This summer, the Avatar franchise reintroduced itself by revisiting its most iconic character: Aang, the namesake of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and the original protagonist of a story now in its third decade. For its next act, the Avatar Studios imprint — overseen by original series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and tasked with expanding the Nickelodeon children’s show into a multimedia enterprise — faces the tougher task of introducing new protagonists and ideas while preserving Avatar’s core appeal. The Paramount+ series “Avatar: Seven Havens” quite literally brings the saga into the future.
Specifically, it’s been more than two centuries since the conclusion of “Avatar: The Legend of Korra,” the sequel series that wrapped its run in 2014. In their place is a world reduced to a wasteland by an environmental cataclysm, supposedly caused by Korra herself. The namesake havens are city-states that offer refuge from sandstorms, bandits and other threats — and the Avatar, a quasi-messianic figure able to “bend” all four elements, is a stigmatized bogeyman who hasn’t appeared for generations.
Enter Pavi (Saheli Khan), an orphan from the haven of Ellora who spends her days scrounging for food, trying to keep her multi-element bending abilities under wraps and talking to the inanimate objects she keeps around in lieu of friends. Pavi’s name is an indication of another way “Seven Havens” expands the Avatar mythos: by incorporating South Asian culture to the universe’s pre-existing blend of Chinese, Japanese, Inuit and other influences. Pavi’s favorite snack are the kachoris knowingly left out by a local shopkeeper, herself voiced by veteran actor Sakina Jaffrey.
Food, in general, is an object of concern for “Seven Havens”: Mochi, kimchi jjigae and bitter melon are all cited by name in the first few episodes alone. But an equally significant update “Seven Havens” makes to the cosmology is in how the show depicts the natural world — always a preoccupation for a story grounded in air, earth, fire and water. The “Harshlands” that surround Ellora are filled with rocks, sand and a strange, haunted beauty.
The color palette of “Seven Havens” is warmer than prior Avatar series, favoring the oranges and pinks of an almost Saharan expanse. (The music, from franchise stalwart Jeremy Zuckerman, also sets “Seven Havens” apart aurally with a more electronic sound.) There are cats with monkey tails, and camels that roll up in a ball like armadillos! With a postapocalyptic landscape indifferent and even hostile to human needs, “Seven Havens” reminded me of “Scavengers Reign,” the magnificent yet short-lived series on HBO Max. Hopefully, having the IP tie-in will give “Seven Havens” more time to explore its environment.
And “Seven Havens” could use some time to grow. Pavi is a younger hero than even 12-year-old Aang, perhaps an attempt to introduce Avatar to a new generation of kids where the movie was more of a service to pre-existing fans. Shy, nerdy and a pacifist by nature, Pavi has a personality, if one that’s still in formation.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
