Harris LapiroffThe dialogue in the new Avatar TV live action adaptation is so distractingly bad. #tv
Just heavy-handed, on-the-nose, full of clumsy exposition. I feel like it was written by a committee full of people going, “Do you think people are going to get this? Should we be clearer?” That might be forgivable if it was also fun (as the cartoon was) but it isn’t even that… basically none of the jokes land. Agh.
The best I can say so far is that it’s very pretty and the Kiyoshi costumes are good. Also I do totally believe Zuko is a 16 year old boy.
“Did the writers watch the cartoon or did they just read the wiki???”
Why is Iroh so serious and not perma-stoned???
Tamlyn Tomita is acting the hell out of this part though.
WHY IS KIYOSHI HERE
The pacing is so off. They just can’t stand to draw out any unknowns. They tee something up and then reveal it immediately so it doesn’t pack any punch. It’s actually bewildering.
They even switched around the order of the storytelling in the first episode just to make sure the audience knew who the Avatar was and his entire backstory right from the outset. 😵💫
And Bumi reveals his identity before his trials? Why? This is also immediately preceded by a flashback scene that introduces child Bumi as Aang’s childhood friend. A series of revelations that should be fun and surprising is just a joyless check ticking sequence of references to a better show.
My housemate is uncomfortable that the “lovers” in this adaptation are siblings. “It feels weird. I don’t like it.”
Alright, we’re stopping with episode four for the night. There’s only so much we can abuse our sensibilities.
Why am I over halfway through this show and Aang hasn’t made the mildest attempt to or even considered bending anything but air?
Zuko’s actor is the only one who seems like he studied his lines at some point before filming.
I don’t need adaptations to slavishly adhere to their source material, but it just feels like someone wildly misunderstood what made Iroh a lovable character.
Aang just killing dudes
lytta 
@harris well that's..... about the most OOC thing they could have aang do (unless he's in the avatar state)
@lytta They don’t acknowledge that he’s killing people buuuuuut when you throw a bunch of people off a city wall with air bending and it’s live action it uh has a different vibe
@harris oh lmao true. there are definitely some elements of the story that are softened by it being a kid friendly cartoon, even while addressing some more mature topics. (see also, a thing that obviously doesn't get addressed much in animated fantastical kids shows: the whole child soldier thing)
@harris this also brings to mind that ive definitely seen people point out about some of the battles in the original that, okay wait, pretty sure those people the gaang tossed off a ship or an airship wouldn't have survived that