X Never Marks the Spot

Nods. Zuko’s story really is compelling. I liked the way the Fire Nation was handled in general though. It would have been very easy, especially considering that it was a children’s show, to make it very black and white in a Fire Nation = bad sort of way *cough*Slytherin House*cough* I really respect that they didn’t take that course. Instead they made the point that other nations, such as the Earth Kingdom, had also tried to dominate at various times only to be stopped by their respective Avatars. But at the same time they underscored some ways in which the Fire Nation and their relationship to their element was different. Like I really liked the point that fire needs to be controlled, that in that way it was more “alive” in the sense that it needs to eat, that seeking to grow is part of its nature. So I guess one thing I really respect about the show’s creators was that when given a golden opportunity to do so, they didn’t take the easy way.