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A mostly solid second season of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” comes to a somewhat underwhelming conclusion, with the finale dragging for quite a while before getting into action. That eventually sets the stage for the third and final chapter, for which we have to wait for a couple of years more. Previously, Long Feng joined hands with Azula, and as Team Avatar tried to expose his machinations to the Earth King, he was able to frame them as traitors and spies. In sheer distress of separation from Appa, Aang lashed out at his friends, and following a bitter argument with the team members, Toph decided to leave. During their regular vigilante routine, Zuko and Katara get detained by Dai Li, and Sokka faces the same fate. Aang found out Appa is being held captive underground, and it is up to him to rescue his lifetime companion and friends before things go completely haywire.

Spoilers Ahead

Aang’s Bond with Appa

The finale opens with a flashback, which shows a young Appa visiting the Southern Air Temple to bond with a young air nomad, who is going to become his companion for life. For this, he has to leave his mother, and seeing how attached Appa was to her, it was surely quite painful for the young Sky Bison. A young Aang won Appa’s trust by offering him an apple and formed their lifelong spiritual bond on the foundation of love and friendship. In the world of “Avatar”, the connections formed with non-human entities often turn out to be stronger than they are with fellow humans, and Appa’s bond with Aang is one such relationship. It is no wonder that Aang lost his composure when his companion was in captivity; he could turn the world upside down for Appa if it needed to be, and he was going to do whatever was necessary to free him from the subterranean prison.

In the same underground prison, Zuko is put in the same cell where Sai is present, and Katara is put in a cell along with the Blue Spirit vigilante. Katara thanks him for helping her, but is horrified to realize it is Zuko behind the mask. She lambasts Zuko for his identity as a Fire Nation prince, which is a valid criticism given how much she and her people have lost at the hands of tyrant Ozai. Zuko lets her know about his sordid childhood, his estranged relationship with Ozai, and how he shares the mutual agony with Katara over losing his mother at a young age as well. Katara warms up to Zuko, as she realizes his broken soul was forced to do the horrible things he committed out of a desperate, misguided need to find validation from his family.

Azula Takes Complete Control

Long Feng had joined hands with Azula in hopes of gaining better control over the city administration, but he soon realized what a huge mistake that had been when Azula killed the entire leadership of the city military after some of them raised questions about General Sung’s suspension. Azula lets a terrified Feng know that, contrary to their previous agreement of sparing the city, she will take over Ba Sing Se, and wants Aang and Zuko to be handed over to her as well. Soon, Feng realizes that he is not even second in command in this entire coup conspiracy, as General Tran, whom Azula used as a prisoner to gain entry into the city, arrives to handle the entry of the Fire Nation army into the city without conflict. Which means Feng’s presence is even less important to Azula, and he is losing his immunity from this maniacal Fire Nation princess. In his greed for power, Feng has literally made a deal with the devil and has reached a point where no amount of regret is going to do him any good.

Aang And Iroh Join Hands

Iroh learns about Zuko’s capture as the people in the lower ring market discuss the detainment of the Blue Spirit masked avenger, and he finds Aang watching over the entrance of the underground city prison. Aang agrees to join hands with Iroh upon learning he simply wants to free Zuko, and while having a conversation with him, mentions how he regrets pushing his friends away. Iroh advises him to respect other individuals ‘ individuality while maintaining his own as well, as he shouldn’t seek to change who he is just to fit in. The duo finds a second entrance to the prison, which was made by Kyoshi, and is intended to be an Avatar-exclusive access, as it requires all four Bending techniques to open it. Iroh’s presence helps Aang to open the prison entrance as he uses Firebending, while Aang uses the rest of the three disciplines.

Infiltrating the prison and taking down the guards, Aang and Iroh free Sai, Sokka, Katara, and Zuko from prison. Katara, who has warmed up to Zuko, was about to use water from the Spirit Oasis to heal his scar when Sokka’s interruption kept her from doing so. Aang finally reunites with Appa, and the friends have an emotional reunion. Using Earthbending, Aang frees him from his cell. In a particularly horrifying scene, Aang and Iroh witness how Dai Li’s nefarious interrogation session to implant their false narrative about Ba Sing Se’s invulnerability breaks the psyche of their victims, as Joo Dee (the first one) is shown to be subjected to such a torturous questioning.

