I agree, Aang woud favor Tenzin, but not to the point that neither Bumi nor Kya can recall a single trip with their father. I mean, based off what Tenzin said, it's almost like Aang and Tenzin went off on some camping trip or adventure once a month and Aang (almost) never brought Kya or Bumi along. At the same time, Tenzin, apparently, has such a bad memory, or such a selective memory, that he can't recall the fact no one but him and Aang went on these trips.
I might even go so far as to say, based off what the writers put in the show, Aang loved Tenzin, but he only liked Bumi and Kya.
The problem I have with Aang as depicted in the show is the extent to which he favored Tenzin. Based off the interactions of the siblings, one might assume Aang never took any child on any trip or vacation other than Tenzin after he was old enough. Ever. Tenzin started rattling off all the different places he'd been that none of the other kids got to see.
At the same time, I'm hard pressed to think that Katara would ever let him get away with that. Katara is way too headstrong to let Aang so badly neglect his other two kids to such an extent. She takes charge in everything and with Aang being so passive, I'm more inclined to think that Katara would force him to take all the kids if he's going to take any of them.
That's not to say I don't think Aang wouldn't favor Tenzin, I totally understand why he did, but I don't think that he would have favored him to the extent that he did.
I also find it hard to believe Tenzin can't remember the fact that none of his family went with him on any of the trips; that it was just him and his Dad. Lack of perception is one thing, but being that thick is something else entirely.
Keep in mind that of all of his children, Tenzin was the only AirBender, the only child which represented a possibility of the rebirth of Aang's own people. That had to play a factor in how and why Aang favored him so much.
He couldn't have been totally neglectful of his other children. While Kya an Bumi knew that their brother was the favored child, they aren't as resentful of their father as one would expect if he neglected them entirely.
Have I, at any point, said something along the lines of, "I wonder why Aang favored Tenzin?" I ask, because people keep bringing this up. I'm fully aware of why Aang favored Tenzin, but I don't believe that Aang would have favored him to the extent it was portrayed in the show because Aang is not that kind of person (though I do know he would favor Tenzin, just to not that degree), nor would Katara have stood for it.
As for the children not being resentful... They are in their 40s now at this point. They've had a lifetime to come to terms with it, but it's very obviously still bugging them all these years later, and it seems to have been a constant issue between the three kids as it was implied the subject comes up whenever they all get together via Tenzins little 'Not this again!' comment.
Like I've said before, I'm totally okay with Aang favoring Tenzin. After all, Tenzin was the only other air bender at the time. What I'm not okay with, is Aang being portrayed as such a neglectful father that his two oldest children are uncomfortable speaking about him due to lingering resentment about his fatherly neglect and favoritism.
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Great episode, can't wait to see more
Like I've said before, I'm totally okay with Aang favoring Tenzin. After all, Tenzin was the only other air bender at the time. What I'm not okay with, is Aang being portrayed as such a neglectful father that his two oldest children are uncomfortable speaking about him due to lingering resentment about his fatherly neglect and favoritism..Why? In his series, it's pretty obvious that Aang was poorly socialized, and was subject to occasional outbursts of pure selfish behavior to the point where it nearly drove Katara and her brother from his company at times. (His initial running away from the Northern Air Temple was another such act.) Fact is that Aang was groomed to be a savior and "chosen one". Such personality archetypes are usually extremely lousy at the parenting job and frequently not very considerate of others, even when they try to be.
Aang was obviously a well-intentioned person, and if he was a lousy father to his other children, as it seems he most definitely was, it wasn't due to malice, just to him having his own share of flaws as a human being. The lingering resentment of Tenzin's siblings seems to have been tempered by their understanding of what their father went through and the job he was burdened with. Actually of all of Aang's children it's pretty much Tenzin himsel who seems most hung up upon it, due to perhaps his reluctant perception that he's not nearly the spiritual person his father was, and his own hidden guilt that comes with being the favorite.
To be truly fair the one who could be blamed for Aang's failing as a father was the person he obviously modeled himself on... Monk Gayutso, whom I suspect overindulged the boy to the extent of failing to instill a sense of personal responsibility or his actions.
