REVIEW: ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Season 2 Is A Strong Improvement

Avatar The Last Airbender Season 2, the Netflix live-action adaptation, returns to continue one of the most beloved animated series. Christine Boylan (Poker Face) serves as writer and executive producer this season, along with Jabbar Raisani (Stranger Things), who executive-produces and directs alongside Anu Menon, Amit Gupta, and Hiromi Kamata.

Following a bittersweet yet hard-earned victory against the Fire Nation in the Northern Water Tribe, Aang (Gordon Cormier), Katara (Kiawentioo), and Sokka (Ian Ousely) set out on the next chapter of their journey to restore balance to the world. The Gaang’s next mission takes them on a search for Aang’s earthbending master and to the impregnable city of Ba Sing Se.

Along their journey, Aang and his friends learn that Sozin’s Comet is approaching, and they must warn the Earth King before it is too late. However, as they travel further into Ba Sing Se, they discover behind the city’s great walls is a web of lies and secrets, where nothing is quite what it seems.

Changes to the source material help elevate Avatar The Last Airbender Season 2.

Meanwhile, Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu) continues his desperate pursuit of the Avatar. Now branded a fugitive and traitor by his own country, Zuko finds himself conflicted as his conscience seems to pull him away from his old life. Princess Azula (Elizabeth Yu), with her own ambitions, makes her an even greater threat not just for Zuko and Iroh (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), but for the Gaang as well.

As with any adaptation, there will be changes that stray from the source material. There are many changes in Avatar The Last Airbender Season 2 that enhance the story and its characters, even if the pacing is a little uneven. 

Avatar The Last Airbender Season 2 gives its characters more room to grapple with the dark realities of their world, including grief, post-traumatic stress, identity, and the weight of their responsibilities. One great example of this is Sokka’s lingering pain after Yue’s fate last season, which is one of Season 2’s greatest strengths.

The emotional core of the series is the standout in the Netflix adaptation. 

Instead of having Sokka move past his loss of Yue, the series acknowledges how deeply her death affects him even after so much time has passed. It is even more impressive that the series does not rush Sokka into a relationship with Suki when she reappears this season. By allowing Sokka to be vulnerable and to feel the effects of grief, the show deepened the character beyond his usual role as comic relief.

There are additional changes and additions to Season 2 due to time constraints, which also introduce moments that enrich the series’ emotional core. Some changes that stand out this season include Toph’s family’s involvement in the war, Azula’s growing ambitions and subtle conflict with her father, and an expanded exploration of Iroh’s guilt. These changes, while not entirely faithful to the source material, still help Avatar: The Last Airbender find firmer footing in Season 2.

Some of this season’s best moments, which add more depth to its characters, come from original additions to the live-action series. One of these additions is the Fire Nation refugee camp and its inhabitants who live within Ba Sing Se. This inclusion of the refugee camps offers a new and interesting perspective, showing a different side of the people of the Fire Nation, who disagreed with their King’s oppression and now find themselves starting over, living in squalor, and subjected to the strict rules of the Earth Kingdoms in exchange for asylum. 

Miya Cech is fantastic as Toph, reminding us why the character is a fan favorite.

The scenes involving the Fire Nation refugees also introduce a character with whom Aang and Iroh share a unique connection in the original series. This introduction suggests that this character will likely reappear next season to play a more critical role in the Avatar’s fight against the Fire Nation. 

Toph’s introduction also doesn’t disappoint, and neither does Miya Cech’s performance as the master earthbender. Cech captures Toph’s personality, humor, and even the cadence of the character’s speech to a tee from start to finish this season. Cech successfully brings the character to life in this live-action medium. 

Additionally, the effort in Toph’s character is noticeable and appreciated. The series worked closely with blindness consultant Joe Strechay to help make Cech’s portrayal of a blind character feel authentic and thoughtful. From the way she walks, reads, drinks, and even fights, Toph’s movements and her blindness convey dignity and effort. 

Toph’s arc in Avatar The Last Airbender Season 2 gets an expanded backstory.

Toph’s character arc also benefits from some changes that slightly diverge while still drawing inspiration from the source to further deepen the character. For example, the live-action expands Toph’s relationship with her mother and the character as a whole.

