The Boiling Rock Analysis:

-Clearing away the emotional muck that Maiko left behind
-Is Maiko real enough to find a way?

This was made specifically for Zutarians…if you are  a hard-core Maikoian than I don’t know why in the world  you would waste your time reading this.

I will immediately hide any disrespectful comments by Kataangers/Maikoians. Flaming is just plain immature, thank you very much.

I do not expect you to agree with me or share my opinions, but I certainly do expect that you will respect my right to share them.

Enjoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOW THEN…Zutarians…I highly recommend that you go shake out your piggy bank and head to the nearest DVD store to pick up a copy of Book 3 Volume 3. Then come home, pop it into the DVD player, get comfy on the couch, sit back, relax, and enjoy the Boiling Rock part 1 &2. And don’t you DARE allow Maiko worries to creep into your mind.

Because there's really nothing to worry about.

Zutarians have been having a hard enough time dealing with Kataang lately, and so perhaps many did not expect to have Maiko slap us in the face in these episodes.

But seriously. As soon as Zuko mentioned Mai to Sokka, and as soon as the jail warden announced that he was Mai’s uncle, it became obvious that we would have to brace ourselves because Mai would come into these episodes. At least…it should have been obvious. We’re Zutarians, after all, masters of predicting the future of Avatar...if we could forsee that Zuko would join the gang, we should have had no trouble guessing that Mai would soon arrive on the scene.

Right now, the writers are doing whatever they can to make Zuko the 'good guy'. Zuko’s had a hefty 2 ½ seasons of being evil and terrible and ruthless—the ultimate enemy...but now they are trying to bring out the good in him, as much as possible. We hard-core Avatards, however, saw good in him from the very beginning and they don't need to do much to convince us. For goodness sakes, thousands of fangirls have been all over him since they saw him shirtless in the agni kai against Zhao-103- (and I am NOT in that category, thank you very much 0_o).

We see PAST the JERK that Zuko was, because we love him, because we are so happy that he joined the gang, so happy because breaking up with Mai leaves Zutara WIDE OPEN. We KNEW that he broke up with her in that letter.

But WOAH now. Hold up.

Not everyone is as quick and smart and devoted as us Zutarians.

To many, what exactly Zuko wrote to Mai in that letter was a big mystery. And remember, Mai's big purpose in Avatar was to reveal what was going on in Zuko's complex brain and heart during the first half of Season 3 –he told Mai. Not that she could do anything about it, but through her, us fans were kept up-to-date on the many diverse happenings in Zuko's mind. So of course she is the one to read Zuko's letter, to reveal the mystery of what was going through Zuko's mind as he was preparing for one of the biggest (and best) choices of his life.

So we FINALLY get it-officially. Zuko DID break up with Mai in that letter. It wasn’t  Mai, baby, don’t worry, I’ll be back in your arms in a couple of weeks. I love you forever sweetheart, and I will miss your love and your beauty—even all the stars in the heavens are no match for the beauty and splendour I receive as I look into your eyes. I will make sure to buy the best fruit tart in each village on my travels to bring home to you. Thinking about you always and looking forward to when I may finally bask in the light of your beauty once again…-Zuko. (Wow, that was awfully fun to write. Seriously, WHY is  it that everytime I try to write something serious about Maiko…it ends up…ridiculous? Irony, hey? XD)

NO—the real letter left Mai brokenhearted and confused and pissed off: Mai: I’m sorry you have to find out this way, but I’m leaving…

If you have a boyfriend or girlfriend  at home and you have to leave for an extended period of time…how would YOU break the news to them? And I mean, if you really, REALLY cared about them? Deeply in love? Because basically, if you are deeply in love with someone, you just are NOT satisfied with a letter.

Zuko was satisfied with the letter. Mai never even crossed his mind until Sokka forced him to think about her. Therefore, is Zuko really, truly, DEEPLY in love with Mai?

Mai was NOT satified with the letter. Therefore, I believe that she has stronger feelings for Zuko than Zuko has for her.

But just wait a minute...hold up...he broke up with the girl that was head over heels in love with him...through a LETTER?!

Mai's right. That is a really stupid thing to do. That would rip anyone's heart out. And what's worst of all, it came completely without warning. Once minute they are giggling about fruit tarts and the next...there is a note in her bedroom saying that she wasn't good enough, she just didn't cut it.

