Things are looking slightly better for the Gaang.
The only feel-good thing here is Iroh telling Zuko he’s going through metamorphosis, and when he’s done he’ll be a “beauuuuuuutiful butterfly Prince.” Zuko also dreams that he himself is the Avatar, before we get a nice symbolic shot that scans between his two eyes-the unmarked one representing his own true self, and the one with the scar representing his allegiance to the Fire Nation, I suppose. He spends basically the whole episode having fever dreams, where a blue dragon with the voice of Azula tells him to relax and go to sleep “just like mother” ( !!!), while a red dragon with Iroh’s voice tries to get him to wake up “before it’s too late.” Creepiness and Mama Zuko angst? Thanks. Because he put his life on the right track, in fact-Iroh says his decision “was in such conflict with your image of yourself that you’re now at war within your mind and body.” Zuko and I have the same reaction: “WTF?” That’s not how science works, Iroh. He puts his life on the right track, and then he gets sick. So things will be good for him now, right? He’s finally found himself able to cut psychological ties with an abusive parent. Last episode he made the call to stop hunting Aang because daddy dearest said to, and instead to focus on what he himself wants to do with his life. OK, I just want to get the WTFery out of the way first: Zuko’s b-plot. Aang is reunited with Appa, and nothing will be wrong ever again! Right?