Avatar: TLA Re-Watch S1:E5 – “The King of Omashu”
The last two episodes had their moments of levity, but were otherwise pretty serious. The kids learn that Aang really is the last air-bender, and then the high price of staying in any one place too long.
This episode, on the other hand, has some brief moments of seriousness, but is otherwise pretty silly and fun. Especially from the perspective of the re-watch, when we know Bumi’s identity and understand that the kids are not in any real danger. On a first viewing, we’re given a few hints as to who the King might be, but we wouldn’t necessarily understand his real motivations. Even still, the rapid-fire jokes and silliness keep us from taking the threat very seriously.
The episode is also significant for giving us our first good look at an Earth Kingdom city and Earth-Benders. Kyoshi Island was, of course, named for Avatar Kyoshi, who was born an Earth-bender, but the village culture seemed to be a sort of hybrid between the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes. (Interesting too, the complexity of having communities that don’t easily fit into any of the defined cultures.)
Omashu though, is a full-fledged Earth Kingdom city, and one that seems pretty distantly removed from the front lines of the war with the Fire Nation. The city bustles along, apparently content with the day-to-day routine. We are given a dramatic introduction to Earth-bending when the city guard lifts a boulder out of the ground to hold over Aang’s head. Then, the awesome bending-powered chute delivery system shows additional ways that the skills can be used. Then, of course, the climactic duel between Aang and Bumi shows us the moves of a really powerful bender.
I love that every culture in this world tends to have not only distinctive clothing and architecture, but even a unique color scheme in the animation! The land of the water tribes are all blue and white, the Fire Nations are red and black, The Air-nomads (shown in Aang’s clothing, and in the flashbacks) feature a lot of yellow and orange, and now, at last, the Earth Kingdom features lots of green and brown.
We get a bit of a lesson in lateral-thinking for Aang, but the episode’s real purpose in the narrative is to give us a mental picture of the Earth Kingdom, (We’ve now seen bits from all four of the world’s primary cultures). The rest is really just jokes, which is not to say that they aren’t plenty entertaining. Some of my particular favorites include:
* Aang’s disguise and phony name: “Bonzu Pippinpaddle-Oppsokopolis… the Third”
* “Kangaroo Island, eh? I hear that place is really hopping!”
* “Take them to the refurbished chamber that was once bad!”
* “There are no take-backsies in my kingdom!”
* “Rocky! Because of all the rocks!” … “We’re going to keep trying, but that’s a good backup.”
The actual challenges also feature some pretty impressive action, especially the duel between Aang and Bumi, a fight which shows us a few new insights about how bending-combat works. For example, Aang can use air to deflect fireballs pretty easily, but it doesn’t work as well for a giant boulder. Likewise, Earth-bending can block air-blasts. Aang only fought Bumi to a draw when he used the air to send Bumi’s own attacks back at him.
Additional Notes:
* Bumi provides a bit more confirmation of Aang’s claim to have friends all over the world.
* Flopsy, the giant goat-rabbit-gorilla thing, is my animal of the episode.
* Who needs doors or gates when you can just Earth-bend an opening wherever you want?
* “Nooo! My cabbages!” (Newbies, we have not seen the last of the Cabbage Merchant)
Avatar:TLA Re-Watch S1:E4 – The Warriors of Kyoshi
I was excited to see this episode coming so early in the season, because I have fond memories of it. Though I’d been enjoying myself so far when watching for the first time, I think this was the first episode that really sold me on the show.
This episode, more than any single episode so far, really encapsulates everything that I enjoy about the series: the humor, the character development, the world-building, and the epic drama.
As we begin, Zuko and Iroh discuss Aang’s mastery of evasive maneuvering, which when we rejoin Team Avatar, we learn is actually just erratic wandering. Even though the stakes could hardly be higher, Aang doesn’t seem to be in much of a hurry to reach the North Pole and learn water-bending. Even though, at the end of episode 2, he talks about finding exotic animals to ride, I think that we didn’t quite believe that he would really consider that important enough to delay his real mission.
One of the big themes of this episode is that, as Katara mentions in the opening, Aang really does have a lot to learn. He tries to blame their stop near Kyoshi on Appa being tired, but it’s really because he wants to ride the giant koi fish, and his show-off tendencies are on full display here, first for Katara, and later for the Kyoshi citizens. “I’m just a simple monk,” he says, while walking to the window to smile down at his screaming fans.
