In this episode of Avatar State Radio, Kev and Mike tackle The Great Divide, widely regarded as the lowest-rated episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender. With Sokka and Katara suddenly at odds in an immature sibling squabble, and even Appa and Momo fighting, the episode starts on a strange note. But Kev argues it all serves to highlight Aang’s growth as a leader and problem-solver.
The Gaang encounters two Earth Kingdom tribes—the Gan Jin and the Zhang—locked in a 100-year feud. Aang takes charge, helping the tribes cross the treacherous canyon while resolving their conflicts along the way. Kev and Mike delve into Aang’s leadership moments, including his clever (if questionable) story about the origins of the feud and his ability to unite the tribes. Was he lying, or just doing what needed to be done to bring peace?
Despite the episode’s reputation, Kev found joy in the lore-building additions like the Canyon Crawlers, hilariously labeling them as “just hangry.” The duo debates the tribes’ baffling decision to bring food when they had just eaten, and how Aang’s reaction mirrored that of an exasperated parent. They also discuss the episode’s biggest missed opportunity: leaving the tribes’ history unresolved, which could have provided a more satisfying conclusion.
Kev appreciates the episode for what it is—a filler that gives Aang a chance to lead—but agrees it’s the “worst” episode so far. Mike, who remembered disliking it much more, admits it wasn’t as bad as he feared. In true Avatar State Radio fashion, the conversation takes a turn with Mike asking, “Do you think you’ll hate this episode or the M. Night Shyamalan movie more?”
Join Kev and Mike for a spirited discussion about The Great Divide, its place in the series, and why it’s still worth watching, even if it’s at the bottom of the rankings.
Find Mike
Tellest.com | Twitter @tellest | Facebook @tellestbooks | Twitch @ThatTellestGuy | Etsy | Patreon
Find Kev
ThatNerdyKev.com | Starbird Media, LLC | Everything is Awesome | Get 'Em Next Year | @ThatNerdyKev on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Twitch
Find Avatar State Radio
AvatarStateRadio.com | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Amazon
Our intro music is The Voyage by Audionautix, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Artist: http://audionautix.com/
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