Published June 25, 2026, 2:00 p.m. ET

One of the things we enjoyed about the first season of Netflix‘s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender was that the world-building was done in a way that it could bring in new viewers as well as satisfy fans of the original cartoon series. What we enjoy about Season 2 is that the world is now in place, but the characters are embarking on an adventure that feels simultaneously new and part of the bigger story.

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER SEASON 2: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? 

Opening Shot: Shots of an Earthbender, a Waterbender, a Firebender and an Airbender. We hear Katara (Kiawentiio) talk about how Aang (Gordon Cormier), the last remaining Airbender, is also the Avatar, able to marshal all four of the planet’s natural forces. He still has lots to learn, but he’s needed to keep the Fire Nation from taking over the planet.

The Gist:  The Fire Nation, led by Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim), has been aggressively attacking groups of humans and trying to bend them to his will. An example of this is the group of Omashu chased out of the woods by the Fire Nation’s soldiers, including Sai The Mechanist (Danny Pudi) and Amita (Rekha Sharma). Aang, along with Katara, who is a Waterbender, and her brother Sokka (Ian Ousley) come to the group’s aid, and Sokka is surprised when Suki (Maria Zhang), the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, also shows up.

The Fire Nation’s threat is getting bigger and the need for Aang to master earthbending is paramount. He feels he can just spring his mentor King Bumi (Utkarsh Ambudkar) from his captivity in the Fire Nation kingdom, but Bumi wants to stay locked up, in order to protect his people from further attacks by Ozai’s soldiers.

In the meantime, Ozai’s son, Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu) is in hiding with his Uncle Iroh (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), picking vegetables on a farm in the Earth kingdom. Zuko hates feeling like a fugitive, which is when Iroh has to remind him, “We are fugitives.” Zuko is still looking to find and kill Aang, and hates that he has to hide out with Iroh.

Ozai’s ruthless daughter, Azula (Elizabeth Yu), is confident that her plan to take over the planet is sound, but Ozai wants her to go find Zuko and bring him back into the family fold. She’s not only surprised that he’s still alive but also that her father is willing to give him a pardon, given his treasonous behavior.

Aang leads the group of Omashu to safety in the Earth kingdom, where he can also get some earthbending experience, but the only way there is via a mountainous pass. As Aang and Katara help move water so the group can pass, a massive sea serpent attacks. This is where Katara finally is able to teach Aang how to use his powers to heal.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Avatar: The Last Airbender is a live-action remake of the 2005-08 Nickelodeon animated series of the same name. There is also a 2010 film, The Last Airbender, that was directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

Our Take: New showrunners Christine Boylan and Jabbar Raisani and their writers have definitely done somewhat of a reset of Season 2 of the live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender. While there is certainly a lot of carryover from the events from Season 1, the recap at the start of the first episode helps get new viewers into the story, as well as set the stage for what feels like a new adventure.

It’s a feat to pull off a second-season story that feels like a continuation of the first season but feels like it starts at a point where new viewers can start watching without a lot of confusion. It helps that Aang and the group around them have built a chemistry that allows viewers to latch onto their relationships even if the quest that they go on isn’t as interesting or is hard to follow.

And the stories that have been built among all the characters is where the show becomes fun. Aang has really built a reliance on Katara and Sokka, and the brother-sister vibe between Katara and Sokka generates some chuckles. Sokka and Suki are starting a halting but sweet romance. Even the sibling rivalry between Zuko and Azula comes through, despite the fact that the characters don’t share the screen in the first episode.

The relationships that have already been forged lend more urgency to the battles and fights, which are all done well in the first episode. It’s interesting to see how much Aang — and, for that matter, Gordon Cormier — has changed since the first season. Aang is not only physically bigger but has gotten more mature in his outlook. He can handle the pressure to protect everyone but also acknowledge the help that his friends have given him.

Performance Worth Watching: Elizabeth Yu gives Azula the right combination of seething evil and a simmering need to be seen and heard.

Sex And Skin: None. This show is really appropriate for the family, including kids 8 and up.

Parting Shot: Zuko decides to leave Iroh and go find Aang on his own.

Sleeper Star: We were wondering if Danny Pudi was going to get more than one line in the first episode, then he gives Aang and friends a warning about an oncoming comet that may end up making the Fire Nation even more powerful once it hits.

Most Pilot-y Line: “The path winds like a snake. I bet that’s why they call it Serpent’s Pass,” Sokka says to Katara. “Nothing gets by you,” she mockingly tells him. How wrong she was…

Our Call: STREAM IT. Avatar: The Last Airbender has a good combination of character chemistry, an adventure that’s fun to follow, and good special effects, and that continues into Season 2.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.