Avatar: The Last Airbender – Season 1 Episode 6 “Masks” Recap & Review

“Masks”

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Episode 6, “Masks,” dives right into the metaphor behind the title. Before Zuko had his scar, he seemed a much happier young man. He’s excited to attend his first battle strategy meeting with his father, Fire Lord Ozai. Zhao is promoted from Commander to Admiral. He uses this to supersede Zuko’s authority. The crew are happy to be free of Zuko’s leadership, but Iroh warns that they don’t know what Zuko has sacrificed.

Aang visits the shrine of Avatar Roku, a Firebender. The monks who guard the shrine are no longer peaceful and attack Aang. Shyu, a humble man holds off the monks while Aang contacts Roku through the shrine. Roku tells Aang of the totem he stole from Koh. Aang hopes to trade it to get Katara and Sokka back. Instead, June immediately captures him and turns him over to Iroh and Zuko.

In a battle strategy meeting years ago, Zuko speaks out of turn. He calls a general’s plan to sacrifice a whole battalion “terrible.” Ozai demands Zuko fight an ‘agni kai’ as penance. (An agni kai is a Firebending tradition in which two people fight until one is burned.)

Zhao takes control of Aang. Iroh encourages patience before making a move to reclaim the Avatar. A mysterious person in a blue mask sneaks into the fortress where Aang is imprisoned and sets him free. The two fight their way to the front gate. Zhao needs the Avatar alive, so he lets them go after ‘the Blue Spirit’ threatens to kill Aang. An archer manages to strike and shatter the Blue Spirit’s mask, revealing Zuko. Aang takes Zuko to safety.

Heart-to-fist

Aang does his best to bond with Zuko as he recovers in a barn. In flashback, Zuko learns he’ll be fighting his own father, rather than the general he insulted. They fight, but Zuko refuses to burn his father despite getting the chance to. Zuko receives a severe burn on his face as punishment. Ozai then banishes Zuko from the Fire Nation unless he returns with the Avatar.

When Zuko comes to on his boat, Aang asks from the shore if they might’ve been friends under different circumstances. Zuko responds with an attack. Aang simply pushes his boat away. Iroh tells the story of Zuko’s scar and explains to the lieutenant of their crew (who hates Zuko) that they are the battalion that was supposed to be sacrificed. They live only because Zuko stood up for them. When Zuko returns, they all bow to him. Aang returns the totem to Koh and rescues Katarra and Sokka. The rest of the villagers return home as well.

The Episode Review

“Masks” manages to translate the gist of this area of the story well enough for new viewers to enjoy. However, this is potentially the most painful episode to watch as an ATLA fan so far. The performances seem stifled, but it feels like a problem of overall vision much more than within the cast. Chopping up Aang’s journey makes his character feel difficult to relate to.

Despite a powerful presence from Daniel Dae Kim, Ozai feels demystified, and therefore much less intimidating. The staging and blocking during the strategy meeting make Ozai feel too much like a man of the people. In the animation, he sits on a throne above everyone else. He does not visit Zuko’s room after the agni kai. They’re small things, but they add up.

Similarly, despite Dallas Liu stealing the show as Zuko, the character feels less developed. Zuko comes across as sad and lost from the outset, rather than fiercely determined yet misguided. It simply doesn’t compare to the deliberate pacing in the animation. In the original Agni Kai, Zuko outright refuses to fight Ozai. Ozai strikes Zuko’s face immediately, on his knees, begging for forgiveness. Paradoxically, Zuko choosing to fight in this version actually makes his character weaker.

This unfortunate effect even spills over into Iroh. The whole flashback carries much more weight when the narration is coming from Iroh telling Zuko’s story directly to their crew. Despite a charming performance from Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Iroh feels more like a ‘Hagrid’ or ‘Carl from Up’ than a ‘Yoda’ or ‘Mr. Miyagi,’ as was originally intended. His wisdom feels diluted so far. This is tough territory, and the episode maintains an emotional impact overall. Netflix’s lack of ownership over this world makes it feel a bit like it’s wearing its own mask.