In the tenth episode of the third season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Team Avatar assembles a band of familiar faces to invade the Fire Nation, and Zuko finally reveals his true destiny. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Avatar.

This is all about growth.

PART I

At the end of season two, Team Avatar had assumed that victory was easy to them. After having defeated the Fire Nation at the Northern Water Tribe with Aang’s spectacular showing in the Avatar state, it seemed that the team could only go up. After adding Toph to the group, the defeat at Ba Sing Se stung that much more: they lost, and they lost hard, with Aang wounded badly and the entire city in control of Azula and the Dai Li.

Months later, it appears our heros now know how to lose.

It seemed pretty obvious that Aang couldn’t have defeated the Fire Lord at this point. What would the remaining episodes of the season be about? So the end of this two-part episode wasn’t a surprise to me in this sense. I was more interested in seeing how the writers arrived at this ending. What sort of story would they tell in the process?

A pretty spectacular one, I might say.

The way that the writers set up the invasion made it unsettling: it was too happy. Aang wakes from his first full night of sleep, perfectly rested, and the procession of awesome begins. More than ever before, the people that Team Avatar have helped, either directly or indirectly, show their support by joining up with the war effort. The Foggy Swamp Tribe are the first to reveal themselves, with Huu ceremoniously declaring pants to be an illusion. This is my kind of man. Haru and Taru have also offered their support, and I love the idea that they’re repaying Katara for inspiring them and their fellow Earth Kingdom citizens into finding a way to empower themselves. I can’t imagine a more fitting return myself.

It only gets better when an explosion reveals the return of The Mechanist, Teo, Pipsqueak, and The Duke. !!!!!!!!!! OH GOD, I LOVE WHEN CHARACTERS ARE BROUGHT BACK UNEXPECTEDLY. Also, peanut sauce bomb. I will take thirty of those, please.

Even right from the beginning, this all seemed a bit disconcerting. Avatar is a joyous show, for the most part, especially since it celebrates so many wonderful themes and messages about heroism, empowerment, and doing what one believes is the right thing in life. But why was this all working out so well? Why were so many people showing up for this battle? When Sokka attempts to do his best to present the battle plan to the group and fails miserably due to his nervousness, his father steps in to brilliantly explain the situation and inspire the troops. Sokka is disappointed in himself, but it doesn’t seem like a huge tragedy. At the very least, the plan has been explained, the troops are ready to fight, and they’re willing to give their lives in the process. Everything is right where it needs to be for the army to successfully invade the Fire Nation.

To Sokka’s credit, this is a familiar story of his, but done in a way to highlight Sokka’s own concerns with his masculinity and his social destiny. How do you live up to the shadow your father casts? I don’t want to suggest that Hakoda is a one-dimensional character, but he does exist in the story to shine a loving light on his son and daughter. We’ve seen that he does have a side to him that justified leaving his family behind and how that harmed them. But it’s not what overpowers his character.

So where does Sokka stand when it comes to his father? His friends and his sister won’t ever truly empathize with how he feels because he comes from such a different experience. We know that Katara felt a lot of anger at her father for leaving, and Sokka instead chose to set him on a pedestal. It’s natural for him to feel as if he’s upset his father because he’s not as good or better than him. I think one of the better things this show has done is relate self-esteem through expressions of masculinity and femininity in the Avatar world, and Sokka’s journey is indicative of how his belief in social roles influences how he feels about himself. It’s the same for Katara, who, even from the first episode, was acutely aware of the disadvantages put forth to her, highlighted even more when she visited the Northern Water Tribe.

As the Team continues to fret and prepare for the invasion, the writers also don’t ignore the very fascinating things that are happening inside the Fire Nation walls. (God, I really love that we see this invasion from two sides.) Uncle Iroh’s physical preparation appears to be reaching the final stage of…well, his plan has to be some sort of fight, right? Why else would he physically bulk up like that? It also seems he’s got someone on his side, at least in his day-to-day life. A prison guard, Ming, brings him special treats, vocalizing her respect for the once-great general. (Well, she probably believes he is still great, given how she acts towards him.) Is he going to involve her in whatever his plans are? Are his plans going to involve Zuko?

