Overanalyzing Avatar: The Serpent's Pass

[@overanalyzingavatar]

Hey guys, if you're even reading this, I had a lot of trouble getting this out, as I'm sure you're all aware. This video will be permanently demonetized, and has already released once, so it will obviously get less traffic than any other episode. So, I'd really appreciate a like/comment to help me try and recuperate the losses. Anything helps! Patreon is also always an option to really show your support. Thanks guys, sorry for the delay.

[@Syz_gy]

Yo, what happened? Why'd this video get the boot?

[@ryansnaj7036]

That sucks, sorry man.

[@Progamerr_06]

You said we did not see the cabbage guy ? We seen him before and after

[@catsaremyfavorit6514]

I think it's the fact that if the ice broke toph would drown and she could see

[@rashkavar]

@@Progamerr_06 That's how he's been handling the cabbage guy. He's a well enough known meme that it doesn't need to be pointed out.

[@hamsterdoom360]

"I want to name my son something unique. I know, I'll name him Lee."

[@ScienceCodeCreations]

Damn. They could've named their baby Yin. So that she could appear in S3 Korra as Mako and Bolin's grandmother. Missed opportunity smh.

[@auh4806]

I dont know, maybe try Lee. There's million Lees

[@llamawalrushybrid]

Could try Ty Lee, there's only 7 of those

[@biobommer485]

@@ScienceCodeCreations I can’t tell if you’re joking or not

[@ScienceCodeCreations]

@@biobommer485 /j I wanted Jin to be named Yin, not Hope.

[@mattm7220]

When Sokka does eventually kiss Suki at the end of the episode, it's interesting to note that it's during the day when the moon isn't watching over them, as the presence of the moon was his main reason for not kissing her the previous night. He felt guilty doing something that in front of Yue, but then, during the day, he wanted to make sure that Suki knew how he felt before she left them again.

[@Werhgrjdtvrykum]

Damn

[@MattKiritsy]

I was going to say a similar thing. The moon literally “came between them” at 8:00

[@capnd.g.4711]

This guy here realizing the important shit oml I legit never noticed that

[@terra_corp]

uhm... so you are saying the moon is never in the sky during daytime? ...

[@jawadfarhat7686]

But remember in season three the tent........ yeah they forgot about the whole yue thing

[@thealmightygremmy]

I always viewed Suki going back through the original way- she almost certainly has a passport and can likely travel freely from end to end.

[@rayray_017]

And since she works for them, it might be in her job somewhere to travel back and forth anyway. The only flaw is that I think she needs to actually go to or at least near the city for that, which would mean it would make sense for her to walk with the gaang for a little longer.

[@fandomonium3789]

I really like that Katara offers Aang a hug, but he just bows instead. he's showing gratitude and appreciation for her help, but he doesn't want a hug right now, and I like that they do all of this without any dialogue. Katara is just a champ during the Appa's Missing arc. Her role as team Heart just gets to shine its brightest when the team is at one of its darkest and lowest points.

[@crashbrocksta1333]

holy fuck, i love this comment. i've seen this show maybe 5 times plus 2 given the rewatches i've done of overanalyzing avatar, but i never, NEVER noticed that moment for some reason! it's great! thanks for pointing that out

[@jessecurtis7680]

@ 6:55

[@redgeoblaze3752]

I like the subtle irony of Sokka trying so hard to protect Suki, then it's revealed that she only came along to protect Sokka. Really shows how much they care about each other, even if they haven't had a lot of time together.

[@digital-underworld]

For the bit where Toph can't see when standing on Ice. Toph has only ever stood on Stone and Wood, materials that are common enough in the Earth kingdom. Suddenly shifting the material from those 2 to Ice would obviously make a difference. Ice is cold and numbs the sensations you would feel walking on it barefoot effectively blinding Toph. There's also the fact that Ice wouldn't transmit vibrations the same way Stone would. The makeup of Stone and Ice is very different, Ice is very crystalline in form.

[@1963felonee]

I was thinking exactly that it would have been numbing

[@bcsdstudios7988]

I figured since she's an earth bender her sight can only be transmitted through earth and ice is water.

[@420mralucard]

She's shown in the Runaway episode to not be able to feel through wood either. Most noble houses in the Earth kingdom have a stone floor since carved stone would be see as a luxury item as you most like have to get a bender to place, move, and carve it for you.

[@christaylor9095]

The thing that's hard for me to give a pass to is that she doesn't just raise an earth bridge

[@420mralucard]

@@christaylor9095 The ground was too far below the sea for her to bend it till they were on the sea floor itself.

[@derekmann8239]

“This is funny because Sokka is an idiot.” I feel like this applies a lot lmao

[@k_tess]

I'm trying to understand why pull ups don't cause hypertrophy in the bicep?

[@mrb692]

@@k_tess Pull-ups do work the biceps a bit, but most of the work is done by your back.

[@naytte9286]

@@mrb692 It isn't clear if he's doing pullups or chinups. If he's doing the latter, that does in fact work the arms, and quite a bit too.

[@mrb692]

@@naytte9286 Sure, but king_ Tesseract was asking about pull ups

[@No-vu7pc]

@@k_tess Pull-ups hit the biceps just fine. Not to mention Sokka said ''chin touches'' and could've easily been talking about chin-ups.

[@skrilllfury2120]

“Not a very convincing costume” has major “Charlie Chaplin wins X place that isn’t 1st in a Charlie Chaplin lookalike contest” energy.

[@suchomimustenerensis]

Hello Skrillllllllllll

[@marcushughes4697]

I also think the same happened to Dolly Parton

[@majesticed9329]

He earned the third place

[@unkindled6410]

if Aang decided to show an airbending move, or even better, do like 4 year old Korra and start doing a multi element bending dance in front of that old hag, wouldnt that immediately convince them?

[@jokurandomi93]

"Your Zuko costume is pretty good, but your scar is on the wrong side"

[@redalertlaserbeak7244]

At 6:33, you’re not going to talk about how cool it is how Zuko stacked those bowls of food with his swords?! I always thought that that was a really cool way of reminding the viewer that Zuko is actually a skilled swordsman. Which is crazy, because he doesn’t have to be. Because of his firebending and all.

