The Last Podbender

On this episode of the podcast our hosts Cody, Tierra, and T.J take an in depth look at episode fourteen of the first season of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Our hosts remind us that the best relationships unfold naturally and rarely require force and that getting “friend-zoned” at any age is not a fun experience. They also discuss a wide array of other interesting topics including: the classic love triangle troupe, how its somewhat awkward watching relationships develop among teenagers in media as an adult, the different ways in which people handle rejection, how sometimes we like the ideas of people more than the people themselves, finding the balance between having faith and critical thinking, shout outs to the cloud team and Studio Gibli, allowing people to believe in what they want as long as they aren’t hurting anybody, the middle way, and how you shouldn’t be taking dating advice from somebody who has never been on a date before.

On this episode of the podcast our hosts Cody, Tierra, and T.J. take an in depth look at the thirteenth episode of the first season of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The three of them remind us that we are what we repeatedly do and attempt to answer the question what do you do when you realize what you have been taught your whole life turns out to be wrong? They also discuss a wide variety of other subject matter including: trying to live up to the expectations of others while still trying to carve out your own path, how we all see ourselves as the hero in our own story, the razor thin line between good and evil, staying true to the person you are even when that identity is challenged, how a good bad guy is someone you love to hate, the flow state in combat, classic evil villain troupes, the mythical Airbender, and how we often times fall back on what is familiar when we are confronted with change.

On this episode of the podcast our hosts Cody, Tierra, and Tim take an in depth look at episode twelve of the first season of the animated series Avatar: The Lat Airbender. The three of them remind us that we can let the trauma of our past shape us but we should never let it rule us and that we should never use past trauma as an excuse to hurt people in the present. They also cover a wide variety of other subject matter including: the power of positive role models, how when we suppress our emotions they often times come out in unhealthy ways, the bonfire as a symbol of sharing, how actions always speak louder than words, the power of found family, how you don’t owe anybody forgiveness for their actions, finding out who you really are by confronting adversity head on, letting the viewer form their own opinions on the characters in a story before overloading them with backstory, the comparisons between Zuko and Aang, and they attempt to answer the questions is Azula the ultimate evil force within the show? and Does she deserve a redemption arch?

On this episode of the podcast our hosts Cody, Tierra, and Tim take an in depth look at the eleventh episode of the first season of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The hosts share their thoughts on what is commonly referred to as the only filler episode of the whole series as they attempt to answer the question, is this truly the worst episode of Avatar? They also discuss a wide variety of other subject matter including: how sometimes the groups that are the most alike find the most reasons to dislike one another, the dangers of getting caught up in inter generational conflicts, how an identity built upon hate isn’t an identity worth having, the prisoners dilemma and how it relates to this episode, the ease at witch we can succumb to peer pressure, how going through tough times with people brings those people closer to one another, the dangers of tribal thinking, how we all view the world through different lenses, and the difficulties of mediating conflicts on a large scale.

On this episode of the podcast our hosts Cody, Tierra, and Tim take an in depth look at episode ten of the first season of the animated shoe Avatar: The Last Airbender. In this episode our hosts explore the themes revolving around manipulation and remind everyone that you can’t fix people who don’t want to be fixed and that its ok to get rid of the toxic people in your life. They also discuss a wide range of other subject matter including: the use of light and shadow within the episode to drive home narrative points, how actions speak louder than words and just because someone is nice to you does not mean that they are a nice person, building people up in our minds when to shield ourselves against the realities of people, warnings against charismatic leaders, the wrongs of the individual do not equate to the wrongs of the entire group, how war brings out the worst in people on all sides, just because you feel your cause is just does not make it right, how it’s nobodies job to fix anyone elses morality, breaking the cycle of trauma and not hurting people in the same way you’ve been hurt, and at the end of the day hurt people hurt people and love and compassion can make all the difference.

On this episode of the podcast our hosts Cody, Tierra, and Tim take an in depth look at episode nine of the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender. The three of them talk about how our identities are often times tied up with the roles that we fulfill within a group and how our egos sometimes cause us to do things that we might not normally do. They also talk about a wide variety of other subject matter including: how the series does a great job at humanizing all of its characters, using the appropriate amounts of force while negotiating, how learning things with your friends is way more fun then learning things on your own, recognizing your own worth and not comparing yourself to others, how the best teachers teach the things that they truly love, to always be on the path of learning, how all people are flawed in some way (even the people we look up to), mastery is a habit, when you see the way broadly you see it in all things, and as long as your stealing from the people who steal its fine.

On this episode of the podcast our hosts Cody, Tierra, and Tim take an in depth look at the eighth episode of the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender. They talk about the importance of overcoming cultural differences with the goal of friendship in mind and the shame and regret that we can feel from inaction. They also discuss a wide variety of other subject matter including: how the continuity exhibited by the show writers is truly masterful, Sokka and Katara showing us some true ride or die behaviour, how sometimes we even surprise ourselves with our abilities, how cunning can come in many different forms, an in depth discussion of sub elements and how they fir in with the four bending styles, the distortions of belief over the passage of time, the balance between friendship and duty, how doing the right thing isn’t always going to be rewarded, the archetype of the betrayer, how trust is very different from obedience, learning how to work together, tension as a narrative device, and why is everything in the fire nation so pointy?

On this episode of the podcast our hosts Cody, Tierra, and Tim take an in depth look at episode 7 of the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender. They talk about how there is no black and white in the world, only various shades of grey, and they challenge the concepts we hold of good and evil. They also discuss a wide array of other interesting subject matter including: how things arent always how they seem on the surface, the ride or die relationship that has been fostered between Aang and Sokka, how in anger we have the potential for destruction and while at peace we leave room for growth to occur, portraying a vibe through the use of colour, the connection between Iroh and the spirit world, the intentionality behind all of Iroh’s actions, how the best bad guys are always relatable and truly believe what they are doing is right,using your opponents greatest strengths against them, slowing things down and doing things on your own time, remembering what really matters in life, and investing in the youth of today to bring about a better tomorrow.

On this episode of the podcast our hosts Cody, Tierra, and Tim take an in depth look at episode six of the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender. They talk about how it just takes one person to stand and say no to spark a revolution and how its all of our responsibility to stand up to the injustice we see in the world. They also touch on a variety of other subject matter including: how no one can take away your power if you choose not to be the victim, the greatest weapon one can wield is fear, sometimes the best way to help others is to help them help themselves, how the characters who betray the trust of their communities are always the worst, how the people that you care for can be the biggest call to courage and can remind you of why you fight, the fact that the main characters are always looking for food grounds the show in reality, the heroes journey, and making complex ideas and concepts digestible for children.

On this episode of the podcast our hosts Cody, Tierra, and Tim take an in depth look at the fifth episode of the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender. They attempt to answer the question what is it about earth benders that make them live so long? They also touch on a wide variety of other subject matter including: the general radness of the earth bending aesthetic, challenging perspectives and not seeing what people want you to, the joys of seeing bending incorporated into everyday life, the practicality of earth bending, the amazing introduction of cabbage man into the Avatar lore, the role that the earth kingdom had in shaping the character of uncle Iroh, how it seems like true mastery of an element stems from ones trust within it, an exploration of the mad genius archetype, walking the line between chaos and order, and the importance of thinking outside of the box.