Speaking of fans, the female warriors of Kyoshi are yet another excellent example of this show’s attention to detail in depicting different fighting styles. The animation is fluid and every style has its own distinctive movements. Plus, they just look cool, don’t they? Their makeup is reminiscent of Geisha, as are the fans, but their armor is more reminiscent of samurai than kimono, and as we learn, the various elements of the uniform actually carry meaning, meant to honor Aang’s previous incarnation, Avatar Kyoshi.
We also see them, not only in action, but also in training. This is something that is sometimes left out on the rare occasion that we see female warriors in fantasy. They are often depicted as inherently gifted, but we rarely see the hard work required to earn those skills.
The skilled female warriors also present an opportunity to give Sokka some needed depth. As in the first episode, Sokka is initially pretty sexist, first trotting out the old tropes about “women’s work” and “men’s work” and then refusing to believe that the Kyoshi warriors could have legitimately beaten him. However, after they humiliate him in the dojo, it only takes a short period of sulking before he admits his error and humbly asks if they will teach him. Think about the strength of character that requires, not only willing to admit he was wrong, but to ask for help, and even dress up in their “girly” uniform when they ask it of him. And of course, the chemistry between him and Suki is obvious right away. Even without the benefit of having watched the series before, I think no one is surprised that we see her again later.
And just like in the first episode, where the show has the courage to actually take a step beyond the cliche to actually use the word “sexist”, this episode brings another sophisticated twist. We’ve seen the “Girl’s can be warriors too” trope before, but when Sokka says: “I treated you like a girl, when I should have treated you like a warrior,” she reminds him: “I may be a warrior, but I’m a girl too.”
Aang’s arc in this episode also works on a couple of levels. I mentioned before how it shows that he still has a lot to learn, but he receives lessons on both a very personal, and epic scale. On the personal level, he recognizes that fame can be fickle, and that ignoring your real friends for the hangers-on just leaves you alone when the fad passes. Also, that showing off can get you into serious trouble. Fortunately for Aang, Katara is able to push past her own feelings of annoyance and jealousy, to do the right thing for her friend, even when he’s not been especially worthy. Then, even beyond that valuable life-lesson, Aang sees just how serious it can be when he stays too long in any given place. The entire village of Kyoshi is nearly burned to the ground, simply because he decided to stay for a little while. This is a lesson that our trio of heroes will not soon forget, nor should they.
We don’t get a whole lot from Zuko this time, beyond the point that he’s still after Aang, and a few gags with him and Iroh. (I love when Zuko learns about Aang, and storms away from the dinner table. Iroh asks “Are you going to eat that?” and Zuko grabs the plate: “I was going to save it for later!”) But it is, of course, only a half-hour episode, and there is plenty more character development to come.
So a great early episode, as the show continues to establish how large its world can be, how deep its characters can be, and laying the groundwork for the epic struggles still to come.
Additional Notes:
* The giant koi fish are cool, but the Super-Soaker Unagi definitely gets “Animal of the Episode”
* How cool was it when Katara water-bended the water out of Aang’s lungs? Even untrained, she shows a lot of promise.
* It’s nice that the show is interested in showing us that many of Aang’s previous incarnations are still remembered and honored.
So what did you think?
Avatar: TLA Re-Watch S1:E3 – The Southern Air Temple
With our heroes officially on their journey, this episode is split into two primary plot threads: The first involves Aang, Sokka and Katara making their way to the Southern Air Temple, the other follows Zuko and Iroh.
(One quick note – in my post for episode 2, I wonder if the thoroughness of my write-up discouraged discussion. So this post will be a little less detailed and hopefully a little more open-ended, allowing for conversation. Please let me know if you prefer the more in-depth style, and thanks for reading!)
With the Team Avatar thread: Aang can’t let reports of Air-bender extinction go un-investigated. He is pretty confident that the Air Temples are hard enough to reach that some Air Nomads may have survived, but Katara and Sokka are less optimistic, and try to prepare Aang for disappointment.
We see where Aang’s coming from, as the Temple really would be extremely difficult to get to without a flying bison, (or at least a flying SOMETHING), and the temple is beautiful… but deserted. Things aren’t looking good, but they continue to explore. Meanwhile, Katara and Sokka are trying to protect Aang’s feelings however they can: Katara hides the Fire Nation helmet, Sokka volunteers for an Air-ball demonstration.
