zhao kills the spirit Iroh attacks him almost instantly. I don't know why but seeing him actually following up on his words, attacking someone from his own "side" makes me respect him a lot more than I already did.
I strongly disagree with her ranking of the storm (like most people in the comments), because I'd put it at the top. I also love 1.18 and 1.20 and would've put them on the top tier as well. But I agree with her ranking of The Deserter, which is often severely underrated (especially given its consequences).
I'm living for all this Avatar content on your channel! 🥰
3:25 "this is the episode where Zuko tracks them down and there's a big fight at the end."
Half of the other episodes, "hey that's us too."
You know that scene where Aang being the Avatar is confirmed by him choosing the correct artefacts from his past life? How many people here know that that's how Vajrayana Buddhists choose the Dalai Lama?
I started watching Avatar because of how much you loved it. Now I'm halfway through season 3 and loving every minute of it. Iroh is pretty much my favorite character of all time.
the storm is amazing, the perfect mirroring of the hero and (then) antagonists, and lays the initial layer for understanding how they could become friends
Merphy... forgive me but i got to get serious here... how can u *NOT* mention the introduction of The (Mighty) *Cabbage Man* on Ep 5
(Although it doesnt place it on a higher rank but IT is ImPoRtAnT )
Also you can't forget about the frothing mouth man in the kyoshi episode. What a legend!
My thoughts exaytly!
I’m actually kinda happy to see a list like this. I feel like a lot of my opinions on this show have been shaped by popular consensus and I think it’s nice to see a more personal ranking.
Perfect = The Storm, Seige of the North (Part 1 + 2), Winter Solstice: Part 2: Avatar Roku, The Blue Spirit
Incredible = The Deserter, The Southern Air Temple, The Waterbending Master
Great = The Avatar Returns, Imprisoned, The Waterbending Scroll, The King of Omashu
Good = The Boy in the Iceberg, The Warriors of Kyoshi, Winter Solstice: Part 1: The Spirit World, Jet, The Northern Air Temple, The Fortune Teller
Eh = Bato of the Water Tribe, The Great Divide
The Deserter needs to stop being slept on, It is the episode that really introduces a core theme of the show with some incredible visuals and in the sound. It is Perfect
4:37 Murphy: "none of the earth kingdom episodes are GREAT for me"
6:04 Also Murphy literally a minute later: "this episode is INCREDIBLE"
I feel like you missed the point of the storm...
The episode cleverly show you how similar aang and zuko are... The way Its told is sooo smart with cleverly placed fladhback....
I was really not a big fan of Sokka in season one so any episodes primarily featuring him might have gone into the Eh category for me and there were a handful I would consider perfect (The Storm, The Deserter, The Blue Spirit, Imprisoned, Winter Solstice Parts I & II), but these are minor quibbles. So glad you are devoting time to this worthy subject. It's been a real unexpected pleasure from a channel I originally joined only to hear about books.
Avatar Season One Episode Rankings:
Perfect:
Chapter Six: Imprisoned, Chapters 7 & 8: Winter Solstice Parts I & II, Chapter Twelve: The Storm, Chapter Thirteen: The Blue Spirit, Chapter Sixteen:The Deserter
Incredible:
Chapter One: The Boy in the Iceberg, Chapter Three: The Southern Air Temple, Chapter Five: The King of Omashu, Chapter Nine: The Water Bending Scroll
Great:
Chapter Two: The Avatar Returns, Chapter Four: The Warriors of Kyoshi, Chapter Eighteen: The Waterbending Master
Good:
Chapter Fifteen: Batu of the Water Tribe, Chapter Seventeen: The Northern Air Temple, Chapters 19 & 20: The Siege of the North Parts I & II
Eh:
Chapter Ten: Jet, Chapter Eleven: The Great Divide, Chapter Fourteen: The Fortunteller
You should really rewatch "Storm") It is great character development episode and also drawing parallels between 2 main characters, and it doesn't just introduce lightning redirecting, but has a great emotional scene with Zuko yelling at the skies trying to catch lightning while feeling broken) that scene alone raises it up at least 1 tier up)
3:14 “Some other girls around his age.”
Yes. They look to be over 100 years old
Actually I think you should reconsider the Great Divide episode as its actually quite profound. The idea of generational conflicts that have gone on for so long that the participants don't really have a clue as to what really happened is something that actually exists in the real world. Aangs resolution of it underscores the fact that the two tribes had long moved past the original source of the conflict but were trapped by it due to their self identities being entangled with the idea being the victims. Once they were able to let go of that and embrace a new narrative, they could move forward with their lives.
*The Storm was fan favorite and I always see fans really raving about it but here it's only Fine category 😩😂*
*And Zhao dies?! there's a surprise! 😂*
Another Avatar video from Merphy, that is always great! But I had to realize my ranking would have been quite different.
