Another point about Toph getting over the burned feet thing. When it happened, she was suddenly blinded and in severe pain, so she panicked. But once she was healed and able to think on it, she probably came to the conclusion that it was, at least partially, her fault. She approached a sleeping Zuko, and it's not like he has Seismic sense to alert him.
this always bothered me, she snuck up on him in the middle of the night, without, announcing herself, to the guy who just became one of the most wanted people by the entire fire nation, so he's obviously on guard, and when he defends himself, he's in the wrong?
@@jonathantadlock-stein2023 I don't think they explicitly know what his current relationship to the fire nation is right now. It's not like you can't reason it out, but it does require some critical thinking. Besides after being burned you can't expect her to be rational and once she's healed she recognizes it's an accident
I just noticed at the very end of the episode, Aang specifically does the Fire Nation style of respectful bow that he learned in The Headband to Zuko. Pretty cool detail.
@@Delantho Considering all the other changes to the fire nation since Aang was there 100 years ago, it's likely they changed how they show respect with gestures at least a little.
"Listen avatar, i have a scout with binoculars looking at us right now, and for every 20 seconds starting from now where you dont let me join your group, a firework will be lit by the scout signalling for the army i stationed in a nearby village to execute 20 innocent children, its your choice avatar"
Can you imagine the debates that took place in the writer's room? "Guys what should the first words Zuko says to the Gaang be at this crucial juncture in his arc?" "... I have an idea."
I think Toph saying "If it's important, I'll find out later" is supposed to represent people watching the show who missed the Jeong Jeong episode. Remember, Avatar first aired on cable TV.
I get it that not all channel's show up on 'all' providers, but the issue of when most people mention about certain shows, it is made out that they can only appear on specific set up's. The point of this is what you mentioned about avatar showing up on cable. Ok, assuming that it showed up on nick during its initial run, it wasn't the case that the show only showed up on cable. My parents had satellite TV, directv in particular, for years, and I know that, even to this day (or At least until this past Sunday 12/12/21, that being the last time I know of up to the time I type this on the Wednesday immediately following), they still carry the channel. Even dish net last I knew still Carrie's the network.
@@morganrussman bruh are you braindead? He’s just saying you might have missed the episode. When he’s saying cable he’s not saying that there’s no physical possibility that it could have showed up on satellite tv, he’s just saying you could miss the episode.
@@morganrussman I didnt have cable when I was watching the show as the episodes were releasing. I think it was channel 3 or 4. Cant remember, one was CN and the other was Nickelodeon on our local TV thing
@@xanious3759 yeah like in a couple of episodes when Azula says "I'm here to celebrate being an only child". That's miles more badass than if she just had said "I'm here to kill you"
Toph even kind of has another reason to trust Zuko. She met Iroh and she knew Iroh and Zuko are related and Iroh talked with her about him if my memory doesn’t play tricks on me. So she knew he was still on his way to find his real destiny and that a friend of her (Iroh) put his faith in him.
Yeah you’re right, Iroh talked to her but he never explicitly said his nephew was Zuko. Pretty much said Zuko is confused and angry. So she probably put two and two together from that and also from the last few minutes of The Chase when Iroh got hit and Zuko was kneeling over Iroh
When Zuko is talking about his honor it only shows his unburnt side of his face. Small detail but once you pointed it out I can’t unsee it with the scenes he’s in
I had always assumed Combustion Man didn’t stop hunting the Avatar because he was incredibly disciplined and was one of those mercs that’s like “I always finish a job no matter what.”
I actually really like how Katara is handled in this episode, her extreme mistrust of Zuko is absolutely understandable. It's one thing to need to earn trust from someone you don't know or even someone who screwed up but Zuko *betrayed* her right when she was letting her guard down and that resulted in Aang being nearly killed so of course she's going to be the single most cautious member of the group around him. Same as how she reacted with Jet as well.
Not to mention she has the most reason to distrust Zuko, as he showed her he could be good, but then immediately betrayed the trust they had just built.
That is actually an interesting aspect of her. She seems very quick to trust people, even potentially bad people, but the second they have wronged her she doubles down...a lot...I guess most people would so it is VERY human but still interesting that it actually happens twice in the series just to some lighter degreee with Jet.
I'd also add that the point about the Combustion Man scene seeming kinda staged would definitely lead her to continue to be suspicious. I mean, isn't it weird how Zuko wasn't even the one to finish him off?
They were literally blaming zuko for shit that was THEIR FAULT or just straight out not true, you're just an average twitter user who can't let shit go
I think Katara's threat is a mix of both her being protective of Aang and also still hating Zuko. I mean last time she saw him, his betrayal led directly to Aang practically dying right in front of her eyes. So I don't think those two things are really disconnected.
I think he was discussing it from a shipping perspective. As in, he thinks it could be used to argue that Katara only feels motherly towards Aang, not romantic. But it could also be used to argue that she hates Zuko. So it's not evidence for either.
@@baguettegott3409 I think it also served as a nod to Katara connecting the intensity of her feelings for Aang to the love she had for her parents. Like before where Aang running away had her subconsciously connect her feelings of hurt to when her dad left, except now it was her (while picturing Zuko as the face of the enemy once again) connecting the temporary death of Aang to that of her mother. She threatens to kill Zuko here and then later goes on to attempt murder on her mother's killer.
@@baguettegott3409 it sounds like he was speaking about the runaway, where toph calls Katara a mom, i don’t think he was talking about shipping, since the only time he is actually serious while talking about shipping throughout this whole series was the kiss on the submarine
@@baguettegott3409 I guess. But is being protective of someone a thing only exclusive to mothers though? Sokka gets really protective of Suki too. I think maybe the Water siblings are both just very protective people.
As far as Aang stepping back from his issues, I think it's a pretty human reaction. Cause as much as I would like to think people progress upward in a straight line, it's more a squiggly rollercoaster that's constantly going up and down. So Aang stepping back makes alot of sense to me. Especially after such a tense battle with all that walking afterwards. Probably a mental escape tbh.
Agreed. Aang's still a fun loving kid at heart and that's shown with how he copes with the loss in this episode, going to one of his peoples old air temples and all. In psychology there's this model used to determine how people cope with stressors from a subjective point of view (The transactional model of stress and coping). Not gonna explain the whole thing but the last stage of the model involves coping strategies and whether or not they're adequate in coping with stress. Two types of coping strategies are Direct strategies, facing the stressor head on, and Avoidance strategies, distracting yourself from the stressor. Due to Aang's nature, he employs an avoidance coping strategy here after sustaining one of the hardest losses in his lifetime, his possible last chance at taking on the fire lord safely before the comet arrives. It's not healthy as I think the show establishes, but it's not too out of character considering how humans react to things
I always thought the boomerang hitting Combustion Man and continuing to fly was complete BS, then just like two weeks ago I found out I was wrong. I was playing with my own boomerang in a park and it hit a hydro pole and just bounced off and kept going. It lost a lot of momentum but it didn't stop flying; every other time it's hit anything it's just stopped spinning and fallen straight down. And this wasn't like the edge of the 'rang nicked the pole, it hit the thing straight on. Boomerangs are weird, but I love them.
that's the difference between rotational inertia (and torque) vs linear inertia. if it can deflect of the object, it will simply knock itself further into a spin. you will still lose significant linear momentum, but the rest is still possibly maintained...
That's a cool discovery, I thought it would stop after hitting something too haha That's why it's good to keep an open mind and sometimes even question our belief in something, which can be hard, but ultimately I believe that's how you keep learning more.
Sokka's boomerang shot is completely insane and I don't think we see him display that level of skill again but the knowledge this guy could hot you in the face with a boomerang from 50 metres away *without being able to actually see you* is great.
No but we do see him take out two comet powered firebenders with a broken leg, lying on his back, holding Toph up, with them being ten feet away each... that's pretty insane
I never thought about that tarp. I just assumed it was from the war balloon but then I realize later that he uses it for his Sokka field trip to the boiling rock. My guess is the war balloons also include a fair amount of spare fabric folded up somewhere in the basket.
that would make sense, especially when you are dealing with firebenders who at anytime might accidentally burn a hole or two in the fabric, and in the firenation which might send a volcanic rock or two through the fabric when flying around those islands.
I always felt like Katara was the most reluctant to trust Zuko because she was the only one from the team who trusted him before and thus, the only one actually betrayed by him.
@@RedDeadDepressionist and if that wasn’t enough, Katara outright says it later in The Southern Raiders when Zuko confronted her about it, given that everyone else in the group now fully accepted him at that point.
@@RedDeadDepressionist was it so obvious in the episode? I know it gets literal later but when I first watched it I only felt a hint of it... That must be why nobody even mentioned it. Well, sorry about that.
