Overanalyzing Avatar: The Swamp

[@MeemDude]

In the Hungarian translation when Sokka has elbow leeches and asks where they are, Katara responds with "You have two guesses"

[@DrTXBooks]

That's even better

[@kaliland9296]

Maybe the reason why Sokka was being all “science and reason” was because he was actually terrified and was trying to rationalise his fear to himself

[@falnesioghander6929]

For a strategy guy, overrationalization is one hell of a defense mechanism. Makes sense.

[@BigCowProductions]

I like this

[@kaliland9296]

@@BigCowProductions thank you, I worked hard on it

[@Ninjaguy1b]

I don't see Sokka as being forboded by the swamp in a mystical sense. For one, he's literally telling Aang to ignore the mystical feeling to land, which is perfectly congruent with his science and reason viewpoint. Pluis, swamps are gross and full of dangerous creatures, and there are plenty of mundane reasons to not want to stop here. I feel like this channel gives Sokka a lot of shit for being hypocritical, but I don't think it is fair criticism. There's plenty of reasons for him to not like things people describe as mystical without accepting the mysticism aspects of them. That said, him maintaining this in the face of talking to moon spirits is a lot more complex.

[@alw2839]

@@Ninjaguy1b How do you think he rationalizes spirits and science?

[@theshire9173]

I personally liked how this episode showed that there are more water tribes in the world. Until this episode, it felt weird just how big the Earth and Fire nations were compared to just two Water tribes

[@trigamacid7983]

Yeah but I feel like It could've been explored more in the episode

[@manuelprsnl]

I was coming to say this. I agree with both and we should see more. Water is supposed to be the element of adaptability but we only see two isolated tribes with very backwards and inflexible views of the world, plus these guys and the bloodbender, and one past life of Aang that was supposedly a surfer or something like that. I get that it's not quite the focus of the show, I guess, but I would have liked to see more waterbenders around the world doing weird stuff with water, and I appreciate this episode for that. One of my problems/nitpicks with Avatar is that it doesn't quite show me what it tells me. Like, yeah, Sokka and Katara do learn lots of very different things along the way but their culture/philosophy/starting point is very much stubbornness rather than adaptability. If anything, their arc is being more open-minded. I like the idea that the Avatar gets to mediate because he has to learn the life philosophies of each culture in order to bend their elements and so him being able to do it is proof that he's able to understand the people. Idk I'd like a bit more focus on that is what I'm saying. That and I appreciate this episode, for that.

[@nousername191]

Yeah, I still want to see tribes of sea-faring waterbenders moving through the world's oceans.

[@theshire9173]

@@nousername191 Yeah, like in Moana. That would be awesome

[@curtiswfranks]

Even the Air Nomads had more.

[@JustLazer]

I didn't realize until watching this that Momo blows the whistle because it's very loud to them (which is why it seems painful to Momo and Appa when he blows it) and he thinks the gaang will hear it. He doesn't know that humans can't really hear it.

[@HollowPurple-if2co]

That hurts me

[@__nog642]

Hmm, possible. I assumed it was because Appa stopped walking, and Momo wanted him to keep walking.

[@joolding6022]

When Momo blows the whistle the second time it starts some song that has been memed to death. What is that song?

[@ioannpineros7181]

@@joolding6022 run away with me by can't remember who.

[@TheCamps10]

@@__nog642 this is it, there is literally no reason to think that the whistle was directed at the gaang.

[@kiko3971]

Sokka being spooked before going into a bad situation but rational when he's there is actually pretty on character. It happens in the secret tunnel too. He's spooked by the curse etc. but the second they're inside he becomes rational. I think he is quick to fear a future situation but understands that being afraid when you're already stuck in the bad situation isn't going to help

[@maxgrozema1093]

He is resourceful. He uses whatever he can to make his best of the situation. Like in the library episode, on the spot creating a piece of knowledge

[@kyther7926]

yeah thats how i am

[@troutfish8590]

Holy shit that was a good catch at the beginning with the blue spirit mask. I never noticed that little detail. Damn, I know they went hard on this show, but they really went hard on this show.

[@SimpPro101]

Hugh attacking 3 people at once in the swamp is no big deal for him since he's so attuned to the swamp. Hence he's strong but not as effective during the invasion.

[@bartolomeuskrenck152]

It's also probably easier to fight in the swamp where there are plenty of vines to regenerate his vinesuit with than in vine lacking areas.

[@JM-us3fr]

I don’t think that was actually Hugh. Hugh bends clumps of vines all at once. At the very end of the episode, it is established that individual vines can be controlled by the swamp, when they smack the noisy bird.

[@KairuHakubi]

also hey it is during a full moon, we can't forget that.

[@Elharion2003]

I always thought this was genuinely just the swamp doing shit. The swamp created a god damn tornado ffs. Hugh acted like he wasn’t the one who split the gang.

