Spoiler Alert: I will try to avoid spoilers as much as possible in this piece, but some things have to slip through the cracks in order for me to discuss the show in full.
On May 15th of this year, Netflix added the popular Nickelodeon cartoon Avatar: the Last Airbender to their catalog. I have to say, I was beyond thrilled! I have watched the show in it's entirety 3 times over in the past 5 years (and that's not an exaggeration). No matter how many times I watch it, I still pick up on something new every single time. Avatar has consistently been one of the more difficult titles to stream because it is a highly coveted piece of fiction, and it's no wonder! The show is completely brilliant - it finds a way to remain a "kids' show" while catering to adults, dives deep into character development, tells a succinct story, and doesn't shy away from deep and raw material.
Avatar's ability to adapt their writing to find the middle ground between children's programming and adult programming was a feat nothing short of miraculous. As part of Nickelodeon's network, there was a certain brand that needed to be maintained. That meant that there were serious limitations on how death, violence, and romance could be portrayed. Sometimes these regulations leave shows feeling boxed in and censored, but Avatar adapted and overcame. One excellent example of this elegant adaption was the choice on the part of the writers to not have Aang kill the main villain. I am sure that part of this choice came from network push-back, but also because Aang had always been portrayed as a peaceful vegetarian monk. It would already seem odd for him to take someone's life, and the writers used that to their advantage while still preserving their relationship with Nickelodeon. There are dozens of examples like this, and while there are some more adult or "scary" themes in some of the episodes, the writers maintain the perfect balance to allow the content to still be acceptable for older children.
Another thing that Avatar excels at is its character development. None of the main characters get shorted, and each one has an engaging and rich backstory. I think the two best examples of this development are Iroh and Toph. It's no big spoiler that the main antagonists of the series are the fire nation (you learn that in the intro of the show - it's even a meme), but unlike other similar children's shows the writers don't leave the conversation at "bad guys are bad." There are still members of the fire nation that are honorable and wise. Iroh is an excellent example of this. Once a mighty conqueror and warlord, Iroh is deeply changed by the death of his son in battle. He goes from being a violent and loyal general of the fire nation to a peaceful and wise tea-enthusiast. But his development doesn't just end there; Iroh demonstrates the trait of complete humility in a gorgeous way. Throughout the series, he uses self-humiliation and others' negative perception of himself to teach his nephew that the true meaning of honor does not come from the views of other people, but from within. One of the excellent nuggets of wisdom that Iroh has to offer us (and there are MANY) is this, "Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame." I believe there is even an app now that will share a daily Uncle Iroh quote with you - and believe me, we could all use a daily does of Uncle Iroh.
The second character I want to mention is Toph Beifong. Toph is a 12 year old blind girl from a noble family and an extremely powerful Earthbender. When we meet Toph she is with her overbearing and belittling parents, who do not allow her to learn above a remedial level of Earthbending. What they don't know is that by night, Toph competes with some of the most powerful Earthbenders in the world for glory and the title of "champion." Toph's success comes from her ability to "see" using her feet and her connection with the Earth. Her limitation actually becomes her strength, which I believe makes her portrayal one of the most powerful regarding the visibility of disabled people in cartoons. Generally children's cartoons try to portray the disabled in a very milquetoast and pandering fashion. Sometimes they insert them just for the sake of inserting them, or as some kind of moral token that they can use to teach a lesson about "accepting difference." Not Toph. Toph is powerful, formidable, confident, and courageous. She doesn't get treated with kid gloves, and she isn't there to teach anyone a lesson. She is a highly fleshed out character who is treated with reverence and respect by the writers. That is what we need more of - not pandering.
The story of Avatar is also very streamlined. There are 3 seasons that tell a complete story, and that is it. There's no 18 long seasons nor beating around the bush. There's a story, it progresses rapidly, every season is important, and then there is resolution. I love this about Avatar, and I wish more programs would follow this model in the USA. There are already more "complete" series made in other nations (like Japan), but sometime studio greed can lead to shows being dragged on and on until you just want to beg the producers to put them out of their misery. This is part of why Avatar is very stream-able, but wasn't as suited to traditional network television. Avatar is a form of "serial programming," meaning that is has a sequential plot that unfolds over the span of several seasons. Most children's programming is episodic, where you do not need to have seen previous episodes to understand the plot of the current episode. Avatar, on the other hand, required consistent and diligent viewing to conceive of the whole plot, which wasn't always possible for casual/young viewers. Thank goodness that era is over, and you can now sit on your couch for 72 hours straight and watch the whole thing!
The last bit of praise that I will give to Avatar is the deep and raw content. The writers for the series do not shy away from really difficult topics, including but not limited to: murder, child abuse, revenge, genocide, war, death, totalitarianism, sexism, and broken families. But these topics are not just casually inserted for the sake of creating "edgy" programming. Each time the writers introduce a difficult topic, it is for the express purpose of deepening and strengthening the characters. A great example of this is when Aang learns that his people (the air-nomads) have been wiped out by the fire nation (this isn't a spoiler - it's in the title - "The LAST Airbender"). This causes Aang to experience a lot of grief and sorrow, not to mention guilt because he felt he was responsible for allowing the genocide to happen. Over time, Aang has to learn to let go of the guilt and anger he feels, and harness the experience in order to fulfill his duty to the world and restore the peace. A second brief example is when Katara goes searching for the man who killed her mother in cold blood, only to find that he is a feeble and sad old man living in misery with his tyrannical mother. When Katara has the opportunity to enact revenge upon him, she shows mercy. That is what these devastating experiences teach the main characters - that they should act with mercy, humility, duty, and honor. They learn that even if there is terrible evil in the world that can't always be controlled, their honorable actions can help restore some of what it destroys.
I could really go on and on for 10 pages about what an excellent show Avatar: the Last Airbender is. Avatar manages to write a complex show for children, create lovable and honorable characters, stick to a straightforward plot, and seamlessly integrate harsh realities into a beautiful and epic story. If you haven't yet watched it, I cannot recommend it highly enough. I absolutely cannot wait to watch this show with my children in the future, and watch it again with my husband (probably in the next 2 years). Feel free to leave your favorite quotes from Avatar in the comments - Flameo my Hotman!