Aang can just fly now I guess, but he forgets in the second half of the episode when he gets hit by Zuko’s fireball. He straight up flies like Zaheer from Korra but I assume that’s not coming back.
I don't think he was flying. He was just falling, with style.
Watched the first episode of Netflix’s The Last Airbender. I have mixed feelings on it but overall I thought it was alright. Here are some q… moreuick thoughts. There’s some things I really liked and some things I really didn’t. The main cast is alright so far, though nothing has blown me away as of yet. The actors for Gyatso and Iroh are PERFECT. Th choreography is actually solid, but much of these scenes take place at night and I sometimes found it difficult to make out what was going on. I do like that they immediately display how deadly bending can actually be, particularly in the first 5 minutes of the episode which had a surprisingly brutal death scene. I also enjoyed how powerful they made airbenders feel with one being able to handle ten firebenders… uh for the most part. Earthbending however felt really weak, like it takes a lot of effort and strain to do anything. It comes off looking incredibly inconvenient and sluggish.
There’s a cou… [view original content]
Like others, I'm posting my own thoughts on Episode 1: Aang down below. I'm putting these down as I watch the episode:
I was half expecting them to make Sozin this generic, screaming, furious leader. Instead, his intro scene is short, but damn good. He just burns a man alive by touching him. Stoic, ruthless, efficient, and brutal, I love it.
That leads me to my next point: I do like the brutality that this show has. It's not blood and gore, but it's not afraid to be violent. Showing burns, injuries, screams of agony, and yes, even death. It's a good amount of dark, without being depressing.
Aang's reason for leaving pisses me off. In the show, they highlighted how much it impacted him. He talks about it with Katara, but they also do great at showing how it impacts him. He was ostracized, he was under a ton of pressure, he overheard that he was going to be taken away from his father figure. It all caused him to flee out of panic, because he had no other plan and was scared. It was an impulsive decision, but one that showed a relatable flaw. Here, it's played off more like he needed a mental health break. Less "My entire world is crumbling around me," and more "Ehh, I need a moment to clear my head." It feels less impactful and contrived, I was hoping it would be better than what I tell myself to procrastinate on doing a project at work.
On top of that, bravo, you completely ruined one of the best episodes in all of Avatar, The Storm, by showing Aang's portion of it here, with nothing to contrast it to, like they did with Zuko's backstory. That episode is damn near flawless because it showed how our hero and villain were affected by their circumstances, but chose different paths. It was our first real thought that maybe there was good in Zuko. Now, it was just Aang's backstory. I'm sure they'll do Zuko's story as well, but it works so much better to show the two side by side, not separate.
Action was really good. A lot of quick cuts, obviously to make it look better, but I found myself very entertained and impressed.
Southern Air Temple and the South Pole looks pretty good set-wise.
Maybe I'm being nitpicky, but Katara's first outburst at Sokka on the boat feels less of her arguing and defending herself, and more of acting like a rebellious, "ugh, whatever" brat. It was similar words used, but it just felt, off. Not sure I'm explaining it well.
Pacing a bit rushed in some parts. Aang being told he was the Avatar, Katara and Sokka in the aftermath of being stranded. The latter especially. In the original, they argued, Katara got mad, Sokka said something stupid, causing Aang to be discovered naturally. Here, it's crash, and immediately Katara is like "Whoa, what is that?" It was like she didn't even care that they were stranded, as if the plot was calling to her.
The music slaps. Seriously, it's great.
Sokka: "A bald kid comes out of the iceberg, what part of that makes you think we should bring him home?" Because you'd be leaving a child to die in the freezing cold you fucking psychopath.Seriously, what the fuck kind of logic was that?! Sokka acted like a dick to Aang in the beginning, but it was because he didn't trust him, and he never argued that he shouldn't be brought back, especially when he was still unconscious. Dude, Sokka came off like a murderous dick here.
Well, guess Appa's dead, just leaving him behind I guess. Shame, RIP Appa. JUSTICE FOR APPA!!!
Wait, there's a man in the village, why is there a man in the village? I thought they all went to fight and left Sokka on his own to defend it, causing his huge inferiority complex and his overcompensation in the show's early episodes. So we're not just getting rid of his sexism, but this as well.
I do love the acting from Zuko and Iroh already. First scene, I'm sold on them, and it captures their dynamic well, similarly to how their first couples scenes in the show did. However, anyone else feel the dialogue is way more...expositiony. I know they're trying to cram a lot in, but it feels like their characters are being spelled out to us more than they are being shown to us. Not saying the show was flawless in this regard, there were definitely times when they did this as well. It just feels very transparent here. Not bad, but not the most natural. In this one scene, we got Zuko dropping how he was banished, why he's searching, that he's the son of the Firelord, and Iroh not being the Firelord. All things that were balanced out in the show, instead of being given all at once.
Okay, I passed it off in the beginning, but I can't because he's doing it again...AANG IS FLYING!?!? What the hell?! When did he study from the great Guru Laghima? That is such an advanced form of spirituality and detachment that all but two people in the Avatar world had ever been able to achieve it. Even Aang, as young a master as he was, had never learned it, nor would he have considering his feelings for Katara. Here's he just flies, nonchalantly. I hate this, a lot.
Oh, okay, there's Appa. Felt weird to do that to him, and he's immediately flying, but okay I guess. JUSTICE FOR APPA!
No....no...no they did not just give that to fucking Gran Gran...oh my God they did. Made all the more worse by Gran Gran's actress being...less than stellar, let's call it. These lines work for an intro, but they just feel stupid in an actual conversation. No one talks like that.
Again, very expositiony. Holy fuck Gran Gran, what the hell are you doing to this poor kid. You just threw a ton of plot at him. Aang just mentions the Comet Festival, and she goes into a tirade of lore like a walking codex. I actually don't blame the actress for this, she got shit material to work with.
Wait, did they just say "asses?" Holy fuck, they're actually cursing in this show, nice.
Overall I do like the costumes and robes, it feels very authentic to the show. However, I miss the skull masks of the Fire Nation soldiers.
Katara: "The Fire Nation hunted down and slaughtered all of the water benders. Sokka hides me. He doesn't understand." Sounds like he understands plenty...expose yourself, you die. Got to agree with Sokka here.
While on the subject, I'm not liking how Katara is written so far. The actress is doing fine, but her attitude feels way off. Yes she was a fighter, and she fought for her right to fight. But it was always fighting out of necessity. It wasn't for herself, it was for others, to do the right thing. Here, it's more "I'm a fighter! I deserve to be more!" generic female empowerment/breaking patriarchy/warrior girl boss characterization. And yes, I am taking this more personally because Katara was by far my favorite character in the original show, and you're changing some of the fundamental aspects of her.
