Megan Tan

As a huge fan of the original animated series, I was obsessively looking forward to this adaptation. Having now seen it, I would give it a 3.5/5. I enjoyed it very much but there were some clear issues that will need to be addressed in later seasons (which I hope will be greenlit). It's clear that it was created by people who wanted to do justice to the original - the visuals and soundtrack were beautiful. Where it lets itself down is in the writing. Many main characters have their rough edges smoothed out (Aang's immaturity, Katara's feminine rage, Sokka's sexism). In some episodes, by combining different episodes of the animated series in one episode, the messages and character development that each individual plot line was supposed to deliver fall flat. In general the script does not trust the audience to figure things out through subtext. And by spelling everything out and leaving none of the mystery, it makes a much less compelling watch than the animated series. Highlights for me: Zuko, Iroh and the Fire Nation, and épisode 6 in particular. Acting was outstanding and the additions made this side of the story rich and multilayered. If for nothing else, I think the series deserves a season 2 just so I can see what Dallas Liu can do in Zuko Alone. On the whole, the series was an enjoyable watch and has huge potential, but it could have been much more.