i'm like several years late to this but when the netflix atla show came out there was like a huge barrage of videos rightfully dunking on it. however across the board there was one change lots of reviewers, even reviewers whose media takes i generally respect, thought the netflix show did well. That Zuko's crew on the ship was comprised of the battalion he "saved" by speaking out against the generals plan in the war meeting. As if it added something meaningful to his character and his story arc that the original did not. And to this day that absolutely BOGGLES me. What are you people talking about. That change alone shows a complete lack of understanding of Ozai, Zuko's banishment, just like the entire POINT of this storyline in the first place. We don't even have to get into how they bungle the rest of it!!
ZUKO DIDN'T SAVE ANYBODY!!! Do you think Zuko was banished and burned and publicly humiliated for his suggestion, and then they turned around did what he said??? Those soldiers were sent to the frontlines. They died like the general planned. Why on EARTH would Ozai not only spare them, BUT GIVE ZUKO AN ENTIRE BATTALION THAT OWE HIM THEIR LIVES??? The point of this part of Zuko's backstory is that he was once compassionate by nature, but that in a culture that values cruelty, THAT DID NOT SERVE HIM!! Zuko internalizes that compassion is useless, and worse will get you nothing but more suffering for your trouble.
I get that the intention was maybe to prove to Zuko or the audience or whoever that it was still worth speaking out, even if you are punished for it. BUT HE ALREADY DOES LEARN THAT, FOR LIKE THE ENTIRE REST OF HIS CHARACTER ARC. That the battalion lived, that Ozai or the Fire Nation generals were at all moved at that point, that Zuko had any power or standing at all, completely bypasses the entire setup. It's such a glaring microcosm of everything wrong with the ethos of natla and tbh netflix second screen storytelling in general that it genuinely makes me feel crazy when people are like yeah no that part is good tho. how moving that he saved their lives.
you know I went and rewatched the storm just now and it did alter my read a little. It’s unclear in the scene whether the other generals at the war meeting would have agreed to this plan, because Zuko interjects immediately. Iroh says Zuko was right, but we also know he’s not really a model of what the rest of Fire Nation leadership think. Maybe the others would have argued as passionately against it. But I do think it’s telling that Zuko is only one who jumps out with immediate outcry, rather than the entire table blowing up at the mere idea. That alone says a lot. I think it would track for the plan to move forward, and I’ve always understood it to be implied. Ultimately though whether they actually went through with the plan is inconsequential as far as Zuko’s story. If they changed their minds in the end, it wasn’t because he spoke up.
Which is why I still hate it as a change in natla. For most of the points I said before, but also bc the 41st division isn’t, like, special. It’s the kind of Easter egg I really don’t care for, that gets in the way of the point. One of the takeaways of the storm as an episode is that even this random crew of Fire Nation soldiers, who Zuko has treated poorly this whole time, are horrified at the truth. It recontextualizes him from a bratty hot-headed prince whose dad put him in time out to an abused kid lashing out. The takeaway was notably not, “even though Zuko treats you like crap, you should be grateful because he suffered to save your life,” which is what this change effectively pivots the scene to
