The Avatar Returns

"The Avatar Returns"
Avatar: The Last Airbender episode
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 2
Directed by	Dave Filoni
Written by	Michael Dante DiMartino Bryan Konietzko
Featured music	Ben Wynn Jeremy Zuckerman
Production code	102
Original air date	February 21, 2005 (2005-02-21)
Running time	23 minutes
Guest appearances
Melendy Britt as Gran Gran Mako Iwamatsu as Iroh

"The Avatar Returns" is the second episode of the first season of the American animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The episode was directed by Dave Filoni and was written by series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, with additional writing being done by Aaron Ehasz, Peter Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg. It originally aired on Nickelodeon on February 21, 2005, alongside the previous episode, "The Boy in the Iceberg".

Plot

The episode picks up from the end of the previous episode with Aang and Katara returning to the village from the site of a shipwreck after accidentally triggering a flare alerting Zuko of their location. After an argument, Sokka decides to banish Aang from the village. Katara initially wanted to leave with Aang since Aang offered to take her to the Northern Water Tribe to find a waterbender to teach her. But Aang did not want to come between Katara and her family and she ended up staying. Aang and Appa then depart the village to head towards for the Southern Air Temple.

While Sokka gets prepared to defend his village, Aang and Appa rest on an ice formation before spotting Zuko's ship approaching the village. When Zuko's ship arrives at the village, it collapses the wall and towers. Sokka charges at Zuko but Zuko was able to easily take him down. Zuko then demands the location of the Avatar and grabs Gran Gran saying he would be around this age. Aang then arrives, knocking Zuko off his feet. Zuko is shocked to see that the avatar was just a twelve year old boy. The entire village was also shocked to hear this. Aang gives surrenders himself asking Zuko to leave the rest of the village alone.

Later in the day, Katara tries to convince Sokka that they need to rescue Aang. But Sokka was already prepared and had a canoe and supplies waiting. In the end, they end up taking Appa. Inside of Zuko's ship, Aang is being taken by two guards to his prison cell. Aang then uses air bending to blow a big gust of wind and defeating both of the guards. Aang then quickly jumps onto the deck and forces his way using airbending. He ends up in Zuko's personal quarters where they end up fighting and Zuko falls down defeated.

Aang and Zuko end up on the ship's deck where they begin to fight for a third time. Appa flies over with Katara and Sokka; Aang is then knocked unconscious into the water by Zuko's fire blasts. Aang then enters the Avatar state and flies himself back onto the ship. Appa lands down on the ship to get Aang and fly away. Zuko and Iroh then launch a combined fireball at Appa but Aang reflects the fireball with a wind burst knocking the fire ball onto the side of an iceberg. This causes the ice to collapse onto Zuko's ship, damaging it. Aang, Katara, and Sokka laugh at this while flying away towards the Northern Water Tribe.

Credits

Main cast members Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman, Jack DeSena, Dante Basco and Dee Bradley Baker appear as the voices of Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, and Appa respectively. Mako guest stars as Zuko's wise uncle Iroh, and Melendy Britt guest stars as Sokka and Katara's grandmother Kanna, who goes by the name of 'Gran Gran.'

The episode was directed by Dave Filoni, who directed a total of eight episodes in the first season. The episode was written by series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, with additional writing by Aaron Ehasz, Peter Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg.

Reception

The episode received positive reviews from critics.