Thread:Scabbard17/@comment-39991522-20190826230533/@comment-26364383-20190829022941

I was talking about when the Kya, Bumi, and Tenzin were looking for Ikki. For two adults in their mid-50s to choose to gripe about their father while searching for a missing child implies a lot of pent up anger. They were in a darker place there than compared to the finale. As for Tenzin's vision in the finale within the mists was based on the clearly lingering feeling of inadequacy he had towards Aang that was shown a few episodes prior and explored thoroughly. And just saying that they looked like a happy family doesn't make up for the greater part of the episode/episodes spent showing them being unhappy. Just because a kid may find their culture boring doesn't mean you stop- if a kid doesn't like math it doesn't mean you stop. And nothing within the show or comics implies Aang felt bad for neglecting his other children. In “TEIP” Zuko mentions how his mom dragged him to see a play by the troupe and that they butchered it. He sounds like he hated the experience. But we know from his flashbacks in "Zuko Alone" how much he loved his mother and spending time with her, so even though he hated the play, he probably still enjoyed it to a degree, despite his unhappy tone. But during the family vacation at the Southern Air Temple in book 2 of Korra, we hear Tenzin clearly misremembering his childhood against Kya and Bumi who are implied in the next episode to have remembered it more accurately.

Tenzin: … It's so nice to get to spend more time with my family. Isn't that right, my little Rohan? (Rohan smiles and coos) And I've really enjoyed having you two around. Reminds me of all those great vacations we took as kids with Dad. Kya: Uh, I think your memory is a little foggy. Bumi and I weren't on those great vacations. It was always just you and Dad. Tenzin: No, that can't be right. What about the time he took us to Kyoshi Island to ride the elephant-koi? Kya: Nope. We weren't there. Tenzin: Hmm. Oh, remember Ember Island? Those amazing sand palaces we built on the beach? Bumi: You mean you built. We never saw the place. Tenzin: I could've sworn-

Tenzin: Kya, you're right. I haven't been spending enough time with them I wish I could be as good a father as Dad was to us. Kya: Tenzin, your problem is you're exactly like Dad. He was so focused on saving the world and doing his duty - don't laugh - that he never had time for us. Tenzin: Dad was under a lot of pressure. Bumi: He always had time for you though, (pinches Tenzin's cheek) his precious little airbender. Tenzin: Dad loved us all equally. Besides, it all happened a long time ago. Why are we even talking about this? Kya: Because you seem to have some grandiose delusion that we had a perfect, happy-go-lucky childhood. Guess what? We didn't.

Tenzin: I wanted to apologize for how I acted yesterday. I've worked so hard to celebrate Dad's legacy that I may have overlooked the parts of him that were less than ideal. Kya: And we're sorry for dumping our frustrations with Dad out on you. Bumi: Yeah, you didn't deserve that. Kya: (reaches into her pocket, pulls out a photograph) I thought you two might wanna see this. Mom gave it to me before we left.

(Close on a black-and-white photograph of an adult Aang and Katara, with Bumi and Kya as young children, and a baby Tenzin. All of those old enough are smiling. The camera zooms in on this image.)

Bumi: That is one good-looking family, huh?

(Cut to the smiling faces of Kya, Bumi, and Tenzin reacting to the photo.)

Tenzin: That's one happy family.

This is the Kataang family meat of these episodes. Tenzin is the one who says that’s one happy family (the one whose entire view of his childhood's family was just shaken and changed), but no one says anything to indicate that Kya and Bumi’s recollections were incorrect. No one insinuates that Aang ever realized how he treated Kya and Bumi was wrong. In fact, Tenzin acknowledges that Aang was a “less than ideal” father to put it kindly while Kya and Bumi apologize for taking their frustrations towards Aang out on Tenzin, how that wasn’t fair. At no point does it insinuate Kya and Bumi were in the wrong.

Why not have it so before the three left the South Pole, Katara (when giving the picture to Kya) imparted to Kya how Aang came to realize how he had neglected his first two children and regreted it but never had the chance to make amends before passing? It could explain why Kya was so intensely bitter about their childhoods.

I don't mean to come across as condescending, I just lost most of my original reply when I had to restart my computer and got impatient replying.