EPIC TWIST! 🔥 Did not see that coming, but at the same time, it explains so much. We finish Avatar next week over on Patreon for anyone wanting early access! www.patreon.com/carlie_and_ange
No wonder why Monk Gyatso cared so much for Aang. Aang was not just Gyatso's closest disciple, he was also literally a reincarnation of his old friend.
I wonder if that factored into the other monks' decision to send Aang away. Obviously, he already had a good relationship with Aang. But the added context of Gyatso's previous relationship with Roku as well, I wonder if they felt that was a deepening element to getting Aang away from him to keep Aang on the path and remain detached.
@@Buddyguard120 Unlikely. What I see is a clash between the methods to have the Avatar trained. This clash arose because Aang was told he is the Avatar way sooner than usual. Avatars are told about that at the age of 16, Aang was told at the age of 12. Gyatso did not like that Aang was told this soon, but he understood the urgency. What I want to say is that this did not factor into the other monks' decision. But it did factor into the method Gyatso was using. This is just my opinion and I could be wrong.
One of the best little filmmaking techinques in Zuko's fire nation arc, is that every time he is talking to Iroh the "camera" is framed in such a way as if Zuko was the one behind bars. Iroh might be in prison, but spiritually speaking he is still very much free, while Zuko is locked into his inner turmoil.
Also the prison bar was well used as a “divider” of Zuko’s two halves. The moment Iroh was saying your father’s grandfather was Firelord Sozin, the scene was showing Zuko’s side with the scar (you could say his antagonistic side, and the man who gave him the scar in the first place). Then when Iroh says your mother’s grandfather is Avatar Roku, the panning of the bar was used perfectly to cover his scar a d switch the viewpoint to show the non-scarred half of his face
It's especially highlighted when the camera looks down on them. Iroh is sitting peacefully, bathed in the light streaming down from above, but Zuko looks like he's behind the bars and he's shrouded in the darkness. Lot of nice little symbolism moments in that conversation.
@@shinryouzen for sure. The scar is a genius character design idea for Zuko's story. They use that kind of framing to highlight his good and bad halves a lot throught the series. It's simple, elegant and very effective visual story telling.
My favourite part of this is that Iroh knew this, and he had been teaching Zuko the Avatar philosophies about balance back in book 2 as well. When he was teaching Zuko to deflect lightning he went over the nations and how they interact, and Zuko even calls it out as Avatar nonsense. Iroh's been playing the long con all along to get his nephew to become the best person he knows he can be.
15:49 funny theory in the fandom is that iroh assumed zuko would try to burn the message because of his temper, so he decided the secret message would be revealed by heat or fire😅
They secretly teased about Zukos connection to the Avatar at the end of Book 2, when Zuko freed Appa and afterwards is going through his fever dream. He sees himself as Aang in his reflection, obviously you guys saw but didn’t know what it meant. The writing in this show always leaves me in awe 👏🏽
Don’t forget the image of the dragons. Where he faces conflict with the Blue dragon, he faces conflict with the Image of Sozin and the resolve of the red Dragon was the Image of Roku.
This is why this show is peak: it humanizes all its characters, even the ones you're not supposed to root for. No one is either all good or all bad. It feels like you're looking at people instead of fictional characters. In a Nickelodeon show! This show is seriously a gem.
This was the show's 'That Day' episode, this is where it all started, Aang needed to understand how the war started so he could be able to finish it, Zuko needed to understand the roots behind all his struggles, and the gang needed to have a firm confirmation that they don't have bathrooms in the spirit world.
Talk about a brilliant plot twist. No one saw it coming, yet it worked out perfectly and actually moved the story forward, rather than just being there to shock the audience. The more I rewatch ATLA, the more the writing impresses me
How did this move the story foward if i may ask? Unpopular opinion but i hated this plot twist because it kinda reads like a fanfic and an after thought. Moreover, zuko doesn't need to be related to the avatar to know this war is totally unjustified and he has been playing the wrong team all his life. It wierdly comes off as plot armor if you ask me. Like we need to look for ways to make zuko relevant to this plot cuz he's a fan favourite.
