Avatar: Braving the Elements

This week’s special guests jump in to help Janet and Dante further unpack the merits of “The Great Divide!” Following their lively recap last week, Janet and Dante bring in their two friends, Hector Navarro (SpongeBob BingePants podcast) and Danielle Radford (Honest Trailers), for a high-spirited-yet-extremely-friendly debate over whether this much-discussed episode of ATLA is in fact “thriller” or “filler!"

To celebrate our halfway mark in Season One of the podcast, we’re bringing in some new friends to test their ATLA knowledge! Janet and Dante welcome four incredibly awesome Avatar fans for a game show-style quiz on some of the finer details of Book One (and some foreshadow report-ish topics, too)! Who will win the most points in this friendly competition? Will it be Abiodun “Abby"" Abebefe? Dominique Gayle? Phillip Hughes? Or Jordan Wolfe? The friendly competition takes on trivia about Aang, Zuko, Katara, and other key Avatarverse moments, and fans can play along too! See who wins the most points in this fun-filled quiz!

Team Avatar encounters a controversial character in the ATLA episode “Jet”— and Janet and Dante encounter the delightful Crawford Wilson, the voice behind Jet! Take a visit to the treetops and find out the inspiration behind the Freedom Fighters’ woodsy hideout as Janet and Dante explore Episode 10 of Book One, celebrating all the terrifically-named characters in Jet’s gang (Smellerbee! Pipsqueak! Sneers! Longshot! The Duke!) and discussing the parallels between Jet and characters like Katara and Zuko. Then hear from Jet himself, the charming Crawford Wilson! Don’t miss this conversation about one of ATLA’s most controversial figures.

This week Janet and Dante are joined by writer, gamer, comedian and podcaster Ify Nwadiwe, who jumps into the investigation of Ep 9 of Book One “The Waterbending Scroll!” The trio is quick to acknowledge that there is just a LOT going on in this episode, and the discussion goes from honest explorations about envy and competitiveness, to admiring Avatarverse fans for creating a real-life Pai Sho game, to Appa’s pedicure, to our friend the Cabbage Merchant, and much more. Plus! Ify brings what we think is a BRAND NEW Zuko “ship” to the table!

Somehow we got lucky enough to welcome two back-to back Avatars! We go from Avatar Aang last week (Zach Tyler Eisen) to this week’s guest, James Garrett— otherwise known as Avatar Roku! Janet and Dante recap Ep 8. of Book One and discuss Part Two of "The Winter Solstice,” unpacking “hot stinkers," Appa’s flying style, and so many other details big and small! Then they’re joined by the great James Garrett, who drops some pretty cool info about the Royal Shakespeare Company, his inspiration for his portrayal of Roku, and issues a special request to the fans! It’s a fascinating look at the legacy of the Avatar and how Roku’s wisdom guides Aang's journey.

It’s a very important first half of a two-part story arc in which Janet and Dante start to get acquainted with The Spirit World! In Ep. 7 of Book One, we meet the understandably grumpy Hei Bai, spend some time with an intimidatingly cool spirit dragon and his “nose hairs" and see a whole lot of Uncle Iroh’s hot bath-loving bare skin. Plus: Dante compares Prince Zuko to a couple of beloved vintage detectives, leading to a surprising impression. This episode sets the stage for Aang’s deeper connection with the spiritual side of his role as the Avatar.

In Season 1, Episode 6 of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Janet and Dante explore the layers of the powerful episode “Imprisoned” with voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson, who portrays Tyro. They discuss the intense themes of oppression, the Fire Nation’s cruelty, and the emotional resonance of the prison island. Kevin also shares his thoughts on race in voice acting, the challenges of portraying complex characters, and working in the Avatarverse.

In Season 1, Episode 6 of Avatar: The Last Airbender, it’s time to travel to the eccentric city of Omashu, where Aang, Katara, Sokka, and the gang meet the the strange, spirited leader of Omashu himself, King Bumi. Dante and Janet chat with prolific voice actor André Sogliuzzo about bringing the quirky king to life, how he created Bumi’s distinct voice, and the unique energy he brought to the show. They also discuss the ATLA world-building that introduced this fan-favorite character and his iconic love for cabbages!