Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender makes numerous changes to the Nickelodeon show in Season 2, and some of them prove more successful than others. SPOILERS ahead for Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 and the original show. Differences are to be expected when adapting a story for a new medium. And several fresh developments from Season 2 — like ATLA‘s decision to give Jet more on-screen closure, and the Blue Spirit/Painted Lady team-up — actually expand on the original story in interesting ways. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
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Certain details and scenes are sparking backlash for the ways they alter the essence of the characters. Even minor changes can transform a character into something unrecognizable. They can throw the motivations and values of these players into question. This makes it harder to deliver a faithful arc as time goes on. And it’s starting to look like Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender will struggle when it comes to two villains, in particular. If the series sticks to the script, they should change sides before Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 3 is through. The problem is, the show is already making that more difficult to adapt.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2’s Mai vs. Ty Lee Scene Doesn’t Make Sense for the Characters
Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 opens with Azula being told to find Zuko, and she concludes that locating the Avatar is the best way to do that. Unsurprisingly, she enlists Mai and Ty Lee to accompany her on the journey. The three operate as a villainous trio, just like in the animated series, and that’s set up in Season 1 of the live-action show. In the Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 premiere, however, the adaptation diverges from the source material when Azula decides to test her friends’ loyalty. In a scene original to the Netflix version, Azula commands Mai and Ty Lee to fight to the death. It’s an odd choice, even for a character as unhinged as Azula, as she’s typically more strategic than that.
What’s more jarring is the response she gets from Mai and Ty Lee. Both characters’ portrayals are becoming a point of contention in the Netflix show, as they don’t have the same presence in this iteration of the story. They’re less involved — which could potentially be chalked up to ATLA Season 2’s short seven-episode run — and their responses don’t always align with those of their animated counterparts. Their added fight in Season 2 is a prime example, as they offer minimal pushback before doing exactly what Azula says. Mai would likely be more apathetic about the whole thing, while Ty Lee might lean into the drama further. But the biggest problem with this moment is that it flips a scene from the original upside down, having the characters make the exact opposite decision…and making their looming redemptions that much harder.
Netflix’s Live-Action Series Just Made Mai & Ty Lee’s Turnarounds Harder to Sell
In the original Avatar: The Last Airbender, Mai and Ty Lee find themselves in a similar position to this live-action scene during Book 3. When they accompany Azula to Boiling Rock, they find themselves helping her address a prison break caused by Zuko, Sokka, and Suki. As the escapees get away using a cable car, Fire Nation guards attempt to cut them down. Prioritizing Zuko over Azula — something live-action Mai explicitly says she wouldn’t do — Mai fights them off long enough for the group to make it away. And when she’s about to face Azula’s wrath, Ty Lee steps in to save her, damning herself as well.
It’s a great moment for both characters, and it proves they care more about their loved ones than they fear Azula. Knowing this, it’s hard to get behind Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2’s addition. Through it, the show establishes that Mai and Ty Lee aren’t close enough to choose each other. It also suggests that Mai wouldn’t make the same choice for Zuko’s sake, raising questions about how their betrayal of Azula will happen in live-action. It’s going to be harder to get there, as now Season 3 will need to foster these relationships enough for them to react differently later on. Considering how much else it needs to deal with, that could be a challenge.
Can Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 3 Still Get Mai & Ty Lee Where They Need to Go?
If Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 3 wants to bring some version of Mai and Ty Lee’s redemption to live-action, it will need to dedicate time to their characters and their friendship during its run. And since the third outing will be tasked with tackling Book 3, there probably won’t be a ton of time for that alongside everything else. The series still needs to adapt the Day of Black Sun, along with Zuko’s redemption and Aang vs. Ozai. If it finds an opening to further develop supporting characters, it’ll be impressive. It’ll also be ideal for anyone wishing to see Mai and Ty Lee’s best moment in the Netflix show. Their bond clearly needs work before they can get there, and Mai’s romance with Zuko does too. Unfortunately, there’s an even smaller opening while Zuko’s in the Fire Nation to address the latter.
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