Why you should watch 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' - by Grace McDonough

Let’s be real: television is pretty dry right now. There are some exceptional shows here and there, but there’s a reason that we all collectively wait for the same programs to air instead of finding something new to watch. This issue is directly tied to the overproduction of mediocre television in order to fill up streaming platforms. Just scroll through Netflix once and you get the picture. There are thousands upon thousands of shows that you COULD watch, but choose not to. Instead, there’s a select few, the cream of the crop, the A-1 pieces of televised drama that people across the globe tune in for. It can be really hard to find something new, so that’s why I’m doing all of you, dear readers, a favor. Today, I’m introducing you to one of the best shows ever made. 

Don’t be confused, Avatar: The Last Airbender, (which I will now abbreviate as ATLA) is not the movie about blue people. Far from it. ATLA is a cartoon that premiered on Nickelodeon in 2005 and ended in 2008. The show ran for three seasons and was created and written by Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino. Here’s where a lot of potential viewers become skeptical. Nickelodeon? Cartoon? I totally understand the reluctance here. On the outside, ATLA seems like a show for kids, which is why people might be hesitant to give it a chance. If you are, then take a look at these numbers: IMDb gave the show a 9.2/10, which is staggeringly high praise from IMDb, considering they gave Friends, one of the most influential and popular T.V. programs ever made, an 8.9/10. Not only that, Rotten Tomatoes gave ATLA a 100% fresh rating!! That kind of positive reception for a show is extremely hard to garner, especially a program that’s often branded as ‘just for kid’s.’

‘Well, what’s so good about this show?’ you may be asking. I’ll give you a short synopsis. In the world of ATLA, there are four nations. The Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads, and the Fire Nation. Each of these realms contains people who can manipulate their respective element, or bend in the show’s terminology. However, there is one person who can master all four elements; the Avatar. For centuries, the world lived in harmony until suddenly, the Avatar disappeared. Without them, the Fire Nation rose to power, taking everything in their path and completely eradicating the Air Nomads. But there is hope. One day, a brother and sister from the Southern Water Tribe discovered a boy, frozen in an iceberg. He is the missing Avatar, and he must learn to control all four elements and stop the Fire Nation before it’s too late.

What I adore about ATLA is that the show is very well constructed. The world is so immersive and real. The Earth Kingdom is similar to China, the Fire Nation is culturally a lot like Japan, the Air Nomads resemble Tibetan monks, and the Water Tribe is representative of Inuit tribes. There’s a lot of politics in the show concerning these warring nations which I think is really, really cool. The show is unapologetically dark, too. What I think is interesting about television is that adults will watch cartoons like Family Guy, but since that show is explicit, it’s meant for adults. Other than that, animation is only for kids. ATLA is never explicit, but it illustrates some pretty intense themes without alienating any audience. There’s abuse, genocide, and mourning that the writers never shy away from and as a result, the show has a lot more substance than others airing on Nickelodeon. I guess a drawback of ATLA would be the comedy. There are funny parts, but the jokes are mostly aimed at the younger audience and that can sometimes be annoying. 

The parameters by which we define a ‘good’ show are different for everybody. I don’t expect any of the people reading this to go and watch the show after reading this, but I hope I get at least someone interested. ATLA is phenomenal in almost every aspect. The animation isn’t always great but when it matters, the art is jaw-droppingly beautiful. The characters are so easy to fall in love with, the music is stellar, the story will keep you on edge, and so on. I could talk forever about ATLA but I must end my blog post at some point. Next time you’re looking for something to watch on Netflix or Hulu or Amazon or HBO or… Sling (does anyone use Sling???) just remember one of the greatest works of television is out there, waiting for you to watch it. 

And for the LOVE OF GOD DO NOT WATCH THE MOVIE (looking at you, M. Night Shyamalan).

Aang and Appa