Toph puts Aang's skills to the test. In the streets of Ba Sing Se, Sokka searches for a missing friend, while Katara lives a double life.
There is no war in Ba Sing Se. That belief must be maintained no matter what. The war has already permeated the wars of the last great Earth Kingdom city. The refugees have suffered tremendous losses at the hands of the Fire Nation. The city itself has been attacked. Iroh was terrified upon returning. He's forced to reckon with the pain and destruction he caused. An entire wall can be built out of the names of those who died opposing him. He lost his son in that conflict. He believes he should have been the one to fall that day. He's haunted by the memorial long after the Dai Li erase it. It takes being mugged for him to come back to life. He sees a reason to live. He has the capacity to help people. He served in that role for Zuko. However, his nephew is off on his own adventure in the city. He fights back as the Blue Spirit protecting those who need it. And yet, his actions cause defectors from the Fire Nation to be targeted. They stand firm in the freedom that has been granted to them despite their past actions. They saved lives by abandoning their posts. They are still treated with scorn. Jet believes every member of the Fire Nation was born to commit heinous acts. He repeats the cycle by blaming those who sought a different path. It's a complicated situation because Zuko, Jet and Katara are all fighting for different things. Yet they collide at the same time in Ba Sing Se. They aim to do good. Yet they can't control the fallout of their actions.
The episode opens by showing the routine of what life has become for Team Avatar in the city. Aang is awoken by Toph to train. He does so until he must spread joy as the Avatar alongside Long Feng. Meanwhile, Sokka leaves notes for a missing Sai while Katara spends her nights as the Painted Lady. Toph is later blackmailed for the business dealings of her parents. It turns out they have been selling to both sides of the war. They supply materials to the Fire Nation for the right price. Toph doesn't see any genius in their standing in this world. She's also targeted with accusations of treason. She isn't responsible yet held accountable for the crime nevertheless. It's impressive and hilarious when Toph and Sokka engage in a poetry battle. It highlights how they are willing to help each other as friends. They are capable of keeping secrets even from the rest of the team. That isn't even the biggest concern either. Aang believes he is being followed whenever he walks around the city. Long Feng cautions that it's the Dai Li seeing if he deserves an audience with the Earth King. It's better for him to do nothing. He has to play along with this game to eventually get what he wants. This isn't a time to be direct. That's in opposition to how Toph behaves. She's brutally honest to a fault. That has gotten her far. It's the advice Aang listens to as he learns who he can really trust in Ba Sing Se.
The Earth Kingdom army battling along the outer wall is in conflict with the Dai Li. General Sung has to play along with the belief that the war isn't happening. She must be more practical in order to strengthen the city's borders. Her troops have been monitoring Aang. She wants to know his message for the Earth King. She's rightly horrified upon learning about the return of Sozin's Comet. She also relays that Long Feng is in charge of the Dai Li. He's been lying to Aang since they first met. That's devastating for the Avatar as he saw Long Feng as a mentor just like Gyatso. He was someone he could look up to. He thought Long Feng could be trusted as looking out for his best interests. Instead, he's offered nothing but complete deception. He aims to maintain the status quo in Ba Sing Se. It allows him to operate with power. He's placated Aang to keep him occupied. The team has been given the luxuries of life in the inner ring. That doesn't mean they are safe. They know about the threats from the Fire Nation. However, Zuko followed Katara back home. Meanwhile, Azula, Mai and Ty Lee pose as Kyoshi Warriors to deceive the soldiers along the outer wall. Suki defeated Mai and Ty Lee in battle but was no match for Azula. The princess decides to concoct her own plan upon further reading into the actions of the Fire Lord. She's trusted to put them into fruition without spelling it out to her. And so, she sacrifices one general to get closer than any Fire Nation army to conquering the capital of the Earth Kingdom.
