One of the most underrated episodes of ATLA. Love how all chaos unfolds at the end.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (TV Series)
City of Walls and Secrets (2006)
User Reviews
Review this title8 Reviews
Corruption and control!
and_mikkelsen29 October 2023
I really enjoyed the way Ba Sing Sei is portrayed in this episode! We finally get to see the city that has been menighed so many times, and we see how it is different than we thought!
Lots of commentary on how the world is, with those with money and power in control and all the pool people, kept away in a certain area of the city! Just like the title sugest.. a city of walls, a prison, deviding rich and poor!
We also get a glimpse of the level of corruption and control in the city! How certain government faktion have control over the truth in order to keep power over the population! Overall Dai Lee is a great addition!
Lots of commentary on how the world is, with those with money and power in control and all the pool people, kept away in a certain area of the city! Just like the title sugest.. a city of walls, a prison, deviding rich and poor!
We also get a glimpse of the level of corruption and control in the city! How certain government faktion have control over the truth in order to keep power over the population! Overall Dai Lee is a great addition!
An awesome episode!
srk2617-884-6056904 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Well this show has been a ride from the beginning and we were long due for that "filler" episode and boy we got it!
The episode has great little stories of our favourite characters while they're having a merry time (for a change) in the city of Ba Sing Se (I love to say that name, Ba Sing Se).
My favourite from the lot was Zuko's tale. Well for me he is an underrated character on the show and why won't he be? With Katara, Aang, Sokka and Iroh, he has some great competition. I just hope from here on we start to see that change of character for him. It has been in the making for far too long.
All in all, a fun filled episode!
The episode has great little stories of our favourite characters while they're having a merry time (for a change) in the city of Ba Sing Se (I love to say that name, Ba Sing Se).
My favourite from the lot was Zuko's tale. Well for me he is an underrated character on the show and why won't he be? With Katara, Aang, Sokka and Iroh, he has some great competition. I just hope from here on we start to see that change of character for him. It has been in the making for far too long.
All in all, a fun filled episode!
Masterful satire on capitalism
arneshsengupta12 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Beautiful episode, and Ba Sing Se is a masterful satire on capitalism. The lies, the manipulation, the thought police to maintain 'order', to me they seem like even bigger and more despicable villains than the fire nation, but maybe that's because of how I can relate them to our own lives and the police/surveillance states we live in with constant censorship of evil, segregation of economic classes, ruthless/moronic authority figures, people living in fear. If nothing else it is a great critique of North Korea, but to me it seems like a critique of capitalist societies in general, be it America or China or India.
City of Walls and Secrets is the introduction to the corrupt Ba Sing Se
poseyfan4 June 2023
The ending of this episode is masterfully done. It really surprises me that something like that would be in a kids show. The Dai Li are pulling the strings and use the Earth King as a puppet.
Joo Dee is kind of ominous. Her presence elevates the aura that there is something not quite right... Regardless of what some may say. This is the place where all the refugees think is a haven. And it's not always black and white.
This was a great introduction into what we would be getting for the rest of the season. Season 2 has a great storyline and these parts get overlooked I feel like. I appreciate the creators.
Joo Dee is kind of ominous. Her presence elevates the aura that there is something not quite right... Regardless of what some may say. This is the place where all the refugees think is a haven. And it's not always black and white.
This was a great introduction into what we would be getting for the rest of the season. Season 2 has a great storyline and these parts get overlooked I feel like. I appreciate the creators.
Terrifying (but in a good way)
matitya-3393716 February 2024
There is an episode of the third season which directly homages horror movies, it's often said to be the scariest episode of the show. The people who say that are wrong, this is the scariest (by far).
I like how we follow Jet's attempts to expose Junior and Moshi instead of following Zuko and Iroh, it's like a dramatic version of Chester and AJ trying to expose Timmy in The Fairly OddParents.
I also like how Toph tries to use the same trick she did in the Serpent's Pass but it doesn't work requiring more innovation. I also like the fact that a Ba Sing Se student references Professor Zei from the Library.
And the episode's antagonist is a genuine menace. This episode is bone-chilling and for once I mean that as a positive.
I like how we follow Jet's attempts to expose Junior and Moshi instead of following Zuko and Iroh, it's like a dramatic version of Chester and AJ trying to expose Timmy in The Fairly OddParents.
I also like how Toph tries to use the same trick she did in the Serpent's Pass but it doesn't work requiring more innovation. I also like the fact that a Ba Sing Se student references Professor Zei from the Library.
And the episode's antagonist is a genuine menace. This episode is bone-chilling and for once I mean that as a positive.
More to Ba Sing Se than meets the eye - a critique of authoritarianism
adamlewxs28 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
From the moment we arrive in Ba Sing Se, there's is a creepy an uneasy feeling. Joo Dee is like a robot that can only repeat certain lines and delivers a chilling presence. We see that everyone the gang meets is intimidated into silence as the nature of the city's authoritarian surveillance state becomes more clear.
It feels like there are many different inspirations here - the authoritarian state with high degrees of censorship and control is likely a critique of communist regimes like China and the Soviet Union. The way the war is common knowledge but no one can officially speak about it or acknowledge reminds me of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (and probably mirrors other historical wars too). We also see the corruption in the bureaucracy, with the neighbour of the gang being unwilling to help them since he just got his house after three years of serving the state. Everyone is terrified into silence as they are served disinformation.
We also see the show critique the high degree of inequality, with a poor section literally walled off from the rest of the city whilst the rich have extravagant parties. This could also be found in many modern capitalist countries like the USA. The ruthless Dai Lee reminds us of both the KGB and CIA, with Joo Dee just disappearing after failing to keep the gang from finding out the true nature of power in the city - terrifying how she is simply replaced by someone else with the same name, we are left wondering if that's how she initially got her job too.
I think the only weak point in this episode is the B plot with Jet and Zuko. I love the tension and their fight at the end is great but it also feels forced, with Jet randomly turning up as Zuko needed some conflict. His group randomly goes from a radical militant group ready to destroy entire villages to wanting to 'start fresh' without w satisfying explanation of how/why this change happens. His once loyal followers fuelled by revenge are disillusioned by his pursuit of Zuko - I think this should have been more fleshed out since it just did not seem like a natural follow up to me.
Overall though, a great episode with very creepy undertones !
It feels like there are many different inspirations here - the authoritarian state with high degrees of censorship and control is likely a critique of communist regimes like China and the Soviet Union. The way the war is common knowledge but no one can officially speak about it or acknowledge reminds me of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (and probably mirrors other historical wars too). We also see the corruption in the bureaucracy, with the neighbour of the gang being unwilling to help them since he just got his house after three years of serving the state. Everyone is terrified into silence as they are served disinformation.
We also see the show critique the high degree of inequality, with a poor section literally walled off from the rest of the city whilst the rich have extravagant parties. This could also be found in many modern capitalist countries like the USA. The ruthless Dai Lee reminds us of both the KGB and CIA, with Joo Dee just disappearing after failing to keep the gang from finding out the true nature of power in the city - terrifying how she is simply replaced by someone else with the same name, we are left wondering if that's how she initially got her job too.
I think the only weak point in this episode is the B plot with Jet and Zuko. I love the tension and their fight at the end is great but it also feels forced, with Jet randomly turning up as Zuko needed some conflict. His group randomly goes from a radical militant group ready to destroy entire villages to wanting to 'start fresh' without w satisfying explanation of how/why this change happens. His once loyal followers fuelled by revenge are disillusioned by his pursuit of Zuko - I think this should have been more fleshed out since it just did not seem like a natural follow up to me.
Overall though, a great episode with very creepy undertones !
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