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Avatar State Radio

Avatar State Radio

Written by: Michael DeAngelo & Kevin M. Gallagher Jr
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Welcome to Avatar State Radio! Join our hosts, Michael DeAngelo and Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr, as one of them discovers the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender for the first time while the other revisits Aang, Katara, Sokka, and the rest of ATLA Gaang. Whether you're re-watching the series (like Mike) or you're brand new to the world of Avatar (like Kev), this is a can't miss journey through the Avatar universe.

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Episodes
  • The Podcast of The North

    The Podcast of The North
    Jan 9 2026
    Spirits intervene. The moon goes dark. The Avatar State stops holding back.In the season finale of Avatar State Radio, the Northern Water Tribe becomes the center of a full-scale assault as the Fire Nation launches its long-awaited siege. The city that once felt regal and untouched is suddenly a battlefield, and the tension never lets up. Aang wrestles with the impossible weight placed on him as the Avatar, and the reality that he is still a child standing in front of an entire army. Zuko slips into hunter mode and goes after Aang alone during a brutal snowstorm that would kill most people. The defenses hold longer than anyone expects, but the pressure mounts as the Fire Nation pushes closer and closer to victory.Part Two escalates everything as the story moves into the Spirit World and back again. The audience finally learns how important the Moon and Ocean spirits are to the balance of the world. Princess Yue becomes the emotional core of the finale, and her story takes on a level of mythic tragedy. Zhao crosses a line that changes the world when he kills the Moon Spirit, causing the sky to fade into a sickly red glow and throwing the balance of bending into chaos. Katara steps up with some of her strongest fighting so far and defeats Zuko in the snow. Zuko’s persistence keeps him going through defeat after defeat, while Aang returns in a tidal wave of Ocean Spirit fury that shows a terrifying and awe-inspiring side of the Avatar State that we have not seen before.The battle finally ends when Yue gives her life to restore the Moon Spirit, bringing the world back into balance and saving a city that had been moments away from collapse. Zuko and Iroh flee, the Fire Nation regroups, and the Gaang gets a moment to breathe. Season One concludes not with triumph, but with the understanding that a larger and darker war is still coming.Book One sticks the landing and confirms that Avatar is not just a well-made cartoon. It is a genuinely great series with stakes, mythology, emotion, and purpose.This episode is made possible by Tellest!Tellest is a fantasy universe of magic and splendor where gifted heroes wield extraordinary abilities that can be seen as both blessings and curses, leading to conflicts that reshape the world. Created by Michael DeAngelo and officially launched in 2011, the setting grew from stories told as labors of love into a vast shared universe. Over the years, Tellest expanded to include new writers and artists, tabletop games, video games, and a wide range of books, including nonfiction and children’s titles. With constant new content and an open spirit toward collaboration, Tellest continues to grow, placing the future of its stories in the hands of its fans and fellow storytellers. Find more information at Tellest.comFind MikeTellest.com | Twitter @tellest | Facebook @tellestbooks | Twitch @ThatTellestGuy | Etsy | PatreonFind KevThatNerdyKev.com | Starbird Media, LLC | Everything is Awesome | Get 'Em Next Year | @ThatNerdyKev on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, TwitchFind Avatar State RadioAvatarStateRadio.com | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | AmazonOur intro music is The Voyage by Audionautix, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Artist: http://audionautix.com/
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    2 hrs and 8 mins
  • The Podbending Master