Katara in animated series: struggles with learning water bending for several episodes, but shows her progression and improvement through practice and hard word, while also showing her insecurities and flaws by lashing out over her inabilities. Katara here: One lesson, barely tries, immediate success. Oh man, really hoping there's more struggle as the series goes on. Same goes for Zuko. Iroh chides him for being undisciplined in the original, but here, he gets praise and says his form is flawless. Zuko was supposed to be the screw up, Azula was supposed to be the perfect prodigy.
Oh my God, seriously bitch, just shut the fuck up. I swear, Gran Gran is just some doom and gloom exposition dump who pops out of nowhere to be a creepy old woman. She's absolutely awful, it's funny. Seriously, I think Gran Gran in the movie is actually better. Sure she was an exposition dump too, but she had one scene. This one's got two.
Also, notice how there's like no bond at all between Aang and the other main characters. In the original, he had already played games with the kids, acted goofy and fun, went penguin sledding with Katara, and won the hearts of the young children. Here, one sort of lesson and a dour conversation, and that's it. No personality in their interactions. Everything feels empty. The Fire Nation is attacking, this is the moment Aang gives himself up, and reveals he's the Avatar. It was earned and well paced. Now, it's "You're the Avatar, aren't you, you little bitch" from Gran Gran.
Show: "I am Prince Zuko. Firstborn son of Fire Lord Ozai." Me: "BRING ME...ALL YOUR ELDERLY!" In all seriousness, I really do like the writing here with Zuko. Unlike the movie where he just comes barreling in and immediately starts threatening others, this one is much closer to the original.
(Avatar theme plays) FUCK YEAH!!!! LET'S GOOOOO! (also, where's Appa, he could be helping here. JUSTICE FOR APPA!!!)
I love this scene between Aang and Iroh. The first time we ever truly saw them interact with each other in conversation like this was, I believe, the S2 finale. I like the conversation itself, and how Iroh explains the justification of the war, while also showing, not telling, that this isn't what he himself believes. ("A noble sentiment Avatar. But in the end, for most of us, it doesn't matter how it started, but how it ends.") and then his look when Aang asks him directly. And of course, offering him tea, THIS is Uncle Iroh. I love it.
Also, I love the detail given to Zuko's desk in his room. The cartoon never really had much, but here, his walls and desk are cluttered with notes, maps, history, and journals. You can tell this is a man who has obsessed over this one objective for years, has looked under every possible rock he could find. It's stuff like this that I appreciate, great characterization through showing. And then later when it cuts back to him frantically drawing Aang and placing it on his wall, again, great job, and great acting.
You see, this is the problem with showing that Aang can fly on his own. If he can, why isn't he just doing it now to get off the ship? Also, now he needs his glider?
Yeah, no, Sokka's arm is broken. from catching a free falling Aang right out of the sky. Also, that's it, that's his escape? No epic display of him in the Avatar State?
Oh fuck you Katara! What did I say about her struggling and not being an immediate girl boss?
Okay, at least we get one epic display of Avatar State power. And I will say, especially here, the show is doing a great job of showing how powerful, and destructive, it can be. What I'm mixed on is Gyatso's words being what gets him out of it, and not Katara and Sokka. It just doesn't feel like their friendship is earned, but in the original, it was moment's like this between them that they made it feel real and genuine.
They are really trying to hammer in Katara as a fighter, huh? Again, yes, she was one, but that wasn't ALL she was. Katara feels more like Sokka, while Sokka, who is being protective and selfless to those around him, is almost acting more like Katara.
Okay good, end credits song is the same. I can't help but want to dance to it, it's just so awesome.
Overall, I'm feeling a 5/10. Not bad, not great. Some neat changes, some questionable ones. Action was largely good, and most of the acting. Writing and pacing struggles are what holds it back for the most part.
Watched the first episode of Netflix’s The Last Airbender. I have mixed feelings on it but overall I thought it was alright. Here are some q… moreuick thoughts. There’s some things I really liked and some things I really didn’t. The main cast is alright so far, though nothing has blown me away as of yet. The actors for Gyatso and Iroh are PERFECT. Th choreography is actually solid, but much of these scenes take place at night and I sometimes found it difficult to make out what was going on. I do like that they immediately display how deadly bending can actually be, particularly in the first 5 minutes of the episode which had a surprisingly brutal death scene. I also enjoyed how powerful they made airbenders feel with one being able to handle ten firebenders… uh for the most part. Earthbending however felt really weak, like it takes a lot of effort and strain to do anything. It comes off looking incredibly inconvenient and sluggish.
There’s a cou… [view original content]
Ok, the more I thought about the Netflix show, the more I feel like it missed the mark. It seems that only Aang and Zuko were the only developed characters in this version of the story. Katara and Sokka's arcs felt way too rushed and they didn't do enough for me to feel invested in their characters.
I should have also mentioned the show still managed to share the biggest mistake with the movie, which is EXPOSITION. Now I think it was a mistake to cram the story in just 8 episodes.
Of all the things they kept in, they really kept Jet.
Unpopular opinion, but the Jet episode is by far a worse episode than The Great Divide in the original series. They made them such obvious bad guys and everyone else was so stupid, outside of Sokka, to see it.
If they are going to do it here, I was hoping that they might do something different. But nah, same plot, same stupidity. And same cringy "romance" between him and Katara. Sokka was right, she wants to stop being treated like a kid, grow the hell up.
Halfway through Netflix's Avatar and I'm pretty much still on the it's alright train. Again, some things I like and others I don't, especially with some of the changes from the source material. I still really like Iroh, I think he's pretty much the best cast member so far, and he actually has some additions to his backstory that I actually really like! I'm also enjoying Zuko even if they've softened him a little. Katara unfortunately I find to be the weakest member of the main group. She has very little agency of her own and I find her overly soft spoken and unassertive. There's a couple moments where her original personality surfaces, but it's very few and far between.
There was a fairly big change in the first episode in regards to how Aang got Captain America'd that I didn't mention before, because I didn't think it'd be much of a big deal until the episode with the Kyoshi warriors which just has me wondering why on Earth they'd change it in the first place. Suki appears and honestly I think her actress did a good job with what she was given, unfortunately what she was given isn't entirely all that great, as I'm personally not a fan of making her thirst after Sokka. Bumi makes an appearance far he's the character with the most changes so far. He's still crazy, but he's far more serious and less happy go lucky than his animated counterpart, which I'm not entirely sure how to feel about. I kind of like how it's resolved, but Bumi being the way he is here makes things feel overly dour. Also his makeup is awful, it's incredibly obvious the actor's got prosthetic's on.
