Avatar Aang thoughts (Well, something that bothered me enough that I spent a dream trying to fix it)
Avatar, since Korra, is really bad at showing oppression. You have the Denied going "we need power" and you have Sokka sort of being bothered by it in the intro but it never really like... goes anywhere? We never see it. I feel like there was a scene that was removed or something and I really wish that they engaged with this more meaningfully because as it is it sorta reads like
Denied "we need power to protect ourselves" -> "we're evil for wanting this" -> "we're destined to do great harm if we ever try to protect ourselves and people will die" -> "we're delusional because there is literally no evidence of oppression anywhere" -> "much like Sokka if we just work harder and put our minds to it, we can overcome our innate differences and allow the benders to take care of us!"
Which... is... uncomfortable...
Instead what I wish had happened was y'know that silly Sokka intro? We can work that and keep it silly and fun but we move it to the governing body of the Southern Water Tribe. Katara should not be the leader (I think she was...) because she lives in Republic City. Instead, she should be ambassador (if she already is, my bad) and Sokka should have been given a very important government job. He's actually super qualified, and Katara thinks he has been, but because he's not a bender, he's been shunted off into basically a closet, where people ignore him and children visit and so his going through the whole "I was super important" section is still silly but also, like, showing that he hasn't really gotten anywhere. Make one of the kids into a nonbender who is super excited to meet Sokka, disappointed he's not where he's supposed to be [insert brief flash back of him trying to argue, being belittled and ultimately removed from the room for being "unqualified" to talk about these issues because he's a non-bender. Mention something about how he's only there because of Katara's insistence and his connection with the Avatar]. But after hearing how useful he was the kid is dazzled again, Sokka lies about his real office being under repairs and the kid asks "so I can be anything?" And Sokka puts on his big brother attitude and ruffles their hair like "yup! You can even become [insert stupid title that means nothing and everything]".
BAM we got evidence that this is an issue. Sokka would never tell Katara or Aang because he doesn't want Katara to intervene (he can't have her pull strings he should have this. He should be smart enough to figure this out. Didn't she?) and Aang would tell Katara or worse intervene and now he has a position because the Avatar got involved. Nothing to Zuko because he thinks Zuko's too busy doing fire lord stuff, also, that's just not the type of thing he'd send. He sends stupid stuff there to irk him, not general pleas for help. He doesn't talk to Suki about it because Suki doesn't exist in this movie apparently (she has a cameo) The only person who does know and he does talk to this about is Toph because
she will never mention this to anyone unless directly prompted
she has no interest in changing a system that doesn't work for her, she will literally just break it and start over. So her advice here has always been "why don't you just work for me then?" Or "I don't know why you're wasting your time. They're not going to change" [colored by her struggles with the Beifong family]. She's annoyed that he keeps mentioning it, but also, she gets it and is a little blunt about it but she does listen.
And NOW you have the perfect storm so when the oppression bit comes up and everyone starts to brush it off Sokka gets uncharacteristically quiet or tries to sneak away and Toph goes "no, they're right." And then she just makes Sokka tell everyone. And he tries to downplay it but it's obvious this is a real problem he struggles with and everyone else is horrified that they didn't know while Toph is cleaning her ear like "don't you guys ever listen?"
How do I propose they solve this issue, you ask?
Uhm, likely they just make a promise to listen and try. It ultimately must fail because the timeline needs to add up in Korra. So maybe there are some strides and then a backslide after the Avatar who was the one forcing a lot of changes through, dies and then a rewriting of the history to pretend this small gain never happened.
Other (minor) things we could add!
The Denied has been trying to meet with Aang. In the first meeting when they fight and he says "can't we talk it out", "we've been trying!" this is a point for a brief gag that exists when Aang comes back from the temple and Katara's super happy to see him, hugs him. Pulls out a letter and says something about him getting mail. He hugs her back and says I'll put it with the others [cut away to just a chair/desk covered in paperwork and cobwebs], the envelope reads something about a meeting request. We see *le gasp* that they have been trying.
In that scene where Aang is being all angsty about being the last air bender and does the brace against the window frame bit while talking about how Katara can't relate
have Katara say she can relate because she's the last of the southern water tribe (potentially indicate that he's only so lonely because he wants to feel that way, that he can bring back the practice, if not the air temple)
have Aang point out that they wouldn't be benders and at the same time reinforce that 1. he also has biases to non benders and 2. point out to Katara that she's not as alone as he is because her sister tribe survived
This'll give that scene when he chooses Tagah over her and his friends more meaning too. Also makes it so much better when he accepts the rebels into the air temple.
Things that would be nice to have but wouldn't be strictly needed.
Make it so Katara and Zuko are both vaguely aware of the denied but they also had more important stuff to get to (indicate some sort of familiarity with the idea, they likely brushed it off too because this would be a blind spot for both of them. It's not malicious mind you, they're just an oppressing class)
When things with Aang falter have Tagah have an odd interest in Sokka, they bond briefly on growing up in a world as non-benders, but just when they're getting close to being true friends, Tagah says, something and Sokka puts on that "haha totally" act and shoves a ton of space between him and Tagah. Tries to point out to Aang that the dude feels weird.
Spend a SINGLE scene with the Denied so we can figure out what the fuck kind of oppression they've been facing omg. Why are y'all willing to die en masse for this?? Then the "I'm not like you, the world hasn't been kind to me" moment might land better and then Katara can say "it hasn't been to me either [because it fucking hasn't], I understand what it feels like to be so mad at the world [but we can choose to be kind anyway] or [but giving into rage will destroy/corrupt what you're trying to protect]" or some equally heartfelt bullshit that is at the core of Katara's character (I don't think she's a bullshit character (I mean this movie version kinda is but OG Katara was a great character) but I do think that, sometimes, people just gotta die man) and that could be the moment our rebel girl opens her eyes like "oh shit"
