Drama
Cupertino
CBS’ ‘Cupertino’ takes your usual legal drama fare to Silicon Valley, where two lawyers try to help victims exploited by tech companies.
Water. Earth. Fire. Air.
If you don’t know the story already, here’s what you need to know: Some select humans in the Avatar universe are capable of bending (telekinetically manipulating) the four elements. Most can bend just one element, but the Avatar is special because he or she is capable of controlling all the elements at once. The Avatar also acts as a bridge between the chaotic spirit world and the slightly less chaotic human one. When one Avatar dies, another is reborn, imbued with all the memories of his or her past lives. (For more details on all of this theological mumbo jumbo, check out our blog: “The Theology Of … Avatar: The Last Airbender.”)
When Avatar Aang came along, he helped stop Fire Lord Ozai from conquering the other three bending nations (read more in our reviews of the animated and live-action series). After his success, he established Republic City, where all benders were welcome (more info on that in our review of Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender). When he died, Avatar Korra took his place. Her journey resulted in the total meltdown of the barriers between the human and spirit worlds and the alleged breaking of the Avatar cycle of reincarnation (and there’s more about Korra in our review of The Legend of Korra).
But something happened at the end of Korra’s story that we don’t know about yet. Something that caused people to hate the Avatar. Something that destroyed the world.
It’s been 225 years since Korra apparently caused an apocalyptic event known as the Cataclysm. It’s unclear what happened exactly, and historical records from that time are practically nonexistent. But most people agree: It was definitely the Avatar’s fault.
Since then, humans have split into seven “havens.” Each haven is protected by a brigade of benders. But each year, fewer people are born with the ability to bend the elements. And each year, the environmental disasters that threaten to bring about another Cataclysm get worse.
The world could use an Avatar right about now, but Captain Karthik of Ellora (one of the Seven Havens) fears that the people aren’t ready to accept another Avatar. He worries, with good reason, that they would reject and perhaps even execute anyone who steps forward as the “savior” of the Havens.
Imagine what they might do if two supposed saviors came forth.
Pavi and Nisha are twin sisters born with the ability to bend earth. But they eventually figured out how to bend air, water and fire, too, marking them both as Avatars. Unfortunately, neither sister is sure how this happened: They’ve both lost the memories of their early childhoods. In fact, when Karthik finds them, they don’t even know they’re sisters.
Something separated these two girls and set them on very different paths. Nisha was taken in by Karthik and trained by members of the White Lotus (an ancient order dedicated to finding and training each Avatar). Meanwhile, Pavi lost her leg, and she’s been living on the streets of Ellora, scrounging up what food she can, depending on the kindness of strangers.
When Nisha and Pavi are reunited, their memories begin to return. Nisha is thrilled to have someone with whom to share her Avatar journey. But Pavi doesn’t want the responsibility. Like many in the Seven Havens, she fears the Avatar’s powers, and she worries that embracing the title will doom her and her long-lost sister.
The girls may not have a choice, though: A malevolent spirit has managed to break through the defenses of Ellora. Animals are being driven mad by its presence. And the storms outside the city are tearing it apart, bit by bit.
If the Seven Havens are to survive, they’ll need the Avatars’ help. But if the girls are to survive, they’ll need to find out what happened to Korra, what caused the Cataclysm and what they need to do to stop it from happening again.
Paramount+’s Avatar: Seven Havens picks up more than two centuries after Aang’s and Korra’s stories, so longtime fans won’t see cameos of their favorite characters except through flashbacks. But in terms of content, Seven Havens feels quite familiar.
First, there’s a lot of spirituality. Right now, that spirituality is murky since we don’t know exactly what happened at the end of Korra’s cycle, but the history is still there: Viewers will see an emphasis on the balance between light and darkness, spirits walk the world freely, and reincarnation plays a critical role.
That history also plays into some violent content. The Cataclysm almost certainly killed a lot of people, Korra included. The current disasters plaguing the Seven Havens cause quite a bit of destruction. You won’t see blood or gore spatter across the screen, but when someone dies or gets hurt, it’s obvious.
The Avatar franchise has never been particularly steamy, but romantic relationships have always been present. Back in the day, Aang harbored a crush on waterbender Katara (whom he eventually married). Korra was caught in a love triangle, then a love square and then finally walked off hand-in-hand with another woman (which more or less confirmed fan suspicions that the two women had romantic feelings for each other). Pavi and Nisha seem a bit too young for such entanglements yet, but their male airbending trainer Jae has a boyfriend—and we see him kiss that boyfriend on the cheek in an early episode.
Seven Havens carries the franchise’s light, often comical tone. But those content concerns do make it a heavier lift for discerning families. And it seems that these thematic elements weigh more with each reincarnation of the franchise.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
After accidentally revealing her Avatar powers to a member of the Bending Brigade, a coalition dedicated to protecting Ellora, Pavi is taken to the Brigade’s leadership. There, she learns that Captain Karthik has secretly been training another Avatar, Pavi’s long-lost twin sister, Nisha.
Characters born with the ability to bend the elements are required to join the Bending Brigade. Someone notes that fewer benders are born each year. When a water canal bursts, one squad on the Brigade uses its collective power to save a citizen from some falling debris and repair the damage. Elsewhere, Brigade members bend a protective wall into place around the city, shielding it from a violent sandstorm. Pavi uses her powers to lift a boulder off a man. Two characters bend air to repel a sandstorm tornado. Nisha bends all four elements during training exercises. Other benders use their powers to spar in a training facility. Characters occasionally get knocked around. Pavi gets scratched up badly during a sandstorm. She passes out after expending herself bending.
Citizens of Ellora clearly hate and fear anyone who might claim to be the Avatar. In a children’s play, they reenact the Cataclysm, wherein several characters beat the Avatar character with some sticks. We’re told the Cataclysm left the world in ruins.
Pavi has a particular affinity for animals. For instance, she talks to a beetle and seems to understand the bug’s desire to return to its family. However, it’s unclear if the beetle is actually saying something to her or whether she’s just intuitive. Both Pavi and Nisha have pet cat-monkeys, which are big enough to ride. A girl captures and sells beetles as “anti-Avatar charms.” When the bugs escape and begin biting people, she quickly switches her scam, selling bug spray instead. Pavi saves one beetle from getting stomped by an angry citizen.
Characters sometimes kneel before each other in respect. Jae, a Brigade squad leader, volunteers his squad for extra duties, much to his squad members’ dismay. Pavi has a missing leg and wears a wooden peg in its place. She’s homeless and an orphan. She scrounges through garbage for food and tastes a mysterious berry to see if it’s edible. A kind stranger leaves some fresh food for her on top of a trashcan, rather than throwing it away. It’s clear that Pavi wants a family: To keep herself company, she has painted some rocks with faces and given them names.
Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.
CBS’ ‘Cupertino’ takes your usual legal drama fare to Silicon Valley, where two lawyers try to help victims exploited by tech companies.
Netflix’s ‘Below’ offers Shyamalan-esque thrills but adds a frigid wave of harsh content that audiences may not be expecting.
Vision is alive again—or as much as the AI synth ever is—in Disney+’s ‘VisionQuest.’ Though violent and profane, the show itself returns close to ‘WandaVision’ form.
Chicago is full of crime, and it takes a law-breaking cop to deal with all of it.