The joke with Aang in the crazy armor was included because the marketing team at Nickelodeon tried to convince Mike and Brian (the showrunners) that Aang needed some cool armor so that they could make better action figures of him that kids would want to buy. Suffice to say, they didn’t take their suggestion seriously at all lol

Sokka is such an interesting character. How often do you see the goofy butt-of-the-joke comic relief character ALSO be the universally recognized leader and master strategist of the group? Like on paper it shouldn't work, but between the writing and the performance, it just ... does

@andrewjuby6339

8 ай бұрын

I think it's because of Aang. Traditionally, a character as central as the Avatar would be the leader and strategist. By making him this young, irreverent boy still finding his way the writers have given the rest of the cast space to grow and become notable in their own respect.

@nicholaswilkerson4394

8 ай бұрын

I think that's one of my favorite parts of Sokkas story. They poke fun at him in season 1 when he says he's the leader. But.... he really is. He always was.

I love how "the headband" and "the painted lady" show how the war is also destroying the fire nation

@gazelle_diamond9768

8 ай бұрын

Except that this is literally the ONLY town in the entire fire nation that suffers from the war.

@cosmiclevi5274

8 ай бұрын

​@@gazelle_diamond9768 except that we dont even get to see every town in the entire fire nation

@gazelle_diamond9768

8 ай бұрын

@@cosmiclevi5274 No, but we see multiple, and of the five we saw (seven if you include Ember Island and the capital) only one had problems like this.

@de.n30

8 ай бұрын

This is such a valid point. Everyone, but the richest and most powerful, are obviously also victims of the war. Some in a more direct way, with the river being polluted, some having their children brainwashed into thinking the fire lord is righteous. But pretty much everyone that is not a psycho is suffering the consequences. Even Iroh, having his son killed in battle, or Zuko losing his mother. Tay Lee, being pretty much forced into fighting, May almost losing her baby brother. Every fire nation citizen is living under a violent dictatorship. And honestly, if it aired in HBO instead of Nickelodeon, there would be PLENTY MORE DEATHS.

@primary2630

8 ай бұрын

fair but you still see that life isn't perfect there like kids aren't even allowed to dance and there's a portrait of the fire lord in every classroom like it's north korea@@gazelle_diamond9768

The scene in Sokka's Master where he first meets Piandao is a great example of how far he's come. Season 1 Sokka would never have talked about himself in such a humble way.

@Sleawzor

9 ай бұрын

I think you're right, although let's not forget that it was in like episode 3 of the show that Sokka (after getting his butt handed to him a few times) was willing to bow his head to the Kyoshi warriors and humbly request for their training, which is actually kind of similar to what we see here! I guess we can see the growth in that this time, Sokka was humble from the start, without first needing to get his ego tripped up like he did back then ^^

@hemmojito

6 ай бұрын

Love the subtle decorative lion turtle stones in the garden.

@Ramonsalazar_4.8

2 ай бұрын

​@@SleawzoryOU aRE rigHT

Fun fact. Master Pian was another soldier who deserted the Fire Nation army. They sent a hundred soldiers after him. None came back. They left him alone after that.

@jeffreyboyer3714

9 ай бұрын

So Jeremiah Johnson?

@NearEastMugwump

6 ай бұрын

@@jeffreyboyer3714 Probably without the liver-eating.

Love how Iroh goes from fun uncle to swole daddy in this episode.

@kryptonianguest1903

9 ай бұрын

That is impossible, though. Nobody could build muscle like that while eating that prison diet, no matter how much they exercise.

@lyrebirb83

9 ай бұрын

​​@@kryptonianguest1903it's actually not. You can't develop, for the first time, muscles like that in prison. muscles they've previously had? Absolutely. Don't forget, Iroh is the dragon of the west, the firelords brother, the general chosen to lead the seige of one of two capitals of enemy territory. General Iroh the conquerer was likely shredded more. You can very easily redevelop muscles on a minimal diet. Not to mention he wasn't weak. He was fat. But under that fat he was strong, remember how in season 1 he clowns Zhao with one arm? Weak men don't do that.

@patrickwaldeck6681

9 ай бұрын

@@kryptonianguest1903 Iroh's probably got some crazy way to control his metabolism using breathing techniques and firebending.

