History Recap / AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheEmberIslandPlayers

The Gaang ''REALLY'' didn't like the show (except maybe Toph). The actors in the play have a [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheEmberIslandPlayers Character Sheet]].

** [[TakeThat Intentionally done]] with the Gan Jin and Zhang tribes as well as the canyon guide from ''The Great Divide''.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: Could be considered as such with Aang when he frowned and looked at the screen in disgust after Toph said having a buff guy acting as her is better than a "flying bald lady".

** Zuko feels this way when his portrayal hits a little too close to home.[[invoked]]

** Toph was having a great time laughing at the play...right up until the ending where Zuko and Aang are killed and the Fire Nation takes over the world.

* OtherMeAnnoysMe: Most everyone dislikes their interpretation, except for Toph and Suki. The former loved how she was adapted, the latter didn't seem to mind her interpretation all that much.

* RealMenWearPink: According to Zuko, his mother Ursa took him to see the Ember Island Players production of a romantic story called ''Love Amongst the Dragons'' every year. His only complaint was that, in his eyes, the Players "butchered" it every time.

* ShipTease: The in-universe play seems to push for Katara and Zuko as a couple. When the actors playing Katara and Zuko started getting romantic with each other, the real Katara and Zuko felt very awkward before nervously inching away from each other.

* InsultBackfire: Toph earlier says that what she heard onstage was the truth. But when she finds out that her actor was a big tough dude, Katara tries firing an IronicEcho in her direction. Instead, Toph says that she wouldn't cast herself in any other way.

-->'''Sokka:''' Apparently, the playwright thinks I’m an idiot who tells bad jokes about meat all the time!
-->'''Suki:''' Yeah, you tell bad jokes about plenty of other topics.
-->'''Sokka:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint I KNOW!]]

* MundaneMadeAwesome: Bending is portrayed with ribbons and glowing paint. Even so, Sokka admits the effects were good for the play.

* AngelsPose: The actresses for Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee do one at the end of the second act of the play in reference to their FanNickname "Ozai's Angels.

--> '''Sokka:''' ''(looks down. {{Beat}}))'' Eh. Let's keep flying.

* NoYay: In-universe, Katara and Zuko are clearly uncomfortable by the play's ShipTease of them.

* RecapEpisode: The play recaps the rest of the series, if not very accurately.

** Toph finds it hilarious and awesome that the Fire Nation thinks she's a giant wrestler who has a sonic scream. She's watching the rest of the play with rapt fascination up until the DownerEnding.

* HeroesGoneFishing: Instead of fighting anyone or preparing to face the Fire Lord, the main characters spend an evening at theater.

* AnimeHair: Zuko sports a head of [[Franchise/DragonBall Vegeta]]-esque hair during the play's third act.

** The writer manages to get Zuko's scar on the wrong side.

* AdaptationInducedPlotHole: Because Zhao was AdaptedOut and Zuko took his place, the events of ''The Blue Spirit'' were Zuko in a secret identity attacking himself in order to free Aang, his own prisoner, so he, instead of himself, could capture Aang.

* LikeBrotherAndSister: Aang and Katara are presented like this in the play to an insanely explicit degree, which of course freaks out Aang, who wonders if Katara really thinks of him as such.

* PeterPanParody: Aang being portrayed as clever trickster played by a woman? Sounds a lot like Peter Pan.

* ShipperOnDeck: The play seems to push for Katara and Zuko as a couple. When the actors playing Katara and Zuko started getting romantic with each other, the real Katara and Zuko felt very awkward before nervously inching away from each other.

* [[WhenSheSmiles When He Smiles]]: Zuko smiles when Toph tells him that Iroh would be proud of him. It's totally adorable.

* EightiesHair: Actor!Zuko in the second act. It's why he and Iroh split up, since Zuko refuses to talk about it.
* TheAbridgedSeries: [[invoked]] Their show is a vastly condensed version of Aang's journey, gleaned largely from second-hand accounts (surprisingly accurate ones), though with a TwistEnding that's "Fire Nation friendly", you might say.

** The scene where Actor!Sokka in a Kyoshi outfit talks with Actor!Suki, asking if the dress makes his butt look too fat. Suki struggles to hold her laughter in while Sokka looks extremely embarrassed. She also doesn't seem to mind how she is portrayed in the show.

** Sokka presents Actor!Sokka with some alternative jokes during the intermission to use in-character for the final act of the show. While the actor is initially annoyed at having to deal with "another fan with ideas", he's quickly [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike won over by Sokka's puns]] and uses several of his suggestions onstage.

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Actor!Katara falls for Jet, and then Zuko, much to Aang's displeasure.

* AnimeHair: Actor!Zuko sports a head of [[Franchise/DragonBall Vegeta]]-esque hair during the play's third act.