[@TheKosmotect]

He mastered the swords because his firebending is mid. Edit: Let me clarify. As a child his firebending was mid, so he mastered the swords. Iroh and the dragon's are what produced the fire bending master we know.

[@featgoose972]

@@TheKosmotecthe’s mid for a prince but really good for the average soldier

[@orkaydk9430]

@@TheKosmotect I think it's more that he wants to reject his bending since it reminds him of his trauma, he probably picked up his swords as a way to fight without it

[@flowcade6997]

​@@TheKosmotectzuko is one of the most powerful firebenders. We are just used to seeing the top 1% people like Iroh or azula outclass him. He still beats 99% of firebenders.

[@wavelengthrecords-1]

It's kind of oddly symbolic in a way. Zuko was born with his firebending, but he chose sword wielding. It almost represents how he doesn't fit with the Fire Nation but instead what he chooses for himself.

[@kegstandjesus]

10:26 I actually do really like how Suki said "It's me" to Toph instead of "It's Suki", which kinda subtly shows how everyone doesn't condescend to Toph for being blind. Like, they know she knows who "me" is by the sound of their voice. Small, might have been an accident, but if it wasn't, pretty interesting addition.

[@lahlybird895]

And of course me being a blind person watching thought that was katara

[@genxr1141]

@@lahlybird895 funniest comment i’ve seen on youtube

[@lahlybird895]

@@genxr1141 ... Haha oops

[@clownplayer7265]

Funnily enough, because Toph has mastered seismic sense to a fine degree, they probably have an easier time forgetting she's blind. They know she's capable, ironically causing them to get flatfooted whenever they deal with some of Toph's actual handicaps and limitations. Granted she's most of the time pretty understanding and actually seems to get used to overtime.

[@Mullkaw]

also last episode she says she never forgets a voice

[@superninja493]

I don’t get why Aang didn’t prove he was the avatar by using his bending in front of that woman

[@RacingSnails64]

Indeed. It's also weird how Aang simply says he's the Avatar so many times and people instantly buy it, like the Sun Warriors.

[@udozocklein6023]

@@RacingSnails64 cuz of his tattoos maybe?

[@ChillstoneBlakeBlast]

I think it was to not compromise his location from fire benders since Ba sing se is being under siege but whatever.

[@nikolajnrgaardvrstein6124]

@@ChillstoneBlakeBlast Why not do anything to conceile his identity maybe? They wouldn't know that there were 'copycats'. Also, pretty stupid to admit you're the avatar if you are trying to hide it?

[@Kevin-jb2pv]

I think it's because he realized pretty quickly that that lady wasnt gonna budge. Besides, Toph stepped up and pushed Aang out of the way immediately after she pointed at the group of Avatar cosplayers and before he had a chance to say anything else.

[@tirex3673]

If you pause at the right moment, you can actually see a slug hiding under the flying cabbage pieces. This cabbage guy is a danger for the eco system, good that we never see him again. EDIT: It's a slug, not a snail, both are called "Schnecke" in german, and I only had the german line in my head, so sorry for the confusion.

[@ddchrw]

The Cabbage Slug is a completely different beast than the Cabbage Snail. The Cabbage Snail is smart, mature, and a responsible homeowner. The Cabbage Slug is an untamed beast, laying waste to greenery whenever it sees fit.

[@thatonechickenguy727]

Where? I can't find it :(

[@ddchrw]

@@thatonechickenguy727 At 3:16, you can see a slug flying across the screen. If you watch at 0.25x speed, the slug passes in front of the Cabbage Merchant's right elbow.

[@thatonechickenguy727]

@@ddchrw thx wow that's hard to see

[@mr.crafty5303]

His cabbages actually get destroyed at the gate and several other times

[@ethanotoroculus1060]

Ironically, it seems the serpent _really doesn't want this video to pass._

[@chimchar87]

Leave. The door is right there👉🏻

[@chimchar87]

@chrismeister2554I know

[@travisbishop782]

Ha!

[@ember-brandt]

11:54 - Naming their daughter Hope was a bit corny, but it totally makes sense to me that Aang would tear up at the sight of a newborn and finally feel hope again - because it reminded him that having children of his own would help bring the air nomads back, especially since losing Appa brought that pain back all over again. I'm sure that's also why he looked at Katara, and then said: "Seeing this family together... it's reminded me of how I feel about Appa... and how I feel about _you."_

[@Chris-qc2kd]

That makes me wonder if Aang's line was maybe a subtle like confession to Katara?

[@ScienceCodeCreations]

Damn. They could've named their baby Yin. So that she could appear in S3 Korra as Mako and Bolin's grandmother. Missed opportunity smh.

[@harnanmylvaganam6311]

9

[@Pikatwig16]

@@ScienceCodeCreations The creators said they wanted to do something like that, but they thought it would fly over people's heads.

[@royaldonut_]

​​@@Chris-qc2kd the question is it meant to be you like only katara or you as in all of them. In german he means the whole gaang

[@nanoblock6602]

I think that there's a possibility that Jet, smellerbee and longshot stole the tickets and passports from the three that end up travelling with the gaang. It makes sense since they most likely wouldn't have passports or the money for tickets to the city. It would also add an explanation as to why they needed to add the guy's sister.

[@lonemotheo1964]

Not sure if that would work since Jet and his crew usually goes after firenation citizens and soldiers

[@humanzombieninja]

what sister

[@thethirdsicily4802]

@@lonemotheo1964 I mean the last time we saw them they were going all "kill them all, God will recognize his own" on that town, so it's perfectly possible.

[@bobbyferg9173]

@@humanzombieninja The sister of the husband who comes along is pointed out at 1:18

[@vizthex]

"I'm with Sokka on this one, this is forbidden eldritch science" fucking killed me, lmao.

[@배진아-d1b]

I think it makes perfect sense for that ship to attack instantly considering its guarding a highly classified war machine.

