The Serpent’s Pass, and the series’ following episode, The Drill were initially aired back to back as a Nickelodeon Special called The Secret of the Fire Nation. The first episode, The Serpent’s Pass, was written by Joshua Hamilton and one of the series creators’ Michael Dante DiMartino. This and the following episode first aired on 15 September, 2006.

This is the first episode that was broadcast following the death of Mako who voiced Iroh, though his voice will be with us for a few more episodes yet, combined with that of Greg Baldwin who took over the role.

The episode finds Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), who is still missing the loss of Appa, and the gang on the way to walled city of Ba Sing Se, when they meet some fellow travelers who tell them about a ferry that will take them to Ban Sing Se. When they see the state of the refugees who are waiting for access to the ferry they give up their tickets to guide a group along a dangerous pass known as The Serpent’s Pass.

Sokka (Jack De Sena) is surprised to bumped into Suki (Jennie Kwan) and she joins their journey, but Sokka is conflicted over his feelings for her, because of Yue.

But it’s not going to be easy, with a troubling warning before they start across the thin sliver of land, they soon find themselves stuck between the Fire Nation, and the serpent the pass is named after! This leads into a very fun action beat. And the climax of the episode involves the birth of a baby, and an emotional catharsis for Aang.

He sets off in search of Appa but when he sees what the Fire Nation are up to, he decides Appa will have to wait.

Meanwhile aboard a ferry, Zuko (Dante Basco) and Iroh meet Jet (Crawford Wilson) and his team. And the pair learn about Jet’s plans, and the state of the survivors of Fire Nation attacks.

The Drill was written by both creators DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. The group arrive at Ba Sing Se only to discover that the Fire Nation has constructed a massive drill to help them penetrate the walled city.

Following the drill is a mass of Fire Nation troops, leading them all is Azula (Grey Griffin) with Mai (Cricket Leigh) and Ty Lee (Olivia Hack) at her side. Together they are happy to take on and best all the earthbenders defending Ba Sing Se, and things look pretty dire for the city, and our heroes.

Sokka comes up with a plan to take out the drill based on Ty Lee’s fighting style, and it’s going to be an impressive battle for all involved. The writing seems to get sharper and sharper as well, with fun jibes, character moments, and impressive set pieces. But will they be able to save the city?

Aang squares off against Azula, while Ty Lee and Mai pursue Katara and Sokka, and it makes for some fantastic moments. This ends up being a huge story, with lots going on, and we worry about everything because of how far we’ve traveled with the characters.

What a fantastic episode, and every one of heroes, from Toph (Michaela Jill Murphy) to Katara (Mae Whitman) get a chance to shine.

Through it all, Zuko and Iroh have problems hiding the fact that they are firebenders. Jet keeps trying to persuade Zuko to join them, and begins to suspect that the pair are more than they seem, and trails them.

City of Walls and Secrets sees the team finally inside Ba Sing Se, and trying to get to the Earth King to tell him of the forthcoming eclipse which will temporarily weaken the Fire Nation.

Written by Tim Hedrick, this episode first aired on 22 September, 2006.

Jet continues his pursuit of Iroh and Zuko, convinced they are firebenders. The pair have taken a job in a tea shop, but Jet’s obsession may end up causing them some trouble, for him as he is eventually arrested for his harassment and fight with Zuko.

Aang is still hoping to find a clue as to where Appa is, and despite getting a tour of the city, they aren’t able to make any headway in finding the flying bison, and reaching the king. As they travel the city they discover caste systems in effect , and things aren’t as glorious in Ba Sing Se as stories would have you believe.

The episode has a fun guest cast, from Lauren Tom, to Clancy Brown, to Wil Wheaton! Tom plays Joo Dee, the handler assigned to Aang and his group. She doesn’t seem interested in getting our friends in to see the king, so they figure out a way to get in on their own and continue their desperate search for Appa.

Toph, Katara, Sokka and Aang disguise themselves to get into a party of the King but run afoul of Long Feng (Brown), the head of the Dai Li, the secret police force of Ba Sing Se, who keeps any word of the war, the Fire Nation and conflict quiet. In fact, they maintain that in an insidious way, as Jet finds out firsthand.

The journey continues next week as I explore more of Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Complete Series on Blu-ray, available now from Paramount Canada!