History Recap / AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheHeadband

** As noted [[https://what-would-azula-do.tumblr.com/post/624472840536817664/cant-stop-thinking-about-how-young-sozin-looks here]], "Wang Fire" bears a ''remarkable'' similarity to a young Fire Lord Sozin.

* PaperThinDisguise: Sokka and Katara pretend to be Aang's parents.

* BreatherEpisode: After the brutal WhamEpisode that was the Season Two finale and the emotionally charged Third Season premiere, this one provides a much-needed bit of levity with a light-hearted main plot and plenty of humor.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: Toph punches out the bottom of one of the shoes she steals so that she will still be able to "see" with her feet.

** The Music Teacher shows a considerable level of patience with "Kuzon" when he catches him dancing in class. When "Kuzon" asks about self-expression, he is moved by the supposed love for his nation and allows "Kuzon"to march in place in lieu of dancing if he felt the urge. A normal teacher, even a real-life one, would've punished "Kuzon" for dancing in class like that on the spot.

** [[SternTeacher Ms. Kwan]] begrudgingly allows "Kuzon" to keep his headband, despite it being against school rules when he claims it's to hide an embarrassing scar.

* WatchingTheSunset: Zuko and Mai when they had a kiss.

* IJustWantToBeNormal: Aang's reason for wanting to continue at the school for a while. It's his first taste of being a regular kid in 100 years.

* BareYourMidriff: Katara's Fire Nation outfit.

* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: The Fire Nation school depicts their war with the Air Nomads as a noble war against a powerful military rather than the genocide of a peaceful, non-militarized people.

* SpeciesSurname: Sort of. Sokka and Katara disguise themselves as Fire Nation citizens and need fake made up names, so they both have the surname of Fire, named right after the element and the nation. Sokka calls himself ''[[AwesomeMcCoolName Wang Fire]]'', and his "wife" Katara is named Sapphire.

'''Sokka:''' ...''Enrolled in '''WHAT'''?!'' (''[[{{Fainting}} falls backward in disbelief]]'')

''[[caption-width-right:333:Aang looks upon his Fire Nation classmates.]]''

* AssimilationAcademy: The Fire Nation school actively punishes those who question things too much. They also don't allow dancing (it's not "conductive to a proper learning environment"). Of course, for most subjects that [[VillainHasAPoint actually]] makes a fair bit of sense...
* BadassPacifist: Aang gets into a fight with Hide, but rather than actually fight him, Aang easily dodges the bully’s attacks and wins without a scratch.

* BigWhat: Sokka lets out two in succession after Aang reveals where he’d been all day.

* BreatherEpisode: After the brutal WhamEpisode that was the Season Two finale and the emotionally charged Third Season premier, this one provides a much-needed bit of levity with a light-hearted main plot and plenty of humor.

* ClotheslineStealing: Once the Gaang arrive in the Fire Nation, they steal local-style clothes from a clothesline to blend in better. Nice guy Aang is reluctant to steal, even from Fire Nation people. Katara, on the other hand, is so sick of her damaged Water Tribe clothes that she literally jumps at the chance to change outfits.

* CurbStompBattle: Aang vs. Hide is perhaps the most one-sided fight in Avatar history. Hide is just a school bully, while Aang is a master bender and marital artist. Aang doesn't so much fight him as dance around his pitiful attacks until Hide overbalances and takes ''himself'' out.

* IJustWantToBeNormal: Aang's reason for wanting to continue at the school for a while. It’s his first taste of being a regular kid in 100 years.

-->'''“Wang Fire”:''' Don’t you worry, Mr. Headmaster. I’ll straighten this boy out something fierce. ''(to “Kuzon”)'' YOUNG MAN, AS SOON AS WE GET HOME, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE PUNISHMENT OF A LIFETIME!

* NiceGuy: Shoji, one of the students at the school, is very friendly and outgoing. After the first day, he invites "Kuzon" to play a game of "hide and explode" with several other students. He later helps Aang escape by putting on a headband, being the very first on to do so. He sees Gaang off and sends a wink their way.

** [[SternTeacher Ms. Kwan]] begrudgingly allows "Kuzon" to keep his headband, despite it being against school rules, when he claims it's to hide an embarrassing scar.
** The Music Teacher shows a considerable level of patience with "Kuzon" when he catches him dancing in class. When "Kuzon" asks about self-expression, he is moved by the supposed love for his nation and allows "Kuzon"to march in place in lieu of dancing if he felt the urge. A normal teacher, even a real life one, would've punished "Kuzon" for dancing in class like that on the spot.

* TeachersPet: Headmaster's Pet in Hide's case, but same principle. Hide is a star student and therefore gets special treatment from the headmaster because he’s a snitch. Hide also loyally serves the headmaster and rats out Aang's secret dance party.

* DoubleTake: One student gives a silent-yet-surprised expression when he sees one part of the cave close via earthbending.

* OhCrap: One of the students Aang befriends covers for the Gaang to flee, winking at Aang, who gives the Fire Nation salute...before earthbending a barricade to cover their escape. Cue a JawDrop.
* PetTheDog: A mild example; [[SternTeacher Ms. Kwan]] begrudgingly allows "Kuzon" to keep his headband, despite it being against school rules, when he claims it's to hide an embarrassing scar.

* BadassBeard: Sokka's "Wang Fire!" disguise includes a beard and a moustache. He is legitimately badass, and the beard seems to reinforce this while disguised as Wang Fire. It is also the same style as Fire Lord Sozin's, making it likely that it's a common style in the Fire Nation.

* MatingDance[=/=]GRatedSex: A.K.A. "[[FanNickname The Kataango]]." ''Ohhh myyy'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpD8hYIOMsc the Kataango.]] Sultry smiles, "come hither" looks ([[http://dvdscreenshots.avatarspiritmedia.net/atla/302/596.jpg Katara, in particular]], is described in one [=YouTube=] comment as giving Aang "the [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EuwYaceU4AAlrrq.jpg Nala eyes]]"), wild yet synchronized gyrations complete with lips passing within inches of each other, loads of gasping and sweat, ending in a dip. The shippers went ''[[http://kataangcaps.tumblr.com/post/27095588854/epic-long-commentary-the-headband-3x02 bananas.]]''
** Also doubles as a DanceOfRomance.

* DramaticIrony: When Aang/"Kuzon" is asked a pop-quiz question at a Fire Nation School by his tutor about how Fire Lord Sozin fought off the Air Nomad army, he argues that the Air Nomads didn't ''have'' a standing military to speak of, and the battle was essentially a massacre. The tutor sarcastically asks how he would know better than the Fire Nation textbook--was he perhaps there to see it, a hundred years ago?

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* SilentTreatment: Iroh is so disappointed in Zuko that he doesn't say a word to him when Zuko visits him in prison.

* PetTheDog: A mild example; Ms. Kwan begrudgingly allows "Kuzon" to keep his headband, despite it being against school rules, when he claims it's to hide an embarrassing scar.

* CallBack: Aang uses the name Kuzon while undercover in the Fire Nation school. Aang said he once knew a Fire Nation boy named Kuzon in [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheBlueSpirit The Blue Spirit]], and mentions him again when they first arrive at the town in this episode.