There is a difference between Tenzin being the favorite and Aang seemingly ignoring the very existence of his other children after Tenzin was revealed to be an air bender. That is the part I find hard to believe. I agree Aang could be selfish at times, but Aang is human, and, at the time of the show, he was only 12/13 years old. Monk or not, he's going to be prone to periods of selfishness.
All of the characters in the original series were shown to be selfish at times, except for Iroh (but he's Iroh) and characters like Suki who didn't really have enough screen time. You have things like Katara and the water bending scroll (especially when she noticed Aang had an easier time learning than she did), or Sokka and, well Sokka, Zuko and his 'honor' etc.
However, despite Aang being human and having fits of selfishness, he was willing to stand trial and punishment for the actions of Avatar Kyoshi after she accidentally killed Chang the Conqueror. Or how about when Aang allowed the Mechanist and his people to stay in the Airbender Temple, despite the fact they were destroying the history and culture of his people in doing so?
Aangs greatest fits of selfishness was his running away from the Air Nombads (which I suspect to have been partially influenced by the spirits), Aang hiding the rendezvous location from Katara, Sokka and Bato, Aang's attachment to Katara when he was trying to unlock his chakra, and Aang being unwilling go kill Ozai due to his Nomad teachings. Despite that though, Aang has been proven to be very self-sacrificing, and though he was young, Aang was shown to possess great wisdom, though it was tempered by his childlike and rambunctious nature.
I will say it again though, I full accept that Aang would favor Tenzin and I even think that he should favor Tenzin, what I don't accept, is the degree to which the favortism seems to have played out because I just can't see Aang being so neglectful.
I expect Aang would be the kind of Dad who would come home and see Katara with her hands on her hips telling him to discipline Bumi, because he was shucked his chores and went off penguin sledding again. Aang would pull him outside, and give him a stern look, and then they'd sneak off to go penguin sledding together, and both would get scolded by Katara.
Despite the seriousness of his job, and his position in the world, I absolutely expect Aang to remain a child at heart his entire life.
I mean, how can someone who tried, and succeeded, to become friends with someone who had actively tried to capture/kill him and his friends, be capable of ignoring his own children to the point his kids resent him for it? I mean, just because Bumi and Kya weren't airbenders (at the time in the case of Bumi), doesn't mean the Air Nomad culture wasn't theirs just as much as it was Tenzin.
Or had there never before been intermingling of benders previous to the Fire Nation conquest of the Earth Kingdom? Because it should be entirely possible that Kya's descendents may be Air Benders one day. I suspect that is what happened with the current Air Benders. Essentially, the opening of the spirit portals awoke recessive genes in non-benders.
So, I can't help but think that Aang would want to teach the culture of his people to all of his children, not just Tenzin. I mean, based off the fact there were other Air Nomad acolytes on the Island, despite being unable to air bend, suggest that Aang taught more than just Tenzin. I can't picture Aang teaching strangers more about the Air Nomad history and culture than his own children.
Regarding Aang's treatment of his children, I do have to wonder how busy Aang was with his Avatar duties. Even with the war over, he had a lot of cleaning up to do, and I'm sure Republic City had a lot for him to do as well.
Also keep in mind that Aang was raised an Air Nomad, who didn't follow a family structure. He probably had no idea how to behave like a "normal" father and I could easily seem him being a bit distant until Tenzin first displayed his ability to Airbend.
Not saying that makes it right, but it makes sense.
Yes, but that doesn't factor Katara into the equation at all. There is no way Katara would stand by and let Aang neglect Bumi and Kya like he did.
Well, Kya and Bumi's memories could also be clouded by jealousy of how much more Aang did with Tenzin. It wouldn't surprise me if he did give them attention, but it paled in comparison to how he treated Tenzin once his Airbending manifested.
I'm not arguing Aang's behavior was right, but I don't know that "how could Katara let it happen" is the correct argument. We don't know what happened or why, all we know is Kya and Bumi felt neglected compared to Tenzin, likely with good cause, though possibly not to the degree they remember. If Aang was forced to travel a lot for his Avatar duties (a highly likely possibility) it's entirely possible he wasn't around much. I'm sure Katara made Aang spend time with the kids when he was around, but she can't exactly tell him "No, you can't go save the world, you have to stay and watch Bumi's soccer game."
