Welcome back for another weekly review of Avatar! This week, our team goes up against the Fire Nation’s drill at the Great Wall of Ba Sing Se. Read on to see how the episode holds up!
1. End of season 2, act 2.
In really trying to dig deep and analyze the structure of each season, I’ve noticed a similar structure between the first two seasons. Each season can be broken up into three distinct “acts:” episodes 1-8, then 9-13, then 14-20. In season two, we spent the first eight episodes looking for and then establishing Aang’s earthbending teacher, as well as establishing Azula’s role and the refugee status of Iroh and Zuko. That all culminated in episode 8, “The Chase,” where everyone came together for a big showdown. Act 2 has been about everybody gaining information that eventually leads them to Ba Sing Se, where all of Act 3 takes place. So it’s fitting that the final episode of this “act” sees Azula return for a big showdown outside the Great Wall of Ba Sing Se.
As such, this episode ends up being one of my favorites. It’s about as purely action-packed as the show gets, and it’s completely earned from a macro viewpoint.
2. Fire Nation advanced technology.
One time I read someone describe the drill as a “giant Fire Nation penis” and I’ve never been able to think of it any other way since then. That said, it’s based on a pair of real-world technologies: the tunnel boring machine, which is essentially the front part of this drill but used to dig underground tunnels, and the slurry pipeline, which combines solid materials with water to create a sludge for easier transportation.
This is some of the most advanced technology in their world, and even as a viewer it’s impressively designed and depicted. Just as in our world, wartime leads to unprecedented technological innovation.
3. Strategies on strategies.
Since most of the back half of this episode is about the final battle on the drill, the first half has our team attempting to understand the threat and going through strategy after strategy to try and bring it down. Each one is creatively thought out, and each one requires some fun detour deeper into the drill’s mechanics. Instead of going from one thought to a completely different one, there’s a compound effect here, gradually giving the viewers the sense of scale for what the characters are up against. It also never gets frustrating, since each idea plays into the next, bringing the viewers to the same “a-ha” moments that the characters feel. We’re along for the ride on this giant puzzle.
4. Annie Award-winning directing.
This episode is one of two that won the “Directing in an Animated Television Production” Annie Award (the other being arguably the show’s most technically impressive episode, part three of the finale, “Sozin’s Comet: Into the Inferno”). And, wow, the award was well deserved — and I think it’s fair to say Giancarlo Volpe’s directing choices shine the most in the last 8 minutes. I’ve never seen Volpe as a particularly flashy director, so much as someone who can maximize the elements in any given scene for the biggest impact, and that’s exactly what we get here.
The story set up the final 8 minutes of action with so many interesting aspects. As the drill ever-so-surely digs into the wall, the stakes have never been higher, as this could be a Fire Nation military victory that would essentially win the war. And before you even have a chance to get bored with Aang’s attempts to dodge one obstacle, a new one busts onto the scene. With giant boulders constantly raining down on Aang, slurry exploding out of the wall, and Azula relentlessly attacking, there’s no shortage of suspense as Aang tries to come up with a creative way of delivering a final blow to the drill. Even beyond that, we’re able to cut over to Katara and Toph’s attempts to clog the drill’s pipes, literally building tension with each second. Volpe choreographs all of these together in a way not unlike composing a song, letting every aspect slowly layer on top of each other until they’re all playing in a harmony of intrigue and suspense.
Continued belowVolpe’s choice of shots are tasteful and creative without ever being noticeably out-there. For instance, there’s one place where Aang throws Azula back along the drill, and the camera stays on Aang’s point of view as Azula slides back away from him. We then get a shot of him taking a fighting stance, then go back to the stationary POV shot as Azula runs directly back towards him. No special techniques are used, but there’s no better moment to use a POV shot than when something is moving directly away from or towards a character, and the repetition of the shot means there’s a built-in expectation of a collision the moment we realize what’s happening.
Likewise, right after that, as the slurry flings out of the wall and knocks Azula and Aang off their courses, we get a simple overhead shot that shows the two sliding on simple arcs away from each other, then another shot from a higher angle to reveal how they’re actually both about to fall dozens of stories down the side of the drill. This isn’t an innovative shot either, but it’s used in the perfect way for the maximum impact of the moment. Volpe makes sure you can truly feel every moment, whether it’s Aang hiding behind a rock shield as fire whips against it, or the final deep breath of air Aang takes at the apex of running up the wall, just before using gravity to blast back down for the final blow.
The entire scene also takes place right before sunset, leading to a deep orange palette with long, heavy shadows, against which Azula’s blue fire pops. The sunset setting truly gives us the feeling that we’re down to the wire, in the final moments to secure a victory before night comes, subconsciously adding to the suspense the audience feels.
Of all episodes to win an award for directing, it’s no surprise to me this was one of them.
5. Powder keg, meet spark.
Over in the B-plot, Zuko and Jet get a bit more development… as Jet suddenly realizes Iroh is a firebender. There’s not much to say here that I haven’t said last time, as the powder keg of a Zuko/Jet friendship has just met its spark. We’ll have to wait until next time to see the explosion.
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What did you think of the episode? Thoughts on the drill’s design? Happy to see Azula and her crew back? How about that final battle on top of the drill? Let me know in the comments!
