#good shows just highlight other media's failings sometimes

[bluewithpurplepolkadots]

I love ATLA and am currently right in the middle of book 2 in my rewatch but honestly it’s kind of sad because I’m also re-reading some Harry Potter at the same time.

Deathly Hallows is a story where the trio have to travel both in the magical and muggle world instead of remaining in Hogwarts. It was a risky move for a tried and true formula (even if book six was shaky). But it still could have been good instead of the boring load it ultimately was. 

We could have had the trio really explore the Wizarding world. We could  perhaps have seen things we only ever got told about second hand in earlier books and even met people. Maybe even make the whole Beaubaxtons and Drumstrang inclusion in Book 4 mean something if they’d dipped their toe elsewhere outside of Britain. It could have been great. They even mentioned Voldemort getting a horcrux from abroad. (The diadem). Why not pursue that.

Instead we’re stuck in a tent with them poking mushrooms. And in fact the most interesting story was apparently at Hogwarts anyway despite us leaving it.

Oh such wild joy.

We do get some things outside the boring camping trip- like the gringotts break-in attempt and the horrible trials against muggleborns. There’s also brief random interlude of snatchers. 

Like the ministry plan was frustrating because it seems like Hermione and Ron do all the work and Harry watches but at least it wasn’t dull. But like could we not have had the trio run into and help I don’t know, some people who are smuggling muggleborns/blood traitors and their families off to wizarding France or something instead of them sitting and doing fuck all in a tent. It also means that whole snatchers scene and being taken to Malfoy manor would feel less random and contrived. You know if they were doing things against them or had to pursue them after people are captured.

Also: a reason ATLA worked so well was because of the amazing friendships formed in the group and how their losses affected them: but also because we saw a world which was interesting, full of other people and seemed worth saving. It was complicated and messy and in the grips of a long war and also felt real. Harry Potter’s Wizarding World? Not even close. We’re stuck with Hogwarts being fleshed out properly and that’s about it. But even some places in ATLA which were only around for one episode still felt real and important- at least to the people who lived in it. They were places that could exist and you’d feel invested in  as you visited them. Were there some duds in ATLA? Sure. (Hi Avatar Day). But overall this seemed to be true at least 95% of the time. There was quite often someone to connect with or be interested in outside of the main band. Even if just for a little while.

If Wizarding Britain is (apparently) bereft of ideas: you could have Hermione find out that Beaubaxton’s or Drumstrang’s library has the potential book they need to perhaps figure out how to destroy horcruxes or something or perhaps set them on the right path. They go there. Or maybe they have to contend with continental europe’s folklore and creatures. Maybe this book’s location is the wild clue Dumbledore leaves rather than that whole useless deathly hallows thing. Hermione went to effing wizarding france in the early books. She probably knows french too. Malfoy is a french word meaning bad faith. Voldemort is basically a french word too. The diadem was in eastern europe for a time. All this stuff could have meant something. When there perhaps they find baslisk venom is the thing (instead of Hermione knowing straight off before the adventure) and that maybe in cool damp conditions basilisk venom lasts a long time. Off to hogwarts and the chamber they go! Then we get to see some (just a glimpse) of hogwarts as they get the fangs instead of obsessing over the sword (which only is an option thanks to basilisk venom guys!!) like losers. We have the whole locket scene happen in the chamber and it’s like a creepy retell of the chamber. Have GINNY stab the damn thing like as her catharsis and revenge perhaps while Harry is utterly overtaken by what it says.

Other ideas:

Have the trio at points learn things that war perhaps shows them. Like maybe a similar lesson which can be learned in the episode Jet. That the enemy of your enemy isn’t always a friend and also maybe what being a traitor really means in so many ways in this world where people are being snatched out of their beds and families broken apart. There may even be some jerks on their side like those earth kingdom soldiers who bully a town in Zuko alone. Who knows.

Basically an over-reaching arc with smaller stories wouldn’t have been a bad idea for this sort of book. It would have stopped things becoming so unspeakably dull.

And hell, just like in ATLA, sometimes they might just be passing through a place or a character was only around for one episode but they felt like real people with real problems. Maybe a nice family takes them in even for a time! (Make it a nice muggle family with no magical connections for bonus points who just see these three kids in need. I could imagine a rather bewildering middle of the book which seems like some peace before the oncoming storm) Perhaps there are consequences to that. Perhaps they have to be saved. Hell have a muggle kill a death eater! It would be cool!

It’s a book about wizards. We were never going to get a Sokka but could we at least get something like that kid Zuko meets in Zuko Alone. Or the freedom fighters and Jet. Or even that ignorant if well meaning earth king. A well prepared non-bender can take down a bender. Can’t see why muggles can’t do the same.

Hell have them run into Nicholas Flamel who is on his last bit of stone juice or something. Something from the first book. Maybe he knows how to break horcruxes because he’s looked into immortality routes in great detail and threw that idea away as a bad idea for a variety of reasons he’s keen to disclose. I know it’s utterly random but I don’t care. 

Do something!!! Anything!!! Instead of sitting on your ass saying you won’t do X because of Y. Hell seeing someone try a plan and fail is more fun then having them sit on their ass and explain why not.

There’s so many things that could have happened in a wizarding world travelogue where the villain despises those without magic and yet what happens is so boring.