Spoilery complaints and praises
What was the point changing the reason why Aang flies off with Appa in the flashback? The story pretty much ignores that and just blames him for running away. Even Kyoshi, who should know what happened to him full on blamed him for the genocide of the airbenders and the firebenders taking over. Changing it from him running away to him just wanting to get a breather ends up becoming more of a detriment to the story and characters than if they hadn't touched it at all.
On another note Kyoshi looked GREAT!
Loved the flashback of Iroh at Lu Ten's funeral. Really emotional, especially with the orchestral version of Leaves from the Vine playing in the background
I also liked the expansion of Iroh's guilt with his involvement in the war and what his actions caused.
Bumi's change is one of these things that I'm not sure how I feel about. I do like some of the stuff that he says and argues during their fight, but everything before that was absolutely painful to see to a well liked character. I get what they were trying to do, but as a fan of the original, I don't like it because it is the opposite of who this character was, and even ignoring that, I don't really like it because the payoff just isn't worth it. That, along with the majority of changes, really just don't work. However, there is one change that I and almost everyone else in the fandom loves, and it makes so much sense. You'll know it when you see it.
Aang's reasoning makes no sense, especially since the show ignores it anyway. He went for a walk essentially, and they treat it like he runs away. But he didn't, not in this version. And even in the original, none of the Avatars shit on him for it. Like Katara tells him in the original, he would have just died with them had he stayed. I get Aang having survivor's guilt over it, but no one, let alone the other avatar's, should be rebuking him over it.
The Lu Ten funeral was sad enough. Then realizing they're playing Leaves From the Vine during it, and then later when Iroh comes onto Zuko's ship and he tells him that everything he needs is right here...fucking bawling. If there is one thing the show did phenomenal with, and it was imperative that they do so, it was Iroh and Zuko. Honestly, most of the Fire Nation stuff (minus Azula) was the best parts of the show.
Halfway through Netflix's Avatar and I'm pretty much still on the it's alright train. Again, some things I like and others I don't, especial… morely with some of the changes from the source material. I still really like Iroh, I think he's pretty much the best cast member so far, and he actually has some additions to his backstory that I actually really like! I'm also enjoying Zuko even if they've softened him a little. Katara unfortunately I find to be the weakest member of the main group. She has very little agency of her own and I find her overly soft spoken and unassertive. There's a couple moments where her original personality surfaces, but it's very few and far between.
There was a fairly big change in the first episode in regards to how Aang got Captain America'd that I didn't mention before, because I didn't think it'd be much of a big deal until the episode with the Kyoshi warriors which just has me wondering why on Earth they'd change … [view original content]
Finished the live action Avatar last night. I'm not going to post my whole thoughts because it would take too long. There's some stuff in here I REALLY like, and some stuff that I REALLY hate. The acting is a mixed bag, the best being Iroh, Zuko, Zhao, Ozai, and Sokka, and the weakest being Katara, Aang, Bumi, and Gran Gran. Though I think most of the bad acting is the fault of the writing and direction, not so much the actors.
The writing is abysmal at times, even during the best moments. The original did such a good job of showing, not telling, while this show, despite being more for adults, is a whole lot of telling. There's one moment where they literally tell us something, and in the next scene, hammer the exact same thing into our head again like we just forgot it. Which sucks because the scene in question is one of the best moments from the show.
Effects are good for the most part. There are times where you realize that this scene or this character is there because they're making a callback. Some of it works, but a lot doesn't. Outside of a few scenes and moments, it's a show that feels like it just doesn't have the spirit or heart of the original. I'm seeing these scenes and moments that should be getting to me, but it just feels off. But the scenes that do have heart...holy hell, they fucking nail it. It's either one of two extremes, either brilliant, or pointless.
Overall, I'd give it a 6/10. The Fire Nation stuff, acting, and set pieces really save the show's faults, such as its characters, writing, and storytelling.
Good changes: Seeing Lu Ten's funeral and Iroh coming aboard Zuko's ship (both with Leaves from the Vine playing), highlighting Ozai more and his manipulation and cunning (and that body, I'm not gay but hot damn), Zuko's crew being the unit that was going to be sacrificed, Zhao's character is mostly upgraded, references to some of the other material from spinoffs, comics, and novels
Bad changes: Bumi going from cooky, but wise king, to a dour, resentful, and corrupt leader, Azula not having blue fire except for one second, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee being included at all, Koh not stealing faces if you show emotion and changing from a morally grey spirit to just outright antagonist, Yue just appearing to Sokka randomly as a fox in the spirit world, Katara never getting trained, honestly Katara's character as a whole, and perhaps the biggest one of all, AANG DOESN'T FUCKING BEND A SINGLE DROP OF WATER!
So, I'm just gonna say what I think Netflix Avatar did better and worse than cartoon:
Better
* Iroh and Aang interacting with each other in more than just one conversation. As I said, it was kinda lacking in the cartoon, having only one in Book 2.
* June flirts with Iroh over vice-versa. I feel like one of the weakest points for Iroh in the cartoon is him being a complete perv and a little bit out-of-character. Simping over a lady who seemed to be in her 30's and I think the live-action made her age in 40's to make it less creepy. So June is no longer Iroh's favorite month.
* Ozai and Iroh actually being in scenes together.
* The death tone.
* Zuko doing research on finding the Avatar. Makes Zuko's obsession of finding the Avatar more accurate.
* Aang and Zuko having a conversation while escaping the Fire Nation army together.
* The 41st Division crew. More complexity and development between Zuko and his ship crew.
* Koh The Face Stealer has an actual villain arc rather than being an expositional character. Small but still good.
* The final fight between Zhao and Zuko.
* Avatar Kuruk gets a spotlight.
Worse
* Katara and Sokka (Mostly Katara) taking a huge backseat. Katara is lacking the motherly and anger traits, makes her less interesting and realistic. Sokka being less sexist is one thing but I think his love relationship were both very underwhelming, especially with Yue.
* Aang did NOT waterbend once. This entire book is literally about him learning water and he threw no splashes.
* Aang's motivation for leaving the Air Temple is garbage.
* Cutting out the Imprisoment episode. It may have not been a very important thing in the story but it was for Katara. If they are saving this one for Book 2, I might forgive them. But I doubt it.
* Bumi's entire arc. From a funny goofy guy who loves messing with people to a corrupt leader who is upset towards his best friend and forces him in teaching. Not to mention the horrible reunion.
* More tell, don't show than vice-versa. Shut the fuck up, Gran-Gran.