[@hdmonster3327]

It was the swamp itself, not Huu.

[@ianleather5699]

It's also really cool how the swamp water benders have a different style of waterbending, where their arms are very rigid when they bend water. Swamp water is much more stagnant than ocean or river water, so their stiffer movements make sense

[@breckhodges3177]

I think it might also be a reference to fan boats typically used in swamps

[@YatzeeWillWearAGreenHat]

7:24 Well, you can imagine that the other nations don't talk about the other water benders, considering south pole didn't have any left in the public eye and the north pole wasn't accesable for outsiders.

[@SeanLaMontagne]

They probably all wouldn't call themselves "tribes" but yes, clusters of water benders all over the planet is dope

[@BearsThatCare]

Besides the Guru, this might be the most spiritual episode of Avatar. Hue's lesson was more than a little talk, the idea that everything is connected, or one in the same, is extremely important to this series' philosophy and message. The idea of the swamp benders living so sustainably with the land is important to people too.

[@NobleVagabond2552]

It directly connects to Guru Patik when he speaks on the light chakra and the illusion of separation

[@ВладиславКостенко-л7х]

There is a HUGE thing needs to be mentioned. Zuko didn't attack the guy with the broadswords just to get them, he wanted to beat him over because of the humiliation he gave to uncle Iroh. If you look very closely, Zuko is FURIOUS during the dance and you knew for sure he won't let it slide. I wonder if he just beated him up to a pulp or worse. For me that's the moment that saves the entire episode which I'm not fan of. P.S. English is not my first language but I'm trying my best ^^

[@digitaltailsmon4096]

Honestly I thought your English was pretty good! So don't worry you did good!

[@lazyliongames6660]

👍

[@shahnxaoc7749]

You speak better English than a lot of people I know! English is difficult. Zuko getting revenge for Iroh is the best.

[@rayray_017]

Your English is very good and I agree with you! Zuko did it not only for the broadswords, but for revenge.

[@gracekatherineTLoV]

5:22 "And this is Katara, my flying sister."

[@mirimirimore]

😂😂😂

[@maddie9602]

Another thing that strikes me as weird about this episode: Toph is portrayed as a cutesy, giggling little girl. Does that really sound like Toph to you? Toph doesn't _giggle,_ she cackles maniacally.

[@mejorge420]

i believe she acted like that because thats how she is around her family, and in the vision she had her formal clothes and was with her familys emblem (the flying boar)

[@mist9798]

@@mejorge420 That makes sense. After all we see her with the winged pig that is her family's symbol/coat-of-arms and she rejects her family's lifestyle and is pretty disconnected from it. What we see here is the surface-level image of Toph which is a clue but her real self will be revealed when they actually meet her. I think it's brilliant

[@Attaxalotl]

"I am *M E L O N L O R D* "

[@donatamartin7177]

One thing I appreciated in Legend of Korra is how she learns to actually use the vine connection more than once

[@acg452]

Ehhhhhh. She giggles once or twice. Like when she and Katara dress up to sneak into the Bosco party.

[@ChatookaMusic]

I really like how this introduction to the idea of manipulating something via the water inside of it quietly primes us for blood bending

[@Windjammer19]

That guru power does come back. Pathik uses it on Appa at the Eastern Air Temple. Aang admittedly doesn't use it, but you probably have to be extra super spiritual or in a place of spiritual concentration. Remember, Aang needed to go to the Oasis just to force himself into the spirit world. That was only 5 eps ago.

[@teamesh]

Did anyone else notice that this is the "Banion" grove tree, Like Banana + Onion, Like what Guru Patik gives to Aang later when he was opening Chakras and attain spiritual enlightenment like Hue here in the Swamp. Has Guru Patik been to the swamp? It feels connected somehow bc when Patik was talking about how all the elements are connected, we cut to see Toph bend the tiny earth impurities in metal, and in this episode we see Hue bend the water in the plants.

[@theknight1573]

Good notice!! Never realised that this was a Banion tree which is what Pathik drinks. This explains why Pathik can also sense the connections if he has been to the swamp or has another connected tree near the Air Temple

[@teamesh]

@@theknight1573 there's something about that tree cause even in Korra we see old Toph talking about how she see can see everything through the roots that spread through out the world.

[@quickredf0x143]

Banyan trees and groves that all spawn from the same tree are a real thing. Look them up they are actually pretty neat.

[@Prospero6802]

It's likely a Banyan tree and that's an actual thing. We have a lot of those where I'm from

[@iusethisnameformygoogleacc1013]

Banyan trees are a real thing which show up pretty frequently in southeast asian religion.

