| |
|
313 - I realise this recap is really,really overdue,but I have to keep myself sane somehow. Plus,everyone's watched it by now  .
Zuko's teaching Aang to firebend,'cept he's having trouble too for some reason. (Some impressive Shaolin moves here.) It turns out that he's fallen victim to Good is Dumb — because he's joined the Avatar and told his abusive father to go stuff himself,he's not angry any more. Guess what his firebending's fuelled by.
Sokka gets his digs in too;I found it a little too vindictive to be playful,which is sort of understandable,except he includes Aang as well  .
So,after some more humiliation around the campfire,and an amazing sequence where we see Toph's first lessons with badger-moles,it's off to the nearest convenient ancient firebender civilization ruin to pick up some tips.
Cool,wuxia-style wallrunning.
Wandering the ruins,Zuko tells Aang why Iroh was the "Dragon of the West",hinting at a troubled past for his uncle. Then they come across something mysterious — a locked door with a sun stone. After some obvious-in-hindsight trickery to get in,they find statues in weird poses. It's a firebending form called "The Fusion Dance Dancing Dragon!  Doing the dance reveals,in order,a stone,a glue trap that was set off by Zuko picking up the stone and the not-dead-after-all firebending civilization that digs them out.
Once Aang plays the Avatar card (and apologises) they agree to show them the ancient ways by bringing an offering of "the original fire" up the mountain using their firebending.
At the top,the dynamic duo ascend a flight of steps to present their offering to the two "masters". They're dragons! But there's no fire,because Aang let his go out and blew Zuko's out trying to cheat off of him. Just when it looks like Avatar barbeque,Aang gets a brainwave — that dance in the temple.
This leads to a beautiful and awesome sequence where they perform the dance whilst silhouetted against the setting sun,with the dragons whooshing around and matching their every move.
They're rewarded with a pretty light show and the realisation that it's the drive that you have that really powers firebending. And Iroh knew this anyway,'cause he got there before them.
End with the two demonstrating back at the camp and Zuko receiving even more stick for the name of the form.
A very,very good episode. I'm seeing the beginnings of a little/big brother relationship between the two here,with Zuko playing the 'older and more experienced' role to Aang's 'pestering little kid'. He compliments him & even attempts a little sarky humour; I like this Zuko. The only trouble is the fuel it gives to the Zukaang shippers (they're out there somewhere,slashficcing away,I know it O_O).
Subtle things: Aang saying,"I don't care what everyone else says about you — you're pretty smart." and Zuko smiling. Then his face falling into a 'wait,what?' just as the camera pans away  .
Best line:"Zuko,get over here! I want you to dance with me!" |
|
|