[@motorwayt-s628]

It definitely has a similar vibe to a guard at a military base taking aim at an intruder or a drug lord’s goons shooting at anyone who comes close to their drug farm

[@elizabethcharlton7755]

How many people do you think died there after being unable to get onto the ferry?

[@battlesheep2552]

There is also the fact that it spotted them earthbending, so the likelihood of them being part of the Earth Kingdom is high

[@J_to_the_F]

Finally someone addresses the "abandon hope" and naming the child "Hope" later on. From the first time I saw this I was like: Why has nobody made jokes about this?

[@Brain-washed2]

Certainly not the first person to do this

[@kingwaffleton1774]

ABANDON THE BABY

[@CaptainWobbs]

Okay, hear me out. I think the reason there’s a random third person in the pregnant lady’s group is so that they have three tickets that get stolen. I wonder if there’s a certain prominent group of three people that we actually see on the ferry, who may very well not have passports based on what we know of their pasts, and who literally start stealing stuff as soon as we see them.

[@tijmen6947]

Oh you mean jet and his gang? Wow thats crazy. Could be right though

[@Trivelakick]

That's crazy good idea

[@Nosjjddjjd]

Oh dang. If that was actually made apparent in the show it’d set up even more parallels between Jet and Zuko, who chose not to rob that family

[@endermeap6488]

Wow, that’s actually really smart. I also wish that had been implied a bit more in the show.

[@devinstevens5585]

The problem with that theory is the group of people get to the ferry place after jet is already on the ferry, meaning he stole from someone else

[@Dawid23_Gamer]

5:44 just dawned on me that the crew of the ship must have assumed no one would be foolish enough to go across the serpent's pass for any reason other than earth kingdom spies, so this kinda makes sense

[@rashkavar]

I have to point out: I feel like the way they handle Jet throughout this episode is a very deliberate red herring. The introduction and the sinister strings/zoom you point out are both callbacks to the renegade who was willing to destroy an entire town of civilians to beat a unit of Fire Nation soldiers. We're supposed to be wary of him because of what he's done, and this episode is trying to remind us of that. So that when Aang & Company meet him again, their suspicion of him makes perfect sense. It's been a long time since we've seen him, going by the weekly release schedule. Plenty of people will have forgotten him, or only have vague memories.

[@peterwhite6415]

Pretty much, honeslty theres a theory that its possible that Jet stole the tickets from the couple + sister, wich on one handdoenst make sense since they arent Fire nation. But on the other hand, Jet and some of his gang (cause tehir dumb kids with hate) had no problem beating up an Old Man whos from the Fire Nation or killing multiple civilians and children, so i can see it honeslty.

[@curtiswfranks]

If you look closely in this episode, you can see recurring characters from the season 1 episode called "Jet". This show has crazy continuity and really cares about making its background characters have full lives independent of the main cast.

[@mypowerlevelisover9000]

😂

[@jamesbowers5478]

On top of that, they have an homage to the episode from book 1, "The Warriors of Kyoshi," mad continuity.

[@alzhanvoid]

@@jamesbowers5478 And who could forget all the classics we fondly remember from back in "The Boy in the Iceberg". Such continuity detail, even from the beginning!

[@Exobably]

One possibility for why they went under the water is to avoid being spotted again by the fire navy. Plus ice is not an ideal way to cross something since it's, you know, slippery and whatnot, even if they weren't thinking about how hard it would be for Toph (they weren't, lol). And I think Toph only was able to raise the ground because she was standing on it at the bottom of the sea.

[@VincentGonzalezVeg]

Ice bridge with earth rails & ribs

[@bendystrawz2832]

I think it was mostly to remain undetected. An ice bridge appearing would almost certainly draw attention from any ships that were passing the area if any went by while they were passing.

[@lintyscorpion2692]

could have made a boat shaped piece of ice, then propel them with water

[@bobkile9734]

@@lintyscorpion2692 See, the problem with that, is that it’s an excellent idea and we wish they had thought of that at the time.

[@vaughnshinkus4178]

Also, with Toph being barefoot, it would’ve been an extremely uncomfortable and possibly damaging crossing for her. She only goes out on the ice afterwards when it’s an absolute necessity.

[@daviddeboer8793]

About the "abandon all hope" line of Aang at the beginning of Serpents pass, I think it is also meant to contrast Iroh's earlier words on hope in Avatar day: In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. This is Aangs darkest time, and this episode is giving him his hope back.

[@ajculum723]

It’s interesting that with all of the eastern influences that are clearly present in Avatar there is quite a bit of Dante in Ba Sing Se. the most obvious is the abandon hope on the gate, but the ringed design combined with how the evils of the city get worse towards the center, and how there is treachery at the center of it all, makes me think there’s even more to it.

[@Andrew-vl2ho]

dope find

[@kjj26k]

Yooo, never picked up on that...there's gotta be something with Appa's Lost Days here.

[@isaacwatson3088]

Two points on analysis, suki wouldn’t have to go over the serpents pass to get back to the other warriors. She was already working at the ferry so it’s to be presumed she has a passport and they would give her a ride back. Second, Sakka felt okay kissing suki because they weren’t sitting in front of the moon (yue) she was hidden from his act basically. This was always my reasoning behind why things happened. Love the series keep it up!

[@fireflymiesumae]

True

[@TheMaplestrip]

For some reason, I always _completely_ lose it at "Abandon Hope." "How can we abandon hope!? That's all we have!" I don't really know why I find such serious dramatic lines so goofy and hilarious. But oh well, it gives me a good laugh I guess ^_^;

[@bendystrawz2832]

It reminds me of Katara's character from the play in book 3. Although here it seems just as overplayed and dramatic as the intentionally overplayed, dramatic performance.

[@jun_kage]

Ummm 🤨

[@fireballuwo]

when you realize they named the baby hope

[@jonahdunch4056]

I lose it at the husband's line read of "SAfe, behind the waaallls of Ba Sing Sayyy."

[@MS-pz9wd]

probably because have a powerful emotional reaction to an anonymous sign is pretty strange

[@swaggasaurus4837]

I love the bit where Suki complements Sokka on his muscles, because realistically she'd be far more muscular than him. Especially given what we see during the Boiling Rock escape.