@QuantumAscension1

9 ай бұрын

@@kryptonianguest1903 I mean... yeah, but we're also talking about a person with pyrokinesis and electrokinesis that can harness energy from the sun. realism need not apply here, lol

@rendezvousonmemorylane

9 ай бұрын

You're really comparing Iroh to someone like yourself? He's anything BUT normal. @@kryptonianguest1903

I saw someone call Sokka's Master an unnecessary episode because we as an audience know Sokka's value. However, Sokka's character development needed him to see his own value. When you're surrounded by super heroes it is easy to lose sight of your own self worth and what uniqueness you bring to others.

@enadegheeghaghe6369

9 ай бұрын

Some people don't care about story and character development. They only want relentless action. LOL

@patrickmcisaac3142

8 ай бұрын

Totally out of left field but I feel like this is super relevant for falcon and the winter soldier. We all know what the end result will be but it is so rewarding to watch it come to fruition. Avatar is so good because even the episodes that feel like filler really have a lot to add when you dig into analysis!

I love the symbolism of Sokka taking the meteor, a symbol of his feeling of inadequacy, and using his creativity to transform it to his benefit. His sword is him overcoming his feelings of inadequacy.

@hemmojito

6 ай бұрын

Also a subtle hint that Sozin's comet is getting closer. Maybe that was even a fragment.

@EpicRandomness555

5 ай бұрын

@@hemmojitoNo, see, if Sozin’s Comet is a true comet, then it’s mostly made out of ice, not rock or metal.

@hemmojito

5 ай бұрын

@@EpicRandomness555 I don't understand. The ice keeps it intact? Is it that?

@EpicRandomness555

5 ай бұрын

@@hemmojito Comets in the real world are giant masses of mostly ice with maybe some rock at the very core, and as it flys through space it releases gas and dust. Meteors have metal in them, comets do not.

@hemmojito

5 ай бұрын

@@EpicRandomness555 Oh, okay. Got it .Thank you

I love how much you love Sokka. Watching him grow on you from the first few episodes to where he is now has been a blast. I think he's usually the most underappreciated character from reactors I've seen, and I'm really glad you give him the time of day and effort to understand his character. He's not perfect but he's such a good little guy who is always trying his best.

@sirmoonslosthismind

9 ай бұрын

we must be watching entirely different reactors, because i generally see a lot of sokka-worship. katara's the one who's underappreciated.

@moby517839

8 ай бұрын

Of all the reaction series I have watched I have never seen one who didn't like sokka, but he just sort of blended into the background. This is the first I found who was a fellow sokka enjoyer like I am and I am HERE for it

@nicholaswilkerson4394

8 ай бұрын

I'm with you. I'd venture to say that Sokkas arc is just as good as Zukos. It's just... overshadowed bu Zukos.

@kingsora6352

8 ай бұрын

Ha was gonna ask which reactors they've been watching myself.

I like to think we didn't so much get 'new' uncle Iroh, but a glimpse at what Iroh was in his prime. He was the greatest general of the Fire Nation at some point, I'd imagine he was probably something like that then. Just... a mountain of a man, an imposing figure leading an army, someone his men probably looked to in awe. He lost his son, and put that part of him away. But now that Iroh is needed again, so he's reclaiming that part of himself. Also so he doesn't loose another son.

@darthroden

8 ай бұрын

Remember that he was also the first born and was in line to be Firelord himself before losing his son put him on a different path.

I thought it was interesting to note Katara's skill at waterbending. When she was being chased by Aang, he had to make ice to step on to get across the water, but Katara has become so skilled that she's just running on the water surface.

@t.c.thompson2359

9 ай бұрын

Yet she can't make ice when they are all about to die from heat stroke.

@RecentCobra

9 ай бұрын

@@t.c.thompson2359 In the Desert? That ice would probably melt extremely fast, and there wasn't enough water around to be wasting it on that. What did you expect? THem all huddle around a tiny piece of ice?

@Giddog40

9 ай бұрын

@@RecentCobranot to mention that was a whole season ago, it’s been shown that she’s been gradually getting better

@cowzilla8

9 ай бұрын

@@t.c.thompson2359 🤦‍♂

@BornInsane0

9 ай бұрын

@@t.c.thompson2359 she wasn't that strong at that point in the series

15:26 I love the Momo foreshadowing here. Momo going for Appa's tongue is a hint that Appa's tongue is purple because of the berries, not a sickness. Not a detail they needed to include, but it shows how much the show creators cared.

