I came in as a fan of the animated series, with high standards, and this season mostly met them. The opener felt right, the VFX is great, and the action is solid all the way through. Fewer, longer episodes give the story room to breathe.
Sokka is a clear favourite for me, and Zuko and Iroh grow on you fast. The spirit world horror and the flashbacks hit hard, and the episode that digs into Zuko's past stands out. Aang and Bumi's story is another highlight. Not everything lands. The season squeezes a lot of the original into a short run, and you can feel it. One episode juggles too many stories and loses focus, and the second-to-last one feels flat. I also wish Aang and Katara, the core of the story, got more room to grow.
7.5/10: It still isn't as great as the animated series. But the finale gets back to the original story, delivers real emotion, and sets up Season 2 well. I'm optimistic and I'll be watching.