ATLA Rewatch Episodes 2x16 & 2x17 Reaction

It's my least favorite episode overall. It's not like it's bad, it's actually really well done, but it's just painful to get through, I dread it every time.

kingafreund

I think the Jet-Katara relationship nicely sets up the dynamic between her and Zuko. She’s betrayed and hurt by both but comes to accept and trust them again.

You know what I recognize this time watching? Uncle Iroh heat up his tea is the reason they find Appa. Thats crazy

Haha ok that's good. I guess there's something to be said for consistency

Alex G

That's a nice way to think about it. I find myself wanting to believe that he has the chance to show some goodness before he dies

Alex G

That's interesting. I can think of a few things in common those three episodes have: - extra focus on animals, or animal fights - less story-relevant dialogue - less or weaker than usual full-group dynamics

Alex G

Understandable :) Too bad the hoop wasn't on fire

Alex G

That's true, an entire city built on lies has gotta be exhausting. Even without Toph-like powers

Alex G

Lol that's a good point. Very insightful from Long Feng

Alex G

I think that's a really great way of looking at Jet. My first watch I immediately thought there would be a bigger connection between them. And thinking about it more, they are a lot a like in key ways, and maybe one of the biggest differences between them is that Zuko had guidance.

Alex G

I love the Joo Dee focus :) Yeah I think the scene at the party where her world comes crashing down captures the panic and tragedy of it all really well. For the gang it's just another day of bad-blending-in shenanigans, for Joo Dee it's her life at stake. And I agree, though it's probably not this cartoonish form of Lake Laogai hypnotism, her position and the stakes for her are real things.

Alex G

Also Alex, I find it endearing that you repeat your commentary often. It is a sign that you aren't talking out your ass hahaha.

Sam B

I feel like the "brain washed" Jett is the real Jett. The Jett that is unfettered from the hatred his circumstances have forced upon him. The Jett that is good, the Jett that empathizes unconditionally. I feel that before his "death" he recognizes that. That Jett is what he has always been aiming for, but has missed the mark so many times in the past due to the fog of hatred.

Sam B

if aang found appa then nothing would stop team avatar from rushing the earth kings palace (like they later do) and THAT is was upset the balance

R'Mani Leavell

call me heartless but this episode as well as tales of ba sing se are the two episodes hardest for me to get through during my rewatch. idk why but its hard for me to get into it. Even more so than the great divide

R'Mani Leavell

This is actually my third time whatching Appa's Lost Days, even though I've rewatched the series a lot, and man, thank you for the hoop hitting the head. That was the relief I nedded hahahahha amazing.

Raysa Fonseca

"Who ISN'T Sokka's girlfriend in this show?" Y'know, I'm gonna go ahead and say Katara. I just don't see that happening, for some reason... Also, it's just hit me why Toph probably hates Ba Sing Se so much. Her parents must have taken her there a lot when she was younger, but still keeping her secret from the public. So she's hidden away, feeling the lies of everyone around her through her earthbending, but not knowing what the truth is because she was literally kept away from it. That must have been SO frustrating. No wonder she hates authority, too! FUCK Ba Sing Se! XD

Jamie Morgan

I really love the talk Iroh has with Zuko at the lake. It feels like the first time he’s really angry and lost his patience with zuko. He calls him out on his biggest weakness, not thinking things through. And he brings up how he legit would’ve frozen to death at the North Pole had Aang and his friends now helped him, and he responds with a very childish “I would’ve thought of something” when he legit just had no hope of ever walking out of the North Pole with Aang causally on his back. And as for Aang getting Appa back disrupting the balance of the city, Appa is basically his insurance that Aang will behave himself, the groups reason for going to the city was to tell everyone about the eclipse invasion and get the earth kings support. Which is why next episode the first thing they do after getting Appa is legit attack the palace to get to the earth king lol

Kollie123

RIP Jet. Your death was very unclear. I like to think of Jet as a what-if for Zuko as I rewatch this show again and again. What if Zuko never learned from his experiences? What if he never had Iroh to guide him? Funny thing here: this is the first time he speaks while wearing the Blue Spirit mask as far as I can tell. It's another sign that the two sides are becoming one. I absolutely LOVED your replaying of the hoop hitting the trainer guy; well deserved. Great reaction, and I'll see you for the next one!

A Suresh

Fun fact about Appa's Lost Days: It won an award from the Humane Society. Joo Dee is a character I feel incredibly terrible for and is also more complex than it comes off. Everyone always hates her right off the bat and even after the brainwash reveal, people still act like she's so horrible. She's really just a victim of the Earth Kingdom's corrupt society. Even when she's falling out of the brainwashing trance, she doesn't try to like run away or fight her position but instead is so deeply messed up that she's just overwhelmed by the idea that she's doing a terrible job in keeping Aang and the kids in line, and is inadequate because of it. I'm curious as to how they select their candidates for the Joo Dee positions but I'd bet it's just working class women trying to create lives for themselves who get exploited. It's something that I think actually happens in real life, it's just the brainwashing isn't so magical and cartoonish, and it's not just reserved for women in police states.