@TephulioTX

9 ай бұрын

I think this was the first time I caught this too, Momo sometimes eats weird things but then spits it out... not with the purple tongue! So a big hint there, that it's okay.

"was there a rainbow?" not only wasn't there a rainbow, he completely missed the waterfall, despite the fact that he could clearly hear it while his back was turned.

They never say it in the show, but Zuko actually trained with Piandao. That's why he's so good with his dual broadswords. Edited: I said Piandao is Robert Patrick, but maybe I should wait till the end of the video to comment, huh? 😅

@masansr

9 ай бұрын

@@karlwilker579 Pretty sure he never says a word to him. Which makes sense, since it's a later retcon that he was Zuko's master as well (because OBVIOUSLY the crown prince would've trained with the best sword master in the kingdom. If you ignore every lesson of this episode).

@karlwilker579

9 ай бұрын

@@masansr Oops. Right, it was Sokka who bowed to him.

@CrownofMischief

9 ай бұрын

​@@masansrI'm not sure it was a retcon, since I think it came out in a comic that released alongside the show. Of course how canon it is also comes into question

@artistfloor9

8 ай бұрын

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@masansr I’m not sure how Piandao training Zuko goes against any lessons here. Iroh had a connection to Paindao so it’s not unreasonable to think that Iroh could’ve convinced him that Zuko was worthy of training. Even if it was a retcon (and we’re not sure it is) it doesn’t actually contradict anything.

@yeskevz

8 ай бұрын

Sure thing, Lee

Fun fact: when Toph bended the space metal in the end, she formed the Nickelodeon symbol which it was aired on.

@Virginny

8 ай бұрын

​@@darkstar3116maybe you're just lame and boring.

My favorite Katara moment is in this episode: "No! I will never, ever, turn my back on people who need me!"

My assumption is that because the Painted Lady is a river spirit, she was weakened or powerless to do anything while the river was polluted. It wasn't until after the river was cleaned that she appeared and thanked Katara.

@72Guyman

9 ай бұрын

Or like Sokka said, the village needed to learn to fend for itself or else everything would go back to the way it was without the Painted Lady do everything for them. Like God, or like the ocean in Moana, you got to let people learn and grow and progress and become more. That's the way I always saw it.

@ancienttradition_stx

8 ай бұрын

I never considered that. That's a logical point!

@gazelle_diamond9768

8 ай бұрын

Oh, so that's why Hei Bai couldn't do anything when his forest got burned dow- OH WAIT!

@TheSyncos

8 ай бұрын

​@@gazelle_diamond9768 I have two thoughts on this. 1) A portion of Hei Bai's forest was burned down, which enraged him, but there's still clearly many trees and dense areas in that forest, especially right outside the village. The entire river was polluted. 2) There's nothing to suggest each spirit would react to trauma the same way. Perhaps much like people, some get angry, and some disconnect.

@akasarahsmom

8 ай бұрын

Yes... it sort of reminded me of the River Spirit in Spirited Away... when it was all covered in gook and muck and could barely move then got the bath and the bicycle pulled out of the mass... getting cleaned up brought it back to full strength just like cleaning up the river made it possible for The Painted Lady to come back.

Not only is Sokka brilliant, he masters every non-bending martial art from all four nations! He learned the fighting style of the Water Tribe from his father, he learned the Earth Nation style from the Kyoshi Warriors, he learned the advantaged of aerial superiority from Aang, and he he learned the Fire Nation sword style from Master Piandao. Fun fact, apparently Piandao also taught Zuko to use the sword. :)

@hellogoodbyeandallinbetween

8 ай бұрын

I'd say it's more symbolic that he learned from the mechanic in the northern air temple, rather than aang, a non bender who utilised the skies.

I love Katara so much. "I will never turn my back on people who need me." is an amazing line. Quote it often.

