The Guru

''
 * ''This article is about the episode. For the character, see Pathik.

Writers: Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko

Director: Giancarlo Volpe

Guest Stars: Phil LaMarr (Earth King Kuei), Clancy Brown (Long Feng), Brian George (Guru Pathik), Marc Graue (Xin Fu), Sab Shimono (Master Yu), Jim Meskimen (General How)

Production Code: 219

Overview
''After the group receives letters that were confiscated by the Dai Li, Aang meets Guru Pathik, who trains him to master the Avatar State through the unlocking of chakras. Toph is captured by Xin Fu and Master Yu, who transport her back to her parents, though she escapes by heuristically Metalbending. Azula forms a scheme with Long Feng to overthrow the Earth King, and Katara is captured. Aang sees a vision of Katara in danger, and abandons the training early to save her, against the wishes of the Guru.''

Synopsis
It is the morning, and Iroh is preparing some jook. Zuko walks into the room, yawns, and comments on the smell of the jook. Iroh says that he will not like it, but Zuko contradicts him, smelling a ladleful and saying that he would love to taste it. Iroh is somewhat surprised, and says that Zuko has changed greatly since he recovered from the fever he had in "The Earth King". Zuko just smiles, and states optimisticly that it is a new day — in fact the day of the grand opening of Iroh’s new tea shop, and they have a wonderful new apartment.

At the same time, Aang and Sokka land at the mouth of Chameleon Bay, where they were told that Sokka’s father Hakoda and the rest of the Southern Water Tribe Warriors are. Sokka is very nervous, but Aang tries to calm him down, and succeeds somewhat. Sokka questions Aang on his feelings towards him meeting Guru Pathik to master the Avatar State. Aang smiles, and replies that he, unlike Sokka, is not nervous in the least. He then takes off on Appa, shouting back to Sokka that they will reunite in a week.



Sokka walks into the base, and is greeted with warm and welcome arms by the warriors of the Southern Water Tribe. After a very brief exchange of greetings, the warriors point him off to a large tent. Sokka enters the tent, where several more warriors, including Bato and his father Hakoda, are studying a map. Hakoda looks up from the map, then rises to embrace Sokka happily.

Back in Ba Sing Se, the Earth King is entertaining Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee, still disguised as Kyoshi Warriors. He tells them of Long Feng's manipulation of the city. Azula expresses false interest, and the Earth King continues by telling Azula of the plans for the invasion of the Fire Nation during the Day of Black Sun. Azula is surprised but manages to suppress her shock to the point of merely expressing interest in the plan.



At that exact moment, the Council of Five is going over the invasion plan with Katara, who is accompanied by Momo. General How says that General Fong’s base will be the staging point of the attack, and they will send in troops, demonstrating the motion by Earthbending several stone pieces representing Earth Kingdom forces across a world map. Momo suddenly darts across the board and knocks the pillars over. Katara laughs at the lemur's actions and attempts to joke with the five generals, who are not amused. General How asks Katara to take a scroll detailing the invasion plans so that it may receive Seal of the Earth King, which will finalize the plan.

Aang arrives at the Eastern Air Temple and finds Guru Pathik meditating atop the same pillar he was on before Appa's departure. Guru Pathik introduces himself as a spiritual brother to the Air Nomads and a good, close friend of Monk Gyatso. Aang ask Pathik how he plans on teaching him how to gain control of the Avatar State, to which Guru replies that he must first bring balance to himself before he can bring balance to the world. The Guru first asks Aang to simply drink a liquid, which Aang does before spitting it out, as it is a strange combination of onion and banana juice.

Out on a road, an ostrich-horse is pulling a cart carrying Master Yu and Xin Fu as well as Toph, who is trapped within a huge metal box. The two up front are arguing about which way to go in order to back to the Bei Fong estate, Toph’s home, when Toph yells at the two to stop arguing and let her out to go to the bathroom. Master Yu starts to get up to let her out, but Xin Fu sharply pulls him back from the action, noticing the obvious trick where his companion does not. Toph pounds against the cage she is in, only infuriating Xin Fu more, who tells her that no matter how good an Earthbender she thinks she may be, there is no way that she knows how to Bend the metal.

