Because this is considered a two-part event, I’ve decided to cover them together. This will be a bit different from my pilot Spoiler Talk in that I will talk about each episode one at a time. This two-part event is formally called The Winter Solstice. Enjoy!

———————————–

Book 1: Water

Chapter 7

The Spirit World

WHAT HAPPENED?

A spirit, Heibai, is terrorizing an Earth Kingdom village in a blind rage. It has been kidnapping people and taking them away. Aang finds himself in the spirit world, and is approached by Avatar Roku’s spirit animal. He learns that he needs to talk to Roku on the solstice in the Fire Nation Avatar temple. Aang empathizes with Heibai and it leaves the village, freeing the people it took hostage. It is concluded that Aang needs to reach a temple in the Fire Nation in order to commune with Avatar Roku. On the flipside, Zuko leaves Iroh to bathe in a hot spring, but he is captured by an earthbending patrol. After trying to escape by burning one of them, they try to incapacitate him. Iroh is saved by Zuko, they fight the earthbenders, and they win.

WHAT TO TAKE AWAY

Aang has no idea what he has to do as the Avatar, and this is supposed to give him a glimpse of the spirit world and its creatures. As the Avatar, Aang is the bridge between the spirit world and the real world, which makes the solstice very interesting. During a solstice, the lines between the two worlds are blurred and both worlds merge for a time, so to speak. The villagers are worried what Heibai will do when the solstice arrives, but it’s already been destroying their village without the need of a solstice. Why don’t the villagers just leave until the solstice is over? And why did Heibai only take one villager over the span of three nights?

Imma firin’ mah… oh wait…

I understand that the problem won’t be fixed, but they don’t need to stay where the spirit has a higher chance of kidnapping or killing them. It’s not clear if the spirit would follow them, but it’s worth a shot. Also, I know younger people have a higher chance for impulsive behavior, but Sokka’s actions are just stupid. At this point in the series, I would be okay if he was killed off because what he did was that STUPID. Heibai has been terrorizing the village for three nights, and it takes a person every night. It’s been made clear that only the Avatar is capable of resolving such a delicate situation. I had no sympathy when Sokka was taken and I had hoped when I first saw the episode that he was gone for good. Aang placates the spirit by giving him an acorn. As simple a solution as it is, it’s a symbol of hope that the forest will grow back. Actually, it’s more of a guarantee since acorns will take root and become trees someday.

I missed the concert…

Also, I understand that his transportation to the spirit world was accidental, but why does Aang have his staff in the spirit world? It’s not a part of him, so why is he shown to have it when he has left his body? And how did his body get positioned on top of the bear statue when we saw that he passed out on the ground in front of it when chasing Sokka? Moving to the other side of the story; how did the earthbenders troops know EXACTLY who Iroh is? Have they seen him before? I think it would be nice if we got exposition with explanation as to how certain characters know certain things. I also wish the show would explain other things that need explaining.

NOOOOO!

For example, how can Iroh see Aang and the dragon spirit flying above them when they are in the spirit world? Does he have some power that we don’t know about? That will be explained later, right? I do enjoy Iroh in this episode because he is so clever in trying to escape. Luckily, Zuko forgoes his need to capture the Avatar to help his uncle. Once again, we come to another moment where Zuko grows as a likable, but complicated character. He sees Appa, but chooses to follow his uncle’s trail in the hopes of finding Iroh.

I feel sorry for them!

———————————————

Book 1: Water

Chapter 8

Avatar Roku

WHAT HAPPENED?

The group, with Zuko hot on their trail, reach the Fire Nation before the Winter Solstice ends. Both are fired upon by Commander Zhao and his blockade, but he decides to let them pass and attempts to capture them both. The group reach the temple, but are attacked by the Fire Sages. One of the sages helps them to the Avatar’s chamber, but they fail to open it when Zuko arrives. Zhao arrives to arrest them all, but Aang manages to slip inside the chamber before it closes.

Can we get rid of the smoke machine, please?

Aang finally communes with Roku to receive his warning about the return of Sozin’s Comet. When it arrives in the summer, the Fire Nation will use its power to finish their conquest of the world. Roku tells Aang that he needs to master each bending discipline and defeat the Firelord before then. With Roku’s help, the group escapes.

WHAT TO TAKE AWAY

I honestly don’t have much criticism about this episode until more than halfway through it. Sokka proved that he’s more than a warrior, but a strategist, as well. Even when his bombs didn’t work, he got the idea to let the sages think that Aang was inside. This tricked them into opening the sanctuary so he could enter. However, wouldn’t they know that the doors wouldn’t reopen until the end of the solstice? They are the keepers of the temple and its traditions, so why wouldn’t they know that?

Is it nap time? It Depends!

Actually, I thought it was too convenient that Zhao just happens to be in command of the Fire Navy Blockade on the Winter Solstice. Later, when Zhao’s men try to open the doors to the chamber, the sages say that Avatar Roku doesn’t ‘want’ them to come in. So, not only can the doors not be opened by less than five firebenders, but spirits can lock doors? I guess this is par for the course since Heibai could take physical form and wreck buildings, but still. And now we come to the driving force of what Aang needs to do. Sozin’s Comet will return by the end of the summer and make the firebenders more powerful. They’ll use that power to end the war, which is urgency enough for Aang to want to defeat Firelord Ozai before it arrives.

Fiery muscles!

But how does the comet make the firebenders more powerful? I know that the moon pushes and pulls the tides, and that such magnetism keeps the oceans from flooding the lands. It can be said that such force is what gives the waterbenders their power, but firebenders get more powerful because of a comet? You know… a force not of this earth?

Spirit Bomb!

This concept, as well as the origins of all bending will be explored later, but I think it’s interesting how a comet (a force not of this earth) increases firebending power. Aang has to master all four bending disciplines before the comet arrives, which just ups the tension. Roku says that if the firebenders are allowed to use the comet’s power on the world, even the Avatar won’t be able to restore balance. But why would that be the case? Is it just because there will be more destruction? There is nothing to suggest that the firebenders will come up with a plan that will destroy everything. Does Roku know the Firelord’s plan? Why doesn’t he tell Aang? If there is no set plan for the Fire Nation to use the comet, why can’t Aang wait until the comet passes? For now, I’m going to say that it has to happen this way because it’s in the script. Aang needs to defeat the Firelord before the comet arrives because there’s no telling how they will use its power. That’s all Roku had to say! And Shi-yu says that Roku plans to destroy the temple, but there is no way he could know that. Can this show stop introducing characters that know more than the audience does without explaining how they know these things?

How about Zhao imprisoning all the sages as traitors instead of just the one? They’ll probably be taken before the Firelord and sentenced to life in jail. Or be put to death. Either way, we’ll never see them again. Thanks, Zhao! Other than that, the episode was a good change of pace because the team now has a time limit to save the world. Aang will have to train hard to master the four bending disciplines, but will he do it in time? We’ll keep going as the team comes across the Waterbending Scroll.

If you want to discuss this show, stop by our dedicated discussion thread on this show!