1:43 I feel like this moment shows that aang still has a issue of running away from his problems. He doesn’t really complete this character development of a scared kid to the avatar when he faces the fire lord. The reason he regresses here is the same reason why it took zuko so long to join the gang. It doesn’t just happen right away, people take time to change.
Totally agree, aang for the first time faces responsibility in the face making a speech, but its only talk, and his actions flipping on his words show he still has room to mature
Progress is not always linear. Someone we have a great day/month/year, but some times we we could be stagnant or even take a step backwards. It is important not to beat ourselves up too much and focus on improving ourselves next time.
Basically came here to leave this comment, glad someone else noticed. It's great character writing when Zuko spends a week in the Earth Kingdom being a good boy but then throws it out the window when Azula gives him a chance at what he thinks will make him truly happy, but somehow "a step back" when Aang toughens up in front of a crowd of people he let down and then presumably a day or two later decides to try to push his problems to the back when he's around his friends? Comes off as a double standard to try to hammer home how good Zuko's development is. I'm a grown ass man who will do the exact same thing - acknowledge my problems and then immediately try to run from them, and my problems are nowhere near Aang's problems.
@@SerenadeURAit's not really the same situation One is trying to cling on the desparate hope to get what they think they want back While the other after assuming their responsability denied it as hard as possible. While i do disagree with his take and think Aang coping this way is understandable. I feel like his distaste for it is less so a double standard and more so his rather infamous distaste for when avatar becames tol cartoony or jocky after or during a serious moment. That's what i think anyway.
To be honest, if Zuko was thinking about betraying the fire nation and knew of the invasion, he could have earned the trust of the Gaang way easier by warning them of the trap.
I don't think he really decided until the day of the invasion. It would have been difficult for him to find them and convince them in time, since they would have just thought he was trying to trick them or stall them like Azula did.
That would require he be able to intercept the Gaang and their allies *before* they actually go for Fire Nation shores, which would have been extremely difficult. To say nothing of the possibility of being captured by Hakoda and Bato, or Tyro and his men.
@@XxOnyxStudiosxX It does seem that Zuko intended to join or follow after the Gaang when they retreated after the failed invasion. Of course, it was a risky gambit and there were a lot of factors that Zuko didn't consider, but that's classic Zuzu for you.
I love how Katara's threat to Zuko (12:03) is pretty much exactly the same as Roku's threat to Sozin in the avatar and the firelord such a nice parallel
We REALLY need to get a compilation of this guy and his ongoing gimmicks and Patreon shoutouts. Probably is one of if not the funniest parts of every video
Forreal. My favorite one is still "[Insert Name I've Forgotten] who discovered the fourth and sixth dimensions, still working on the fifth." That was just so badass lol
Don’t forget his comments he pins. My favorite was a recent video were he said something along the lines of “If you like this comment and video, that thing that has been bothering you at night will fuck off for awhile.”
My favorite thing about this episode and all the rest episodes going forward, is how awkward zuko is. The boy has zero social skills, it's kinda adorable
He used to be reliant on anger and hate before and was driven by his desire to capture Aang and regain his honor. By the time he turned his back on Ozai, now accepting that he is nothing but a tyrant, I can actually see how awkward Zuko is when attempting to socialize.
I absolutely love this episode. I love that they gave a whole episode to how Zuko joins the groups and they work out their issues. And it hits me on a personal level, cause I can relate to Zuko in this episode, and how hard and awkward it can feel trying to make amends with people and proving that you've changed after you've wronged them in some way. The initial rejection, and then Zuko messing up and accidentally burning Toph, the one person that wanted to give him a chance, really hit hard. And they keep it up in the coming episodes too, he still has to prove himself to everyone and isn't just completely welcomed with open arms. Man, Book 3 is just so good.
atleast toph is ready to admit she startled him and thats why she got burned rather than her just telling the group "ya he burned me" i can understand zukos readiness to attack because hearing rustling in the woods at night is scary as fuck, ive been circled by a bear before while me and my buddy were having a fire, we heard it circling us but never once saw it, it was the only time i hadnt brought a gun to that spot as well but luckily we were right by his truck so we just got in and left
@Alexi whats scary as hell is when its a cloudy night so its really dark and you hear branches being stepped on and panting just beyond where you can see with the light you have
@@Lickicker Yeah. And how she's angry at first but by the time she comes back, she's cooled off a bit. This is also showing her character development. She's learned to analyze a situation from an outside perspective.
@@brutusthebear9050 ya like its fair to in the moment go "ow bitch you burned me!!!" But then she crawls away into the earth and realizes like ok that one was on me
@Alexi This reminds me of Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History podcast series: Supernova in the East. He said Hollywood would never show “the real war”. A couple examples would be when Japanese would launch night attacks against the allies or howl, terrifying absolutely everyone. Hearing and finding someone stabbed to death is going to put you on edge. On one island, 1/3 of troops killed in combat were due to friendly fire. Is that rustling you hear a Japanese soldier, or an ally getting up to pee at night? I would feel eternally dread if I got that answer wrong.
Toph’s attitude also makes a ton of sense because she learns a lot about him during her time with Iroh, and pretty quickly learns their identity’s. Her first knowledge of him is through the eyes of someone who cares for him deeply so that must color her opinion
To me aang avoiding to talk about looking for a fire bending teacher is less him pushing away his responsibilities and more him just subconsciously rejecting the element and hasn't found a new way of how to either think about it or deal with it. Thus resorting to his old ways of just avoiding and becoming distracted by other things. And they literally solve this and bring it to attention in the next episode when him and zuko have to both rethink how the view the element.
They also start resolving this when Zuko says he needs to be more careful, and Aang gives that thoughtful look. It's not only because he relates, but also that he now accepts he has to embrace the element.
I really love the fact that Appa is friendly to Zuko because of what happened in Ba Sing Se. In spite of all the messed-up stuff he did in the first two seasons, he did one really good deed, and it does end up mattering in the long run.
Zuko is the most versatile firebender we’ve ever seen despite not being in the running for the best. I think that makes him a pretty good candidate for a mentor.
The best firebender is Ozai. Jeong Jeong and Iroh are on a similar level. Azula isn’t that much better, but he comes right after her. He definitely has held his own against her multiple times.
It was a bit strange to hear that Zuko isn't that good of a firebender, when in the previous episode we literally saw him deflect the lightning back at his father.
@@__-be1gk This is ignorance. Excluding Jeong Jeong he’s the only firebender that actively utilizes fire shields. Aside from that there was his fire whips against Katara, the fire dome he did against Aang on ember island, the precision he showed against the Yuyan Archer, that fire drill he did in the catacombs as well as the aforementioned fire daggers. Fire is a pretty difficult element to be versatile in but Zuko clearly succeeded. Edit: Oh. He also has lightning redirection.
I'm a big fan of how, after this episode, it still takes each member of the group having their own adventures with zuko before fully trusting him instead of just "he's in the group now, let's all be friends!"
Katara's threat to Zuko in the end (as she is still scarred over the latter betraying their bond in "The Crossroads of Destiny" and almost killing Aang) also makes him realize that Team Avatar still doesn't fully trust him.
also she already was willing to give zuko a chance once, and he betrayed that trust, so she's understandably not so ready to fall for something like that again.
I don't think anybody was ever mad at Katara for her initial refusal. This arc doesn't ever really complete until The Last Agni Kai when Zuko proves his willingness to sacrifice everything to make amends. It's a great piece of writing to continue to develop a character who's already been through many changes.
I noticed a contrast between Aang and Katara. He seems more open minded, not only because of what Zuko said but you would think the time Aang spent wit the monks, they would teach Aang to be open-minded and free flowing about life and people, also the call back to having unexpected friends in the fire nation. It’s a detail I think about when it comes to this episode specifically.
0:51 I know it's been pointed out by others, but Zuko pinching the bridge of his nose in embarrassment after recalling a moment where he was disrespectful and angry towards Iroh is, I think, the best indicator of his character development.
I really like that we get to see the flashbacks of when Zuko last visited the western air temple with Iroh. Really good way to show the audience how much he's changed
The architecture of the temple also seems like an intentional story device, especially in this episode. Buildings are flipped, zuko interacting with the group instead of pursuit. It just seems reasonably intentional
The Western Air Temple is definitely my favorite design for a city in all of Avatar. Hate that we didn’t get to spend more time there and super sad it gets turned to dust in a few episodes
Yeah but he's not an adult. He's 12. I honestly don't mind the short regression after such a defeat. He has the weight of the world on his shoulders and sometimes it can just be too much.
1 year later but also like… Aang has been shown time and time again to run away from his emotions sometimes. Serpants pass, when he went missing, when he “died,” the avatar state. it’s the whole reason why he got stuck in that ice. it’s very reasonable for him to not want to face his “failure”
Toph was able to sense that Zuko was being truly sincere with his words, hence why she challenges Aang, Katara and Sokka for quickly dismissing Zuko whereas Aang is in need of a firebending teacher. Although if Zuko lied about Azula sending Combustion Man instead, then Toph WILL sense that he is lying and dismiss him too.
