First, to whomever it is that is clever enough to post full-length Avatar episodes on YouTube.com before they even frickin' air on Nickelodeon, we LOVE you and I mean we absolutely LOVE and ADORE??you! For pity's sake THANK YOU! We are all crossing our fingers that Avatar episodes will remain untouched and under the radar with Google's recent purchase of YT.
Second, I think many of the comments made in this thread make very good points but I would have to agree that Avatar, like 'Lord of the Rings' and others tend to follow classic literature epic??plot lines and as such it only makes sense that Jet would redeem himself just in time to die. The fact that Jet??apologizes to Aang in an apparent attempt to try to set his soul to rest by healing the rifts of the past only furthers to demonstrate this truth.
Avatar creators have such a monumental task in front of them. They designed??the show??to reach??primarily boys/teens 9-14 years of age and yet have managed to develop a diehard fanbase that doesn't at all fit into that category.
The untimely demise of Jet may have been planned from the beginning of the storyline. However I feel that younger??viewers who saw the scene and didn't catch that death might be the final??outcome most likely didn't??even think twice that Jet indeed had survived and as such they saw exactly what they needed to see. Older kids and adult viewers recognized Smellerbee closing Jets' eyes and knew??he had most likely died.
In this way Avatar creators were able to stay within the Y7 viewer rating while still allowing for some Avatar-appropriate plot twists at??the same time. Let's face it, Aang is alive for a specific purpose--to save the world. With that in mind and in keeping with the fact that two opposing forces are working at opposite poles to win, someone somewhere is likely to die.
I also wonder what has become??of Suki and the Kyoshi warriors and agree with other posters across the board that things??are building?? for an alliance??between Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph,??Zuko and??Iroh??with the purpose of Aang to learn firebending and defeat the Fire Lord and??for Zuko to stand against and apart from his father to make his own destiny.
My husband and I both shook our heads when we saw 'Lake Laogai' and said together that just when you think you've seen the very best Avatar you are struck once again with mouth hanging open and teary eyes, saying now THAT was the best episode ever! lol
