Can a mischievous 12-year-old boy overcome youthful and carefree ways and master his special powers over the four elements? Join unlikely Avatar Aang as he and friends Katara and Sokka leave the Northern Water Tribe and continue their journey so that Aang may master the element of Earth. In a future world torn between the elements, the Avatar is the only hope for the citizens of the warring Air, Water, Earth and Fire nations.

1. The Avatar State - Aang, Katara, Sokka, Momo, and Appa leave the Northern Water Tribe for an Earth Kingdom military base; they will be escorted to the city of Omashu, where King Bumi can teach Aang Earthbending. But the general at the military base suggests that Aang defeat the Fire Lord immediately by triggering the Avatar State, a powerful but destructive defense mechanism. After many failed attempts, the General finally succeeds in triggering the Avatar State by faking Katara's death. Aang nearly destroys the base in anger and the group decides to go to Omashu alone. Meanwhile, Zuko falls into a trap set by his sister Azula, who claims their father Ozai wants his son to return home but has actually been ordered to capture him. After he and Iroh escape, they are forced to go into hiding amongst the Earth Kingdom. 3.25 stars (Dale-3.5, David-3)

2. The Cave of Two Lovers - While on the way to Omashu, Aang and the group meet a group of carefree traveling bards, who offer to guide them through a shortcut. In this vast tunnel maze, known as "The Cave of Two Lovers" due to an association with a star-crossed couple of yore, Aang, Katara, and Appa become separated from Sokka and the bards. The cave's name, and legends that only those who kiss can escape it, highlight the unresolved romantic tension between Aang and Katara. Elsewhere, Zuko and Iroh are sheltered by kind Earth Kingdom villagers after Iroh accidentally drinks tea made of a poisonous plant. Song, a young and compassionate healer, shows Zuko the effects of war from a normal citizen's perspective. 3.75 stars (Dale-4, David-3.5)

3. Return to Omashu - Aang finds Omashu captured by the Fire Nation, while Azula recruits two new henchwomen, bored noblewoman Mai and circus performer Ty Lee. Aang and his friends, sneaking into Omashu, are caught by Fire Nation soldiers, but use pockmarks from a pentapus that attached itself to Sokka's face to invent a disease. They then meet a resistance movement, and help the whole city escape by faking an epidemic using the same pentapodes. However, the Fire Nation Governor's baby son accidentally leaves with the citizens. Aang attempts to trade him for King Bumi, but fails when Azula merely uses the exchange to attempt his capture. Aang does manage to rescue Bumi, but Bumi allows himself to be recaptured, saying that he must wait for a more proper time. Finally, Aang returns the toddler without taking credit. 3.375 stars (Dale-3.75, David-3)

4. The Swamp - While flying over a swamp, Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Appa get separated by a tornado. In the swamp, the gang begins to see visions: Sokka of Princess Yue; Katara of her mother, Kaya; and Aang of an unknown girl. Meanwhile, Appa and Momo are captured by local Waterbenders, and are saved from being eaten near the end of the episode. At the very end, Zuko is seen as The Blue Spirit. 3.875 (Dale-4, David-3.75)

5. Avatar Day - The group stumbles upon a town celebrating an Anti-Avatar Day: the villagers blame Avatar Kyoshi (Aang in a past life) for killing their leader Chin the Great. Once the villagers find out who Aang is, they arrest him. Meanwhile, Zuko disguises himself as The Blue Spirit to steal food for himself and his uncle. When Iroh expresses disapproval, Zuko decides to go his own way. During Aang's trial, Avatar Kyoshi manifests and confesses to indirectly causing the death of Chin the Great, a megalomaniac warlord who was intent on conquering her people. Though Aang is convicted of the crime, Fire Nation soldiers begin to attack the village, and he is "sentenced" to stopping the raid, thus winning himself freedom and the town's respect. 4.125 Stars (Dale-4, David-4.25)

6. The Blind Bandit - While at an Earthbending tournament (a send-up of Pro wrestling), the group sees its reigning champion, "The Blind Bandit," whom Aang recognizes as the girl from his visions. Though this girl, Toph Bei Fong, is an unmatched Earthbender, her parents are over-protective of her on account of her blindness; she has to sneak out at night to compete. Aang asks her to teach him, but she turns him down. Later, Aang and Toph are captured by the owner of the Earthbending Tournament, Xin Fu. Toph uses Earthbending to save them, but her parents angrily confine Toph to their home and banish Aang from their home. Toph, changing her mind, runs away to join Aang. Toph's father hires both Xin Fu and Toph's Earthbending instructor, Master Yu, to go after her. 4.5 stars.

