It's been an amazing ride for Avatar: The Last Airbender fans.  The four-part finale, Sozin’s Comet, is a beautifully cinematic end to an epic series.  While there are certainly some aspects that are bound to annoy or disappoint fans, it’s overall as thrilling a conclusion to the show as we could have hoped for.  It's a nice touch that the Fire Nation is, in the end, brought down by the same three kids we saw in the very first episode.  Toph, Suki, Zuko, and the Order of the White Lotus all play important roles, of course.  But it is Sokka's plan that stops the Fire Nation fleet from razing the Earth Kingdom, it's Katara's waterbending that finally takes down Fire Lord Azula, and it’s Aang who fulfills his destiny by defeating the self-proclaimed Phoenix King Ozai.

While much of Aang’s journey has taught him to accept the responsibility that comes with being the Avatar, it’s true to both the character and the genre that he still refuses to become a killer.  He’s certainly shown impressive skill in all areas of bending, but he’s never had the warrior inclination that even Katara has developed along the way.  Even the fact that his previous incarnations believe that killing the Fire Lord isn’t enough to sway him.  His final solution to the Ozai problem is a fitting end to the war – Aang stays true to himself and Ozai faces an even more humiliating fate than if the Avatar had simply killed him.  Although both the encounter with the lion turtle and the release of the Avatar state come across as more than a bit deus ex machina, destiny has often played an important role in Aang’s quest, especially when the Spirit World is involved.  While it might be hard for many fans to swallow, it does work.  In a way.

While there was plenty of groundwork laid in previous chapters for the finale overall, there are still some additional story elements that are introduced a bit too late in the game to work as well as they could have,  Zuko’s attack on Aang and the revelation of the threat to the Earth Kingdom early in the first chapter felt a little bit off.   While the flashback did a great job of showing the specifics of what pushed Zuko to turn on his father, it still a bit difficult to believe that Zuko wouldn’t say anything to Aang and the others.  Perhaps he felt guilt over the fact that he helped inspire such a brutal course of action, but there’s no way for the audience to know.  It’s even harder to swallow that Zuko wouldn’t have been told about such a drastic change to the battle plan.  Wasn’t a significant focus of the last bunch of episodes showing Zuko was bonding with the group?

On the other hand, there are some truly wonderful character moments worked into the finale that really shine.  One of the most fascinating elements of these episodes was Azula’s complete breakdown.  Having always been one of the calmest and most collected characters in the series, the transformation was even more striking than the Katara Smash story a couple of episodes back.  Things are clearly off with her when she whines at Ozai about being left behind; it’s a stark contrast to the Azula who almost seemed to toy with her father in the war meeting flashback.  Likewise, the Azula who loved to manipulate those around her is gone.  Her lone failure with her friends clearly shattered not only her trust in others but her confidence in her own abilities.  Her hallucination of her mother is particularly interesting, as the vision appears to be a completely accurate portrayal.  Nothing hurts Azula, an expert liar if there ever was one, more than the truth.  The butchered hair is a nice touch as well, the uneven look mirroring her mental state.  Azula has always been a far more layered character than her father, so it was good to see her story get the screentime it deserved.

There were also plenty of returning characters and cameos to satisfy long-time fans of the show.  The inclusion of June was a bit gratuitous but, seeing as she was such a fan favorite, not unexpected.   Not to mention that she was a convenient way to lead the Aangless Gaang to the mysterious Order of the White Lotus, which turns out to be a veritable Lovable Old Character Bonanza.  The reunion between Zuko and Iroh is as touching as one would expect.  Along with Master Paku (who we learn married Gran Gran in a short but sweet scene), Jeong Jeong, Master Piandao, and King Bumi, Iroh takes Ba Sing Se back in one of the more fun sequences in the episodes.

The action sequences in the finale certainly didn’t disappoint.  While the first two episodes might have seemed a bit slow for those who wanted an edge-of-their-seat bending brawl, the last two more than made up for it.   With four consecutive battles going on, each manages to maintain its own flavor, preventing the last two episodes from being mere eye candy.  In addition to seeing the various Masters at work, there was the tech and tactics of the airship battle, the tragic culmination of a lifetime of sibling rivalry, and of course the explosive final fight between good and evil, with all the power and property damage you could ask for.   While it wasn’t just eye candy, there was certainly plenty to be had for all.

The conclusion is much what one would expect had they been paying any attention to the series.  Good wins, the heroes are happy, and the preestablished relationships hold true.  While there are certain to be some very unhappy shippers out there, they can’t say that they weren’t given ample warning about the way things were going to turn out.  There are some unanswered questions, most notable being the fate of Zuko and Azula’s mother which appears to have been deliberately been left unresolved.  While the TV series is definitely over, there is a glimmer of hope that we haven’t seen the very last of this universe and these characters quite yet, upcoming live-action film trilogy notwithstanding.