    The Podbending Master
    Jan 2 2026
    Innovation, betrayal, and tanks—this episode proves “filler” doesn’t mean forgettable.Sexism, stubborn masters, and a shocking Gran Gran reveal—welcome to the North.In this episode of Avatar State Radio, Kev and Mike arrive at the Northern Water Tribe and immediately clock that this is the first truly “royal” location we’ve seen in Avatar: The Last Airbender. The city is stunning, the culture is deep, and unfortunately… the traditions are a problem. Enter Master Pakku (quickly rechristened “Master Poophead”), whose rigid views on gender roles spark one of the most important conflicts of Book One.Kev is openly furious watching Katara be sidelined simply because she’s a girl, while Aang is welcomed with open arms as a student. What starts as frustration quickly turns into one of the most powerful character moments of the season as Katara refuses to accept “that’s just the way things are.” The resulting confrontation pushes not only Pakku, but the entire Northern Water Tribe, to reckon with outdated traditions that no longer serve them.And then comes the reveal. WAIT... PAKKU WAS ENGAGED TO GRAN GRAN?! Suddenly, everything snaps into place. What felt like stubborn cruelty is exposed as deeply personal heartbreak, and that emotional context becomes the catalyst for real change. Pakku doesn’t just change his mind; he helps change his culture.As the dust settles, the episode makes one thing very clear: the war is coming. The Northern Water Tribe may look untouchable, but the looming Fire Nation threat casts a shadow over every victory. Training resumes, old wounds heal, and the stage is officially set for the siege to come.It’s a massive episode for Katara, a pivotal moment for the series’ themes, and one that proves Avatar was never afraid to challenge its own world.This episode is made possible by Tellest!Tellest is a fantasy universe of magic and splendor where gifted heroes wield extraordinary abilities that can be seen as both blessings and curses, leading to conflicts that reshape the world. Created by Michael DeAngelo and officially launched in 2011, the setting grew from stories told as labors of love into a vast shared universe. Over the years, Tellest expanded to include new writers and artists, tabletop games, video games, and a wide range of books, including nonfiction and children’s titles. With constant new content and an open spirit toward collaboration, Tellest continues to grow, placing the future of its stories in the hands of its fans and fellow storytellers. Find more information at Tellest.comFind MikeTellest.com | Twitter @tellest | Facebook @tellestbooks | Twitch @ThatTellestGuy | Etsy | PatreonFind KevThatNerdyKev.com | Starbird Media, LLC | Everything is Awesome | Get 'Em Next Year | @ThatNerdyKev on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, TwitchFind Avatar State RadioAvatarStateRadio.com | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | AmazonOur intro music is The Voyage by Audionautix, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Artist: http://audionautix.com/
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • The Northern Pod Temple

    The Northern Pod Temple
    Jun 13 2025

    Innovation, betrayal, and tanks—this episode proves “filler” doesn’t mean forgettable.

    In this episode of Avatar State Radio, Kev and Mike soar into The Northern Air Temple, where the Gaang stumbles upon a community of gliders, steam-powered inventions, and one of the earliest moments of disability representation in animated TV. Right from the start, it’s clear this episode was ahead of its time: Taeo’s character is celebrated not for what he lacks, but for how he thrives. His daredevil gliding skills even impress Aang… at least until some Temple disrespect sends our favorite airbender into a spiral.

    Things only get more complicated when Aang and Taeo discover that the temple’s been opened before, and Taeo’s dad is secretly building weapons for the Fire Nation. Understandably, that doesn’t sit well with Taeo, Aang, and the rest, and it leads to one of the most chaotic battles of Book One. Sokka gets a surprising moment to shine here, tapping into his inner engineer and helping devise both a war balloon and a perfectly timed gas leak bomb. Mike’s still wondering when we’ll get The Last Sky Bison spinoff, while Kev is out here quoting, “Show that bald kid how it’s done!”

    As the episode wraps, Aang comes to accept that change is part of life, even for the Air Temples. The new inhabitants may not be Air Nomads, but they’ve made the temple their home in their own way. Of course, just when things seem settled, the Fire Nation gets their hands on a shiny new war balloon—and we all know that’s not going to end well.

    Plus: Mike’s Trivia, Dani Pudi gets a shoutout, and we all agree—this episode might not move the main plot much, but it still hits.

    Find Mike

    Tellest.com | Twitter @tellest | Facebook @tellestbooks | Twitch @ThatTellestGuy | Etsy | Patreon

    Find Kev

    ThatNerdyKev.com | Starbird Media, LLC | Everything is Awesome | Get 'Em Next Year | @ThatNerdyKev on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Twitch

    Find Avatar State Radio

    AvatarStateRadio.com | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Amazon

    Our intro music is The Voyage by Audionautix, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

    https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    Artist: http://audionautix.com/
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    44 mins
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