7. Zuko Alone - After leaving his uncle, Zuko continues his journey to an Earth Kingdom town alone, where a young boy brings him home to dinner. The episode is dedicated partially to flashbacks of Zuko's life before banishment, such as incidents with his sister Azula and his loving mother Ursa. While his uncle Iroh was formerly the heir to the throne, he lost heart due to the death of his son Lu Ten during the 600-day siege of Ba Sing Se, leading to Zuko's own father Ozai becoming Crown Prince instead. Finally, Fire Lord Azulon died on the same day Ursa disappeared, with Ozai succeeding to the throne. In the present day, Zuko defends the young boy's family from Earth Kingdom soldiers who are acting like thugs, but is shunned by those who befriended him when he reveals his true nationality. 4 stars.

8. The Chase - Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph are chased by an unknown machine piloted by Azula, Ty Lee and Mai, which makes it impossible for the group to stop and sleep. Adding to the tension, Toph refuses to contribute to the gang's collective chores, relishing her new freedom and refusing anything that looks like charity. After cleaning Appa so his fur does not leave a trail, Aang acts as a decoy with a bag of fur, while Sokka and Katara go another direction on Appa and Toph strikes out on her own. Sokka and Katara are tracked by Ty Lee and Mai, who are inside the machine, while Azula chases Aang. When the two start fighting, Zuko arrives to capture Aang and fight off Azula; the two are eventually joined by Katara, Sokka, Iroh and Toph. In the face of such overwhelming odds, Azula pretends to surrender, only to wound Iroh with fire before making her escape. 4.5 stars.

9. Bitter Work - Aang attempts to learn Earthbending from Toph, but encounters difficulty because Earthbending is the polar opposite of Airbending, with one involving head-on courage and the other constant evasion and repositioning. Meanwhile, Sokka is trapped in a hole after trying to hunt a baby "saber-toothed mooselion". When its mother arrives, Aang is forced to save him. Toph, after seeing him stand his ground against the charging beast—not to mention Toph's own scorn—confirms that he has the courage necessary to learn Earthbending. Elsewhere, Iroh teaches Zuko how to re-direct lightning, so he will be better able to fight Azula. 4.125 stars (Dale-4.25, David-4)

10. The Library - A professor tells the group about a hidden Spirit Library in the desert. Inside, Sokka discovers a crucial weakness of the Fire Nation that could end the war: the date of an upcoming solar eclipse, which will cripple Firebenders just as the lunar eclipse incapacitates Waterbenders. However, the spirit who owns the library, Wan Shi Tong, begins to sink the library, accusing Sokka of using his domain's knowledge to fuel a war. Outside, Toph is distracted by the library sinking, and cannot defend Appa while he is kidnapped by Sandbenders. The gang escapes from the library (save the professor, who decides to stay behind in the treasure trove of knowledge), but are now trapped in the deep desert with no supplies or conveyance. 4.5 stars (Dale-4.25, David-4.75)

11. The Desert - The gang walks across the desert to tell the Earth King about the Fire Nation's weakness. Elsewhere, a secret society helps protect Iroh and Zuko from the Fire Nation. While there, they are recognized by the men hired by Toph's father, who plan to capture them for the reward, but escape with the help of "The Order of the White Lotus", a secret society of which Iroh is a high-ranking member. Meanwhile, Aang and the gang eventually run into the Sandbenders who stole Appa, and learn that Appa has been traded to a merchant and is probably in Ba Sing Se. Aang is so furiously sad about losing Appa that he enters his Avatar state, chasing everyone away except Katara, whose touch brings him back, and comforts him as he cries. 4.25 stars (Dale-4, David-4.5)

12. The Serpent's Pass - After leaving the desert, the group meets up with Suki, now employed by the Ba Sing Se immigration department, and attempts to lead some Earth Kingdom refugees through the Serpent's Pass. While Zuko and Iroh are on a ferry to Ba Sing Se, they meet Jet, who is trying to turn his life around. Jet takes an instant liking to Zuko and asks if he wants to join him and his Freedom Fighters. Meanwhile, the gang must contend with a giant serpent, from which the pass takes its name. They head to Ba Sing Se's outer wall only to find a Fire Nation drill poised to attack it. 4.375 stars (Dale-4.25, David-4.5)

13. The Drill - Aang discovers a Fire Nation drill heading straight for Ba Sing Se, with Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai inside. An Earth Kingdom General gives him the task of stopping it before it destroys the wall that protects the city. Aang and the group succeed in stopping and destroying the drill from the inside. Meanwhile, Jet wishes to recruit Zuko for his Freedom Fighters, but learns that Zuko and Iroh are Firebenders after inferring that Iroh has heated his tea at a Ba Sing Se train station with firebending. 4 stars.

14. City of Walls and Secrets - Aang and the rest of the group arrive in Ba Sing Se to find Appa and inform the Earth King about the solar eclipse, but are constantly hindered by their royal guide, Ju Dee. They are informed about how the city has been keeping the war a secret from its citizens, and are warned by the loyal chancellor, Long Feng, not to make a disturbance. Zuko and Iroh achieve gainful employment at a tea shop, while Jet repeatedly tries and fails to gather evidence that the two are Firebenders. His last attempt, challenging Zuko to a sword fight, ends in his own arrest. Finally, their guide is replaced with a visibly different woman who nonetheless claims to be Ju Dee. 3 stars.

