#the serpent's pass

[sokkastyles]

When google's AI just straight up made up an episode of Avatar.

In reality, "The Secret of the Fire Nation" is actually two episodes combined, "The Serpent's Pass" and "The Drill." I don't know why they were combined and renamed. But wouldn't it be fun if "The Secret of the Fire Nation," the mysterious season three episode that revealed the true nature of the war, should become a thing, Goncharov style. It's also a zutara episode because I said so.

Bonus:

[oneatlatime]

Journey to Ba Sing Se, Part 1: The Serpent's Pass

Alternate title: Gimme Appa Back, Take Two.

Bit of a mouthful for a title. I will definitely be watching this apparent two parter as two single episodes. There's commentary too, but that'll wait for a rewatch.

The previously on segment seems to point to Suki making an appearance. I didn't like her in her original episode, so this bodes ill.

That was incredibly ominous title card music.

Explain this to someone who's never seen the show. Also, air mattress made of ice is a very efficient way to get hypothermia.

Sokka saying "no more distractions' actually summoned a distraction. He should look into harnessing that power.

This brings up a point I've been thinking about. So the Earth Kingdom are smart enough to house refugee transportation underground, presumably because they've figured out that fire can't dig. So why didn't the entire population of the Earth Kingdom just become mole people at the first sign of fire nation attack?

Get yourself Iroh's brand of chill. It's dearly bought in his case, but he has such a good way of looking at life. Also, half of Zuko's face is like an inch higher than the other half, and that haircut is not doing him any favours.

Oh god it's fuckboy. I'd take a million Sukis over fuckboy. Nice to see that the majority of his posse seems to have come to their senses and deserted him though.

CABBAGE GUY!!! HI CABBAGE GUY!!! I MISSED YOU!!!

She's got a point about destruction of the ecosystem, but unless there was woodworm in that cart, that platypus bear is guilty of needless destruction of cabbage guy's possessions.

I loved this. The double punch of getting stymied by bureaucracy and undermined by cosplayers. There are some wacky ideas in this episode.

Aang! You may have lost Appa but you still have your glider! You don't need a passport or a ticket! Just fly to Ba Sing Se and make puppy dog eyes at the Earth King to make him send a boat to collect your friends!

You know that part in Harry Potter where Ron and Harry miss the train and decide the only logical course of action is to steal a flying car rather than, I don't know, wait for a responsible adult? I have a feeling this show is going to do the same type of thing with the whole Serpent's Pass. And I have to say, it's a brilliantly accurate way to do a plot that involves pre-teens, because they will often reach for the most out-there, illogical course of action no matter their intelligence. Curse those still-developing neural pathways. It also makes perfect sense in a kids' show, where the audience mostly wouldn't be caught dead turning down an adventure in favour of asking a responsible party (or a bureaucracy) for help.

"It is your pleasure" Get wrecked bitch!

I love seeing Toph weaponise that which previously kept her caged. I love to see Toph winning at life. Actually, I love to see Toph.

Get yourself some friends who'll commit to the bit no questions asked like these guys.

Get yourself a man who says your name the way Sokka says SUKI!!!:D Get yourself a girl who's so into you, she'll flirt with you in front of your entire found family.

Momo knows what's up. He's a good judge of character.

It's rare for me to advocate for criminal behaviour on this show, but after that bureaucracy lady denied them any sort of solution for the refugees who got their tickets stolen, I was kind of hoping that Katara would just say 'fuck it' and steal one of those ferries. Or even smuggle people on to them. They've got two waterbenders; they could make ice boats to take them out to the ferry, or even across the whole lake presumably. Plot dictates they go face this serpent thing, because this appears to be a monster of the week episode, but boy did that ferry lady need smacking.

Sokka's acting funky.

Is corniness one of the side effects of pregnancy?

No one in their right minds thinks that a pass called "the SERPENT'S Pass" in a universe like this one is named for its aesthetic qualities. Nice try at misdirection, but there will be a Sneky Boy in that water.

Aang's kind of right about the whole 'hope is a distraction' thing. Hope can too easily go from fuel to crutch.

It didn't occur to anyone to hide from the Fire Nation ship until it passed?

Toph's just saving everyone's bacon today huh?

Am I sensing some post-Yue trauma?

I would love to know the context behind Zuko knowing this very niche skill.

Jet has this fascinating ability to do objectively good deeds in such a sleezy way that you end up siding with the greedy oppressors. Weird.

This makes so much sense. Aang zipped into the Avatar State so hard and fast in the desert that he probably scared himself, so now he's keeping a lid on things so hard that he's scaring everyone else with his newfound apathy. He's 12, and this episode he feels 12. This is probably the first time he's met emotions this big; of course he doesn't quite know what to do with them.

You know, Katara doesn't get paid enough to put up with this.

Suki. Honey. I'm pretty sure there's a girl code about not flirting with a guy in front of his ex.