Oh, Zuko. I’ll have my moment soon, but let’s do this in order. The end of “Nightmares and Daydreams” seemed like a huge emotional moment for Zuko, a realization that his heart has other intentions and desires than what his “destiny” had in mind. Had he finally reached the point where he was going to leave the Fire Nation?  It’s seems to be. He writes a goodbye note; we watch as he leaves it on Mai’s bed, and he tells her that he is sorry. He confesses to a painting of his mother. It’s time to do the right thing.

Oh, Zuko, what are you going to do?

It’s clear that the show got more money to spend on this double episode. The animation that starts off the invasion is some of the smoothest and realistic work we’ve seen on the show. (Computer animation, I’m guessing?) Everything–the music, the animation, the writing–comes together in one long, tense set of scenes as Team Avatar, with their band of allies from the Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom, begin to ascend on the Fire Nation. It’s about as close to perfection as this show has ever gotten. It’s tense, it’s poetic, and it provides us with one hell of an emotional moment. It’s all about the Fire Nation’s culture of force coming into conflict with the crafty, inventive techniques that the earth benders and water benders have been using to survive. Even knowing now what happens in the end, I don’t want to take away from the brilliance of these scenes: The Fire Nation completely misjudged how prepared these fighters were, and it’s a testament to their ingenuity and passion that they are able to be successful for so long.

After making it past the Great Gates of Azulon (which I must admit looked like a giant, flaming volleyball net), it became clear to me that something was just wrong. It was a small sensation at first, a thought at the back of my mind that kept trying to force its way to the front. I’m a cynic by nature most of the time, and it takes a lot for me to look at the bright side when it comes to popular media. Avatar has finally made that rather easy for me. It’s simple for me to be positive and hopeful about this show because it makes me feel so happy. That happiness, however, now seemed to be a sign that things weren’t right. Knowing that they’re parting ways, the group has one final goodbye; Katara and Aang, on the other hand, stay above before Aang leaves to go confront the Fire Lord. It’s a perception of finality that I’m left with: Why do Aang and Katara say goodbye in the way that they do? Has Aang accepted in his heart that loss is actually a possibility this time? Has he learned a lesson from his confrontation with Azula?

That’s what I mean when I say this is about growth. Aang knows now that he has to accept loss, since it’s clear that he’d never even considered it when facing Azula. Well, he faces it now, and in a moment of maturity and desire, he shows Katara how he finally feels, planting a goddamn romantic kiss on her lips before flying off all majestic and shit.

Holy hell, Aang. Bravo.

Uncle Iroh has grown, too. He’s still a calm, serene man, but his transformation to one of self-determined brutality is now complete. He’s not including Ming in his plans; in fact, he heavily implies to her that she needs to be away from his cell later that afternoon, and the look on his face is one of frightening severity. Whatever he has planned, it’s not going to be pretty.

Oh, Iroh. What are you going to do?

Sokka faces his moment of maturity, too. The submarines, designed by Sokka and The Mechanist, manage to break past every obstacle the Fire Nation throws at them. In a scene that evokes the Invasion of Normandy, the subs bellies open to release centipede-like tanks that spill on to the beach, as the Fire Nation rain fire bombs from up on high. It’s a stunning scene design, and the animation, as chaotic as it is, never devolves into looking confusing or muddled. Sokka and Katara are taking out battle towers with their father when Hakoda, on his own, is badly injured by one of the Fire Nation soldiers. While it seemed that Hakoda was now set-up to die the entire time (seriously, introduce loving father figure who is absent, reunite him with children joyfully, then TAKE HIM AWAY, is an old, old trope), it was more clear to me that this was designed to give Sokka the opportunity he’d been waiting for: to step up for his father and show him that he was the son he always wanted. It’s not even about the fact that Hakoda already loves and respects his son; it’s about Sokka’s perception of himself. So against any sort of practical reason, he does what he promises to his dad, and leaves on Appa in order to lead the troops into the heart of the city.