15. The Tales of Ba Sing Se - This episode contains a collection of six "mini-episodes": Katara and Toph have a girls' day out; Iroh helps people in town before celebrating the birthday of his dead son; Aang helps a zookeeper build a new zoo; Sokka accidentally ends up in a poetry club; Zuko goes out on a date; and Momo looks through Ba Sing Se for Appa. Iroh's mini-episode was dedicated to his voice actor Mako, who had just died. 4.125 stars (Dale-4, David-4.25)

16. Appa's Lost Days - This episode starts during the events of "The Library". It shows Appa's abduction and his various adventures over the next few weeks. These include performing in a Fire Nation circus, fleeing from a startled farmer, and fighting with a porcupine boar. Afterwards, Suki and her Kyoshi warriors help him recover from his injuries. When they are attacked, Suki convinces Appa to flee to find Aang, despite his willingness to fight. Appa flees to a temple (passing Hakkoda, Sokka and Katara's father, in the process), where a mysterious guru, Pathik, provides him with aid on his search, telling him to go to Ba Sing Se, where he is captured by Long Feng and the "Dai Li," a secret police under his personal control. 5 stars.

17. Lake Laogai - The gang continues looking for Appa, so Long Feng tries to throw them off by sending a brainwashed Jet to make them leave the city. They meet up with Longshot and Smellerbee, and realize what Long Feng has done to Jet. They then travel to where Jet was brainwashed, Lake Laogai, in hopes of finding Appa. Instead, they encounter Long Feng and battle. Near the end of the episode, Jet is mortally wounded by Long Feng. Zuko, disguised as the Blue Spirit, finds Appa and discovers that Aang is in the city. However, Zuko heeds Iroh's advice and frees the Sky Bison instead of using him to track the Avatar; Aang and Appa are reunited at the end of the episode. 4.625 stars (Dale-4.75, David-4.5)

18. The Earth King - The gang breaks into the Earth King's palace to tell him about the war that had been going on without his knowledge. The gang tries repeatedly to persuade the Earth King to believe them, succeeding only by showing him the remains of the drill from episode 13. Long Feng is arrested and jailed. After returning from Lake Laogai, Zuko faces a moral quandary and subsequently falls ill. The gang receives information that the Kyoshi warriors have arrived, and are excited to see them after their personal travels; however, the audience learns that it is actually Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai dressed in Kyoshi-warrior outfits, while Long Feng receives word from his jail cell that the Dai Li still remain loyal to him.

19. The Guru - Aang travels to the Eastern Air Temple to learn control of the Avatar State from Guru Pathik. Pathik walks him through the process of opening his seven chakras, which allows the show to present flashbacks of important moments during the past two seasons. His attraction to Katara is a highlight, as Pathik tells him he must abandon all feeling for her to embrace the Avatar state. Meanwhile, Toph is captured by Xin Fu and Master Yu, who attempt to transport Toph back to her parents. She is put in a metal box, a material which has historically been immune to Earthbending... until Toph becomes the world's first "Metalbender" by manipulating the tiny particles of earth in metal. Iroh, who now owns his own tea shop, is joined by Zuko, who is very upbeat and seems to have made peace with himself. Katara and the "Council of Five" generals plan the solar-eclipse-timed invasion of the Fire Nation, with Sokka sent as a delegation to Hakoda's fleet, where he receives a warm welcome. However, Katara and the Council are captured by Azula. Aang sees the whole situation in a vision, and abandons his training to help his friends.

20. The Crossroads of Destiny - Azula is captured shortly by the Dai Li and is sent to Long Feng's cell, where the two form a partnership of mutual benefit. They then stage a coup d'état and all five major generals are captured at once. Katara and Zuko are both imprisoned and speak privately with each other for the first time; she seems on the verge of winning his allegiance, but Aang and Iroh arrive to liberate them before any progress can be made. Confronted by Azula as they escape, Zuko is torn between the compassion shown to him by Aang and Katara, and the promises of reconciliation and re-instatement dangled by Azula. Zuko chooses the Fire Nation, leading to a furious brawl; the two sides are evenly matched until Dai Li agents appear. Aang, with no other recourse, turns his back on Katara to engage the Avatar State... only to be critically injured by Azula's lightning; it is only Iroh's interference which allows Katara to escape with him. At the end of the episode, Aang and the gang flee on Appa, where Katara heals Aang using water from the Spirit Oasis at the Northern Water Temple, given to her by Master Pakku in the very first episode of Season Two. She is overjoyed when she sees him open his eyes. However, Ba Sing Se, the last bastion of Earth Kingdom resistance to the Fire Nation, has fallen, Iroh has been captured, and Zuko is returning home a hero. 4.75 stars.

2006 NR 4 discs / 18 episodes

4.12 stars. another great series. Best one yet!