Calling Ember island Players the worst episode is damn near slanderous

@brendanoconnor1550

6 ай бұрын

The shade towards The Great Divide, *The* Worst Episode, amongst other things makes this episode worth it

@MrKingYuji

6 ай бұрын

This episode serve to recap the series (as well as introduce a lot of fandom opinions, deleted scenes, and make fun of their characters) and to serve as a tonal break between the previous heavy revenge-focused episode and the finale.

@uhohmykokoro1616

6 ай бұрын

I agree somewhat tbh, I never thought it was all that 🫣

@Sean-do1ct

6 ай бұрын

It’s the writers making jokes about themselves and their own characters! It’s such a great episode

@captainnerd6452

6 ай бұрын

Nickelodeon gave the producers a choice, either make another clip show, or give up one of the finale episodes, so they made their own version of a clip show.

My favorite interpretation of Katara’s anger and grief is that she doesn’t just miss her mother, who died when Katara was so young- she grieves the moment she stopped being a child and had to become a mom/caretaker for Sokka and maybe even her dad. Sokka says it himself: “when I try to picture my mom’s face, it’s just Katara’s face I see.” This is very touching, but if Katara is acting as his mom- sewing, cooking, caretaking, comforting- who is being her own mom? Saying “you didn’t love her like I did” is harsh and untrue. But it makes sense in that Sokka got a substitute mother, and Katara didn’t.

@vphxn

6 ай бұрын

so true. well said.

@l1ber7e

6 ай бұрын

It also makes sense she shields her guilt with anger, she must have felt unbelievable survivor guilt since her mother died to protect her.

@boopboop9356

6 ай бұрын

I think it is true though. Katara was motherless while Sokka got a mother in her. And if he can’t even remember their face but Katara does, she does love her more and was more affected by her death. Sokka had less memories.

@em5522

6 ай бұрын

​​@@boopboop9356I definitely disagree (edit: I mean for the part that Sokka having less memories meant his love for her was less--I just don't think you can measure love that way). It's not that Sokka loved her less. It's that Sokka was able to find a way to heal from not having their mom, partly through having Katara act as a pseudo-mom, so her absence didn't constantly dig at him. Meanwhile, Katara never found a way to truly heal from it, so the loss of their mother weighed more heavily on her. Add that to survivor's guilt and knowing how their mother died, it's no wonder the loss hits her harder.

@samynator0904

5 ай бұрын

It's not just about having a substitute, the reason Katara feels that way and Sokka doesn't is because all that time Katara felt directly responsible for the death of her mother

Katara’s voice actor was working overtime. That “ME!” sends chills down my spine everytime

@prestocatronium

6 ай бұрын

yeah and when she said, "Oh Jet, you're SO bad" perfect line delivery from katara very emotional

@spiderbite7849

4 ай бұрын

Grey DeLisle, Azula's voice actor, plays Katara in Ember Island players. Mae Whitman, Katara's voice actor, plays Aang.

Y’all have to remember that Katara was the first to trust Zuko and he betrayed her. Then he helped Azula and Aang ended up dying. Her anger/attitude towards Zuko was honestly justified up until this point. Katara and her father were also the ones that discovered her mother’s burning corpse too so that’s obviously super traumatizing especially since she was a child… I love Zuko’s shocked expression after seeing Katara bloodbend because he had no idea she could do that and he realized that she truly could’ve ended his destiny if she wanted to 🤣 Also a popular theory on why they didn’t take Katara’s mother as a prisoner and killed her instead was because of Hama. After the fire nation witnessed what she could do when she broke out of prison - when they heard there was one last waterbender left in the southern water tribe, they were ordered to kill whoever it was. Hama was also friends with Kanna, Katara’s grandmother back in the day. It’s a full circle moment that Katara’s mother ended up dying because of Hama’s bloodbending indirectly, then Katara ends up learning it from her then uses the bloodbending to try and get revenge on the person that killed her mother

@liyansahrtg3646

6 ай бұрын

Aang was the first to trust Zuko (blue spirit).

@carlosalejandroalvarenga4913

6 ай бұрын

Yeah. Sokka was older so I’m guessing he processed the grief a little differently. While the sheer fear matara felt must’ve evolved into pure anger. And that’s completely valid!

@ashleydavis2124

6 ай бұрын

@@liyansahrtg3646not the way katara did she was ready to heal his scar and rlly trust him

@ushijimawakatoshi1675

6 ай бұрын

I doubt Katara could kill Zuko not because she isn't strong enough but she couldn't even kill her own mother's murderer, the man she hated the most in her entire life. So we can assume that she would spare Zuko too.

@4zn4ngelz

6 ай бұрын

@@liyansahrtg3646 technically yeah but also not really. Aang’s encounter with him was in a way different way than Katara. He didn’t know Zuko was the blue spirit until after they had escaped and the mask got knocked off way at the end. Katara knew it was Zuko the whole interaction she had with him and they bonded over the losses of their mothers, and she was ready to use that special water to heal his scar that he got from his dad years earlier. Katara trusted him on a deeper level where as Aang trusted him surface level during his blue mask encounter. Which is why he was so quick to dodge zuko’s attack when he woke up. Katara trusted Zuko so much, she never once was afraid that he’d try attacking her nor was she hyperalert. She truly believed Zuko was different and had a change of heart. Which at that time he did temporarily. Meanwhile his encounter with Aang, he was more so only rescuing him so Zhao wouldn’t be the one to successfully “capture the avatar” before he could so his intentions weren’t exactly as good.

