Bronwen K. Bradshaw, Arts & Entertainment Editor  

(Image from cbr.com) 

What is a “filler” episode? In anime, a filler episode is an episode that drifts from the original plot timeline through recaps, flashbacks, or arcs that aren’t pertinent to the story.  

Filler episodes are common in anime, with people in the anime community creating lists of episodes that can be skipped when watching the series. Filler episodes tend to halt the whole story of a show due to the creator needing more time to animate something for important future episodes, budget, or to meet the number of episodes required for the show’s executives. Filler episodes are a drag and leave the audience to stop watching the episode entirely and continue to the next episode. However, filler episodes don’t have to be “skippable” and can instead entertain us as an audience and further cement the show’s narrative when watching. 

I will discuss a filler episode that is beloved by fans and brings a whole new meaning to filler episodes and what they can do for a show. The show is Avatar: The Last Airbender, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.  

The story follows young Airbender Aang, with the help of his friends Katara, a water bender, and her brother Sokka, as they travel the world to help Aang master all four bending elements and end the 100-year war with the fire nation before it’s too late. The show is spectacular, with its beautiful world-building, complex characters and relationships, and immersive storytelling. Even its episodes, known as filler episodes, transcend others of its medium, creating new, interesting storylines that keep the audience hooked. I will focus on season 3, episode 17 titled, “The Ember Island Players.” 

“The Ember Island Players,” the show’s last episode before its four-part finale, is one of the most notable filler episodes in the series. The episode begins with the gang hanging out at Zuko’s family’s summer home. Sokka and Suki relay to the group that there is a play about their journey across the world up to the present day. The play recaps the events that have taken place throughout the show. However, the episode does not simply show flashback sequences of the episodes, as many other filler episodes in anime do. Instead, it creates a whole new story from the past events through humorous portrayals of the main characters as caricature-esque versions of themselves: Katara as a blubbering drama queen constantly preaching hope, Sokka as a dad-joke machine only thinking about food, and Zuko, a bruting humorless prince in pursuit of honor.  

The show pokes fun at itself, allowing the audience watching the show to have fun. The creators also added moments from the show that audiences either didn’t understand or thought unnecessary. They joke about another one of their filler episodes, “The Great Divide,” which is one of the most poorly received episodes on the show. The creators understand the disappointment of a filler episode and create something new and consumable for their dedicated audience in this episode.  

Not only do the actors in the play exaggerate the personalities of the main group, but it allows the group to reflect on themselves and how much they’ve changed throughout the series. During intermission, Zuko tells Toph that watching the play feels like all his mistakes are thrown back at him, and he feels guilty about his relationship with Uncle Iroh. Toph comforts him by telling him that Iroh would be proud of how much he has grown. This scene helps Zuko know he has a chance to mend his relationship with his uncle, which is a scene in the finale.  

When the play catches up with the present, the group realizes there is more to the play, which takes place in the future. The future scenes in the play show Zuko fighting and losing to Azula, Aang being defeated by the Fire Lord, and the Fire Nation taking over the world. The scene relays a hypothetical ending scenario in which the good side does not win, instilling fear and a lack of confidence in Aang. Because Aang sees this in the play, the next episode begins with Aang wanting to hold off on defeating Ozai until after the comet comes. If not for this scene, Aang would not have wanted to wait to fight Fire Lord Ozai on the day of the comet. Also, this episode is a moment of peace for the characters and the audience themselves before delving into the intense and emotional plights of the finale.   

Though it is considered a filler episode, “The Ember Island Players” is a perfect example of how to make a filler episode unskippable and just as important as other episodes within the story.