The Western Air Temple


 * This article is about an episode. You may be looking for the location.

Writers: Elizabeth Welch Ehasz, Tim Hedrick

Director: Ethan Spaulding

Guest Stars: Daniel Samonas (Teo), Michael Dow (Haru), Nick Swoboda (The Duke)

Overview
''Zuko follows Aang and his friends to the Western Air Temple, seeking to join their group. There, Zuko desperately tries to prove to them that he has changed for the better. It is only after Zuko helps save them from Combustion Man that he receives their acceptance as Aang's Firebending teacher. However, Katara refuses to trust Zuko and warns him of the consequences of any treachery.''

Synopsis
After a sore defeat in the Fire Nation on Day of Black Sun, the elders of the invasion force are now prisoners and the gang travels to the Western Air Temple for refuge. Appa gets tired carrying so many people, so they have to walk on foot. When they reach a cliff that descends into a misty canyon below, Toph exclaims that they've arrived at the temple, though no one else sees it. Aang realizes they have indeed arrived, as the temple is built on the underside of the cliff.



Meanwhile, Zuko, who had followed the group to the Western Air Temple, arrives first and descends into the temple. He remembers the last time he had been to the Western Air Temple, a week after his banishment; during which a freshly burned and bandaged Zuko proclaims that he will scour the world for the Avatar for the rest of his life and calls his Uncle Iroh lazy when he suggests rest. Ashamed of the memory, his lament is cut short as he sees Appa fly by overhead. Zuko runs off to hide and later practices his speech to convince them to accept him into their group.

While Teo, Haru, and The Duke explore the temple, the gang discusses the next course of action now that the Invasion failed. Sokka suggests they revert to their old plan of Aang mastering all four elements and facing the Fire Lord before Sozin's Comet arrives. Aang is less than thrilled at the idea, remarking that they don't even know where to find a Firebending teacher. Katara suggests looking for Jeong Jeong, but Aang doubts they'll ever see him again. Thinking it hopeless for the moment, he uses this as an excuse to run off and fly around the temple. The rest of the group follows him on Appa, trying to convince him to stop and continue the discussion. They land and find that Zuko has appeared before them.



Zuko tries to introduce himself politely while Appa licks him in a friendly manner. The group, however, prepares to attack him and refuses to put trust in anything he says. He tries to explain that he has changed for the better and wants to teach Aang Firebending. Sokka and Katara continue to point out his wrong-doings and Zuko apologizes anxiously. To try and get on their good side, Zuko reveals that it was he who freed Appa from his imprisonment in Ba Sing Se, but the gang doesn't believe him. As Zuko continues to apologize, he accidentally reveals he was the one who hired Combustion Man to kill them. Hearing this, the gang resolutely refuses to allow Zuko into their group, threatening to attack if he doesn't leave immediately. Zuko tries to offer himself as a prisoner, but Katara attacks him with Waterbending and tells him never to come back.

Back at his camp, Zuko laments over how terrible things went over. At the temple the gang ponders Zuko's motives, ultimately deciding that he can't be trusted. Toph tells them she sensed Zuko was being sincere the whole time and believes the others are letting their hurt feelings affect their judgment. Remembering Toph wasn't around when Zuko chased and attacked them, the others quickly write off her efforts to defend him. Toph sternly points out how Aang desperately needs a Firebending teacher, but Aang himself adamantly refuses to accept Zuko. Frustrated at the group's continued disinterest, Toph leaves the temple.



While sleeping in his tent, Zuko hears someone coming through the bushes. It turns out to be Toph, but unable to see in the darkness, Zuko immediately Firebends at the intruder. Toph tries to defend herself but the soles of her feet are burned as she steps back. Zuko realizes who she is and apologizes, pleading with her to come back. Toph scurries away on her hands and knees in fear; Zuko tries to help her, but she pushes him away with Earthbending. As soon as she departs, Zuko, in frustration, shouts, "Why am I so bad at being good?!"

The next morning the group wonders about Toph's whereabouts. She Earthbends through the wall of the cliff, falling to the ground and showing the group her feet, burned by Zuko. As Katara begins to heal her feet, Toph explains it was sort of an accident. The gang ignores this and calls Zuko a serious threat, planning to capture him.

Unknown to them, Combustion Man appears on a higher ledge of the temple and prepares to attack them. Zuko arrives and prevents him from getting a clear shot at the gang, redirecting his attack and alarming the others below. They find cover while Zuko tries to prevent the assassin from attacking them further. Combustion Man instead turns on Zuko and blasts him over the edge of the temple, though he manages to grab hold of a vine below just in time. Aang and Katara use their bending to counterattack Combustion Man, but their lower position leaves them at a severe disadvantage from the barrage of explosions.



While under cover from the attacks, Sokka estimates Combustion Man's position based on the angles at which the explosions hit the ground. Sokka throws his boomerang, curving it around a corner, where it hits the Combustion Man square on his forehead tattoo, blocking his chi and leaving him disoriented. Combustion Man tries another attack, which backfires and causes the temple building he is on to explode violently. His detached metal arm is seen flying away as the debris falls into the misty canyon below.

