Binge or Cringe: Is ‘Avatar: Seven Havens’ a Worthy Successor to ‘The Last Airbender?’

The Avatar Cycle continues

Fire. Air. Water. Earth. Long ago, the Avatar, master of all four elements, brought forth The Cataclysm. Out of the devastation, the world built the Seven Havens. Now the Avatar has returned…

“Avatar: The Legend of Korra” ended in 2014, and for TV fans, the Avatar story pretty much ended there. The next animated project, “Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender,” took place chronologically after the original “The Last Airbender” series and before “The Legend of Korra.” Korra’s adventures did continue in comic book form, but we never found out who her successor would be… Until now.

“Avatar: Seven Havens” will air Fridays in October beginning on October 9. It tells the story of the Avatar after Korra — a young, amnesiac girl named Pavi. She lives 225 years after the events of “The Legend of Korra,” and the world is a very different place. The world hates and fears the legend of the Avatar, and she’s terrified that someone will discover her abilities.

It’s a pretty controversial premise, and a lot of fans have looked at the upcoming series with skepticism. Could “The Seven Havens” pull off such an ambitious concept, essentially destroying the world the previous shows built and creating something new? Will it appeal to both longtime fans and new ones?

To answer these questions and more, I’m reviving an old CableTV.com tradition: Binge or Cringe. Is the show worth bingeing, or is it cringe? (Yes, technically “Seven Havens” is releasing three episodes at a time, so if you’re watching it every week it’s more of a mini-binge. Don’t think too hard about it.)

Without further ado, let’s discuss everything “Seven Havens.”

What is “Avatar: Seven Havens” about?

In the world of the Avatar shows, certain humans have the ability to control (or bend) the elements: Fire, Air, Water, Earth. It’s repeated in the opening of nearly every episode. But one person can bend all four elements. That’s the Avatar, a soul that reincarnates over and over with the purpose of keeping the world safe from anything that would threaten its peace.

“Avatar: The Last Airbender” was about Aang, the Avatar born into the Air Nomads. “Avatar: The Legend of Korra” was about Korra, an Avatar from the Water Tribes. The next element in the cycle is Earth, and so “Avatar: Seven Havens” is about Pavi, an Avatar born to Earthbenders.

But the world that Pavi is born into is much different from what we’ve seen in the past. 200 years prior, Avatar Korra allegedly destroyed the world. Humanity was almost wiped out by the resulting storms and climate change, but survived by forming seven cities (or Havens) across the world. Pavi lives in one of these Havens, a desert community called Ellora.

Ellorans are taught to fear and hate the memory of Avatar Korra, so Pavi hides her abilities. If she reveals even the ability to bend one element, Ellora’s militia, the Bending Brigade, would force her to enlist. That’s because in Ellora, no one is allowed to practice bending without first joining a squad of child soldiers. Instead of enlisting, Pavi spends her time living alone in a cave with rocks, bugs, and her cat-monkey Geet.

But Pavi can’t hide forever. The storms that Korra set off are still raging 200 years later, and Ellora might not be able to survive them for much longer. The Ellorans believe that a new Avatar would destroy the world further, but one secret society believes that she could save it. That is, if they can get her to believe in herself, too.

What do you need to watch before “Avatar: Seven Havens?”

“Avatar: Seven Havens” actually does a pretty good job of explaining the world’s lore to new fans. After all, this show is produced by Nickelodeon, which has a pretty young demographic. Most Nickelodeon viewers weren’t even born yet when the show ended 12 years ago.

Part of its accessibility is due to the premise: It’s 225 years after “The Legend of Korra,” and not only are all the characters we know dead, but they’ve even been forgotten. Only a select few even remember who any of the Avatars were before Korra. Any items or organizations from the previous shows are considered relics of the Old World.

Of course, there are Easter Eggs for returning fans (including a Korrasami one that I particularly appreciated), but the show doesn’t count on you remembering a ton of details from over a decade ago. And it doesn’t lean too heavily on nostalgia — no one’s screaming “my cabbages” or “secret tunnel” at you, at least in the first six episodes, and I count that as a plus.

Is “Avatar: Seven Havens” like the previous shows?

As a big “Legend of Korra” fan, I was worried going into “Seven Havens.” The whole premise is that the world villainizes Korra — something fans have been doing in the real world for years. I was worried that the show would try too hard to be the opposite of “Legend of Korra.” But I was pleasantly surprised.

“Seven Havens” keeps the childlike innocence of “The Last Airbender” while still balancing the political intrigue of “Legend of Korra.” Pavi and her long-lost twin sister, Nisha, are still learning about the world and grappling with all of the pressure that their mentors have put on them. But at the same time, the teenage and adult characters are facing the possible destruction of their whole society.

You can even see echoes of previous characters in this new generation. Kind-hearted Pavi reminds me a lot of the pacifistic Aang, and I really hope she’s able to repair whatever Korra broke in the last show (TLDR: Korra used to be able to talk to her previous lives, but eventually lost the ability) so that she can find guidance from his spirit form.

Meanwhile, Pavi’s sister Nisha reminds me a lot of Korra. She’s very strong-willed, and eager to prove herself to the city of Ellora. She has her own sense of justice, and I can see her getting into the kind of trouble that Korra often saw two centuries prior.

Both twins are stellar characters, and their relationship is really the heart of the show. I’m really looking forward to seeing how they develop as they discover more about their shared past.

Is “Avatar: Seven Havens” good?

So would I recommend “Avatar: Seven Havens?” Yes, absolutely.

There will definitely be some growing pains. For one thing, the animation style is a little different than fans may be used to. It’s done by French studio La Chouette Compagnie instead of the South Korean Studio Mir, which worked on “The Legend of Korra” and the recent “Avatar Aang” film. But the art direction is beautiful, so I think fans will get used to it pretty quickly.

And the visual worldbuilding really is a highlight. The Ellorans remind me of my favorite Ghibli film, “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.” Pavi even has a fondness for bugs. The setting itself, a walled-off city in the middle of a post-apocalyptic and storm-filled desert, centuries after a hero’s failure — that feels a whole lot like “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.” I mention both of these not to make that empty “it’s like Ghibli meets Zelda!” pitch that you’ve heard a million times before, but because I genuinely feel like the influences are there.

As for the show’s plot, it’s all about solving mysteries. What happened to Pavi and Nisha’s parents? Why do bandits keep attacking Ellora? What’s the deal with those mysterious glowing cubes popping up everywhere? The characters are constantly moving forward, trying to solve these mysteries while keeping their own secrets hidden. The whole cast, including supporting characters like airbenders Jae and Karthik, is super compelling.

“Seven Havens” definitely feels like a worthy continuation of the franchise. It doesn’t have any of the baggage that the “Avatar Aang” film struggled under, having to do iconic characters and worldbuilding justice. It can do its own thing, and I think that we should let it. I’m six episodes in, and I’m already super invested. Let them cook!

Binge or Cringe Verdict: Binge!

“Avatar: Seven Havens” release date, schedule

The first season of “Avatar: Seven Havens” is called Book One: Survival. The first three episodes will air on Paramount+ on Friday, October 9, with three more episodes airing the following two Fridays. The season will end with four episodes on October 30.

Here’s that schedule in table form, along with the episode titles as revealed by Polygon:

If you’d like to catch up on the whole “Avatar” timeline before “Seven Havens,” check out our comprehensive watch guide. It’ll help you find the best place to watch every installment.

Where to watch “Avatar: Seven Havens”

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