@hellogoodbyeandallinbetween

9 ай бұрын

I love Sokka's reply, it completes the narrative of their relationship. She is brave, and thinks of others, and he is a logical and helps to keep everyone strong. I love their relationship

@bradfordlindsey9781

8 ай бұрын

Don't just quote it, though. They are good words, yes, undeniable. But words without works have no worth. Do the thing. Help those who need it. And especially help them learn to not rely on you, but empower them to help others. More than this, help without need or expectation of reward; but for the simple, honest, and pure desire to meet a need with a gift/talent/ability of yours when and where it us required. When it starts happening without a thought, becomes as easy and natural as breathing -then you approach becoming a master of being kind, and I've always felt the world needs more of that.

Sokka's Master will always be one of my favorite episodes. Not only is it an amazing Sokka episode, it's Iroh's transformation episode as well.

"It's sad because it's not easy for people to see their own value because of who they surround themselves with" I love all your quotes, Angela. Srsly.

Some facts and details: Sokka's schedule is the actual schedule used by the creators of the show. (if you look closely, you'll see that it's just a freaking Excel sheet🤣) Also, 15:26 Momo licks Appa's tongue, hinting at the purple berry-dye.

"Sokka's Master" is so effing good, IMO one of the best standalone episodes of the entire series. And Master Piandao is one of the best one-off side characters, anchored by the excellent VO performance by Robert Patrick (who I love that you recognized). He's so calm and confident, and between the voice acting and the subtle expression work the animators do throughout the episode, you *know* he understands more about Sokka than he's letting on. Almost everyone I've watched the show with picks up immediately that Piandao challenging Sokka when he "finds out" that Sokka is Water Tribe is Piandao giving Sokka a final test, rather than genuinely attacking him, and it's a wonderful demonstration how the best plot "twists" are the ones that feel right, not necessarily the ones that surprise you. By the time we get to that moment in the story, we want with every fiber of our being for Master Piandao to be in Sokka's corner, and it's SO satisfying when that turns out to be the truth.

@patrickmcisaac3142

8 ай бұрын

I like what you said about plot "twists". So many people call a twist because they picked up on a subtle clue that not everyone sees and then lambast the show for being predictable. I don't think that's fair because the alternative is either completely out of left field that no one could predict or a Deus Ex Machina that feels incredibly contrived. Then that same reactor will call a show out for that. This episode is a great example but I'm speaking in much broader terms, I see people complain all the time about "lazy writing " when it's really incredibly crafted and tight writing. No single second should go to waste!

@peteryang5056

8 ай бұрын

@@patrickmcisaac3142 Agreed 100%! Honestly, I think "unpredictability" is one of the most overrated attributes of a story. The best genuine twists are those that blindside you in the moment, but also simultaneously feel perfectly earned as a payoff to the setup that's occurred. If that means that some people in the audience figure out the twist before it happens, that's still far better than having a twist that is nothing but the "blindsiding" part (lookin' at you, J.J. Abrams and your Mystery Box).

It's also worth remembering that their entire plan against the Fire Lord right now--launching an attack on the day of Black Sun--that entire endeavor was 100% Sokka's doing. He's the one that wanted to find the library, he found the Fire Nation's secret while they were there, and he's the one that came up with the plan to make use of that knowledge. Sokka is incredibly underrated--by himself more than anyone else, really.

I have watched more reactions to this show than I would care to admit, but I’ve never enjoyed or gotten as excited to watch a react to ATLA than yours. I have a request, if possible-when the finale does arrive, I would love if you talked about each episode in between. Not necessarily as long as normal but like a 5 minute max discussion after each of the four episodes would be fantastic. Thank you 🙏🏽

@Matuse

9 ай бұрын

The final four episodes are just one big episode broken up into parts.

@eileensnow6153

8 ай бұрын

@@Matusethey clearly know that, they’re just asking her not to watch it in one big chunk without reacting

@michaelshigetani433

8 ай бұрын

I agree, each part is so, so intense. The first time I watched yes I binged it. The second time, I had to take breaks. Even though I knew what was coming.

@Matuse

8 ай бұрын

@@eileensnow6153 Her 2 episodes per episode will work out fine.

@MrsDuck356

8 ай бұрын

@@Matuse cutie

I love Piandao so much, perfect Master for Sokka! I love how supportive he was of all Sokka's quirkiness right from the start. I'm so glad they didn't give him the more traditional "you have to prove yourself to a Master who doesn't like you" leveling up storyline, like Katara having to prove herself to Pakku. Sokka definitely needed someone who believed in him, to help him see the value in his own skills even if they aren't as flashing as bending.

