"If someone was to get captured by the Fire Nation, where would they be taken?"
"To the Boiling Rock, the highest security prison in the Fire Nation. It's in the middle of a boiling lake in a volcano."
So obviously, Sokka wants to go rescue Hakoda, but Zuko won't let him go alone.
"Fine. You happy now?"
"I'm never happy."
Same.
Also; There are badgerfrogs.
Unlike Aang, who runs away from his mistakes, Sokka wants to fix his problem head on. That's a quality of both Water Tribe siblings, really.
On their way, they reminisce about things. Zuko says that he realizes Ozai is no good, and he couldn't drag Mai into his shenanigans.
There's also the now-iconic exchange. "My first girlfriend turned into the moon.""That's rough, buddy."
The Boiling Rock is a large, imposing sauna, though you wouldn't find people enjoying the heat here - They sink into a prison, their airship crash-landing.
“I figured it was a one-way trip.” Sokka says.
After getting disguised, they see a guard acting like a petty ass to a prisoner. Wow, the Fire Nation and America have so much in common. Lucky there are no guns in the Avatarverse.
In a bit of an odd twist, it seems that the color for both Sokka and Zuko is switched in scenes, as if the coloring agents weren’t quite sure who was who.
This is the Warden of Boiling Rock. Who mentions that no one has ever escaped from the Boiling Rock.
Zuko finds some intel; The Water Tribe prisoners aren’t here.
He takes a bite out of an Ice Cream Koan to try and make Sokka feel better with a poor analogy - but wait - someone else IS here -
But the other Kyoshi Warriors aren’t.
In a twist on the US prison system, there’s at least things in place to prevent things like prison rape upon the incarcerated. Or maybe that situation was going to go wrong either way.
In order not to blow their cover, Zuko ends up attacking a guard and Sokka has to arrest him, his cover blown.
The Warden says to be careful, otherwise the prisoners might attack him for being a traitor to his nation - also, “Fuck you, you broke my niece’s heart.”
Sokka figures out that the solitary confinement iceboxes - The Cooler - that some prisoners are put into are insulated to keep heat out - So they can use one to escape the prison, though it’s never stated how they would actually get past the wall…
See? Wall.
A prisoner, Chit Sang, overhears, and of course he wants in. Who wants to be imprisoned, unless you live in a society where the rising cost of living isn’t worth it and it’s easier to stay inside and risk bodily harm even more so to avoid the bullshit of capitalism.
But they have to get inside the Cooler first, to unbolt it, and you do that by misbehavior. Like fighting!
That dude on the right in the background does the same animated fist-pumping movement for about ten seconds. It's funny.
Unlike other Firebenders, now that he’s armed with DRAGON KNOWLEDGE, Zuko knows the proper breathing technique to keep warm.
Nope, DRAGON KNOWLEDGE.
More prisoners are due to arrive the next day - including war prisoners! Hakoda might be there - So do they wait? Or do they go toward freedom?
Zuko gives a very moving speech “You’re going to fail over and over and over again before things get better, but you have to keep trying. You can’t quit because you might fail.”
Suki and Zuko refuse to leave Sokka, and they wait and see.
The gondola of prisoners arrives just as Chit Sang and his group are seen, and the prison goes into lockdown.
Though at the weird angle Sokka is at, I’m surprised he can even see him step off of the machine.
Come to think of it, I wonder how Zuko’s “betrayal” was announced to his nation.
Also I just realized that this is the second episode where a Water Sibling broke into a Fire Nation prison.
Yay.
Again, it’s reiterated that the Boiling Rock is for high-danger criminals…and yet there’s a line in the previous episode that says they’re mostly robbers, bandits, and maybe even a pirate.
Before Sokka can tell Zuko what the plan is in full, the latter is taken away, to stand crimes for being a dick.
In her opinion.
“This isn’t about you! This is about the Fire Nation.”
“Thanks Zuko, that makes me feel all better.”
I love my girl.
The Plan: Commandeer the gondola and take a hostage after you start a prison riot.
But not before you’re dragged into a lineup and your former ally is called upon to rat you out.
Instead, he calls out the guard who was a dick to him way back in the first part of the episode. #Justice.
Insert another player into this debacle, a player who has now made this escape five times harder than it needed to be.
The prisoners are sent to the yard.
“Hey - Riot!”
The series has a lot of killer shots, you know that, but this might simply be the best.
But the line is about to be cut - Ironically, with both of the heirs to your nation on it. No need to fear, but surely someone bought that up.
Something - someone - stops them. “What are you doing?”
“Saving the jerk who dumped me.”
She takes out about twenty people in a minute before being captured, and Azula just asks - Why? Why did one of the people she sort-of-semi trusted beyond all others let the prisoners escape?
“I love Zuko more than I fear you.”
Ooh boy.
They’re about to fight, and man would that be a cool fight to see, when Ty Lee steps in and takes Azula out with a nerve attack.
This entire sequence had me shook the first time I saw it! Still does!
It’s just not her day.
However, it is a great day to be a Water Tribe family in the Fire Nation.
The first time I watched this series I didn't really love this set of episodes. It was after many viewings that it grew to be a favourite. Definitely love how bad-ass all the women are in this episode (and in the series over all).
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