SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!
Ahem...There are spoilers ahead.
Now as a finale, all plot threads needed to be rounded up. But at the same time continuity was needed to be kept. So characteristics like Aangs reluctance to kill had to be addressed, considering that most of the pop-culture Messiahs (I'll explain in Herouary{January} my Messiah protocol theory) have directly or otherwise caused the death of the main and/or secondary Antagonist. So they used a very clever technique to avoid this and keep this characteristic. The pressure is also piled on as this is the end of not only the series, but essentially an era of the shows history. So nostalgia, Easter eggs and slight-of-hand was used to make this a memorable experience.
The story plays out as Aang is struggling to master Firebending as thought by his former nemesis, now mentor Prince Zuko. Things don't get better as it is revealed that Zuko's father, Firelord Ozai, plans to use a comet as a source of Super-Firebending and burn whats left of the earth to create a new empire from the ashes. Frustrated, Aang is constantly told by many that it is his destiny to destroy the Firelord and bring balance by his death. But this clashes with his pacifist airbending nature and seeks new methods of defeating him. But Aang is called away to a mysterious island and the next morning is nowhere to be found. His friends, Sokka, Kitara, Toph, Zuko and Suki, each search to find him, but come up empty handed. Out of options, they seek the help of General Iroh, Zuko's uncle who had disappeared after their failed siege of the Fire nation Capital. Meanwhile, Ozai makes for his final preparations and crowns himself Phoenix King, while crowning Azula, his daughter and Zuko's sister, Firelord. Her mentality is slipping more and more, especially after the betrayal of her friends previously and so is paranoid of and banishes everyone. Meeting masters of many forms of combat art and bending, Sokka, Toph and Suki are sent to dismantle the air fleet of the Fire Nation and Zuko and Kitara are sent to defeat Azula. As all battles build, it is only the Avatar who can end the hundred year war and bring balance to the world. (Yeesh and I thought Les Miserables had too many plot threads)
Seeing this for the first time, I thought it was great, seeing it a second time, I thought it was a near perfect way to end a great show. When I say near perfect, I mean 99.9% awesome. My .1% falls into the airing, continuity and partially the Deus ex Machina. For airing, the finale was aired as a two hour movie, perfect. But it's release was as a four part (apparently 88 minutes minus commercials). This can be irritating when it leaves you on a cliff-hanger, I really wish it would be edited into a flowing narrative without interruptions. As for continuity, a commercial came out for the Legend of Korra on the second episode and this dissipated any suspense the show had left. If they revealed after the final airing, maybe we would be holding our breath, but it felt like the last two Doctor Who finales. It was sad to see these eras end and see the Doctor leave, but the knowledge that they were replaced before the episode is aired left us expectant of this new Doctor and it didn't catch us off-guard, when it should have, as it revealed the new Doctor. And I can say I do not like the look of Korra. Apparently it was continuing the story, but honestly, i'm just not that interested in it. The idea is good and it does continue the story, but the characters are annoying and I miss the old guys.
But for the Deus ex Machina, the more I thought about(and you really should), it actually makes sense. The Lion turtle that gave Aang this new ability was referenced to in previous episodes and we are living in a world where animals are cross-bred and people can bend the elements to their will. This fits into the world they have created, although I will understand it's delay in arrival. In films like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, the protagonist must defeat the dark lord of ultimate power and are helped out at the last minute by a rushed rule not understood by anyone unless they have read the books throughout. The Deathly Hollows should have been introduced much earlier and how Harry defeated Voldemort I never understood. In Lord of the Rings why couldn't the Eagles fly closer to Mount Doom to save the hero's the long, dangerous journey, but then suddenly because Sauron is dead, we can now go there. (Cough) Bullshit (Cough)! Here, we really do get a good idea that this is the unquestionably likely outcome of the events that took place.