* BeamMeUpScotty: InUniverse. Actor!Aang invokes the Avatar State by saying "Yip Yip". In reality, that's how Aang gets Appa to fly. The Avatar State just happens whenever you piss Aang off too much.

-->'''Actor!Aang''': Look, it's the Great Divide — the biggest canyon in the Earth Kingdom!

-->'''Actor!Sokka''': Eh... let's keep flying.

** Suki, when Sokka gives Actor!Sokka some of his jokes.

** Zuko is frustrated that the play interprets him as a humorless stiff. It blows up in his face when Katara points out it's somewhat accurate; Zuko expresses indignation and Actor!Zuko repeats the exact same indignant line a second later.

* MeaningfulName: Lampshaded by Actor!Toph.

** Most of the episode is a lighthearted AffectionateParody of the show. It is punctuated by serious moments, like when Actress!Azula lightning-bends Actress!Aang in the back; even with the ribbons, the scene is portrayed seriously. Then the CruelTwistEnding where their stage counterparts are killed makes the real Gaang admit that the show sucked despite the good effects.

* NoYou:
-->'''Actor!Aang''': And now, you're going down!
-->'''Actor!Ozai''': No, it is you who are going down!

* ShipperOnDeck: The play seems to push for Katara and Zuko as a couple. When Actor!Katara and Actor!Zuko started getting romantic with each other, the real Katara and Zuko felt very awkward before nervously inching away from each other.

* TakeThat: The play takes an in-universe jab at "The Great Divide".
--> '''Actor!Aang:''' Look! It's the Great Divide! The biggest Canyon in the Earth Kingdom!
--> '''Actor!Sokka:''' ''(looks down. {{Beat}}))'' Eh. Let's keep flying.

-->'''Actress!Katara:''' "Who is the boy in the iceberg?"

* VillainExitStageLeft: Actress!Azula pulls a LookBehindYou on the Actors!Gaang and quickly sneaks out through a prop door.

* ActionFilmQuietDramaScene: Double Subverted. The episode preview sets up the episode as a serious but less action focused denouement right before Sozin's Comet, similar to the climax of ''The Beach''. However, Sokka comes along and drags everyone to a SoBadItsGood play about the Gaang for some "wacky time wasting nonsense." However, in the intermissions, the characters do discuss their motivations and take time to connect with each-other before the action packed series finale.

* CharacterExaggeration: The play versions of the characters are all exaggerated versions of them, mostly based on their pre-character development selves. Aang is annoyingly cheerful and childish, Sokka is shallow comic relief and just makes bad jokes about eating [[note]] The real Sokka is more annoyed that the topics never change than anything, to the point that he slips the actor some new bad jokes during intermission [[/note]], Katara is an emotional wreck who keeps launching into speeches about hope, and Zuko has his angst and focus on his honor dialed up to eleven. Toph is rendered as a BoisterousBruiser (played by a muscular man, no less) who does nothing but take down bad guys and make quips, which the real Toph thinks is ''awesome''.

** Zuko and the Blue Spirit are treated as separate beings when they’re really one and the same.

* {{Foreshadowing}}

* OtherMeAnnoysMe: Most everyone dislikes their interpretation, except for Toph, who's the only one who actually ''likes'' her interpretation. Suki also didn't seem to mind her interpretation, either.

* StylisticSuck: ''The Boy in the Iceberg'' is SoBadItsGood on purpose.

* ThrowItIn: Sokka's actor awkwardly incorporates jokes that were suggested by the real Sokka right before the invasion, which genuinely surprises the actors.

* GeckoEnding: In Universe. Sozin's Comet wouldn't arrive for [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderSozinsCometPart2TheOldMasters another two episodes]], so the play makes its own ending where the Fire Lord wins.

* KillEmAll: What the play does to the Gaang's onstage personas, much to the real Gaang's horror.

* OtherMeAnnoysMe: Most everyone dislikes their interpretation, except for Toph, who's the only one who actually ''likes'' her interpretation.

** Zuko and the Blue Spirit are treated as separate beings when they’re really one in the same.

** Katara points out that Zuko's actor is pretty spot-on, and smirks when Zuko proves it. They both are overly dramatic and say, "How could you day that?!"

** The scene where Actor!Sokka in a Kyoshi outfit talks with Actor!Suki, asking if the dress makes his butt look too fat. Suki struggles to hold her laughter in while Sokka looks extremely embarrassed.

** Zuko is frustrated that the play interprets him as a humorless stiff. It blows up in his face when Katara points out it's somewhat accurate; Zuko expresses indignation, and Actor!Zuko repeats the exact same indignant line a second later.

* MoodWhiplash: Toph and Zuko have a heartfelt talk about his relationship with Iroh, with Toph mentioning her meeting with Iroh, and then she randomly punches him. Because that's how [[{{Tomboy}} Toph]] shows affection.