9:02 I always think that Zuko's weak fireball here ties into the next episode, since rescuing people he's trying to be on good terms with is very far removed from who he used to be and thus the anger he drew from. His better showings before and after are both self-defence, and Zuko does say that his struggles and determination to survive defines him.
I think he should point out how as time goes on, Iroh's motif and sunghi horn play in the background of more and more Zuko scenes rather than the fire nation motif.
10:40 i love how you can alrdy see what they think. Aang is listening normally, Sokka is still suspicious but listens with interest and Kitara is just full of hatred.
I thought of combustion man's attack as a attack that needs to be constantly guided to the target, since most attacks that do bend over distance need to be controlled for the whole time or else it just falls apart.
yeahh it's hard to tell WHAT it is, but I think it's similar to the 'heat something up' technique Iroh uses.. he's sort of forming a channel of heated air, and then explosions happen. so if his head turns, the channel turns with it. but it still should have kinda curved as it bent, it's not a laser.
@@KairuHakubi I think it’s more that it follows his line of sight, so if his line of sight is moved, so does the blast. If it’s coming from the weird forehead eye, that means the line of sight is fairly fixed with little ability to shift the line of sight. So it moving like a laser actually makes quite a bit of sense.
@@decimation9780 I think the issue here is that... whatever this thing is we're seeing, projecting from his forehead.. it looks like air, or some kind of invisible force moving/changing the look of the air.. and it moves outward at a speed significantly below that of light. It takes a second to reach its target, see.. therefore it feels weird that, as he turns his head, it immediately swings outward like a beam of light. Whatever this thing is, it's rigidly connected to him. But I feel like in this shot, the animators should have chosen a different way to depict that.. if i'm right, it should trail off as his head turns, still hitting pretty close to them, but if you're right, it should actually swing outward, making an arched path.. like if it's the equivalent of a laser-guided missile.
@@KairuHakubi Perhaps, though if you look at it as the blast following his line of sight, it makes much more sense as it wouldn’t bend, it would stay in a straight line. Weird depiction, but it makes sense if you take that into account.
@@decimation9780 I guess it needs constant focus on where it is going to explosed for it to actually go there perhaps? That would also explain why him getting dissy makes the explotion happen right on him since he accidently ends up focusing on himself...IDK it is literally a subclass of bending we only see twice throughout the whole series and both benders end up getting dying by their own blast..
another small detail which I think is very overlooked maybe im looking too much into it but as zuko is explaining to the frog his plans on how he is going to convince them that he is on their side, the frog I think represents the gaang in this episode. when zuko screams at the frog "whats your answer?" (to letting him join) the frog leaps away symbolizing what the gaang did when zuko first approached them. they turned him away. and Zuko also tells the frog "yeah thats what I would say too" - so here he believes he doesn't deserve a second chance but moments later the frog comes back and leaps infront of zuko giving him hope i think. once the gaang realize his true intentions they give him a chance. much like the frog eventually comes back to zuko the gaang comes around aswell. just a nice little detail.
Toph being the most open towards Zuko also makes sense from the elemental standpoint. Since water is the opposite of fire. OF course it's not that why Katara and Sokka don't like him, but still fits.
So, for the extra debris around the temple in the current scene as opposed to the flashback: I always assumed that the implication was that Zuko tore the place apart looking for clues and making absolutely sure that the avatar wasn't just hiding there. Makes sense, too. If you were faced with the prospect of having to wander around the world forever on a wild goose chase, you would probably be the most thorough during the first stop when you needed to really study your mark, as a sort of last ditch hope that you wouldn't _actually_ have to leave your home (very much), and when the wounds (mental, emotional, and physical) were still fresh and stinging and you want something to take the pain out on.
It made sense that Toph wouldn't verify Zuko's story while he was there. Toph playing devils advocate while Zuko is around would sorta make it a 2v3 discussion rather than the 1v4 we got. Zuko wouldve clinged to Toph's side for support and it would've been hard to distance herself from him. Also it makes the most sense that Toph would be the first to trust Zuko. From Toph's perspective Zuko was never a bad guy. Zuko doesn't conflict with them at all while she's on the team. The only time she sees him at all is in "The Chase" where Zuko was sorta on their side and she got a good impression about Zuko from her conversation with Uncle Iroh. Toph wasnt there for the betrayal in Crossroads of Destiny. (Edit) wow I paused after the scene replying to my first paragraph and then you basically say my second paragraph almost verbatim.
for me it makes sense since Azula just showed her that her lie detector isn't 100% perfect so if Azula was able to absolutely lie to her face without showing any signs maybe Zuko could have a similar ability, at the very least she would think not to trust her initial reading blindly (no pun intended) so she waited for a while before announcing it
I mean, Toph was also shocked and angry to see Zuko at first. The scene where she tells them he was sincere feels more like she's taking stock of things after the confrontation and realising she didn't feel a change that would indicate he's lying. That may just be me elaborately headcanoning around the writing but hey, it works.
Toph also understands hating your parents. IRL people with loving parents just can’t understand when your parents are horrible and that you want nothing to do with them. It gives Toph a better perspective about Zuko’s change of heart towards his family.
@@vysharra I think she pointed it out in another episode that , in a way she gets why acts the way he does, he came from a “respected” royal family that just so happens to be really screwed up behind the scenes. She spoke from experience
Also, it’s worth pointing out that Zuko’s heart-to-heart in Ba Sing Sei was with Katara, so she’s actually the most logical member of the Gaang to doubt that Zuko’s good for real this time.
@@linusernst5599 If I remember correctly, he has said somewhere that he isn't going to do Korra. Not entirely positive, though. Maybe the sheer popularity of this series will keep him going, though.
@@WPNSTV Pretty sure he said he didn't like the direction it took the series so I doubt it. Kinda hard to overanalyze without nitpicking when you're negatively biased
I cant believe i found something, even oberanalysing avatr didnt find( or just did not mention) Katara had the most reason to not trust Zuko. She trusted his "changing" once before, and there were even romantic feelings hinted at, in the crystal cave. But from her perspective that was only a trick to get the jump on Aang, which led to him getting blasted with lightning and almost dying. Coming back to the motherly aspect you talked about, this makes 100% sense to me
Especially considering what she says to Zuko at the end. “give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang” (she didn’t mention her brother, toph or anyone else) “and you won’t have to worry about your destiny.” She was definitely thinking about that unfortunate event. Nice observation.
the iroh impersonation is literally zuko's arc. he must look within himself and recognize his goodness and then reject the bad side of himself that was raised by ozai only after rejecting ozai can the real zuko flourish, the just write video on avatar shows this.
I loved the way the really pushed the envelope with the Katara letting Zuko know exactly what would happen if he even thought about screwing up again. It's not a threat. It's a promise. And, they way she turns and walks away is so over the top as well. She doesn't even glance behind her because she isn't afraid, and it's almost as if she wants him to attack. I think Zuko's respect for her and the power of friendship grew three sizes(Grinch reference). Up to now Zuko only knew strength thru fear, power, and status. Iroh has tried numerous times to show him that true strength comes from love, friendship and, kindness. To Zuko, mercy and kindness have always met with his suffering. He stood up for Fire Nation soldiers and was scarred and banished. He stood up for the Earth Kingdom family in episode "Zuko Alone", and he only received hatred and fear. He released Appa and got deathly ill. The good thing is he keeps trying because as we all know, Zuko never gives up. Now, now he sees what honor really means. I think this moment, as Katara confronts him, marks his true belief that he is now on the right path.
Toph is 100% at fault for getting burned. She is the one who snuck up on Zuko in the middle of the night while he was asleep. Were I in Zuko's shoes, as a knee jerk reaction from being startled awake in hostile territory in the middle of the night would have been EXACTLY the same.
Toph should probably _know_ that, I think. Like, yeah, she can tell who is walking, but she too _has_ to be alert when she feels a human walk unexpectedly, right?
Zuko also throws out fire blasts too haphazardly because he's gotten so used to people avoiding/deflecting them. Toph can't see any element besides Earth. Stepping onto the fire was a mistake most other characters wouldn't make since she could only dodge Zuko's movements and guess where the attack is. They all ducked after he swung fire at them in the chase.
This episode is great, but that moment is so contrived. There had to be better ways to make Zuko accidentally burn Toph. It makes both characters rather lackadaisical and dumb for no reason
7:00 I always thought that it was kinda strange that toph lacked the self awareness in that scene that she just woke up and startled a person wanted by the highest authority of the most powerful nation at the time. Of course zuko would immediatly go into attack mode if smth like that happened. He has all the right in the world to be startled and probably even scared when he woke up
@@yanavav true, you do forget that these characters are so young because they act so mature sometimes. Also during book 3 they are drawn more like 16 year olds
Interesting is how the only time someone gets burned from firebending is when it happens unintentionally (Toph and Katarra) or to someone who isn't fighting (Zuko). All the firebender in the show never seem to burn anyone just push people away. Maybe it's because while fighting their more aware of it or just that it's a kids show. I still find it weird.