Alex Begley

Oof that bit about Jet being killed by the Earth Kingdom hit me bad (good). I hadn't considered the child abuse idea. But that's interesting because I WAS wondering what the point of that kid and his jerk father (brother?) was.

Alex G

That's a good point, the music is really well done. Joo Dee's smile combined with that riff - perfection

Alex G

Yeah it's very effective at what it does: emotion. The payoff makes it worth it, but we gotta wait 1 whole episode later :)

Alex G

"When there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire." I don't know what that means, I just heard it in a song once and it seemed appropriate here.

Alex G

"If you don't behave yourself, you'll regret it." exact same words said by both the nice boy's father and the circus guy. I think ultimately what it comes down to is that these people want someone to control. So we don't just see the animal abuse, we see a glimpse of child abuse in a show aimed at children?? Interesting thing to consider. Hoop to the head replay did feel good lmao To explain: I think if the Gaang finds Appa, that'll make it easier for them to tell the King about the war and get his support. Because as we see, they're able to move quickly by air and can reach the outer wall so the King can see the drill. I mean this could all be a stretch, but that's what I'm thinking off the top of my head. There's never really a good reason for anyone like Jet to die, but the irony is that he's killed by the Earth Kingdom when he was so obsessed with the Fire Nation's evil.

Kotryna

Oh, you like head biting huh? Boy do I have the show for you lol. Kinda wild to go from the AoT reaction to the ATLA rewatch. Talk about tonal whiplash. Good stuff all around though. I think the music is responsible for a lot of why Ba Sing Se feels so creepy. That little Dai Li jingle that always plays is so sinister and manages to convey a lot of the implied horror of what they do that they can't necessarily explore too explicitly in the show.

Thai M

I would agree with you that it definitely isnt a /fun/ episode, but I would say it's still a very /good/ episode. It's absolutely gut-wrenching what Appa goes through, and that makes it all the sweeter and more cathartic when they finally reunite. It's painful and hard to watch, but it does an excellent job of making you feel that way.

Jupiterninja

I mean tbh they keep it pretty ambiguous in Korra as well. The shot fully cuts away after the metal gets wrapped around Pli's head so we see as much as we see here with Jet. The Season One finale Murder-Suicide on the other hand, no cutaway there. Now that is a change in tone lmao.

benj

Love how they started the season with cutting the top knot and ended it by cutting the blue spirit. So cool symbols

hays collins

Love how you go from an ambiguous death for Jet in Avatar to Season 3 finale in Korra. Freaking heads getting blown off hahaha

hays collins

I swear irohs speech to Zuko gives me chills EVERYTIME. Amazing VAing from Mako

hays collins

You replaying that moment over and over was so goddamn cathartic

Jupiterninja

Yeah def agree, Im someone who really loves the episode and my favorite parts by far are the flashbacks where we see baby Appa cuddling with his mother, meeting Aang for the first time, playing with his siblings, and the cut back to Aang saying "We'll always be together!.....always..." makes me cry tears of joy everytime.

benj

This time around I was just happy he didn't get stung by the bees. It could have been worse (and he got some honey). The rest is suffering. Sometimes I fantasize about doing a joke video where I turn the hype up to 10,000 for effect. But then part of me worries that people will like that better and the joke will be on me lmao

Alex G

I would like to say a little defense for Appa’s Lost Days. I believe the reason people like it so much is because it was really the first time where Appa himself felt like more than an object to get the group place to place. Throughout the episode, everything is shown, not told and I think it’s a beautiful way of storytelling. Yes it is horrible to watch these things happen to Appa, but knowing things like this happen in real life make this actually a very important episode for young kids and even adults to see. You’d be amazed at how many people still think animals have no real bond or emotion. The horrible things that happen to Appa, are merely a tool to show how important Aang really is in their relationship. Without Aang, Appa falls apart. Tho I hate that people hyped it up for you in the comments, I can’t stand when people do that.

Alec Campo

Appa’s lost days is literally just 25 minutes of torturous suffering and pain. Time to watch for the 500th time! (I totally don’t hate myself...) Also, yeah its kinda sad that crying in a thumbnail will get literally THOUSANDS more ppl to be interested in a reaction, even though crying on its own is not at all something that makes a reaction better or more interesting, at least for me. I watch reactions for insight, original opinions that are different than my own, and yes some emotional/vocal responses. I feel Im in the minority in this where most of the reactor watching community are actually quite shallow in what they want to see, but because you don’t cry that much or scream/over react to things the community you’ve built here is made up mostly of people who actually care about the content of the reaction.

benj

LOL yeah that too. But Appa's Lost Days stands out in my mind as the most frequent "just wait until..." episode.

Alex G

Did u get a bunch of comments about the puppetmaster episode too? It seems like every reactor I’ve watched has mentioned how many people won’t shut up about that episode in the comments lol

Soren Monroe