Sokka (Jack De Sena) is feeling left out when everyone else on Team Avatar has special gifts, abilities and fight skills. After discovering a fantastic sword in a weapons shop, he is directed to the great sword-master Piandao (Robert Patick) in Sokka’s Master.

Written by Tim Hedrick, this episode first debuted on 12 October, 2007.

While the young warrior studies, the rest of the group realizes what Sokka does bring to the group, his organization and humor, and his wit. When he returns as part of his training, to gather material to craft his own sword, the gang help him recover a meteorite that struck in the episode opener, and he makes a sword unlike any other.

But what happens when his training is over, and he reveals that he’s not Fire Nation but Water Tribe?

Back in prison, Iroh (Greg Baldwin) is running a long con, making it look like he’s slowly succumbing to his madness and hunger, but instead he is training and working to stay in shape, and prepare for an escape.

And could the white lotus tile Piandao gives Sokka at the end of the episode come into play later? It seems to imply he’s been invited to join the Order of the White Lotus.

The Beach, written by Kate Mattila first aired on 19 October, 2007. It is a bit of a romp. Zuko (Dante Basco), Azula (Grey Griffin), Ty Lee (Olivia Hack) and Mai (Cricket Leigh) find themselves on an enforced vacation and find themselves at a beach resort, trying to pass for regular teenagers.

Keeping their identities secret they get some sun, flirt, play some beach volleyball and get invited to a party by the ‘cool kids’ but what will they learn about themselves? It’s interesting and fun to see the characters out of their natural environment and put them in a situation lots of viewers will relate to.

And once again, we see Zuko struggling with his nature and that of his family. But it also leads to a revealing of lots of information about each of the characters, as they begin to snipe at one another, and eventually reveal who they truly are.

Meanwhile, Team Avatar attempts to relax as well, but find themselves targeted by a silent assassin who has a terrifying fire bending ability. They are able to escape and elude him for now, but how long? And who is he?

The Avatar and the Fire Lord was written by Elizabeth Welch Ehasz and was first broadcast on 26 October, 2007.

Aang and Zuko both learn how the war started in this episode. It explores the friendship between Roku (James Garrett), who became the Avatar, and Fire Lord Sozin (Ron Perlman) and how it fell apart as Sozin began a conquest of more territory, invading other nations.

As the two characters find themselves on different sides of a global conflagration, the war drove them further apart. It’s a story of friendship sundered and a man’s grasp for power while ignoring the balance that was needed for the world. And Sozin’s final betrayal of Roku following a Fire Nation attack costs the Avatar his life. It’s a powerful tale, and puts an interesting new aspect on the series, and the characters.

Sozin worked to hunt down and destroy any air bending tribes, as he knew that was where the next Avatar comes from. He was determined to keep his power and his kingdom, and continue his conquest.

Zuko learns that Roku was his maternal great-grandfather, and Iroh suggests that he can still redeem himself, and the Fire Nation. Iroh passes on Roku’s headpiece, which he in turn received from Sozin.

Both Zuko and Aang have lots to consider and fight for as I continue my journey through Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Complete Series on Blu-ray, available now from Paramount Canada.