Avatar: The Last Airbender's 'Gilligan Cut' Scene Has Netflix Viewers Divided
Some critics have been absolutely brutal in their reviews for Netflix's "Avatar: The Last Airbender." The live-action adaptation of the classic Nickelodeon cartoon may have certain charms, but from certain characterizations to the visual style, some plain don't like the new take. In fact, one criticism aimed toward the new show has taken off on X (formerly known as Twitter), but is it being too harsh?
The argument seems to have started with @A_I_M_1999, who uploaded a clip of Sokka (Ian Ousley) saying he's not going to ride Appa. Before he even finishes the sentence, it smash cuts to him screaming while riding Appa. It's an often-used joke, with the X user clearly not impressed it's still getting mileage in this day and age, captioning, "This joke in 2024." Clearly, some agree that the use of this kind of humor is played out, with @corgi_astr80302 writing, "We knew this s*** was gonna be ass, let's not act surprised."
However, others don't feel the same way. This specific joke is referred to as a Gilligan cut, named after the TV show "Gilligan's Island." It's predominantly a staple of sitcoms and cartoons, and seeing as "The Last Airbender" originated as an animated series, it only makes sense for some bits to carry over. In this case, it literally carried over, as @PeakFiction412 pointed out: "Same thing happened in the original." Screenwriter Zack Stentz also defended the joke while reposting the original clip: "Look man, the 'Gilligan cut' is a foundational building block of American television comedy and you're not gonna take it away from us."
Does Avatar: The Last Airbender use the Gilligan cut well?
The main source of contention surrounding Netflix's "Avatar: The Last Airbender" Gilligan cut is that it's clichéd. Things become tropes for a reason — they work. In this instance, the Gilligan cut has persisted because it can be mined to lofty comedic heights. Comedy is inherently subjective, so if someone doesn't find this scene funny, that's up to them. But it should be judged on its own merits and not simply because it relies on a trick numerous other shows and movies have utilized.
The Gilligan cut in "Avatar: The Last Airbender" actually does subvert the trope a little bit, with Sokka getting cut out mid-sentence. He doesn't have time to complete his thought, which typically happens with this bit, so it may catch viewers off-guard in that sense. Part of the beauty of tropes is seeing how other artists deconstruct them, and numerous other properties have put their own spins on this smash cut. For example, in the "Simpsons" episode "The Princess Guide," Carl says he definitely won't dress up as a Nigerian princess. It then smash cuts to him wearing the same outfit and saying, "Thank you for listening to my objections." In that instance, the joke is on the audience expecting Carl to dress up like a princess because of the trope, but then it does something else for the punchline.
Everyone's entitled to an opinion, and plenty of people commented how much they actually enjoyed the joke on "Avatar: The Last Airbender." Considering everything else the show does, such as changing Aang's (Gordon Cormier) origin story for the worse, there are plenty of other things to criticize.