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Avatar: The Last Airbender
S3.E17
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  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
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IMDbPro

The Ember Island Players

  • Episode aired Jul 18, 2008
  • TV-Y7
  • 25m
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
6.7K
YOUR RATING
Grey DeLisle in Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005)
Globetrotting AdventureQuestSupernatural FantasyActionAdventureAnimationFamilyFantasyMystery

The gang, now hiding at Ember Island, watch a play about themselves and their adventures.The gang, now hiding at Ember Island, watch a play about themselves and their adventures.The gang, now hiding at Ember Island, watch a play about themselves and their adventures.

  • Director
    • Giancarlo Volpe
  • Writers
    • Michael Dante DiMartino
    • Bryan Konietzko
    • Tim Hedrick
  • Stars
    • Zach Tyler Eisen
    • Mae Whitman
    • Jack De Sena
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.5/10
    6.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Giancarlo Volpe
    • Writers
      • Michael Dante DiMartino
      • Bryan Konietzko
      • Tim Hedrick
    • Stars
      • Zach Tyler Eisen
      • Mae Whitman
      • Jack De Sena
    • 13User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos22

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    Top cast13

    Edit
    Zach Tyler Eisen
    Zach Tyler Eisen
    • Aang
    • (voice)
    • …
    Mae Whitman
    Mae Whitman
    • Katara
    • (voice)
    Jack De Sena
    Jack De Sena
    • Sokka
    • (voice)
    • (as Jack DeSena)
    Michaela Jill Murphy
    Michaela Jill Murphy
    • Toph
    • (voice)
    • (as Jessie Flower)
    Dante Basco
    Dante Basco
    • Prince Zuko
    • (voice)
    Dee Bradley Baker
    Dee Bradley Baker
    • Appa
    • (voice)
    • …
    Jennie Kwan
    • Suki
    • (voice)
    • …
    Rachel Dratch
    Rachel Dratch
    • Actress Aang
    • (voice)
    Grey DeLisle
    Grey DeLisle
    • Actress Katara
    • (voice)
    Tara Strong
    Tara Strong
    • Actress Azula
    • (voice)
    Scott Menville
    Scott Menville
    • Actor Sokka
    • (voice)
    • …
    Derek Basco
    Derek Basco
    • Actor Zuko
    • (voice)
    • (as Derek Bosco)
    John DiMaggio
    John DiMaggio
    • Actor Toph
    • (voice)
    • …
    • Director
      • Giancarlo Volpe
    • Writers
      • Michael Dante DiMartino
      • Bryan Konietzko
      • Tim Hedrick
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews13

    8.56.6K
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    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    10matitya-33937

    Hilarious Recap Episode

    This episode serves two purposes 1) to avoid the "Previously on Avatar" becoming longer than the actual episode when the finale aired by having it recapitulate every major event of the show (which it did quite well) and 2) to create an honestly hilarious parody of the very show which aired it. And it was quite funny.

    Is it a filler episode? Yes but I don't care. It's funny. Does it really make sense for the playwright to know that much about the characters journey? No but that's in the same category as "why didn't Aang freeze to death when he was in the South Pole/North Pole when he's not dressed for that weather?" it's something that doesn't truly make sense but which we accept for the premise.

    Story and character-wise. Toph and Zuko have a nice heart to heart about Uncle Iroh and it works on Katara and Aang's relationship but that's not the part of the episode I most care about. I'm here for the humour and this episode more than delivers in that regard. Ten on ten.
    8dmyrwood

    Hilarious!

    So I literally just watched 23 minutes of our characters watching a stage play.....and I don't even care! This episode was hysterical! Again I find avatar makes the best filler episodes that are still very enjoyable to great. I do enjoy some theater myself so seeing a hilariously poorly done play of the characters story is so meta and funny! ( I mean those reactions from our gang oh those reactions!) and funny that even Soka and Toph just went along with it after a while! ( probably cuz their the ones that can accept humor the most) the only thing missing was them going up to the play manager and going " hey you didn't ask for the rights to our story!" 😆
    6Abdulxoxo

