25 moments Netflix’s remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender MUST get right

The Southern Air Temple

“The Southern Air Temple” is only the third episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender, but it’s the first time viewers truly get an idea of the damage the Fire Nation has caused while Aang was away. Instead of hearing about the Firebenders’ cruelty from Sokka and Katara we experience it firsthand alongside Aang.

Watching as Aang realizes that the Air Nomads, his family, are no more is the first truly emotional experience of the animated series, and the Netflix adaptation will have to evoke the same grief if it wants to sell us on why the Fire Nation needs to be stopped. Up until this point, the show has mainly been a light-hearted affair, but the Fire Nation is indeed a serious threat to the rest of the world. The balance between humor and drama is a big part of what makes the show so compelling.

Of course, this episode is also the first time Aang goes into the Avatar state, an important development that will also need to be done well. Our Aang is an innocent kid, but he also possesses a power that can turn the world, a power that will become important as the series goes on. Its full force needs to come across here.