Bingeworthy TV: Avatar: The Last Airbender

“Water... Earth... Fire... Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. And although his airbending skills are great, he still has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe Aang can save the world.”

This is a lot of pressure for a twelve-year-old boy who just came out of an iceberg. Aang, the last of the airbenders and title character of Avatar: The Last Airbender, has been encased in suspended animation for a hundred years. During that time, a war has raged and the Fire Nation has committed genocide against the Air Nomads, leaving Aang as the last of his people. In order to restore balance to the world, Aang has a year to master the remaining three elements. In each nation there are individuals who can “bend” or control their element through psychokinetic martial arts. The avatar is the only person who can master all four elements and is tasked with maintaining peace and order in the world and acting as mediator between humans and spirits.

Aang sets out on his flying bison, Appa, with his new friends Katara and Sokka to find the water, earth, and fire bending teachers so that he can realize his potential as the Avatar and end the war before it is too late. As awesome as this responsibility is, Aang is still a child and finds plenty of time to have fun and get into all kinds of shenanigans while evading and a couple times escaping Fire Nation custody. This show is fun for the whole family; children and adults alike will be riveted by Aang’s adventures, heartbreaks, and transformation into a young man with the weight or the world on his shoulders.

~Becca, Technical Services