My least favourite episode is the Waterbending Scroll for example (although I think that is fine as well!) - a lot of people hate the Great Divide because of Aang's lie, but the WS ends on them joking about lying is okay, when it is to pirates.
Also something for Winter Solstice Part 1: we get to see Zuko choosing saving his Uncle rather than pursuing the Avatar - which early on shows his priorities!
I love that you are doing these, I have been wondering what you thought of certain episodes. Very excited to see the later seasons.
Merphy: Makes video ranking season 1 but doesn't mention the main character.
Cabbage Merchant: My Cabbages!!!!!
I would love to see you make this list again. I'm very interested in where you put "The Storm" and "Bato of the Water Tribe" in particular. I probably would have swapped them if it were up to me, though that's probably why thousands of people don't watch me do this. XD
I really feel like you went way too hard on the worldbuilding aspects of the first season and missed some great moments because of your focus. We see Iroh having a connection to the spirit world and destroying the firebenders after the moon spirit is killed. Also Aangs moment of him fusing with the ocean spirit is great as you see the balance this world is reliant on.
The storm isn't great just for backstory but for how not parallels zuko and aang. How they both made a "mistake" in the past, paid for it,and is working to fix it. They both end up helping people which is aang s ultimate goal while it's not really zukos showing how twisted zukos goal is and hinting at his redemption potential
The great divide
I personally think it's an amusing episode that really doesn't matter to the plot but is just fine.
If I was making this list, I would’ve put The Blue Spirit in perfect, because it shows how far Zuko is willing to go, reinforcing that he’s not capturing the Avatar for the Fire Nation, he’s doing it for himself....also him with the swords is always amazing, and that’s the first time we see it
I think what Book 1 does really well is set up the characters. It takes it time with the worldbuilding and exploring, which makes the next two plot heavy seasons that much more investing.
I feel like people are so quick to judge Aang in The Great Divide. Those people put their own tribes and other people, in danger. Over a feud they weren't alive for or clearly remember. Aang doesn't think it's worth the bloodshed, so he takes away their agency and creates peace over the foundation of a lie. Thus proving how pointless the feud was to begin with. I think it's also a great parallel and foreshadowing towards Aangs refusal to kill the Fatherlord.
Edit: PS: It's still my least favorite episode. And I love every episode.
The season finale is one of my absolute favourite episodes! That's the only S1 episode I'd put in perfect. I get chills when the Zhao kills the moon spirit and everything is black and white, only Aang+ocean spirit and firebending have any colour
I’m excited to see what you rank each episode in Book 2. So many great episodes and Tales of Ba Sing Se or Zuko Alone stand as some of the highest points in the series.
You're insane the siege of the north is probably the the best episode(s) in the whole series...it was the first big holy shit moment where I knew I was watching something special.
The storm and the blue spirit are both perfect
"MOVE DAGGUM YOU!"
Me: MERPHY PLEASE! Think of the kiddywinks
8:21 It's actually the one and only time Zuko ever laughs. He smiles every now and then but never again does he laugh.
He does snicker when Mai says that orange is ugly
I’m so glad I finally found someone who likes The Waterbending Scroll. That episode is extremely underrated and it has some of the most enjoyable/funny moments of Book One, if not the series.
The audacity to put the season finale in the good tear 😱
How you gonna do The Storm so dirty like that? It showcases aangs regret & feelings towards himself & how he puts the blame of the genocide on him, even going so far to momentarily enter the avatar state. It shows irohs care for Zuko & the tradegy behind him all the while drawing parallels between Zuko & Aang.
I was onboard with your ranking up until you put the final episode at fine/good XD This was still a great video and I can't wait to see your rankings for the next 2 seasons.
I don't know how that old man was still walking after Haru saved him. I imagine his legs would have been crushed by all those rocks. 😅
Two big mistakes I see with this list:
1. The storm belongs in the Perfect Tier.
2. The Great Divide belongs in the trash.
Jet is a Fantastic episode, all of the color, design and life it breathes into the world, it shows sokkas intuition and how he is untrusting of others. It shows that not just the fire nation is bad, people can be of nation & be just as horrible
Merphy describes the episode.
Me: OMG I LOVE IT SO MUCH, IT'S THE BEST!
I could not do a tier ranking on Avatar. I would just need two tiers: One for The Great Divide and one tier above for every other episode called "perfection".
The Great Divide was when I started loving the series. My friend framed it for me as a parable, and I loved that.
I love your enthusiasm for this show! it really is amazing!
Siege of the north, the deserter, the blue spirit, and the storm are perfect
Merphy, I am so glad I found your channel. Your opinions seem to always align with my own. If I were to rank my subbed to channels, you would be in the Perfect/Uncle Iroh tier.
King Bumi is absolutely amazing, he is a comedy genius. He will never lettuce leave.
