Book 3: The Southern Raiders / The Ember Island Players

This might be my favorite episode.


I'm going to try my damndest to get through the rest today, and we're doing really well!

Almost done, and the third and final Field Trip With Zuko is with Katara.

Who still hates him.

This is quite possibly the most badass episode of the entire show on a personal level.

Not because it starts with Azula attacking them in the morning and she and Zuko fight on the airship, with the latter giving a pretty fair fight, much fairer than the one on the gondola last episode. Then again, it’s just the both of them this time.

Cool shot! Cool shot!

They’re going to have a much, much better battle in the series finale.

Anyway, the danger has passed, though they don’t seem to be reunited with the rest of the group. Wouldn’t it be cool to see and hear what Hakoda had to say about his wife’s death, and Katara going to avenge her?

Zuko is confused on why everyone else likes him now but she doesn’t.

“I was the first one to trust you, remember? Back in Ba Sing Se.”

There’s something very manic-ly impressive about this shot. 

“What can I do to make it up to you?”

“You can reconquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King - Or, I know! You can bring my mother back.”

So Zuko goes to Sokka to ask him - What happened the day your mother died.

I like this (As well as events in “The Runaway”) because it would be really easy to gloss over his feelings about this.

The Fire Nation - a coalition called the Sea Ravens - came, and then they left without killing everybody.

Just one person.

“I know who killed your mother. I’m going to help you find him.”

Despite how hardcore Katara gets in this episode, I don’t think she says “killed my mother” at all, just “took her away from me”.

Sokka agrees with pacifist Aang, which shows how relatively far he’s come, even toward the Fire Nation soldier.

“Then you didn’t love her the way I did!” And he’s clearly very hurt by that.

For all the good this episode does, this is the bit that stands out as really…”I can’t believe no one called her on that.”

And that’s called charicterization and life, people say mean things, but, wow. I am extremely surprised nothing in either the comics afterward or later in the episode had her apologize for that.

Also, when Aang gives out a “Revenge is bad” phrase, Zuko says “That’s nice, but this isn’t Air Temple Preschool,” which is hilarious.

But fuck it, Katara and Zuko are just going to take Appa anyway.

Aang lets them go, but warns Katara to let her anger out, and then let it go.

“You’re pretty wise for a kid.”
“Thanks, Sokka.”
“Usually it’s annoying but right now, I really appreciate it.”

“I appreciate that.”

The two steal some information and head to Whale Tail Island.

Not Orca-Whale, or Porcupine-Whale. Just - whale.

Then we get the flashback from Katara’s point of view.

There’s a man in their house threatening Kya, who tells Katara to go get Hakoda.

Katara does, and when they return, she’s dead.

 In the past I always wondered how he killed her, but rewatching this shows that most fireblasts are concussive, not intending to actually burn someone alive unless intended (or if you just get too hyped about fire).

Also, he could have just stabbed her with a knife or something. Slightly more boring.

They find the Southern Raiders’ ship, and Katara goes HAM on it.

Katara starts bloodbending the man!

Zuko looks on like “Goddamn, she might hate me, but I’m glad she doesn’t hate me that much!”

Or does she.

It’s supposed to be seen as a crossing the moral event horizon thing, but it’s like doxxing -  don’t terrorize the world if you don’t want to be Bloodbent. Simple solutions!

But it’s the wrong person. The man who did it retired awhile back, and lives in a rather barren valley, all things considered.

Not too green.

After a really impressive, tense set up, the pair find this man, this Yon Rha, and proceed to terrorize him.

“You better remember me like your life depends on it.”

Because it does, motherfucker!


“Yes…you’re the little Watertribe girl.”

And then we get his flashback …

He asks who the Last Waterbender is in the Tribe, because his ‘source’ told him.

Now, in the supplementary material, an Air Nomad sells out Aang’s people to the Fire Nation, though I can see perhaps this information being tortured out of a WaterTribe prisoner as a captive.

“It’s me. Take me, as your prisoner.”

That doesn’t happen.

“She lied to you. She was protecting the Last Waterbender.”

“What - who?”

“ME!”

We stan a vengeful and talented queen!

Yon Rha is like “Go ahead take my mother,” and Katara is like “You’re not even worth killing.”

Back on their island, Aang is like “It was hard, but I’m proud of you. Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing.”

And Katara comes back with a great message, frankly - “But I didn’t forgive him. I’ll never forgive him.”

You don’t have to forgive anyone to be free of your anger. What other Nickelodeon show would have that?

At least she forgives Zuko!

If you’re not ready to travel across your country to help me extract revenge, you’re not worth forgiving. A motto I can get behind!

Though again, we don't even see Katara tell Sokka "I stared down the bastard who killed our mother, but I couldn't kill him. Also, I'm so, so sorry for what I said earlier." That would have been great.

Zuko admits that violence wasn’t the answer…for that instance, and Aang agrees.

“Then…what are you going to do when you face my father?”

And Aang looks like “Well, shit, I didn’t think about that.”

The Ember Island Players only has about two points of note;

That happens again, and Katara immediately calls Aang out for it,

Also, the kids realize that they might lose the war.