Has Suki been filled in on the whole moon thing? Or is she just really confused right now?

You know, Smellerbee is just as unusual a name for a girl.

Jet talks the talk, but I don't believe he'll be able to walk the walk, despite second chances being one of the big themes of this show. Something about him still feels off.

Hope you guys can swim!

Katara to the rescue again. I'm liking this new level-headed action-oriented Katara that appeared in The Desert, and I'm glad she wasn't just a one-episode character.

Momo here fulfilling one of my childhood dreams. There was an aquarium room at my local zoo that had a tunnel you could walk through. Seven year old me would have sold my soul to be able to glorp through the glass and swim with the fishes like this.

Once again, Toph saves the day. She's doing a lot of heavy lifting this episode.

Big Sneky Boy has the colour palette of an exercise video from the 80s aerobics phase. Kind of detracts from the terror when he's wearing a leotard.

Number one sign of irresponsible pet ownership: sacrificing your lemur to Cthulhu.

Aang just bitchslapped Big Sneky Boy.

Why didn't they go with a big ice bridge in the first place?

Yeah that's a problem. Could she make rock skate blades and attach them to her feet maybe? Would that help her see?

Guys. Just. Send someone out there for her. The ice doesn't have handrails. Come on.

Suki can swim in like half a tonne of armour. I bet they have swimming with armour on drills on Kyoshi Island.

"You can go ahead and let me drown now." That is EXACTLY my sense of humour.

Unlike goldfish, Big Sneky Boys can be flushed down the toilet.

"Now it's nothing but smooth sailing to Ba Sing Se." *Something immediately goes wrong* Has Sokka thought about harnessing his ability to speak things into existence?

Tragically, it makes perfect sense that Katara knows exactly how to deliver real human things.

"You know, as soon as I saw your scar I knew exactly who you were." Jet's little speech here got the biggest laugh out of me yet. I had to pause so I wouldn't miss dialogue. He's so deliciously wrong.

This episode's Beat Up Sokka quota is fulfilled by a baby that has yet to be born.

"I want our daughter's name to be unique" TAKE COVER FOLKS! UNNECESSARY VOWELS INCOMING!

Didn't you guys just nearly get killled by a pass that told you to abandon Hope? Are you sure about that name?

Ok it isn't pregnancy that makes you corny. It's being a character in this episode. While I'm glad to see the back of Stoic Aang, this is getting to be a bit on the cheesy side.

Hell yeah Katara deserves that cry. And that hug.

I'm watching this at my mom's house and I need to report that when Sokka said "You came along, to protect me?" my mom audibly went "awww!"

On a more serious note, this is exactly what Sokka needs after the Yue situation. A badass girlfriend who not only can and does take care of herself, but who also can and does take care of Sokka. Boy needs some pampering.

That is one hell of a wall.

That is one hell of a Big Sneky Boy.

"Appa's gonna have to wait" hit like a tonne of bricks. Another step in the journey to turn Aang from carefree monk to repsonsible Avatar. Appa having to wait is a genius story beat, but I want Appa NOW.

Final Thoughts

I had to check out my window for flying pigs before I started typing this section, because Zuko was consistently the most reasonable character in the B plot, perhaps in the whole episode. Apparently the 'make Zuko decent' project is finally seeing results. Have we turned over a new leaf? Dare I hope? It helps that he was juxtaposed with one of the single most batshit crazy characters from season one, but still.

I also need to issue a formal apology to Suki and all of her fans. I didn't like her in The Warriors of Kyoshi, and while I'm still not overly fond of that episode, I love what they've done with her character here. A good standalone character with her own strengths, goals, and responsibilities, and a good match for Sokka. I'd go so far as to say she's a better match for Sokka than Yue was, for all that both ladies have a startling amount in common: a position of responsibility, devotion to those who regard them as a leader, good taste in water tribe ass, etc.

I'm also going to hypothesise that Sokka is, in universe, the hottest member of the Gang. He's now had four girls expressing their interest: Suki, then Yue, then Azula's pokey pink friend whose name currently escapes me, and now Toph too! And she can't even see him, so his hotness is more than skin deep.

This episode was another stealth character episode in the style of The Blue Spirit. You think it's an action episode but it's actually character work with some fights for spice. It's got: -payoff for Katara's new-found levelheadedness -the other side of the coin on Aang's desert freakout -Toph doing just ALL the heavy lifting in the absence of Appa (seriously, teach her to fly and you won't need Appa as anything but a friendly couch) -Toph also getting an incredibly logical weakness that she learns she can rely on her friends to surmount -Sokka getting some Yue resolution from a frankly ironic source -Zuko getting what I'm sure is going to turn into a dark mirror

Speaking of fuckboy, there was nothing in this episode that hinted that Jet's turn to good was anything but genuine, but something about him still really makes my teeth itch. So I'm calling it now: based not on any evidence, but entirely on my own feelings, Jet's turn to good isn't going to stick.