@@pare5108 In my opinion it works because we've always seen Zuko struggle between good and evil, and his destiny and Aang's has always been intertwined, with destiny being a pretty big theme in the show; part of it is laid out for you, but you gotta decide by yourself how you approach it. So if the Avatar was Zuko's destiny, he had to decide if he wanted to help or destroy Aang. And it moves the story forward because Zuko was miserable trying to fit in the mold of who he used to be, so he needed that push to leave that behind.
Fun fact: Sud's design is reminiscent of the design Toph was originally going to have, before they switched it from a buff dude to a blind little girl.
they were not his first lines though. Greg Baldwin already did a couple of lines in Book 2. I believe the earliest ones are when Iroh plays with the kids in Tales of Ba Sing Se.
@@cjjackson2423 Given the context of his statement (aka "imagine being the new Iroh VA") I'm gonna go with no, I don't think he could be talking about that.
I really like this "twist" in the whole storytelling. Zuko is initially totally defined by his father actions, will, doing. Seeking revenge, seeking honor, pride and dignity. And for a moment in the whole show we saw his mother. The kind, balance and contempt side that lack and the wound inside the grief. But it's just a glimpse, because his father is present in everything. In battles, in war, in choice. And here, they say "we covered in smoke something you never asked before : who were is mother ?" And I like it, it's not coming from nowhere.
Roku is getting his own book this month about his early life!!! It’s a canon story, and it features a lot of familiar characters from this episode. Ahh I cannot wait
@@Austin.Kilgore neither it’s a legit book! Like with paragraphs and it’s 360 pages! And it’s canon too. Look into it it comes out tomorrow! It’s called the reckoning of Roku
Ooooh is it by F.C Yee? I've fallen behind so much on those books (still at shadow of Kyoshi) but I think he did one about Yangchen as well, right? They are so good btw!
4:07 this is so funny because when Sokka was taken by Heibai spirit Sokka came back and was like “I really gotta find a bathroom” 5:19 I also don’t know how true this is, but I heard Sud was supposed to be Aang’s earthbending teacher but when they created Toph they switched it up
Sud was *supposed* to be Toph, Toph didn’t replace him, Toph is him, they switched his character up for the sake of subversion but Sud is Toph’s early concept
You can use lemon juice as invisible ink; when it's introduced to heat it shows up. Iroh could've used one of the fruits that they feed him to make it or he got the lady guard to do it (future episode reveals a nicer guard)
Now you have to watch "the legend of korra" how it all ties together and comes full circle(not saying how or when), it a testament to the writer's true genius
I don't think Iroh personally sent the letter. Iroh was the heir to the Fire Nation crown before his brother took it from him, so he probably has many secret allies in the capital. There's also something revealed about something you've seen, later in the season.
Remember that time Zuko had a nightmare where he looked exactly like Aang, the current Avatar? Well... now look at that scene again with this context :P
This is definitely one of the best episodes of the show and one of my favorites! I just love all the backstory and then that amazing twist, which makes so much sense when it comes to Zuko. I'm glad y'all loved it. Fang being loyal 'til the end and dying with Roku, always makes me tear up. He and Appa are both bestest boys.
Man watching this reaction made me remember how great avatar is it’s really the goat of cartoons the story telling is insane and it keep getting better
One amazing piece of foreshadowing in this episode is shown through the little sparring match between Roku and Sozin, the way Sozin seemingly helps Roku from falling over, and then suddenly let's him go. It's just like the end of their story where it looks as though Sozin is saving Roku, but then leaves him to die. My mind blew when I realized this.
I love how Carlie, during the volcano scene, while Ange was thinking Sozin was about to die, she was like "I think it will be Roku instead." But her face was kinda lax and sad, and I was like "Does she just realize what she said?" But the twist still hit her hard too. 😁
This is my absolute favorite lore bomb ever! My kids and I watched ATLA together when it aired, and let me tell you, our flabbers were COMPLETELY gasted when we watched this episode! SO GOOD! Yes, Fang was just blue because he was a spirit. He was a red dragon in life. He died with Roku. The spirit guide bonds are so strong that they generally (as far as I know) cannot or do not survive without their bonded person. I don't know if that goes for anybody with a bison/dragon/etc, or if it's just an Avatar thing. I have seen this trope in other media (notably Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series of books. In her books, dragons and riders had a telepathic bond that was established when the dragons hatched, and when a dragonrider died, the dragon almost always suicided in mourning. If a dragon died, it was VERY rare (like, it never happened, until that one extraordinary time it did) that the rider ever bonded with another dragon. Anyhoo, Fang chose to die with Roku rather than live without him.