* The dialogue is very unnatural at times.
It's a shame that I think this show is mid at best because the cast is actually great and the producers did show care for the source material. It's just the entire script ruined the whole excitement.
I finished NATLA and overall I thought it was alright. Good, not great but with room for improvement. It's nowhere near as bad as the previous attempt at a live action adaption. The cast for the most part I think do a good job with what they were given, it's just that sometimes what they're given isn't very good. My favourites of the cast are Zuko and Iroh. Really great chemistry and they did a wonderful job with the more emotional moments of the show. Zhao the antagonist of the season is also fantastic, one of the more expanded characters on the show though the conclusion to his story is fairly anticlimactic in comparison to what happens in the original series.
The second half of the series I find to be better than the first as it stays more faithful to the original series. Some of the issues with the season becoming less and less prevalent, though the painful exposition still remains one of its greatest weaknesses. Aang is way too serious. He barely acts like a kid and rarely goofs around. He's on that rise and grind. Katara's original personality does pry its way out eventually, which I liked. Azula is barely reminiscent of her original character. She's fairly normal in comparison. She's overly serious and her playfulness just isn't there. It's gonna sound weird but I don't get the sense that's she's psychotic. It feels like they're leaving in room for her to be redeemed in some way. The same could be said for Ozai as well, he's definitely still not a good person, but it seems like they're trying to give him some sort of warmth when there shouldn't be any.
The CG is fairly mixed in quality. Some moments look great, some not so much. Except the spirit world, that just straight up look bad. The bending, in particular with water and air don't feel like they have a lot of weight or impact. You'll see a character get hit with a gust of air or a splash of water and be thrown 10 feet away, but it doesn't look or feel like they should. The CG characters overall I think are fairly well done, especially Koh the Face Stealer who looked really creepy and unsettling. Momo looks great, but severely lacks in screen time, to the point I would often forget he's even in the show. You could remove him and nothing in the show would change. I honestly think he has like a solid minute or two of total screen time.
I do hope the show gets renewed. Despite all its issues, the show could legitimately be great. Maybe not as good as the original series, but great nonetheless if they listen to the criticism and do some coarse correction with the biggest issues fans are having with the season.
Spoilers
Don't like them changing Zuko not wanting to fight his father, to instead losing the fight.
Also don't like Ozai actually seemingly having a modicum of care for Zuko and Azula.
Really liked the Masks episode, might actually be my favourite of the season.
Don't like June hitting on Iroh lol. It feels really weird, similar to what happened with Suki. In the showrunners quest to do away with the original shows "sexism", they actually managed to make it more sexist.
At least they didn't do away with the Northern Water Tribes sexism, and I think it's done fairly well.
What was the point of introducing a specific knife to kill the Moon Spirit lol. It comes out of nowhere and adds nothing to the show.
Not sure how I feel about Azula having masterminded the entire season the whole time with very little foreshadowing. Also she only has the blue fire for a split second. Why?
Zhao's death in this is so much more anti-climactic. He just gets hit with a fire blast from Iroh and dies.
Why doesn't Aang waterbend once throughout the entire season?
Also don't like Ozai actually seemingly having a modicum of care for Zuko and Azula.
That's what I was initially thinking as well, especially with how Ozai corrects Azula that it was Zuko that found the avatar, until you realize that he's just doing that to motivate Azula. He's manipulating her by saying these things to get the best out of her. Zhao pretty much says as such at the end (how he knows that I don't get, it was one of the few things the show was doing well with in showing, not telling before then). I do like how Ozai is portrayed here. I love what both show's did, but they are two different ones. The original's is portrayed more as looming dread, something to be fearful and terrified over, captured by Mark Hamill's menacing performance. Here, we see something different, one not based so much on fear, but cunning and manipulation. One is not necessarily better than the other, it's just two different approaches, and for what both were doing with them, they're both successful in their own way.
That's also why they had Zuko actually fight Ozai. Again, how it's done in the original works perfectly for what they were doing. And while I'll admit I hated it too at first, when I rewatched it, you can see that Ozai is not at full strength here. He's egging Zuko on, he even gives him an opening, a chance to take him down, but Zuko hesitates. Much like with a lot of what he does, Ozai is trying to teach him a lesson, that compassion is weakness, and wanted to see if he would take the opportunity when it was given. He didn't. Again, I think this is something that, while a change, it was a good one that goes for what this interpretation was trying to do.
Really liked the Masks episode, might actually be my favourite of the season.
Largely agree, but I will say the one thing I don't like about it is how they setup the Blue Spirit. Yes, we as fans of the original already know it's Zuko. But what the original did, which was very smart, was you had a scene where the Blue Spirit is watching Zhao in the very beginning of the episode, before Zuko is even introduced, making you think it could be someone else. It's a small, but clever misdirection. Here, it's soooooooo obvious. Iroh tells Zuko the avatar is lost, and then you have this masked person breaking in to free him. The setup just wasn't done right. Other than that, great episode, especially with what they reveal in regards to Zuko's crew.
What was the point of introducing a specific knife to kill the Moon Spirit lol. It comes out of nowhere and adds nothing to the show.
My guess, and this is validated by the random appearance of Wan Shi Tong, is that they aren't going to do the Spirit Library in S2, which was how Zhao figured out that the spirits take material form initially. In erasing that plotline, they had to come up with some other bullshit thing, and what we got was this weird moon thing where they take form and a special knife bullshit. This was also made worse because they moved Koh earlier and changed his role up completely. Which reminds me, why did they not just get Erik Todd Dellums to voice Koh again? I actually wasn't a huge fan of Takei as him. It's not like Dellums is busy or anything, The Dragon Prince has been squandering him by giving him like 3 lines a season lately, I'm sure he could have made the time.
Also she only has the blue fire for a split second. Why?
I got nothing, that pissed me off too. That was such a senseless change.
Why doesn't Aang waterbend once throughout the entire season?
Again, got nothing. This one is so baffling and mind-bendingly stupid. This just sets Aang back so much. But then again, they haven't fully fleshed out the timeline yet. The Fire Nation is still mapping when Sozin's Comet is supposed to return, so they're not even aware of the time crunch they're under. Even with that however, the fact that he doesn't take one look at the scroll, have one lesson with Pakku, or do one simple motion is one of the biggest "what the fuck are you doing" moments from the show.
I finished NATLA and overall I thought it was alright. Good, not great but with room for improvement. It's nowhere near as bad as the previo… moreus attempt at a live action adaption. The cast for the most part I think do a good job with what they were given, it's just that sometimes what they're given isn't very good. My favourites of the cast are Zuko and Iroh. Really great chemistry and they did a wonderful job with the more emotional moments of the show. Zhao the antagonist of the season is also fantastic, one of the more expanded characters on the show though the conclusion to his story is fairly anticlimactic in comparison to what happens in the original series.