Aang is alone. His battle with the Fire Lord is one that only he can take part in, and no one accompanies him. He flies into the city limits (while, of course, enjoying some treats from the built-in compartment on his glider, provided by The Mechanist), and it becomes apparent to him quickly that something is desperately wrong.

There are no citizens in the streets. In their houses. In the markets. There are no guards to stop him, no blasts from the Fire Nation to protect their beloved Fire Lord. Aang is able to break into the royal palace with no effort at all, where he discovers that this was all one huge mistake.

There is no Fire Lord. There is no one in the city. They knew about the invasion, and it was all for nothing.

GOD DAMN IT.

PART II

Well, who knew that seeing Aang would inspire such fear?

Unlike “The Crossroads of Destiny,” by the time the second half of this story opens, the characters all know that this is not going to end well. This is the first time we see a collective growth on behalf of the entire team. When Aang returns with the unfortunate news that they’ve been had, that the invasion isn’t going to work if there are no fire benders left to invade, instead of overreaction or panic, they…talk. They talk.  THEY TALK.

How amazing is this? This is growth, and this is a group of people accepting that things don’t go their way, that sometimes, winning is not the answer. So what do you do in this situation? Do you turn away? Keep going? Throw a dance party? It seems that Team Avatar is ready to do what is most practical and safe. They’re already there, and the Fire Lord can’t be too far away, so they all decide to mutually push on with the invasion in time for the solar eclipse.

It’s here that the writers give us a simultaneous parallel unlike any other in the past: Team Avatar confront Azula in the hidden bunker beneath the volcano, and Zuko confronts his father. Both groups are faced with antagonists who are unable to use their normal means of violent behavior in order to take out their opponents, so it’s the first time our heroes are at least on the same level. The dynamic between these two conversation is unsettling and electrifying, and the way that the writers masterfully cut between the two increases the suspense, as we’re constantly left wondering what’s going to happen the second the eclipse is up.

The main difference between the two is balance. Azula, despite being unable to fire bend, has the advantage in the group. To use a term we’re all familiar with, she’s a master troll. She’s known about the invasion the whole time, the Fire Lord is safe, and there’s really nothing that they can do. Oh, and she brought the Dai Li with her from Ba Sing Se, so have fun with that! (True story: When Azula broke out of that little rock thing Toph made, I thought she was going to reveal that she’d learned earth bending in Ba Sing Se, which would have been completely terrifying. But…people who aren’t the Avatar can’t do more than one type of bending, so what was I thinking?)

Zuko’s confrontation, however, is entirely balanced on his side. His father cannot retaliate against him under the eclipse, and he has the element of surprise on his side. It’s time for Zuko to be honest, and I’d be kidding myself if I didn’t admit that Zuko’s scenes with his father were his best of the series so far. He has no reason to lie to himself or to anyone else anymore, so he spills it out: Azula lied about who killed the Avatar in order to protect herself in case he was alive, and Zuko is certain that Aang is leading the invasion into the city. Furious, his father demands him to leave and Zuko finally does what he’s always needed to do: He tells his father no. Pulling out his swords in an act of defiance, Zuko transforms himself into a manifestation of his own destiny.

As the invasion forces begin to capture the city, and Team Avatar does their best to go after a fleeing Azula, I couldn’t help but want to focus solely on Zuko and Ozai. The conversation between the two is obvious and direct, but Zuko’s never been one to be a flowery communicator. He does not speak as Iroh does, though he now is acting like his uncle. I love how plainly Zuko states all of his grievances, that he just wanted his father to love him, that what his father did to him years ago was cruel, unimaginable, and unforgivable. As someone who was abused as a kid, I wasn’t triggered by this conversation: I felt an immense joy and satisfaction to see Zuko stand up to the man who had done him so much wrong and who had caused him so much pain and trauma. I love that Zuko translates this to a much less selfish concept to, explaining how his father’s cruelty is evident in the way the Fire Nation treats the rest of the world.