We also get a bit more detail as to what Aang’s life was like before he was frozen. We see his friendship with Monk Gyatso, and learn that Aang was, for unspecified reasons, told that he was the Avatar four years earlier than is custom.
After investigating the Air Temple sanctuary (how cool was that air-bender door lock?), the kids find a “lemur”. There is a playful chase, as Aang wants to make friends, and Sokka wants food!
We get the feeling though that the lemur’s appearance is significant though, because it leads Aang straight to where he finds the body of his friend Gyatso, surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers, all long dead. The truth of what happened is now undeniable, and Aang, in his despair, goes all glowy-eyed again, and is only calmed when Katara tells him that he’s not alone, that he has a new family. The lemur, which Aang names Momo, now joins this new family, and it’s time for Team Avatar to move on.
Little do they know, however, that Aang’s outburst has sent shockwaves through every Air, Water, Earth and Fire temple in the world, meaning that everybody, even the Fire Lord, now knows that the cycle was NOT broken, and that the Avatar has returned.
Meanwhile, we spend nearly half the episode following Zuko and Iroh. Though he is still determined to capture Aang, Zuko is shown as a bit more sympathetic here. We learn that Zuko isn’t simply hunting the Avatar for kicks, he was actually banished by his own father for being “a failure”. What’s more, we see from Commander Zhao that he is considered, by many, to be a laughing-stock.
We don’t want Zuko to capture Aang and take him to the Fire Lord, and yet, we see that he is perhaps the lesser of many evils. To be sure, we like him more than the duplicitous and cowardly Commander Zhao. Zhao tricks Zuko and Iroh into joining him for tea while he has his men interrogate Zuko’s crew.
On the one hand, Zhao has a point that a threat as great as the Avatar should probably not be left to “one teenager”, but we see very quickly that Zhao is more interested in his own glory than he is about simply protecting the Fire Nation. And he has an entire fleet at his disposal.
Enraged, Zuko challenges Zhao to a Fire-bending duel, and we get suggestions that a previous duel is how Zuko got his scar. Now watching that duel, how can we not be cheering on Zuko? How many other kids cartoon’s would spend time making us root for the antagonist? With wisdom gained from his uncle’s teaching, Zuko is able to defeat Zhao, and then Iroh saves Zuko from Zhao’s attempt to sucker-burn him. Still, even in his defeat, we realize that Zhao is not going to stop his own pursuit of the Avatar.
Additional Notes:
* Many of the animals in this show are explicitly referred to as hybrids “Hog-monkeys” for example, but Appa is simply called a “flying bison”, and Momo a “lemur”. What do you think is the other animal for their respective hybrids?
* Interesting that Iroh is a “retired” general, and clearly a very skilled Fire-bender, so why is he accompanying his banished nephew?
* I like the attention to detail regarding the techniques of bending. For example, Iroh telling Zuko to “break [Zhao’s] root”
Avatar:TLA Re-Watch: S1Ep2 “The Avatar Returns”
With episode 2, the story is officially underway.
In hindsight, it might have been better to go ahead and do these first two episodes together, since it really is only the combination of the two that really represents the series at large. Episode 1, though fun, is all wind-up and no pitch. Episode 2 gets to the action, but only works with the set-up established in the first episode. In fact, I believe the first two episodes were actually shown back-to-back when the show premiered.
No sense spending too much time lamenting the separation, however. Best to move forward!
The episode begins as Aang and Katara arrive back at camp, both fully aware how badly they’ve screwed up. To be sure, the specific trap was an accident, but of course, that’s exactly WHY exploring the ship was dangerous in the first place. Aang and Katara didn’t break some dishes. This is a potentially life-and-death mistake here.
Aang understands this, of course, which is why he doesn’t protest at all when Sokka and Gran-Gran decide to banish him. Katara, on the other hand, insists that Aang’s arrival has awakened something within the village that it was sorely lacking: Fun. (It’s important to consider, I think, that simply calling it “fun” is a bit of a childish term on Katara’s part. Though Aang has still not confirmed that he is the Avatar, I think we can guess that Katara is sensing some aspects of that, if only subconsciously, and that, in many ways, “Fun” is probably code for “Hope.”
