@nivalingreenhow:
I agree with all of this. I also think it's a lot of sloppy and bad writing on the show's part. It's really only mentioned once or twice, and if it was such a big deal, it should have gotten more attention.
IA totally, I think it’s a topic too big to squeeze into a Plot B (or Plot C) to wrap over just two episodes, much less if you’re only going to imply it from throwaway lines. Kya’s line “we’re Aang’s kids too!” was the most interesting line in that conversation, but I’m also confused because I don’t know precisely what it implied: is she frustrated with feeling like her dad ignored her, or frustrated with how others see her? both?
this has also reminded me of a scene where I think an Air Acolyte looks over Kya and Bumi when they get to the temple, so I went to look it up and damn:
Bumi [at a nearby Air Acolyte]: S'cuse me, a little help here? Acolyte: Sorry, I thought you were the servants. Bumi: We're Tenzin's brother and sister! Acolyte: Avatar Aang had other children? The world is filled with more airbenders?! Kya: We're not airbenders. Acolyte: Oh ... I'm so sorry.
I had completely forgotten about this, but jeez, y’know I’d be mad too if I were them lmao. combined with how Tenzin talks about the trips he had with Aang, I can understand how hearing Tenzin go on about Aang probably got on their nerves. (which, rereading over Tenzin’s lines, it does sound a lot like Tenzin was just highlighting the fun parts, not the academic or spiritual parts. I thought Bumi had just pulled that bit about elephant koi out of nowhere, but my fault, it does really sound like that’s all Aang was doing with Tenzin 🤨)
this was clearly an "older sibling struggle” subplot to parallel the “Ikki struggling with her siblings” subplot, but like, being biracial and feeling excluded from your dad’s cultural legacy and is wayyyy too big a topic to squeeze into a few throwaway scenes for some flavor. there are other ways to create conflict without making the entire cloud family feel straight-up unhealthy due to Aang’s parenting. I can understand the fandom frustration a little more now (I still do think taking Tenzin on private trips does not make him the worst dad, but now I question what the writers were imagining those trips were actually like, because the way characters repeat that they were straight-up “vacations” feels bizarre and pretty unlikely given Aang would want to use that time to teach Tenzin privately. I have no doubt they had fun while they were alone, but it’s weird that they kept stressing in characters’ lines that that’s all they did together).
