Episode Title:
Bitter Work.
Episode Description:
Aang begins his earthbending training with Toph, but grows frustrated when he encounters difficulty with the earth element, the natural opposite of air; Aang's inclination towards evading and staying ahead of threats and challenges puts him at a disadvantage with earthbending, which requires a more direct, resolute form of willpower. Elsewhere, Zuko struggles with a similar dilemma as Iroh tries to teach him lightning-bending, an advanced form of firebending; Zuko's anger keeps him from having the cold precision lightning bending requires, and he is acutely aware it is a skill both his father and sister have mastered. Deciding on another approach, Iroh shares with Zuko his belief that wisdom comes from many sources, and he describes the relative strengths of each of the four elements, and the nations associated with them, and advises that understanding the other elements and other ways of life makes one whole. Iroh then teaches Zuko the art of redirecting lightning, a firebending technique he created himself by studying waterbenders. When Sokka is endangered by a saber-toothed Moose-Lion, Aang is able to save him by firmly standing his ground as an earthbender would.
