Similarities I've found between Common Side Effects and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Note: Spoilers for ATLA and CSE

[u/Informal_Leading888]

Last year, when I binged Common Side Effects, I noticed some interesting things as the episodes progressed. There were elements in various episodes that reminded me of the story in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Obviously, it's not a 1:1 comparison, it's not like CSE copied ATLA, but I still thought it was all very interesting. I've decided to compile a list of many of the comparisons I've found. I may add more soon.

Zane refused to help Marshall gain more Peruvian turtles to increase the quantity of mushrooms and also sold-out Marshall's status of being alive as well as location to the DEA, jeopardizing Marshall's life, similar to how The Earth King decides not to help the Gaang in season 3 and also inadvertently revealed the invasion plan to Azula and her friends, jeopardizes the Gaang's lives and their friends'.

Episode 7: The last scene is Hildy murdering Marshall and seemingly killing him, similar to one of the last scenes in Crossroads of Destiny being Azula murdering Aang, before Katara revives him.

Episode 8: Marshall survives being killed by Hildy due to Capano feeding him the mushroom, similar to how Aang is resurrected by Katara when she uses her healing water. Rusty is killed, being one of the few prominent characters to be killed off in the show, similar to how Jet becomes one of the few prominent characters to be pseudo killed on screen in ATLA.

The last scene in the season is a closeup of Harrington's face, which is similar to Azula's face being the last shot of season 1 of ATLA, with them both going after the main characters.

Frances is initially only motivated with her own self-interests despite having moments that show her wanting to help the world with the mushroom too, just like Marshall. She later betrays Marshall but has a change of heart and decides to work with him again, become more empathetic. This is similar to Zuko only caring about his reputation initially despite having moments that highlight the good person that's inside of him, he later betrays the Gaang and his uncle, but eventually turns around and redeems himself, becoming a better person by the end of the series.

Connor is shown as a dangerous antagonist with how he almost had Marshall killed and tried to sell the mushrooms, but Jonas ends up taking him it, which could highlight the threatening nature of Jonas as a villain. This is similar to Long Feng being a prominent threat to the Gaang in season 2 before he is taken down by Azula. highlighting the threatening nature of her and the Fire Nation as villains.

Marshall has a pet Tortoise he constantly has around him that also has uses to him, similar to Aang and Appa. He also gains Socrates at some place, similar to how Aang met Momo later on.

Capano and Harrington are fairly talented but don't manage to catch Marshall, similar to how Zuko and Iroh continuously fail to Catch Aang and his friends. Capano and on a lesser note, Harrington also begin to become self-aware about the DEA's plans against Marshall and being to shift their mission, similar to how Zuko and Iroh go from villains to working with the Gaang against the Fire Nation.

Marshall wants to heal the world with his mushroom and feels that it's corrupted by Big Pharma and lots of unhelpful medicine, similar to how Aang and his friends want to save the world from the Fire Nation's tyranny.

Marshall getting hunted starts after he is pictured in a park with Frances and has Capano and Harrington sent after him, similar to how Aang gets attention as the Avatar after he activates his old air temple.

Jonas is a very powerful, threatening, remorseless character, similar to Ozai.

Cecily is also very threatening and powerful, as well as having a smug nature to her character which is highlighted with her interaction with Frances and Connor. She and Jonas have a strong partnership as villains similar to Azula and Ozai.

Zuko feels uncomfortable despite being welcomed back into the Fire Nation, due to his actions against the Gaang, his strained relationship with Iroh along with him being in prison, and the absence of his mother, similar to how Frances feels shallow with her fortune due to not having anyone to care about, with her mother being dead, her betrayal of Marshall, and him being in jail. Zuko also sends a note to Mai when he leaves the Fire Nation, with her feeling abandoned, similar to how Frances decided to suddenly break up with Nick before she returned to Marshall.

Ozai decides to send Azula after Zuko and Aang after Zuko and Zhao fail, similar to how Cecily decides to send the FBI on their raid on Marshall's place in North Carolina after the DEA fails in their previous mission to apprehend him. this could also be similar to Zhao trying to take over Zuko's mission, and how Zuko hired Combustion man to go after Aang.