Another interesting side-note is the exchange where Sokka insists “You can’t fight the Fire Nation with fun,” and Aang replies “You should try it sometime.” Though it is not apparent now, the idea of using “fun” as a weapon is returned to a few times, as a somewhat counter-intuitive tactic.
Katara, reluctant to lose Aang, initially decides to join him in exile. She doesn’t want Aang to have to go alone, and she wants to take him up on his offer to find her a water-bending master. It’s a noble instinct, but it’s also impulsive. Aang gently talks her out of it, not wanting to be responsible for her losing her home and her family.
So Aang leaves, but Prince Zuko’s ship is still coming. It’s very cool to see Sokka gearing up for battle, but kind of heart-breaking as well, because we know they haven’t got a chance of withstanding any kind of real attack. This is driven home by the giant steel ship literally crushing through the wall like it was nothing. Then, as Sokka attempts to attack Zuko, he is easily defeated. But it’s amazing, because Sokka does not give up. His bravery and determination are admirable, if ultimately ineffective, as he is repeatedly knocked aside by Zuko. (He does get in a good shot with the boomerang though!)
What might initially have been a straight-forward “He went that way” is complicated by the misunderstandings Zuko still carries about the Avatar. He assumes both that the village would have known they had the Avatar, and also that he would be a very old man. So the village is confused by Zuko’s demands, and Zuko is infuriated by what he sees as a refusal to cooperate. The situation begins to escalate, but then Aang returns to save the day, kinda. Sliding in on a penguin and temporarily humiliating Zuko.
We get our first taste of actual battle here, with Aang using his staff to spin away Zuko’s fire. Zuko recognizes that Aang must be the Avatar right away, and so reveals it to everyone else. I love the exchange: “You’re just a child!” “Yeah, well, you’re just a teenager.”
Aang is holding his own against Zuko, but after a close call with some of the village children, he recognizes that the battle is too dangerous for him to let it take place there in the village, and he surrenders himself to spare the village.
A noble gesture, though as we see later, not quite as dire a sacrifice as it initially appeared. Aang is not planning to stay locked up in a cell. (He even says: “Take care of Appa for me until I get back!”) Still, it already shows that, beneath his playful exterior, he does have some true wisdom. Sure, he MIGHT be able to take on Zuko individually, but probably not the entire ship, and certainly the battle would incur significant casualties in the Water Tribe village. To simply escape captivity, on the other hand, allows him to take on all the risk himself, rather than being responsible for any additional damage to the village. And escaping simply requires getting away, not having to defeat every person on the ship.
Aang is led away and the ship leaves, while the village is left to try and rebuild, but Katara has a speech. She has a lot to say about why Aang is important, and why she has to go after him, and if we didn’t like Sokka already, we finally do when he says: “Are you going to talk all day, or are you coming with me?” Then Gran-Gran blesses the mission as well, saying that their destinies are now intertwined with the Avatar’s. Then, just as they are discussing how they can never catch the ship in their canoe, it’s Appa! Happy feelings all around.
Though of course, Sokka can never abandon his sarcasm for long. “You just love taking me out of my comfort zone, don’t you?” Still, it’s Sokka who remembers the proper phrase: “Yip-yip!” and it’s such fun to see him overjoyed by the miracle of flight. Even if he must once again resume his veneer of teenage apathy.
Back on board the Fire Nation ship, Aang seems awfully relaxed as his staff is confiscated and he’s been led to the cell. Then, we see why. “You guys have never fought an air-bender before, have you?’ Kid’s got skills! Of course, he can’t leave without his staff, so the search is on. We get a nice gag with Uncle Iroh sleeping through the whole thing, but Zuko is ready. He traps Aang in the chamber and it’s time for another duel. We see that both of these characters have significant skill, but ultimately, it’s a TKO by mattress, and Aang escapes to the main deck with his staff.
Getting on deck is not the same as escaping, unfortunately, as Zuko manages to leap onto Aang’s glider, and send them both crashing to the deck. Then, more fighting, but Aang is ultimately forced over the side, and we can’t help but be reminded of his dream, when he escaped the storm by freezing himself in the ice. As before, Aang’s eyes glow, but instead of freezing himself again, he rises out of the water, and defeats Zuko with a so-far unprecedented skill of water-bending. This is significant, because recall that he told Katara he could not teach her, because he was an air-bender, not a water-bender. He apparently has incredible power, but is, perhaps, not fully in control of himself when he exercises it, and it leaves him drained when he finishes.