[@eriol_mits3121]

The cabbage dude is one of the best running jokes in Avatar. Poor guy, he just wants to sell his cabbages without them being destroyed.

[@krugga400]

That guy was selling weed 😂😂😂

[@williammatthews7735]

Yeah, this guy always being confused by the cabbage guy is weird

[@Tzelofachad]

r/whoosh@@williammatthews7735

[@blockywow]

@@williammatthews7735it’s a running gag that this dude pretends doesn’t exist

[@battlesheep2552]

If you take a close look at the cabbage carnage you can see they did in fact have the slugs they were trying to keep out of Ba Sing Se. Cabbage dude deserved it.

[@pokechatter]

8:25 Perhaps it’s because even at this point, Jet is unsure about this fresh start. Like, given one small reason like learning that the guy he just befriended is his hated enemy could send him right back into vengeful freedom-fighter mode because wanting a fresh start makes him feel like he’s lying to himself.

[@dontworry4945]

You took the sokka denies, then accepts suki thing totally different than I did. I looked at it as " i can't kiss you in front of my girl" because it's the Night of the full moon. And he felt like Yue was watching him. But once its daytime she turns away and he starts mackin.

[@user-svqmbiv]

Yeah that's the entire point of that scene. I'm always surprised by how many people miss that.

[@christopherverhoef9112]

I mean, the shot is framed so that the moon is between them. Yue is coming between Sokka and Suki. That's literally what we're shown!

[@siragon756]

Praise the allmighty algorithm for he shall not bring his wrath unto this piece this time (hopefully)

[@pika4668]

PRAISE BE

[@joshua2400]

God Christ Jesus bless you all and have a wonderful day my family

[@iangraves5396]

@@pika4668 blessed be the fruit

[@FireStrikerShadow]

praise

[@xBlackDawnx]

KZbin giveth and KZbin taketh away. Buttheads

[@Manamius]

I'd argue that Toph's feet are so sensitive that the cold of the ice is why she can't see on it

[@MoBot249]

I want to politely disagree with anyone who would disagree with your statement, politely or otherwise.

[@theskullicorn4588]

@@MoBot249 politely with a bat and nails

[@maxtube1952]

It's because Ice isn't earth, it's frozen water. I don't see how anyone missed that. Like, she feels vibrations and differences in density in the EARTH of the ground, not just the ground. Obviously she can't see on ice.

[@nibistewgamer1742]

@@maxtube1952 why can she see people then??? people arent earth

[@PontusPontus]

@@nibistewgamer1742 They aren't, but Toph can feel vibrations in the earth like MAX said, and humans obviously make vibrations when they move on earth so she "sees" them. She's an earth bender, so it makes sense her ability to detect vibrations on/in the ground she walks is limited to earth.

[@thatguy8495]

One thing that always stood out to me in this episode is how strong suki's makeup is. Seriously she dives in the lake and it doesn't wash off even a litlle bit

[@astraltoast]

plot twist: it’s tattooed on her when she’s “without makeup”, she just paints her face to match her skin tone

[@jameslars7391]

@@astraltoast Ah the good old Batman 89 Joker face paint trick.

[@deltarunecharacter]

In the last part of sozins comet revealing ty Lee as a kyoshi warrior right before that he says that he likes the makeup.

[@growingoaks]

4:43 Perhaps the “abandon hope” is a reference to Dantes Inferno? “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here” is the full quote. Quite fitting as well.

[@MaximNightFury]

I'm sure that the Fire Nation ship probably had orders to fire upon any sighting of people using the Serpent's Pass, no matter who is on it

[@thatlogicmax]

The idea of not having hope is actually a key tenet of daoism, "What does it mean that hope is as hollow as fear? Hope and fear are both phantoms that arise from thinking of the self. When we don't see the self as self, what do we have to fear?"" Also that same part is a dante reference. On the gates of hell in the inferno: "abandon hope all ye who enter here" Just a lot of good stuff in that moment.

[@lonemotheo1964]

Damn a Dante's inferno reference in a children's show that no one noticed until now....... That's wild.....

[@johanvandermolenmoris8352]

this comment deserves way more likes

[@elrikstronginthearm9267]

What does it mean that success is as dangerous as failure? Whether you go up the ladder or down it, your position is shaky. When you stand with your two feet on the ground, you will always keep your balance. wow, this is some awesome stuff, thanks for exposing me to this!

[@someguy9737]

I'm mildly disappointed that you didn't mention the framing of the first kiss. They drew close but at no point was the moon obscured, visually saying that the princess, or at least sokkas conflicting emotions, is preventing the kiss. The actual kiss being during the day is not only a chance for sokka to process and deal with this surge of inner conflict, but it also shows a "sunset" on the princess as a hindrance to sokka.

[@SafeRemain]

It was originally meant to be a joke with yue's disappointed face fading in but something to do with deleting the image from his files and the aggressive copyright system had it ending up not being in the final verison of the video

[@UpQuick]

Something I like in this episode is the pregnant lady says, "how can we abandon hope? it's all that we have". She meant it as a metaphor in the moment but she also ends up naming her baby hope, which is the only thing they have left because all their belongings were stolen.

[@maxlittle8094]

I love the animation and attention to detail when the moon is clearly presented as the subject that divides Sokka and Suki when he doesn't kiss her. Awesome touch. Sokka might always have feelings for Yue but he is trying to move on.

[@Krystalmyth]

Being present for a baby you've literally helped deliver, changes a person. Aang, and this gang have a level of empathy that most people these days just don't have. So I totally don't think it's too hard to believe seeing a baby being born would spark something in him. He's over 100 years old, a child and has never seen a baby being born. He's seen a lot of death though.

[@midlight9758]

I totally agree with you. And I believe it was Avatar Yangchen who mentioned Aang had a gentle spirit, combine that with his obvious crush on Katara, I think he is naturally a pretty sappy guy. I would have loved to see his reaction when his own kids were born.

[@michellejohnson9177]

Aww

[@user-Lemon234]

So basically Aang has seen so much death that something sparked in him when he saw life, that’s pretty cool, after experiencing the war and seeing so much death he saw life and he gained hope.

