In “Zuko Alone,” the former prince finally gets a chance to see what he’s represented all this time to the people outside of the Fire Nation. (If this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the plot of Shane, one of the most beloved and regularly homaged Westerns.) In exile however, his priorities are slowly shifting, and he decides to intervene. As a once-proud member of the invading nation, Zuko has been a villain unaccustomed to caring about others. He arrives at a small frontier town for rest and a meal when he encounters a conflict: crooked Earth Kingdom soldiers are terrorizing the villagers they’re supposed to protect. Like in a good Western, Zuko takes on the archetypal role of The Man With No Name. The episode is removed from the show’s highly serialized plot. “Zuko Alone” focuses on the young Prince Zuko, one of the show’s primary antagonists, exiled from the Fire Nation after a humiliating failure, left to wander on his own.

It’s a show that rarely simplifies things to “good” or “evil”

Through a mix of standalone and serial episodes, Avatar follows Aang and his young friends as they help him on his journey to master the elements, while pursued by Fire Nation and stymied by adults in power. The only problem: he’s a child and not quite in command of every element yet. Most episodes focus on Aang, the titular Avatar, the only person in the world with the ability to master all four elements and prophesied to restore balance. The Fire Nation declared war on the others, and the series is about children caught up in this war. In Avatar, there are four nations, each based on the mastery of a different element: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. It’s a standalone tale that explains everything you need to know - a terrific martial arts Western with surprisingly rich characterization and a gut-punch ending - all in 20 minutes. Skepticism is okay! Just don’t pass it by without diving into one of its best episodes, “Zuko Alone” (season 2, episode 7). As premieres go, it’s charming but geared toward hooking children. This might not be clear from episode 1, though. Avatar isn’t just one of the best animated series around it’s full-stop excellent television regardless of format. Avatar: The Last Airbender is back on Netflix after a seven-year absence, and if you never caught the show, now is a perfect time.

Avatar the last airbender season 2 episode 1 full episode