Two episodes. One post. Let's do this.
On
"The Serpent Pass":
-Such a happy, hopeful opening that pretty much clashes with everything before and after it. Mood whiplash, but it was a pretty deserved moment of respite for our heroes.
-Aang's inner turmoil and constant denial is pretty hard to watch. These are the moments you realize he's only a 12 years old boy dealing with being: a) the last surviving member of his entire culture, b) a sort of living relic of a bygone era and c) the destined savior of the world. AND he just lost not only his oldest and most trusted friend - Appa also was (together with Momo) the only tangible, living and breathing link to his extinct culture. It was something deeper and more powerful (and altogether painful) than "just" losing a friend. To him, it's pretty much desecrating what's left of the Air Nomads.
-Hey, it's the family that appeared at the start of "Zuko Alone", nice!
-HEY, IT'S SUKI! Long time no see. And she looks nice. I like her relationship with Sokka, they have an honest connection. She sees a side of Sokka probably few others get to see. Regarding Sokka - it's nice to see that the show hasn't constantly hammered the point of whatever happened between Sokka and Yue back in S1. It's understated and sort of organic, so when Sokka rejects Suki by moonlight, you just
know why.
-Toph drowning... THAT WAS CRUEL. At least we get a hilarious moment with Suki afterwards, lol.
-Zuko and Jet tag teaming, be still my beating heart!
-Katara has shown why she's a natural leader. While's she's sometimes bossy, overbearing and overprotective, those qualities in precise measures are
exactly what the group needed during those difficult times. And she's grown so much as a waterbender, it's great
-Aang's speech about letting go of hope was very dark for a "kid's show". Thankfully, he regained it by the end. That hug... :')
-CLIFFHANGER ENDING, ARGH.
On
"The Drill":
-What a way to end the previous episode and start this one... it's definitely a smart choice. Keeps the episode focused with every member contributing.
-Something I didn't mention on the previous one: Zuko and Uncle Iroh's travels to Ba Sing Se. I was
expecting both plots to come together by the end of "The Drill"... but no. Looks like I'll have to wait for that. It's not a bad thing, though, I'm quite interested in that particular storyline. Zuko's growth has been fascinating. And Uncle Iroh has, sadly, ruined everything with his undying love of tea. Oh, bitter irony...
-Man, the action coreography keeps surprising me. It's really fucking stellar. Aang/Azula over the Drill is obviously a highlight (and I fucking CHEERED when Aang managed to land the decisive shot at the last second), but Ty Lee's (<3) effortless dismantling of Team Terra was magnificent.
-Regarding Sokka, I love that he's the comic relief element of the group, but that doesn't mean he's a bumbling idiot. He has some brilliant ideas to be honest, and has to deal with being the only non-bender member of the group. The episode touched on that a bit, something I enjoyed... and in a very humorous, self-aware manner.
-TEAM AVATAR! BOOMERANG! FEARSOME FOURSOME!
-Azula remains a compelling villain. I still hate her guts, but she's compelling. And more Mai and Ty Lee is ALWAYS a good thing.
-All roads lead to Ba Sing Se, it seems. And I can't wait to see what's inside.
-As a general comment: this has been tonally similar to the 3 episodes that ended last season... but the stakes are higher. And there are MORE episodes. Love it. LOVE IT. It's all building up to a climax that I know won't disappoint.