Don’t forget that Katara is only 14 years old, I know it’s easily forgotten since she’s so mature for her age

@abcdefghij337

6 ай бұрын

Katara is mature for her age because she was forced to take on adult responsibilities as a young child. Horrible for her to have to develop like that.

@Halo-pz7pd

6 ай бұрын

@@abcdefghij337 absolutely

@diegopansini3152

6 ай бұрын

But of course, she’s still 14 and from the Water Tribe. She’s not exactly emotionally mature, but she’s definitely mature in everything else

@SamuelMills-ez4jo

6 ай бұрын

In the Netflix avatar she looks 5 smh

You guys can’t blame Katara, She haven’t seen the process that Zuko had to get here. Don’t forget that she was the first person who trust in him and he betrayed her so, due to his betrayal Aang passed away for a while. I won’t ever forget that scene: Aang literally dead, Katara holding him and crying. It was really sad to watch and that’s why I love Katara So much.❤

@AoAstar

6 ай бұрын

i kind of wish the show focused on that a bit more- katara vs the world alone with the dead avatar- it effected her drive and her emotions when you put two and two together, but idk I wish there was more of a spotlight to it

@emilioriverogonzalez1891

6 ай бұрын

I agreeee, after Zuko betrays the gang in Ba Sing Se, you can see a change in Katara, she realizes that just like with her mother, she was powerless to protect the people she loved from the fire nation, in this case since her trust in Zuko lead to her almost losing Ang. So, in season 3, she takes a darker path, she is willing to do anything, at any cost, to protect the people she loves, but is it okay? Is it okay to bloodbend? Is it okay to never trust and seek revenge? Is it okay to kill? To never forgive? Katara is one of my favorite characters because of all these questions. They are complex questions that don't have an easy answer.

The creators said they didn't want to do a clip show because they hated them but Nickelodeon forced them to make something. So they made ember island players to appease them while not just taking an episode to rehash clips

@flyflip87

6 ай бұрын

I'm so glad they made it like this

@MaeRose26

6 ай бұрын

i will never understand why nickelodeon was trying to force them to do a clip show

@frizen9328

6 ай бұрын

​@@MaeRose26Same reason anime will have flashbacks to things that happened literally 5 min ago 😂

@Volt-Imperium

6 ай бұрын

@@MaeRose26 I believe it's for two reasons 1. Save on already allocated funds instead on using it on a ending series. 2. Clip shows tend to get the audience to rewatch the series from the beginning.

@broidk8291

6 ай бұрын

⁠@@MaeRose26you have to remember that this aired on regular tv. streaming wasn’t a thing back then. add with that the fact the intended audience was kids you’d see that a lot of people probably missed stuff here and there. and also that it was airing over the course of 3 years it’d be really easy for someone to miss an episode or forget about one entirely.

Ember Island Players is an awesome episode. Instead of a clip show we got an M. Night retelling in the most comical way

@aghadlarhen9397

6 ай бұрын

Its such a meta way of basically doing a recap episode but also allowing the characters to gain introspection on their journeys as well as paying lipservice to all the fan theories and complaints.

@amyperaltiago

6 ай бұрын

I like it more than the beach ep ngl, this was actually funny, and a good recap. It had some good moments too like with Zuko & Toph.

"I'm about to celebrate becoming an only child!" Azula is such a menace. I love it so much

I think that the reason why Katara is so suddenly upset about her mom is just a mixture of Zuko being there and everyone celebrating and praising him despite what he's done to them all in the past. He betrayed her trust in the past and now no one else seems to care and it's making her feel left out or like no one understands her feelings. The frustration of that is welling up and she's just lashing out. So the thing with her mom isn't necessarily something that's been dragging her down the entire show, but rather a feeling that's just bubbled up to the surface in the moment.

@jmwilliamsart

5 ай бұрын

It’s not that they had forgotten what Zuko had done in the past, it’s just that they appreciate all of the good that Zuko has done for them recently. Has Katara forgotten that Zuko played a vital part in helping Sokka free her father from that Fire Nation prison, does that not count for something?

@isaiahnova1912

5 ай бұрын

​​@@jmwilliamsartfinally someone brings up the fact that he helped rescue her father

It’s not that crazy, in the heat of anger ppl say things they don’t mean, and she just found out she has the ability to hurt the ppl who killed her mother. I think that first reaction is how we all would act without taking time to think

@RecoveringChristian

6 ай бұрын

Except for Sokka who doesn't think about their mother or remember anything about her and is more preoccupied with deflowering suki than with bringing justice to his mother. What a son.

@xavmanisdabestest

6 ай бұрын

​@RecoveringChristian the kinda son I want tbh

@RecoveringChristian

6 ай бұрын

@@xavmanisdabestest awesome maga 2024 vote trump :)

@froilanflorentino1252

6 ай бұрын

​@@RecoveringChristian Look! An adolescent teen who wants to experience something days before going into the war. hOw DaRe Heee?!!!! Shriiiiiiiiiieeeek Someone moved on and chose to be happy instead of being bitter. The AuDaCiTY!!!! Thank god I understood the depth of the message of this episode as a kid.