Back in Ba Sing Se, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee are removing their disguises, when Azula presents the girls an idea. She states that they now have the perfect opportunity to bring down the Earth Kingdom from the inside and succeed where the Fire Nation has failed for a century. She proposes they stage a coup to overthrow the Earth King. Azula determines that the determining factor in accomplishing this goal lies in the control of the Dai Li.



Back at the Eastern Air Temple, Guru Pathik is beginning Aang’s instruction of the chakras. In order to master the Avatar State, Pathik says that he must first open the seven chakras of the body. After determining that Aang has absolutely no knowledge of the nature of chakras, Pathik procides a visual representation. Using a pond clogged with algae, he successfully explains to Aang the concept of chakras, stating that by removing the clogs between pools, the water is allowed to flow, just as energy is allowed to flow through the body when the seven chakras are open. There are seven chakras within the body, each with a purpose and each with a different blockage; an intense sensation results from the opening of them all. Pathik warns that the process of opening the chakras cannot be halted once it has begun- it must be completed in order to succeed. Aang accepts this risk and they begin the process.

Meanwhile Toph using her ability to "see" the tiny fragments of earth left within the metal cage she learns the unique sub-skill to bend metal, as Toph learns this she punches a huge dent through the cage doors twice and manages to escape her cell.

Back in Chameleon Bay, Sokka, his father Hakoda, and the rest of the Warriors are preparing what Hakoda calls Tangle Mines. Comprised of a buoyant casing around an explosive mine, they are filled with Skunkfish and Seaweed. Upon detonation, the seaweed entangles itself in propellors of Fire Nation ships, immobilizing them. Afterwards, the stench of the Skunkfish forces the soldiers onboard to abandon ship. Hakoda jokes that he has dubbed the plan, “The Stink and Sink,” to which Sokka explodes with laughter. Bato remarks dryly on how similar the father and son are.

A scouting party returns, informing the warriors of the presence of four Fire Nation ships. Hakoda quickly acts, telling Bato to finish preparing the mines, and the rest of the warriors to prepare for battle. Sokka hesitates as the other warriors prepare for battle, and then asks Hakoda what he should do. In a slightly irritated, yet joking tone, Hakoda repeats pointedly that he wanted, "the rest of [the] men to get ready for battle." Sokka smiles at his father's confirmation of his coming-of-age, and quickly prepares himself for the encounter ahead.



In Ba Sing Se, the Jasmine Dragon is finally opening, and Iroh and Zuko stand proudly as customers arrive at the tea shop. Iroh says that he is in disbelief that has accomplished his dream of running his own tea shop. He advises Zuko to follow his own dreams as well, and Zuko congratulates him. Iroh expresses pride in his nephew for having chosen to be with him in this happy time. Zuko enthusiastically hugs his uncle, then runs off to start preparing tea, Iroh soon happily joins him.

Meanwhile, Mai and Ty Lee, in Kyoshi warrior garb, lounge on the front steps of the Earth King's palace. Mai complains about her outfit and about the tasks involved in being the Earth King's audience (primarily cleaning up after the King's pet bear). Ty Lee advises Mai to be patient and repeats aloud the plan Azula has formed. Mai quickly snaps at her to be quiet, as she will reveal that they are from the Fire Nation if she continues. A small group of Dai Li, who have been spying from their hiding spots clinging to several pillars, quickly and stealthily crawl off. Once they are gone, Azula emerges and compliments her friends on their acting job, as Long Feng will surely be informed of their plans now.

Katara and Momo, just before going to see the Earth King, decide to stop at a new tea house. As she enters, Katara hears and sees Zuko reciting an order for tea to Iroh in the back of the shop, and she gasps in surprise before running off to warn the Earth King.

Aang and Pathik arrive at the seventh and final Chakra. Pathik congratulates Aang and states that with the final Chakra's opening, he will be able to willfully enter and exit the Avatar State, as well as control his actions within it. The Thought Chakra, located at the crown of the head, deals with Cosmic Energy, and is blocked by Earthly Attachment. Aang is asked to meditate on what he is attached to, and images of Katara flood his mind. Now that Aang has focused on that which he is attached to, Pathik instructs Aang to let the attachments go. Aang suddenly becomes angry, finding the idea of letting go of Katara ludicrous, as he loves her. He also questions why he should not allow himself to feel this love, when Pathik stated previously that it was beneficial to him. Pathik narrows his eyes, but remains calm, and states that if Aang ever wants the pure Cosmic Energy to enter him, he must let go of all earthly attachments, including Katara.