The second half of the series I find to be better than the first as it stays more faithful to the original series. Some of the issues with the season becoming less and less prevalent, though the painful exposition still remains one of its greatest weaknesses. Aang is way too seriou… [view original content]
Don't like June hitting on Iroh lol. It feels really weird, similar to what happened with Suki. In the showrunners quest to do away with the original shows "sexism", they actually managed to make it more sexist.
I too did feel disgusted at first with June hitting on Iroh. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought it made more sense this way. Not that it bothered me personally, but it just seems weird to see Iroh flirting with June, when you compare this action with the character for the rest of the show. I mean, he literally pretended to be paralyzed just to have June sit on his belly, let alone not being concerned about his nephew being paralyzed.
If I'm not mistaken, June seems to be in her 30's in the cartoon, while in Netflix, she appears to be in her 40's. I do agree about Suki though. The relationship build up between her and Sokka felt too small and rushed. But with Yue, it was much worse IMO.
I finished NATLA and overall I thought it was alright. Good, not great but with room for improvement. It's nowhere near as bad as the previo… moreus attempt at a live action adaption. The cast for the most part I think do a good job with what they were given, it's just that sometimes what they're given isn't very good. My favourites of the cast are Zuko and Iroh. Really great chemistry and they did a wonderful job with the more emotional moments of the show. Zhao the antagonist of the season is also fantastic, one of the more expanded characters on the show though the conclusion to his story is fairly anticlimactic in comparison to what happens in the original series.
The second half of the series I find to be better than the first as it stays more faithful to the original series. Some of the issues with the season becoming less and less prevalent, though the painful exposition still remains one of its greatest weaknesses. Aang is way too seriou… [view original content]
Am I the only one who finds the Northen Air Temple episode of Avatar the most forgettable? The Great Divide may be the most disliked episode but it is still memorable for all its faults. But upon rewatching the show, I couldn't remember shit about the Nothern Air Temple and I'm probably still gonna forget it in the future. It doesn't do anything for me to love it or hate it. It's just there.
Recently, I was watching the trailer of the film "Dignity and Defiance: A Portrait of Mary Church Terrell" is a captivating and inspiring documentary that sheds light on the life and legacy of an influential figure in American history. Through compelling storytelling and archival footage, the film provides a nuanced portrayal of Mary Church Terrell, highlighting her unwavering commitment to civil rights and gender equality.
..... So I watched The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.
And I thought it was pretty good! It's great seeing Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira back as Rick and Michonne. The show has some of their best acting in the series, and their chemistry is as electric as ever. There's some new cast members as well who I think do a great job for the most part, especially the character of Nat who quickly became one of my favourite characters in the franchise. Jadis makes her expected return and she's actually good character this time. There's a certain tragedy to her that I enjoyed, though she still has that horrible haircut streak going on.
Of course there are some issues. The CRM and Civil Republic stuff is just fine. The characters in it are cool and so are the uniforms, but the organisations as a whole I just didn't find all that interesting. While Gimple-speak is kept to a minimum, it comes back in full force in the 5th episode to an almost painful degree. I could feel my eyes glazing over as the characters started waxing poetics and speaking like they're in some Shakespearean play. The following episode does away with that thankfully. Speaking of the finale, I did tear up but it did feel a bit rushed and way too clean cut.
Overall I'd say The Ones Who Live is a solid entry into the franchise. It's not as good as the Daryl Dixon series, but very enjoyable and concludes in a fairly satisfying way. Also it's just nice seeing these characters make their return and see them complete their stories, though I'm sure this isn't the last we'll see of them.
While Gimple-speak is kept to a minimum, it comes back in full force in the 5th episode to an almost painful degree. I could feel my eyes glazing over as the characters started waxing poetics and speaking like they're in some Shakespearean play. The following episode does away with that thankfully.
Which is weird because Gimple wrote Episode 6. Episode 5 was Gabriel Llanas and Matthew Negrete.
But I would largely agree with you. My favorite episode was by far Episode 4. Its pacing was great, the acting phenomenal, and the characters have some of their most human moments in the series. I was nervous going into that one because, I believe, it was the writing debut of Danai Gurira, Michonne's actress. She's a great actor, but that doesn't always lend itself to writing prowess. Holy fuck was I blown away! She absolutely nailed the writing here.
I did also like that this episode title, "What We," and the next episode title, "Become," form "What We Become," which was the episode in Season 10 where Michonne leaves to go find Rick. And the first three episode titles are "Years," "Gone," "Bye," a nod to the very first episode of the series and the first volume of the comics "Days Gone Bye."
Now all we need is, somehow, Daryl and Rick to have their reunion. I haven't watched the new Daryl series yet, but I believe he's in France, right? I saw a clip where Carol calls him and she says something over the radio but it's unclear, but it sounds like "Rick came back." If there is a scene of these two brothers finding each other again, I might actually cry.
EDIT: correction, Danai has written before, she's done multiple plays, including Eclipsed, which won multiple awards. So my apologies on that, this is her first time writing for television however.
..... So I watched The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.
And I thought it was pretty good! It's great seeing Andrew Lincoln and Danai … moreGurira back as Rick and Michonne. The show has some of their best acting in the series, and their chemistry is as electric as ever. There's some new cast members as well who I think do a great job for the most part, especially the character of Nat who quickly became one of my favourite characters in the franchise. Jadis makes her expected return and she's actually good character this time. There's a certain tragedy to her that I enjoyed, though she still has that horrible haircut streak going on.
Of course there are some issues. The CRM and Civil Republic stuff is just fine. The characters in it are cool and so are the uniforms, but the organisations as a whole I just didn't find all that interesting. While Gimple-speak is kept to a minimum, it comes back in full force in the 5th episode to an almost p… [view original content]
Which is weird because Gimple wrote Episode 6. Episode 5 was Gabriel Llanas and Matthew Negrete.
I can't believe Gimple was out Gimple'd.
My favorite episode was by far Episode 4. Its pacing was great, the acting phenomenal, and the characters have some of their most human moments in the series.
Agreed, absolutely loved it. Danai Gurira did a wonderful job breaking down the characters, everything they've been through and "what they've become." It felt really cathartic. Admittedly the helicopter and apartment stuff is a little convenient, but the rest of the episode was so good it becomes an easy thing to forgive.
I saw a clip where Carol calls him and she says something over the radio but it's unclear, but it sounds like "Rick came back." If there is a scene of these two brothers finding each other again, I might actually cry.