[@DangerousJ_]

What i really like about book 2 is that the writers tease stuff that is important for later episodes, like in episode 1 it shows an earth general that isn't on the gaangs side and later we got the dai lee, or in this episode where it tease that it's possible that appa isn't always with the gaang. I think it's neat

[@deathwrow9652]

I wouldnt say the general wasnt on their side. He just wanted to get aang to avatar state and then win the war. Simple minded

[@mattpassos5689]

@@deathwrow9652 he literally attacked Aang and earthdrowned his friends

[@Xeno574]

@@mattpassos5689 Doesn't mean he wasn't on their side. His methods were wrong but he simply wanted Aang to help them. He was basically testing if what Sokka said was true. He had no intentions to truly hurt them.

[@RadaGen]

"When Pips fly" part is actually a foreshadowing to Toph as Beifong Family as it is also known as "House of the Flying Boar"

[@Mr.3ggz]

Man I didn't realize I was in the minority but I actually really like this episode. I love the creepy vibe and I especially love the visions. It hurts to see Katara break down after seeing her mom, and Sokka's major insecurity from Yue's line "you didn't protect me" (Which plays a big part in The Serpents Pass). Also to anyone watching for the first time the Toph foreshadowing is top tier, I don't think her first appearance would be as cool without this episode.

[@ShinyAvalon]

I love this episode, too. Plotwise it’s primarily there for the Toph tease, but it’s a major iteration of the show’s themes: everything’s connected; we’re bound by subtle strings to those we love; time and death are illusions (so the past and future still influence the present); and not everything can be easily explained.

[@sinancothebest]

That's definitely not the minority opinion. This is one of the most beloved episodes due to the "everything in nature is connected" ideology, many people even points to this episode as their favorite. I personally didn't like it that much but along with Overanalyzing Avatar, we are in the minority about this one.

[@NobleVagabond2552]

It’s one of my favorites in the whole show, it’s scary, mysterious, and enlightening all in 20 minutes. The ending speech by Hue is one of the most powerful things I’ve ever heard in a tv show. The writers respected their of audience of kids like they were adults, they essentially said “spiritual enlightenment belongs to us all, no matter what age you are”

[@SeanLaMontagne]

Appa's pissed sleepy roar followed by utter silence is hilarious

[@Ezekiel_Allium]

Honestly, I really like this one. It's far from a favorite, and I see the glaring flaws, but it's so fun from a worldbuilding perspective I especially adore the inclusion of a modern american accent in fantasy. In a world that developed entirely differently it's just as likely for there to be fantasy southerners as fantasy medieval koreans, but they often ignored because they're seen as too modern for a genre up its ass with an obsession with medieval Europe.

[@mwplaylist2890]

From what I understand, the swamp tribe was based in part on Cajun Vietnamese.

[@Ezekiel_Allium]

@@mwplaylist2890 sweet mother of god. I'm not allowed to reply to this I guess. I'm losing my sanity. I've tried censorship of all words potentially even the tiniest bit spicy, nothing works. I'm just gonna send this as a test to make sure this isnt like, a weird glitch Just know I mildly disagree but think that would be more interesting

[@Birthday888]

@@Ezekiel_Allium I mean, both work. The swamp tribe's culture and appesrance could be based on Cajun Vietnamese, but their Southern accents in a world filled with asian accents get across the point to an english speaking audience that these people are more isolated, primitive, and unique than the other villages we've seen thus far. Much like how Yugioh gave Joey a Boston accent to accentuate his more delinquent and brash manner of speaking compared to the other members of the cast.

[@Ezekiel_Allium]

@@Birthday888 My take is that if that was the case they could have done better to show it, because as is they give off more general "hi//bi//y" vibes (yes I know censoring that word is ridiculous but I never found out what the term getting my comment deleted was so here we are) and I dont think theres anything to suggest a more specific southern american culture in the show but it would have been cool if there was. I pray to the KZbin gods I'm allowed to post about this topic. I'll quit yelling about terfs on your website for a week susan. Just let me post this.

[@vaughnshinkus4178]

This comment…especially the first paragraph…is 100% my feelings on the episode. It’s nowhere near perfect, but I’m a sucker for worldbuilding, I love that they introduce waterbenders outside of the poles, and I really like the feeling invoked regarding being trapped deep in the heart of a dark jungle. The vibe is as cozy as it is eerie.

[@SageThyme23]

I mean with the shouting in the forest point it is actually false. If you are trying to shout to find someone you will really quickly get tired out and won't be able to keep going. Thats why SOS kits always have a whistle instead

[@youare5907]

It isn't false Sokka's reasoning is theirs no way they can be heard not that they'd get tired out?