Except, Tenzin was the one who started bringing up different trips that he had thought Kya and Bumi had been on, and realized they hadn't. Tenzin's memory is already selectively clouded in that he thought Kya and Bumi had joined them for nearly all of the trips, when the reality is that they had hardly ever got to go with Aang.
I do understand we don't know the circumstances, which is why this is so baffling. We only have, really, that ~10 minutes or so of a single episode to base Aang as a father off of, but in that 10 minutes, all we hear is that Aang favored Tenzin so much that he might-as-well not have had any other children.
A really disturbing thought I had last night as I was going to bed.... What if Suyin were the daughter of Toph and Aang? Really crazy thought, but it might explain why Suyin is so much more 'energetic' and 'graceful' in her bending than Lin is and it would explain why Opal awakens as an airbender.
I dearly hope this doesn't turn out to be true, because if it is, I will never again watch an episode of Avatar in any form.
I was sort of wondering if it was Sokka. He certainly had the energy, and she could very well have picked up his ingenuity.
If Toph was going to be two timing with anyone, it would have been with Sokka. She had a crush on him, not with Aang who was way too effeminate for her taste.A really disturbing thought I had last night as I was going to bed.... What if Suyin were the daughter of Toph and Aang? Really crazy thought, but it might explain why Suyin is so much more 'energetic' and 'graceful' in her bending than Lin is and it would explain why Opal awakens as an airbender.
I dearly hope this doesn't turn out to be true, because if it is, I will never again watch an episode of Avatar in any form.
I absolutely agree, it was just a really weird thought that entered my head last night and wouldn't leave me alone until I posted it.
Sokka could be the father to any one of Toph's daughters. It has not been said that Sokka married Suki or got married at all for that matter. The show has not mentioned him having children or how he died. I really hope this season answers these questions and more.
The only place I really agree with YD is that some of the drama with respect to aang as a dad may have been turned up to 11 by the writers unnecessarily. I wholeheartedly agree with others that katara would NOT have allowed aang to be a jerk to his kids, sugar queen or not.
Aang and Toph enjoying intimate company? I can't see it, but if I walked in on them, I would spend the last moments of my life before being crushed by a giant boulder congratulating aang on his good sense. It's probably sokka, and the comics (if you go by them) back this up.
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The only place I really agree with YD is that some of the drama with respect to aang as a dad may have been turned up to 11 by the writers unnecessarily. I wholeheartedly agree with others that katara would NOT have allowed aang to be a jerk to his kids, sugar queen or not.
Aang and Toph enjoying intimate company? I can't see it, but if I walked in on them, I would spend the last moments of my life before being crushed by a giant boulder congratulating aang on his good sense. It's probably sokka, and the comics (if you go by them) back this up.
Luke, I'm your father...
I don't see Aang cheating on Katara at all. But I can see Toph and Sokka having a kid.
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Your mind works in strange ways and takes unusual paths not immediately visible to others.
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Especially if Sokka and Suki don't work out in the end. In one of the comics she did seemingly have a Freudian slip towards Zuko.So Suki is killed fending off assassins sent to kill katara and the avatar's children...and sokka abandons civilization to live wild with toph.
I can Live with that.
Where do you get that Suki was killed fending of assassins?
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Where do you get that Suki was killed fending of assassins?Especially if Sokka and Suki don't work out in the end. In one of the comics she did seemingly have a Freudian slip towards Zuko.So Suki is killed fending off assassins sent to kill katara and the avatar's children...and sokka abandons civilization to live wild with toph.
I can Live with that.
Because she wouldnt let sokka get away...
During the Wedding night after Katara is asleep, Aang uses his powers to make a connection to Ursa – he also notices Azula. He sees that Azula has nightmares about the Avatar coming for her – to drain her bending. Ko the Face Stealer Asks Aang if this is what he is to become. He returns to focus on Ursa but sees that Azula is so much like her mother. Aang realizes that he can heal her and restore Zuko’s family – not just leave it fractured.
