Book 1, Chapter 14: The Fortuneteller

The Fortuneteller is a humorous episode that also has an interesting message about destiny. Is our destiny truly set? Can you really tell the future? If you're smart and read the signs (omens) and people correctly, most of the time you're right. In many cases, the truth is written all over our faces! However, we are all free to reshape our destiny if we so desire. What a great message for adults and kids alike! This cute episode is surprisingly enjoyable to watch.

Let's get started here, but first of all, this fish is tripping me out:

One of the more mature and interesting plot lines of Book 1 is the loss of Katara's necklace. She has been without it for 8 episodes now. Aang makes her this new necklace, but it's obvious that Katara doesn't feel the same way about it; she drops the necklace right after this first scene. We don't know the whole story yet, but we can tell her old one has special meaning.

And... FRIENDZONED!! LOL

In one of the funniest parts of the episode, the platypus bear lays an egg out of fear and runs away. It's kind of sad if you think about it, because she's sacrificing her unborn baby as a defense mechanism.

One of Aunt Wu's many assistants, this dude looks pretty cool:

Take a look at the painting behind them. This is, in fact, their fortune, because in the next episode the Gaang commandeers a small boat. Just one of many cool easter eggs in this episode.

While Aunt Wu is reading Katara's fortune, Aang sneaks up to the door to listen in. He overhears of Katara's future love, "I can see that he's a very powerful bender." That's ALL that Aang wanted or needed to hear.

With one look at Sokka, the Fortuneteller knew... "Your future is full of struggle and anguish. Most of it self-inflicted." Throughout the episode, the writers try to drive home that point crystal clear. When Sokka throws a rock in frustration, it ricochets off a sign and hits him in the head. In another instance, a rock hits a duck and it flys over to attack him. Perhaps this is a literal translation for a simple truth: When we are unnecessarily angry and frustrated, that negative energy usually comes back to bite us in some form.

I don't have anything to say about the following few screenshots. I just thought they were funny.

The Panda Lily theme is beautiful.

"Can your science explain why it rains?"

"YES! YES IT CAN!"

This was a great scene. Meng tells Aang (weird similarity in name) that it's hard when someone you love doesn't feel the same way about you. This is mirrored with Aang and Katara. Katara merely thinks of Aang as her friend, but Aang is starting to develop deeper feelings for her. This scene was a clever way to show the mirrored relationship between these 3 characters. Like I've said before, this show is filled with interesting metaphors and film techniques that you wouldn't catch on the first viewing.

We're introduced to a new form of water bending: cloudbending! The Gaang takes fate into their own hands.

These twins are unique to the show so far, in that one is an earthbender and the other is a non-bender. This demonstrates that you're not guaranteed to be a bender if you have bending parents. Genetics... Also note that the earthbender child isn't wearing shoes, because this allows him to have a better connection with the ground.

Was Aunt Wu wrong? I mean, technically, she wasn't. It's interesting to debate and think about.

I didn't notice until now just how creepy this scene was. Why do the gravestones have faces on them?

In an extremely epic scene, Aang uses airbending to cool the lava flow and save the village. In a future episode, one of the previous incarnations of the Avatar also fought a volcano using this technique. This really fits with the fortunetelling/destiny theme of the episode, and shows you just how well-thought out ATLA really is. The creators began with the end in mind.

Sokka: "Sometimes I forget what a powerful bender that kid is."

"I'll tell you a little secret, young airbender. Just as you reshaped those clouds, you have the power to reshape your own destiny."

I think it's important for us to feel like we have power over our own destiny. Here's a quote from one of my favorite movies, The Matrix:

MORPHEUS: Do you believe in fate, Neo?
NEO: No.
MORPHEUS: Why not?
NEO: Because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life.

In both The Matrix and Avatar: The Last Airbender, fate and destiny are central themes. Where does fate begin and our own free will end? Aang is the Avatar, and is destined to redeem the mistakes of the past and save the world. Neo, whether he knew it or not, was destined to be The One. He could easily have chosen to take the blue pill, could he not? But that's not who he is. They had a choice, to a degree. But "destiny" will usually intervene and pull them towards the right path, because that is who they are.
One cannot keep lying to himself, otherwise it causes inner turmoil. Aang lied constantly about his true nature; he lied about being the Avatar. We later learn how much damage this has caused...

The episode ends with Meng muttering "Floozy" at Katara. Floozy means, "a gaudily dressed, usually immoral woman, especially a prostitute." Still think this is a kid's show?

Conclusion: 

The Fortuneteller is a cleverly written episode, and I really enjoyed it. It explores some interesting topics, both to the story and also ourselves. Only the best writing accomplishes this.

This is also one of the more humorous episodes in the Avatar saga.

I give The Fortuneteller 8.5 out of 10 panda lilies.

Thank you so much for reading, and until next time, peace.