Toph Invents Metalbending

Meanwhile, Toph, who had met with her mother, Poppy Beifong, shared her disdain for her family’s involvement with supplying weapons to the Fire Nation, and Poppy mentioned they were in the dark about the whole thing, as they assumed they were making farm equipment in those factories. Poppy assures Toph that those contracts will be cancelled, and for the first time in a long while, shows her caring, loving motherly side to make Toph finally warm up to her. However, as she asks Toph to return to the family and run the family business, Toph politely refuses. Poppy takes advantage of Toph’s trust and spikes her tea to make her lose her consciousness. As a mother, using your daughter’s physical disability and trust, just to enforce your preferred way of life – now that is something truly evil. Capturing Toph inside a metal cell in an ostrich-horse-driven carriage, so she can’t use her Earthbending to escape, Poppy heads back to Beifong’s residence. Upon regaining her senses, Toph is extremely dismayed with her mother, but finds a source of emotional strength upon reflecting on the connection she shares with her new friends. With sheer willpower and mastery over Earthbending, Toph surpasses the limitations and invents Metalbending on the go, which allows her to break apart the metal cage inside which her mother had put her, both literally and figuratively. Toph returns to Ba Sing Se and, breaking through the prison entrance, tries to find her friends.

Why Does Zuko Betray Iroh?

Aang meets with Long Feng, who is fleeing from the city, and mentions Azula’s takeover to the Avatar. Long Feng still tries to manipulate Aang in hopes of using his strength as his immunity. However, Aang knows his true colors and denounces Long Feng by calling out his diabolical means of holding on to control. While fleeing, Zuko is confronted by Azula, and a fierce fight between the siblings takes place. As Zuko gets overwhelmed, Azula shows her tender side for the very first time, lamenting about how their father Ozai’s devious manipulations forced them to go at each other’s throats from a young age. Azula draws upon the memories of their mother, Ursa, apologizing for being responsible for her capture all those years ago, as Azula’s shouting had drawn the attention of Fire Nation mercs. Azula tries to appeal to Zuko’s senses by mentioning how Ursa wanted her children to always stand by each other’s side, shares her wish to honor Ursa’s words by taking over Ba Sing Se with Zuko’s help, and return to their home. This rare moment of kindness from his sister triggers Zuko’s desire to seek validation from Azula and Ozai, and he completely unlearns everything he has learned in Iroh’s guidance. Zuko is too broken to realize that Azula’s sudden sentimental approach is a carefully constructed ploy to manipulate him.

Azula and Zuko corner Team Avatar, Aang and Katara engage in battle with them, while Sai and Sokka flee the vicinity and later reach outside with Toph’s help. Katara finds herself surrounded by Dai Li, who are under Azula’s command, and Aang finds himself bested by Azula. In fear of losing Katara, in his emotionally charged state, Aang enters Avatar mode, easily bests Azula, Zuko, and all the Dai Li operatives.

Does Aang Die in the End?

Cornering Azula, Avatar Aang almost takes him down for good, but showing how much he has been able to assume control over his Avatar state, he shows restraint and spares her life. However, an opportunistic Azula doesn’t share a similar sentiment, and she uses a lightning strike to presumably kill Aang. Before losing his senses, Aang feels his connection with previous Avatars being severed, as Avatar Yangchen’s warning in the Spirit Library comes true. If a chosen one dies in their Avatar state, the Avatar reincarnation cycle will cease to exist. Katara tends to an unconscious Aang, and Azula corners her, but thanks to Iroh’s timely intervention, Katara manages to flee from the scene, taking Aang with her. Iroh is captured by Dai Li, and before leaving, he exchanges a glance with Zuko in utter disappointment. Sooner or later, you have to realize that you can not help those who don’t want to help themselves.

Without bloodshed or conflict of any scale, Fire Nation soldiers march through Ba Sing Se, and residents of the lower ring watch in horror as their worst trauma manifests again. King Kuei tends to his garden, completely unaware of what horrors Long Feng’s treason has conjured, and watches on the horizon as Appa flies away carrying Team Avatar – creating a “Nero fiddled while Rome got burned” moment. Katara uses the water from Spirit Oasis in hopes of resurrecting Aang, and even though the Avatar state appears to be momentarily taking control once again, it appears Aang’s injuries are much more severe than they appear to be. The second season ends on an ominous note, with Aang’s future hanging in question, as Fire Nation assumes supreme control over the majority of the world already. The third season will focus on the group’s journey to their final destination, the Fire Nation, as Aang needs to recover and learn Firebending to stand up to the might of Azula and Ozai.

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