Avatar: The Last Airbender – Season 1 Episode 7 “The North” Recap & Review

“The North”

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Episode 7, A newly inspired Lieutenant Jee enters Zuko’s room with a warning. He overheard that The Fire Nation will arrest Zuko for treason. Zuko escapes on a lifeboat. Unfortunately, Zhao leaked this information as a trap. He rigged Zuko’s boat with blasting jelly, and it explodes. Zuko seems to have perished.

Aang is now more accepting of the fact that he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s grateful to have his friends, and Katara dubs them ‘Team Avatar.’ They arrive at the Northern Water Tribe, who already suspect an imminent threat from the Fire Nation. Iroh suspects Ozai is behind Zuko’s murder, and Zhao boasts that he will lead an assault on the Northern Water Tribe.

Katara speaks with Master Pakku and empathizes with her struggles. Yue entrances Sokka. After he speaks to her, he remembers that in the spirit world, a three-tailed fox was wearing her headpiece, and spoke to him with her voice. The Water Tribe leaders are disappointed in Aang’s lack of training and preparation. Katara learns to heal wounds through waterbending but learns that northern women aren’t allowed to learn combat.

Aang speaks with Avatar Kuruk at his shrine. Kuruk warns that Aang must walk his path alone, otherwise his loved ones will suffer. Yue confesses to Sokka that she is, in fact, the fox he saw. In order to survive as a baby, the moon spirit gifted Yue its essence. Yue can thus travel to the spirit world in her dreams. She kisses Sokka. Master Pakku refuses to let Katara train or fight. Aang tells Katara she shouldn’t fight, and that everyone’s better off if he’s alone.

Iced out

Zhao’s plan of attack on the Water Tribe is bold, but he won’t listen to Iroh’s warning. Zuko is still alive; he’s hiding beneath Fire Nation armor. Though determined to prove his innocence and ability, he has no plan for capturing the Avatar. Iroh suspects Zhao is a pawn of someone’s. Azula is tired of the way Ozai treats her. She bends lighting (a master-level skill) and demands a chance to shine. Ozai happily complies.

Sokka and Katara find strength in each other. Katara challenges Pakuu to a fight. It’s an epic duel and Katara holds her own, but Pakku still won’t give her his blessing to fight. Katara and Sokka explain to Aang that how he chooses to live as the Avatar is his choice alone. Moreover, they are family; worrying about each other’s safety is normal but no one can stop Katara from fighting. They are in this fight together.

The Episode Review

“The North” serves as a well-rounded lead-up to the climactic battle ahead. While full of strong attributes, a few deeper issues were made clear in this episode that may be too far in to correct before the season ends. While the bond between Sokka and Katara is stronger at this point than the original, they don’t feel all that close to Aang. Yes, a major theme of this season is Aang coming to terms with the weight of his responsibility. Netflix has gone their own way about how Aang confronts this. It’s not the choice itself that hurts the show, but the execution.

We’ve yet to see Aang do much of anything to cut loose. He has a moment on Kyoshi Island, but that’s about it. The frivolous moments Netflix has avoided adapting were crucial to establishing the close bond of Team Avatar. It’s more than just wanting to see Aang go penguin-sledding. The empty space where their silly bonding was cannot just be filled by expositional dialogue and ‘easter eggs.’

The time Aang spent apart from Sokka and Katara in the last episode now feels like a chasm. Throughout the journey so far, Aang has had his moments of growth apart from them. Sokka and Katara have bonded together (in the caves), or separately (with Sai, Suki, and Jet). The lesson they discuss after Katara’s fight feels like it has little prior connection to rely on. So far, Netflix’s The Last Airbender has coasted on good visuals, actors, and source material. Now, though, the cracks are showing.

Final Thoughts

Aang’s vision compelling him to the Northern Water Tribe feels like a copout plot device, especially having seen the original. The fact that his vision is basically meaningless to the Tribe leaders feels like proof of that. It’s forgivable, but it adds to the sense that everything has happened a little too quickly. Overall, this episode was saved by Sokka’s undeniable charm and Katara’s feminine rage. Her duel was exhilarating, and Sokka and Yue have a fairytale romance. Let’s hope the final episode can stick the landing and justify a desire to see this adaptation completed through 3 seasons.