LogFAQs > #943682703

#8: The Waterbending Master (1.18):

The first episode of the Northern WT arc. As such, it features some very good worldbuilding. This is not just some snow tribe like the Southern one, it's a huge city made of ice, with bending used to open and close the doors, and a whole "Ice Venezia" theme going on. Good stuff.

The main draw of the episode, though, is Katara's plot. Aang and Katara came here to learn to bend water. Aang is promptly taken to the resident waterbending master to get that done. But Katara, who lacks both an ancient light spirit and a Y gene, is denied of it, as the country's traditions forbid women with superpowers from using them. Except for healing. Hey, healing is cool, and Katara employs it to a great use throughout the whole show. But that's not the only thing she wants to do. She wants to kick ass.

And in good Katara fashion, she decides to solve the issue by kicking the ass of the guy who refused to give her asskicking lessons. The plan sounds dumb because it is. But Katara is just done, and we get to see her doing her best show of bending on the show so far.

And man, did I love that scene. The coreography is some of the best, with that scene where she hides behind a pillar of ice and then starts firing ice blades on the master (which almost kill him!) being a very iconic one. And on top of that, we have the girls of the healing class watching everything and just cheering at her. Katara almost started a feminist revolution in the water tribe.

But in the end, though she is acknowledged to be a great bender, she's still not better than the master (well, duh), and he refuses to teach her, because well, Y genes. Until the mother of all plot conveniences shows up and he turns out to have been promised to marry Katara's grandmother when they were young. This makes the master remember some old feelings, and also realize some traditions can be very dumb. He gives in, and decides to teach Katara, a good decision since she'll later prove to be much better than Aang at it.

Meanwhile, we have the B-plot, which is Sokka falling in love with Yue, flirting with her for a whole episode, then realizing she is engaged, which is done well by showing her necklace which is similar to Katara's necklace. We also have the C-plot, where Zhao arrives at Zuko's ship, seizes it, and then "accidentally" explodes it, apparently killing Zuko in the proccess, but not knowing him and Iroh expected it. The episode ends with the FN preparing for the war, and the season finale about to start, which is a good scene.

But really, the reason this is so high is because I love Katara and this is Katara at her absolute best. I lowkey suspect one reason the master gave in is that he was afraid of being murdered in his sleep by an angry Katara. Because she could do it.