[@devinosland359]

@@youare5907 they're in a thick densely wooded swamp filled with loud insects, that yelling isn't carrying more than like 100 feet

[@trumanderee2366]

@@devinosland359 but they have no way of knowing the others aren't fewer than 100 feet away

[@wymbolt8067]

Shoutout to those waiting

[@redgeoblaze3752]

4:46 I like how this part could be a subtle call back to the first episode. "It's not magic, it's Waterbending"

[@tydusfma7]

Woah I slowed down at 0:07 and Iroh is legit looking directly at the blue spirit mask with a face of concern. I wonder if that was supposed to be some kind of extra foreshadowing or even a hint that Iroh already knows it’s Zuko. Though I will say it technically doesn’t make sense that Iroh would be able to see the mask but the detail on his face is too well done to ignore.

[@nathantower5565]

I love that the swamp people assume that everything momo throws is his personals possessions

[@AhmedHussain-ju6xd]

I'd say a shirshu could give a bison trouble as seen when appa fought a shirshu

[@AegeChill]

Oop, one of my favorite episodes is being covered? Let me get snacks.

[@overanalyzingavatar]

Oh yoooo, what's good

[@AegeChill]

@OveranalyzingAvatar Aye chillin man, great work on the video as usual. Glad I can finally get around to enjoying the content.

[@YawnWoofDog]

Yooo whatsup! How you liking Korra so far?

[@krule274]

I actually didn't make this connection until a recent watch through, but the spirity lightening bolt thing Aang uses in this episode to find Appa and Momo is the same kind shown in The Guru when Aang is crossing over to unlock the final chakra. He walks along that windy path towards himself, just like he follows one in The Swamp. And it also explains why he so easily had a vision of Katara: he was connected to her in that moment because he was worried about letting her go, so his mental connection opened a spirit bridge like he did to find Appa and Momo. Fricking love this show.

[@camerontipton2269]

Ok so I am just realizing how many similarities there are between sky bison and dragons 1. They thought people there respective element 2. They are almost extinct 3.really powerful and feared

[@theknight1573]

Yup and they might actually tie on power level, at least in my head canon. I feel like Sky Bison are often in larger groups, kind of a herd idea, while I expect most Dragons to be solitairy. 1 vs 1, the dragon would probably win after a while, but I feel 2 bison would win from a single dragon.

[@theknight1573]

@Isaiah Stovall we dont see Appa do something akin to the rainbow fire that is true... but we do see him use airbending to attack occasionally. Most notably I remember him blowing up part of the roof in the episode with Bato and the perfume ladies.

[@luisvelez1952]

Would like to see a Sky Bison vs Dragon in a Avatar series in the future

[@johncongdon7398]

4. They both can fly and bend elements

[@lilylopnco]

What about the badger moles of the earthbenders?

[@zacharybradford3324]

This episode is giving “Florida” vibes with the sacred Banyan tree and the swamps/alligator tropes. It’s funny because I had my spiritual awakening in Florida and now this episode has a “spiritual awakening” moment in it. I love parallels.

[@finally9902]

1:07 If you pause quickly when the camera is zoomed into Katara, she looks like she has the 'thousand yard stare' lol

[@lukethemankey3522]

Honestly, being your highest tier patron would be worth it just to hear more of the wild compliments you can come up with

[@darkenedzone]

Not sure if anyone else mentioned this, but when Appa is running from the swamp water benders, he runs *exactly* like the Catbus from Totoro! From what I read, he was actually based on the cat bus, but that scene really makes its inspirations known!

[@thicciroh]

To be fair each vision did lead to something later. Sokka was hesitant to be with Suki when he liked her FIRST because of Yue. It may not have been planned but Katara's vision shows her future connection to Zuko and their mission together in Book 3

[@MaxWelton]

6:41 Korra established that Korra can do it in Republic City, but that place was also full of spirit vines, which is a necessary limitation for surveillancebending But Toph could use it to see outside the swamp. I hope you can still only spy on people from certain places

[@matthew77eyes33]

"I am having a tough time coming up with an animal alive in this time period that isn't assumed at least that could take a sky bison." The xierxu, (I don't know how you spell it but that is how you spell it according to Netflix subtitles). The xierxu is a pretty large animal and we see it in Book 1, "Bato of the Water Tribe" and it is extremely dangerous since it has an incredible sense of smell, has extremely strong jaws and teeth (It literally ripped a part of Zuko's metal ship easily with its jaws) and strong claws. Though its most powerful weapon is its tongue which contains a toxin that can temporarily paralyze humans and animals. In that episode, Appa fought June's xierxu and Appa put up a great fight and head-butted the xierxu twice which sent it flying. However, after a few strikes from the xierxu's whip-like tongue, the might Appa succumbed to the venom and was paralyzed for a short bit.

[@misspurdy27288]

Yes but consider that’s like putting a world class bowmen against a guy whose never held a gun before. June’s anteater was trained (and presumably also bred) to be as powerful as possible, while appa was just an average bison. I think an average Xierxu would probably be a slight disadvantage to the bison. But anyway yeah the Xierxu is totally an apex predator and a match for the bison.