@froilanflorentino1252

6 ай бұрын

​@@RecoveringChristian I'd be happy too if my child chose to be happy and have a life worth living instead of vengeance. I don't condone revenge, it provides closure and comfort. But just like Sokka and Katara, I'd like for them to not let it have a hold over them.

You guys talked over one of the best dialogue this show has had between aang and katara it highlights so much growth in aang.

@jayjr4370

5 ай бұрын

Yea the brown hair girl seen the show and doesn’t stop talking

Your reactions for these two episodes were too good, especially to the Sokka tent scene and then almost everyone cringing at Aang's scene with Katara. 😂 Ya'll made me laugh. Man, I can't believe this reaction series is almost over.

@bennyanyimadu8117

6 ай бұрын

Can't wait for their LOK reaction

The craziest thing about the Suki/Sokka scene besides it being included in childrens tv show is that I dont think most people realize. If toph wasnt asleep, she could most likely listen to everything they were doing after Zuko left Sokkas tent. Furthermore, she could "feel" everything they were doing due to her earthbending. That situation would have been already embarrasing and the cherry on top is that Toph has a crush on Sokka. Now that must have been humiliating for her. I hope she s a heavy sleeper

@bree77301

6 ай бұрын

I remember how Toph sensed through her earthbending that the Combustion Man was coming towards them before he attacked. 😂

@bhelliom3

6 ай бұрын

We know she’s not because of the “avalanche but not an avalanche” in the Chase.

@Alias_Anybody

4 ай бұрын

She usually sleeps feet up to have some peace if they are in a save spot, just like people closing their eyes.

So here’s something that people kinda glossed over when they first introduced blood bending, its not a killing technique or a telekinesis technique, its a torture technique. Water in avatar was used to cut through rocks. When Hama was teaching katara water behind she pulled water from then trees and when she did she ripped it out. Not just pulled, ripped. And when she did the trees broke. Trees are much more denser than people. Which is why when Hama used it on katara she was crying because when the blood was pushing against her veins, muscles, organs in her body, it was hurting her. But for the person who was practicing the technique it takes a lot of effort because they have to find the traces of water in their opponents body. They are learning to take contrôle over a persons body. So they get lost in causing pain and having that amount of control. Until it becomes addictive. No matter who learns blood bending they’re mind willed become dark. Even if someone used it to end a war, most likely because of how much they love the power of it they are not gonna stop there. Also people gloss over how dark Hama was too. She created a puppets after every victim she blood bending and dragged to the cave for them to die. If you look at it from a « criminal minds perspective, she got lost in torch ring people.

I wonder if Zuko knows that bloodbending was a recent addition to Katara's skillset, or if he's just watching that and thanking every spirit in the spirit world she never used that on him.

When Katara told Sokka that he didn’t love her the way she did she was kinda right. Sokka talks about his dad more while Katara talks about her mom more. During the swamp scene Katara saw her mom, while Sokka didn’t. Even Sokka said he doesn’t remember what his mom looked like despite him being older when his mom died. He sees Katara’s face because she took on the role of mother and kinda acts more like an older sibling than Sokka ever did.

@simwin4494

6 ай бұрын

yes this!! It so frustrating that people fail to realize all this and then badmouth katara

@Xeno_Solarus

6 ай бұрын

​@@simwin4494It's still an incredibly disrespectful and harmful thing to say. You can't defend that.

@egranger2128

6 ай бұрын

@@Xeno_Solarus nobody is really saying it wasn’t disrespectful, but we can see where she’s coming from just like when Aang yelled at Toph for losing Appa. It was still wrong, but we can understand his feelings.

@simwin4494

6 ай бұрын

@@Xeno_Solarus is it really? I mean it's clear that Sokka didn't love their mom the way Katara did. You can see it alone in their reaction when their're given the possibility to avenge their mother. Sokka isn't even interested in it. I mean he had a motherly figure growing up which was Katara. while katara had none, she had to become one. which is sad and ironic at the same time bc she always gets made fun of for being "too motherly" .. hmm I wonder why she behaves like that lmao. Sokka is older and yet he can't even remember his mothers face.. all he sees is Katara. while katara, even though being younger, still remembers everything. her mothers face AND the man who murdered her.

The facepalms at 19:05 was straight out of a cartoon 🤣 the secondhand embarrasment from everyone was gold hahaha

It's pretty obvious why Katara wanted revenge right here and now. Her mother literally died to protect her, and she knows it. She even states it just before attacking. She's bottled all that hate and grief up for years with no place to put it. Also, she likely saw her mother's charred, dead body. That scars a person for life. Suddenly she can avenge her mother. There was no way she wouldn't go after him. On a lighter note, Sokka and Suki hooked up. In the morning you see him holding a necklace of flowers. It meant Sokka got leighed and Suki was deflowered. It was symbolic enough to be over kid's heads, but adults understood. Toph was supposed to be that big, burly guy, but they decided to go in a completely different direction.

@abhikmoj5853

6 ай бұрын

Pinned comment material

@happilyevernever4289

6 ай бұрын

Yeah but it was too rushed. It looked a bit contrived the way she blew up, looked out of nowhere.

