Avatar: The filler eps (and FFXI)

[thistlechaser]

Did Avatar actually have filler eps? I wouldn't think so, since it's not based on anything, right? (I tried to google for an answer to that, but when you're avoiding spoilers it makes googling a challenge.) Sure did feel like it has them though...

The whole of season three thus far (eps 1-8) have been pretty darned meh to me. The first one had some good stuff about Zuko (you stupid, stupid, stupid kid. Trusting your sister. Again. Recall last night I said I was mad about you being happy in the tea shop? Don't walk, run back there and be happy.). However, other than that, the eps thus far seem not to have had much in them.

Ep 2: The Headband. Aang goes to a fire nation school. Had its interesting moments, and we learned a few very small details about their world (the fire nation has an Official Version of history, for example), but other than that it did little for me. No plot progress.

Ep 3: The Painted Lady. "Oh nos! This city needs help but we don't have time! We must move on to save the world! We don't even have a day to waste!" Katara saves it anyway. *major yawn*

Ep 4: Sokka's Master. Recall in ep 3 how they said they didn't even have a day to spare? How they had to get up earlier and start traveling sooner to make it on time? Well Sokka's unhappy so they decide to send him off to train with a swords master. Me thinking: '...okay, this is going to take how many years?' Turns out it takes only two days! He learns/trains on day one, makes his own sword on day two. 9.9

Those two eps together felt more like filler than anything I've seen in an anime series... But then it continues!

Ep 5: The Beach. Teenagers. Beach. Sex on the beach? Nope! Therapy on the beach! Arg! First off, what's this Zuko girlfriend crap? Stupid teenagers. Secondly, wow, what the hell are a bunch of bad guys doing talking about their feelings? Their weaknesses in front of each other? Gah.

Ep 6: The Avatar and the Firelord. Oh much much much better, filler over? Plot progress, for the first time all season! Yay! Backstory! Lots of good stuff!

Ep 7: The Runaway. ...nope, back to filler. What the heck is the point of this? No plot progress. No world/backstory info given out. (Or is that one-eyed robot man-thing that's trying to kill Aang supposed to count as plot? Seems way more filler plot-ish to me.)

Ep 8: The Puppetmaster. Filler, but better filler than we've seen so far. I had totally guessed the whole 'blood bending' thing back in the swamp ep (bodies are mostly water, just like plants...). Still, the end was freaky enough to give me goosebumps. :D

Based on the ep titles, it seems like things will go back to plotty again with ep 9. I've had my fill of this for tonight though.

What the heck happened to the series I loved? :/ And stop being a stupid, stupid teenager, Zuko! Or else! (And stop kissing icky girls, too!)

---

FFXI: More chocobo racing. x.x So sick of it. But if I keep up with the "free" chocobo racing for the next week I should be done by the weekend! So very sick of it though. Stupid chocobos.

Comments

[xvolph.livejournal.com]

I was amused by ep 2, but haven't watched past that yet.

"Orange is such a dreadful color."
(something to the effect of...) "I'm always amazed by the way you despise the world."
"I don't hate you."
"I don't hate you, too."

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Yeah, that was a very worthy exchange. :D

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

It does pick up, but...yeah, the first half of season three is pretty much filler. It leads me to think that either they weren't certain on whether they were doing three seasons or four, or they weren't certain what form the finale was going to take. I've also heard the writers were facing some censorship issues from Nickelodeon regarding the maturity level of the show when season three was in production.

It was the first time I've ever pulled up writers' names for comparison, because I was certain those episodes had to be written by newcomers to account for the change in quality. Alas, not. The Beach is my single least favourite episode of the series and besides taking my icon from it, I'd like to pretend it doesn't exist.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I checked out the writers in that short stories ep (The Tales of ... whatver that city was, Be Sung Se or whatever). All of them had been production assistants! I guess they gave other staffers a chance to write for that one ep.

I've also heard the writers were facing some censorship issues from Nickelodeon regarding the maturity level of the show when season three was in production.

That's really sad to hear. However, this is one very rare case where I can understand it, Nickelodeon being a children's station and all.

The Beach is my single least favourite episode of the series and besides taking my icon from it, I'd like to pretend it doesn't exist.

*laughs* It was just so painfully bad! It was like the writers watched some primetime drama aimed at 50 year old single women and decided to try that in Avatar form. I mean gah! The bad guys (girls) were talking about how to get boys to like them! Just so so so bad.

"Come on, who do you hate? Your father?"
"No!"
"Who do you hate? Your mother?"
"No!"
"Then who?"
"...I hate myself..."
Group hug!

Okay, I made that last line up, but they might as well have had it! Heehee.

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

*laughs* It was just so painfully bad! It was like the writers watched some primetime drama aimed at 50 year old single women and decided to try that in Avatar form.