They could leave Sokka as just the comic relief along the series but thank God they didn't, it was impossible to be the only one without bending powers and not feel sad eventually, specially because he always wanted to be a warrior and protect his beloved ones, he needed and deserved this so much, I'm so glad for him.

I laughed out loud at that little “hey yue”. Love it!!!

@Mandred85

9 ай бұрын

Gone but not forgotten. 💞

That moment the real Painted Lady appears and whispers in that ethereal voice, "Thank you," gives me chills--every time. The visual design and audio coordination in this show is off the charts.

I’ve seen plenty of ATLA reactions and you are by far my favorite. I was pleasantly surprised to see you start this journey as I had already been subscribed to your videos from previous reactions. You are one of the best reactors on YT right now and I can’t thank you enough for all the hard work you put in. If I could be so bold, I would like to suggest you eventually (obviously when you have time, I know you’re extremely busy) get to the next Avatar Series with Kora and the Live Action One Piece series on Netflix! Thank you so much!!!

I love that it’s implied the spirit couldn’t help until the pollution was cleaned up which is why she didn’t show up until the end of the episode

What I've always loved about this show is that it shows people who are not monolithic; there are good people in the Fire Nation, and bad people in the Earth Kingdom, etc. It shows that its hard to hate up close, and it's a GREAT lesson for the children of the target audience that the show is aimed at. There are SO MANY teachable moments in practically every episode, and it never feels forced, or fake. This show never puts a foot wrong,.

I Love Katara focused episodes.

@verez5518

9 ай бұрын

22:05 always gets me.

@OMamifero

9 ай бұрын

Ugh, they’re the best. There’s no episode I want her to see more than the southern raiders

@crusader2112

9 ай бұрын

@@OMamiferoSouthern Raiders best episode for my favorite character. 😎👍

@hamsamahamadali5291

9 ай бұрын

@@crusader2112 amazing episode! my favorite is the tales of ba sing se, when iroh was singing ''leaves from the vine''

@Jermrants

9 ай бұрын

Sourthern raiders is one of the best episodes of Tv I’ve seen full stop

I mentioned it last time already, I think, but I absolutely adore the world building in this show. ESPECIALLY how they show the Fire Nation to be not that different from the poorer parts of the Earth Kingdom. And how the FN soldiers seem to oppress even their own people. I also love how the villagers found out about Katara being a waterbender (and pretty sure Aang and Toph as eartbenders) and they seemed to be okay with it, after they convinced them to help themselves etc. And the soundtrack? Especially here in the beginning of the Painted Lady episode? It feels so different from the rest of the show, and a lot more tragic and sad, which fits the theme of the show. as for Sokka's Master? I adore how Piandao talks about the way of the sword belonging to EVERY nation and not just the one. I love how these two episodes and the previous one especially just... do so much to show that the Fire Nation isn't that different from the rest of the world, that their people are still just... people. Also a big W for Sokka ☺️ he deserves it. But yes... we weren't lying when we said that Book 3 is the best of the show ;) Edit: Also the fact that Katara helps the "ENEMY". I never really thought about it all that much but that along with "I'll never ever turn my back on people who need me." quote just solidify who Katara is as a character. Sidenote: Her Painted Lady drip is so good. She's serving looks this episode. Also how small Sokka looks next to Piandao 🥺 They really are just kids. And it becomes noticeable in moments like these.

There is a youtube channel called Overanalyzing Avatar, and one of the things that he points out that I can't unsee is that in spite of how meticulously this show is crafted and with how much love is clearly poured into it, the phases of the moon are super inconsistent and can't be used as a reliable indicator of time passing. If the Avatar world has a similar lunar cycle to our own, one full cycle is approximately a month (28 days). The entire series runs from winter to summer, so there should be at most 10 full moons. In actuality, the show has TWENTY FIVE full moon episodes. Sometimes it changes from a crescent moon to a full moon literally overnight. I believe The Painted Lady is one such example. When the painted lady spirit shows up at the end, the moon is full again. I like to imagine that the phases of the moon are influenced by the spirit world somehow, but that's just my hatred for obvious inconsistencies.