@RecoveringChristian

6 ай бұрын

Sokka also saw the kadaver and was present if there was any subsequent burial. Katara LOVED her. She was tormented by that loss, couldn't eat, drink or sleep for DAYS, consumed by abject grief and vegeance to bring justice to her mother when it became possible. Sokka spent at least 2 more years alone with their mother. She fed him, clothed him, bathed him, raised him. He can't remember her. He doesn't even think about her. He thinks more about his moon gf of 3 days. He thinks more about snu snu with Suki. Justice for his mother, sure I guess, but suki takes priority. What Katara said to him was fair and literally factual.

@matheusjezini

6 ай бұрын

​@happilyevernever4289 You're right, she was acting like a bitch out of nowhere. You can want to do it more than anything but acting like that was definitely uncalled for and at the worst time possible. Takinh that detour was just incredibly stupid so close to the comet

@abcdefghij337

6 ай бұрын

Also consider who would’ve talked as witnesses to Toph’s power. No one wants to admit they got their butt kicked by a little blind girl. It doesn’t sound so bad if you were defeated by an absolute monster of a man. It’s not just a meta reference but would make sense in-story that she would be portrayed this way.

The reason why Katara connected her anger over her mum's death with her anger at Zuko, is because in the crystal catacombs, they started to bond over both of them losing their mothers to the war. When Zuko betrayed the Gaang at the end of Season 2, it especially hurt Katara because she was vulnerable with Zuko and shared her grief that is still raw several years later (which is understandable that it would be, Katara would have witnessed the horrifying aftermath of a firebender murdering her mother, and then she had to fill her mother's role in the family while living through a war, AND her father left to fight in the war, the poor girl hasn't had time to properly grieve her mother with all the extra trauma constantly happening after the loss). She opened up to Zuko about her grief over her mother, and then he betrayed her. It's not logical but that connection between her mother's death and Zuko's betrayal is fueling her anger that she refuses to let go of up until theh Southern Raiders episode.

It was very heavily implied that Katara saw her mom's dead body when she and her dad got back home. Literally as they pushed aside the flaps, the scene faded away... So you can imagine what seeing that could've done to her at that age. This also made me wonder whether all this time if a part of Katara blamed herself for her mom's death...I mean, she was the last person to see her mom alive and she said it herself that she wouldn't be that helpless little girl anymore. That's a lot for anyone to deal with, let alone a child. It's sad to think about, but at least she's finally dealing with it because I don't think she ever properly grieved for her mom. Sokka said before that she stepped up and took on so many responsibilities after their mom died. So she most likely bottled all of this grief and pain up in order to put up a brave front. She became the mom and why Sokka always had a hard time remembering his mom's face. Katara bloodbending that Captain was also my favorite moment (the second being her stopping the rain), because her actually bloodbending him said so much more than any dialogue ever could. This show just knows how to convey so much without saying anything at all! Katara basically hates bloodbending because it goes against everything she stands for, but she was willing to use it in this moment to bring her mom's supposed killer to justice. Just how easily she decided to use it without even confirming the man's identity, she was at her darkest and most hateful and it was horrifying to see. Like Zuko in that moment, it was such an "Oh crap" moment, because it's Katara we're talking about here. The kind and compassionate caring mom of the group. I also really loved how this episode showed that it's okay to not always forgive. Most children entertainment usually pushes towards forgiveness, so the way ATLA handled this was fantastic as they did it in a way where it didn't come off as Katara being right or wrong in her decision to not forgive Yon Rha. It just showed us how she felt and it was completely understandable. This show appreciates the nuance that loss, trauma, and anger are hard to deal with. Things like justice and vengeance are also complex, and how it's not that forgiveness isn't always easy but that sometimes, it's impossible. There are some traumas that cut you so deep that you never truly get over them, and that's okay.

I've seen Katara get so much hate online for the way she acted in the Southern Raiders episode, and I understand why to a certain degree (especially with the comment to Sokka about not loving their mother the same way), but I feel like many people don't realize it's a pretty realistic depiction of someone dealing with major trust issues and I feel for her honestly. Going through that doesnt justify all the things she said or did of course, but its very understandable why she acted that way in that episode. When you are vulnerable and put your trust in someone like Katara did with Zuko in the caverns at Ba Sing Se, it can be one of the most damaging things to your mental health and inner peace when that trust is betrayed. It can take a long time, sometimes a lifetime (if at all) for some people to heal from that and trust again. With the trust issues along with the trauma of her mother being murdered, it's hard to blame her for being so reluctant to treat Zuko as a friend and part of the group. I mean, when Zuko betrayed her, it led him to helping Azula with literally murdering Aang... Katara lashing out at everyone is hard to watch, but I just think the writers did a great job showing the ugly reality of the consequences from destroying someone's trust. I'm really glad they made the episode the way they did and had Katara work through those issues before the finale.

I feel like y’all are being too hard on katara. She never got closure for her mom and she was the first one to trust Zuko before he betrayed them. Obviously I don’t agree with some of the things she said but people say things out of anger and frustration all the time and she’s not the first character in this show to have done it. Let her have her moment.

Man the Katara episode was so amazing! The bonding trips with Zuko have been so impactful to see 😊

The Southern raiders has always been one of, if not my favorite episode. Its done so well and i love katara and zuko's dynamic (and the dark storyline/ lore). Also katara's bending is so badass in this episode with the bloodbending and stopping the rain. literal chills every time. Idk why this episode hit me so hard but its just soo good.