It will never not make my heart hurt watching Roku die... he trusted Sozin to the very end 😢 Bittersweet how he was telling Aang about their story with a nostalgic smile on his face. He didn't harbor any grudge or anger, only profound sadness at how he lost his birthday twin and very best friend *sigh* RIP Roku & Fang 🔥
I love this episode and The Storm, how the story keeps pairing Aang and Zuko, and this is the episode that pays off that connection, that Zuko's great-grandfather was the previous Avatar.
It was invisible ink on the scroll - you can do the same thing with lemon juice. The heat from the lantern caused it to change colour, allowing it to be read.
I always thought Sokka saying they don't have bathrooms in the Spirit World was a joke. But when he escaped the spirit world in season 1, his first sentence was that he had to pee. So hes speaking from experience
What I like about this episode is not only the parallels between Aang and Zuko, not only how it parallels Sozin and Roku but also predecessor to successor. You can see a fair bit of shared struggles between what they feel is right, and how they rationalize on what they have to do. Zuko very easily could have gone the path Sozin did. As mentioned earlier, Sozin appears to struggle at least a little bit with his actions. Something you don't seem to see with later Fire Lords such as Azulon or Ozai. You could make the argument that if you do something bad, you may have issues committing to it. Yet those who follow and observe your practices won't think twice about it. Or maybe I'm just talking out of my ass
Another fun little detail I like is that when Zuko is talking to Iroh, the "camera" is always on Iroh's side of the bars. Iroh isn't the one in a cage. ZUKO is!
That is my biggest point in favor of each bending being more than just the element: Sozin expelling heat from the lava actually indicates “heat” bending, or energy.
Regarding the red light theory Ange has, I think it's more likely to be an ink that is only revealed with heat. A lot of invisible inks can only be seen when exposed to heat, and more of the text was revealed the longer it was on the flame, meaning the scroll was getting hotter. Just a guess, though.
a really, really good twist. it puts everything into perspective! also it kinda feels like zuko and aang are siblings or some type of relatives now. like, you feel like, "oh yeah these two are gonna be a good team and save the world" :)))
Man I just keep getting more and more excited each episode, I can’t believe we’re so close to the end!! Ever since episode from here on out is gold. Also, can’t wait for Korra!!!
Roku is Zukos great grandfather because if my memory serves correct, Zukos mother was basically taken from her home and forced to marry Ozai since she was Roku’s descendant. I can’t remember if it was Fire Lord Azulon, or Ozai himself that thought bringing “avatar blood” into the royal family would result in powerful kids. 🤷♂️was kinda right tho cuz Azula and Zuko are badass
There are secret messages that are revealed by shining UV light on it. However in this case I think it is more likely the message is revealed with heat since it stays after it is removed from the light. You can write messages with lemon juice that are invisible but become red/brown after some slight heat is applied. I think this is something similar.
i've watched this show many times but that was the first time i had considered Roku letting his wife go to get into the avatar state. it's amazing how deep this show is
Even though this might be consider a kids show this is why its consider one of the best writing of any cartoons. Its all set up so well and more importantly it doesn't take a left turn to mature things that much or make it more adult. I remember a friend of mine told me that all kids books people love and grow up with are all written by adults. Meaning that don't have to be game thrones type of writing to be just as important or as impactful. Sadly I think people seem to misunderstand this when writing meaningful stories.
Epic twist indeed. All episodes from now till the end will show you why The Last Airbender is considered among many people as the best show ever made. The best part of the series is beginning. :)
Iroh had connections in season 2 that helped him and Zuko escape the bounty hunters and get into Ba Sing Se, so he probably has connections to deliver messages from prison for him. Also keep in mind that Iroh has always been treated with respect everywhere he went, even Zhao had complete respect for him, so it's likely that people still respect him despite the Fire lord having declared him a traitor and maybe even someone in the prison staff is still willing to do favors for him. I don't think Iroh would allow anyone to try to break him out, given that he has lost his son and probably wouldn't want anyone else to risk their lives for him. But delivering a message that says that you need to learn about your gramps is so vague that even if it was intercepted it wouldn't indicate where it came from or get anyone in trouble.