Waddaya mean you don’t know what Momo lends to the friendship?! He and Sokka had a psychedelic journey together!

"No shenanegans! You have to take it seriously!" But he's the meat and sarcasm guy! XD

never expected the use of the word "Daddy" in this way in a cartoon show for children lol :D Sokkas Master is probably one of the most wholesome episodes of the show

As far as how insular the nations are, you're probably right that the Earth Kingdom (specifically Ba Sing Se) and the Fire Nation are at the high end of the scale. That being said, the Air Nomads were known for viewing the other nations as a negative influence, mostly because they were far more spiritual than the other nations; not mean per se, but a sense of superiority (your mileage may vary on how correct they were). The Southern Water tribe was more open and welcoming to other cultures, but the Northern Tribe was the opposite; consider their massive ice walls and their stances towards women. Probably "better" than the EK and FN, but isolationism is just another version of nationalism/bigotry. I honestly think the biggest lessons this show teaches is that people are just people wherever you go, as well as the dangers of relying on only one source of knowledge/wisdom.

Sokkas master is one of my top 3 favorite episodes. Robert Patrick voicing piandao was a very great surprise. Also, one of the shapes toph manipulates the space earth into, was the logo for nickelodeon back in the day.

Robert Patrick voices Piandao, He's played in numerous shows and movies like T2, Reacher, Striptease, Fire in the Sky, X-Files, Scorpion.

Fun fact! The schedule Sokka has is actually the Gantt chart of the Avatar production schedule!

IMHO, Iroh doesn't think Zuko doesn't deserve his advice, he realizes that this is something Zuko needs to work through on his own. Being lectured or pleaded at won't work. It hurts Iroh that he has to remain silent when he knows his nephew is hurting, but he knows that it's the only way Zuko will be able to reach the truth.

For some extra information about master Piando he trained Zuko which is why he is so good with swords he also used to be part of the fire nation army but deserted the fire nation sent an army of 100 soldiers after him and he beat them all after that the fire nation left him alone.

NOT DADDY IROH 😂😂😂 great video as always

Master Piandao is voiced by Robert Patrick. You may recognise him from Terminator 2: Judgement Day, if you’ve ever seen that film. In my opinion, this is quite an underrated role for him. He’s a bit of an action star, but his voice work here is really good. Firm, but wise. Authoritative but reassuring.

Considering it's Robert Patrick, the part about extra long really sharp arm is pretty clever joke.

With this episode, Sokka has now learned major fighting styles of all four nations. He learned Earth from Suki, Air from the refugees at the Northern Air Temple, Water from Batu and his father. In his own way, Sokka has become the equivalent of a non-bending Avatar.

I love that we have a Mai and Yue stan as a reviewer. That's quite rare! And Mai is a character that most people don't understand. I'm interested to see what you think about her by the time the series ends.

I just noticed that momo was licking appas tongue and why 😂😂 they always put the funniest little jokes in the background

I loved your Mai impression at the beginning of the video! I love your insight into the characters and seeing how much you enjoy them. The Painted Lady is one of my favorite episodes, and I love that Sokka is so important to the group even before he learns sword fighting.

I like that he says to try Lee or Li as a good cover name. That’s the name that Zuko uses when he’s hiding in earth kingdom

I love your Mei appreciation--she's one of my favorite characters, and doesn't get the best rap in the fandom.

These are two of my favourite episodes. Just so heartwarming and so much character development. Love love love them! ♥️ One of my gifts to myself was a signed Painted Lady Funko Pop. Mae Whitman is so fantastic as Katara (and everything else she’s in). I had to buy it.

It’s only appropriate that Sokka be taught by the best non bender

22:05 This line from Katara is probably my favorite from the whole series... gives me chills every time... This is the core of her character...

The look on your face when Iroh revealed his gains is absolutely hilarious.

You know I realise on this watch along that Sokka is really good at allying himself with celestial signs and converting them to advantages on the ground. He is the first to understand the day of black sun and he converts that knowledge into a battle strategy, here he takes the meteorites, which are precursors in the same orbit as Sozins comet and turns it into a sword and he is of course a lover of the moon.

"Sokka's Master" is one of my favorite episodes in this entire show. I mean, both of these episodes are fantastic, but the second of these is just so fantastic. It showcases one of this show's biggest strengths, which is that none of its characters are EVER left behind. They all get development that is valuable and plays to their strengths and it's never given to them for free; growth through both trial and triumph. This show is still an absolute master class in character writing.