HUH. at 1:30 when Toph said: "Who's..?, oh nevermind. If it's important I'll find out.", I always thought that she somehow sensed Zuko who's above them and she was talking about him.
you mentioning that the episode is all about perspective made me realize the temple having the upside down architecture is probably symbolism relating to that
What I also love about the conclusion of the Combustion Man arc is that hiring him to "end" Aang was the last thing he did as Aang's enemy, and saving him from Combustion Man's blast was the first thing he did as an attempted ally. Comes full circle.
Another thing, as Aang bows to Zuko when he’s accepting him as his teacher, Aang does the Fire Nation bow that he learned at school. That’s a nice touch.
12:55 I like how Aang remembers the correct way to bow in the fire nation culture. I think this adds to the act of welcoming Zuko and is likely one of the reasons Zuko smiles in this moment
It's a cool detail how at 0:27 they have Toph saying how cool the temple is, and only her, because she's the only one that can see it! It's underneath the cliff they're standing on- I just like how detailed this show is, lol
I hope you know all the jokes and edits you do like at 1:35 "WHAT" are so worth it and funny. I, and i assume/hope others, greatly appreciate the amount of work you put in 😁
Every time I laugh too much at that perfectly short delivering. 😅 Top notch edit lol... Poor Jeong Jeong... At least he can make fire walls and fly like a rocket like Ozai on Sozin's Steroids. 👍🏻
This was a great episode. I’m really happy that the group doesn’t just accept Zuko. And how Katara straight up refuses him even after the group accepts him. It’s realistic, not some ok we totally know you are a good guy cartoon bs.
It’s also what really makes Zuko’s redemption arc stand above all others; he doesn’t just do one great deed and that’s it, he puts in the effort to try and be better, and he still slips up sometimes, but never fully relapses back into his dark ways.
9:16 Not exactly suprising, because Zuko already did it once before, when the pirates exploded his ship by Zhao's orders. Sure, he was bruised and tired after that, but the explosion was way bigger than combustionman's.
I think a little detail that’s missed is that the attack that burned toph wouldn’t have hurt anyone else. It would’ve just singed the bottoms of their feet, but because toph is barefoot an attack meant to dissuade someone from coming close ended up actually inflicting damage.
I feel so bad for Zuko in this episode. He just wants to prove to Aang and the others that he has changed and teach the former firebending, but the others aren't willing to give him a chance due to letting their prejudice prevent them from thinking clearly (just like what Toph said.)
I really hope that during the southern raiders he says “Katara bloodbends in this episode for the second time, there are just as many bloodbending episodes as there are bloodbending episodes”
Zuko firebending at combustion man in this episode actually makes me wonder when exactly his firebending was weakened by him not being driven by catching aang, he says in the next episode that its probably from when he decided to join them but that's all the way back in the fire nation, not after he is officially part of the group.
What a great one. Zuko's journey to joining Team Avatar is just starting, and its all great. I do not feel that it is rushed or anything like that. Like OA, I feel like its all great from here on, as well as a few of the previous episodes.
Omg. This episode is about shifting perspectives and it's set in an upside down temple. With a fight against a bounty hunter who changed loyalty and was taken out by a boomerang from an unseen perspective, hitting his eye. It just keeps going.
Like and comment on this video and I'll turn off the Bermuda Triangle. It's been me the whole time.
no
Oh so that's why I can't get home.
You're an hour late. Now I can't watch it live
You're the impostor
Congrats on 200,000 subscribers it’s really impressive and you deserve it.👍
I believe zuko's pathetic fire bending against "sparky sparky boom man" may have been foreshadowing the dragon episode.
same
Based take, ive never thought of this b4 actually it makes sense and is a nice touch if done purposely.
Another point about Toph getting over the burned feet thing. When it happened, she was suddenly blinded and in severe pain, so she panicked. But once she was healed and able to think on it, she probably came to the conclusion that it was, at least partially, her fault. She approached a sleeping Zuko, and it's not like he has Seismic sense to alert him.
more proof that avatar characters are humans, and not one dimensional characters
True prolly made her realize that she’s the only one besides Aang that has a strong Seismic sense
this always bothered me, she snuck up on him in the middle of the night, without, announcing herself, to the guy who just became one of the most wanted people by the entire fire nation, so he's obviously on guard, and when he defends himself, he's in the wrong?
And she admits it was an accident when she comes back to the group.
@@jonathantadlock-stein2023 I don't think they explicitly know what his current relationship to the fire nation is right now. It's not like you can't reason it out, but it does require some critical thinking. Besides after being burned you can't expect her to be rational and once she's healed she recognizes it's an accident
I just noticed at the very end of the episode, Aang specifically does the Fire Nation style of respectful bow that he learned in The Headband to Zuko. Pretty cool detail.
Omggg I was searching for this comment…
I think he already knew that from his time in the fire nation over 100 years prior
@@Delantho nah he learned it during the headband episode
@@capitainemmhenri1299 I always thought he did an old salute from 100 years ago when he first did it wrong in the headband episode.
@@Delantho Considering all the other changes to the fire nation since Aang was there 100 years ago, it's likely they changed how they show respect with gestures at least a little.
Okay, but Zuko actually does pretty decent impressions of his uncle and his sister.
Also a nice callback to when the Gaang first meets Azula and her impression of him. Maybe impressions run in the family?
@@samualcolt2055 ah true! didnt even think about that
"Listen avatar, i have a scout with binoculars looking at us right now, and for every 20 seconds starting from now where you dont let me join your group, a firework will be lit by the scout signalling for the army i stationed in a nearby village to execute 20 innocent children, its your choice avatar"
Not really
@@samualcolt2055 considering their mom was an actress it makes sense that they'd have some artistic flair
“Hey, zuko here”
Is arguably the most important line in the entire series.
"That's rough, Buddy."
He’s right
Can you imagine the debates that took place in the writer's room?
"Guys what should the first words Zuko says to the Gaang be at this crucial juncture in his arc?"
"... I have an idea."
The absolute build up to that line
@@rickymcgowen6776 beat me to it
“This episode is about perspective”
The air temple being upside down: it’s like there’s symbolism here but I can’t see it
Omg just like Toph!
*Badum tsh*
Maybe you need "a change in perspective"
Eh? No. Alright
Fun fact: there are just as many, "Zuko flying on war balloon" episodes as there are bloodbending episodes. It's true
"he's right"
what is the second bloodbending episode?
@@nibistewgamer1742 It's coming up, it's a future episode with Katara vs Azula
@@nibistewgamer1742 The Southern Raiders (S3 EP16)
@@cloudbasedbear wtf? katara didnt bloodbend azula, it was in the southern raiders. who told you that?
I think Toph saying "If it's important, I'll find out later" is supposed to represent people watching the show who missed the Jeong Jeong episode. Remember, Avatar first aired on cable TV.
I get it that not all channel's show up on 'all' providers, but the issue of when most people mention about certain shows, it is made out that they can only appear on specific set up's. The point of this is what you mentioned about avatar showing up on cable. Ok, assuming that it showed up on nick during its initial run, it wasn't the case that the show only showed up on cable. My parents had satellite TV, directv in particular, for years, and I know that, even to this day (or At least until this past Sunday 12/12/21, that being the last time I know of up to the time I type this on the Wednesday immediately following), they still carry the channel. Even dish net last I knew still Carrie's the network.
@@morganrussman bruh are you braindead? He’s just saying you might have missed the episode. When he’s saying cable he’s not saying that there’s no physical possibility that it could have showed up on satellite tv, he’s just saying you could miss the episode.
That and also, it foreshadows, Toph eventually meets The White Lotus in their camp site, and that’s where Jeong Jeong so happens to be at.
Yeah when I first watched this I hadn’t seen The Deserter and had no idea who Jeong Jeong was 😂
@@morganrussman I didnt have cable when I was watching the show as the episodes were releasing. I think it was channel 3 or 4. Cant remember, one was CN and the other was Nickelodeon on our local TV thing
I love how katara dances around the word kill. So much so that she ends up giving a pretty metal threat
Because Nickelodeon
honestly sometimes saying something that isn't explicitly "kill/death/murder" is more interesting
@@xanious3759 yeah like in a couple of episodes when Azula says "I'm here to celebrate being an only child". That's miles more badass than if she just had said "I'm here to kill you"
That ending your destiny permanently line is so cool because he keeps talking about his destiny to them. The lines are so creative, I love it
she be using the dancing dragon around the word "kill"
Toph even kind of has another reason to trust Zuko. She met Iroh and she knew Iroh and Zuko are related and Iroh talked with her about him if my memory doesn’t play tricks on me. So she knew he was still on his way to find his real destiny and that a friend of her (Iroh) put his faith in him.