    Funny but quite lame at the same time

    While it's pretty obvious that this is a filler episode, just something to relax with before the big finale comes up. I like the idea of the main characters watching their caricatures selves being played by lousy actor ( except the one who played Zuko), it's actually quite funny but for 10 minutes or so, I wasn't expecting it to last for the whole episode. It started to get annoying about halfway through especially with how accurate the play gets with the actual events. I know, not supposed to overthink things, but how exactly do the Fire nation Playwriters get accurate details of what happened between the group, something that no one could ever know except the core members. I noticed a few reviewers mentioned this but their inputs weren't appreciated, apparently you can't criticize this show it seems, if not I thought this was a pretty obvious flaw and annoying aspect of this episode. Would have make more sense if it was the group goofing around, recalling what happened and playing one another. Just saying.
    9OphisPeristera

    Great catch-up episode

    An excellent way of getting newer viewers up to speed on what they missed prior to starting.
    9and_mikkelsen

    This is how you do a recap!

    Somehow this episode manages to do what almost every other show fails to do.. it makes a recap episode actually worth watching, and put its own creative hilarious take on it!

    This episode shows, thst this show knows exactly what It is, and therefore is able to make fun of both its mistakes, as well as the things that worked quite well!

    Its hilariously absurd, and beats Nightmare and Daydreams as my personal, funniest episode!

    For those calling it filler, we also get some important development between Aang and Katara, as Aang tries to tell Katara how he feels right before the finale!

    Things even get more serious kn the end, when we are reminded that the biggest fight is yet to come!

    Best Emmys Moments

    Best Emmys Moments
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    Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
    Globetrotting Adventure
    Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr in The Wizard of Oz (1939)
    Quest
    Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson in Ghostbusters (1984)
    Supernatural Fantasy
    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, and Mari Natsuki in Spirited Away (2001)
    Animation
    Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
    Family
    Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
    Fantasy
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Derek Basco, who plays Actor Zuko, is the brother of Dante Basco, the voice actor for Zuko.
    • Goofs
      Suki's lipstick disappears when she says, "I think I can get you backstage."
    • Quotes

      [a boy wearing an Aang costume holds his arms out like wings, pretending to fly as he runs past Toph, Zuko, Suki and Sokka in the hallway]

      Kid: Whee-ee-ee!

      Sokka: Suki! What are the chances you can get me backstage? I got some jokes I want to give to the actor me.

      [Suki frowns as she faces him]

      Suki: [seriously] I'm an elite warrior who's trained for many years in the art of stealth.

      [smiles]

      Suki: I think I could get you backstage.

      [they go]

      Toph Beifong: Geez, everyone's getting so upset about their characters. Even *you* seem more down than usual, and that's saying something.

      Zuko: You don't get it. It's different for you. You get a muscly version of yourself taking down ten bad guys at once and making sassy remarks.

      Toph Beifong: Yeah, that's pretty great.

      Zuko: But for me, it takes all the mistakes I've made in my life and shoves them back in my face. My uncle, he's always been on my side, even when things were bad. He was there for me, he taught me so much, and how do I repay him? With a knife in his back! It's my greatest regret, and I may never get to redeem myself.

      Toph Beifong: [sits down next to Zuko] You *have* redeemed yourself to your uncle. You don't realise it, but you already have.

      Zuko: How do you know?

      Toph Beifong: Because I once had a long conversation with the guy, and all he would talk about was you.

      Zuko: [removes his hood] Really?

      Toph Beifong: Yeah, and it was kind of annoying.

      Zuko: Oh, sorry.

      Toph Beifong: [leans on Zuko's shoulder] But it was also very sweet. All your uncle wanted was for you to find your own path and see the light. Now you're here with us. He'd be proud.

      [Zuko smiles until Toph slams her fist into his arm]

      Zuko: [rubs his arm] Ow! What was that for?

      Toph Beifong: That's how I show affection.

      [the boy in the Aang costume returns and stops in front of them]

      Kid: Your Zuko costume's pretty good, but your scar's on the wrong side.

      [leaves]

      Zuko: [grits his teeth] The scar's *not* on the wrong side!

      [pulls his hood up and sulks]

    • Connections
      Featured in Nostalgia Critic: The Last Airbender (2013)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 18, 2008 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • South Korea
    • Language
      • English
    • Production company
      • Nickelodeon Animation Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 25m
    • Sound mix
      • 3 Channel Stereo

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