So I think the thing with the Ava twist to me, is more how it doesn't make any sense, which also ties into a deeper issue I have. It feels like they put the message before the logic. Because all I could think about was that at no point did Ellis touch the newly grown limb? You're saying a little girl who is constantly making contact with her dog, at no point, touched the brand new leg that doesn't actually exist? She lives in a snowy environment, and didn't notice any discrepancy between the number of footprints in the snow? How does the illusion work? I'd sure like to know, since they never explained it. Hell, for missing a limb, Ava was remarkably capable and balanced.
Which brings me to the other problem with it, in that Ava is so capable with a missing limb that it hurts the message. Look, I get the idea that they wanted to do this message, and there's nothing inherently wrong with it. But the thing is, Ava functions like any other dog, when he really shouldn't. He should have moments where he's clearly unbalanced, can't move as fast, ect. You can function with a disability, yes, but it's going to affect your life. Pretending it makes you no less capable than someone without the disability comes off as condescending to me, and I think there is room to be inspiring by still showing the difficulties a disabled person faces, but them being able to live a happy life in spite of them. Of course they can't show Ava struggling with his condition, because it would give away the twist, but in turn, the whole message is brought down.
Thing is, I feel like they already did this message way better, by Amaya's very presence. She has a disability, and you actually see how it affects her, as she needs an interpreter to communicate with others. It's a small thing, but it helps sell her condition more, and they actually show her being a very competent fighter and leader in spite of it. It's much more respectful and interesting than the really childish Ava plotline.
A corpse should be left well enough alone...
I get that, but it goes beyond being impressive that and into so unimpaired by their disability that they may as well not have one. Which you can't brush under the rug when another character in the same show has clear disadvantages from her disability.
I think the lesson of The Great Divide was "Stop holding onto the past." Neither clan knew what had happened and clearly weren't going to stop fighting no matter what the resolution was until Aang came up with a reasonable solution, especially when their rivalry nearly got them all killed because neither one tried to not bring food down because "WELL YOU KNOW THOSE FILTHY DEGENERATES PROBABLY BROUGHT FOOD TOO!"
Both points are what the aesop is trying to get across, but it never develops either well enough to justify itself or come across as more than a children's show aesop. We simply don't spend enough time exploring the characters relevant to that aesop for it to be well-developed, even though they're rather important characters for that portion of the story. That's what we're discussing here: that the aesop wasn't as well executed as it could have been.
She's not a normal dog. Have you seen her size? She's big enough people can ride on her! She's clearly not a normal dog as we know them.
Thoug I wish this would be said what kind of dog she is In-Universe. Maybe a breed that exists in the Dragon Prince only.
Edited by OmegaRadiance on Sep 29th 2018 at 10:37:33 AM
Every accusation by the GOP is ALWAYS a confession.@Swanpride Yes, and my argument was that said Aesop was poorly handled, because the character in question had no difficulties from their disabilities in life, which made the message cheap due to how little sense it made for them to be flawless at what they did. The same show has a character who does have difficulties in life from their disability, yet is still a highly capable and respected person regardless. This pulls off the Aesop much better, and it speaks for itself instead of blatantly spelling out the message.
You can't just say that it's just the perception of others that decide what you can and can't do when you're disabled. Yes, you can prove to people that you can do things they didn't expect from you, but your body does have actual restrictions by the condition you have, none of which we saw in the first case.
Okay there's that. It still makes me think of the leg clipping through objects it brushes up against, or if Ellis feels one leg, then the new leg, and there's a visible temperature difference between them, but that's getting more into nitpicks. That still doesn't fix the main issues with the message I had.
Edited by Emperordaein on Sep 29th 2018 at 6:24:39 PM
A corpse should be left well enough alone...![]()
But that was the POINT!!! See, we have an Olympics and we have a paraolympics. And we have people with disabilities managing to qualify for the regular Olympics, ie as long distance swimmers. The aesop here is that society would have never given the wolf a chance to do whatever possible. That's what it is about. And frankly, by insisting that the notion is too unrealistic, you are falling into exactly the same trap the episode tries to warn about, making assumptions about what is possible and what isn't.
Edited by Swanpride on Sep 29th 2018 at 1:33:35 AM
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Carrying an object on it's back, running and pouncing with no visible signs of of balance loss. He doesn't wobble, have to move slower, or stumble over at any point. Hell, i'm remembering Dark Souls and Sif the Great Grey Wold, a similarly huge wolf (Albiet even bigger) gets a paw crippled near the end of the fight and begins limping. He slows down and actually starts tripping and stumbling after performing attacks, since they knock him off balance.
I'm not saying they can't do those things, I never intended that. What i'm saying is that they needed to show the disability actually affecting them, but they can do great things inspire of it. Which is exactly what they did with Amaya. Despite being deaf, she was still a revered warrior, and you saw her needing an interpreter to properly communicate with people. We see this setback with her condition, but despite that, she's a great warrior and loved by her men. Having to keep Ava's disability secret before the twist results in him having no setbacks or difficulties, which feels cheap when put next to Amaya.
Edited by Emperordaein on Sep 29th 2018 at 6:46:46 PM
A corpse should be left well enough alone...
I once had a teacher with a wooden food. Except I didn't know that he had one. I didn't notice at all until someone mentioned it to me. AFTER I learned about it I started to notice the signs in the way he walked, but they were so small and subtle, I wouldn't have noticed it without knowing it.
The point is that each situation is different. Some disabilities can be evened out so much that they are barely noticeable. Ie there are people who are as good as deaf, but they have learned how to speak and how to read lips so well, you wouldn't notice.
Edited by Swanpride on Sep 29th 2018 at 1:52:15 AM
Some recent posts on the official website.
New "character reveals": Amaya
, Gren
, Corvus
, and Ellis and Ava
.
Updated character lineup!
(ages/heights/birthdays)
"Ten Things You Might Have Missed on Your First Watch-Through"
This is WMG and I personally think thay will confirm season 2 at NYCC.
But I think Netflix may be a bit worried about the framrate conversation.
I could see it causing TDP to have a bigger drop off rates then other Netfix showes.
For how much we joke about framrates only is somthing boring nerds cares about, It's actually somthing that everyone cares about when it not the normal rate.
When the hobbit show in cinema on 48 frames it was universally panned by the movie going masses so hard, that most cinemas only show the rest of the trilogy in 24 frames.
I could see how a big part of netflix users going in blind like.
- A new show called The Dragon Prince...I wonder if it's good.
- why is there always like a small gap when the character moves?
- Is something wrong with my computer or the internet?
- spend a few minutes testing selection.
- Ah it's meant to look like that....pass.
Especially the target audience children must hate it, thay know what low framrates means when that play fortnight.
They are really hammering home that they don’t have a second season. Make of that what you will.
Or also them already having more episodes in the can and trying too hard to be coy or cover up the fact that they do. They're not supposed to be confirm anything until Netflix gives them the green light to do so.
Latest blog update (November 5th, 2022).

Yes, which, as her father says, is the product of them not being able to keep a wolf. That isn't a product of her not having a leg, and shouldn't change because she gets one. Her not having a leg doesn't directly affect how people at the village see her, and if it does, it's never shown to the audience. Her having a leg doesn't change how humans see her, it only adds the possibility that her Pride might have accepted her back, which never happens, because she remains as Ellis' pet.