Toph’s mother in the live-action is revealed to have a more cunning edge than in the source material, and she is the parent who most restricts Toph’s autonomy. In the source material, Toph’s parents’ overprotectiveness and controlling nature are guided by good intentions to protect their daughter, as they felt she was incapable of protecting herself.

In contrast, in the live-action, Toph’s parents constantly refer to her as “delicate” because of her blindness, which becomes less about protecting her and more about their shame of her and their inability to see her as her own person. In doing so, the series adds a new layer of nuance to the Beifong family’s relationship dynamics and to conversations about autonomy and identity. 

Characters like Zuko and Iroh embark on transformative journeys in Season 2.

Avatar The Last Airbender Season 2 finds clever ways to deepen the world and integrate more of its lore, while also touching on certain themes. For example, Katara’s introduction to the legend of the Painted Lady and the significance of the flowers associated with the spirit help reinforce the themes of hope, resistance, and righteousness, which are central to the Avatar franchise. 

Zuko and Iroh’s character arcs go through their own challenges this season, pushing them to the very brink. This season, Zuko undergoes a transformative journey to becoming his own person and figuring out what kind of person he truly wants to become. The series uses Zuko’s flashbacks as a narrative tool to strengthen his connection with his mother, show the immense influence she continues to have on the young prince, and highlight how that influence is central to his internal struggle. 

Meanwhile, Iroh’s trauma, guilt, and shame resurface as he approaches Ba Sing Se, the place where he made a name for himself, and also lost his own. The original series offered fans a brief glimpse of how much being in the Earth Kingdom affected Iroh in the episode titled Tales of Ba Sing Se. The live-action takes inspiration from that episode, but goes a step further to show just how deeply Iroh regrets and still carries the burden of his sins from his past life, not just for the son he lost, but for the lives he took and ruined during his legendary siege. 

Elizabeth Yu ups the ante by bringing Azula’s fierce persona to screen. 

If there is one character performance that emerges even more terrifying in the live-action this season, it is Azula. Elizabeth Yu delivers a chilling performance, pushing the character into a darker place that may rival her animated counterpart. Azula’s cunningness and ferocity are unmatched, but using her manipulation tactics and psychological mind games against her most trusted friends this season shows just how far the Fire Nation princess is willing to go. 

The production value effects also do not miss a beat this season. The set designs in every episode are stellar, as each scene captures the tone and ambiance. From the Earth King’s opulent palace to the destitute living quarters in the slums of Ba Sing Se.  The fight choreography and visual effects of bending look even more fluid this season. Some of the best fighting moments come from non-bending characters and benders when they showcase their martial artistry and hand-to-hand combat skills outside of bending the elements. 

Despite so many strengths this season, the season is not without a few shortcomings. Shortening the episode count this season means certain developments were compressed and or glossed over, and not every storyline could receive the same amount of time.

Avatar The Last Airbender Season 2 struggles with pacing and an abridged episode count.

For example, Toph teaching Aang to earthbend for the first time is cut short to fit this season’s pacing. Other examples include changes involving the Spirit Library and how the Gaang happens to discover it.   But even when the season’s pacing falters, it still does its best to prioritize its emotional core, deepen its characters, and tell its story when it matters most.

After the first season, I wondered whether nostalgia would be enough to keep Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender going. I am glad to say that Season 2 proved me wrong.

The live-action series is not here just because of nostalgia. Instead, the adaptation succeeds when it embraces the opportunity to change, adjust, and even expand upon familiar stories, deepening the emotional journey of these beloved characters. This live-action adaptation is a great example of how adaptation can bring something meaningful to a deeply cherished story and franchise. 

With a stronger second season, the Netflix series proves it’s more than just nostalgia-bait.

Avatar The Last Airbender Season 2 embraces changes to help find a stronger footing for the live-action series. It is by no means perfect, but it does a great job of improving upon itself, delivering an impressive continuation that pays homage to the source material while also enriching its story and characters.

Rather than simply recreating moments for the sake of fan service or nostalgia, the series challenges itself to delve deeper into its characters and the story. Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender still has room to grow, but Season 2 is definitely a step in the right direction for the series to carve out its own identity.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 premieres June 25 on Netflix.

Season 1 Review