Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 review: More than just a live-action copy of the cartoon

The first season of the live-action adaptation struggled under the weight of translation. It tried to hit the same comedic beats of a Saturday morning cartoon while simultaneously showing Fire Nation soldiers burning people alive, creating a sense of tonal whiplash that didn’t stick for most viewers. Season 2 solves this dilemma by allowing the subject matter, writing, and themes to grow up, both literally and metaphorically.