“Secret Tunnel,” Bumi, Cabbages – the whimsy is back!
Riki Hayashi and Paul Hoppe join host Matthew Fox to talk about episodes 3-4 of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Topics we discuss include:
- The show is starting to capture more of the original’s whimsy and charm while still being a bit darker and more “grimdark.”
- Zuko’s characterization and his relationship with Iroh.
- The writers cram a lot of story arcs from multiple episodes into just two.
- Side characters like Teo are given strong representation and well-acted emotional moments.
- Is this portrayal of Jet more or less sympathetic than the original?
- Introducing Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai this early undercuts tension and menace later on.
- The challenges of adapting animation to live-action and child actors growing up over a long production.
- Possibilities for extending the story past the original three seasons.