Yeah you’re right, Iroh talked to her but he never explicitly said his nephew was Zuko. Pretty much said Zuko is confused and angry. So she probably put two and two together from that and also from the last few minutes of The Chase when Iroh got hit and Zuko was kneeling over Iroh
Also she saw how he reacted to Azula injuring Iroh.
@@isuckatnames6033 I mean she couldn't have really "seen" it.
@@HI1804 And your loved ones couldn't really have "seen" your disappearance tomorrow
@@isuckatnames6033 hahaha 💀 couldn't resist bro!
When Zuko is talking about his honor it only shows his unburnt side of his face. Small detail but once you pointed it out I can’t unsee it with the scenes he’s in
before he probably looked at his scar as his honor having been taken from him but with that thought gone it really holds no weight over him
They do that a lot.
I had always assumed Combustion Man didn’t stop hunting the Avatar because he was incredibly disciplined and was one of those mercs that’s like “I always finish a job no matter what.”
Also, this is one of my favorite episodes.
From here on is probably my favorite part of the show even more so than season 2
So, pretty much like any bounty hunter in star wars.
@griffingower1883
Most of they would and do stop. The problem is that most of them are killed before they stop.
Like scorcher from adventure time
Deathstroke
"I mean, how stupid do you think we are?"
"STUPID!"
I love this man's editing 😂
“We could look for Jong Jong.”
“Who’s…nah, if it’s important, I’ll find out.”
“Nah it’s not that important honestly.”
“ *WHAT!?* “
@@crowsenpai5625 EXACTLY, these two examples of his editing is so good
@@crowsenpai5625 W H A T
this KILLED me
I’m still laughing from it 😭😭
I actually really like how Katara is handled in this episode, her extreme mistrust of Zuko is absolutely understandable.
It's one thing to need to earn trust from someone you don't know or even someone who screwed up but Zuko *betrayed* her right when she was letting her guard down and that resulted in Aang being nearly killed so of course she's going to be the single most cautious member of the group around him. Same as how she reacted with Jet as well.
Not to mention she has the most reason to distrust Zuko, as he showed her he could be good, but then immediately betrayed the trust they had just built.
That is actually an interesting aspect of her. She seems very quick to trust people, even potentially bad people, but the second they have wronged her she doubles down...a lot...I guess most people would so it is VERY human but still interesting that it actually happens twice in the series just to some lighter degreee with Jet.
Katara trusts relatively easily, but only once
I'd also add that the point about the Combustion Man scene seeming kinda staged would definitely lead her to continue to be suspicious. I mean, isn't it weird how Zuko wasn't even the one to finish him off?
They were literally blaming zuko for shit that was THEIR FAULT or just straight out not true, you're just an average twitter user who can't let shit go
I think Katara's threat is a mix of both her being protective of Aang and also still hating Zuko. I mean last time she saw him, his betrayal led directly to Aang practically dying right in front of her eyes. So I don't think those two things are really disconnected.
I think he was discussing it from a shipping perspective. As in, he thinks it could be used to argue that Katara only feels motherly towards Aang, not romantic. But it could also be used to argue that she hates Zuko. So it's not evidence for either.
Also, she lost her mother to the Fire Nation. That will always affect your judgement.
@@baguettegott3409 I think it also served as a nod to Katara connecting the intensity of her feelings for Aang to the love she had for her parents. Like before where Aang running away had her subconsciously connect her feelings of hurt to when her dad left, except now it was her (while picturing Zuko as the face of the enemy once again) connecting the temporary death of Aang to that of her mother. She threatens to kill Zuko here and then later goes on to attempt murder on her mother's killer.
@@baguettegott3409 it sounds like he was speaking about the runaway, where toph calls Katara a mom, i don’t think he was talking about shipping, since the only time he is actually serious while talking about shipping throughout this whole series was the kiss on the submarine
@@baguettegott3409 I guess. But is being protective of someone a thing only exclusive to mothers though? Sokka gets really protective of Suki too. I think maybe the Water siblings are both just very protective people.
As far as Aang stepping back from his issues, I think it's a pretty human reaction. Cause as much as I would like to think people progress upward in a straight line, it's more a squiggly rollercoaster that's constantly going up and down. So Aang stepping back makes alot of sense to me. Especially after such a tense battle with all that walking afterwards. Probably a mental escape tbh.
Absolutely agree. That was an extremely stressful day and now he can allow himself to not face all of his issues right away.
Agreed. Aang's still a fun loving kid at heart and that's shown with how he copes with the loss in this episode, going to one of his peoples old air temples and all.
In psychology there's this model used to determine how people cope with stressors from a subjective point of view (The transactional model of stress and coping). Not gonna explain the whole thing but the last stage of the model involves coping strategies and whether or not they're adequate in coping with stress. Two types of coping strategies are Direct strategies, facing the stressor head on, and Avoidance strategies, distracting yourself from the stressor.
Due to Aang's nature, he employs an avoidance coping strategy here after sustaining one of the hardest losses in his lifetime, his possible last chance at taking on the fire lord safely before the comet arrives. It's not healthy as I think the show establishes, but it's not too out of character considering how humans react to things
I always thought the boomerang hitting Combustion Man and continuing to fly was complete BS, then just like two weeks ago I found out I was wrong. I was playing with my own boomerang in a park and it hit a hydro pole and just bounced off and kept going. It lost a lot of momentum but it didn't stop flying; every other time it's hit anything it's just stopped spinning and fallen straight down. And this wasn't like the edge of the 'rang nicked the pole, it hit the thing straight on. Boomerangs are weird, but I love them.
that's the difference between rotational inertia (and torque) vs linear inertia.
if it can deflect of the object, it will simply knock itself further into a spin. you will still lose significant linear momentum, but the rest is still possibly maintained...
The mechanics of a boomerang will always confuse yet fascinate me at the same time. It’s like a Bluetooth yo-yo
That's a cool discovery, I thought it would stop after hitting something too haha
That's why it's good to keep an open mind and sometimes even question our belief in something, which can be hard, but ultimately I believe that's how you keep learning more.
@@andrewbutler7600 Severely underrated comment right here
@@andrewbutler7600 Bluetooth yo-yo
That's good
Sokka's boomerang shot is completely insane and I don't think we see him display that level of skill again but the knowledge this guy could hot you in the face with a boomerang from 50 metres away *without being able to actually see you* is great.
did require giving away your position with a line mind you
@@draco4450 The fact he calculated his exact position with just that is still insane.
Fun fact: He's never missed before.
No but we do see him take out two comet powered firebenders with a broken leg, lying on his back, holding Toph up, with them being ten feet away each... that's pretty insane
Sokka's sniping abilities are up there with Usopp, man, like, geez
I never thought about that tarp. I just assumed it was from the war balloon but then I realize later that he uses it for his Sokka field trip to the boiling rock. My guess is the war balloons also include a fair amount of spare fabric folded up somewhere in the basket.
I think the tarp is from the time Zuko was there with Iroh.
that would make sense, especially when you are dealing with firebenders who at anytime might accidentally burn a hole or two in the fabric, and in the firenation which might send a volcanic rock or two through the fabric when flying around those islands.
Is it really that unbelievable that the fire prince could pack all the right things as he's about to depart?
@@LunaKoops considering it's Zuko? Yeah. He never thinks these things through
@@TechnoArpan Having someone yell that at you might make you actually change that.
I always felt like Katara was the most reluctant to trust Zuko because she was the only one from the team who trusted him before and thus, the only one actually betrayed by him.
You didn’t feel that, that is what the episode blatantly says
@@RedDeadDepressionist and if that wasn’t enough, Katara outright says it later in The Southern Raiders when Zuko confronted her about it, given that everyone else in the group now fully accepted him at that point.
@@RedDeadDepressionist was it so obvious in the episode? I know it gets literal later but when I first watched it I only felt a hint of it... That must be why nobody even mentioned it. Well, sorry about that.
@@rafaelsilva8704 they have a whole conversation about this in this episode
1:43 I feel like this moment shows that aang still has a issue of running away from his problems. He doesn’t really complete this character development of a scared kid to the avatar when he faces the fire lord. The reason he regresses here is the same reason why it took zuko so long to join the gang. It doesn’t just happen right away, people take time to change.
Totally agree, aang for the first time faces responsibility in the face making a speech, but its only talk, and his actions flipping on his words show he still has room to mature
Progress is not always linear. Someone we have a great day/month/year, but some times we we could be stagnant or even take a step backwards. It is important not to beat ourselves up too much and focus on improving ourselves next time.