Im also really surprised about your thoughts on the season finale, the finale of season 1 to me is some of the best avatar has to offer, like episode 20 itself is probably in my top 5-10 episodes. Of course I respect your opinions though, it's just interesting to see someone with so vastly different thoughts than me on the show
I always love it when the “villains” laugh for a reason that isn’t cocky and is just true laughter
Unpopular opinion:
I actually liked The Great Divide..it was relatable to me. I know exactly how it is to be between two hotheaded (groups of) people. It was so frustrating to watch because I've been there and it's EXHAUSTING. People can be so annoying and stupid...
Am I the only one who enjoyed The Great Divide?
Like, I just dont get the hate for it.
It's funny, we get nice alternate art styles for the stories.
I don't have any problems with filler. And the ending is perfectly fine too.
Not too mention it's a very important episode for the Avatar to learn how to settle disputes with feuding nations.
It gets way too much hate for sure.
If memory serves me right, the moon is either in Waning or Waxing the night Aang shows Katara what he learned from Pacu. And the moon is full when the Fire Nation attacks. I don’t think it’s possible to determine 100% but at the bare minimum, Katara mastered water bending at the least in a couple to a few weeks and at a larger scale several weeks. We also have to consider the time it takes the Fire nation to organize its large battalion and travel to the North Pole.
I love how in the ember island players they skip right over the great divide
Do you plan to also read "Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Rise of Kyoshi", a novel based on the story and life of Avatar Kyoshi?
Right now, I'm still debating whether I should read it and it would be great to hear your opinion.
I don’t have any in depth review or hardcore opinions for you, but I personally really enjoyed the book. I’d say it’s worth a read
I think she will🙌
I remember she mentioned in one of the videos that she would read
I really loved it, and say it's absolutely worth a read. Kyoshi's origins are actually completely different from what I expected, but kind of perfect based on what we know of her from the series. But yeah, I loved it as a typical YA book and thought it did some great world building. (not gonna lie, I also just really enjoyed how gay it was, because I'm still annoyed at how much Nick censored Korrasami) Complaints would be...it's admittedly a little predictable (it's easy to guess what's going to happen, but not *how*) and the middle is kind of slow.
Yeah, Merphy said she would read it (my guess is after the Korra comics, since I think she's going in airing/publishing order). The sequel's coming out in 17 days (7/21/20).
Oh it's fabulous. Highly recommend it. Especially since the sequel is due to be released on the 21st of this month. Do yourself a favor and read it.
The storm is the best episode in s1!
The mirroring between zuko and aang made the rest of the series more interesting.
So i strongly disagree, to me its incredible/perfect
Seeing all your avatar content persuaded me to watch atla and now I’m absolutely obsessed
I am Amazed by how much I disagree with these rankings, like every can have their own opinion but damn. For me it goes
1. Siege of the North pt2 (perfect)
2. Blue Spirit (perfect)
3. Southern Air temple (perfect)
4. Siege of the north pt 1 (incredible)
5. The Storm ( incredible)
6. Avatar Roku (incredible)
7. The Deserter (incredible)
8. King of Omashu ( great)
9. Warriors of Kioshi (great)
10. Jet (great)
11. The Spirit World (great)
12. The Waterbending master ( good)
13. The Avatar returns (good)
14. The Boy in the Iceberg (good)
15. The Fourtune Teller (good)
16. The Northern Air Temple (good)
17. The Waterbending Scroll (ok)
18. Inprisoned (ok)
19. Bato of the Water tribe (ok)
20. The great Divide( we all know it’s bad)
More avatar content? Here for it!
Wow I did not expect to be so personally attacked by this ranking
In my opinion, the fortune teller is worse than the great divide. I hated the crushes and everyone acting like idiots for the plot. Of course, if you think great divide is worse that's fine. It just doesn't annoy me as much as the fortune teller does
Merph saying "MOVE da-gum you" is so precious
His name is Haru. FAKE FAN FAKE FAN
jk
Edit: I'm pretty annoyed about The Storm's placement, I'll get it over it but it will take a little bit. I think you missed what the episode does so well and I don't understand at all why, but whatever. Also, imprisoned isn't that good. It's definitely in the fine tier for me.
It may be somewhat late, but I’m happy new people are being introduced to such a wonderful show!
Finally I have been waiting for so long!
Me *just watched ATLA 1*: wow this is so good
Merphy: Season 1 is just okay compared to 2 and 3
Me: 😳
The king of Omashu is underrated. Bumi is the best character besides the main characters. Before you comment Iroh, Zuko, Azula, etc I consider them main characters
I reckon Editing Merphy deserves a raise for catching these small errors
Can we go back to calling the top tier "Iroh"
I love these new videos about Atla, Cannon wait for the season 2 and 3 tier list
Merphy: Puts The Storm in “Fine”.
Everyone: How could a member of my own family say something so horrible?!
"Can you science explain rain"?🧐
"YES IT CAN!!!"🤯
I haven't watched yet, but I want to take a bet that there are two episodes in the "Eh" category and they are, "The Great Divide", and, "Avatar Day".