Netflix has a well-deserved reputation for cancelling or abandoning its original TV shows; even in the first few months of 2024 alone it's axed a few major shows like The Brothers Sun. The streamer has finally chosen to buck this trend with one of its biggest new originals... but people are a little confused as to why.
This new show is Avatar: The Last Airbender, the latest live-action adaptation of the classic anime story after the maligned M. Night Shyamalan movie. Set in a fantasy kingdom, it's about a band of kids who stop the conquests of the war-like Fire Nation as they try to take over the world.
Several weeks after Avatar premiered on Thursday, February 22, Netflix confirmed that the show would be returning. Not just for one season either, but for two, though no release dates have been announced for these. Fans will be happy, as the first season ended on a narrative cliffhanger, but many are confused by this announcement.
That's because Avatar: The Last Airbender wasn't exactly a hit with the critics. At the time of writing it holds a 'Rotten' rating at Rotten Tomatoes out of 71 reviews, with critics saying it "feels hollow" and that it feels "flat and soulless".
Particular outcry went to the show's wigs, for some reason, with many posts on X and Reddit criticizing the fake look of the wigs used by characters on the show.
The one thing the movie did better from r/ATLAtv
Even amongst What to Watch's team people are divided, with some members of team impressed with it and others calling it "the worst Netflix show I can remember seeing".
Avatar's fate was likely saved by its viewership figures. It's been Netflix's most-watched show for the two weeks since it came out, toppilng One Day from that top spot. In its first two weeks, it amassed nearly 300 million hours viewed, a figure which will only keep growing over time.
In fact, it's been one of Netflix's biggest originals of 2024 so far, with only Fool Me Once debuting to higher figures.
The Rotten Tomatoes score of Avatar could change as more reviews are logged — it's dropped since release but could turn around, especially as it's so close to the 'Rotten' threshold of 60%. So perhaps by the time Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 comes out, it'll join a first season that's now 'Fresh' rated. But for now, Netflix has shown one thing: it values viewer figures a lot more than critics' respect towar