Basically came here to leave this comment, glad someone else noticed.
It's great character writing when Zuko spends a week in the Earth Kingdom being a good boy but then throws it out the window when Azula gives him a chance at what he thinks will make him truly happy, but somehow "a step back" when Aang toughens up in front of a crowd of people he let down and then presumably a day or two later decides to try to push his problems to the back when he's around his friends? Comes off as a double standard to try to hammer home how good Zuko's development is.
I'm a grown ass man who will do the exact same thing - acknowledge my problems and then immediately try to run from them, and my problems are nowhere near Aang's problems.
@@SerenadeURAit's not really the same situation
One is trying to cling on the desparate hope to get what they think they want back
While the other after assuming their responsability denied it as hard as possible.
While i do disagree with his take and think Aang coping this way is understandable.
I feel like his distaste for it is less so a double standard and more so his rather infamous distaste for when avatar becames tol cartoony or jocky after or during a serious moment.
That's what i think anyway.
Zuko: Is a literally human flame thrower
Also Zuko at 9:01: I think I’ll get up close and personal. Like within grabbing range
If zuko gets close enough to combustion man than he can’t use his explosions without damaging himself as well.
@@sebastienwall5853 yeah but zuko can get absolutely fucking manhandled
I mean, combustion man would be worried about friendly fire if he fired the spark spark
Zuko probably got that nerf from trying to be good anyways
To be honest, if Zuko was thinking about betraying the fire nation and knew of the invasion, he could have earned the trust of the Gaang way easier by warning them of the trap.
I don't think he really decided until the day of the invasion. It would have been difficult for him to find them and convince them in time, since they would have just thought he was trying to trick them or stall them like Azula did.
ye, send them sms or something
That would require he be able to intercept the Gaang and their allies *before* they actually go for Fire Nation shores, which would have been extremely difficult.
To say nothing of the possibility of being captured by Hakoda and Bato, or Tyro and his men.
@@Innersoulwithinme lmao
@@XxOnyxStudiosxX It does seem that Zuko intended to join or follow after the Gaang when they retreated after the failed invasion. Of course, it was a risky gambit and there were a lot of factors that Zuko didn't consider, but that's classic Zuzu for you.
I love how Katara's threat to Zuko (12:03) is pretty much exactly the same as Roku's threat to Sozin in the avatar and the firelord
such a nice parallel
We REALLY need to get a compilation of this guy and his ongoing gimmicks and Patreon shoutouts. Probably is one of if not the funniest parts of every video
Oh yes, definitely
I don't know how he comes up with them, but they're always good
Agreed. Only channel where I watch the shoutouts. 100% worth it!
Forreal. My favorite one is still "[Insert Name I've Forgotten] who discovered the fourth and sixth dimensions, still working on the fifth." That was just so badass lol
+
Don’t forget his comments he pins. My favorite was a recent video were he said something along the lines of “If you like this comment and video, that thing that has been bothering you at night will fuck off for awhile.”
My favorite thing about this episode and all the rest episodes going forward, is how awkward zuko is. The boy has zero social skills, it's kinda adorable
He used to be reliant on anger and hate before and was driven by his desire to capture Aang and regain his honor. By the time he turned his back on Ozai, now accepting that he is nothing but a tyrant, I can actually see how awkward Zuko is when attempting to socialize.
I absolutely love this episode. I love that they gave a whole episode to how Zuko joins the groups and they work out their issues.
And it hits me on a personal level, cause I can relate to Zuko in this episode, and how hard and awkward it can feel trying to make amends with people and proving that you've changed after you've wronged them in some way. The initial rejection, and then Zuko messing up and accidentally burning Toph, the one person that wanted to give him a chance, really hit hard. And they keep it up in the coming episodes too, he still has to prove himself to everyone and isn't just completely welcomed with open arms.
Man, Book 3 is just so good.
atleast toph is ready to admit she startled him and thats why she got burned rather than her just telling the group "ya he burned me" i can understand zukos readiness to attack because hearing rustling in the woods at night is scary as fuck, ive been circled by a bear before while me and my buddy were having a fire, we heard it circling us but never once saw it, it was the only time i hadnt brought a gun to that spot as well but luckily we were right by his truck so we just got in and left
@Alexi whats scary as hell is when its a cloudy night so its really dark and you hear branches being stepped on and panting just beyond where you can see with the light you have
@@Lickicker Yeah. And how she's angry at first but by the time she comes back, she's cooled off a bit. This is also showing her character development. She's learned to analyze a situation from an outside perspective.
@@brutusthebear9050 ya like its fair to in the moment go "ow bitch you burned me!!!" But then she crawls away into the earth and realizes like ok that one was on me
@Alexi
This reminds me of Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History podcast series: Supernova in the East. He said Hollywood would never show “the real war”.
A couple examples would be when Japanese would launch night attacks against the allies or howl, terrifying absolutely everyone. Hearing and finding someone stabbed to death is going to put you on edge. On one island, 1/3 of troops killed in combat were due to friendly fire. Is that rustling you hear a Japanese soldier, or an ally getting up to pee at night? I would feel eternally dread if I got that answer wrong.
Toph’s attitude also makes a ton of sense because she learns a lot about him during her time with Iroh, and pretty quickly learns their identity’s. Her first knowledge of him is through the eyes of someone who cares for him deeply so that must color her opinion
To me aang avoiding to talk about looking for a fire bending teacher is less him pushing away his responsibilities and more him just subconsciously rejecting the element and hasn't found a new way of how to either think about it or deal with it. Thus resorting to his old ways of just avoiding and becoming distracted by other things. And they literally solve this and bring it to attention in the next episode when him and zuko have to both rethink how the view the element.
They also start resolving this when Zuko says he needs to be more careful, and Aang gives that thoughtful look. It's not only because he relates, but also that he now accepts he has to embrace the element.
I really love the fact that Appa is friendly to Zuko because of what happened in Ba Sing Se. In spite of all the messed-up stuff he did in the first two seasons, he did one really good deed, and it does end up mattering in the long run.
Zuko is the most versatile firebender we’ve ever seen despite not being in the running for the best. I think that makes him a pretty good candidate for a mentor.
The best firebender is Ozai. Jeong Jeong and Iroh are on a similar level. Azula isn’t that much better, but he comes right after her. He definitely has held his own against her multiple times.
It was a bit strange to hear that Zuko isn't that good of a firebender, when in the previous episode we literally saw him deflect the lightning back at his father.
@@__-be1gk This is ignorance. Excluding Jeong Jeong he’s the only firebender that actively utilizes fire shields. Aside from that there was his fire whips against Katara, the fire dome he did against Aang on ember island, the precision he showed against the Yuyan Archer, that fire drill he did in the catacombs as well as the aforementioned fire daggers. Fire is a pretty difficult element to be versatile in but Zuko clearly succeeded.
Edit: Oh. He also has lightning redirection.
@@CityEscapist1220 also lighting all the torches on his date, without burning anything. I feel that must have taken some precision bending.
@@NeosSimp skill wise i think iroh is better but simply not as powerful
also to note: Aang uses the Fire Nation's hand sign when bowing to Zuko. A show of respect and perhaps even stronger acceptance
Freaking loved it when he called him Sifu Hotman.
"My feet got burned!" "oh no, what happened?" "I just TOLD you my FEET got BURNED" "I meant HOW"
Toph's sass is always killer
I'm a big fan of how, after this episode, it still takes each member of the group having their own adventures with zuko before fully trusting him instead of just "he's in the group now, let's all be friends!"
Poor Toph, she didn’t get her life changing field trip with Zuko
Katara's threat to Zuko in the end (as she is still scarred over the latter betraying their bond in "The Crossroads of Destiny" and almost killing Aang) also makes him realize that Team Avatar still doesn't fully trust him.
ngl, I think Katara was being the most realistic here. Zuko has quite literally thrown fireballs at them in the past.
also she already was willing to give zuko a chance once, and he betrayed that trust, so she's understandably not so ready to fall for something like that again.
I don't think anybody was ever mad at Katara for her initial refusal. This arc doesn't ever really complete until The Last Agni Kai when Zuko proves his willingness to sacrifice everything to make amends. It's a great piece of writing to continue to develop a character who's already been through many changes.
i feel like aang couldve had more realism, but imo the responses are fine. Sokka just trusts whatever aang says.
I noticed a contrast between Aang and Katara. He seems more open minded, not only because of what Zuko said but you would think the time Aang spent wit the monks, they would teach Aang to be open-minded and free flowing about life and people, also the call back to having unexpected friends in the fire nation. It’s a detail I think about when it comes to this episode specifically.
@@wackyanimations3326 Sokka is being pragmatic.
