This episode was a very welcome break from our main protagonists. It explores the sentimental backstory of Zuko and marks the true beginning of his growth as a character. It fills in the story of the Fire Lord and the royal family which were not previously explored in depth.
The ambience of the episode perfectly reflected Zuko's situation - lonely, abandoned, and traumatized. The flashbacks paint the trauma in Zuko's childhood, which finally explain his personality in past episodes. This episode wraps up his character arc since the pilot, and begins to show how the character of Zuko will change over the next episodes.
This episode has made Zuko, by far, one of my favorite antagonists of all time.
The ambience of the episode perfectly reflected Zuko's situation - lonely, abandoned, and traumatized. The flashbacks paint the trauma in Zuko's childhood, which finally explain his personality in past episodes. This episode wraps up his character arc since the pilot, and begins to show how the character of Zuko will change over the next episodes.
This episode has made Zuko, by far, one of my favorite antagonists of all time.