Ember Island Players is an example of how to do a recap episode right.

This is the episode I was waiting for since the beginning of season 3. I loved the adrenaline I get from watching Zuko and Katara go on the hunt this episode. Everything from the journey, to the Katara and Yon Rha backstory, to the epic bending scenes, to watching Zuko shocked at Katara's bloodbending, and to the moment Katara finally gets to face the one that ruined her life and her family. Everything is done so well that this episode deserves the top 5 spot in the series. This episode also teaches that forgiveness is not always required, that some things are unforgivable and we can still get closure without forcing toxic positivity on ourselves.

When acting on emotions, it's easy to fall to temptations that previously would've never had before. Katara would've never bloodbended before, but in this episode she did.

The first time Katara met Zuko was when he was attacking her village. Before that, the last time fire nation had attacked her village, they took her mother. So she heavily associated Zuko with the southern raiders, even if he wasn't connected to them. Since meeting him, every time she thought of the enemy, fire nation, and people who took her mother, it was Zuko's face she pictured. Zuko suddenly showing up and trying to be good brought those emotions back out of her, especially after he'd previously betrayed her in Ba Sing Se. So it makes sense that she blamed him for her mothers death, even though she knew it wasn't his fault. He was just the face of the enemy to her.

Crazy to think the reaction series will end soon. What a ride it has been so far but the best is yet to come. Btw. that scene with Sokka ane Suki completely went ovee my head a kid 😂 What kinda irks me from that episode is how a lot of people seem to dislike Katara for what she said to Zuko or Sokka. Yes, it wasn't him who killed her mother but him betraying her probably resurfaced so much pain she simply swollowed down over the years, especially for Sokka. Yeah, it was a harsh thing to say but imagine: every Gaang Member while loosing people they loved, gained new ones because of their group. Toph missed her parents but she still had Katara as a motherly figure. Aang lost all of his people and yet found a new family in the group. And Sokka lost his mom but Katara filled that role. And Katara always talked about missing her mother but who took her place ? No one. Like I said, no one can make up for lost parents or culture, but atleast they found replacements. Katara never had that. Yeah, she had her grandmother but the love and the relationship you have with a grandparents (in most cases) can never be truly compared the the one you share your parents, especially to your mother. And that scene around 06:24 kinda annoyed me aswell when I was younger. Aang may be right, but didn't he destroyed the Sandbenders vehicles when SOME of them, not even all, abducted Appa ? He defo would've murdered them if it wasn't for Katara...And then later one litterly murdered that bug out of rage during the desert episode ? I get where he comes from and probably said what he said to Katara BECAUSE he made those experiences and doesn't want her to go trough the same, especially because it was her who saved him, but as soon as he brought up those stupid monk teachings my reaction was the same like Zuko's lol but I like that Aang thought about it and realized that you can't bring up nonsense like that to a rage filled person who actually grew up in a real family. This scene and Aangs quest to keep his culture alive kinda made me realize WHY exactly both Aang and Katara most likely turned out to be so different as parents as we will later on find out in TLOK.

@me-em5jt

6 ай бұрын

I'd say there's LoK, but then again, does it really exist? 🤔

@marvin9409

6 ай бұрын

@@me-em5jt don't be to harsh, the series had its highs and lows but one the things which crippled the series was the fact that the showrunners didn't know how many season they could do right from the start, unlike Avatar TLA. And the fact that Aaron Ehasz one of the main guys behind TLA wasn't on board anymore.

@AnusSniffer69

6 ай бұрын

@@marvin9409I mean it’s pretty bad. Korra literally does nothing of note. She just gets beat up until the plot lets her win the boss fight at the end of each season. Not to mention how horribly they handled the spirit world. Like really? Spirit lasers and giant robots? It’s not a good show, and it was only relevant because people were starving for more avatar content.

@onceyouwheeinyoucantwheeout

6 ай бұрын

@@me-em5jtyes it does. It’s a good series

The Ember island Players is a brilliant episode. A recap that's not even a recap because it defeats all purposes a recap is usually made for: save budget and gain time. The episode has 100% new animation and voice acting, so that's out of the window already. It's truly a love letter to the fans, an episode that actually wants you to recap the journey before the big finale. It's full of fourth wall breaking and meta jokes as acknowledgement to the fandom. Truly hilarious and self-aware, and the top of the cherry is it still has character development through Aang-Katara and Zuko-Toph conversations as well as dark themes like a bunch of kids going to a propaganda play of them dying trying to save the world with a whole audience applauding it. I know everyone has their own taste, but if you hate this episode, I really think you didn't get half the layers it has.

@memerakul2648

6 ай бұрын

Well said

This is my favorite series. Thanks for letting me witness some of yall watching it for the first time 👍🏼

19:10- 19:42 I just love how invested they all were in Aang’s fuckup. Especially the other boys-like they’re watching a little brother mess up with his crush.

What’s crazy is that the southern raiders weren’t looking for Katara as the last water bender of the southern tribe. They were looking for Hama who had escaped the fire nation prison. That’s why they accepted Katara’s Mother as the last water bender at her age, she was an adult. Also why they didn’t take her prisoner, they knew Hama would just break out again.