Katara rushes into the palace and tells Azula, whom she believes is Suki, that Prince Zuko and Iroh have infiltrated the city. She tells how they need to inform the Earth King. As Azula calmly replies that that will not be necessary, Katara realizes her mistake- she recognizes the distinct golden hue of Azula's eyes. However, Katara's realization is too late; Ty Lee hurtles into the air and disables Katara. Azula and her friends stand over Katara's prone form, and she remarks that it is time she and Zuko encountered each other again.

The argument continues back at the Eastern Air Temple, with Pathik telling Aang he must open all of the chakras to master the Avatar State. Aang decides to at the least try to do so, and he begins to let go. He visualizes an image of Katara disappearing into space, and himself being taken high above the planet to walk along a purple stream of cosmic energy. The stream is radiating from a gigantic image of himself in the Avatar State, which surrounds him in a sphere of energy radiating from its palms. However, Aang is suddenly shocked when an image of Katara, captured underground, appears behind him. He abandons the Avatar State and begins running towards the image. The stream of cosmic energy dissipates, and Aang plummets to the Earth. Jolting awake from his meditation, Aang desperately says that Katara is in trouble, and he must go back to Ba Sing Se to help her. Pathik stops him, telling him that by choosing Attachment, the last chakra has become blocked- if he leaves now, he will not be able to go into the Avatar State at all. Aang hesitates, but then continues on without looking back or responding.

Master Yu and Xin Fu are startled by a tearing sound from the back of the wagon, and go to investigate. A massive hole has been ripped in the back of Toph's prison, and she is not inside. Toph emerges further back on the road and uses Earthbending to thrust Xin Fu and Yu back into the coffin. She then grips either side of the hole she made earlier, and pulls them back together, trapping her captors in her place. After taking a few moments to yell out her triumph and state that she is the greatest Earthbender ever, Toph rapidly heads back to Ba Sing Se by surfing along a self-made wave of Earth. This leaves Xin Fu and Yu locked very uncomfortably within the coffin, and Xin Fu frustrated as ever at having to spend time with his companion.



Sokka and the rest of Hakoda's warriors are finishing preparing their ships to move on. Sokka tells his father that he is going to make him proud and prove what a great warrior he is. Hakoda smiles, and replies that Sokka does not have to prove himself- he has always known Sokka has been a great warrior. This heartfelt moment is brought up short by the sudden appearance of Aang and Appa. Aang only has to look at Sokka for him to realize that the situation is urgent, and he bids farewell to his father.

In the prisons of Ba Sing Se, a group of Dai Li agents escorts a restrained and complaining Azula to Long Feng’s cell. Upon their arrival, she demands to know why she has been taken out of her bed in the middle of the night. Long Feng smiles craftily and tells her he knows exactly who she truly is and that he wants to make a deal, as Azula has the Earth King's trust. In return for her help, Long Feng promises the Avatar, and Azula smirks, before the proposal continues.

At the Jasmine Dragon, Iroh and Zuko are surprised when a messenger delivers wonderful news — they have been invited to serve tea to the Earth King. Zuko, looking extremely content and happy for his uncle's good fortune, continues working in the shop. Meanwhile, Azula is carried back to her apartment by the Dai Li, smirking an evil smile.

Series Continuity

 * In "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters", Aang mentions Pathik's advice when he talks to Avatar Yangchen.
 * Hakoda's method of sinking Fire Nation ship, the Stink 'n' Sink, mirrors what the Mechanist says: "Never underestimate the power of stink."
 * This is the second time in the series where Aang says the phrase "Everything is connected". The first time he said it was in The Swamp.
 * This is the fifth time where Zuko is not bent on capturing the Avatar. The first time was in "Winter Solstice Part 1: The Spirit World", when Zuko opposed chasing Appa in favor of finding his uncle. The second time was in The Storm when Zuko decides that the safety of the crew is more valuable than capturing the Avatar. The third time was in The Siege of the North, Part 2, when he and Iroh sail away from the Northern Water Tribe. Iroh asks Zuko about capturing the Avatar to which Zuko just says he is tired. The fourth time is in The Chase when he's more concerned about his injured uncle than Aang.
 * Guru Pathik tells Aang that the division between the four elements is an illusion, strongly foreshadowing what the lion turtle tells Aang later in the series; that before the four bending disciplines were refined, people bent the raw energy of the universe, which is a reference to Energybending.
 * In "The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse", Azula says she's known about the invasion for months. She learns of it from the Earth King in this episode.