[@kappatalism6969]

Comment for engagement, but also a word on "back sheathes". A channel by the name of shadiversity put out a video a few years back demonstrating how a few clever design elements would make even a longsword's scabbard ergonomical. Just as easy to draw and stow, and a significant improvement to the wearer's balance if you ever need to sprint with the thing on.

[@scottrauch1261]

Yeah, but that sheath doesn't have any of the designs that would make it useable like shadiversity added.

[@spartanwar1185]

@@scottrauch1261 Zuko needs to get a sheath from Shad, simple solution, lol

[@VGGeek]

This is definitely an interesting comment! Not something to boost this video in the algorithm so more people will watch it since it's a great video that is unfortunately demonetized! That would be crazy!

[@aidanallen1976]

Wow, such an interesting comment deserves an interesting reply, because the algorithm loves discussion!

[@VGGeek]

Yes, and this discussion is so interesting, that I made a reply to your reply, wow!

[@johnmungus8567]

Indeed

[@Chimo1094]

I totally agree with everyone above

[@Staenhus]

Very insightful

[@SlyJMan]

An easy comment about the Toph kissing Suki moment is that Toph thought it was Sokka because she can't see and all she heard was Sokka saying "I'm coming" and then a splash before someone pulled her up. She didn't just randomly assume it was him, it's actually a layered "Toph is blind" joke.

[@rekisslove]

“i thought i was trying to be strong, but really i was just running away from my feelings.” currently binging this series rn and i actually sobbed at that line. i didn’t know it was what i needed to hear until i did. keep up the great work man love it so far and i can’t wait to finish :D

[@cosmeglzz]

Just here adding to the engagement numbers. Hope this one stays up.

[@bendystrawz2832]

If school has prepared me for one thing, it's pleasing the KZbin algorithm. Like the video, leave a comment, and comment on a comment.

[@concept5631]

@@bendystrawz2832 Seems legit.

[@max.s5202]

6:52 Zuko crossed the crossguards of his swords so it makes a stable construction. I think this could work. Still he should've just asked Jett to lend him a hooksword for once

[@bendystrawz2832]

As shown, it is viable. My question is: why are the handles long enough for it to work? They're dual swords! Unless some broadswords have long handles for some reason.

[@redeye4516]

+Kevin Meeker could be something similar to a bastard sword's handle, where it's not as long for a full two-handed grip like a longsword is but there's clearly more room there than just for one hand like a typical shortsword. Perhaps Zuko's swords were made with the intention of that backup plan, if one were to be lost then you can half-grip the handle with your free hand and go for more powerful blows to compensate for losing the other one. It would just so happen that they work well for zip-lining across some rope as well. Of course, I could be totally wrong because most of my knowledge is on more western weapon designs of antiquity+medieval ages and some knowledge of Japan's stuff too, can't say I'm very knowledgeable about many weapons from the asian mainland before the advent of sending lead pellets past the sound barrier with the forbidden black sugar, so it would be wise to check me on that.

[@daggern15]

@@bendystrawz2832 My guess for more material in the handle would be for counter-balance. As previously shown, these swords are designed to be used with the arms at full extension so it would make sense to balance them better to avoid them feeling too heavy with prolonged usage. As for length being "needed" to work, that's not strictly true. The rope is caught under the guard so there's no real issue as long as the handle is long enough for Zuko to put enough space between the guard and his hand to avoid friction burn. Also, the handles are usually that long throughout the show so I'm assuming the scene was drawn fast and loose enough to show a gap and leave it at that.

[@aprilthompson6837]

It's funny how Jet heard what Zuko was saying and decided to address him with a response, but didn't happen to hear Iroh talking about his military disgrace at Ba Sing Se

[@kjj26k]

Well, I guess from his pov, if he heard Iroh, is that Iroh is a (forcibly) retired Earth Kingdom soldier, and his disgrace could be being the guy in charge when the Fire Nation got through the wall, or some other incident.

[@AaravGhate]

@@kjj26k Yeah I thought so too, like maybe he was an earth kingdom soldier who ran away from his post, that's why him being "a different man" back then

[@SonofCurlyLox]

Prolly thought he was crazy

[@romangalo3395]

6:00 i always interpreted this moment as Sokka being overprotective of Suki, because he doesn't want to loose another girl he loves, especially because the moon is reminding him of Yue.

[@philemonabel7852]

Re: 9:50- when we first meet Toph in her yard in "The Blind Bandit" she talks about how she uses her earthbending to "see" and feel the vibrations, so yeah, she cant "see" on any material that isn't earthbend-able and 13:08 Suki works for the Passport office people, so she could probably catch the next ferry back across the bay

[@overanalyzingavatar]

She also kicked the sand sailer made of wood last episode and described it as a boat. And then said "Believe me, I kicked it hard enough to feel plenty of vibrations." It is at the very least, vague as to how her abilities work.

[@philemonabel7852]

@@overanalyzingavatar are we sure it’s made of wood? I would guess they were metallic which may be nice foreshadowing. Even if we’re wood, maybe still she can amplify and see more “clearly” with earthbending. And there’s a difference in kicking something vs stepping on ice gently, not to mention it’s probably not comfy to walk on ice barefoot as is

[@overanalyzingavatar]

@@philemonabel7852 If you wanna look at them and say they're metal, by all means. Not sure how good sandbending would be at lugging around giant metal sledges at speed though.

[@Prof_Griz]

Korra seems to get the hang of propelling metal sandskiffs when they crashed into the desert on their way to Ba Sing Se. But that's neither here nor there. I think that a more interesting argument would be that the sandbender skiffs are made of earthbent rock, and that's why Toph was able to "see" them. Just one hot take. It totally makes more sense physically for them to be made out of wood, just thought I'd put that out into the ether as an interesting option.

[@Shnarfbird]

cold feet

[@OK-pi3nr]

When Suki goes to see Sokka right before the clip at 7:28, she is followed by the light of the moon as if Yue were giving her blessing (it is at 12:50 in the show).