The best part of this is the fact that Ozai laughs at his son, claiming that his son’s declarations about the hatred their nation brings is just Iroh’s influence creeping through. What Ozai seriously misjudges is his son’s experiences during his three year banishment. We’ve seen how the world views the Fire Nation not only through Team Avatar, but from Zuko’s experiences in “Zuko Alone” and the time spent in Ba Sing Se. Zuko knows firsthand what his Nation’s actions have done to the rest of the world. There is no glory or prosperity in imperialism; the Fire Nation has only brought about misery and death.

In this sense, as Zuko spells it out, Iroh has always been more of a father than Ozai has. We all know this. And so, he states very plainly that he knows what he is going to do now: Free Iroh, beg his uncle for forgiveness, and join Team Avatar.

FUCK YES FINALLY!!!!!!!! I cheered so loud that my cat fell of the couch in fright. FINALLY YES YES YES YES YES THESE FINAL EPISODES WILL BE THE GREATEST THING ON ALL OF TELEVISION UNTIL THE END OF TIME!!1!!!!

The writers’ final parallel involves the antagonists baiting our protagonists (ZUKO IS OFFICIALLY A PROTAGONIST MY CREYS Y’ALL) and how they each respond. Azula, on the one hand, successfully baits Sokka once the group realizes that she is specifically trying to waste their eight minutes. Unfortunately, her comments about Suki’s imprisonment is too much for Sokka, and even though they’ve all admitted they need to leave her behind, he can’t resist but lunge at her. And in that moment of vulnerability, Azula’s already won. For Zuko, though, he has a chance to walk away from his father before the eclipse ends, and when his father teases him with the full story of what happened to his mother, he too cannot resist the temptation. The bait is set, but unlike what happens with Sokka and Azula, this does not come out as Ozai plans.

The true story behind Ursa’s disappearance is just one huge contrast between the two parents: Zuko’s mother was willing to commit treason and be banished from the Fire Nation to protect her son, and Ozai cared so little that he permanently scarred his son and banished him to a life of misery and shame. But, again, Ozai underestimates the power that Zuko has, both emotionally and physically. The confrontation has allowed Zuko to release the hold his father had on him, and the story does not cause him to lose focus or to breakdown at the possibility that his mother is alive. Instead, as Ozai uses the end of the eclipse to send a terrifying jolt of blue lightning at his own son as punishment, Zuko reveals that he has perfectly mastered the ability to redirect lightning, something we’d never even seen him do since Iroh taught it to him.

Zuko is finally free. God, that is such an amazing sentence to type, and I can hardly describe the joy it brings me. Even though there are only five episodes and then a finale left, the amazing things the writers can do with Zuko are almost endless. WHY AREN’T THERE 40 MILLION MORE EPISODES LEFT?

The meteoric growth in all these characters is shown in the final moments. Team Avatar now as to accept defeat, but not at all in the same way as they did at the end of “The Crossroads of Destiny.” They’ve learned how to cut their losses, to do what they need to without losing other people. It is incredibly sad that the invasion does not work and that even after trying to fight the Fire Nation forces, they decide it’s best of Team Avatar takes the younger members and separates from the main group, leaving behind the adults to surrender. It’s a grim ending, but it’s not one steeped in impossibility. These people believe that Aang can face the Fire Lord again and use the element of surprise in order to prevent a repeat of this invasion. It’s an act of both pragmatism and patience, and it’s a sign that these people don’t have to rush into everything unprepared anymore. (It’s actually a great parallel to the way Azula behaves; she is deeply patient and always waits for the right moment to strike, and it’s proven mighty successful, don’t you think?)

The real mystifying thing, though, is the fact that Zuko arrives at Iroh’s cell to discover his uncle has literally ripped the bars of his cage open and escaped. Even though we see Zuko following Appa to the Western Air Temple, I’m more interested in the unanswered mystery:

Where the hell is Iroh?