LogFAQs > #937373849

#54: The Swamp (2.04)

Between this episode and Avatar Day, it kind of feels like the show is just stalling until we get to The Blind Bandit. Which I think makes sense, since from that episode until the end of the season, it's a virtuous ride of great episodes. So I guess they decided to put the filler in the beginning instead of placing it in the middle of that streak (the notorious exception being Tales of Ba Sing Se, but it's there for specific reasons).

So The Swamp, in the end, is a glorified Toph trailer. Its point is to tease for the great things yet to come. And I guess help Aang identify Toph as his master when he finally sees her later (though let's be serious, you don't need a vision of the future to realize that Toph is awesome).

It does some pretty good worldbuilding, though. One thing about the Avatar world that I love is how you can find those little communities with different styles of bending in random places. There is a secret civilization of waterbenders in the middler of a swamp, and they can even use it to make giant plant monsters! Those swamp guys are not very likable though, and the humor in their dialogue doesn't really land for me.

Oh yeah, and there is a Zuko plot where we see the constrast between Iroh who will gladly dance like a fool for money, and Zuko, who sees that as a demeaning and prefers to rob people as the Blue Spirit. It's interesting how each one has a different concept of honor, and Zuko's will shift along the show.