[@matthew77eyes33]

@@misspurdy27288 1) Laughed a bit when you called it an anteater lmao 2) trained or not, all the xierxu needs to do is just use its tongue a few times, each hit slows down the bison

[@misspurdy27288]

@@matthew77eyes33 Yeah, as I said a Xierxu is a match for a bison, but not quite as advantaged as this one makes them look.

[@matthew77eyes33]

@@misspurdy27288 ye

[@whosjag2]

Yall forgetting there’s literally 2 dragons still alive, or the sea monster, giant fish and lionturtle although the last one is kinda a spirit ig

[@jay2thedub]

2:50 I don't think the waterbender attacked them here. I think it was the swamp separating them to show them their visions. Remember at the end of the episode the swamp swats an screaming bird? That wasn't a waterbender.

[@bendystrawz2832]

7:33 it always bugged me that Sokka eats the bug stinger first. That's the last place I'd start, but I guess he proves his point really hard about being super hungry. It doesn't show the stinger so maybe the thing doesn't have one, or it's removed in the "cooking" (using the term pretty liberally here) process. Still, freaked me out. Also, the Zuko finding another set of twin swords like that just felt like plot convenience to me. The swords always felt unique and the show never shows another set until Zuko conveniently needs another set. I guess you could argue there are the guys with dual hammers (the chain set that the firebender uses on the first ship to invade the Northern Water Tribe and then the regular hammers the earthbender jerks use to fight Zuko). You could also argue that Zuko explaining how to use them to a little kid implies there's more than one set, but overall it still felt a little cheep to me.

[@KairuHakubi]

nahh weapons are rarely unique, and these are clearly based on real weapons. they're definitely something lots of people have.

[@bevvvy1374]

You think Zuko finding dual swords is a plot convenience but not Aang having a random vision of the girl he's supposed to find and the animal of her family crest? Lol

[@bendystrawz2832]

@@bevvvy1374 I never said it wasn't. I was just specifically pointing out the swords. It happens multiple times and always rubbed me the wrong way during rewatches (don't get me wrong, I love the swords and Zuko using them; they're awesome).

[@lasercraft32]

Can we take a moment to talk about how odd it is that the Swamp Benders know what a shirt is? They live alone in the swamp, fairly secluded from other cultures, but they are easily able to identify a shirt. That means that they just kinda choose to be practically naked in a swamp likely full of mosquitos and other biting insects. It doesn't give me the vibe of a particularly hot swamp either, so I doubt its a temperature thing... Wearing no protective clothing is part of their culture I guess.

[@foxtatertot]

I know you glossed over it, but I absolutely LOVE that the vision part of this episode hints at Toph, I think it's so important and really shows the incredible writing of this series. It's important and incredible in the sense when it's compared to Sokka's vision of Yue, and Katara's vision of her mom. With their two visions, Yue and Katara and Sokka's mom are both two already previously established assets of the story. But, with Aang's vision of Toph, we don't know who the girl in his vision is, because she's never been introduced.. and we see Aang chasing Toph in the vision, which alludes to how Aang, after having difficulty finding an Earthbending teacher, finally finds and chases the greatest Earthbender in the world, Toph, to be his teacher. I just think that's really neat.

[@ember-brandt]

6:35 - The Avatar can only do that with spirit vines specifically. Even when Korra did this "little guru trick" in Republic City (when she was trying to track down Prince Wu), it's ONLY because the spirit vines were there.

[@Briskeeen]

Thats dumb

[@astral_nemesis]

I would disagree with the characterization of "The Swamp" as a weak episode. For starters, this episode's plotline sets up essentially what becomes the overarching theme of Avatar: The Last Airbender, which is that everything is connected: the four nations, different tribes, different people all connected in some way or another. Another flaw in this analysis is the failure to recognize the impact of the visions on the various characters. Aang's being the most important, without his vision the second season would not have happened at all in the same way it did, he was able to recognize both from what King Bumi said as well as the vision in the Swamp that Toph was the master that he was searching for. Katara's vision was also essential to her character development due to the fact that her arc for the season ended in a way that had her relating to Zuko due to the shared pain of losing their mothers. Lastly, there were some incredibly insightful moments in the episode, Hugh gaining enlightenment under the Banyan tree showing parallels to the Buddha's path to enlightenment as well as the quote, "Time is an illusion, and so is Death." I think most people that didn't care for this episode either aren't critically analyzing it or aren't interested in the philosophical themes the show tries to impart with the viewer.

