This article contains spoilers for Avatar: Seven Havens Season 1, Episodes 4,5 and 6.
There is never been a dull moment in the Avatar’s world. Since Korra allegedly caused the Cataclysm, subsequently putting an end to The Four Nations, nothing has ever been the same. Now, you will find Seven Havens, and not one, but two Avatars coexisting. Nisha (Aishu Devan) and Pavi (Saheli Khan) defied history as the first twin Avatars. No one knows how that is possible, but we’re inching closer to finding out how as Avatar: Seven Havens raises the stakes.
Episodes 4, 5 and 6, titled “The Faceless”, “The One Left Behind”, and “Night of the Afflicted” touch on the twin Avatars’ lineage while they’re tested by new foes, revelations and each other. These character-driven episodes not only explore Nisha and Pavi’s vulnerabilities as they learn about themselves, but also foreshadow their true potential.
Facing The Faceless
The second episodic trilogy follows a linear narrative of the Avatar twins confronting the unknown, their past, and fear itself. In Nisha and Pavi’s journey of shared self-discovery, with no past Avatar for guidance, all they have is each other. To further complicate matters, trouble in Ellora escalates as their sisterhood develops.
Training under Captain Karthik (Akshay Khanna) and the Order of the White Lotus is nothing compared to trial by fire. The writers make that explicity clear having Nisha and Pavi face off against the Faceless Ones in Episode 4. These masked villains disrupt Ellora, hold a waterbender captive, and provoke a confrontation with the Avatar twins. No one has a clue about their identities or motives. All we know for certain is their ability to make Ellora’s finest sweat. “The Faceless Ones” marks the true beginning of fight sequences in Avatar: Seven Havens. Bending has gotten weaker due to the strained connection to the Spirit World, so there is an emphasis on close quarters combat that can be appreciated by traditional martial arts fans.
Nisha and Pavi were not tasked with taking the Faceless Ones down. It was the last thing Karthik wanted. He gave them specific instructions to stay of harm’s way, avoid exposure, and listen to Jae (Major Curda). Of course, they did none of that. We see their stubborn, contrasting heroic natures converge in the heat of battle. During training, Nisha strikes first and asks questions later, like Korra. Pavi, on other hand is a hesitant pacifist like Aang. You can barely tell them apart in their first unofficial mission to stop a real threat this time.
Even though they failed to defeat the Faceless Ones when the dust settled, it is a treat seeing them work together using what we can imagine as a higher form of twin telepathy. The episode may not end on a high note, but it serves as an appetizer for the following two episodes.
No One Gets Left Behind Anymore
“The One Left Behind” and “Night of the Afflicted” tackle dramatic and horrific themes of abandonment, grief and trauma. This is where Aishu and Saheli’s voice acting as Nisha and Pavi shine brightest so far. For moments we forget about their destiny as the Avatars while they hit us with the harsh reality of their fractured childhood. Sorrow follows the truth behind Captain Karthik’s lies. His sins can be forgiven because he did not want either sister to feel neglected. You can tell it is one instance where the truth is genuinely worse when they break by the weight of it.
Nisha’s tough-girl persona was left in shambles until her sister picked up the pieces. Her sadness became synonymous with her anger. Whether she was crying, fighting or hugging Pavi, there was no way of telling her emotions apart. Nisha’s animated mechanics in tandem with Aisha’s voice intertwine her emotions, letting viewers experience all of her feelings all at once. Pavi handles trauma differently. You would think that she would be more open as the warmer twin, but that was not the case. Despite her presence as an emotional support pillar for Nisha, she slightly withdraws into herself. A heartbreaking reason for this is revealed in “Night of the Afflicted.”
Contrary to my initial thoughts, Pavi was not putting on a front for Nisha, as much as she was putting on one for herself. Her subconscious developed a coping mechanism to shield her from trauma since losing her leg and her family. We are dealt a devastating emotional blow along with the revelation of Pavi’s limb difference. Until now everyone believed that she was born differently abled, including herself. The phantom limb pain she experiences soon after she and Nisha learn about their parents is no coincidence.
All the pain and fear Pavi suppressed resurface in waves. There is a rough role reversal between Nisha and Pavi on account of their heads butting together. Nisha hates seeing her sister hurting, while Pavi hates her feeling sorry for her. It is bittersweet seeing them clash because their tension confirm that they more alike than they realize at a terrible time. Before the twin Avatars make up, citizens of Ellora contrast Pavi’s nightmares in an episode of spiritual mass hysteria. High stakes thrust Nisha and Pavi into recovery as they save Ellora from a hostile entity together. Seven Havens creatives atone for putting the youngest Avatars through so much hurt so soon by having them ascend beyond trauma in a jaw-dropping resolution.
Night of the Avatar
Avatar: The Last Airbender set a high bar for handling mature subject matter in a kid-oriented animated series. Avatar: Seven Havens already reached it within the first six episodes. Many animated works since then either talked down to young audiences or alienate them entirely. Although The Legend of Korra trusted its target audience to understand its societal, anarchist themes, the series moved away from the childlike wonder that ignited this Avatar universe. Seven Havens walks on a tight rope between its predecessors’ tones.
My heart was running steadily until episodes 5 and 6 had it racing a mile a minute. Following the elevated action of “The Faceless Ones”, those episodes drastically shifted direction into a dark, uneasy place. Nisha and Pavi are the only reminders of light shining through the darkest corner. Aishu Devan and Saheli present vulnerable layers of their characters that allow viewers to realize the weight of their innocence under a harsh climate. Relief comes after dread and sorrow when we watch them walk through Hell to bring Heaven on Earth together. I am not referring to them saving Ellora as much as I am referring to them discovering their true power while reclaiming their good spirits.
Avatar Seven Havens is cementing its status as a brilliantly written animated series worthy of the Avatar name thus far. Where Season One goes from here remains to be seen. Wherever it goes, I hope the creators keep the lore’s youthful roots alive.
