There’s been a long-standing theory in the Zutara fandom that Zuko and Katara are the reincarnation of Oma and Shu. I wanted to add evidence from the live action that confirms it.

I would like to point out the slow motion of when Katara passes him, and he reaches out for the scarf. He looks mesmerized, as if he’s getting lost in a memory. He then proceeds to follow her.

In episode 4, we hear the story of Oma and Shu, and I noticed something very familiar in one of the designs. Oma wears a prominent scarf that flows behind her, just like Katara’s did when she walked by.

This scene is filmed and directed to draw our attention to Zuko’s fixation on the scarf and Katara herself. The slow-motion sequence of Katara walking by, her scarf flowing behind her, and Zuko reaching out to touch the scarf, is highly charged.

My theory for his reaction is that he sees a scarf similar to one he wore in his past life on his reincarnated lover, flowing the same way it used to on him, only this time it’s in her color instead of his. Something in his subconscious tells him to reach out and follow her, and I highly doubt it was simply because of his motivations to capture the Avatar.

*Edit:

omashu?.. you mean..

the city founded in honor of star crossed lovers, whose villages were enemies?..

who wore red and blue clothing?..

...

I’m genuinely in one of those moods again, so here’s an _ExpandedRevised.docx version of my thread! Buckle up! This is genuinely going to be so long. 

Let’s begin at the confrontation scene: our characters, Maria and Elsa Schraeder. At this point, Elsa has broken the unshockingly shocking news that Georg is in love with Maria, and Maria is mortified. Before the scene starts, as Elsa enters Maria’s bedroom, we hear very faint strains of music only to transition from the party to the private-ness of Maria’s room. No music is actually heard in this scene – no additional dramatics. The Goodbye Maria/How Can Love Survive Waltz - Medley (which begins with Edelweiss) begins only as Elsa exits the scene.

Now, for those who don’t know what How Can Love Survive is, it’s a song from the original Broadway Musical sung by Elsa and Max as they detail why she and Georg are yet to be engaged. 

As Elsa exits the scene and leaves Maria alone in the frame, in confusion and anguish, faint strains of Edelweiss plays. I’ll detail why that bit makes me cry later on, but let’s talk about how as the scene cuts to Elsa downstairs, looking smug as she walks into the ballroom – smug and sure that Maria will be leaving them, the music transitions to How Can Love Survive. 

How Can Love Survive is a “champagne problem” sort of song. It talks about how money is usually in the way of romance and how utterly difficult it is to show your significant each other love when you’re rich – but it’s alright, they’ll keep it alive anyways, as seen in this lyric.

Caught in our gold-plated chains are we, Lost in our wealthy domains are we, Trapped by our capital gains are we, But we’ll keep romance alive—

Personally, it details the shallowness of the relationship between Georg and Elsa, and also an insight on how different they are in terms of loving their significant other. The significant change of removing this in the film makes Elsa’s relationship with Georg feel much more natural – as if drawn to each other through seeking companionship. But why use this now? It could’ve been placed anywhere within the film. Why choose this specific moment? 

It’s important to note that Elsa views Maria as a nobody – an orphaned young woman who happens to be a postulant at Nonnberg Abbey, who also happens to be a governess in the Von Trapp home. But Maria also stands for everything that Elsa isn’t. Maria likes everything that Elsa does not – all of which Elsa lists in How Can Love Survive. It’s a shallow song, again, sung jokingly. But in this particular scene, it answers Elsa’s question of “how can love survive?” 

Eliminate the competition, and perhaps then, Georg will learn to love her and only her. We see later on that this doesn’t happen, and if her bittersweet farewell is any indication, she’s just a woman in need of love but used so thoroughly for her money and influence.

But now the music changes again! (Bold text to keep us back on track because I got too sad about How Can Love Survive)

After Elsa’s finally in the ballroom and proposed a toast with Max because she’s gotten rid of Maria, the Edelweiss Waltz plays.

Now, I’ll be detailing why exactly I sob during these last few minutes before intermission! 

We know that the scene before The Grand and Glorious PartyTM  is the Edelweiss Scene. I don’t think I need to detail the fact that after Georg sings, he and Maria share a comfortable look – she looks like she’s in heaven, and he gives her one of those unsure smiles… right before Elsa interrupts them with the idea of a party. And I always say that he looks at her at the very last “bless my homeland forever” unknowingly because she feels like everything home represents to him.

Edelweiss is like the oh. o h. moment when one of the characters finally realizes how much the other means to them. It, then, becomes an unspoken, subtler representation of their love – or of love, in general, in the movie (Edelweiss sung to family = familial love, to Austria = love for country, etc.). 

To see Georg and Elsa dancing to Edelweiss – a representation of love – feels like a slap to our faces then. Because we know that Georg isn’t in love with Elsa – at least romantically. We know that Elsa isn’t his homeland, but perhaps he’s pretending that she is, or making himself feel as if she’s the one that he wants or must want.

What about Maria and his mixed emotions, then?

This part feels most heartbreaking to me because this is where Georg – who has chosen to stand firm in everything he believes – chooses convention. 

Dancing to Edelweiss in a ballroom full of people, everyone watching them be the conventional couple – as opposed the picture the Laendler paints, which is everything that this waltz is not.

He sets aside his feelings for Maria because how does he love her openly? 

And in this moment, Maria also chooses to leave, because it has to be the wisest choice. Why on earth would she stay when she’s “getting in the way?”

So, to answer the question: 

How can love survive? 

Before the Intermission begins, we’re all heartbroken because Georg chooses Elsa – and we established that she got the answer to making her love survive. Making Maria leave. 

And Maria goes with this because how can her love survive anyways? To ask for the Captain’s love would be wrong. To leave God felt impossible, and she’d feel more confused with whatever she felt with every passing minute. So she chose to leave. 

I go to the hills when my heart is lonely I know I will hear what I’ve heard before My heart will be blessed with the sound of music And I’ll sing once more

Fräulein Maria and Captain Von Trapp, The Sound of Music

TENOCH HUERTA (Namor) and MABEL CADENA (Namora) in a scene from Black Panther : Wakanda Forever