The characters of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" received both praise and criticism from reviewers. Troy Island Mell, of IGN, felt that the story "would [not] be anywhere near as good as it is without its ability to create such strong characters". In particular, Mell enjoyed the development of Katara and Zuko throughout the first season, but thought that Zuko's relationship with his uncle was not "very organic." Jamie S. Rich of DVD Talk generally agreed with Mell's assessment of the characters. Rich also praised the fact that, unlike many cartoon television series, "Avatar" introduces antagonists that have a deep backstory and "are [not] just evil for the sake of it".