[@bevvvy1374]

Except the whole "Everything is connected" speech has basically nothing to do with the rest of the episode. It's really hamfisted and just kinda thrown in there out of nowhere. It's just 18 minutes of the gang being lost and then random speech about unity. Aang's vision is literally just a plot convenience excused away with "Avatar stuff". It's pretty lazy and not anything to compliment. Katara's vision doesn't bring anything new. We already know she misses her mom, there's no reason to remind us. Not essential at all. You're just overestimating the episode. It's really not that great. To say that OA doesn't care about the themes or isn't critically analyzing it is ridiculous.

[@bretterry8356]

Aang absolutely could have recognized Toph as his earthbending teacher just from what Bumi said. None of the other visions add anything to the story. You get a few interesting moments with Zuko, but that's it. Nothing else meaningful happens. This is a filler episode, and a boring one at that. The Beach at least is funny and gives some to Mei and Ty Lee, who up until then had been pretty one-dimensional characters, and shows another side to Azula as well. This episode doesn't provide any character development, and the few episodes that do call back to it later are more indicative of how tight the worldbuilding and continuity are than about anything meaningful that happened here.

[@astral_nemesis]

@@bretterry8356 see above comment

[@JDog2656]

I like that the guru says that everything is connected. Even in death, those we love still matter and always will; and there is no shame in that

[@dawsynlarson696]

This is one of if not my favorite episode it’s got this creepy feeling to it and it really makes you think like why did they have those visions ? Everything else had a logical explanation according to their universe

[@DirectorOfChaos9292]

The swamp might be a hotspot for spiritual energy like with the Spirit Oasis. The giant tree being its epicenter

[@crispycreamchris9191]

At 5:53 you can see Katara waterbending the same way the swamp tribe bends to propel their boats at 4:34, so I believe that’s what Wan Shi Tong was referring to as “foggy swamp style” waterbending. Thought it was interesting.

[@amalgamousgoat6217]

Pog, meme tier grows. Get your money, my guy. Good shout on the Blue Spirit mask and the possum chicken.

[@candiedskull9841]

Far from my favorite, but it's a neat way to add to the water tribes. I did enjoy Momo and Appa working together, and it reintroduces Katara's mother and her loss for later in the season. It's a bit too... loose (?) of an episode. The story could have been tightened up to leave room for moments for things that matter later (or should have been reused), or like you said, more fun Zuko and Iroh moments. We could have explored the swamp culture, planting bending, or even the spirit of the swamp. It's an odd contrast how vital it is Zuko regains his gear, but not that the Gaang is losing all their supplies and clothes should be in tatters. (also the Gaang is lucky the swamp benders aren't the kill-your-haul-as-soon-as-you-catch-it types).

[@KairuHakubi]

4:30 it's a good policy! tell every animal you're gonna eat it.. if it can understand you, don't eat it. because it can talk especially if you're lucky enough to be in a setting with exactly one language everyone speaks

[@thothrax5621]

Interesting small detail here, Kya during Katara's hallucination looks nothing like how she does in the Southern Raiders. Obviously not a big deal, people can look different, but just interesting

[@DominoPivot]

Yeah, The Swamp is certainly a weaker episode in hindsight, especially since the foreshadowing about Toph just makes me wish she was there already. Soon... Nice catch a bout the possum-chicken, never noticed it.

[@Aciarr]

it also kinda sets up forshadowing for blood bending

[@Flome810]

Bruh, the swamp was a great episode.

[@jamesriddle8986]

James Cameron's avatar is basically a really long version of this episode

[@thegoldpotato8978]

6:00 “It’s not magic it’s water bending!”

[@MaxWelton]

8:15 it also makes you wonder about time travel. Is Toph joining the Gaang a self-fulfilling prophecy!?

[@valerialaya9715]

6:10 I love this speech since I was a kid and I think I've learnt more with this episode than in my hole high school.

[@wChris_]

This episode felt to me like it could be longer, maybe with katara learning the vine bending. But every episode of avatar could be longer so...

[@aero42]

I think this is one of my favourite episodes, just because of the spiritual vibes, and because the plant bending guy is so cool!

[@SirMalorak]

6:25 I always love me some buddhist teachings. Avatar has loads of them, and this one's great.

[@arposkraft3616]

@0:50 what you don't seem to get about Sokka is that he's seen metaphysica but is unsure of it because he isn't a bender and thus felt always left out when it came to "the connection to spirits" as a result he seeks natural explanation as a defence and not to be afraid, ie he isn't actually mr science and reason guy

[@giovannigonzalez3318]

Sokka is just in denial. He's seen wild stuff happen. He's been to the spirit world. He just becomes a bit more open minded when he's scared and wants to shut it out.

[@amelialonelyfart8848]

I really like Huu. I know a lot of people focus on the fact that there are more watertribes than just the North and South, but my favorite take away from this... heck, from book 1 in general, is that spiritual masters and leaders exist everywhere. You had highly educated orders like the Air Nomads and Fire Sages and then you have Huu. Huu is just a man from a simple background who realized the universe had something to say so he sat his ass down and listened. I think there's a lot that can be said for that. I like the implication that he was on the same wave length as Pathik too given they both had the same extrasensory perception powers.