Thankfully, Katara and Sokka have arrived on Appa. Sokka gets a nice moment when he’s recovering the staff, only to receive a horror-movie jump scare from Zuko. And yet, in payback for the earlier defeats, Sokka knocks Zuko back over the side and retains the staff. Katara, in her moment of need, discovers additional water-bending skill, freezing the fire nation soldiers (and Sokka) in ice. Katara, Sokka, and Aang escape on Appa and the day is saved.
We get one last moment with Zuko and Iroh, as they appraise the damage to their ship. Iroh says “Good news for the Fire Lord. The greatest threat to the Fire Nation is just a little kid.” (Yet, his tone is reserved, as though this is a test for Zuko, rather than his actual opinion.) If it was a test, Zuko passes. “That little kid did THIS,” he says. “I won’t underestimate him again.”
The last scene of the episode is pretty much: “Hey audience, here’s what the show is going to be about! Aang has to learn, in order, water bending, earth bending, and fire bending, so he can defeat the Fire Nation and save the world, but there will still be time for fun and riding exotic animals. “They don’t like people riding them, but that’s what makes it fun!” So with the conclusion of the two-parter, our story is officially under way. Hooray!
Additional Notes:
* Zuko intends to give Aang’s staff to his father, commenting to Aang: “You probably do not know of fathers, being raised by monks.” This is just a peek at the thoughtful Zuko, rather than the single-minded “I will catch the AVATAR!” Zuko. Also, his father issues are deep and plentiful.
* Aang confesses that he lied about being the Avatar because he “never wanted to be.” We’ll be seeing a lot more about that as well.
Avatar:TLA Re-Watch: S1Ep1 “The Boy in the Iceberg”
Commentary on Avatar: The Last Airbender S1:Ep1 “The Boy in the Iceberg”
First, a brief word about spoilers. I’m going to do my best to avoid spoilers in these discussions, but I may occasionally mention general themes and concepts from later in the series. Please, in your comments, try not to spoil the fun for the people watching for the first time!
Just like the iceberg that kept Aang frozen, only the smallest portion of the story is visible in this first episode. We meet the principle characters, establish the setting, but there is so much more lurking beneath the surface!
If we were to judge the show only by this first episode, it would be easy to assume that it’s a pretty typical children’s adventure cartoon. Plenty of silliness and slapstick, and a story with clear good guys and bad guys. And yet, there’s already hints of more, suggestions that there is greatness, waiting to be discovered.
Consider the first scene with Sokka and Katara. It establishes several things right away: They are siblings, with the attendant rivalry. Katara can use water bending, and Sokka is a little bit resentful of her talents. Their parents aren’t around, and they have many responsibilities.
But then in their argument, Katara actually calls her brother “sexist” (among other things). I remember watching this scene for the first time and being surprised. While I’ve seen other cartoons take up the “Boys Vs. Girls” story trope, this show’s willingness to actually use the word “sexist” struck me as more sophisticated. It’s an indication that the show is prepared to explore some deeper issues, beyond the superficial “Good Vs. Evil” conflict.
Then, despite Aang’s dramatic entrance, his first words are: “Will you go penguin-sledding with me?” He is playful, impulsive, and a bit of a show-off, but ultimately friendly and earnest.
Another peek into hidden depths is the fact that Aang lies to Katara when she asks about the Avatar. Even if we hadn’t guessed that he was the Avatar by the fact that his face is on the DVD box, we saw him frozen in a giant magic iceberg, and then he woke up all glowy-eyed. Given what we learned in the intro, we can see that the Avatar’s disappearance is a big mystery to the whole world. Yet, despite his playful, extroverted nature, Aang chooses to lie.
We are also introduced to Prince Zuko and his Uncle Iroh. Zuko is established as the principal antagonist, simply through his desire to capture and “defeat” the Avatar. He is shown as determined, but impatient, and yet we wonder: How did he get his scars? Why is his honor dependent on completing what must have seemed like a century-old wild goose chase?