Ember Island Players is one of the best recap episodes of all time. There’s no debate

Sokka in the tent was peak comedy in the show ahahah I burst out lauphing everytime!

I always wondered how the director of the Ember Island Recap was able to gather so much information about the show’s events in almost accurate details 😂. Guess he was spying on them from the shadows

@sibergirl2645

6 ай бұрын

It was hinted that the cabbage man was one of their main sources. Man was everywhere and had a bone to pick lmao

@MineCraft-nz9pg

6 ай бұрын

​​@@sibergirl2645😂😂😂 So he stopped selling cabbage and become a show director 🤣🤣 that makes sense

Earth Rumble participants were too embarrassed to admit to the researcher that they were defeated by a "Young blind girl"

Ember Island Players is basically a recap episode, but also a satyrical take on the show and characters so far, while also setting up the stakes for the finale at the end, when it shows the "future". It is great

I love Brig everytime he speaks I'm like... I'd have a beer with that guy lol

Yeah it was a mean thing to say but Katara was right though. Sokka didn't love their mom the way she did. She had a different emotional trauma based on the fact that her mum was killed protecting her. Two people can love someone equally but differently. Its almost the same way sokka felt responsible for freeing their dad from the boiling rock.

@tariqthomas9090

6 ай бұрын

Also, from Katara’s perspective, Sokka should probably be the main one on her side BECAUSE Kya was his mother too. It was most likely a harsh reaction to feeling abandoned by Sokka mixed with a massive amount of guilt, and a way to tell him “If you’re not going to support me like I support you, GTFO out of my way!”

@OneRandomVictory

6 ай бұрын

Katara was also older and thus can actually remember more of her mother. Sokka even mentions how he can't even remember his mom's face in a pervious episode.

@4zn4ngelz

6 ай бұрын

Also it was Katara and her father that discovered her burning corpse too… so that’s obviously super traumatizing to a child 😭

@RecoveringChristian

6 ай бұрын

​@@OneRandomVictorybruh...sokka is the older brother...

@matheusjezini

6 ай бұрын

That's an insane thing to say to your brother and inexcusable. Stop defending that shit

Ember Island Players isn't just one of the best episodes of Avatar ever made, it's also one of the most intelligent episode ever made. Like it's a meta commentary on how Avatar's fanbase interpret/meme the show (flanderizing Katara and Sokka as about "hope" and meat, shipping Katara and Zuko, Zuko only caring about honor) while being an in-universe propaganda piece for the fire nation. If it were only a meta commentary it would not be good but it 100% fits into the world of Avatar and shows us a real part of the war: propaganda and how the Fire Nation is brainwashed into hating the Avatar and thinking the Firelord is the hero. A very smart episode and all the bonus points for being the funniest episodes in the series!

The play is better than the live action movie.

@theinsurance2450

6 ай бұрын

More accurate too. It actually got the names right and the characters were more accurate.

I also love this episode and its placement! It’s a fun self-aware kind of way to recap the story so far and provide some comic relief before the intensity of the final episodes

It’s crazy how fast you guys made it to the end, seems like yesterday it all started

I didn't make this connection at first but it makes sense like we all know zuko put the gang through a lot but the final straw was ba sign se and the assassin but also I think when Sokka and katara meet Zuko for the first time when he attacked the southern water tribe it reminded her of the attack of those raiders when she was 8 before her and sokka mom got killed. But hema was unintentionally responsible for their mom's death the reason the mom wasn't taken as a prisoner was blood-bending

I like to think if Katara healed Zuko’s face in ba sing se, he wouldn’t have joined azula and she wouldn’t need to heal aang. Butterfly effect

@uhohmykokoro1616

6 ай бұрын

I disagree. He just wasn’t in the right place mentally to really make the change. He had some positive growth temporarily, but it was surface level. He needed to do more growing and changing before he could truly change sides. I really like that they wrote it this way because growth isn’t linear. There are ups and downs :) I also think it wouldn’t have worked anyway. You can see that Aang still has a scar from being struck by lightning even though Katara used the spirit water on him.

@miaow0706

6 ай бұрын

I think he would've been less inclined, but I definitely think he still would've gone back bc by that point, he still hadn't really figured out what he wanted. It's so much easier to fall back into old habits and undo growth when what you wanted is right in front of you.

Because Zuko decision in Ba Sing Se, thousands of Earth Kingdom lives were subjected to the power of the Fire Nation, Aang's life ended and Katara managed to revive him with the spiritual water that she did not use on Zuko... They had a conversation about their mothers and how the war took them from their lives. Katara literally was gonna use the water in him because she trusted that he can change... But he didn't. Obviously Katara is going to be the most reluctant to forgive him from one day to the next. He lost her confidence

@jmwilliamsart

5 ай бұрын

Ba Sing Se would’ve fallen anyway (with or without Zuko) since Azula and her gang had already infiltrated the city. Besides Zuko did help Sokka rescue their father from a Cire Nation prison, doesn’t that count for something? Without Zuko’s help it’s unlikely that Sokka would’ve succeeded.