[@KT-22_run]

I think Huu could be a blood bender. He said he bends the water in the vines. That means he can bend water inside of a plant to manipulate the plant containing water. Couldn’t that be translated to humans? I could be wrong though.

[@Artrysa]

I appreciate you don't solely show the exact moments you're making a point about. You let the scene play out so we can actually see it rather than cutting it to bits. And sometimes even just fun scenes without mentioning any point. Lovely stuff :)

[@thothrax5621]

I had noticed the Blue Spirit Mask before, but I always thought that Zuko had sold it or something since they were destitute, same with the swords. So I thought it was pretty weird that either that one jerk somehow forgot that Zuko was the one that sold him the swords, or that it was a huge coincidence that the guy who bought Zuko's swords from whoever Zuko sold them to just happened to walk by. I never made the connection that his original mask and swords had been destroyed, and knowing that now makes so much more sense. But it does make me wish they did a bit more to show that these items were slightly different from before, because what were the odds that he found EXACT replicas. Either way though it's a pretty cool addition to the episode, which is definitely on the weaker side.

[@universalshifter7130]

I’m surprised he did go over how the dude singing “the river bed” after catching Appa arm disappeared. The animators forgot to continue drawing his arm tapping the boat and it’s just gone for a few fames. It’s very funny and lost my mind when I first noticed it.

[@clairdeloona]

hugh’s speech definitely ties in with guru pathik. a major theme of season 2 specifically is this idea that everything is connected & intertwined. how iroh teaches zuko lightning redirection comes to mind as well.

[@mike954]

3:44 The Greeks had a mythical flying boar, it was Pegasus' brother after sprouting out of Medusa's severed neck.

[@ShAdoWj1995]

So Aang doesn't use the spirit connection to find anyone but guru Pateek does. And so does Korra. Also I like that the first place we see toph is the swamp and then Korra meets toph in the swamp in the future. Time is an illusion so is death.

[@seraphimaschannel4001]

I liked how this episode extended on different applications of bending, I found that really cool. Makes you also not too surprised about Toph's metal bending later on.

[@zacharyfaulkner9978]

I don’t know i should be proud of myself or embarrassed for recognizing run away with me from just the one note at 1:49 😂

[@noorjehan86]

this episode mostly serves as a reminder of the spirituality side of avatar. and I personally like that its mostly about how anyone can feel connected to the earth if they want to. A lot of the spirituality stuff in the show is pretty much just avatar stuff and this episode is a great addition to enforce that these ideas of connectedness and balance aren't just for the avatar, they're for everyone. It also is a good "hey here's some spiritual stuff" reminder for season 2 so that the audience doesn't completely forget about the mystic spiritual stuff by the time the season 2 finale happens

[@aisforamerica2185]

This episode terrified me as a kid. The whole show is brilliant

[@yalkn2073]

0:40 Maybe Sokka just doesn't want to land in a swamp. That's pretty reasonable, swamps are awful

[@nostory994]

I am gonna be honest, I hated that episode sure it wasn't the best but in my country it was the one episode that they played for 9 month every day idk how that happened but I watched it literally 70 times, I can recall all lines of the episode and don't even like it it's insane. But you gotta be ready for when it continues as a avatar fan so hold my ground and sapped in whenever it was on^^ Great videos by the way love to see that stuff so thoughtfully analysed:) Thanks for reading and have a great day:)

[@zacharyheflin6794]

Your comment on them not letting saka be a useless character made me remember the one where he gets his meteorite sword, so now I can’t wait to get to just that episode to hear your thoughts on it lol

[@MrProSnorkulus]

"IS ThIS THE MEME? ITS THE MEME!" I'm dying

[@JRexRegis]

Something I loved about this episode is how it showed that the swamp waterbenders don't just use polar waterbending forms. The spinning arms move they do to propel their boats for instance is something entirely unique, though it might've been inspired by the way earthbenders slide rocks up walls and mountains.

[@TheeHoya]

After watching 8 hours worth of ur videos I guess I should subscribe.

[@PhilosoShysGameChannel]

We think the reason that Sokka probably goes full science and reason lover ONCE they're in the swamp itself while still relying on more superstitious emotional responses earlier on is because Science And Reason is Sokka's coping mechanism. When he's comfortable and in his element he can afford to humor all manner of silly whimsies and think ridiculous things like that women are better at housekeeping and men are better at fighting or feel weirded out by curses and the like... BUT, when it actually comes down to it and lives are on the line and things are hitting the fan THE WAY HE SURVIVES THAT is through science and reason! Of course we see, when presented with FAR MORE superstitious people he slides into this because he might, on some deep emotional level, see that as a threat to the way he handles the world.