Gimple plans to have some sort of crossover event to bring everyone back together, so this is definitely happening at some point in the future.
While Gimple-speak is kept to a minimum, it comes back in full force in the 5th episode to an almost painful degree. I could feel my eyes gl… moreazing over as the characters started waxing poetics and speaking like they're in some Shakespearean play. The following episode does away with that thankfully.
Which is weird because Gimple wrote Episode 6. Episode 5 was Gabriel Llanas and Matthew Negrete.
But I would largely agree with you. My favorite episode was by far Episode 4. Its pacing was great, the acting phenomenal, and the characters have some of their most human moments in the series. I was nervous going into that one because, I believe, it was the writing debut of Danai Gurira, Michonne's actress. She's a great actor, but that doesn't always lend itself to writing prowess. Holy fuck was I blown away! She absolutely nailed the writing here.
I did also like that this episode title, "What We," and the next episode title, "Become,"… [view original content]
Comments
I don't think he was flying. He was just falling, with style.
Like others, I'm posting my own thoughts on Episode 1: Aang down below. I'm putting these down as I watch the episode:
Overall, I'm feeling a 5/10. Not bad, not great. Some neat changes, some questionable ones. Action was largely good, and most of the acting. Writing and pacing struggles are what holds it back for the most part.
Okay good, I wasn't the only one bothered by you know who doing you know what randomly, twice, in the episode.
Ok, the more I thought about the Netflix show, the more I feel like it missed the mark. It seems that only Aang and Zuko were the only developed characters in this version of the story. Katara and Sokka's arcs felt way too rushed and they didn't do enough for me to feel invested in their characters.
I should have also mentioned the show still managed to share the biggest mistake with the movie, which is EXPOSITION. Now I think it was a mistake to cram the story in just 8 episodes.
Of all the things they kept in, they really kept Jet.
Unpopular opinion, but the Jet episode is by far a worse episode than The Great Divide in the original series. They made them such obvious bad guys and everyone else was so stupid, outside of Sokka, to see it.
If they are going to do it here, I was hoping that they might do something different. But nah, same plot, same stupidity. And same cringy "romance" between him and Katara. Sokka was right, she wants to stop being treated like a kid, grow the hell up.
Once everyone here finishes the Netflix show, we should all talk about what it did better and worse than the cartoon.
Went to see Land Of Bad today.
Since I still have access to watch anything on Netflix for just a month, I figured its time to rewatch the Avatar cartoon.
Halfway through Netflix's Avatar and I'm pretty much still on the it's alright train. Again, some things I like and others I don't, especially with some of the changes from the source material. I still really like Iroh, I think he's pretty much the best cast member so far, and he actually has some additions to his backstory that I actually really like! I'm also enjoying Zuko even if they've softened him a little. Katara unfortunately I find to be the weakest member of the main group. She has very little agency of her own and I find her overly soft spoken and unassertive. There's a couple moments where her original personality surfaces, but it's very few and far between.
There was a fairly big change in the first episode in regards to how Aang got Captain America'd that I didn't mention before, because I didn't think it'd be much of a big deal until the episode with the Kyoshi warriors which just has me wondering why on Earth they'd change it in the first place. Suki appears and honestly I think her actress did a good job with what she was given, unfortunately what she was given isn't entirely all that great, as I'm personally not a fan of making her thirst after Sokka. Bumi makes an appearance far he's the character with the most changes so far. He's still crazy, but he's far more serious and less happy go lucky than his animated counterpart, which I'm not entirely sure how to feel about. I kind of like how it's resolved, but Bumi being the way he is here makes things feel overly dour. Also his makeup is awful, it's incredibly obvious the actor's got prosthetic's on.
Spoilery complaints and praises
What was the point changing the reason why Aang flies off with Appa in the flashback? The story pretty much ignores that and just blames him for running away. Even Kyoshi, who should know what happened to him full on blamed him for the genocide of the airbenders and the firebenders taking over. Changing it from him running away to him just wanting to get a breather ends up becoming more of a detriment to the story and characters than if they hadn't touched it at all.
On another note Kyoshi looked GREAT!
Loved the flashback of Iroh at Lu Ten's funeral. Really emotional, especially with the orchestral version of Leaves from the Vine playing in the background
I also liked the expansion of Iroh's guilt with his involvement in the war and what his actions caused.
Bumi's change is one of these things that I'm not sure how I feel about. I do like some of the stuff that he says and argues during their fight, but everything before that was absolutely painful to see to a well liked character. I get what they were trying to do, but as a fan of the original, I don't like it because it is the opposite of who this character was, and even ignoring that, I don't really like it because the payoff just isn't worth it. That, along with the majority of changes, really just don't work. However, there is one change that I and almost everyone else in the fandom loves, and it makes so much sense. You'll know it when you see it.
Aang's reasoning makes no sense, especially since the show ignores it anyway. He went for a walk essentially, and they treat it like he runs away. But he didn't, not in this version. And even in the original, none of the Avatars shit on him for it. Like Katara tells him in the original, he would have just died with them had he stayed. I get Aang having survivor's guilt over it, but no one, let alone the other avatar's, should be rebuking him over it.
The Lu Ten funeral was sad enough. Then realizing they're playing Leaves From the Vine during it, and then later when Iroh comes onto Zuko's ship and he tells him that everything he needs is right here...fucking bawling. If there is one thing the show did phenomenal with, and it was imperative that they do so, it was Iroh and Zuko. Honestly, most of the Fire Nation stuff (minus Azula) was the best parts of the show.
Finished the live action Avatar last night. I'm not going to post my whole thoughts because it would take too long. There's some stuff in here I REALLY like, and some stuff that I REALLY hate. The acting is a mixed bag, the best being Iroh, Zuko, Zhao, Ozai, and Sokka, and the weakest being Katara, Aang, Bumi, and Gran Gran. Though I think most of the bad acting is the fault of the writing and direction, not so much the actors.
The writing is abysmal at times, even during the best moments. The original did such a good job of showing, not telling, while this show, despite being more for adults, is a whole lot of telling. There's one moment where they literally tell us something, and in the next scene, hammer the exact same thing into our head again like we just forgot it. Which sucks because the scene in question is one of the best moments from the show.
Effects are good for the most part. There are times where you realize that this scene or this character is there because they're making a callback. Some of it works, but a lot doesn't. Outside of a few scenes and moments, it's a show that feels like it just doesn't have the spirit or heart of the original. I'm seeing these scenes and moments that should be getting to me, but it just feels off. But the scenes that do have heart...holy hell, they fucking nail it. It's either one of two extremes, either brilliant, or pointless.