What a jerk, Zuko. Seriously, that's not the way you treat a girl.

And he's supposed to be GOOD?!

But that's the way that it had to be. Running off without even telling Mai would have been absolutely cruel and heartless...at LEAST he wrote a polite letter. He also couldn't have confessed it all to HER--he had to do it to his father, and his father alone. The poor boy only had eight minutes, for goodnes sakes.  

All of Zuko's bad deeds are coming up again. They are being brought to light so that Zuko may learn to accept what he has done and conquer his past mistakes with a new positive attitude and bright hope for the future.

The fact that he sent out combustion man was brought to surface--to those whom this fact hurt the most--the gang. But, Zuko eventually cleared out that clutter so that he could build an even stronger relationship with the gang.

The fact that he burned down Suki's village was brought to surface. But by helping Suki escape, Zuko cleared out that clutter so that he could build a trust and friendship with her.

Why? Well, because you can't have a firm, solid relationship with someone if you have a cluttered foundation. Zuko DID have a cluttered foundation with the gang, cluttered with all of the hardships he had previously put them through, which is why it was so hard for the gang to initially build a relationship with Zuko. Zuko's now in the process of clearing away the clutter he's left with Katara (wink wink nudge nudge).

So, now that Zuko's in the spring cleaning business, OF COURSE he'll clear away the clutter that he's left with Mai. He tried to explain to her that he never meant to hurt her, that they just don't understand each other the way that they thought, that it just doesn't WORK anymore because they've drifted apart.

But she's still in love with him. She still really cares about him. And she did her absolute best in that cell to try and convince him that what he is doing is WRONG, that he is BETRAYING his nation. She feels strongly that he is going against his nation. He feels strongly that he will be saving his nation. They have grown WAY TOO FAR APART. How can he EVER be with her when she just simply CANNOT fully wrap her head around the fact that Zuko has joined the gang to teach the Avatar firebending? How can he POSSIBLY be happly involved with a girl who cannot understand and does not support the absolute BIGGEST and most CRUCIAL decision he has ever made in his life?

BUT Zuko was with Mai in that cell for a long time. And when the guard came back, Zuko had a smile on his face, and he...he COMPLIMENTED her, almost, saying that she's strong enough to protect herself.

So why did he look so happy?

Because Mai puts him in a dream world. He is a troubled soul, he has a lot on his mind, a lot to worry about, a lot of pressure on him...but Mai would just kiss him, wash his worries away with bliss and fantasy, try her best to numb that passion as she numbs out everything around her so that life is a blur.

And Mai was working her magic in that prison, and Zuko was falling into that sleepy dreamland again.

BUT--pay close attention to his face at this point.

He's joking with the guard and smiling and standing close to Mai...but as soon as the guard mentions Mai's uncle--it snaps Zuko out of dreamworld and reminds him of his greater purpose--the plan to break out of the prison by holding Mai's uncle captive.

And what did he choose? Mai's dreamland or his greater purpose? Smiles and jokes, or his passion for the greater good?

Yeah. That's right. Good boy Zuko.

And then what does he do? He shuts the door, locking her in the cell, preventing her from standing in his way of doing what’s right. He shut the door to Mai’s dreamland as he shut the door of the cell.

How can he possibly be in a relationship with the girl that he considers a threat to achieving his goals?

Because you don’t lock someone in a room if you don’t consider them to be a threat to whatever you are trying to do.  

Maiko was a really good relationship though, good for Mai. Mai had always been this coldhearted, passionless, feeling-less BLAH. But Zuko inspired her. Zuko made her FEEL. For her, it was a LOVE,  and love is a very strong passion. And the break-up made her FEEL even more

Before Zuko: “Please tell me you’re here to kill me.”
After Zuko: “You could of at least told it to my face before you ripped out my heart.”

Um…yeah…before Zuko happened…I didn’t even think that Mai had a heart to rip out…

And no, this does not show Mai that by loving someone, she is making herself vulnerable, ultimately--that by letting herself FEEL she is making herself vulnerable.

Yeah, she was heartbroken--really, deeply hurt. Anyone would be.