Oh god, it was excruciating. I would add (it's proof of how bad it was that I felt compelled to look this up) that the only other episode this writer has independently written - for Avatar, and possibly in general - was Zuko's story from Tales of Ba Sing Seh. I'm reminded of certain Snape fan writers, for some reason...

That's really sad to hear. However, this is one very rare case where I can understand it, Nickelodeon being a children's station and all.

It does make sense - and I think it's one of those things that's unavoidable when you're dealing with characters who are older than the target audience. It's also a tricky issue when a show runs for three years, perhaps ending up with viewers in the 10-13 range when the rating still calls for it to be accessible to kids as young as 7.

Still, I'd be curious to get some behind the scenes gossip and find out if some huge subplot was cut out or something, because the whole tone and pacing of the show hits a huge bump here.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Still, I'd be curious to get some behind the scenes gossip and find out if some huge subplot was cut out or something, because the whole tone and pacing of the show hits a huge bump here.

Wouldn't it be great if they released a DVD with the uncensored stuff? :D Unfortunately it probably never got animated.

[tersa.livejournal.com]

And see, I loved "The Beach", but mostly because it feels like a turning point in Zuko's story.

Also, you may think some of those eps were filler...but they weren't entirely. There's plot stuff for later hidden in there. Apparently cleverly, since you missed it. :)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

And see, I loved "The Beach", but mostly because it feels like a turning point in Zuko's story.

Yeah, now that I've seen eps after it, I can see your point there.

Also, you may think some of those eps were filler...but they weren't entirely. There's plot stuff for later hidden in there. Apparently cleverly, since you missed it. :)

Hopefully once I get to those points I'll be able to look back and agree with this part, too! :)

[quasilemur.livejournal.com]

Okay. I'm just really sick of this appropriation of the word "filler" for any episode that dares not to advance the main plot. Everytime some fanboy whines about a filler episode that's not a filler episode, I seriously just want to hit them with a burlap sack full of bricks until they stop moving.

An extended narrative with no breaks, that is nothing but "A-Plot A-Plot A-Plot," is usually not a good narrative. It is poorly paced, it is hard to watch/read, and it is shitty. Fans who demand no digressions from the main plot don't actually know what they want.

I watch the beginning of Book 3, and I get where some people are coming from; they feel that the episodes are more appropriate to books 1 or 2, and that they lack urgency. If you get past the purely in-chracter hyperbole, however (It's someone else's subplot, so we don't have time), the deadline, while strict, isn't as constricting as it may seem; they've got a little bit of time, and they demonstrate as much if you're paying attention. Plus, any foot-dragging is actually directly explained later in the season, but I won't elaborate/spoil.

I enjoy Avatar. I enjoy the characterization and interplay, I enjoy the setting development, and I don't require every single episode to be filled with GRIM RESOLVE RRR. Plus, after book 3, the series is over, and I wasn't in any great hurry to see it end, instead preferring to enjoy it as it came.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Filler means a whole lot more than that. It means a lack of quality. I can handle there being no plot advancement (though I do like to see at least a little), I don't mind "fluff" eps, eps just for characterization, or even just funny eps. I do mind eps that don't have the quality of the rest of the series.

Look at the Jet ep from the first season. Side-trip, what appeared to be a one-time character. Yet the story was outstanding, it matched the rest of the series. Compare Jet to The Painted Lady, The Beach, The Runaway...

Plus, after book 3, the series is over, and I wasn't in any great hurry to see it end, instead preferring to enjoy it as it came.

That part I can agree with. I hate to see it end. However, I'd rather see the poorer quality season three eps as some sort of a package deal released after the ending. Besides, we'd enjoy them more then, since they'd be something new when we weren't supposed to get anything further.

[quasilemur.livejournal.com]

You can't really compare Jet to The Beach, though. Jet was anything but filler, for one. At that point in the series more than any, Avatar had more of a travelogue plot; the going from place to place dealing with problems was the show. If you classify Jet as filler, the first book would be, what, 3 or 4 episodes long?

The Beach, on the other hand, was an (admittedly fairly ridiculous) episode featuring characters other than the main leads. A completely different animal, and not one that attempted to address the serious issues and characterization that Jet did. It, like a few other episodes, served as zany asides that still contained plot threads and character developments, just not nearly as obviously or centrally as main-plot episodes.

I had no problem with The Painted Lady, personally. Pretty standard and straightforward sort of Avatar episode, really.

The Runaway was a Caper Episode; we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one, since you can have my caper episodes when you pry them out of my cold, dead hands.

[elo-sf.livejournal.com]

yes, yes it did have filler eps

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Which is too bad. It slowed the whole season down. :/

[elo-sf.livejournal.com]

yep. :(