There are many who love Avatar: The Last Airbender, and for good reason, it is a great show.

The first two seasons were absolutely amazing, damn near flawless. Animation was decent, character development and voice casting were top-notch, and the kicker, it created for itself a culture. It gave an insight into cultures that we don't see anymore. Sure it's quirky and cartoony sometimes, but you can't help but feel as though you could live in one of these four great nations, you feel the world...

The reason the first two seasons are as amazing as they are is because they are as much about the story being told as they are about the places it is being told in. You get a seamless integration of characters in environments. The characters change and grow as their end-goal comes nearer with each episode. A high level of mysticism prevails through the entirety of the show. The spiritual and physical worlds affect eachother greatly. Aang accepting and meeting his own status, Zuko's dilemma between that which he needs and what other's want of him, etc.

And then the third season hit. The first episode wasn't bad, but it certainly didn't stand up to the episodes before it. The animation became generic, the actors, while still good, have had to deal with poor writing, and the cultural mysticism has disappeared almost entirely. The third season has tried desperately to focus on the characters, but without the environments to help, it has become bland and lifeless. The show has almost become a teenage soap opera with superpowers.

I suspect Nickelodeon has very much been the cause of this problem, being a producer of almost nothing but teen drama. Just once I'd like to see a company produce a show for the sole purpose of telling a great story. With any luck, Mike and Brian will be allowed to expand upon the universe, make new stories, and bring the world back to life.