I really didn't think Ozai was that great a villain, I think it would have been much better if Zuko and Aang had to fight off Azula, who had overpowered her father and took his place. But the image is more powerful with what we got. I never felt he was shown enough for us to believe he was much of a physical threat. Don't get me wrong, the battle is great, but the villain is rather weak. This is why I hold the fact that Azula is probably one of the best antagonists ever. Her defeat is so satisfying to see, she truly was the villain we loved to hate. And like all others I was displeased with the most fateful loss...of space sword. Don't lie, you cried out when disappeared from view. But just like the series, it had it's great comedy from Aang, Sokka and surprisingly from Zuko. Yeah, he has grown a funny bone over these past few years. It also had the awesome action with the retaking of Ba Sing Se, the destruction of the air fleet, taking down Azula and depowering the Firelord. Oh, the last one was amazing, you really felt the animators cared passionately for the finale. It was loud, fast paced and tense, the lightning crackle turned everything from hellish red to terrifying blue, you felt the punches and kicks and the resolution. I Think this is some of the best animation I have ever seen, the symbolism, the themes and the power all represented by blinding red and blue light of corruption and good. And, I won't lie, I cried at the scenes when Zuko reunited with Iroh, it was beautiful and compassionate. But the other was tears of Joy. Seeing Aang and Kitara FINALLY admit their feelings is welcomed by me most of all. I know of the theories, like Zuko and Kitara or Aang and Toph, but I say...Shut Up. I like them together the way they are.
So overall opinion, it is probably the most fitting finale given to a series of this magnitude. The moral is better than any other I have heard. In others like Star Wars or Harry Potter, where the hero's must destroy the dark lord as fate has said it, this animated Nickelodeon TV series has a much better moral than films written by serious writers who want to write a serious story. That we can find any other way to stop cruelty and evil other than killing, is probably the best way to prove a character than any other.
But for the Deus ex Machina, the more I thought about(and you really should), it actually makes sense. The Lion turtle that gave Aang this new ability was referenced to in previous episodes and we are living in a world where animals are cross-bred and people can bend the elements to their will. This fits into the world they have created, although I will understand it's delay in arrival. In films like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, the protagonist must defeat the dark lord of ultimate power and are helped out at the last minute by a rushed rule not understood by anyone unless they have read the books throughout. The Deathly Hollows should have been introduced much earlier and how Harry defeated Voldemort I never understood. In Lord of the Rings why couldn't the Eagles fly closer to Mount Doom to save the hero's the long, dangerous journey, but then suddenly because Sauron is dead, we can now go there. (Cough) Bullshit (Cough)! Here, we really do get a good idea that this is the unquestionably likely outcome of the events that took place.
I really didn't think Ozai was that great a villain, I think it would have been much better if Zuko and Aang had to fight off Azula, who had overpowered her father and took his place. But the image is more powerful with what we got. I never felt he was shown enough for us to believe he was much of a physical threat. Don't get me wrong, the battle is great, but the villain is rather weak. This is why I hold the fact that Azula is probably one of the best antagonists ever. Her defeat is so satisfying to see, she truly was the villain we loved to hate. And like all others I was displeased with the most fateful loss...of space sword. Don't lie, you cried out when disappeared from view. But just like the series, it had it's great comedy from Aang, Sokka and surprisingly from Zuko. Yeah, he has grown a funny bone over these past few years. It also had the awesome action with the retaking of Ba Sing Se, the destruction of the air fleet, taking down Azula and depowering the Firelord. Oh, the last one was amazing, you really felt the animators cared passionately for the finale. It was loud, fast paced and tense, the lightning crackle turned everything from hellish red to terrifying blue, you felt the punches and kicks and the resolution. I Think this is some of the best animation I have ever seen, the symbolism, the themes and the power all represented by blinding red and blue light of corruption and good. And, I won't lie, I cried at the scenes when Zuko reunited with Iroh, it was beautiful and compassionate. But the other was tears of Joy. Seeing Aang and Kitara FINALLY admit their feelings is welcomed by me most of all. I know of the theories, like Zuko and Kitara or Aang and Toph, but I say...Shut Up. I like them together the way they are.
So overall opinion, it is probably the most fitting finale given to a series of this magnitude. The moral is better than any other I have heard. In others like Star Wars or Harry Potter, where the hero's must destroy the dark lord as fate has said it, this animated Nickelodeon TV series has a much better moral than films written by serious writers who want to write a serious story. That we can find any other way to stop cruelty and evil other than killing, is probably the best way to prove a character than any other.
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