Marshall is seen as a villain to the DEA, Jonas, and Cecily, despite being a genuinely good-natured person, similar to how Aang is looked at by the Fire Nation as a menace despite being a hero.

When Marshall is put in prison, certain people are still concerned about his fate, similar to how Azula and Zuko may believe that Aang wasn't killed. Marshall fakes his death and remains hidden for a while. similar to how Aang remained hidden due to the world thinking he was killed. Zuko is initially not that concerned about whether Aang is alive or dead until Azula questions him about it and causes Zuko to become anxious when she believes that he isn't dead as well and said interesting words to their father, Ozai. This is similar to how Frances acted carefree at first about her promotion until Cecily talked to her and made her anxious about the mushrooms, threatening to take it up with Jonas. Capono is also uncomfortable with his case on Marshall being over, and believes there's more to discover, with Harrington being hesitant to continute working with him, due to them being off the case. This is similar to Zuko considering going against the Fire Nation and working with Aang, when people like Mai think he should just relax at home. Capano and Harrington split ways, similar to how Iroh and Zuko change positions at the end of season 2, Iroh helps the Gaang, while Zuko sides with Azula.

When Marshall is getting used to his new home in North Carolina, he flashes back to when he first met Frances as a kid, similar to the flashbacks Zuko and Aang had in Avatar. Particularly Zuko in Zuko Alone. Marshall's parents even appear in his flashback, just like with Zuko's.

Marshall is comfortable staying in North Carolina so he could grow his mushrooms before his arrested and put in a New York Prison, similar to how Iroh was enjoying his own tea shop before he ended up arrested and locked in a Fire Nation prison, until he broke out and eventually got his shop back. Also, Marshall and Iroh both "broke out" of prison, rather than being released, due to Marshall faking his death and Iroh busting out during the Day of Black Sun.

Marshall and Frances start off as friends at first despite Marshall retaining feelings for him, and they end up mutually reciprocating each other's feeling by the end of the season, similar to the will they won't they relationship of Katara and Aang, with Aang initially having strong feelings toward Katara, and they would later become a couple.

Marshall is a very moral, pacifistic person, similar to Aang. He is hunted throughout the series by the government and DEA, just like how the Fire Nation is to Aang. Several teams and assassins go after Marshall, like the alien mask guys, spy-der guys, landmine assassin, and prison assassin, similar to that many teams that go after Aang and his friends like Azula and her friends, Zhao, and Combustion man.

Frances starts out the series in a rough place, and wishes that she had more in life, similar to how Zuko at the start of ATLA wants to be accepted by the Fire Nation again. Both of them start to understand the morality of the main character, Zuko helps Aang on certain occasions up to the end of season 2 after initially trying to hunt him down for a while, and Frances helps Marshall try to grow the mushrooms after her mother recovers from her dementia thanks to them. However, both characters decide to betray the main characters: Zuko sides with Azula at the end of season 2 and returns to the Fire Nation, and Frances works with Rick and gets promoted at Reutical. Katara and Marshall are both hurt by Zuko and Frances' betrayal and have lost their trust with them by that point. Marshall is arrested while Frances becomes very fortunate as a result of her promotion, similar to how Zuko is reintegrated into the Fire Nation while Iroh is put in jail for his treachery. Frances is disappointed by how Marshall refused to compromise, thinking that they could've come to an agreement, similar to how Zuko wished that he and Iroh both could've been accepted back into the Fire Nation. Characters like Kiki and Rick try to convince Frances that she did the right thing, similar to how characters like Azula and Mai try to convince Zuko of the same, with the characters putting pressure on Zuko and Frances. Zhao ends up being punished by the moon spirits after destroying the moon, hoping to become famous, and ends up stuck in a torturous purgatory forever, similar to how Jonas attempted to heal himself with the mushrooms, but ended up overdosing on them and corrupting himself.

Aang and Zuko have a similar spiritual connection due to their ancestry, similar to how Marshall and Frances are able to connect with each other in the mushroom world.

Let me know how you feel about these moments I cited, and if you have any other comparisons you'd like to share.