I never noticed Momo licking Appa's purple tongue, but it's a nice foreshadowing that he is not really sick. 🙂

Had a super rough week, I needed this. Great takes as always. Master Piandao is one of my favorites.

Just for fun, the actor who voiced Piandao is Robert Patrick, who played the bad guy in Terminator 2

Sokka ep 3: every second counts! We’re getting up 43 minutes earlier! Combined food and potty breaks! Sokka ep 4: just a quick stop to learn how to forge a sword from a meteorite by hand and become a master swordsman. Shouldn’t take long.

I love these two episodes :) The Sokka-centric episodes are always awesome :) And I love your love of Sokka - he really deserves it!

Master Piandao is voiced by Robert Patrick, the T1000 himself.

It's the episode that shows off the artists' training as well. Lots of art and art history in this show as it is, that observe-and-paint-it bit is just cool.

A training montage with Uncle Iroh like in Rocky is exactly what we needed. We could've even used one of the songs from Rocky 4. Tell me "Hearts on *Fire*" wouldn't have perfect.

Loved this so much; your lil "DADDY IROH?!" outburst was my favorite part XD

Sokka's master Piandao was modeled after the martial arts expert the animators studied with to create bending.

I started following this channel because of the FMAB reactions happening right now. Seeing your reaction to Armstrong there, I knew you'd absolutely love Daddy Iroh.

Fun fact: the waterfall in Sokkas Master resembles the Gullfoss (golden Waterfall) in Iceland. Oh and a small easter egg, Tough bends the Nickelodeon Sign with the Spacemetall.

Piandao was abandoned by his parents for his lack of bending abilities. At a young age he joined the Fire Nation army and began training with swords. Eventually, he left the army and traveled the world to study from the best sword masters and sword makers in the world.

sokka is such an ordinary individual with such an extraordinary roll.

33:36 That voice you love hearing and sounds familiar is Robert Patrick. He’s an extremely prolific screen and voice actor who is most notable as the iconic villain T-1000 in Terminator 2.

Been waiting weeks for those one armed pull-up, and the Master vs Student scenes! WEEKS!!! Amazing!!!

44:51 Fun note...the 2nd symbol she bends from the meteor was the Nickelodeon logo background. (the channel this show aired on back in the day)

I literally started laughing out loud when I saw that glint in your eye and the knowing smirk spreading across your face as it dawned on you who the Painted Lady was. That was made of awesomesauce!

Sokka. He was "The Man" the whole show, but these two episodes really prove it. To his sister, I will never turn my back when you need me. Then to his Master, who obisouly is a White Lotus member, likely a very high member, being the greatest Swordsmith in Fire Nation history, seen so much in Sokka, that he first says that he may become an even greater master than himself, but even more so, gives him a White Lotus tile. This has to be the first step in recruiting someone to this super secret hardcore group.

44:52 Toph made the Nickelodeon splat there.

"Oh no, the factory! It's broken." Lol 😂 And a meta joke about the high ground? Wow.

My favorite part of these videos is hearing her theorizing what she thinks will happen and her after episode break downs. >:3 as someone who loves to over analyze and just think upon an episode i enjoy hearing others thoughts and how they got there.

I nearly passed out laughing when she said "Daddy Iroh" 😂😂😂😂

"I don't know if he's crazy, or if he's like the only one that's like running things here." Me: Yes...

The painted lady is actually related to the moon spirit I believe.

Also, THANK YOU Nathaniel you're a beast! We appreciate you so much!