That boomerang moment may be the most happy for a character I’ve felt over the whole series
Yeah, that was a hundred to one blind shot and I'm happy for Sokka pulling that off. He rarely gets a combat win. XD
Ya for real Zuko showing up to stop combustion man always seemed staged. If I saw that I would think it’s fake as hell
Never thought about that b4 this video
Never noticed before but the way Katara phrases her threat towards Zuko mirrors Roku threatening Sozin when he confronted him about the colonies.
In Korra, P’Li can curve her combustion shots which would imply some level of control in transit.
It's also implied that's a skill(curving the shots) that she made.
It could also be from the design on the tattoo. Combustion Man's tattoo had straight rectangular lines while P'li's tattoo had thin curvy lines.
@@kountkaiman99 That would be hella dope. I've always wondered if those firebenders were born with the forehead thing or not.
Doesn't ozai also curve his fireballs when he's got aang against the wall inside an earth shield?
We don't talk about korra here.
3:11 why zuko posted up like a kid who has to tell his mom he missed the bus
Yes yes yes! Sad were coming towards the later content if the show and thus this kickass series is nearing being done
Hopefully they continue this video series by overanalyzing The Legend of Korra
lets beg him to make legend of korra!!!!!!
@@tanookimariorocks honestly dont think anything cN save that show
Still a couple months worth of episodes left.
5:54 "dry his clothes" "cold" did you just forget he has fire bending?
0:51 I know it's been pointed out by others, but Zuko pinching the bridge of his nose in embarrassment after recalling a moment where he was disrespectful and angry towards Iroh is, I think, the best indicator of his character development.
I really like that we get to see the flashbacks of when Zuko last visited the western air temple with Iroh. Really good way to show the audience how much he's changed
The architecture of the temple also seems like an intentional story device, especially in this episode.
Buildings are flipped, zuko interacting with the group instead of pursuit. It just seems reasonably intentional
Ye
The Western Air Temple is definitely my favorite design for a city in all of Avatar. Hate that we didn’t get to spend more time there and super sad it gets turned to dust in a few episodes
Dante Basco said that almost every line people ask him to say is in this episode
All except for "That's rough, buddy."
I really like how this whole episode is about perspective and how the gaangs view is turned upside-down, all while they are in an upside-down temple.
Yeah but he's not an adult. He's 12. I honestly don't mind the short regression after such a defeat. He has the weight of the world on his shoulders and sometimes it can just be too much.
1 year later but also like… Aang has been shown time and time again to run away from his emotions sometimes. Serpants pass, when he went missing, when he “died,” the avatar state. it’s the whole reason why he got stuck in that ice. it’s very reasonable for him to not want to face his “failure”
Toph being more open to Zuko makes even more sense than I thought it would. One scene? Really? Wow.
Toph was able to sense that Zuko was being truly sincere with his words, hence why she challenges Aang, Katara and Sokka for quickly dismissing Zuko whereas Aang is in need of a firebending teacher.
Although if Zuko lied about Azula sending Combustion Man instead, then Toph WILL sense that he is lying and dismiss him too.
9:02 I always think that Zuko's weak fireball here ties into the next episode, since rescuing people he's trying to be on good terms with is very far removed from who he used to be and thus the anger he drew from. His better showings before and after are both self-defence, and Zuko does say that his struggles and determination to survive defines him.
I think he should point out how as time goes on, Iroh's motif and sunghi horn play in the background of more and more Zuko scenes rather than the fire nation motif.
Interesting how in an episode about characters shifting perspective, the location is turned upside down too
10:40 i love how you can alrdy see what they think. Aang is listening normally, Sokka is still suspicious but listens with interest and Kitara is just full of hatred.
I thought of combustion man's attack as a attack that needs to be constantly guided to the target, since most attacks that do bend over distance need to be controlled for the whole time or else it just falls apart.
yeahh it's hard to tell WHAT it is, but I think it's similar to the 'heat something up' technique Iroh uses.. he's sort of forming a channel of heated air, and then explosions happen. so if his head turns, the channel turns with it.
but it still should have kinda curved as it bent, it's not a laser.
@@KairuHakubi I think it’s more that it follows his line of sight, so if his line of sight is moved, so does the blast. If it’s coming from the weird forehead eye, that means the line of sight is fairly fixed with little ability to shift the line of sight. So it moving like a laser actually makes quite a bit of sense.
@@decimation9780 I think the issue here is that... whatever this thing is we're seeing, projecting from his forehead.. it looks like air, or some kind of invisible force moving/changing the look of the air.. and it moves outward at a speed significantly below that of light. It takes a second to reach its target, see.. therefore it feels weird that, as he turns his head, it immediately swings outward like a beam of light. Whatever this thing is, it's rigidly connected to him. But I feel like in this shot, the animators should have chosen a different way to depict that.. if i'm right, it should trail off as his head turns, still hitting pretty close to them, but if you're right, it should actually swing outward, making an arched path.. like if it's the equivalent of a laser-guided missile.
@@KairuHakubi Perhaps, though if you look at it as the blast following his line of sight, it makes much more sense as it wouldn’t bend, it would stay in a straight line. Weird depiction, but it makes sense if you take that into account.
@@decimation9780 I guess it needs constant focus on where it is going to explosed for it to actually go there perhaps?
That would also explain why him getting dissy makes the explotion happen right on him since he accidently ends up focusing on himself...IDK it is literally a subclass of bending we only see twice throughout the whole series and both benders end up getting dying by their own blast..
another small detail which I think is very overlooked maybe im looking too much into it but as zuko is explaining to the frog his plans on how he is going to convince them that he is on their side, the frog I think represents the gaang in this episode.
when zuko screams at the frog "whats your answer?" (to letting him join) the frog leaps away symbolizing what the gaang did when zuko first approached them. they turned him away. and Zuko also tells the frog "yeah thats what I would say too" - so here he believes he doesn't deserve a second chance
but moments later the frog comes back and leaps infront of zuko giving him hope i think. once the gaang realize his true intentions they give him a chance. much like the frog eventually comes back to zuko the gaang comes around aswell. just a nice little detail.
Toph being the most open towards Zuko also makes sense from the elemental standpoint. Since water is the opposite of fire. OF course it's not that why Katara and Sokka don't like him, but still fits.
@6:10. She’s also friends with Iroh and he portrayed zuko as good but hurt and confused. So maybe she’s trying to give him a chance.
So, for the extra debris around the temple in the current scene as opposed to the flashback: I always assumed that the implication was that Zuko tore the place apart looking for clues and making absolutely sure that the avatar wasn't just hiding there. Makes sense, too. If you were faced with the prospect of having to wander around the world forever on a wild goose chase, you would probably be the most thorough during the first stop when you needed to really study your mark, as a sort of last ditch hope that you wouldn't _actually_ have to leave your home (very much), and when the wounds (mental, emotional, and physical) were still fresh and stinging and you want something to take the pain out on.
It made sense that Toph wouldn't verify Zuko's story while he was there. Toph playing devils advocate while Zuko is around would sorta make it a 2v3 discussion rather than the 1v4 we got. Zuko wouldve clinged to Toph's side for support and it would've been hard to distance herself from him.
Also it makes the most sense that Toph would be the first to trust Zuko. From Toph's perspective Zuko was never a bad guy. Zuko doesn't conflict with them at all while she's on the team. The only time she sees him at all is in "The Chase" where Zuko was sorta on their side and she got a good impression about Zuko from her conversation with Uncle Iroh. Toph wasnt there for the betrayal in Crossroads of Destiny.
(Edit) wow I paused after the scene replying to my first paragraph and then you basically say my second paragraph almost verbatim.
for me it makes sense since Azula just showed her that her lie detector isn't 100% perfect so if Azula was able to absolutely lie to her face without showing any signs maybe Zuko could have a similar ability, at the very least she would think not to trust her initial reading blindly (no pun intended) so she waited for a while before announcing it
I mean, Toph was also shocked and angry to see Zuko at first. The scene where she tells them he was sincere feels more like she's taking stock of things after the confrontation and realising she didn't feel a change that would indicate he's lying. That may just be me elaborately headcanoning around the writing but hey, it works.
Toph also understands hating your parents. IRL people with loving parents just can’t understand when your parents are horrible and that you want nothing to do with them. It gives Toph a better perspective about Zuko’s change of heart towards his family.
@@vysharra I think she pointed it out in another episode that , in a way she gets why acts the way he does, he came from a “respected” royal family that just so happens to be really screwed up behind the scenes. She spoke from experience
Also, it’s worth pointing out that Zuko’s heart-to-heart in Ba Sing Sei was with Katara, so she’s actually the most logical member of the Gaang to doubt that Zuko’s good for real this time.
I’m really gonna miss this series I hope you continue to review more series after Avatar your work is amazing man.
He should definitely do Korra when he is done with Atla
@@linusernst5599 AND whenever we do get more Avatar content from Avatar Studios, I hope he continues to do it for that content too.