Kinda unrelated. But I finished reading The Reckoning of Roku yesterday and it’s made me appreciate Roku so much more as an avatar, I recommend highly for anyone into books and avatar. My favorite one they’ve released so far.
If you pay attention, during Zuko’s and Iroh’s comversation, Zuko is the one that is shown behind bars. Implying that Zuko is the real one who is trapped/jailed
Roku absolutely could have left the island the moment the second volcano erupted. Everyone had already made it off the island, Roku was just trying to save their homes. He 1000% could have cut their possessional losses and survived.
That is not entirely accurate 1) He did not know they all made it out 2) even if the survivors made if off the island, they had rowboats and the water next to the volcano is still relatively hot 3) when the lava hits the water, it releases toxic gases such as Chlorine and superheated steam.
I dont think Iroh snuck out of prison cell to deliver that to Zuko+he would've had to get the scroll& ink to write that down. It would make MUCH MORE sense if the nice lady guard did it for him after her shift. AND if he did do all that himself, he would've had to have done it on her shift so she would've known about it and if she knew about it, she would've just done it herself instead of risking someone catching iroh or catching her guarding an empty cell.
EPIC TWIST! 🔥 Did not see that coming, but at the same time, it explains so much.
We finish Avatar next week over on Patreon for anyone wanting early access! www.patreon.com/carlie_and_ange
Watch "Moving" for next live action please ❤
ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM NEXT PLEASE!
are u gonna react to the legend of korra? its the next avatar after aang, you will love this show
Please do react on Wheel of time S1 and 2 and also to Avatar: Legend of Korra please🙏🙏
@@samyakbiraje500 yess the legend of korraaa
No wonder why Monk Gyatso cared so much for Aang. Aang was not just Gyatso's closest disciple, he was also literally a reincarnation of his old friend.
I wonder if that factored into the other monks' decision to send Aang away. Obviously, he already had a good relationship with Aang. But the added context of Gyatso's previous relationship with Roku as well, I wonder if they felt that was a deepening element to getting Aang away from him to keep Aang on the path and remain detached.
@@Buddyguard120 Unlikely. What I see is a clash between the methods to have the Avatar trained. This clash arose because Aang was told he is the Avatar way sooner than usual. Avatars are told about that at the age of 16, Aang was told at the age of 12.
Gyatso did not like that Aang was told this soon, but he understood the urgency. What I want to say is that this did not factor into the other monks' decision. But it did factor into the method Gyatso was using. This is just my opinion and I could be wrong.
@@ssjgoku276 I would say that's a fair way of sizing it up 👍
One of the best little filmmaking techinques in Zuko's fire nation arc, is that every time he is talking to Iroh the "camera" is framed in such a way as if Zuko was the one behind bars. Iroh might be in prison, but spiritually speaking he is still very much free, while Zuko is locked into his inner turmoil.
Also the prison bar was well used as a “divider” of Zuko’s two halves. The moment Iroh was saying your father’s grandfather was Firelord Sozin, the scene was showing Zuko’s side with the scar (you could say his antagonistic side, and the man who gave him the scar in the first place). Then when Iroh says your mother’s grandfather is Avatar Roku, the panning of the bar was used perfectly to cover his scar a d switch the viewpoint to show the non-scarred half of his face
Watched the series a couple times and never noticed that detail, amazing.
It's especially highlighted when the camera looks down on them.
Iroh is sitting peacefully, bathed in the light streaming down from above, but Zuko looks like he's behind the bars and he's shrouded in the darkness. Lot of nice little symbolism moments in that conversation.
@@shinryouzen for sure. The scar is a genius character design idea for Zuko's story. They use that kind of framing to highlight his good and bad halves a lot throught the series. It's simple, elegant and very effective visual story telling.
"WHAT TURMOIL" (sorry i couldn't help it)
My favourite part of this is that Iroh knew this, and he had been teaching Zuko the Avatar philosophies about balance back in book 2 as well. When he was teaching Zuko to deflect lightning he went over the nations and how they interact, and Zuko even calls it out as Avatar nonsense. Iroh's been playing the long con all along to get his nephew to become the best person he knows he can be.
