I find it not quite ironic but mildly amusing that my favourite episode of the show immediately followed my least favourite episode. I'm pleased to say that this more than atones for the mistakes of The Great Divide.
Sokka gets a job working as an angler because he and Katara and Aang need some extra money but Sokka gets caught in a storm and needs Aang to come and rescue him. That sounds almost like a recipe for a filler episode (though admittedly a better one than The Great Divide) but that's not what this episode is.
Instead, it contrasts Aang with the villainous Prince Zuko as each one has a flashback detailing his respective origin story while also subtly showing how similar the two nemeses are. We see how at only twelve years old, Aang couldn't handle the responsibility of being the Chosen One and runs away only to find himself caught in a storm (aside from the titular storm) frozen and cryogenically preserved for 100 years resulting in him developing survivor's guilt as he blames himself for the evils that have transpired in his absence but masks the pain behind his goofy and childlike demeanour. (One of many things about the character that the live-action movie didn't understand.) That's a lot of depth for a TV-Y7 show and an impressive exploration of the character.
While Zuko's origins provides a better backstory than Rosebud ever was. And I like how despite pretending not to do so, Zuko truly cares about his crew and their well-being and how this episode sets up Zuko's father Fire Lord Ozai as an actual character rather than simply an abstraction. I also like how the episode humanizes Zuko's crew instead of letting them be generic henchmen like they were previously.
The comedy Sokka provides in this episode is also funny. More than any other, I believe this episode epitomizes all that was great about the show and is as such worthy of tremendous applause.
Sokka gets a job working as an angler because he and Katara and Aang need some extra money but Sokka gets caught in a storm and needs Aang to come and rescue him. That sounds almost like a recipe for a filler episode (though admittedly a better one than The Great Divide) but that's not what this episode is.
Instead, it contrasts Aang with the villainous Prince Zuko as each one has a flashback detailing his respective origin story while also subtly showing how similar the two nemeses are. We see how at only twelve years old, Aang couldn't handle the responsibility of being the Chosen One and runs away only to find himself caught in a storm (aside from the titular storm) frozen and cryogenically preserved for 100 years resulting in him developing survivor's guilt as he blames himself for the evils that have transpired in his absence but masks the pain behind his goofy and childlike demeanour. (One of many things about the character that the live-action movie didn't understand.) That's a lot of depth for a TV-Y7 show and an impressive exploration of the character.
While Zuko's origins provides a better backstory than Rosebud ever was. And I like how despite pretending not to do so, Zuko truly cares about his crew and their well-being and how this episode sets up Zuko's father Fire Lord Ozai as an actual character rather than simply an abstraction. I also like how the episode humanizes Zuko's crew instead of letting them be generic henchmen like they were previously.
The comedy Sokka provides in this episode is also funny. More than any other, I believe this episode epitomizes all that was great about the show and is as such worthy of tremendous applause.