[@isaacweston6066]

I kinda like how it gets corny, since it's such a serious show usually, as cartoons go. It's nice that it lets itself get sappy, and it feels like the right time to do it.

[@ZekromAndYugiAndDrago123]

I love how they said "I want our daughters name to be unique" and then named her Hope. Thats like if someone said "I wanna name my son something no one else has. I've got it! I'll name him John! John Smith!" Like I know in the Avatar world, it's probably not as common as it is in our world, but like.. it's just a funny look.

[@amelialonelyfart8848]

I had the same reaction, but at the same time, Hope is the only name of non-Asian or Native American origin that isn't a fantasy name as far as I can tell, so it does stick out in that regard.

[@PhilosoShysGameChannel]

we think it's important, when thinking about the Jet music theme, is that Jet CONSISTENTLY spins the truth in a sinister fashion. That's HOW he gets you to sympathize with him. He tells you the truth... but at the end of the day he's just doing that to gain your trust to manipulate you.

[@huxley1559]

I guess the issue is that the ice would just numb Toph's bare feet as she is able to navigate on metal and wood later on.

[@bendystrawz2832]

She feels the shape of the boat in the sand as well. I assume it is less boolean and more along the lines of how clear or how far. With earthbending, she can feel really far (see The Chase) and really clearly, although not sure how far she can feel so clear. Beyond bending (which only applies to earth and later metal for her), I assume the vibrations have a relatively limited range that depends mostly on how firm the object is. A material like sand would shift as vibrations went through it so the vibrations would send very little acurate information, which would get less and less accurate the further through sand they travelled. On the other hand, a solid object like hard wood can carry vibrations for pretty far, however, since she can't use earthbending, she would probably have to actually apply the vibrations by running/stomping/kicking. I assume she can't see off rock when she is standing still unless something else makes contact to send vibrations for her to feel. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about anything, I'm just spitballin here :D

[@huxley1559]

@@bendystrawz2832 all good, all good. I was also just guessing^^

[@huxley1559]

@@bendystrawz2832 I feel like both of our ideas do not necessarily have to exclude each other^^ ice being a poorer medium for the seismic sense technique as well as numbing (even 'Burning') bare skin (and subsequently, nerves) through direct exposure^^

[@bendystrawz2832]

@@huxley1559 True! Maybe one kick can get some info across, but as the feet get cold and numb, the blur turns to dark, for lack of a better term.

[@vizthex]

I like how zuko uses his swords to pack up the food too (though all of it has now fallen into the bottom pots), it's such a nice detail that helps reinforce his mastery with them.

[@CuriousKnuckle]

Another cool detail is that the serpents path gate having “Abandon Hope” is fairly close to the inscriptions on the gates of hell in Dante’s inferno. "Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" translates to "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." God this show is so good

[@LordFokas]

I came here for this. It's cool to see people in the comments picking up on all the stuff that he misses.

[@taitano12]

One of my favorite details of the entire show is in this scene. As Suki approaches Sokka, the light from the moon shines on her and moves across to him. It's as if Yue is presenting Suki and showing her approval.

[@jonnyo3909]

Something interesting to note, if you slow down the part where the cabbages get destroyed and the cabbage merchant is having his little freak out as the leaves fly across the screen, there is actually a cabbage slug or two.

[@Norrisxhuck]

The guy who wrote abandon hope. Is propably laughing his ass off for the reactions people give when reading it

[@alexanderrobins7497]

Not as much as some people who leave messages in Dark Souls. ROFL

[@elcalabozodelandroide2]

Totally possible since the spirit world is a thing.

[@lolin6379]

We just gonna ignore the fact that sooki has the best makeup of all time, that it doesn’t come off while she dives into the water to save Toff?

[@drewpott]

Did you do it on purpose?

[@matthewgallaway3675]

How does she ever take it off?

[@Sara-xf7ls]

@@drewpott you mean the spelling? Lol

[@Xpwnxage]

@@matthewgallaway3675 She stops at Rite Aid and gets makeup removing wipes.

[@rosestar1324]

I mean not really since I have to scrub my makeup off and it's not water proof. Throwing water at my face won't make my makeup run

[@Darthsantana]

it's likely the firenation didnt know it was the gaang but they are trying to maintain the secrecy of the drill.

[@passthepro]

I just assumed they spotted toph earthbending the side of the cliff to save the guy and attacked because earth bender=enemy

[@jacabo136]

We don't talk about the drill...

[@invisibleaccount9284]

I see what you’re saying about Aang’s hope line, but we know from Iroh’s line about hope (“In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself”) that the show doesn’t talk about hope as some sort of blind faith. They treat it more as a belief in yourself and a will to keep going. Aang’s quote is about giving up. He’s essentially saying “I’m so upset I’m not even gonna think about what’s bothering me and instead I’ll bottle it up”

[@fattyMcGee97]

Sokka is the best kind of comedic relief character. He’s there to be cartoon funny when it’s right, and then is a very serious and fleshed out character when comedy isn’t right. Serpents pass is an episode that’s stayed with me since I watched it when it first aired. To be honest, until it came to Netflix and gathered a massive fan base, I always felt like it was one of those hidden gems that not many people remembered. Now that I’m in my 20’s and have an appreciation for writing, I find the quality here to be striking. It’s better than so many adult shows and can often be on par with that of classic Hollywood movies.

[@Winter_Chill_]

8:36 I feel the whole underwater part, sure while an ice bridge or earth bridge would have worked also One of the big issues they were facing at the time was still the threat of being spotted at any moment by the Fire Nation An earth bridge would have had to be made in chunks, and is never the quietest options and an Ice bridge would be dangerous to walk on, both from slipping and cracking But going under is actually pretty safe assuming Aang and Katara can keep it going, as it'd also cut out any risk of just being fireball'd at any moment

[@unkindled6410]

the ice bridge could also collapse easily, theyre in the middle of the ocean, waves are a thing, they can move the bridge and break the ice unless its REALLY thick. also toph couldnt just uplift earth from the seafloor, its too far down and her seismic sense isnt that far reaching, maybe she could just bend the rocks of their side of the mountain, but again it wouldnt have that strong of a foundation facing against the waves of the ocean as its hanging only by one side of the mountain.