@@linusernst5599 If I remember correctly, he has said somewhere that he isn't going to do Korra. Not entirely positive, though. Maybe the sheer popularity of this series will keep him going, though.
@@WPNSTV Pretty sure he said he didn't like the direction it took the series so I doubt it. Kinda hard to overanalyze without nitpicking when you're negatively biased
I think the comics would be interesting for him to cover, some people hate on them but I think they still have some good moments
I like that Aang doesn't want to talk and face what just happened. He's still a kid, he doesn't know how to handle a litteral military catastrophe.
"If you keep attacking the Avatar I won't pay you!" Zuko you left the palace dude, you're broke again.
I cant believe i found something, even oberanalysing avatr didnt find( or just did not mention)
Katara had the most reason to not trust Zuko. She trusted his "changing" once before, and there were even romantic feelings hinted at, in the crystal cave.
But from her perspective that was only a trick to get the jump on Aang, which led to him getting blasted with lightning and almost dying.
Coming back to the motherly aspect you talked about, this makes 100% sense to me
Especially considering what she says to Zuko at the end.
“give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang” (she didn’t mention her brother, toph or anyone else) “and you won’t have to worry about your destiny.” She was definitely thinking about that unfortunate event.
Nice observation.
the iroh impersonation is literally zuko's arc. he must look within himself and recognize his goodness and then reject the bad side of himself that was raised by ozai only after rejecting ozai can the real zuko flourish, the just write video on avatar shows this.
Dude, idk if it was written that way deliberately but that interpretation adds yet another layer of awesome to this show.
I noticed it too
I love how Zuko doesnt even teach Aang firebending, just lighting redirection.
My faviourte zuko episode overall. It builds so much character and shows how much his character changes from season 2.
"You kids escape on Appa. But you other kids, you stay. You stay and come to prison."
I loved the way the really pushed the envelope with the Katara letting Zuko know exactly what would happen if he even thought about screwing up again. It's not a threat. It's a promise. And, they way she turns and walks away is so over the top as well. She doesn't even glance behind her because she isn't afraid, and it's almost as if she wants him to attack.
I think Zuko's respect for her and the power of friendship grew three sizes(Grinch reference). Up to now Zuko only knew strength thru fear, power, and status. Iroh has tried numerous times to show him that true strength comes from love, friendship and, kindness. To Zuko, mercy and kindness have always met with his suffering. He stood up for Fire Nation soldiers and was scarred and banished. He stood up for the Earth Kingdom family in episode "Zuko Alone", and he only received hatred and fear. He released Appa and got deathly ill. The good thing is he keeps trying because as we all know, Zuko never gives up. Now, now he sees what honor really means. I think this moment, as Katara confronts him, marks his true belief that he is now on the right path.
Toph is 100% at fault for getting burned. She is the one who snuck up on Zuko in the middle of the night while he was asleep. Were I in Zuko's shoes, as a knee jerk reaction from being startled awake in hostile territory in the middle of the night would have been EXACTLY the same.
Toph should probably _know_ that, I think. Like, yeah, she can tell who is walking, but she too _has_ to be alert when she feels a human walk unexpectedly, right?
Zuko also throws out fire blasts too haphazardly because he's gotten so used to people avoiding/deflecting them. Toph can't see any element besides Earth. Stepping onto the fire was a mistake most other characters wouldn't make since she could only dodge Zuko's movements and guess where the attack is. They all ducked after he swung fire at them in the chase.
This episode is great, but that moment is so contrived. There had to be better ways to make Zuko accidentally burn Toph. It makes both characters rather lackadaisical and dumb for no reason
Didn't Toph just learn that some people are too good at lying to tell (Azula)?
Azula was a very rare exception to the rule.
7:00 I always thought that it was kinda strange that toph lacked the self awareness in that scene that she just woke up and startled a person wanted by the highest authority of the most powerful nation at the time. Of course zuko would immediatly go into attack mode if smth like that happened. He has all the right in the world to be startled and probably even scared when he woke up
I know. It was extremely naive of her, but shes 12 what can you expect
@@yanavav true, you do forget that these characters are so young because they act so mature sometimes. Also during book 3 they are drawn more like 16 year olds
@@tophatowl6724 ya but i still see aang and toph as 12-13 just cuz of the way theyre drawn. I see katara, sokka, and zuko to be much older. Esp katara
Interesting is how the only time someone gets burned from firebending is when it happens unintentionally (Toph and Katarra) or to someone who isn't fighting (Zuko). All the firebender in the show never seem to burn anyone just push people away. Maybe it's because while fighting their more aware of it or just that it's a kids show. I still find it weird.
I think it is because they are more aware when fighting, and fire blasts are rather easy to block/ avoid.
HUH. at 1:30 when Toph said: "Who's..?, oh nevermind. If it's important I'll find out.", I always thought that she somehow sensed Zuko who's above them and she was talking about him.
For an episode about varying perspectives, it's nice that we get some pov's from combustion man, and that it takes place in an upside-down temple.
you mentioning that the episode is all about perspective made me realize the temple having the upside down architecture is probably symbolism relating to that
What I also love about the conclusion of the Combustion Man arc is that hiring him to "end" Aang was the last thing he did as Aang's enemy, and saving him from Combustion Man's blast was the first thing he did as an attempted ally. Comes full circle.
I just noticed at the end that when Aang puts his hands together and bows, it's the same way he learned at the fire nation school. Cute little touch.
6:00 Toph „Facts don’t care about your feelings“ bei fong
Toph "Shapiro" Bei Fong. 😂
Another thing, as Aang bows to Zuko when he’s accepting him as his teacher, Aang does the Fire Nation bow that he learned at school. That’s a nice touch.
12:55 I like how Aang remembers the correct way to bow in the fire nation culture. I think this adds to the act of welcoming Zuko and is likely one of the reasons Zuko smiles in this moment
It's a cool detail how at 0:27 they have Toph saying how cool the temple is, and only her, because she's the only one that can see it! It's underneath the cliff they're standing on- I just like how detailed this show is, lol
I hope you know all the jokes and edits you do like at 1:35 "WHAT" are so worth it and funny. I, and i assume/hope others, greatly appreciate the amount of work you put in 😁
Every time I laugh too much at that perfectly short delivering. 😅 Top notch edit lol... Poor Jeong Jeong... At least he can make fire walls and fly like a rocket like Ozai on Sozin's Steroids. 👍🏻
One of the best jokes in the whole series of OA
Katara’s threat the way I see it is a mix of motherly protection and personal beef
This was a great episode. I’m really happy that the group doesn’t just accept Zuko. And how Katara straight up refuses him even after the group accepts him. It’s realistic, not some ok we totally know you are a good guy cartoon bs.
It’s also what really makes Zuko’s redemption arc stand above all others; he doesn’t just do one great deed and that’s it, he puts in the effort to try and be better, and he still slips up sometimes, but never fully relapses back into his dark ways.
9:16
Not exactly suprising, because Zuko already did it once before, when the pirates exploded his ship by Zhao's orders. Sure, he was bruised and tired after that, but the explosion was way bigger than combustionman's.
I'm really gonna miss when this series is over. It's been one of my favorite things this year and got me through some tough times
my favorite thing about “hello, zuko here” is that he rehearsed his introduction and still landed on hello zuko here
I think a little detail that’s missed is that the attack that burned toph wouldn’t have hurt anyone else. It would’ve just singed the bottoms of their feet, but because toph is barefoot an attack meant to dissuade someone from coming close ended up actually inflicting damage.
I feel so bad for Zuko in this episode. He just wants to prove to Aang and the others that he has changed and teach the former firebending, but the others aren't willing to give him a chance due to letting their prejudice prevent them from thinking clearly (just like what Toph said.)
3:16
"AND A MEME WAS SOLIDIFIED"
🤣
jong jong with the quick "WHAT" just slayed me xD
I really hope that during the southern raiders he says “Katara bloodbends in this episode for the second time, there are just as many bloodbending episodes as there are bloodbending episodes”
Zuko firebending at combustion man in this episode actually makes me wonder when exactly his firebending was weakened by him not being driven by catching aang, he says in the next episode that its probably from when he decided to join them but that's all the way back in the fire nation, not after he is officially part of the group.
I like that Toph took responsibility for being burned. If she hadn't snuck up on him it wouldn't have happened
What a great one. Zuko's journey to joining Team Avatar is just starting, and its all great. I do not feel that it is rushed or anything like that. Like OA, I feel like its all great from here on, as well as a few of the previous episodes.
6:45 Jet is probably made out of something weak. like paper mache, or Raditz
Omg. This episode is about shifting perspectives and it's set in an upside down temple. With a fight against a bounty hunter who changed loyalty and was taken out by a boomerang from an unseen perspective, hitting his eye. It just keeps going.