That finale everyone's talking about

[jlh]

Reacting to finales is a tricky business when you don't have expectations to compare reality to. One of my post-HP strategies when dealing with SF-F or action adventure canons is to not have expectations, to never think about where the thing is going until it's over. There was nothing I was hoping to see in the finale; Suki had already returned

Comments

[sistermagpie]

Adding my own few notes: Of course the guru was wrong! Aang spent the pre-series days so detached from the world it was destroyed without his noticing. This kid *needs* someone to love in the real world. He needs attachments to be the Avatar. Have I mentioned I *love* stories where helping others over one's own personal spiritual advancement is rewarded?

Re: the sword and boomerang--seriously. Of course he does. And you know what? He would have saved a an anonymous Kyoshi warrior over them too, because Sokka doesn't put objects over people. That said, the perfect team to take down the entire Fire Nation airfleet. They have the advantage because they have Toph. (The thing about Toph isn't that he would choose her life over keeping the objects but that we all know he loves her more than those things even when she's not in danger!)

Suki: This is what drives me batshit about any shipping thing I read where anybody says somebody doesn't love somebody because they don't run after them to save them, because all the couples in this show can take care of themselves as individuals and switch back and forth about who's protecting whom. (And also they often separate with no way to communicate for months.) Suki is a fellow warrior (actually a senior warrior and a former teacher of Sokka's) and this is how you fight together. Just as Aang would accept Katara going to face Azula with Zuko and Zuko accepts Mai helping him escape. She doesn't need protection. "Believe me, she doesn't." In fact, none of these girls would appreciate you running back when she's trying to get you out.

Zuko as the Fire Lord. Zuko as waiter at a teahouse. <3

In that order, which makes it that awesome.

I assumed he was surprised to see Mai because she got out before his own ability to get her out would have gotten her there. Iow, by the time he was able to get down to that kind of business she was already on her way, or just in general it was too fast.

Also I love that Toph's affection for Zuko grew by leaps and bounds. I mean, he seemed to just tickle her. She was a total sucker for him and Iroh. I feel some people take the "worst fieldtrip" between them a little too seriously, as if Zuko is being dismissive rather than Zuko being confused. I think they will have many great moments together in the future, and that Zuko will probably turn out to have thought about everything she said and do something kind of awesome for her at some point. Like when he has to visit the Earth Kingdom he and Toph will visit her house with a royal retinue and force her parents to see her for her awesome self.

[peri_peteia]

I assumed he was surprised to see Mai because she got out before his own ability to get her out would have gotten her there. Iow, by the time he was able to get down to that kind of business she was already on her way, or just in general it was too fast.

I made this same assumption. The coronation seemed to be taking place very soon after the final battle (the next morning was the impression I got) and I figured that Zuko, as incumbent Fire Lord for a few hours, wasn't quite yet in the position to send an edict to release anyone from prison or, if he had, he didn't expect them to put it into effect until the flame diadem was on his head. But one assumes Mai's uncle heard about the change in regime and decided to get her out and anyone's objections were met with the fact that the boyfriend she committed treason for to get imprisoned in the first place was now the Fire Lord.

In other news, I agree with everything in this comment. And also everything in the original post. Particularly regarding people completely missing the point of the pairings in this series being willing to let each other stand independently. Zuko's Silly Man You Have No Idea laugh and "Believe me, she doesn't," is one of my favourite moments in the series because it so succinctly summarizes both how amazing the female characters in Avatar are and how much the male characters appreciate them for it.

[jlh]

Toph is an advantage, but in a way she's like a weapon that needs to be aimed. While Katara and Zuko, particularly before their adventure, needed to be controlled a bit (and having the one goal of subduing Azula did that) and Aang needed to be reassured and supported, Toph really needed Sokka to help her do exactly what needed to be done, whenever they weren't in a direct fighting situation. As she gets older she'll work out how to be more offensive than defensive, and have her own ideas.

My favorite moments in TBR are when Zuko and Sokka are all, "Observe, please, my kickass girlfriend, for she is awesome."

I see what you're saying about Mai-with all those people assembled I thought more time had passed than I guess did, but with those endings it's really hard to tell.

Zuko will probably turn out to have thought about everything she said and do something kind of awesome for her at some point

Totally, because he's like that.