Overall, I'd give it a 6/10. The Fire Nation stuff, acting, and set pieces really save the show's faults, such as its characters, writing, and storytelling.
Good changes: Seeing Lu Ten's funeral and Iroh coming aboard Zuko's ship (both with Leaves from the Vine playing), highlighting Ozai more and his manipulation and cunning (and that body, I'm not gay but hot damn), Zuko's crew being the unit that was going to be sacrificed, Zhao's character is mostly upgraded, references to some of the other material from spinoffs, comics, and novels
Bad changes: Bumi going from cooky, but wise king, to a dour, resentful, and corrupt leader, Azula not having blue fire except for one second, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee being included at all, Koh not stealing faces if you show emotion and changing from a morally grey spirit to just outright antagonist, Yue just appearing to Sokka randomly as a fox in the spirit world, Katara never getting trained, honestly Katara's character as a whole, and perhaps the biggest one of all, AANG DOESN'T FUCKING BEND A SINGLE DROP OF WATER!
So, I'm just gonna say what I think Netflix Avatar did better and worse than cartoon:
Better
* Iroh and Aang interacting with each other in more than just one conversation. As I said, it was kinda lacking in the cartoon, having only one in Book 2.
* June flirts with Iroh over vice-versa. I feel like one of the weakest points for Iroh in the cartoon is him being a complete perv and a little bit out-of-character. Simping over a lady who seemed to be in her 30's and I think the live-action made her age in 40's to make it less creepy. So June is no longer Iroh's favorite month.
* Ozai and Iroh actually being in scenes together.
* The death tone.
* Zuko doing research on finding the Avatar. Makes Zuko's obsession of finding the Avatar more accurate.
* Aang and Zuko having a conversation while escaping the Fire Nation army together.
* The 41st Division crew. More complexity and development between Zuko and his ship crew.
* Koh The Face Stealer has an actual villain arc rather than being an expositional character. Small but still good.
* The final fight between Zhao and Zuko.
* Avatar Kuruk gets a spotlight.
Worse
* Katara and Sokka (Mostly Katara) taking a huge backseat. Katara is lacking the motherly and anger traits, makes her less interesting and realistic. Sokka being less sexist is one thing but I think his love relationship were both very underwhelming, especially with Yue.
* Aang did NOT waterbend once. This entire book is literally about him learning water and he threw no splashes.
* Aang's motivation for leaving the Air Temple is garbage.
* Cutting out the Imprisoment episode. It may have not been a very important thing in the story but it was for Katara. If they are saving this one for Book 2, I might forgive them. But I doubt it.
* Bumi's entire arc. From a funny goofy guy who loves messing with people to a corrupt leader who is upset towards his best friend and forces him in teaching. Not to mention the horrible reunion.
* More tell, don't show than vice-versa. Shut the fuck up, Gran-Gran.
* The dialogue is very unnatural at times.
It's a shame that I think this show is mid at best because the cast is actually great and the producers did show care for the source material. It's just the entire script ruined the whole excitement.
I finished NATLA and overall I thought it was alright. Good, not great but with room for improvement. It's nowhere near as bad as the previous attempt at a live action adaption. The cast for the most part I think do a good job with what they were given, it's just that sometimes what they're given isn't very good. My favourites of the cast are Zuko and Iroh. Really great chemistry and they did a wonderful job with the more emotional moments of the show. Zhao the antagonist of the season is also fantastic, one of the more expanded characters on the show though the conclusion to his story is fairly anticlimactic in comparison to what happens in the original series.
The second half of the series I find to be better than the first as it stays more faithful to the original series. Some of the issues with the season becoming less and less prevalent, though the painful exposition still remains one of its greatest weaknesses. Aang is way too serious. He barely acts like a kid and rarely goofs around. He's on that rise and grind. Katara's original personality does pry its way out eventually, which I liked. Azula is barely reminiscent of her original character. She's fairly normal in comparison. She's overly serious and her playfulness just isn't there. It's gonna sound weird but I don't get the sense that's she's psychotic. It feels like they're leaving in room for her to be redeemed in some way. The same could be said for Ozai as well, he's definitely still not a good person, but it seems like they're trying to give him some sort of warmth when there shouldn't be any.
The CG is fairly mixed in quality. Some moments look great, some not so much. Except the spirit world, that just straight up look bad. The bending, in particular with water and air don't feel like they have a lot of weight or impact. You'll see a character get hit with a gust of air or a splash of water and be thrown 10 feet away, but it doesn't look or feel like they should. The CG characters overall I think are fairly well done, especially Koh the Face Stealer who looked really creepy and unsettling. Momo looks great, but severely lacks in screen time, to the point I would often forget he's even in the show. You could remove him and nothing in the show would change. I honestly think he has like a solid minute or two of total screen time.
I do hope the show gets renewed. Despite all its issues, the show could legitimately be great. Maybe not as good as the original series, but great nonetheless if they listen to the criticism and do some coarse correction with the biggest issues fans are having with the season.
Spoilers
Don't like them changing Zuko not wanting to fight his father, to instead losing the fight.
Also don't like Ozai actually seemingly having a modicum of care for Zuko and Azula.
Really liked the Masks episode, might actually be my favourite of the season.
Don't like June hitting on Iroh lol. It feels really weird, similar to what happened with Suki. In the showrunners quest to do away with the original shows "sexism", they actually managed to make it more sexist.
At least they didn't do away with the Northern Water Tribes sexism, and I think it's done fairly well.
What was the point of introducing a specific knife to kill the Moon Spirit lol. It comes out of nowhere and adds nothing to the show.
Not sure how I feel about Azula having masterminded the entire season the whole time with very little foreshadowing. Also she only has the blue fire for a split second. Why?
Zhao's death in this is so much more anti-climactic. He just gets hit with a fire blast from Iroh and dies.
Why doesn't Aang waterbend once throughout the entire season?
That's what I was initially thinking as well, especially with how Ozai corrects Azula that it was Zuko that found the avatar, until you realize that he's just doing that to motivate Azula. He's manipulating her by saying these things to get the best out of her. Zhao pretty much says as such at the end (how he knows that I don't get, it was one of the few things the show was doing well with in showing, not telling before then). I do like how Ozai is portrayed here. I love what both show's did, but they are two different ones. The original's is portrayed more as looming dread, something to be fearful and terrified over, captured by Mark Hamill's menacing performance. Here, we see something different, one not based so much on fear, but cunning and manipulation. One is not necessarily better than the other, it's just two different approaches, and for what both were doing with them, they're both successful in their own way.
