It's time to make a start on the third season, "Book Three: Fire". The first two episodes are...an interesting mix.
The Awakening
Man, this episode is a bleak one. But it nonetheless hooked me for the new season.
Aang wakes up from a coma on board a Fire Nation ship with a full head of hair. He soon discovers the party, along with Hakoda and Bato, wearing Fire Nation uniforms. He learns that after he was mortally wounded by Azula, the Fire Nation seized Ba Sing Se, the Earth King has gone into hiding, and the world believes that the Avatar is dead. Sokka is proposing that they continue with the invasion plan, using the different friends and allies they've met on their travels to attack the Fire Nation's capital on the Day of Black Sun. Meanwhile, Zuko returns to the Fire Nation with Azula and is given a hero's welcome by his father.
This episode is mostly comprised of drama and internal conflict. Aang believes that he's failed, and is determined to confront the Fire Lord to prove himself wrong. He even ends up sounding like Zuko when he talks about it. During the journey to the Fire Nation, they're stopped by another vessel and attampt bluff them away, but Toph overhears the other captain issue orders to sink them after they've left. There's a pretty good action sequence as they're pursued, but Sokka forces Aang to stay hidden. They later encounter the sea serpent from "The Serpent's Pass", but it ends up sinking the other ship and allowing them to escape.
It's not just Aang who's facing conflict. We also see Katara interact with her father, and it's clear that she's bitter over him leaving her and Sokka behind to fight in the war. When we compare this with Sokka's desire to earn his father's approval, it puts into perspective that they're both still teenagers and shows the effects the war had even before the series began.
Meanwhile, Zuko is perpetually troubled by his return home (despite hooking up with Mai). He meets with Fire Lord Ozai for the first time in three years, and we see the Fire Lord's face for the first time. In his previous appearances, he was always cast in shadow or his face was out of shot (kinda like Blofeld), and the big reveal shows that he isn't monstrous but is nonetheless menacing. He bluntly states that Zuko has redeemed himself and welcomes him home. However, it's then revealed that Azula has given her brother the credit for killing Aang as part of her life of machination and manipulation; if the reports of the Avatar's death were proven wrong, Zuko would be disgraced.
In the latter portion of the episode, we see Aang flee the ship and glide away in a pretty impressive sequence. He bends underwater to sneak past a blockade, later using his glider to windsail on a piece of flotsam. There's also a touching "Force ghost" moment when he's visited by the spirit of Avatar Roku, who blames himself for the war, along with Yue. Both assure him he can save the world again, and he gets a heroic second wind out of it. Arriving at Roku's island, the rest of the party catch up with him. He accepts his position and leaves, but not before burning the remains of his glider.
That final shot is so powerful. Aang's glider has been with him for the whole series, and it's something that's always been associated with him. It's sad to see it gone.
The Headband
You know, I still need to see Footloose. This episode feels like filler, but is still worth a watch.
While undercover in the Fire Nation, the party steal clothes so they can hide in plain sight. However, Aang unwittingly picks up a school uniform and is subsequently caught by a truant officer. He soon discovers that the Fire Nation's education system is very much geared towards teaching conformity rather than self-direction, and arranges a secret dance party to teach the other kids to express themselves.
A lot of this episode is built around "fish out of water" comedy as Aang tries to fit in at the Fire Nation school, wearing a headband to conceal his arrow tattoo while claiming to be from the Fire Nation colonies. His outspoken nature wins him friends while most of the teachers write him off as a troublemaker.
I guess the writers wanted to make something softer and light-hearted after how hard-hitting the previous episode was. Honestly, I don't blame them. Despite the sift in tone, this episode lends an interesting perspective to Fire Nation society. One notable scene has a teacher quizzing the class on how Fire Lord Sozin defeated the "Air Nomad Army", despite the fact that the Air Nomads didn't have an army. This is an important scene, because it addresses how imperialist countries change history to suit their narrative. It's also unnerving that the Fire Nation's definition of "Reform School" is a coal mine. I don't like the sound of that.
As for the B plot, we learn that Iroh has been thrown in prison where he's become a broken down old man. Zuko still visits him, but he refuses to speak to him. Honestly, I really feel for him. The biggest heartbreak of "The Crossroads of Destiny" wasn't the fact that Zuko chose to side with Azula, but that he turned his back on his uncle. Iroh was more of a father figure to him than his actual father, and would have gone with him to the ends of the earth. It's during this time we see Azula's machinations starting to get to Zuko. He expresses a suspicion that the Aang is still alive, and the episode ends with him hiring an assassin.
Ominous cliffhangers aside, it's ultimately nice to see Aang get an opportunity to be a normal kid, which is all he's ever wanted.
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