Goofs

 * When Zuko enters the kitchen, Iroh is tasting the jook with a spoon. However, when Zuko asks for some, the spoon suddenly becomes a ladle.
 * When Zuko sits down on the floor with his bowl of jook, he sits at the end of the table closest to Iroh, but in the next frame when he says, "Things are looking up, Uncle," he is sitting at the end furthest away from Iroh.
 * The part in Sokka's hair switches from side to side and disappears completely many times throughout the episode.
 * In the shot where Mai complains about wearing the Kyoshi Warrior disguise, her long bangs are clearly behind her head, but in the next shot of the front of her, her bangs are in their usual place hanging over her shoulders.
 * When Sokka hugs his father, his clothes turn from their normal blue to a black/gray, though this could be due to the lighting.
 * After receiving a scroll from General How that was supposed to be taken to the Earth King, Katara goes to the Jasmine Dragon with Momo. However, the scroll in her hand is visibly different than the one General How gave to her.
 * When Katara was immobilized by Ty Lee, the document she had with her disappeared.
 * When Aang first meets Guru Pathik, he hands him a bowl of banana and onion juice from behind his back. Before Aang lands, there is a shot of the guru from behind, showing his back, with no bowl behind him. He is sitting in the middle of open ground with no bowl near him and he does not move until Aang arrives, so there is no way he could've gotten the bowl.

Trivia

 * The scene between Aang and Pathik is reminiscent of one of the Dagobah scenes of Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back', in which Luke (Aang) leaves Yoda (Pathik) after seeing a vision of Leia (Katara) and the others in trouble despite Yoda telling him that this Jedi training must be finished before he leaves. Also, in an interview, Dave Filoni hinted that Aang received very Jedi-like training.
 * Some satellite services (such as DirecTV), as well as Netflix, and in Canada; Telus, list this and the following episode together as one episode, under the title "The Guru; The Crossroads of Destiny".
 * Guru Pathik's explanation of how all of the divisions of the planet are illusions mirrors what Huu told Aang about the swamp.
 * Azula's line, "It's terrible when you can't trust the people who are closest to you," which she says to the Earth King, refers overtly to the fact that she, Ty Lee and Mai are imitating the Kyoshi Warriors, in whom the Earth King places great trust. It also, considering that she is flanked by Ty Lee and Mai when she says it, references her own betrayal by the pair in The Boiling Rock, Part 2.
 * This is the first time Metalbending has been introduced to the series.
 * How Xin Fu and Master Yu got out of the metal cage (or even if they got out at all) is unknown.
 * Iroh's tea shop's name, The Jasmine Dragon, could be related to the fact that his own nickname is 'The Dragon of the West'.
 * This episode makes one of only two references in the entire series that the Earth Kingdom has any formal navy. The other reference was made in The Southern Air Temple.
 * The colors of Aang's visions for each of his chakras mirror the colors traditionally associated with the corresponding chakras: Red for the first (lowest), orange for the second (second lowest), yellow for the third (third lowest), through to purple, which coincidentally is the same order in which they arranged in the visible spectrum; red having the lowest wavelength, orange the second lowest, yellow, the third, through to violet, having the highest.
 * This is the first time Aang openly admits his love for Katara.
 * Though Aang visits all four air temples in the series, this is the only episode not to be named after the temple. He visits the Eastern Air Temple in this episode which is the first time he does since he was freed from the iceberg.
 * When Katara is going to the Jasmine Dragon tea shop, Madame Macmu-Ling, leader of the 5-7-5 Society can be seen slightly in the background.
 * Also, when Katara visits the tea shop, she asks for a table for two, a spot for her and a spot for Momo.
 * The two Dai Li agents that brought Azula to Long Feng were the same ones that arrested him in the previous episode The Earth King.
 * The scene where Ty Lee disables Katara's ability to Waterbend mirrors the onslaught of Cammy White on Minister Albert Sellers in Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie.
 * The changing hand positions used by Aang while opening the chakras are actual positions used in real life, called mudrās, to open the chakras while meditating.

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