Bruhhh😮 i wonder who was uncle iroh’s uncle iroh
15:49 funny theory in the fandom is that iroh assumed zuko would try to burn the message because of his temper, so he decided the secret message would be revealed by heat or fire😅
That's a fact not a theory
12:19 I'm sorry but Katara's lil smile after Sokka gives in is one of the cutest things I've seen in my life
I've never noticed it before and you're right it's so adorable 😂❤
So easy to miss too. I actually was so focused on Sokka in this interaction previously, that this is my first time seeing it. 😅
They secretly teased about Zukos
connection to the Avatar
at the end of Book 2,
when Zuko freed Appa and
afterwards is going through his fever dream.
He sees himself as Aang in his reflection,
obviously you guys saw but didn’t know what it meant. The writing in this show always leaves me in awe 👏🏽
I never caught it!!!!
Don’t forget the image of the dragons. Where he faces conflict with the Blue dragon, he faces conflict with the Image of Sozin and the resolve of the red Dragon was the Image of Roku.
“some friendships are so strong, they can even transcend lifetimes” 🔥
@@ryanrobinson7018 the first time i saw THAT scene i was tearing up big time hahahaha
Such a beautiful quote! Made me tear up a little lol
This line hits harder having watched the legend of Korra
@@MidnightSun-Gaming Yes! It's one of the many times that Korra goed HARD
I’m 31 and when I hear that line I think of my best friend who I’ve been friends with since kindergarten. I hope to see him in my next life as well
This is why this show is peak: it humanizes all its characters, even the ones you're not supposed to root for. No one is either all good or all bad. It feels like you're looking at people instead of fictional characters. In a Nickelodeon show! This show is seriously a gem.
Ik zuko is the obvious one here but I also really find their depiction of azula masterful. I simply love the way her character was written
This was the show's 'That Day' episode, this is where it all started, Aang needed to understand how the war started so he could be able to finish it, Zuko needed to understand the roots behind all his struggles, and the gang needed to have a firm confirmation that they don't have bathrooms in the spirit world.
These type of ep are always goated
Talk about a brilliant plot twist. No one saw it coming, yet it worked out perfectly and actually moved the story forward, rather than just being there to shock the audience. The more I rewatch ATLA, the more the writing impresses me
How did this move the story foward if i may ask? Unpopular opinion but i hated this plot twist because it kinda reads like a fanfic and an after thought. Moreover, zuko doesn't need to be related to the avatar to know this war is totally unjustified and he has been playing the wrong team all his life. It wierdly comes off as plot armor if you ask me. Like we need to look for ways to make zuko relevant to this plot cuz he's a fan favourite.
@@pare5108 In my opinion it works because we've always seen Zuko struggle between good and evil, and his destiny and Aang's has always been intertwined, with destiny being a pretty big theme in the show; part of it is laid out for you, but you gotta decide by yourself how you approach it. So if the Avatar was Zuko's destiny, he had to decide if he wanted to help or destroy Aang. And it moves the story forward because Zuko was miserable trying to fit in the mold of who he used to be, so he needed that push to leave that behind.
@@pabloc8808 Why bother to explain? Some people are just not able to enjoy the finer things in life.
Both the storyline writing as well as the dialogue are top tier.
i never noticed it till now but toph's line," can friendships last more than one lifetime?" hits so hard now!
Fun fact: Sud's design is reminiscent of the design Toph was originally going to have, before they switched it from a buff dude to a blind little girl.
Toph asking if friendships can last more than one lifetime got me real good 😭
4:06 Remember when sokka came back from the spirit world and was like "Like i really need to use the bathroom" 😂
Imagine being the new Iroh VA and the first lines you utter are this insane plot twist 😅 peak moment 😮💨
they were not his first lines though. Greg Baldwin already did a couple of lines in Book 2. I believe the earliest ones are when Iroh plays with the kids in Tales of Ba Sing Se.
You think he could be talkin about first in the episode?
@@cjjackson2423 Given the context of his statement (aka "imagine being the new Iroh VA") I'm gonna go with no, I don't think he could be talking about that.
@@kingofbudokai What? he could say that and then say whatever after 😭 you would think it's wrong because of how he started his sentence?😅
@@cjjackson2423 idk what logic makes you think he's talking about first in the episode but you do you i guess
I really like this "twist" in the whole storytelling.
Zuko is initially totally defined by his father actions, will, doing. Seeking revenge, seeking honor, pride and dignity.
