joebenford

The strongest aspect of this show, and what stops it becoming a poor show, is the characters. The main 'Team Avatar' and the majority of the new supporting characters introduced are very good. They are interesting, complex and each go through fulfilling journeys over the course of the series.

The animation, still in the style of the original, is mostly good. It is pretty consistent until S4 where some of the mechs do not look great and the cuts to the budget look apparent.

My biggest gripe with the show is the villains. With the exception of Amon, the villains are just boring. They are very one-track minded and had no depth to them. Having Ozai as an overarching villain throughout Avatar was very good, as was the lesser antagonists throughout, which was missing in TLOK.

I also disliked how the original Team Avatar was treated. Sokka is not mentioned save one flashback and the rest suffer character assassinations for no real reason other than to further the plot or explain why characters have not shown up in previous seasons.

Overall, highly flawed but not a total disaster. Might have enjoyed it more if not for the brilliance of Avatar.

An exceptionally well told story from top to bottom. A very clear main plot that knows what it wants to say, says it very well and finishes without dragging on at all.

The character, though, are the real driving force of the show. A diverse cast that are all flawed and each go through real transformations over the course of three seasons with the four-part finale bringing it all together brilliantly. Not just Aang, but the whole group each get their own moment to fall and then to rise again.

Also, the animation style, despite being twenty years old, is wonderful and distinct. The anime inspiration is clear throughout but also has its own identity and isn't just a copy of another show or style.

All in all, simply amazing.

This is a really, really good season of television. The whole cast put in some great performances, but Eddie Redmayne is the real stand-out as the Jackal. It is a very different role to anything he has done before and he really manages to capture the psychopathy of the character very well.

The writing is strong throughout and remains entertaining from the first episode to the end. The weaving in and out of the Jackal's past is well done and the subplots and side characters are wrapped up in a satisfying way.

The only slight criticism I would have is that it doesn't quite end on a high compared to the few episodes preceding the finale, but if the second season builds on from the first and is as good, then it won't be a major issue.