BUT Zuko sparked a flame of LOVE within her heart, which eventually blazed until it completely destroyed her fear of Azula. Mai's fear of Azula was her only feeling for the most part--she lived in absolute fear and this was strong enough to numb out any other feelings. As a child, she lived in fear of her parents and of breaking the rules and hurting her father’s reputation. But, now that she’s grown up, Azula is that new fear. She doesn’t have to follow her parent’s rules anymore—it’s Azula rules that she must abide by. And Mai MUST have feared Azula—the most depressing girl in the whole series wore a dress and bright makeup at Azula’s command! If Ty Lee asked her to do that, would Mai respond so obediently?

Zuko gave her LOVE and this love overcame FEAR as love ALWAYS does. It gave her enough courage to STAND UP AGAINST HER FEAR and guess what? It sparked courage and passion in another heart as well--in Ty Lee. Ty Lee's love for Mai gave HER the passion to stand up against her FEAR OF AZULA.

LOVE CONQUERS ALL, PEOPLE.

And that's just great that Zuko has meant so much to Mai, that he's inspired her and changed her for the better.

Just like it's great that Katara has meant so much to Aang, that she's inspired him to keep on truckin' and leave the impact that he's destined to make on the world.

But Zuko is WAY above Mai. And Katara is WAY above Aang in maturity and depth of thought and emotion and passion.

"Why would you even want to go? You KNOW what happened at the LAST war meeting you went to."
*sigh* "I KNOW!"

"Are you mad at your dad or something?"
"What? No! Why would you say that?"

If we have enough passion and dedication and LOVE, we can leave an impact far greater than we know. BUT at some point, we ourselves need to be inspired, we can't just be sparking goodness and emotion in other people, we NEED the opportunity for our goodness and our passion to blaze alongside others, to grow stronger WITH others, and the pure passion of Katara and Zuko blazing together would create something so beautiful and wonderful in which they BOTH are inspired, they BOTH are growing, they BOTH are learning, THEY BOTH SHARE THE LOVE, THEY BOTH ARE IMPACTED BY THE LOVE.

And Ty Lee and Mai HAD to split apart from Azula at some point, right? It had to be something pretty big to inspire them to stand up against their greatest fear.

Perfect opportunity.

Zuko NEEDS to become a solid member of the gang, and this means connecting to everyone. He hasn't had two whole seasons to do so. As a matter of fact, the first two seasons only pushed him further back. Therefore, he has so have his time with each person individually, connecting with them on something special and important.

He's already had his time with Aang--the whole TRUE MEANING OF FIREBENDING thing, the Boiling Rock episodes were his time bonding with Sokka as well as Suki and Hakoda, the Western Air Temple gave him some special moments with Toph...

...which only leaves one person left....

....my watch says it's NINJA TIME!!!

These episodes were to clear away the clutter of bitterness and despair and hurt that Maiko had left behind, so that the next time that Zuko and Mai meet up again, Mai won't be waving her knives at him threateningly. There will be no tension between them, no pressure, no hard feelings.

Because Zuko confirmed to Mai’s face that he is not going to change his mind to please her. Because Zuko was sincere. Because Mai LET HIM GO.

Yes, yes, when Zuko saw that Mai had helped them, he looked so happy and proud.
BUT he was above all relieved. He had done some pretty rude things to her in the past—locked her in a cell, ‘ripped out her heart’…but this is her way of showing him that she’s over him, she’s let go, she’s ready to move on and she’s finally okay with Zuko moving on.

Besides, if he really loved her, he would have looked back at the Boiling Rock with sadness or regret or a dreamy look in his eye or something.

Nothing.

When it came right down to it, he chose the greater good over bittersweet bliss.

He's cleared away the emotional muck that Maiko left behind, giving him a clean foundation on which to build his destiny.

Because seriously, wouldn't Mai be EVEN MORE pissed off to see her ex-boyfriend, whom she still had mixed feelings for, close to a watertribe girl when they meet again in the finale? ;)

So NOW he also has the freedom to build other romantic relationships in the future.

Overall..

“When love is real, is finds a way.”

Maiko quit in the rough patches, Maiko gave up when life became complicated.
Maiko DID NOT FIND A WAY through the challenges that life brings forward.
So is it seriously REAL enough to continue in the future?

Now now, don’t cry because it’s over…

…smile because it happened.

And because there are better things coming our way.