That's also why they had Zuko actually fight Ozai. Again, how it's done in the original works perfectly for what they were doing. And while I'll admit I hated it too at first, when I rewatched it, you can see that Ozai is not at full strength here. He's egging Zuko on, he even gives him an opening, a chance to take him down, but Zuko hesitates. Much like with a lot of what he does, Ozai is trying to teach him a lesson, that compassion is weakness, and wanted to see if he would take the opportunity when it was given. He didn't. Again, I think this is something that, while a change, it was a good one that goes for what this interpretation was trying to do.
Largely agree, but I will say the one thing I don't like about it is how they setup the Blue Spirit. Yes, we as fans of the original already know it's Zuko. But what the original did, which was very smart, was you had a scene where the Blue Spirit is watching Zhao in the very beginning of the episode, before Zuko is even introduced, making you think it could be someone else. It's a small, but clever misdirection. Here, it's soooooooo obvious. Iroh tells Zuko the avatar is lost, and then you have this masked person breaking in to free him. The setup just wasn't done right. Other than that, great episode, especially with what they reveal in regards to Zuko's crew.
My guess, and this is validated by the random appearance of Wan Shi Tong, is that they aren't going to do the Spirit Library in S2, which was how Zhao figured out that the spirits take material form initially. In erasing that plotline, they had to come up with some other bullshit thing, and what we got was this weird moon thing where they take form and a special knife bullshit. This was also made worse because they moved Koh earlier and changed his role up completely. Which reminds me, why did they not just get Erik Todd Dellums to voice Koh again? I actually wasn't a huge fan of Takei as him. It's not like Dellums is busy or anything, The Dragon Prince has been squandering him by giving him like 3 lines a season lately, I'm sure he could have made the time.
I got nothing, that pissed me off too. That was such a senseless change.
Again, got nothing. This one is so baffling and mind-bendingly stupid. This just sets Aang back so much. But then again, they haven't fully fleshed out the timeline yet. The Fire Nation is still mapping when Sozin's Comet is supposed to return, so they're not even aware of the time crunch they're under. Even with that however, the fact that he doesn't take one look at the scroll, have one lesson with Pakku, or do one simple motion is one of the biggest "what the fuck are you doing" moments from the show.
I too did feel disgusted at first with June hitting on Iroh. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought it made more sense this way. Not that it bothered me personally, but it just seems weird to see Iroh flirting with June, when you compare this action with the character for the rest of the show. I mean, he literally pretended to be paralyzed just to have June sit on his belly, let alone not being concerned about his nephew being paralyzed.
If I'm not mistaken, June seems to be in her 30's in the cartoon, while in Netflix, she appears to be in her 40's. I do agree about Suki though. The relationship build up between her and Sokka felt too small and rushed. But with Yue, it was much worse IMO.
Went to see Imaginary yesterday.
Finished rebinging the Avatar cartoon and it's still a timeless masterclass. Even at its worst, it doesn't bore me at all.
I'm.....not impressed.
Am I the only one who finds the Northen Air Temple episode of Avatar the most forgettable? The Great Divide may be the most disliked episode but it is still memorable for all its faults. But upon rewatching the show, I couldn't remember shit about the Nothern Air Temple and I'm probably still gonna forget it in the future. It doesn't do anything for me to love it or hate it. It's just there.
Recently, I was watching the trailer of the film "Dignity and Defiance: A Portrait of Mary Church Terrell" is a captivating and inspiring documentary that sheds light on the life and legacy of an influential figure in American history. Through compelling storytelling and archival footage, the film provides a nuanced portrayal of Mary Church Terrell, highlighting her unwavering commitment to civil rights and gender equality.
They should’ve left it alone as it was (1994) The Crow and the graphic novel are better.
Saw Imaginary on opening day.
..... So I watched The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.
And I thought it was pretty good! It's great seeing Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira back as Rick and Michonne. The show has some of their best acting in the series, and their chemistry is as electric as ever. There's some new cast members as well who I think do a great job for the most part, especially the character of Nat who quickly became one of my favourite characters in the franchise. Jadis makes her expected return and she's actually good character this time. There's a certain tragedy to her that I enjoyed, though she still has that horrible haircut streak going on.
Of course there are some issues. The CRM and Civil Republic stuff is just fine. The characters in it are cool and so are the uniforms, but the organisations as a whole I just didn't find all that interesting. While Gimple-speak is kept to a minimum, it comes back in full force in the 5th episode to an almost painful degree. I could feel my eyes glazing over as the characters started waxing poetics and speaking like they're in some Shakespearean play. The following episode does away with that thankfully. Speaking of the finale, I did tear up but it did feel a bit rushed and way too clean cut.
Overall I'd say The Ones Who Live is a solid entry into the franchise. It's not as good as the Daryl Dixon series, but very enjoyable and concludes in a fairly satisfying way. Also it's just nice seeing these characters make their return and see them complete their stories, though I'm sure this isn't the last we'll see of them.
Just saw Abigail today.
Loved it.
I watched Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver.
This shit was ass
Which is weird because Gimple wrote Episode 6. Episode 5 was Gabriel Llanas and Matthew Negrete.
But I would largely agree with you. My favorite episode was by far Episode 4. Its pacing was great, the acting phenomenal, and the characters have some of their most human moments in the series. I was nervous going into that one because, I believe, it was the writing debut of Danai Gurira, Michonne's actress. She's a great actor, but that doesn't always lend itself to writing prowess. Holy fuck was I blown away! She absolutely nailed the writing here.
I did also like that this episode title, "What We," and the next episode title, "Become," form "What We Become," which was the episode in Season 10 where Michonne leaves to go find Rick. And the first three episode titles are "Years," "Gone," "Bye," a nod to the very first episode of the series and the first volume of the comics "Days Gone Bye."
Now all we need is, somehow, Daryl and Rick to have their reunion. I haven't watched the new Daryl series yet, but I believe he's in France, right? I saw a clip where Carol calls him and she says something over the radio but it's unclear, but it sounds like "Rick came back." If there is a scene of these two brothers finding each other again, I might actually cry.
EDIT: correction, Danai has written before, she's done multiple plays, including Eclipsed, which won multiple awards. So my apologies on that, this is her first time writing for television however.
I can't believe Gimple was out Gimple'd.
Agreed, absolutely loved it. Danai Gurira did a wonderful job breaking down the characters, everything they've been through and "what they've become." It felt really cathartic. Admittedly the helicopter and apartment stuff is a little convenient, but the rest of the episode was so good it becomes an easy thing to forgive.
Gimple plans to have some sort of crossover event to bring everyone back together, so this is definitely happening at some point in the future.