thinking about how Katara is Aang's yin and Zuko is Aang's yang and that's why Katara/Aang/Zuko with Aang in the middle is canon tbh

Jetko believers have the opportunity to do the funniest revelation to happen in the Gaang

Zuko: ...hey uh, I know you said it was unclear in the play, but what did happen to Jet?

Sokka: Oh uh, well you see...we really aren't completely sure what happened to him, but back in Lake Laogai he got hurt really badly. Katara tried to heal him, but his comrades told us to go ahead. I- I really don't think he survived...

Zuko: Oh...so that's what happened to him...

Soka: Yeah...

Zuko looks visibly saddened by this news, but there's other expressions in there that Sokka can't quite decipher. Guilt? Anger? He had to get to the bottom of this.

Sokka: Huh I guess I didn't realize it back then, but HOW DO you know about Jet?

Zuko: Oh uh, on our ship going to Ba Sing Se, he recruited me into his group for a while to steal food and do other things that helped the other refugees on board. He was- actually pretty nice to me...we had fun, it was nice-

Zuko: Well, until he started accusing me and Uncle of being firebenders to get us arrested. We had a massive fight in the tea shop which got him arrested instead. *sigh* Geez, after everything we did together I can't believe that's what he thought the whole time-

Sokka: Wait, what do you mean "after everything we did together"? You don't mean...WAIT NO WAY-

*a few minutes later*

SLAM!!!

Sokka: GUYS YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS. JET AND ZUKO WERE A THI-

*Zuko tackles Sokka from behind, trying to cover his mouth*

Zuko: NOTHING. WE WEREN'T A THING I SWEAR-

Katara: You were a WHAT?! YOU TWO LET GO OF EACH OTHER AND EXPLAIN YOURSELVES

Zuko: I MEAN- UHH- We were NOT a thing I swear, but did kinda lead me on...and we had a uhhhh...good time together...

silence fills the room briefly

Toph: No way. YOU and KATARA HOOKED UP WITH THE SAME GUY??? AHAHAHAHAHA-

Katara: TOPH YOU-

Zuko: WHAT??? YOU TOO???

Sokka: YEAH I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU TWO OF ALL PEOPLE GOT WITH THE SAME GUY

Aang: Zuko??? and JET??? How- wha- and Katara??? I- I don't know how I feel about this guys this is wild...

While Toph and Sokka are laughing their asses off, Aang is just bewildered. Zuko and Katara are giving each other the most awkward glances while being absolutely flustered and embarrassed. Great time guys.

Jetko believers have the opportunity to do the funniest revelation to happen in the Gaang

Zuko: ...hey uh, I know you said it was unclear in the play, but what did happen to Jet?

Sokka: Oh uh, well you see...we really aren't completely sure what happened to him, but back in Lake Laogai he got hurt really badly. Katara tried to heal him, but his comrades told us to go ahead. I- I really don't think he survived...

Zuko: Oh...so that's what happened to him...

Soka: Yeah...

Zuko looks visibly saddened by this news, but there's other expressions in there that Sokka can't quite decipher. Guilt? Anger? He had to get to the bottom of this.

Sokka: Huh I guess I didn't realize it back then, but HOW DO you know about Jet?

Zuko: Oh uh, on our ship going to Ba Sing Se, he recruited me into his group for a while to steal food and do other things that helped the other refugees on board. He was- actually pretty nice to me...we had fun, it was nice-

Zuko: Well, until he started accusing me and Uncle of being firebenders to get us arrested. We had a massive fight in the tea shop which got him arrested instead. *sigh* Geez, after everything we did together I can't believe that's what he thought the whole time-

Sokka: Wait, what do you mean "after everything we did together"? You don't mean...WAIT NO WAY-

*a few minutes later*

SLAM!!!

Sokka: GUYS YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS. JET AND ZUKO WERE A THI-

*Zuko tackles Sokka from behind, trying to cover his mouth*

Zuko: NOTHING. WE WEREN'T A THING I SWEAR-

Katara: You were a WHAT?! YOU TWO LET GO OF EACH OTHER AND EXPLAIN YOURSELVES

Zuko: I MEAN- UHH- We were NOT a thing I swear, but did kinda lead me on...and we had a uhhhh...good time together...

silence fills the room briefly

Toph: No way. YOU and KATARA HOOKED UP WITH THE SAME GUY??? AHAHAHAHAHA-

Katara: TOPH YOU-

Zuko: WHAT??? YOU TOO???

Sokka: YEAH I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU TWO OF ALL PEOPLE GOT WITH THE SAME GUY

Aang: Zuko??? and JET??? How- wha- and Katara??? I- I don't know how I feel about this guys this is wild...

While Toph and Sokka are laughing their asses off, Aang is just bewildered. Zuko and Katara are giving each other the most awkward glances while being absolutely flustered and embarrassed. Great time guys.

Actually I WILL talk about Mai's seeming 'radicalisation'. With the upcoming comic, I can see why a lot of people are confused/caught offguard by Mai suddenly having a vested interest in reforming the Fire Nation's school curriculum.

However, I don't think it's as much of a heelturn as one would believe at first glance.

Mai is a difficult character to pinpoint on some levels, particularly due to her upbringing which stripped her of a lot of her self expression. I think most of the fandom underestimates the trauma and effect of Mai's upbringing. I elaborate on it here.

However, the long and short of it is that Mai was not encouraged to question, criticise or, god forbid, rebel against her enviornment. To the point where her parents scared her with stories of spirits that would kidnap her if she misbehaved.

