Tales of Ba Sing Se is a fun little episode, especially coming after the reveal of the last episode. It’s a collection of short vignettes that delve into the adventures of our various characters around the city.

The episode first aired on 29 September, 2006, and has five segments.

The Tale of Toph and Katara was written by Joann Estoesta and Lisa Wahlander and follows Toph (Michaela Jill Murphy) and Katara (Mae Whitman) has they have a spa day, and then deal with a couple of bullies who make fun of them.

The Tale of Iroh, which was dedicated to the memory of Mako, follows his character, Iroh, as he wanders through the town, passing on wisdom, helping others, and in a poignant ending, visiting his son’s grave. It was written by Andrew Huebner, and also features the first real noticeable change in the character’s voice as Greg Baldwin adds some extra dialogue for the character.

The Tale of Aang was written by Gary Scheppke and follows the young Avatar as he attempts to relocate the residents of a run-down zoo to a better location outside of the walled city.

The Tale of Sokka, written by Lauren MacMullan sees Sokka (Jack De Sena) inadvertently finding himself in a poetry slam/rap battle in front of a woman’s group. It goes well until it doesn’t.

Zuko (Dante Basco) gets a nice moment in The Tale of Zuko when he goes out on a date with a young woman who frequents the tea cafe he and Iroh work at. After some initial setbacks, it seems to go well, but when it ends in a kiss, Zuko worries and flees, saying things are complicated.

Lastly, The Tale of Momo follows the winged lemur as he goes off searching for the still missing flying bison, Appa. Of course, the little fellow gets himself into trouble but can escape the perils that face him, but ends up showing how much he misses his big friend. This one was written by Justin Ridge and Giancarlo Volpe.

It’s a fun little episode and gives us a nice breather because I’m sure things are about to get very serious for our characters.

Appa’s Lost Days details the month that Appa has been missing after having been kidnapped by desert pirates and sold in the city. Written by Elizabeth Welch Ehasz, it first aired on 13 October, 2006.

Dee Bradley Baker has given Appa his growls, grunts, yawns and more since the beginning of the series, and he brings a lot of emotion and personality to the character without saying anything.

Not only was he captured, and sold into service, as part of a circus, but the poor animal was abused endlessly. It’s a heartbreaking episode, it shows what Appa goes through, and how he reacts when he hears Aang’s whistle and can’t get to him.

The episode won a Humane Society Genesis Award for its portrayal of the abuses Appa suffered. It depicted a real struggle and animal abuse in a way that viewers young and old could understand.

Through flashbacks, we see the connection between Aang and Appa, and how much they mean to one another. we also see where our characters were in relation to Appa throughout the tale, but this one is all for the big flying bison.

It’s powerful and heartrending. I was delighted to see Suki (Jennie Kwan) show up and help Appa, but what happened to her when Azula (Grey Griffin) arrived and Appa was forced to flee?

When Appa returns to the Eastern Air Temple, he meets a Guru (Brian George) who also helps the flying bison heal and find his way. He attaches a note to Appa for Aang, and is able to direct Appa on the right path to find his friend.

But right before he reaches Aang, he’s captured by Long Feng (Clancy Brown).

Lake Laogai was written by Tim Hedrick and first debuted on 3 November, 2006.

As the gang searches the city for Appa dropping leaflets in hopes of discovering his friend. When they encounter Jet (Crawford Wilson) who has been exposed to the conditioning headed by Long Feng’s Dai Li, as has everyone who can be a threat to the city.

With the phrase, Lake Laogai, Feng seems to be able to control anyone who has been properly conditioned. Aang and the rest will discover the secret. They are slowly able to reprogram Jet. Katara’s water-healing helps and the group heads to the secret underground Dai Li headquarters to learn the truth about the city.

A truth that will lead to a showdown between Feng and Aang, and it’s going to cost.

Meanwhile, Iroh and Zuko have been offered the chance to have their own tea shop, and Zuko has to figure out what he really wants from life. He dons the mask of the Blue Spirit to take to the streets to hunt down Appa for himself, knowing it will lead to Aang. But when he discovers the flying bison, Iroh confronts him in a powerfully emotional scene.

Appa and Aang are finally reunited and it’s a great moment. This episode really balances the struggle and the payoff, the pain, and the joy. It’s just getting better and better.

I finish Book 2 next week, as I explore more of Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Complete Series on Blu-ray, available now from Paramount Canada!