[@inari3259]

This might be just me, but I think Toph thanking "Sokka" after the saving was just Toph showing her appreciation. I have always associated this to the previous accident where Toph saved Sokka and was a bit bitter that Sokka didn't appreciate the act. IMO Toph just wanted to be very extra to get the point across to Sokka.

[@baguettegott3409]

But then it wouldn't be all that embarrassing that it was Suki instead. If the kiss on the cheek was supposed to be over the top and not genuine, then kissing Suki on accident would be more funny than mortifying. Idk.

[@UltimateDurzan]

I've always been a tad annoyed that they didn't really follow up on Toph's crush for Sokka. Like at all.

[@JohnZ117]

@@UltimateDurzan She doesn't follow up on her crush after hearing her crush express romantic interest in someone else? Shocking!! It's like she's a healthy-minded human being or something.

[@RacingSnails64]

@@baguettegott3409 No it's still a perfectly reasonable reaction. To kiss someone who's not who you expected, it's a misjudgement on your part and a breech of their personal space. Embarassing all around.

[@RacingSnails64]

That's a really good interpretation of that scene actually. Makes it even more hilarious actually. People act like Sokka and Toph were *actually* a thing (even though Sokka is so very obviously in an active relationship with Suki), but the ONLY other time I can remember Toph so much as hinting that she has a crush on Sokka is in that clip where she blushes in the sword master episode. "I didn't really care" that Sokka was gone. AND EVEN THEN it doesn't necessarily imply romantic attraction because Toph is usually all tough and slow to open up!! So for her to admit she cared about him in any capacity could elicit a blush either way!! Damn shippers with their shipping making me second guess my story knowledge. Makes me feel like I'm going insane.

[@Nobody-ci7hv]

"Doing pullups wouldnt grow your arms at all" even when performed corectly there is a lot of bizeps and forearm activasion. Especially Chin ups work the bizeps very well

[@nevinhall7775]

He called Sokka an idiot and then says pull ups don’t work your arms lolol

[@derrickallen5383]

Plus look at iroh when he transforms himself in the prison. His biceps are huge!

[@enzolo2420]

i was looking for this comment thank You.

[@jakob9911]

4:13 pull ups do grow your biceps especially if you do the underhand grip(chin up) variation

[@fusel5883]

Interesting that you missed something! At the cabbage guy scene at 3:10 one can actually see a slug being flung through the air when his cart gets destroyed! Its visible just after he starts screaming around the height of his elbows

[@anandshukla-parekh2530]

Yup that Hope name always makes my sister and I cringe a little...but outside of that this episode is Avatar really showcasing its emotional maturity

[@jimmykimble2529]

One thing I noticed is that when Sokka and Suki are about to kiss but Sokka rejects is that the moon is in between them in that shot. It means that yue is literally getting in between them. She is stopping Sokka from kissing Suki because he still has feelings for her. That’s just my 2 cents

[@max.s5202]

9:45 I believe Toph's way of seeing is just an advanced earthbending technique. We can see Aang use it in the last episode, and he for sure doesn't know how to see vibrations. So i think Toph just feels the earth that she's touching. So if standing on a floating island she can only see this far, and on sand she doesn't see anything as she's only touching the front layer. Toph said she sees with earthbending

[@Shnarfbird]

cold feet

[@TheGamingLegendsOfficial]

apparently this isn't quite the case, as the creators of the show said that Toph can sense even earth that isn't connected to the earth she's standing on.

[@tomatooverlord2764]

There's a scene in the Season 3 episode "The Runaway" where Katara and Toph are working together to teach Aang how to fight blindfolded, and I'm pretty sure Toph even outright tells him to try to use the vibrations of the earth to see. Given the episode it's in, it becomes yet another moment of Toph and Katara getting into a fight with each other, but it does show that Toph was teaching Aang how to do it. The fact that the episode "The Firebending Masters" has Toph outright say that she learned it from the badgermoles, the first earthbenders, does support the idea that it's an earthbending technique specifically, though.

[@max.s5202]

@@tomatooverlord2764 That's a good point. This still explains Toph's problem with seeing on ice. It didn't come to my mind that Toph actually gave Aang a lesson on this technique. It's really helpful when you can discuss it with other people, the investigation really speeds up!

[@guidofedeli851]

8:37 I mean, the Gaang wanting to stay underwater after they've been shot at by the Fire Nation is perfectly understandable to me, especially with no way of fighting back being on open water. They wanted to stay hidden. Them creating an ice bridge after is because the serpent gave them no other choice and they needed to move quickly

[@shaddowcat4253]

6:26 So the reason that back don't seem like they would work is because they wouldn't, at least not like a regular sheith would, this is something only in cartoons

[@trevormm]

Regarding Toph being able to see on ice. In the last episode she "Kicked the boat hard enough to get a good look at it". So it would make sense to be able to see on any solid surface. That said, you could reason that she can't see on ice because her warm feet cause it to melt, thus making it fuzzy vision at best. Really just a theory though. I'm not sure we get any other examples of her with ice.

[@33link333]

Ice could also seriously hurt her bare feet, so that wouldn't help.

[@unkindled6410]

i think theres a lot of diferent interpretations for this scene, but could also be one of the few times the writters actually slipped and forgot a tiny detail. people praise the show a lot for how its intrigate in its planning and world building details, and its true, but they forget just like everything is not absolutely perfect. remember that they actually commited a mistake when calculating the ages for avatars and the era they were living regarding Kyoshi, and to not write a retcon to go back on it, they decided to just explain kyoshi actually lived for over 200 years with a secret earthbending tecnique in her novels. personally though, the idea that maybe ice is one thing toph cant sense AT ALL, even wood she can have a vague notion with the vibrations, could fit with the idea that at this point her feet a super sensitive and stepping on ice which causes numbing sensations and might even cause pain, would be her equivalent of getting sand in the eyes.

[@slenderminion2229]

One thing you didn't mention is that it makes perfect sense for Toph to think Sokka came to her aid. The last thing she heard before being saved was Sokka calling out he was coming for her, only for Suki to quickly jump in instead. Since she's blind and thus couldn't see Suki jump in, it's only logical for her to think that Sokka is holding her.

