LogFAQs > #941388510

#21: The Siege of the North - Part 1 (1.19)

This is pretty much a set up episode, as the bigger impact stuff happens in the next episode. But it's close to a perfect set-up episode.

First, what makes me really like this episode and think it's memorable is the worldbuilding, specifically of the war. It explains why the FN never took down the NWT, and it does in a pretty cool way, by first showing the FN invading them during the day, almost managing to conquer the city, until the night comes and their attacking forces are devastated. At the same time, this duality between day/night, and fire/water is shown with Zuko and Katara. He arrives at the place Aang is at during the night, tris to fight Katara, but loses because it's night. Then she freezes him, but next morning he gets defrost, manages to defeat her and kidnaps Aang. It's a good montage that shows how day and night affect bending.

Zuko's journey itself is also very fun, with him making a last desperate attempt to save his honor, by getting into the city alone. It's one of the lowest moments in his arc.

FInally, we have Sokka's arc. At the end of 1.18, he learned Yue is a bride, so he didn't let go of it. Most of the episode is Sokka competing with Yue's fianc to prove he is better (which he is), until eventually the fianc fails a mission to spy on the FN, while Sokka is "punished" with being Yue's bodyguard. My favorite part of the episode is at the beginning, though, where the NWT is asking for volunteers to the war and Sokka joins is, receiving the mark on his face as a soldier. This is a pretty huge moment in his arc, because he had dreamed to be a soldier of the WT for his whole life, and he finally does it at a time where not only he doesn't have to (because he just a guest and he could just stay with the Avatar), but also when the threat is at its biggest. This is Sokka truly becoming a man, in the sense that he doesn't just want to play soldier like his father, he is ready to die to defend his country.

Solid episode all the way.