Book 3: The Painted Lady / Sokka's Master

Water Tribe.

Also, polluted waterways from Fire Nation factories.

Not caring about the wellbeing of your poor citizens - The American Fire Nation Way!

The Gaang arrive in a town that's been heavily polluted by a Fire Nation factory, where people are ill from a lack of food.

The only thing missing is a drug crisis.

Katara wants to help, but Sokka insists they stick to the schedule and must leave the next day.

When Appa ends up sick, they return into the village to see people are a lot more upbeat and excited - thanks to the titular Painted Lady, a river spirit who watches over the town in times of need...although the town has been in need of help for the past five or so years this has happened.

Deity abandoning their people in a time of crisis and yet still holds the belief of the people - another American parallel!

The next night, The Painted Lady returns and heals some more people.

I don't know if you know by now, but this is Katara. How she learned about a small town's beliefs so quickly is beyond me but ok.

Bonus spiritbending.

During a nightly excursion, Aang tries to talk to her...and he realizes her disguise. And he's very proud of her for lying to help the citizens.

He's thrilled. Really.

And the two destroy the factory;

Causing the Fire Nation soldiers to go to the village and terrorize it's own citizens.

Seriously, the parallels between The USA and The Fire Nation are overwhelming.

Sokka tries to chastise Katara for her entire plan, and this scene gives us the quote people put under every Katara-centric photoset on tumblr.

"No. I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me!"

 The Painted Katara comes back and terrorizes the soldiers, the townspeople find out who she is, and they're kind of angry that a waterbender took their legend.

Though she only did it to help, and tells them to help themselves (Very [insert recent movie sequel here] of her).

When all is said and done, the real Painted Lady arrives and thanks Katara.

"My work here is done."

"But you didn't do anything."

Sokka's Master is about him feeling inadequate.

The children are watching a metor shower.

And Toph is just in the general vicinity. “You’ve seen nothing once, you’ve seen it a thousand times.”

 When a rogue meteor shower threatens a town, the benders step in to take it out.

Put your hands in the air!

Sokka just sits on the sidelines, feeling bad. Who can blame him - He's in the company of the best benders in the world for their prospective elements, and he can't bend anything.

Sure, he's the idea guy, and the planning guy, and the boomerang guy, but that's not as cool as bending water.


The Gaang goes shopping to cheer him up

Pictured: “Mike, Bryan, we need something to make a toy out of.”

“There you go, motherfucker.”

And we never got anything besides Nendroids.

No, Iroh did not escape prison to become a weapons seller.
That’s just some guy, who namedrops the man who will be Sokka’s titular Master, Piandao, while talking about a sword he created.

Sokka introduces himself with his real name, which is dumb.

He says yeah, I have a lot to learn, and I don’t know if I’m worthy and Piandao agrees to train him - so this is how you get a job, kids!

Tell your friends that, Sokka. They’re bored, considering he usually handles the schedule. Also, their sense of humor is a lot more muted and wry than Sokka’s, which just makes them imitating him all the more cringeworthy.

It’s intentional cringe though.

Training montage; Go!

At the end of the first day, Piandao says that Sokka did a great job! And because it’s a bit of a time crunch, he gets to make a sword tomorrow!

So he goes back to camp with the others, and has Toph mine from the meteor that almost killed thouands.

Swords made from meteorites really should be a trope by now. It’s more likely than you think.

When the sword is done and Piandao presents it to him, Sokka gives the game away and says who he really is - and a battle commences.

Piandao doesn’t really care, after all, “Knowledge of the arts belongs to us all.” And he’s a member of the White Lotus. Remember them?