In which Michelle and Hailey chew slowly and thoughtfully over “The Firebending Masters,” an episode which (in spite of certain drawbacks) certainly leaves them with what to work with on the philosophical side of things. They also discuss a rather surprising factoid about Iroh, make blatant reference to the not-so-subtle nods to “Indiana Jones”, and (in a return to form) even report a sliver of movie news. In addition, they ponder dragons and the time, and are quite proud to have produced this episode a mere five days after the previous one. (Go us. Totally.)
Bendercast: Be like Toph and listen.
In which Michelle and Hailey return (yes, again) with the first NEW episode in a nearly unhealthy length of time, “The Western Air Temple.” It’s a touch on the brief side, but they do engage in some thought-provoking character discussion, a few thoughts on our old friend Combustion Man, and (most importantly) a summary of how they will progress with the final episodes of Book Three. Don’t forget to email your reactions to the finale!
Fact: The final nine episodes of our beloved show came out last week.
Fact: We were too entangled in our day-to-day lives to watch the episodes immediately.
Fact: A few hours ago, we purchased all of Book Three on iTunes, and as of about 20 minutes ago, have concluded our screening of the episodes up to and including the finale.
Fact: We are BLOWN AWAY by the JAW DROPPING spectacularity of Avatar’s conclusion. As in WE FREAKING LOVED IT.
Fact: We will therefore return (though of course, we would have done so anyway) with our recaps and in-depth discussions beginning with The Western Air Temple as soon as we possibly can.
Fact: Ergo, you, our dear, dear listeners, should most definitely stay tuned for for our new episodes, which should be released shortly.
Fact: Finally, you should in no way hesitate to begin emailing us (at bendercast@yahoo.com) with your reactions to the finale; our finale-’cast is sure to be packed to brim with our own opinions, and we really want to hear yours as well!
And so, at last, we are yours in Aang’s glowiness,
Michelle and Hailey
In which Michelle and Hailey return, somewhat bedraggled, to their podcasting duties, and set about discussing the brilliantly complex “Zuko Alone.” As they attempt to slide back into their groove, they reference a few Broadway shows, discuss the enigma of Ursa, and examine the wonderful and terrible gamut of good and evil. Several box-office hits also receive a mention, as does M. Night Shyamalan (again) and Michelle and Hailey are compelled to expound upon the perils of podcasting while sleep deprived.
In which Michelle and Hailey can at last revel in the glory of their beloved Toph, Queen of All That is Awesome. Despite this, Her Awesomeness does not escape a bit of candid critique as your hosts delve deep into the richness of her character, but all is well. In other news, Michelle and Hailey receive a crash-course in Wrestling Education, ponder that sticky shipping question, and pay homage to some of their other… areas of interest.
In which Michelle and Hailey approach a milestone and dissect the wonders and woes of “The Swamp.” They delve into the concepts of unity, dignity and death, in addition to getting in a few digs at the expense of their eternal pet peeves, the swampbenders. In other news, there is a terrific report from NYCC, a bit of shipping and an important date from Nickelodeon that is not nearly as exciting as it rightfully should be.
Finally, what do you think we should do for our 20th episode?
New episodes of Avatar are to begin broadcasting once again in the United States on July 14th! A banner now appears at the bottom of the world map on the Avatar site on Nick.com which reads, “All new episodes of Avatar return Monday, July 14!” Check out the Avatar Nick site to see for yourself!
July 14th. What does this mean for the DVDs? Why are they waiting so long? Should we just stop worrying and get down to the business of being excited?
To that end, ASN has also received a high-quality, scream-less version of the new trailer shown at NYCC (of which deliciously analyzable screenshots are also available at ASN.) Geek to your heart’s content, everyone!
In which Michelle and Hailey return to their podcasting duties and, due to various environmental and psychological factors, talk for just under an hour. The discussion includes a long-winded debate on Mai’s fundamental nature, a reference to King Lear and our longest and largest news section yet—July 2nd, 2010, people! (How old will YOU be?) This episode concludes with a significant volume of email questions and an explanation of why Bendercast is currently not co-ed.
In which Michelle and Hailey appear only slightly more insane than usual, although with no midterms or late hours to blame. This insanity includes spontaneous fits of laughter, and being confused by how many days are in March. They also deliver some exciting news for the avatar fandom, and gleefully chat about China, New Zealand and Rome. They conclude with answering a couple of emails, avoiding the bloody shipping wars, and with Michelle and Hailey pondering the eternal “Avatar” question.
In which Michelle and Hailey put their all into producing a bonus-sized episode, an effort that (fortunately or otherwise) results in a minor rant about peanuts and Nielsen ratings. They also try to ‘fifteen’ the episode, name that irritating monkey and read some terrific emails. And in faithful continuation of their recent trend, they moan for a while about the lack of fresh episodes of Avatar. (Life is a trial, or something like that.)
