While in the original series Zuko didn't fight his father, I really like how Zuko put up a good fight in this version of the Agni Kai. And that 'RISE!!' from Ozai along with him snapping off his garb was very intimidating. And not gonna lie, I think the reason Roku said that friends were a liability was probably because of his past friendship with Firelord Sozin which led to the eventual betrayal which probably gave him a somewhat dim view on friends in general. And I personally think he has a bit of humor is to mask how he felt.

The mother of Koh was adapted by the writers from the graphic novels of Avatar by Dark Horse comics. The Fog of Lost Souls was adapted from The Legend of Korra as well as the Yang Chen novels by Amulet Books. The amazing thing about the writers of the show is they adapt from all sources of Avatar, including comics and novels, in addition to the anime.

RE: Roku I do hope we get more of his mentorship, wisdom for Aang, and I little bit of a redemption in portrayal. BUT I do LOVE his playfulness, which nods at the fact that he and Gyatso were best friends while he was alive (which we find out later obvi). I hope we get more of him (and his dragon lol) bc his on-going mentorship was something I really missed ✨

I like your points and Azula's expression was definately like she was almost "fascinated" by what Ozai did.😭Like she had that newfound twinkle in her eye...especially the fact that harm was being caused to her *brother*. The one person Ozai puts her against & compares her to😂😭 Reminded me of how a baby learns through observation from their models; and in this case her main role model was always her father. She was always around him, always learning from him, spying on his convesations, snooping around etc. Avatarin general really shows nature vs nurture really well. I like how in this adaptation it seems like they're they're not really introducing her, but moreso *setting up Azula* instead of merely bringing her in szn 2 already as a full blown, evil, badass😂 And since she never appeared in szn 1, I think they utilized her here more so that by season 2, her unhinged behaviour makes more sense loll. And they can confidently portray her as the "Azula we know". Her downfall will even be more tragic by season 3 🥺

You don't hire DDK to play Ozai, and then let him hang out for a few years until Season 3 to appear on screen.

Roku is old and wise, and I really like the way he talks to Aang because he depicts the fun and loving way grandfathers speak to their grandkids, which is how the writers interpreted him for this show. Aang is just a child with the weight of the world on his shoulders and he needs the comfort of father figures in Gyatso and Roku, anyway the intensity of Kyoshi dumping on Aang the seriousness of his calling and to be a merciless warrior is sufficient. In the real world, a child with such a heavy burden is less of a goofball and would show signs of loneliness and depression, and inasmuch as fans of the OG would like Aang to be more comically funny and to goof around most of the time, doing so would be kind of off-putting for a live-action version. I like the nuanced way Gordon handles his character Aang, for we can really sense he is haunted by the shadow of the expectations of people around him to save the world, that he feels the pressure to grow up fast, yet you could feel he wants to be comforted and loved, and moments with Gyatso and this time Roku recognizing him as a child and speaking to him the way a granddad does to his grandchild is for me one of the highlights of this episode, as well as those moments of levity like when he is around other kids when he can go back to being a kid, forgetting for a moment the heavy burden the world has put upon him.

The easiest way to enjoy this series for what it is is to imagine this is a parallel universe. After all, live action ain't the comics (CW's Arrow/Flash, Rurouni Kenshin live action vs amine/ manga, Batman in general).

the totem was from the comic

Yeah, I wasn’t a fan of Roku’s depiction either. It almost feels like Gyatso’s characterization was closer to Roku’s than the person playing Roku. Maybe that’s why they decided to do something different with him?