And for a moment in the whole show we saw his mother. The kind, balance and contempt side that lack and the wound inside the grief.
But it's just a glimpse, because his father is present in everything. In battles, in war, in choice.
And here, they say "we covered in smoke something you never asked before : who were is mother ?"
And I like it, it's not coming from nowhere.
Roku is getting his own book this month about his early life!!! It’s a canon story, and it features a lot of familiar characters from this episode. Ahh I cannot wait
Is it a comic or with it actually be animated?
@@Austin.Kilgore neither it’s a legit book! Like with paragraphs and it’s 360 pages! And it’s canon too. Look into it it comes out tomorrow! It’s called the reckoning of Roku
Ooooh is it by F.C Yee?
I've fallen behind so much on those books (still at shadow of Kyoshi) but I think he did one about Yangchen as well, right?
They are so good btw!
4:07 this is so funny because when Sokka was taken by Heibai spirit Sokka came back and was like “I really gotta find a bathroom”
5:19 I also don’t know how true this is, but I heard Sud was supposed to be Aang’s earthbending teacher but when they created Toph they switched it up
Omg that's actually really funny. I wish I had picked up on Sokkas line when I watched it
Sud was *supposed* to be Toph, Toph didn’t replace him, Toph is him, they switched his character up for the sake of subversion but Sud is Toph’s early concept
The moment when Good boi Fang joins Roku in his ends always break me.
You can use lemon juice as invisible ink; when it's introduced to heat it shows up. Iroh could've used one of the fruits that they feed him to make it or he got the lady guard to do it (future episode reveals a nicer guard)
Serena Williams helped him out
Nah Roku's voice is too epic 🥵
4:05 I love that callback to when Sokka was trapped in the spirit world in Book 1.
That Toph line at the end hits different on rewatch 😢
Now you have to watch "the legend of korra" how it all ties together and comes full circle(not saying how or when), it a testament to the writer's true genius
Nah. Korra is mid af
Korra has very bad writing actually
Korra is great
Dont let the bozos dissuade you
I don't think Iroh personally sent the letter. Iroh was the heir to the Fire Nation crown before his brother took it from him, so he probably has many secret allies in the capital. There's also something revealed about something you've seen, later in the season.
15:05
Great-grandfather. A lot of reactors make this mistake for some reason.
Sozin -> Azulon -> Ozai
12:06 gave me chills, specially with TLOK
Remember that time Zuko had a nightmare where he looked exactly like Aang, the current Avatar?
Well... now look at that scene again with this context :P
This is definitely one of the best episodes of the show and one of my favorites! I just love all the backstory and then that amazing twist, which makes so much sense when it comes to Zuko. I'm glad y'all loved it. Fang being loyal 'til the end and dying with Roku, always makes me tear up. He and Appa are both bestest boys.
Man watching this reaction made me remember how great avatar is it’s really the goat of cartoons the story telling is insane and it keep getting better
One amazing piece of foreshadowing in this episode is shown through the little sparring match between Roku and Sozin, the way Sozin seemingly helps Roku from falling over, and then suddenly let's him go. It's just like the end of their story where it looks as though Sozin is saving Roku, but then leaves him to die. My mind blew when I realized this.
I love how Carlie, during the volcano scene, while Ange was thinking Sozin was about to die, she was like "I think it will be Roku instead." But her face was kinda lax and sad, and I was like "Does she just realize what she said?" But the twist still hit her hard too. 😁
That explains how powerful Azula is as she has too the blood of Sozin and Roku running in her veins....
This is my absolute favorite lore bomb ever! My kids and I watched ATLA together when it aired, and let me tell you, our flabbers were COMPLETELY gasted when we watched this episode! SO GOOD!
Yes, Fang was just blue because he was a spirit. He was a red dragon in life. He died with Roku. The spirit guide bonds are so strong that they generally (as far as I know) cannot or do not survive without their bonded person. I don't know if that goes for anybody with a bison/dragon/etc, or if it's just an Avatar thing.
I have seen this trope in other media (notably Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series of books. In her books, dragons and riders had a telepathic bond that was established when the dragons hatched, and when a dragonrider died, the dragon almost always suicided in mourning. If a dragon died, it was VERY rare (like, it never happened, until that one extraordinary time it did) that the rider ever bonded with another dragon.