There was some corny stuff in this episode, but it's a kids' show. It gets way more allowance for corny than an adult show does. I'll let it slide, so long as it doesn't become a habit.

This was part one of a two part episode, but it certainly didn't feel that way. There was the Big Metal Sneky Boy plot hook at the very end, but other than that it was a self-contained story.

I had predicted last episode that the rest of season two would be spent getting to Ba Sing Se, and they did it in one episode. So I'd like to announce my retirement from predicting the future because I am not good at it. I have no idea where we're going beyond next episode. I guess I'll have fun finding out!

[atla-milf-month]

ATLA MILF Month will happen in March 2025! This month will celebrate all the ATLA-verse moms and older women who... well, you know!

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[artbytala]

[mtg-smash-or-pass]

[nebulousgaythoughts]

Currently rewatching Avatar the last Airbender and I am consistently shocked by how emotionally mature this show is.

I just watched the serpents pass, and seeing Aang suppress his rage and grief about losing Appa after he went all Avatar state on the sandbenders was heartbreaking. Seeing him so afraid that he lost control and might hurt someone he loves was heartbreaking. Katara and everyone reaching out to him and trying to support him, and Aang denying his pain again was heartbreaking. Katara offering Aang a hug and Aang walking away was heartbreaking. Aang literally saying that there is no hope and hope won't get them any closer to Ba Sing Se???? As a way to shut off his emotions so he won't get hurt again???? This little devious rascal of a kid who just wants to have fun???? HEART 👏 BREA 👏 KING 👏

And at the end, when the woman travler has her baby, seeing Aang shed a tear as he finds hope again??? And then they name the baby Hope???? Are you joking?????

The way this show tackles genocide, abuse, generational trauma, grief, war, ethics, and politics in a mature way made for young kids to understand, and also contains Sokka tripping on cactus juice is absolutely insane.

[my-screenshot-dump]

[whoareyousaidthecaterpillar]

These gray rocks were fun to paint. I liked the blues I used for the water, they're really pretty and now I want to do more paintings with water.

Anyways, I think I would die if someone told me I had to hike the Serpents Pass, and not because of the serpent or even the perilous drop offs where the path crumbles into the lake, but because of the inclines.

Watercolor on paper, 5"x7"

[light-of-resolution]

@4ffogato - Continued from X

Getting the stone cold face of the King to fluster was a feat and a half. Even as the other used their fan to cool themselves, he simply turned to walk. A minor adjustment to his hair and crown followed. The heavy sounds of his armored boots echoing along the halls.

'Meetings' like this were becoming more frequent. What had started as actual conversations of to-do's and status in the Kingdom itself, consoling with his appointed advisor on paths to take forward had turned into...

This.

And today had been especially cold, so no one would think much as he pulled his cloak higher to hide the fluster across his face.

"You best keep that promise, Affogato Cookie." His deep purple eyes lowered to the cookie who quickly took their place alongside him. There was no need for any rumors to spread, least of all reaching a certain.. cookie of his jam line. What had he even been pulled to the side for this time?

Something about a border skirmish or what not. It hardly mattered anymore, and he needed tea.

"Have the servants arrange some tea... for the both of us, if you would."

[fagonstar]

Serpent's Pass.

[pointyfruit]

I could not tell you what this is. Snake, bug, flower, fish, thing.

It is my creature though so I love them regardless.

[ranger-kellyn]

rewatched the serpent's pass last night to take notes for my fic, and all night right up until waking up, i just. couldn't get over how unsatisfying the sukka reunion was. even with my silly shipper goggles on, i'm just like. it didn't sell me, and I don't know how much of that is me being in all likelihood demiromantic, and how much of that was just genuinely lackluster writing :T

like, right before their near kiss, her whole “I lost someone I cared about. He didn’t die. He just went away.  I only had a few days to get to know him, but he was smart, and brave, and funny.” just...........Doesn't do it for me. it's so tonally different from what sokka had just said, and also like!!!!! you knew him for like A DAY!!!!!! you did not have NEARLY enough time to care about him like that please be real dlkjfhdkj

[dreadbornesaint]

tag dump - verses

[zcrayas]

Still makes me chuckle how considering events of the main game.

Rya doesn't even know how much land and titles she inherits 8/

[peppermint-whiskers]

consider

pentious was DEAD dead when lute killed him,

his mind wont remember being dead but his soul likely will

it was nothing, dark, empty, SILENT.

knowing what its like to not exist would be absolutely jarring for a human soul its something we are not supposed to know as we cant comprehend nonexistence, it would probably fuck us up royally.

which makes him develop a deep internalized fear of silence, the dark and being alone.

S t o p I just got all the angst out of my system 🫢🫢🫢

[iliterallydecepticanteven]

Love that I've pushed my DM to the point of having to introduce characters with the immediate disclaimer of if they do or don't pass the Harkness Test