The Sokka tent scene reaction has me rolling 😭

that second hand embarrassment from all of you during the kiss scene are out of control 🤣🤣

Ember Island Players is the calm before the storm, when the finale is 4 episodes, you need to catch your breath

The way they all cringed when Aang stole that kiss..... PEAK reaction moment for AT:LA viewers, for sure 😅 (so glad I found this channel LOL! it's quite fascinating to witness a whole new batch of fans as they gradually develop throughout these episodes. Cheers, y'all! ❤)

The recap episode has grown on me. I always liked how the writers poked fun at the show

17 episode is literally every live action adaptation

IMO, Ember Island Players is one of the most brilliant episodes of the show. It's a recap episode, and it playfully breaks the fourth wall to engage with fans and poke fun at itself, but like every other episode in the show, it's a clever exploration of the characters and themes, too. What I like best about it is that, not only does it force every character to reflect on their own growth prior to the big finale, but it re-emphasizes one of Book 3's major themes--fire nation propaganda and how totalitarian regimes work. Every regime utilizes history to create a nationalist vision of the future. And every totalitarian regime twists history for its own ends (like Toph being a buff man so fire nation toadies don't look bad). History is always molded as it is recorded (through unreliable people like the cabbage merchant, filtered through a fire nation scholar's lens), and creative liberties or informed inferences always have to be made to fill in gaps. Also, Peter Pan was historically always played on stage by a woman, including a version I saw in the '90s. Since Aang has so many similarities with Pan (ability to fly, mischievous, elfin personality, being frozen as a child), it's a perfect homage the writers worked in. Intertextuality, meta-narrative, and strong thematic undercurrents all woven together into a freaking RECAP episode. Plus, from a series pacing standpoint, it's a nice comedic breather between the serious episodes, but still reminds us how high the stakes are at the end. This is why Avatar is one of the greatest shows of all time.

You have to realize the Ember Island Players is literally a recap of the entire show for the fans so they get the gist of everything right before the finale

Fun fact: the poster for the ember island players is a parody of the first season’s dvd box set

If you actually watched the shows weekly when it came out you'll remember these last few episodes had a long delay so that re-cap was good timing

Why he rolling his eyes whenever he sees Azula? 😂

9:59 please tell me what names is this music? theme?

My favorite episode was the Book 2 Finale "The Crossroads of Destiny"

Is maddie gonna drop her hair routine? Hair always looks healthy and moisturised

@SalKhayer

6 ай бұрын

Yo I'm thinking the exact same thing. I need to know because my hair looks like a disaster.

The point about Katara and her mom, you ate forgetting what she's gone though very recently. Her only parent was back in her life and they were working on their problems, then they were separated. She had to confront the loss of her parents all over again, in the middle of everyone accepting someone she doesn't feel she can trust. They show the complex interplay of huge amounts of past trauma and recent negative outcomes. It's still mostly for kids so they try not to be too heavy handed in my opinion. Her sudden fixation about her mom can make sense though.

A really sad theory is that when the Southern Water Trive was being Raided they were looking for Hama, that's why they didn't take the 'last' water bender prisoner it was a kill on sight due to what Hama had taught herself with Blood Bending.

Please post all 4 parts of the finale as 1 video please

In this episode, Zuko stelametes with Azula for the first time. He always was getting his ass kicked before that=)

Going to leave a small amount of info here for this episode. The "sources" that Yon Rha had that let him know that there was a single water bender left, was the fact Hama had escaped from the prison via blood bending. That's the person they were looking for. All of the other benders of the Southern Tribe were accounted for and she was the only one who escaped. Katara and Sokka's mother being killed is a direct result Hama using blood bending to escape her prison. (this is not confirmed, but I can't imagine them raiding the tribe for a single waterbender being born let along having that level of intelligence. I CAN see them raiding it to look for a single waterbender who escaped by having the ability to control their soldiers from the inside out. This is also why I think they had the intentions to immediately execute said waterbend).

You know toph felt sokka and sukis little training session

When y'all actually realize Azula is 14 years old.

Ember Island players are actually a pretty serviceable episode in the show's story. It's not really filler; it very well reminds everyone of the long journey this show has been on and establishes the stakes for the finale.

That was hilarious to see all of you cover your face when Aang kissed Katara. That's how it feels watching it especially the first time

I think the 16th episode is all about katara coming to terms with how powerful she is now. It takes mental, emotional strength and maturity to walk away. I agree that the build up for this episode could have been better. But it did make sense, it was a logical sum of events. And before the war she needed to learn that just because now she can easily kill anyone, it doesn’t mean she should.

Fun facts about Amber Island Players: Toph originally was going to be a big, tough earthbending guy like The Boulder, but in the end, they changed their mind and went with the amazing character we have now. Also, the Zuko and Katara moments were paying homage to all the fans that were led to believe they were going to be a couple. It's not actually confirmed if the creators changed their mind or if they were purposefully misleading the fans. And finally, Jets death. Since it was a cartoon for kids, they couldn't outright show his death (even though they straight up showed a skeleton in ep 3 lol) and so many fans debated whether Jet actually died. The scene where zuko asks if he died and Soka replies with "yknow, it's not really clear" is a response to that debate.