Aang vanishes the morning after the wedding night. He appears in Azula’s cage and touches her face telling her she looks so much like her mother. She cowers under his touch in absolute fear. Aang departs the Fire nation Prison where Azula is held taking Azula with him.
Sokka gets a copy of the Fire Nation Library from Zuko. “A Giant Owl Spirit knows my name and is angry with me; that’s not something I can live with.” Sokka and Toph depart for the Earth Kingdom to restore the Library of Wan Shi Tong’s lost Fire nation section and appease Wan Shi Tong the Giant Owl Spirit.
- On the Journey they will retrieve Sokka’s Sword, pass through The Cave of Two Lovers, Omashu, and finally arrive in the Desert in search of the Library where Sokka surrenders himself and the collection of fire nation books and scrolls to the Librarian Wan Shi Tong. While there he asks the great spirit of the Library for a book that Toph can read and would the Library Spirit teach her how to read. Wan Shi Tong Agrees offers to do so if Sokka will surrender his Space Sword. Sokka agrees and Wan Shi Tong metal bends the Sword into a scroll. He has Toph put her hands on the Scroll and metal bends raised lettering on the metal scroll teaching her how to read and ultimately how to write.
After visiting the Library of Wan Shi Tong Sokka and Toph visit her family for a while inviting them to a wedding on Kyoshi Island and departing for the Island of Kyoshi where he will marry Suki.
On Kyoshi Island Sokka learns that Aang has long vanished with Azula. Sokka and Toph also learn that Katara is with child.
The Wedding of Suki and Sokka. Toph and Ty Lee get to talking about how they lost out to Suki on getting their hands on Sokka.
Aang who has been constantly monitoring Ursa’s life has not been searching for her. He has been taking Azula all over the world in order to make her whole – to heal her spiritually so that she will accept that she is like her mother.
Without the Avatar’s help Firelord Zuko is increasingly frustrated and concerned as to why it has taken so long for Aang to locate his mother. In the end it is down to Katara to work with Zuko to build a future for the World by creating the idea of a Republic City at the centre of the known World - somewhere near Haru’s Village. Katara continues to find that she is opposed by the Priest class (the Fire Sages) who have been erasing the families of the Avatars from history until the Avatar is more of a Demigod like figure rather than a lineage from which every bender is ultimately descended. Their false mythologies - The Creation Myths of dragons teaching Fire bending, Badger Moles teaching Earth Bending, The ocean and the moon teaching water bending, and the Sky Bison teaching Air bending in conflict with the truth that the first Avatar was an Energy Bender (a Telekinetic) and all bending nations and benders are descended from the Avatar lineage.
Sokka and Toph go in search of Aang on the morning after his wedding night with Suki.
Suki is very angry with him for sneaking off with Toph on an adventure abandoning her. A Pregnant Katara and Mei suggest that there is some sort of problem with their men collectively (Mei comments that Zuko did the same thing) and they all look at Zuko like he is guilty of everything. Ty Lee panics and paralyses Zuko. “Oops! Sorry I panicked.”
Aang is on the Lion Turtle meditating with Azula. He is attempting to turn her into a Human being that both Azula and the rest of the world will be happy with. At this time he is teaching her Energy bending. She alone seems to have a natural talent for it that simply requires a greater degree of happiness and good in her life to make her a better person.
Soka and Toph visit June the Bounty-huntress and learn that Aang and Azula are gone from the world. Sokka concludes that they are both together with the Lion-turtle. He realizes that Aang is seeking to teach Azula Energy bending. They can only locate Ursa and they go to find her.
Aang convinces the Lion-turtle to teach Azula Energy bending – the ultimate form of her lightning bending. Consequently Azula’s children will be born randomly as fire benders, Earth benders, Air benders, and Water Benders.
Now Aang and Azula journey to find Zuko’s Mother.
Katara is on the verge of giving birth to her first child in the care of Suki. An Assassin sent by the fire sages to wipe out the Avatar’s family is unable to kill Katara but when the Assassin kills Suki, Katara tears the water from the Assassin’s body killing him and goes into labour. Zuko and Mei take Katara and her un-named child to the Southern Air Temple leaving half the Kyoshi Warriors to guard Katara. Zuko, Mei, Ty Lee, and the remaining Kyoshi warriors return to the Fire nation in search of the source of the Assassin.
