Katara confronts Master Pakku.
Team Avatar finally reach the Northern Water Tribe, where Sokka meets a princess, and Katara meets a waterbending master, as elsewhere Admiral Zhao puts his own plots in motion.
Episodes adapted from the original series:
Tropes:
- Adapted Out: The minor subplot about Katara's necklace having been made by Pakku, and therefore causing him to stop fighting on reconsideration of the damage the Northern Water Tribe's traditions cause, is left out.
- Adaptational Badass: Original Yue never gave indication she was a waterbender, or that having part of the Moon Spirit's essence conferred anything other than silver hair. Here, she's shown to be a waterbender and part-spirit.
- Adaptational Late Appearance: In the original show Katara learned she had a rare trait to use waterbending for healing purposes partway through the first season, and only by accident when she got burned. The concept that waterbenders have healing powers is only brough up in this show when they got to the Northern Tribe.
- Adaptational Nice Guy:
- Hahn, who was a racist, arrogant Jerk Jock only dating Yue for the social perks, is here just a genuinely nice guy, and while he and Yue did break up, he doesn't hold any resentment about it, nor does he have anything against Sokka.
- Pakku is less cantankerous and crusty, though he still upholds the sexist traditions of the Northern Water Tribe it's more because it's just tradition, not because he's a jerk. He also indicates that he doesn't want Katara to rush into the upcoming battle, lamenting the devastation of the Southern Tribes.
- Artistic License – Botany: Princess Yue makes a red dessert out of cloudberries, while real cloudberries are yellow.
- Batman Gambit: Lieutenant Jee overhears Zhao plotting to eliminate Zuko, and naturally rushes to him to alert the Prince, causing Zuko to try and skip out on a boat... which Zhao had loaded with blasting jelly, just as planned.
- Blatant Lies: Jee claims he learned his information while burning the midnight oil discussing fuel allocation with one of Zhao's underlings. They were playing cards and drinking.
- Chekhov's Gun: Zhao has learned Zuko was the Blue Spirit thanks to the discarded swords, which Azula was able to identify for him.
- Chewing the Scenery: As part of his hammily over-the-top lies to Iroh about how he will avenge Zuko's apparent death, Zhao adds some angry desk banging. Of course, Iroh already knows he's responsible.
- Foreshadowing: Key to Zhao's plot is something in a small box marked with the Water Tribe symbol, but what it is goes undisclosed in this episode.
- The Greatest Story Never Told: Yue says that Kuruk actually has a less favorable reputation among the Avatars, saying he rarely interacted with the nations and was off doing his own thing. Tragically, Kuruk reveals that his life was spent focusing on an issue regarding the Spirit World and that his body and spirit was irreparable harmed dealing with dark spirits (the original canon said he died abnormally young due to this) and he lost his beloved to Koh the Facestealer. He may have made the greatest personal sacrifice of the Avatars, but is seen as a failure.
- Indy Ploy: Having survived being blown up by Zhao and infiltrated his fleet, Zuko determines he needs a plan to, in no particular order, thwart Zhao, capture the Avatar and regain his standing. He just has no idea what that plan is.Iroh: So, no plan?Zuko: I'm working on it.
- Miles Gloriosus: Zhao remarks that his lack of actual military experience means that he's doesn't have any failures to his name, making him perfect for the expedition to the North Pole. In front of Iroh, no less. Iroh's expression can best be described as a deadpan You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!, as he knows that Zhao is an incompetent fool.
- Modest Royalty: When she's not doing other things, Princess Yue spends her time in the royal kitchens making desserts for children.
- Mythology Gag:
- As part of Zhao's plot to trick Zuko, he's led to believe the Imperial Firebenders are coming to arrest him. In "The Avatar State", Azula's first attempt at getting Zuko really was to have them try to arrest Zuko, which... didn't go very well. For them.
- Pakku cites part of the lecture Iroh gave to Zuko in "Bitter Work", specifically the part on the nature of water.
- Katara says that the only one who can write "The Legend of Aang" is Aang himself. "The Legend of Aang" is the subtitle of the original series in certain European countries. Also, and perhaps more relatedly, it's probably no coincidence that the naming convention is similar to that of "The Legend of Korra".
- Katara encourages a nervous Sokka to talk to Yue, to which he jokingly responds, "Hey there! Sokka, Southern Water Tribe!" This is exactly how he greeted Yue in the cartoon.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Avatar Yangchen's activities in her time created problems for Kuruk in his, and it ultimately killed him. In fact, he's still suffering the effects centuries later.
- Oh, Crap!: Zhao, when Iroh tells him he knows who's really responsible for Zuko's apparent death.
- Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Sokka, thrown off by Yue's teasing. Fortunately, she finds it endearing.Sokka: I'm just gonna stop talking now.
- Plot Parallel: Katara and Azula both find themselves being constrained when they really want to get out there and fight, and both eventually confront someone over it.
- Precision F-Strike: Upon learning that Katara wants to fight Master Pakku, Sokka encourages his sister to "kick his ass".
- Shoo the Dog: Kuruk's advice to Aang is ditch his friends, lest they get hurt as a consequence of his activities as the Avatar. Aang does try doing this, but Katara's having none of it.
- Something Only They Would Say: Sokka finds something oddly familiar about Princess Yue (implied to be her voice), and also notices the fox on her headpiece. When she drops the word "recombobulate" later on,
he realizes she was the spirit fox he met a few episodes prior. - Suddenly Shouting: Aang and Kuruk have a back-and-forth about the latter taking control of the Avatar State, until Kuruk bellows that he can't.
- This Is Something He's Got to Do Himself: When Katara and Pakku begin their duel, Aang tries to step in, only for Sokka to grab him and shake his head.
- Wham Shot: Azula, finally reaching her breaking point with her father and her tutor's unyielding criticisms, has her hands start glowing with blue sparks. Electric sparks.
- Worf Had the Flu: Aang reaches out to Avatar Kuruk assuming he could control the Avatar State like Kyoshi did and turn it against the upcoming Fire Nation invasion. Kuruk reveals that his conflict with dark spirits makes him unable to control the Avatar State through Aang.