Next reaction's gonna be huuge! The finale of this show is soo hype 🔥

I hate how misundertood Katara is. First, she is literally a 14-year-old in charge of saving the world. 2 She was the last person who saw her mom alive, she knows her mom died to protect her. She found her mom dead at THEIR HOUSE when she went to find her father and Katara as a 6yo had to take the role of a mother to Soka, even if he was the big brother she was the parental figure, even sokka himself said "when i think about my mom i see Katara's face" Sokka DID replace his mom with Katara, that was his way of cope with it and he moved on in some way. While Katara never really did, she had the biggest survivor guilt, and on top of that their father abandoned them AND she had to be Sokka's new mom. She never could move on. So yeah in a way Katara did love her mom "more" than Sokka

Ember Island players is one of my favourite episodes

That play is still better than the live action movie we got In that one not even the effects were decent lol

The way zuko reacted when he saw katara blood bending. He was thinking „this crazy bitch wasnt lying shen she said shed end my destiny“ hahahahah

@IamnotJohnFord

6 ай бұрын

Katara could kill just about anyone on the night of a full moon. Honestly, the four of them could sneak into the Fire Nation on the night of a full moon and end the war if they were hardcore. And, if they also took Zuko, because he knows the palace layout, it'd be easy. But, Nickelodeon execs would have a fit.

It’s very ez to watch ep.17 and think it doesn’t do much, but it’s quite the contrary. First off, the play itself is Fire Nation propaganda, reinforcing that the citizens are still brainwashed into thinking the war is justified. Second, it takes unresolved character plots and reintroduces them. Zuko’s shame about his treatment of his uncle, Aang’s uncertainty of his relationship to Katarra and so on. Finally, it shows how people perceive the show with the feedback the’ve given to the show runners.

Something funny about the sokka in the tent scene, Toph can totally feel everything going on in there. Make of that what you will

My favorite episodes were for sure anytime the spirits were involved, the moon fishes, the face eating guy, the panda laser beam, the book worm owl. Besides those; when sokka gets high on cactus juice, the love mountain, but for sure one more that's highly up there that is still yet to come, a scene with Iroh shared with Zuko. That scene alone is more mature then any movie/series aimed at adults.

Two banger episodes, nothing NOT to like!! 🔥

Katara was kinda tripping when she said I knew you wouldnt understand to Aang lol. Like they killed his entire race Katara.

@ijh07

6 ай бұрын

True and aang never really knew his parents

@lalalalisa41

6 ай бұрын

Definitely wrong of her to say but she's in her feelings and trauma right now, whatever comes out of her mouth I don't think she really means it

11 year old me watching Season 3 Zuko premiere on my parent’s television set: “That is a MAN!” 😍

everyone defending katara but its also still valid to think what she says out of rage and pain is out of pocket. Yeah she was in pain, but what she said WAS super unfair considering Aang's nation literally went through genocide with his whole nation being wiped out, and saying sokka doesnt love his mother as much was definitely unfair. These reactions to what she was saying is normal imo.

Ember island players is a recap, but it’s also a kind of celebration. “Here’s all the great times we had together”. It’s also a chance for the writers to poke fun at themselves and give us some hilarious one-liners. I get it’s too meta for some people, but at least it’s a bottle episode, so it’s easy to skip if you really want to.

I've been watching Gek for about a year now but I might be super late to the table on this, but are some of them brothers and or siblings?

The one thing i will say about Katara and her lashing out at Sokka about not loving their mother the way she did. Sokka said to Toph in s2 he barely remembers his Mother's face and when he thinks of a Mother he instead sees Katara, Katara heard that maybe she felt resentful of that statement. No excuse though she still took it too far just some perspective on why she said that maybe.

I know I am late but technically, Katara always had an attitude towards Zuko since he joined the team, from threatening to end his destiny to making fun of how he could not properly tell a joke. I think it just boiled over in this particular episode and she snapped...

my head cannon about Toph being a dude in the play is just the people she beat were too embarrassed to admit they were beat by a blind little girl 😂

VIOLET EVERGARDEN......... Must watch

I don't know about you guys but if I was katara and I see my mothers killer im from around the way Im leaving with something (please tell me someone got the reference I made) im taking a leg or arm

Can't believe y'all skipped showing the part in the play where they all cornered Azula and she distracted them by telling Zuko "Look, I think it's your honor". That was the funniest part of the play lmao

I hope y’all watch Korra as well. I’ll definitely be here to watch

Katara being mad a t zuko is very justified she opened upto him and was about to heal his wound with the magical water to she only had a little of it and he helped azula also aang lost his power

The reason Katara was so mad at Zuko was voiced at the beginning of the episode. "We can't let the Fire Nation separate our family again!" Every time she loses her dad it brings back losing her mother too sharply. Zuko was just a convenient scapegoat.

@jmwilliamsart

5 ай бұрын

Had she forgotten that it was Zuko who helped Sokka free her father from a Fire Nation prison? Without Zuko’s help Sokka wouldn’t have succeeded in rescuing their father, Katara would do well to remember that.

Aang kissing Katara here and Dipper asking Wendy out on a date just after she broke up stand out as some of the most awkward moments in cartoon history 💀

Our girl’s also a blood bender now tho

Ember Island Play is a really smart way of a recap. I think it being the "worst episode" is just because it is right before the finale. But seeing it the second time, you can appreciate it more.

LEGEND OF KORRA NEXTTTTT 🎉 I’m going back to make sure I liked all the vids!!