Team Avatar is coming back stronger than ever in Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2, which is streaming now.
If you tuned in to Tudum’s virtual event Tuesday night, where the Season 2 premiere was screened in its entirety two days before the official launch, then you know Aang (Gordon Cormier) and his friends spent months leveling up. But if you missed out, you can check out the action-packed first six minutes — which open with a version of Katara’s memorable narration from the groundbreaking original animated series — above. The sequence was shot on location rather than on a soundstage, and both executive producers Jabbar Raisani and Christine Boylan believe the glimpses of past Avatars in the prologue convey Season 2’s big ambitions.
“We wanted to show that there’s an evolution to the show. We are doing it in real locations with the actors that play the avatars in our live action,” says Raisani. “That also has its connection to the animated series, where every episode starts with the ‘saga sell.’ So we wanted audiences to come into something that felt very familiar, but it had evolved. And then leads you to our characters and the story that we’re going to tell for the season.”
Boylan adds, “Katara tells the story of the Avatars with a little bit changed at the end, because there are several different versions of that speech out there already in the world. So having her tell this version of the story leads us into Season 2.”
Picking up sometime after the emotional and hard-won battle at the Northern Water Tribe, Season 2 heads to the Earth Kingdom. As the sneak peek reveals, Aang is mastering waterbending under Katara’s (Kiawentiio) tutelage and is ready to tackle the next element: earthbending. Meanwhile, Sokka (Ian Ousley) has been quietly dealing with his grief while taking care of his friends as they train.
“They’ve been living their lives even though we’re not looking at them,” says Boylan. “Sokka has been hunting, he’s been fixing everything, he’s been making their shelter, he’s been doing all that stuff. I wanted to tell that story somehow.”
“I thought that was a very cool way of starting the season,” says Cormier of the opening montage. ”There’s quite a bit of a time jump, and I’ve aged up a bit.”
Aang, Katara, and Sokka’s (Ian Ousley) journey to the Earth Kingdom begins when they encounter Sai the Mechanist (Danny Pudi), whom we met in Season 1, and a group of refugees from Omashu as they flee a Fire Nation battalion. The ensuing fight shows off Team Avatar’s improved skills and coordination, and is a sign of the thrills to come in the following episodes.
“This season is definitely going to be a lot more action-packed and emotional,” says Cormier. “They definitely took the script a little bit darker, but keeping the fun elements of the show. There are going to be some scenes that are going to push the audience to tears, but also make them laugh.”
Kiawentiio adds, “The evolution is so continuous, and I think that this season is definitely a level up. I think there’s more precision and strength and just knowledge, too.”
As Aang learns earthbending from Toph (Miyako), a blind earthbending master who is a beloved character from the original series, Katara continues to come into her own as a waterbender and hero.
“One of the main themes with Katara is confidence, and this season she’s more confident than ever,” says Kiawentiio. “Independence is a big theme too — standing on your own two feet and knowing what you should and shouldn’t take from other people. There’s a lot more lived-in confidence in her bending and personality. Throughout the season, she’s trying to find her footing with Toph being introduced and figuring out her feelings for Aang.”
Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 is streaming now, only on Netflix.
