The Desert
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Avatar: The Last Airbender episode | |
|---|---|
| "The Desert" | |
 Aang displays his anger after felling a Buzzard-Wasp that tried to kidnap Momo |
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| Book | Two: Earth |
| Chapter | Eleven |
| Episode # | Thirty-one |
| Prod. code | 211 |
| Airdate | July 14, 2006 |
| Writer(s) | Tim Hedrick |
| Director | Lauren MacMullan |
| Guest star(s) | Sab Shimono (Master Yu) Marc Graue (Xin Fu) Malachi Throne (Colonel Mongke) Peter Jessop (Fung) Paul McKinney (Ghashiun) Bill Bolender (Sha-Mo) |
| Previous episode | |
|---|---|
| "The Library" | |
| Next episode | |
| "The Serpent's Pass" |
"The Desert" is an episode of the animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, which airs on Nickelodeon. It is the eleventh episode of the second season of the series, and in conjunction with the previous episode, The Library, was aired as an hour-long TV movie entitled, "The Fury of Aang."
Aang searches for Appa, while Katara struggles to keep everyone together so they can survive in the vast desert. Meanwhile, Iroh and Zuko seek help from an ancient secret society.
[edit] Episode synopsis
The gang is stuck in the Si Wong Desert right after Aang, Sokka, Katara and Momo exited Wan Shi Tong's library as it sank into the sands. All but Toph are looking in different directions for signs of Appa. A distraught Aang castigates Toph for letting Sandbenders get away with Appa – accusing her of intentionally letting Appa be captured. Katara attempts to calm down Aang by pointing out that Toph saved them from sinking with the library. Despite Katara’s efforts, Aang heads out on his glider to look for Appa, leaving the others behind. Katara then decides the rest of them need to start walking if they hope to get to Ba Sing Se and inform others about the future solar eclipse which could spell victory for them over the Fire Nation.
While riding on the Ostrich Horse, Iroh makes many sounds pretending to be in serious pain in order to get Zuko to stop for a break. As soon as the duo stops, they are surrounded by the Rough Rhinos from "Avatar Day." Iroh greets them in a friendly manner, as they are his old friends, but also prepares for a fight. As the group attacks, Iroh and Zuko effectively maneuver an escape. Zuko asks Iroh if he has any old friends that don't want to attack them, giving Iroh an idea.
Katara, Sokka, Toph and Momo are tiredly walking through the desert. Katara parts with some of her bending water to help keep them hydrated, but is met with some criticism as Sokka realizes it's been used in the swamp. Sokka spots a wild cactus and slices one of its fruits to reveal cactus juice. Both Sokka and Momo drink from the cactus. Katara warns against eating strange plants when Sokka's pupils suddenly dilate as both he and Momo discover that the cactus' juice has hallucinogenic properties. Katara decides it's best if they do not have any more cactus juice and continue looking for Aang while progressing through the desert.
Aang glides along looking for Appa – blowing his bison whistle and yelling for him. He then lands and in his anger Airbends a huge mushroom cloud out of sand. The others see the cloud and feel the air from a long distance away. Unknowingly, they decide to keep walking away from Aang.
Meanwhile, at the Misty Palms Oasis, Xin Fu and Master Yu get information that Aang and Toph have been there recently, but headed into the desert. Xin Fu then notices Fire Nation wanted posters as well as Iroh and Zuko arriving into the oasis and decide to change their target.
As it nears sunset, Aang rejoins the group without Appa. Aang is not only discouraged and willing to give up, but more overwhelmed with silent anger and spite than ever before. Katara pulls the group together again and they continue on as Buzzard-Wasps circle overhead.
Katara declares that the gang should stop for the night and the others gladly fall to the ground exhausted. She asks Sokka for a look at some of the information from the library and Sokka (still under the effects of the cactus) accuses Momo of telling Katara about the information he stole – forgetting Katara was with him at the time. Still in his defeatist mood, Aang says the maps won't help them find Appa, but Katara reveals that a star chart can help lead them towards Ba Sing Se when traveling at night. Katara says they should start up again in a few hours to take advantage of the cool nights.
Iroh and Zuko are inside the same fruit bar where Aang's crew met the Professor in the previous episode. Iroh spots someone at a Pai Sho table and believes this may be the friend they are looking for. As they head over, Xin Fu wants to arrest them right then and there, but Master Yu points out that in the present company of thieves and lowly men at the bar they could start an unwanted fight over their bounty. Iroh approaches the Pai Sho table and asks to play. After beginning with the White Lotus tile in the center of the board, the friend and Iroh form a flower pattern by rote with the Pai Sho pieces, a secret handshake of sorts that identifies Iroh as a member of the clandestine Order of the White Lotus. Xin Fu loses his patience and goes for Iroh and Zuko, but their new friend creates a diversion, causing the rest of the people in the establishment to fight with them while Iroh and Zuko escape.
Meanwhile, patience is wearing thinner as Katara rouses everyone awake to take advantage of the night's cool temperature. Aang mistakes a stray cloud overhead for Appa, as Sokka in his delirium questions why Princess Yue (the moon) would ride Appa when she could already fly in the sky. When Katara asks him to Waterbend the cloud into her waterskin, Aang furiously does so, still holding fast to his spiteful anger. After Katara comments on how little water there was in the cloud, Aang blows up at her. As they head out, Toph bumps her foot against a buried boat and Aang uncovers a Sandbender sailer, equipped with a compass. The group decides to use the sailer to get out of the desert as they become more sure of their survival.