The Assassin’s source is revealed and Ursa who has been found by Aang, Azula, Toph, and Sokka is also killed by an Assassin in order to drive a wedge between the Avatar and friends and Zuko. Crushed by what has happened, they seek to return to the Fire nation with her body.
Zuko hears that his mother is returned. He rushes to spot a Woman who looks like his Mother. It turns out to be Azula. The Avatar and Friends are escorting the Body of Azula and Zuko’s mother home. Aang, Sokka, and Toph learn of the assassination attempt on Katara and the Death of Suki. Azula begs the forgiveness of Ty Lee and Mei and Zuko. They see she is a very different Azula.
The Wedding of Zuko and Mei is tinged with both happiness and loss.
Aang travels to the Southern Air Temple with Sokka and the Kyoshi Warriors to visit Katara and Aang and Katara’s baby Son: Tenzin.
Sokka, Ty Lee, and the Kyoshi Warriors go to Kyoshi Island. While Sokka stares out at the Sea next to Suki’s grave, Ty Lee returns to training Kyoshi Warriors who will all be trained as chi blockers to take the bending abilities from all benders and make everyone equal...
Toph takes the remnant Dai Lee to Republic City which is little more than a building site filled with increasing numbers of refugees with a plan to establish a police Force to stop the fighting between factions of benders in the city. Sokka goes with her.
End
Where do you get that Suki was killed fending of assassins?Especially if Sokka and Suki don't work out in the end. In one of the comics she did seemingly have a Freudian slip towards Zuko.So Suki is killed fending off assassins sent to kill katara and the avatar's children...and sokka abandons civilization to live wild with toph.
I can Live with that.
Because she wouldnt let sokka get away...
** spoiler omitted **...
I don't know where you magic pixies came from, but I sure do love your pixie drink.
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I don't know where you magic pixies came from, but I sure do love your pixie drink.Where do you get that Suki was killed fending of assassins?Especially if Sokka and Suki don't work out in the end. In one of the comics she did seemingly have a Freudian slip towards Zuko.So Suki is killed fending off assassins sent to kill katara and the avatar's children...and sokka abandons civilization to live wild with toph.
I can Live with that.
Because she wouldnt let sokka get away...
** spoiler omitted **...
It's so weird how he continues to ignore the story as laid out by the actual writers of the show as though it is somehow wrong.
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It's so weird how he continues to ignore the story as laid out by the actual writers of the show as though it is somehow wrong.I don't know where you magic pixies came from, but I sure do love your pixie drink.Where do you get that Suki was killed fending of assassins?Especially if Sokka and Suki don't work out in the end. In one of the comics she did seemingly have a Freudian slip towards Zuko.So Suki is killed fending off assassins sent to kill katara and the avatar's children...and sokka abandons civilization to live wild with toph.
I can Live with that.
Because she wouldnt let sokka get away...
** spoiler omitted **...
Having read the synopsis of all the comics, wtf? No seriously mine would have been better.
It's so weird how he continues to ignore the story as laid out by the actual writers of the show as though it is somehow wrong.I don't know where you magic pixies came from, but I sure do love your pixie drink.Where do you get that Suki was killed fending of assassins?Especially if Sokka and Suki don't work out in the end. In one of the comics she did seemingly have a Freudian slip towards Zuko.So Suki is killed fending off assassins sent to kill katara and the avatar's children...and sokka abandons civilization to live wild with toph.
I can Live with that.
Because she wouldnt let sokka get away...
** spoiler omitted **...
a lot of what he says is backed up by the comics and no small amount of it has been dropped by the show, so he isn't entirely wrong. Some of it is entertaining - why he hasn't gone the fanfiction route is beyond me. But yeah, it is nutty.
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I. LOVE. TOPH!!!!!!!
Who doesn't?
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Good episode, and yes, Toph is awesome.
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The question we're all missing is:
Where is Pabu?
He's an annoying little boy. I was one, once.
Ikki is my favorite. Such a sweet little girl.