[@4Eyes4L]

Bro I been binge watching all your videos,love them

[@chuzzle44]

You uploaded on a Wednesday. Everything I know is wrong. What's next, mail on Sunday? Seriously though, glad to see you. I've always liked this episode, and I absolutely love Huu. His voice was great and his message really resonated with me. It was probably my first exposure to any kind of "Gaia" ideology (the idea that Earth itself is a living organism). While I've come to see things from a more scientific aspect, his words still make sense to me. Everything is connected. A small interference in one place can cause a massive change down the line. A great way to look the world and our place in it. I also really like the idea of swamp benders. Both as an interesting departure from traditional waterbenders as well as a representation of real life swamp dwellers and other "Backwoods" types. I have a fascination with people who can live solely off their environment and the fruits of their own labor. As for them not knowing of other waterbenders, the Northern and Southern Watertribes are shown to be quite isolated from the rest of the world. In fact, all four nations were quite isolated before the war, with Avatars being the only people known to travel to multiple nations, unless I'm mistaken in that regard. Great video as always. Until next week, take care good sir!

[@enderjora]

I missed the premiere (ironically) because I was sick and watching ATLA. I'm still sick, but now I am watching this.

[@Havingfun0]

This episode I felt like they were already setting up blood bendin.

[@Barakon]

I remember watching this episode & the desert one back to back when I was in 1st grade & had sprained my ankle for the first time. My doodled up CRT monitor was the best. I had it until I had to move countries…damn it…I want it back…

[@Picturam_2]

At the point where very one is getting dragged away by the vines, katara and sokka both cut the vines to escape, but aang uses this air bubble thing to get out without destroying the vines at all. Bc y’know he loves nature or whatever.

[@zoealexandra7940]

I really enjoy and appreciate your style of video editing!

[@boraxkid]

Just gonna ignore the bird at the end getting wapped by a vine that is definitely not getting bended (bent?) by anyone?

[@platinumraven118]

I have genuinely heard a Woman ask if "Japan was in Mexico". There is no argument you can make that would make me believe swap bros have a damn good chance of not knowing about tribes which literally exist in the frozen poles

[@generalkindle3308]

3:17 what about badger moles? Or maybe that weird animal he fought when he was lost, just before suki found him?

[@synka5922]

6:30 I think aang is instinctively "asking" the tree's spirit where Appa is. And since that tree is the whole swamp/that massive, it makes sense to have a "bigger" spirit, capable of interacting with the physical word like that. While not quite "developed" enough to manifest into a "proper" spirit.

[@LargeMollyWater177]

5:35 that tiara is actually a usable item in the Legend of Korra game. Just a little over analyzation... 👁️👁️

[@knuckson8304]

This is my fav episode from avatar, it introduced so many things and I really love it.

[@justasimplenobody2666]

ITS THE TREE!!! the tree is almost like yggdrasil. It connects the energies of all those in the earth but it's concentrated at the tree hence why Aang can only use the ability the does at the tree AND why Toph is hanging out at the same tree in Legend of Korra. It's an entity that can sense and is connected to all things but it's full potential is only realized at it's core; in this case it is the BigAss Swamp Tree.

[@Stop_Gooning]

You've helped me realize that what I really want is a Team Four Star style ATLA Abridged

[@Dango428]

The best part of these is always the "I have 'fuck you' money" tier shout-outs. If you disagree you're wrong

[@bowser9777]

3:20 badgermoles could probably hold their own. They are big and benders, but they probably wouldnt have any reason to fight. I also dont know if lion turtles are presumed extinct, but they obviously would win. Polar bear dogs might also be able to. and w/e junes mole thing is can also take appa as was already depicted

[@Eagleeye712]

Sokka's giant bug freaks me out every time I see it. Genuinely terrifying, never mind the idea of holding it in your hand and EATING IT!!!

[@jtdavie9466]

Supposedly the whole world is connected like the forest is… so there is literally no reason that, with a little bit of practice, Aang would ever have any trouble finding anyone anywhere ever. This is Light Speed Kamikaze levels of world breaking

[@michaeltorruella188]

At 0:41 you mentioned Sokka’s shift in attitude. I think it was a coping mechanism. When he gets into strange situations he starts rationalizing.

[@RandomMusik]

3:49 dude can fly but goes tarzan mode

[@rayray_017]

I kind of like that the swamp, as a center of spiritual energy (as we can see through the apparitions and stuff), feels like the spirit world. It has the same sort of vague, ruleless feeling to it. And I think that's cool.

[@thesunkenonion5250]

So, if water benders can bend plants with a high water content, does that mean that one could become a cabbage bender? How would the series have gone if the cabbage man that shows up that one time and we never see again was a cabbage bender, I bet he could have beat the fire lord. :)