In February 2024, Netflix’s eagerly awaited live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender finally debuted, and it has already been renewed for a second season. Avatar: The Last Airbender, which is based on the same-titled animated series, centers on a kid named Aang who is the Avatar, the one who has been prophesied to destroy the Fire Nation and save the world. One of the most adored television series of the 2000s is the original animated series, so Netflix’s adaptation had a lot of shoes to fill, particularly after the 2010 film’s failure.

Perhaps one of the most hyped Netflix original series of all time, Avatar: The Last Airbender debuted to middling reviews. Though the visuals of the series have been praised by nearly every major critic, outlets like Variety called it “a beautifully crafted disappointment”. While the initial reaction has been somewhat harsh and polarized, the audience reception will ultimately decide the fate of Avatar. Many streaming-exclusive shows fare poorly with critics but end up surviving because they build a large fanbase. Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is just the beginning of Aang’s epic journey.