Anyhoo, Fang chose to die with Roku rather than live without him.
It will never not make my heart hurt watching Roku die... he trusted Sozin to the very end 😢
Bittersweet how he was telling Aang about their story with a nostalgic smile on his face. He didn't harbor any grudge or anger, only profound sadness at how he lost his birthday twin and very best friend *sigh*
RIP Roku & Fang 🔥
Yes because of this episode, solidified Zuko as my all time favourite character ever written, his arc, his back story everything just chef kiss
This is actually in my top 10 favorite episodes in all of avatar. Such a great twist and a wonderful reveal to nail you with Zuko's struggle.
My fav episode. Always love seeing people react to it
My favourite part is dialog between Zuko and Iroh in prison. The angle of bars is set on Zuko, even tho Iroh is actually locked up. Love that
I love this episode and The Storm, how the story keeps pairing Aang and Zuko, and this is the episode that pays off that connection, that Zuko's great-grandfather was the previous Avatar.
The duality between Aang and Zuko ❤
I believe Iroh sent him the scroll through a White Lotus member
The female guard who cares for him from episode 10 is more likely the one who deliver the message
I believe Iroh broke out, delivered the scroll and broke back in to prison without anyone noticing. Because he is just soo goated like that.
So glad I found you guys, really enjoy your reactions and thoughts on the show!
"do you think friendships can last more than one life time"
BRB after crying
It was invisible ink on the scroll - you can do the same thing with lemon juice. The heat from the lantern caused it to change colour, allowing it to be read.
I always thought Sokka saying they don't have bathrooms in the Spirit World was a joke. But when he escaped the spirit world in season 1, his first sentence was that he had to pee. So hes speaking from experience
banger episode, the sozin/roku backstory could have been a standalone movie
such a great episode and backstory 🔥 thanks for the reaction gang ❤
This show really cares about its characters and it shows with this one
What I like about this episode is not only the parallels between Aang and Zuko, not only how it parallels Sozin and Roku but also predecessor to successor.
You can see a fair bit of shared struggles between what they feel is right, and how they rationalize on what they have to do. Zuko very easily could have gone the path Sozin did.
As mentioned earlier, Sozin appears to struggle at least a little bit with his actions. Something you don't seem to see with later Fire Lords such as Azulon or Ozai. You could make the argument that if you do something bad, you may have issues committing to it. Yet those who follow and observe your practices won't think twice about it.
Or maybe I'm just talking out of my ass
There’s no world where Fang would live on without Roku
This is my favourite ATLA episode. Absolute perfect storytelling.
This is my favorite episode to rewatch
The way Carlie had to brace herself for the twist is so real
This is such a great episode, and really sets Zuko up for the rest of the season nicely. That reveal is amazing.
Another fun little detail I like is that when Zuko is talking to Iroh, the "camera" is always on Iroh's side of the bars.
Iroh isn't the one in a cage.
ZUKO is!
That is my biggest point in favor of each bending being more than just the element: Sozin expelling heat from the lava actually indicates “heat” bending, or energy.
I love the quick callback to when Sokka was taken away by a spirit and came back needing the bathroom
Regarding the red light theory Ange has, I think it's more likely to be an ink that is only revealed with heat. A lot of invisible inks can only be seen when exposed to heat, and more of the text was revealed the longer it was on the flame, meaning the scroll was getting hotter. Just a guess, though.
Great timing on this episode, i started reading the Roku novel today!
One of my favorite episodes, and there are some more to come 🔥
This is the episode I wait for in every reaction I've watched
a really, really good twist. it puts everything into perspective! also it kinda feels like zuko and aang are siblings or some type of relatives now. like, you feel like, "oh yeah these two are gonna be a good team and save the world" :)))
Zuko finding out Roku is his great grandfather is one of the best reveals ever
Man I just keep getting more and more excited each episode, I can’t believe we’re so close to the end!! Ever since episode from here on out is gold. Also, can’t wait for Korra!!!
Great reaction!
What an episode!
IDK if you picked it up, but the scene where Zuko was portrayed as the one "imprisoned" instead of Iroh was so next level!!!!
This is the episode we realized that zuko was the main character all along.