Sokka is a master strategist, an excellent inventor (remember when he helped the mechanist complete the plans to the war balloon at the northern air temple and helped him figure out the natural gas problem), and is so incredibly smart. He's able to read blueprints and maps and come up with plans on the spot. He was the one who understood how to structurally damage the drill beyond repair. Like they said in that episode, he's the idea guy. And, he's now a master swordsman. He's loyal and kind and was able to change his mindset after learning more about the world and other people. He is not regular. He's so much more special than he gives himself credit for. Bending is seen as this innate gift that makes someone special. I think anyone can be special, and Sokka is so special. In my eyes, he's the actual leader of the group. Even though they joked about that topic in that episode in season one, with Jet, I truly think he deserves to be the leader. He's come so incredibly far from who he was in the first half of season one. He's mastered so many different things. I think that's true skill, just as much as being a bender is. He's a ridiculously fast learner. He's the only male in who knows how long (probably never) that trained with the Kyoshi Warriors. He can do so many practical survival things. You remember how he tracked that water tribe/fire nation fight and found Bato's boat. And how he used that knife to tell that someone was coming in the forest. He's such a capable young man. He can do anything he puts his mind to. And I had no doubt in my mind that he'd take this sword training seriously. You'll 100% see his growth as a leader and skills as a warrior more and more during the invasion, after the invasion, and in the series finale. He knows how to take a situation as it comes and is able to make quick decisions on the spot. He's brave. And true bravery is being scared and still doing the Thing anyway because you know you have a responsibility to do what's right. Not just simply being fearless. He's one of the most underrated characters in my eyes. He's always left out of merch just because he doesn't bend, and that alone is criminal lol. He's steadfast, reliable, hilarious, protective (in a good way, of course), and every bit as passionate as Katara. His episode made me indescribably happy. He was able to see himself the way others see him. Versatile, creative, adaptable. Pian Dao was right about him. 100% right. Also, comparing him to the Sokka that would brag about being the best warrior in his village, with no training to back it up... to humbly getting on his knees and not at all being hesitant to admit that he's got a lot to learn. That he's willing to learn. That he's willing to humble himself and acknowledge his shortcomings. Willing to improve himself and work on himself. He has so much depth. He isn't just the "comic relief" character. He's so amazing in so many ways. I'm grateful for this show. To give everyone so much depth and vibrant personalities. To really make you connect with these stories. It's wonderful. This will always be the greatest show of all time. I intend to get a tattoo to represent this show. I haven't decided on what, but I know it'll be something that expresses my love and appreciation for this show that has truly shaped a whole generation and will continue to do so. It's one of those shows that are timeless and really stick with you for a long time.

9:34 Really good to see someone who is so into Mai... She's not really popular in the Fandom, which is a shame, because I think she's pretty cool.... very underrated, underappreciated stoic goth with throwing daggers... * I also agree with her hot-take on the color orange...

watching people react to the daddy!iroh, especially those who are (presumably) interested in gents, never grows old 😁

I haven't seen any comments touching on this moment so given how much you love Sokka figured I'd add to it. At 12:05 when Dock swings the paddle to the other side, everyone but Toph ducks cause they can see it happening. Sokka however immediately knows Toph can't and pushes her head down so she won't get hit. Just a little touch that I've always loved

Fun fact: Lee was the name Zuko used in Book 2 when he was on the run with Iroh

“Oh no, the factory. It’s broken” 😂😂😂☠️

The Painted Lady looks like she should be on a Fleetwood Mac album.

Ep. 3 is like a reverse Scooby Doo episode: the gaang of heroes are the ones pretending to be a ghost.

Your speech about Sokka and his worth reminded me of a story that I've read. A father gave his son an old car and instructed him to take it to a dealership and find out how much they would offer. The salesman offered the son $2000 for the car as it was old but still ran well and looked nice. Next the father instructed the son to take it to a scrapyard to find out their price. The scrapyard offered him $1300 for the parts. Finally the father told him to bring it to the local collectors club. The son came back home saying they offered him $500,000 for the vehicle due to its rarity and condition. The father then told the son "this vehicle's worth was determined by those that knew what to look for, just like you will be in life. Surround yourself with people that will see your value the same way that the car collectors saw the true value of this car."

I'm so excited you are watching this! One of the greatest shows of all time, and I DONT just mean animated.

This show has so many great episodes, and these two are still two of my favourites among all that awesomeness.

At the beginning of the video, I was like “Wait a minute, is that a Mai funko pop on her shelf?” and I am SO glad that I was correct lol

"That looks like Uncle Iroh" Fun fact, that guy is in fact the voice actor who replaced Mako as the voice of Iroh.

Sokka's Master is a favorite of mine. Iroh's cleverness fooling the guards, his training and transformation, Sokka's humility, everyone seeing how much they rely on him... it's great!

I noticed you have a Mei POP figure! How cute! :3