Iroh and Zuko are led into a flower shop by their friend who addresses Iroh as a high ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus. Zuko, still unconvinced as to how Pai Sho playing will help them, makes a derisive statement about flower arranging. Iroh apologizes to their new friend about Zuko's lack of appreciation for their group. After a cryptic exchange of words, Iroh and the friend are let into a back room, but Zuko is shut out and made to wait in the flower shop.
Aang uses airbending to move the sailer over the sand. Katara mentions that she doesn't think the compass points north when a large rock mesa suddenly looms into view ahead of them. Toph is excited to get near rocks again while Aang maliciously hopes to encounter Sandbenders.
When they reach the top of the huge rock, Toph falls back and makes a rock angel to show her joy at being back on solid ground. The crew goes into some caves and Sokka eats a gooey honey-looking substance from the walls which tastes terrible. Suddenly, Toph realizes that the caves were not made naturally because of its octagonal shape and that something buzzing is coming after them.
Buzzard-Wasps swarm out of the cave. Toph's aim is hampered by the fact the creatures are flying and Katara is out of water for bending. Momo is snatched by one of the buzzing creatures and Aang goes after it, not willing to lose another friend. He successfully frees Momo and kills the Buzzard-Wasp out of the sky with a vengeance, while the others work their way down the rock. The rest of the group are fighting off the swarm when large blasts of sand envelop the Buzzard-Wasps. Several Sandbenders appear as the sand clears, who question where the group retrieved the sailer and accuses them of theft. Toph recognizes the voice of one of the Sandbenders who had taken Appa. Enraged, Aang demands to know where his bison is. When his accusation is first challenged, he destroys one of the sailers and makes his demand once more.
Meanwhile, Iroh has finally emerged from the back room of the flower shop. He awakens Zuko and tells him that they will head to Ba Sing Se, a stronghold not even he could topple in his earlier years, where they can hide in plain sight among the many refugees. Unfortunately, Xin Fu and Master Yu are still looking for them, and they are forced to flee the oasis hidden in two large potted plants.
Aang demands once more to know where Appa is and destroys another sailer. The leader, Sha-Mo, turns to his son, Ghashiun, and asks what he did to incur such wrath on their people. Ghashiun denies everything, but Toph recognizes his voice, also pointing out that he ordered a muzzle to be put on Appa. Infuriated, Aang enters the Avatar State and destroys another sailer. Ghashiun confesses he took the Bison, but didn't know it was the Avatar's. In the booming voice of his many past lives, Aang demands to know Appa's location. Ghashiun replies that he traded Appa to a merchant and that he’s probably in Ba Sing Se. Aang begins to form an air ball around himself similar to when he was in the Southern Air Temple. Sokka takes Toph by the shoulders and tells everyone to run away from Aang, but Katara stays. As Aang begins to rise into the air, Katara approaches him and grabs his wrist. He turns at her in an instant, with the fiercest intent in his eyes, as she sadly pulls him down into an embrace. Held in Katara's arms, Aang leaves the Avatar State with tears running down his face as the episode comes to a close.
[edit] Notes
- This episode and the preceding episode, "The Library," were designed by the show's writers to be two distinct episodes; however, Nickelodeon aired the two episodes together as an hour-long summer TV-movie titled "The Fury of Aang."
- A White Lotus Society existed in China under various incarnations as an underground rebel movement.
- This is Jack DeSena's, the voice of Sokka, favorite episode, mostly due to Sokka acting "stoned" off the cactus juice.
- The wanted poster that Xin Fu shows the White Lotus member in the flower shop is written completely in Chinese, although some parts of the poster is covered by both Xin Fu's hand as well as the Nickelodeon logo. It reads as follows:
- "The two scoundrels Iroh and Zuko are wanted by order of the Fire Lord. General Iroh was the Dragon of the West and Zuko was the Prince to the Fire Emperor (Fire Lord). These two traitors disobeyed the Fire Lord's imperial orders to wipe out the Water Tribes as well as the capture the Medium Descent (Chinese name for the Avatar). Wanted dead or alive."
- Note: One of the characters in the last sentence are obscured by Xin Fu's finger, but the other three characters make it obvious what the missing character is.
- Note: This is the first episode where the Chinese names of Zuko and Uncle Iroh are revealed. Their names are mentioned on the poster as 祖寇 (Zuko) and 艾洛 (Iroh).
- The characters that make up Zuko's name mean 'Ancestor' (祖) and 'Invader' (寇) in Chinese, while Iroh's mean 'Chinese mugwort' (艾) and 'Luo river' (洛).
- The individual names of the Rough Rhinos seem to be Mongolian inspired. "Möngke" is the name of a grandson of Genghis (Chingis) Khan and means 'eternal.' "Kachhe" is the name given to the Tibetan Muslim minority who are Monoligan descended. "Ogedei" was the name of Genghis' third and favorite son. "Yeh-Lu" comes from Yeh-lu Chu'tsai the Magician, Genghis' chief of the secretariat. "Vachir" is a style of archery and means 'thunderbolt.'
- The plant Sokka drinks from is similar to the Barrel Cactus which causes more water to be lost than gained and can cause hypothermia.
[edit] Goofs
- When the group runs out of the Buzzard Wasp cave the "rock angel" Toph made earlier in the episode is gone.
- When Katara is initially shown grabbing Aang's arm, it is with her right hand. However, the following shots of the action depict her having grabbed him with her left hand.
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