Roku is Zukos great grandfather because if my memory serves correct, Zukos mother was basically taken from her home and forced to marry Ozai since she was Roku’s descendant. I can’t remember if it was Fire Lord Azulon, or Ozai himself that thought bringing “avatar blood” into the royal family would result in powerful kids. 🤷♂️was kinda right tho cuz Azula and Zuko are badass
Sud was original design for Toph. They kept her personality for him too (even though we didn't see much of him)
There are secret messages that are revealed by shining UV light on it. However in this case I think it is more likely the message is revealed with heat since it stays after it is removed from the light. You can write messages with lemon juice that are invisible but become red/brown after some slight heat is applied. I think this is something similar.
i've watched this show many times but that was the first time i had considered Roku letting his wife go to get into the avatar state. it's amazing how deep this show is
Gotta be one of the top episodes in the whole show
Both Aang and Zuko are Roku's redemption.
Even though this might be consider a kids show this is why its consider one of the best writing of any cartoons. Its all set up so well and more importantly it doesn't take a left turn to mature things that much or make it more adult. I remember a friend of mine told me that all kids books people love and grow up with are all written by adults. Meaning that don't have to be game thrones type of writing to be just as important or as impactful. Sadly I think people seem to misunderstand this when writing meaningful stories.
WHAT A TWIST
Epic twist indeed. All episodes from now till the end will show you why The Last Airbender is considered among many people as the best show ever made. The best part of the series is beginning. :)
one of the best twist
I always thought Iroh would have just got he White Lotus to deliver the message.
People use to theorize that the next avatar always looks like their past life love. And Roku's wife looks like Aang, and Korra looks like Katara.
Me: watches a reaction to a 20 year old episode that I've rewatched hundreds of times
Also me: Still gets chills at the end
Iroh had connections in season 2 that helped him and Zuko escape the bounty hunters and get into Ba Sing Se, so he probably has connections to deliver messages from prison for him.
Also keep in mind that Iroh has always been treated with respect everywhere he went, even Zhao had complete respect for him, so it's likely that people still respect him despite the Fire lord having declared him a traitor and maybe even someone in the prison staff is still willing to do favors for him.
I don't think Iroh would allow anyone to try to break him out, given that he has lost his son and probably wouldn't want anyone else to risk their lives for him. But delivering a message that says that you need to learn about your gramps is so vague that even if it was intercepted it wouldn't indicate where it came from or get anyone in trouble.
Sozin was 102 years old when he died, Roku was 70.
Kinda unrelated. But I finished reading The Reckoning of Roku yesterday and it’s made me appreciate Roku so much more as an avatar, I recommend highly for anyone into books and avatar. My favorite one they’ve released so far.
If you pay attention, during Zuko’s and Iroh’s comversation, Zuko is the one that is shown behind bars. Implying that Zuko is the real one who is trapped/jailed
Roku absolutely could have left the island the moment the second volcano erupted. Everyone had already made it off the island, Roku was just trying to save their homes. He 1000% could have cut their possessional losses and survived.
That is not entirely accurate
1) He did not know they all made it out
2) even if the survivors made if off the island, they had rowboats and the water next to the volcano is still relatively hot
3) when the lava hits the water, it releases toxic gases such as Chlorine and superheated steam.
Again with the double uploads 😊❤ appreciate it guys
I'm just now noticing the resemblance between young roku and zuko, the only physical trait he got from Sozin was his eyes.
Love the backstory
This is my favourite episode
Roku's dragon is read. It's just colored grey so you know they are in spirit form
I love you guys!
Ur right, fang is the blue spirit dragon. just blue cuz hes a spirit. Each avatar has an animal guide.
An avatars animal guide will always pass alongside their avatar 😢
This episode is like when Anakin turned against the Jedi and fought against obi wan in the third Star Wars movie
A DOUBLE UPLOAD AGAIN LETS GOO
The invisible ink was activated by the heat of the lamp
The Avatar franchise is so much about family, I am surprised Vin Diesel hasn't joined in.
I dont think Iroh snuck out of prison cell to deliver that to Zuko+he would've had to get the scroll& ink to write that down. It would make MUCH MORE sense if the nice lady guard did it for him after her shift. AND if he did do all that himself, he would've had to have done it on her shift so she would've known about it and if she knew about it, she would've just done it herself instead of risking someone catching iroh or catching her guarding an empty cell.