Even his frustration with his uncle’s refusal to teach him advanced fire-bending techniques is interesting. For the primary villain of a children’s show to openly acknowledge that he is not already all-powerful is unusual. His uncle’s laid-back attitude and fondness for tea is an unexpected blend with his skill at fire-bending. These things suggest that even the show’s antagonists are more than they may first appear.
We spend much of the first episode having fun, watching Aang show off his gliding skills, playing in the snow, laughing at Sokka’s Drill Sergeant routine. (“No potty breaks!”) And then there’s sneezing.
But after the penguin-sledding, we discover the derelict Fire Nation ship. Katara describes it as “a very bad memory for my people”. That, and the nasty-looking weapons inside, are ominous. Aang tells Katara: “If you want to be a bender, you have to let go of fear”, which introduces a theme which will resonate throughout all three seasons.
This leads to Aang’s discovery that he was frozen for a century, which is the first thing he seems to take seriously since his introduction.
But before it can be carefully discussed, the trip-wire alerts Zuko to their location, as well as the location of the Water Tribe’s village. This sets up the conflict to appear in episode 2.
Additional Notes:
* I love the show’s animals, nearly all of which are blends of traditional earth animals, like the otter-penguins and the tiger-seals.
* Sokka’s sarcasm is always welcome in my home. “And this is Katara, my flying sister.”
* Given how important they become later, it was a bit surprising to remember that characters like Toph and Azula don’t actually appear until later in the series.
* The Fire Nation’s coal-punk technology is cool.
* This is the only episode using this version of the opening. The more abbreviated opening that starts with episode 2 is less personal to Katara and more matter-of-fact.
Tor.com also did a re-watch of this show!
Also, check out this great Avatar Wiki!
So, what did YOU think?
You can leave comments here, but I’d also encourage you to check out my posts on Google Plus. An excellent place for discussion.
And be sure to come back on Tuesday for episode 2!
Avatar: TLA Re-watch – Introduction
I really, really like the animated series: Avatar: The Last Airbender.
So starting this Friday, I am going to start a new twice-weekly series of blog posts to re-watch the show from the beginning. On Friday, I’ll watch and then write a post about the first episode. Then, every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be discussing each subsequent episode, eventually making it through all three seasons.
But here’s the thing. What I would really like is for you to join me in re-watching, and then discussing the show! As with any fandom, discussing the show with like-minded fans is just as much fun as watching the show in the first place, and I think that this program is deep enough to support some really good discussions.
I will be posting each entry on my blog at christianaellis.com of course, but I will also be posting on my stream at Google Plus. If you’re on Google Plus, I would like to encourage you to participate in the discussion there. In the last couple weeks, I’ve found it to be a really good place for community-centric conversations. (If you’re not on Google Plus and need an invite, just say the word!)
So, here’s why you should participate.
First, the entire run of the show is on Netflix streaming, and the DVD sets are still relatively easy to find.
If you’ve already seen the show, then you know how awesome it is. Think how much fun it will be to revisit it and discuss with friends! Especially since the sequel series “The Legend of Korra” is coming next year!
If you saw the movie but not the cartoon, then imagine only the good parts of the movie, and add humor, warmth, depth, and heart.
If you’ve never seen either incarnation, then let me offer you a brief pitch. In my own personal opinion, Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the most satisfying television shows I have ever seen, and I don’t only mean animated shows. It is a masterpiece of serial storytelling, with a diverse cast of complex, interesting characters as well as incredible world-building. It is funny, scary, touching, and fascinating, all the while staying family-friendly without sacrificing nuance.
The story takes place in a fantastical world of four nations, each representing and personifying one of the four elements: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. Each nation has special individuals, skilled in “Bending”, a sort of elemental magic based on the element of their home nation. At least that’s how it used to be…
Slowly, but surely, the Fire Nation has been conquering the world. They have already wiped out the pacifistic Air Nomads, and have turned their eyes on the Water and Earth nations. This isn’t supposed to happen. The Avatar, a special chosen one with the ability to master all four disciplines of elemental bending, is supposed to keep the world in balance. But the Avatar disappeared over a hundred years ago, and no new Avatar came forward to take his place. Ever since, the world has been slowly sliding out of balance, leading to war and chaos.
Until now…
Please join me in watching the first episode: “The Boy in the Iceberg”, and then come back on Friday for the discussion! Hope to see you there!
