Few animated series have been as rich and complex as Avatar: The Last Airbender. Showcasing emotionally deep characters and thrilling story arcs, the show was beloved by many and has spawned a sequel The Legend Of Korra, plus an ill-received live-action film. The following are ten of the best episodes from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
10. "The Spirit World (Winter Solstice, Part 1)" While the early episodes were entertaining it was this first season story that really began embellishing the show's mythos with airbender Aang's spiritual meeting with the previous Avatar.
9. "The Blue Spirit" Aang's primary antagonist for the first season was exiled Prince Zuko who was wracked with anger and confusion. While previous episodes in the first season showed Zuko's ambiguous nature, this one had him assume more of an anti-heroic role.
7. "Appa's Lost Days" Aang's beloved flying bison Appa was stolen during the second season. This episode shows what happened to Appa after he was abducted by the sandbenders. Add extra points if you are an animal lover and hate seeing animal cruelty. 
4. "The Day Of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse" In the show, there was a prophecy that the Fire Lord would be weakest during an eclipse (because firebenders derive their power from the sun). Aang, his companions and allies make an ill-fated attempt to attack the Fire Lord and his forces in this third-season episode. This one also marks the point where Zuko completely turns against his father and decides to aid Aang.
3. "Zuko Alone" Aang and his companions do not appear in this second-season episode which seems a lot like a western. By himself, Zuko arrives in an Earth Kingdom village as a mysterious stranger and assumes a heroic, lone gunfighter type of role against thuggish soldiers. Viewers also see flashbacks to his younger days and see his troubled family life. Though revered by villagers, the episode's outcome is rather depressing for this anti-hero.
2. "Tales Of Ba Sing Se" This second-season episode is really a series of vignettes about each major character. While the stories were amusing and presented interesting looks at the characters during quiet moments, the standout was Uncle Iroh's tale. Throughout the series Iroh is shown to be a gentle, light-hearted, wise man who counsels Zuko and teaches his nephew right from wrong. In the story, Iroh travels solo around the city and humorously interacts with several citizens. At the end of the story, the mood changes dramatically as Iroh tearfully sings a song for his dead son during the anniversary of his son's birthday.
1. "Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang" This is the final episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender and it goes out in a blazing glory. Aang and his friends have a final battle with the Fire Nation and Fire Lord Ozai. The airbender embraces his destiny and mission and becomes a fully realized Avatar during his fateful, spectacular battle with Ozai. The animation was amazing, awe-inspiring and a bit frightening as viewers witnessed the true nature of an Avatar's powers. Also many of the other characters confronted their enemies and most plot points were resolved except for one -what happened to Zuko's mother; this seemed to tease viewers of another story (which was alluded to in the first episode of The Legend of Korra), which has yet to be told. Top Ten Summer Movie Blockbusters
Ever since the release of Jaws in 1975, the summer movie season has been defined by blockbusters that captured the public's imagination even after the summer ended. Putting aside actual box office hauls, here are the best genre blockbusters that were truly phenomenal in the summers they were released. Not only were they their summers' largest hits but they were solidly in the public's consciousness during those summers.
10. Independence Day (1996): This alien invasion spectacular boasts eye-popping special effects and sequences like the unforgettable image of the White House (and N.Y.C, L.A. and Washington, D.C.) being decimated by alien spaceships.
9. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (2011): One of the biggest box office hits of all time is the concluding chapter in the Harry Potter film series which is about the young wizard's final confrontation with the evil Lord Voldemort.
8. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982): Steven Spielberg's masterpiece about a boy who befriends a stranded, kindly alien pulled the heartstrings of many audiences back in that glorious summer of 1982 that boasted so many future sci-fi classics.
7. Spider-Man (2002): The first big Marvel superhero blockbuster fulfilled many comic book fans dreams of seeing a big-budget adaptation of Marvel's most popular superhero. Thanks to superb directing, acting and special effects, Spider-Man helped propel the modern-day renaissance of superhero movies.
6. Jurassic Park (1993): Dinosaurs are convincingly brought back to life thanks to revolutionary CG effects that forever changed films. Even though CGI had been utilized before, Steven Spielberg used his filmmaking magic to capture audiences' imaginations as humans interacted with dinosaurs.
5. The Empire Strikes Back (1980): A.K.A. Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. It's the first and best Star Wars sequel and the benchmark for sequels in terms of box office receipts and creativity. This film dispelled any qualms fans had about inferior sequels and ruled the movie theaters that summer.
4. Batman (1989): The first real superhero blockbuster film modernized the Caped Crusader and made him cool again. Despite its flaws (a villain who stole the film, Michael Keaton's questionable casting as Batman, the fragmented plot), the film was the biggest summer event for that year where everyone had to be seen wearing the famous bat logo on their shirts. Though Christopher Nolan's Batman films are considered superior, many still refer to Batman as the standard-bearer.
3. The Avengers (2012): It was only recently released but The Avengers has proven to be a huge phenomenon. On its way to becoming the biggest box-office hit of all time, this film is about several Marvel superheroes teaming up to fight a threat they couldn't handle on their own and set new standards in superhero films. It's so huge that in this day and age of DVDs and downloads available just weeks after a film release, people are seeing this multiple times in theaters.
2. Jaws (1975): It's the father of the modern-day summer blockbuster. Back in the day, people literally lined up around the block for weeks to be thrilled by Steven Spielberg's first big hit. Many were too scared to go to beaches after seeing this film about a killer great white shark that terrorized a New England beach community. Jaws revolutionized the concept of repeat viewings, mega merchandising, marketing and set the stage for the modern summer movie season.
1. Star Wars (1977): For you youngsters that's Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope; anyway this is THE summer movie epic. Spawning sequels, spinoffs and gazillions of merchandising that continues to this day, Star Wars was the zeitgeist of not only that summer but for science fiction movies and blockbusters in general. The film continues to enthrall many with its timeless tale that takes place in a galaxy far, far away about a group of rebel heroes against an evil galactic empire. It's so popular that its re-releases drew in huge numbers despite its availability in home media for years. Unquestionably, Star Wars was a game-changer.
Lewis T. Grove