Aang thanks Zuko for saving them and Zuko tries, more confidently, to reconcile his past meeting with the group. He admits that he was wrong and says he has learned from his banishment that he must earn his honor by doing the right thing. He tells them he wants to play his part in ending the war, and that his destiny is to help Aang restore balance to the world. He apologizes for burning Toph, stating that fire is a dangerous and wild element and that he must control his bending so that he does not hurt others unintentionally again. Reminded of his own Firebending experience that burned Katara, Aang decides to accept Zuko into the group as his teacher, but only if the others agree. Toph says playfully that she accepts Zuko so that she can get back at him for burning her feet, while Sokka accepts him only to help their plan of defeating the Fire Lord. Katara reluctantly agrees, only because it is what Aang believes is right. Zuko enthusiastically promises not to let the group down.



Sokka awkwardly leads Zuko into his own room at the temple, where he unpacks his belongings. He comments to Aang how weird it is having Zuko around. Settled down, Zuko takes out a picture of Iroh and fondly remembers his uncle's advice about destiny. Immediately afterward, Katara appears in the doorway and confronts Zuko. She warns him that while he may have the others convinced, they both know this is not the first time he has struggled to do the right thing. She makes a very clear threat: should she detect any act of treachery, any reason he would hurt Aang, she will not hesitate to take his life. She departs, leaving a visibly disturbed Zuko alone to ponder her threatening words.

Series Continuity

 * Many past episodes concerning Zuko's antagonistic relationship with Team Avatar are referenced:
 * Zuko reminds Aang that he once asked if the two of them could be friends. This is a reference to the episode "The Blue Spirit", when Aang recalls his past friendship with a Fire Nation boy named Kuzon. Aang asked if he and Zuko could have been friends, had circumstances been different. Another reference is made to this episode when Aang reveals to his friends that it was Zuko (as the Blue Spirit) who saved him when he got captured by Zhao.
 * Katara states that Zuko stole her mother's necklace to track the group down. This is a reference to the episode "Bato of the Water Tribe", as well as "Imprisoned" where Zuko picked it up off the prison rig.
 * In Zuko's flashback, it shows him and Iroh at the Western Air Temple. This was a week after Zuko was banished (his wound was still healing) and was one of the first locations he visited.
 * Katara's warning to Zuko mirrors Avatar Roku's warning to Fire Lord Sozin from "The Avatar and the Fire Lord", both speaking of one step out of line resulting in death.
 * This is the first episode Admiral Zhao has been mentioned in since his death in "The Siege of the North, Part 2", aside Wan Shi Tong's allusion to Zhao in "The Library", where Wan Shi Tong mentions him as a Firebender who came a few years back.
 * The method of incapacitating Combustion Man by striking his third eye was used once by Toph in "The Runaway", though she did it accidentally.
 * Toph commenting on how Appa seems to like Zuko could be an allusion to The Earth King noticing Bosco liking Aang in The Earth King, as both their lines mark striking resemblance.
 * Aang says that they won't run into Jeong Jeong ever again in this episode. Though, in "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters" they ultimately run into him but without Aang.
 * This is the last time that we see Zuko with his book one hair style.

Trivia

 * As of this episode, all 4 Air Temples have been revealed.
 * Book 1 Chapter 3 "The Southern Air Temple"
 * Book 1 Chapter 17 "The Northern Air Temple"
 * Book 2 Chapter 19 "The Guru" (Eastern Air Temple) and somewhat in Book 2 Chapter 16 "Appa's Lost Days"
 * Book 3 Chapter 12 "The Western Air Temple"
 * According to the Nickelodeon website, Combustion Man died after Sokka's boomerang hit his head because the impact closed his third eye chakra, causing him to explode when he tried to use his power.
 * Due to the spread of unaired episode titles onto the Internet, this episode was called "Zuko's Cool" while it was being worked on to foil leaks.
 * The statues of Avatar Yangchen in the Western Air Temple are likely based on the Buddhas of Bamyan in Afghanistan, which were later dynamited by the Taliban in 2001.
 * When Zuko swings on the vine to intercept Combustion Man's blast, gallant trumpets can be heard. This may be an allusion to Indiana Jones.
 * Although this is Combustion Man's last appearance in the series, his real name was never revealed.
 * Despite what she said, Toph never tried to get back at Zuko for burning her feet.

Goofs

 * After Zuko is done talking to the Frog, the frog hops off to the left of screen. Then, when the frog hops back on, it's from the right.
 * When Katara is telling the group about being imprisoned with Zuko in Ba Sing Se, Toph is leaning on a pillar in the background, but the shadows on the floor don't line up with the pillar correctly.
 * While Toph is walking away from the group after Katara says, "Well, I guess that's settled." The fountain in front of Toph has no water, when just a few frames ago it did.
 * Zuko's tunic disappears and reappears several times during the scene where he burns Toph's feet.
 * When Zuko Firebends at Toph, she only steps back on her right foot. In the next frame, it shows both her feet burned.
 * When Toph is trying to get away from Zuko, and she earthbends a pillar and it strikes Zuko in the ribs, that would have broken his ribs, and it looks like it did little to no damage.
 * When Teo says he wants to ride down to the hall of statues again, he rolls onto screen with the handbrake of his wheelchair in the down position. Then when he says that he fixed his brakes, he moves the handbrake into the up position, and rolls off screen with the brake still in the up position.
 * When Sokka and Aang help lower Toph's feet into the fountain, Aang's arm is the same color as Sokka's glove. The animator of this part most likely forgot that Aang's hand was supposed to be there and made it Sokka's.
 * Several times throughout the episode, Aang's staff is shown without the two bulges at the ends.