Ukano's involvement in politics and relatively high status should also be taken into account. Mai would have grown up being strongly encouraged to conform to her father's beliefs and go along with his politics.

Mai : My mother said I had to keep out of trouble. We had my dad's political career to think about.

We've seen the propaganda and indoctrination of the Fire Nation school system, how it uses misinformation in its curriculum and how it punishes deviance.

Most fire nation children won't have the tools to find the cruelty and danger in the philosophy of the Fire Nation. Zuko had to get banished from the country to even start his deconstruction. And he had Iroh at his side to guide him.

It's not shocking that Mai would not be able to see the flaws of the Fire Nation. Despite this, she still shows no attachment to the Nation's cause, either. In fact, she actively refused to take part in the war effort when she thought she could get away with it.

I don't think Mai had much sympathy to the other nations, nor will I claim she secretly harboured anti imperialistic sentiment. I simply want to state the fact that Mai was, from a young age, forced to do things she didn't want to do and conditioned by multiple parties, to accept this. Mai has been trained to be passive, with only the method of passive aggressiveness and gloominess to defend herself.

I think after the fall of Ozai's rule and the slow restructuring of the Nation, Mai got more freedom in her life. Ukano's political role diminished, so Mai was allowed to think for herself. She gets to discover the world more and develop her own thoughts and ideals, rather than the ones she'd been forced to conform to.

This line in the upcoming comic seems to confirm my thoughts:

Mai's upbringing is the underground and darkness. She was never given an alternative or agency in her life. And thanks to Zuko, she was able to see and experience a different world than the one she was brought up with. She is able to help to try and achieve it.

Initially, Mai is angry at Zuko's joining of team Avatar. She feels betrayed and upset that he did not talk to her in person, even if it was to protect her. And yet, she saves him. While I believe that most of her motivation was genuinely out of love for Zuko. But she also, ekther inadvertently or deliberately made the choice between Azula and Zuko. Between the two potential duture leaders of the Nation.

And she chose Zuko. Who is not only the boy she loves, but also the boy who can heal her nation.

There is an argument to be made about how Mai represents the Fire Nation itself and its relationship to Zuko, but that is a topic for another day.

The theme of Mai caring for the future of the Fire Nation can be seen expanding in the comics. As 99% of the fandom will tell you, the comics have their flaws, but I do enjoy their handling of Mai for the most part.

I think it's interesting that we are shown that Mai not only wants Zuko to be Fire Lord, but for him to be a good Fire Lord.

We see her dissapointed in Zuko secretly meeting with Ozai. At first glance, what she says to Zuko is that she is dissapointed in him keeping secrets from her, which is understandable, since the last time he kept a secret from her led to him joining the opposite side of a war.

However, with her next appearance, we see that Mai may have had another concern relating to Zuko's communing with Ozai. When Ty Lee informs her of Zuko also enlisting Azula's help, Mai exclaims 'so he really is turning into his father', which seems to denote that Mai has a distaste for Ozai and his rule, whether that be from the begining, or recently acquired.

Mai also criticises Zuko's callous and controlling restrictions over the frightened townspeople. This serves to further cement the idea of Mai becoming disillusioned with the similarly inclined authority figures of her past. Authority figures who were a symptom of the Fire Nation's utilitarian and imperialistic system. We see this disdain manifesting in its full force in the teasers for the upcoming comic.

I think people tend to not realise how restricted in her self expression and thoughts Mai was, despite all the puzzle pieces being laid out for us in the show.

Mai has gone through a very quick and yet realistic episode of character growth in my opinion. Not unlike a lot of people raised in heavily Conservative and restrictive households who peel off later in life, she's settling into her own mindset and motivations.

Ans I don't think it's an unrealistic idea for Mai to want to help change the education system. The Fire Academy for girls is where she met Azula, and as an all girl school alumni, I can tell you first hand how toxic and confining these enviornments can be.

While Mai may not be seen as a particularly empathetic or kind person (though I think this interpretation is flawed), she can sympathise with the young girls who will be placed in the shoes of her younger self.

She can want to not see these kids go through what she, Ty Lee AND Azula did.

[The panels of Mai glancing between the stifling interior of the school and the open window and choosing to go outside and lead the Nation's youth outside... ugh]

Not only is this a rather logical progression for Mai's character, in my opinion, but it also feels like a very big 'healing your inner child' moment for Mai. Since she was not really seemingly allowed to be a child, as most children in the Fire Nation appeared to have such restrictions placed on them.

I don't think it's much of a stretch of the imagination that Mai would want to have at least a small part in dismantling the system that harmed her and so many other children of the nation.

She is a young woman now, she has grown from the oversheltered, apathetic teen she was in the show. She has been able to make her own informed opinions about the state of the nation, has been able to hone her trauma into determination. And it seems we're going to see the fruits of this development in "Ashes of the Academy".

I have very high hopes for the upcoming comic, since what we've seen of it appears to make a compelling story, one I relate to deeply, as well as a good study of Mai, a character I find often misinterpreted by the fandom.

I might get burned at the fandom stake here, but I personally think Zuko x Katara x Aang being a thing when they are older would be very interesting and hilarious. Just hear me out-

Katara and Aang, married, both looking at Zuko: "Hey so my wife and I saw you across the bar, and we saved the world together and all so, can I get you some tea?" kinda vibe.

Like the three of them are all each other's narrative foils and parallels. They circulate each other narratively and emotionally throughout the whole series and even comics. When they're all older restoring peace around the world, they would have all spent so much time together I like to think it would just, kinda Click for them