[@Sean-df3dv]

"I think I'd like to try it a second time" -Neptune from Spongebob

[@bendystrawz2832]

"It'll go straight to your thighs! ...And _then_ you'll explode!"

[@thogameskanaal]

I'm just now starting to realize how much Sokka still had to mature, especially during the Serpent's Pass episode. His life is literally being saved by Toph and he doesn't even acknowledged it. Then when it's his turn to save a drowning Toph, he's too clunky to just jump into the water and save her, do Suki goes in his stead. All of the emotional responses are so subtle, and you can feel the writers really trusted their audience. Much respect to Toph for being such a badass and being a master in light-hearted passive aggression :P

[@redgeoblaze3752]

There are hints of Toph possibly having feelings for Sokka, and in one instance, Zuko. I think this makes perfect sense given that she's been sheltered her whole life, and never had any friends. Sokka and Zuko are the only two guys she's known who are nice to her, and aren't the more emotional Twinkletoes. It's nice characterization, and really cute to watch, but I'm kind of glad it didn't necessarily go anywhere (as far as we know)

[@nwgrizzlies11]

Side note. As someone with a Kinesiology degree, I will say chin ups actually do grow your arms. Your biceps brachii gets activated along with your last and posterior delts. Obviously the amount of activation can vary on the particular style. Love your videos :)

[@corvonics]

Toph does state that her ability to see is directly related to her bending so it makes sense she can't see on surfaces that aren't earth or later metal

[@RPTownsend]

10:10 I imagine it’s more like: Toph can’t feel proper vibrations on ice due to its slippery, partially melted surface, similarly to how she can’t see on shifting surfaces like sand, or you could say that ice is too rigid a substance to vibrate along its surface, much like the wood in her cell in “the runaway”, but unlike the metal on the airships in “sozin’s comet”, as metal CAN bend and flex.

[@SoapMonster_]

And it’s cold it would be hard to focus while standing on ice

[@jwsjacobs]

Ok that spin at 9:34 is a genius detail and things like that make this show so great

[@liudaw3i]

11:33 Unique is a good name too

[@th3grav3mak3rgaming8]

13:07 oorrr hear me out. Suki could just go back on the ferry?

[@johnnyplays2843]

My thought wxactly

[@kirbymods5549]

11:43 I was so expecting an edit saying lee

[@johnnytsunami420]

I ~think~ the reason Katara bends the air bubble so they can go below the surface is because they're trying to avoid detection by the fire nation after they just got attacked by them on the cliff.

[@ferraz9010]

3:23 the lady mentions that a single cabbage slug could ruin basinse eco system and as the cabbages are destroyed you can actually see a little Slug flying if you pause in the right frame

[@Alice.59]

0:45 ink is a solid pigment, once dry on paper it's not really soluble in water, at least not after being soaked for only a few seconds

[@ThePortalPotato]

I’m glad this series can survive even through demonetization

[@ZebsAlleyOriginalMusic]

8:03 You didn't point out the shot composition for this, ever notice how Sokka and Suki are separated by the Moon when he rejects her. The visual metaphors in this show are nuts

[@vitor900000]

9:56 I think she can see in wood. In Korra I think she uses the roots of the giant tree she is living on to watch the world. I don't know if its a Chi or earth bending or both. Also materials that aren't earth may be able to pass vibrations but she can't sense them vibrating because they aren't earth.

[@kraftykactus1028]

Aang's reaction is honestly really relatable for me. When I start feeling too emotional in front of other people I will start consciously suppressing whatever I'm feeling at that moment and I get really quiet. From what I've heard this isn't a really healthy reaction but it's the best I know to how to do.

[@traxathon4464]

Concerning Aang's outlook on hope this episode, I think you are right in that it's a valid and even useful way to see things. The monks wouldn't have preached it without merit. But it leaves a very detatched outlook on the world that leaves a person almost completely on their own. We see it with Aang in this episode. He's abandoning hope and focusing on the task of making it through the pass with everyone, but it's doing absolutely nothing to help with his feelings about losing Appa. He can't hope to find Appa, and there's no external assurance they will find him, so Aang is just left to either wallow in the pain or completely shut himself off from everything, which is what he ends up doing. At the end of the episode, hope is what allows him to carry on believing he will find Appa and thus allowing him to feel good about the objectively bad situation they are all in.

[@TheNipSnipper]

Can we talk about how Aang can LITERALLY PROVE that he's the avatar right in front of that lady's face... He can fucking airbend. That kinda proves it... but because plot reasons nooOOOoooo they have to fucking serpent's pass gas

[@Smulpaap123]

And he can even bend earth and water to prove his ability to bend multiple elements!

[@averageminecraftenjoyer9419]

@@Smulpaap123 he can firebend but he swore to never firebend

[@brandonbarrows5265]

What makes you think she’d budge just because he’s the avatar? Also, the only reason they went to the pass was because the couple lost their passports.. Toph had them set beforehand

[@hydrophilicchristopher9874]

Don’t question the plot. It demands the character development

[@Melosketch426]

I love how Avatr isn't just like: *fight* *fight* *new character* *fight* *ooh final battle* Avatar is like: *EMOTIONAL DAMAGE* *fight* *fight* *new character and emotional damage* *fight* *serious topic confined enough to be kid friendly* *final battle* *life lesson*

[@scrawnytony3174]

“Don’t name it hope, don’t name it- god damn it.”

[@alexanderrobins7497]

At first I was thinking Aang or someone else in the group, only to be horribly disappointed.

[@Victor-056]

9:52 Ice causes a numbing effect on Nerves. This is basically to Toph like putting a Blindfold on someone with functioning eyes.

[@rosegoldberg2469]

The moon is literally between Sokka and Suki and prevents them from kissing. To the camera, Yue is physically in the way of Sokka and Suki's relationship, but in actuality she's still just stationary way up in the sky. It gives the illusion that she's blocking Sokka from moving on, but really it's just his perspective that makes it seem that way. Really cool framing of that shot