History Recap / AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheWesternAirTemple

* SympathyForTheDevil: Toph expresses some sympathy for Zuko, given how messed up his family is. This is attributed to not having been hunted by him. While she did suffer the AgonyOfTheFeetby Xuko's firebending when she unwittingly snuck up on him, she later forgave him, though promising to get back at him later.

* SympathyForTheDevil: Toph expresses some sympathy for Zuko, given how messed up his family is. This is attributed to not having been hunted by him.

* WhatTheHellHero: Toph wears the pragmatist hat for a change and calls out her friends for not even considering accepting Zuko as Aang's firebending teacher, despite him being the only viable choice aside from Jeong Jeong. She may not have had any history with Zuko, but she understands the bigger picture and knows that there are bigger stakes than their personal feelings.

* EasilyForgiven: Harshly, yet justifiably subverted. All of the Gaang, save Toph, have a list of good reasons. When they finally let him in, Katara's warning give a clear indication that Zuko has to start earning their trust before they can forgive him.

* EvenBeggarsWontChooseIt: The group need someone to teach Aang firebending, but most of them refuse to even consider letting Zuko do it. Toph points out this is a rather short-sighted attitude at a crucial time.

* FreudianExcuse: Discussed.

* ImpliedDeathThreat: Katara gives one to Zuko at the end of the episode.

** Katara doesn't believe it at first. She recalls that Zuko won her over with sympathy back in Ba Sing Se, only to turn on her and Aang, resulting in the latter's near death at the hands of Azula and the fall of the Earth Kingdom. This betrayal still fresh in her mind, she believes he's BeyondRedemption.

** Toph is the only one willing to give Zuko a chance at first, in part because she doesn't have any personal grievances against him.

* RealityEnsues: Just because Zuko is honest about his HeelFaceTurn doesn't mean the Gaang is going to accept him after he's spent the whole series up to this point as their enemy [[note]] doesn't help that there's some inverted FourthWallMyopia; the Gaang haven't been privy to Zuko's more conflicted moments throughout the show, and for the most part only know him as an angry RoyalBrat who's repeatedly attempt to capture them [[/note]].

* PetTheDog: Deconstructed -- The fact that Zuko has "done some good things," like freeing Appa from the Dai Li gets mixed reception from Team Avatar, and ultimately isn't enough to convince all of them.

-->'''Sokka:''' Oh, hurray! In a lifetime of evil, at least he didn't add Animal Cruelty to the list! [[note]]As the comics show, that's actually a recurring part of Zuko's character, and in the show itself is used as a marked contrast with Azula.[[/note]]

-->'''Sokka:''' "You sent Combustion Man after us?!"
-->'''Zuko:''' "Well...that's not his name, but..."

* {{Adorkable}}: Zuko gets some major cuteness points here.

** Sokka is completely unimpressed that Zuko doesn't abuse animals, seeing that as a bare minimum of good.

* OhCrap: When Zuko realizes he hurt Toph, his expression changes from half-asleep to wide-eyed horror as he gasps. The camera even zooms in on his face to emphasize it.

* FlashbackWithTheOtherDarrin: There are two flashbacks of pre-Season One Zuko and Iroh, but Iroh is voiced by Greg Baldwin, since {{Creator/Mako}} had died.

* MouthCam: A shot from inside Sokka's mouth when he talks about the time he had a wart in the flap in the the back of his throat.

-->'''Sokka:''' Oh, hurray! In a lifetime of evil, at least he didn't add Animal Cruelty to the list! [[note]]As the comics show, that's actually a recurring part of Zuko's character, and in the show itself is used as a marked contrast with TheSociopath.[[/note]]

* LockedOutOfTheLoop
** One of the problems that Zuko has trying to convince the Gaang that he's turned good is that they almost never saw any of his [[BigBrotherInstinct more]] [[PetTheDog noble]] [[CallingTheOldManOut actions]] throughout the series. It doesn't help that the one time Zuko directly helped Aang escape from Zhao's clutches, [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou it was purely so he could capture the Avatar himself]]. And of course, the cherry on top of the distrusting sundae is that this is the first time they've met him since [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheCrossroadsOfDestiny Ba Sing Se]]; that betrayal is still fresh in their memory.
** Seems like the Gaang didn't fill Toph in on as many of their earlier adventures as she would have liked, as she's visibly annoyed when the rest of the Gaang mention [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheDeserter Jeong-Jeong]] as a possible firebending teacher for Aang.
-->'''Toph:''' Who's...? Oh, never mind. If it's important, I'll find out.

** Katara is a lot more angrier with Zuko, but she starts to get even colder and more cynical. They not only lost at the day of the black sun, but they lost their father to the war. She's starting to act like Hama, who also lost a lot due to the Fire Nation.

* EvilDetectingDog: Subverted. It’s because Appa is so affectionate with Zuko that both Aang and Toph think Zuko is good.

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Team Avatar is split over whether or not to accept Zuko as a firebending teacher. Aang is in the middle and inclined to listen to Katara and Sokka. The arguments are as follows:

* BittersweetEnding: Zuko's [[HeelFaceTurn reformation]] comes to a head when not only does Team Avatar unanimously accept him, but Aang also asks him to be his firebending teacher. However, Team Avatar are ''far'' from embracing him as a new member, if Katara's bitter threat is any indication.
* CallBack:

* ComicallyMissingThePoint:

* DarkestHour: Downplayed. Aang is putting on a chipper face about his failure, but Sokka and Katara are despondent. They lost Ba Sing Se, the last Earth Kingdom stronghold that could fight against the Fire Nation, and now the Day of the Black Sun failed with most of their ragtag army captured. Sozin's Comet is arriving soon, and Ozai is still on the throne. The only Firebending teacher that would teach Aang is in hiding. Cue Zuko coming to offer his services to be Aang's firebending teacher... and the Gaang immediately assumes he's come to betray them again and hurt Aang.
* DeathGlare: Katara puts one on at the end when delivering her IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer speech to Zuko.

* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Seems like the Gaang didn't fill Toph in on as many of their earlier adventures as she would have liked, as she's visibly annoyed when the rest of the Gaang mention [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheDeserter Jeong-Jeong]] as a possible firebending teacher for Aang.
-->'''Toph:''' Who's... oh, never mind. If it's important, I'll find out.
** This can technically apply to the rest of the Gaang as well in regard to Zuko. They mention several of Zuko’s misdeeds, but they are largely unaware of his more noble and sympathetic moments that he has had throughout the series, such standing up to his father in the previous episode. This, of course, ADDS to their overall suspicions.

* PetTheDog: Deconstructed -- Sokka [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished is unimpressed]] that Zuko has "done some good things," like freeing Appa from the Dai Li. Aang is more conflicted.
-->'''Sokka:''' Oh, hurray! In a lifetime of evil, at least he didn't add Animal Cruelty to the list! [[note]]As the comics show, that's actually a recurring part of Zuko's character, and in the show itself is used as a marked contrast with TheSociopath[[/note]].

* FalselyReformedVillain: Sokka thinks Zuko's pulling this one with his redemption.

-->''Katara'': Let me tell you something right now. You take ''one '' step backwards... ''one'' slip up... give me ''one'' reason to think you might hurt Aang - and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends right then and there. ''Permanently''.

* MoralEventHorizon: In-Universe, Katara believes that Zuko crossed it when he [[HazyFeelTurn seemingly pretended to turn good]] [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor only to betray her in Ba Sing Se]], adding to his long ListOfTransgressions against the rest of Team Avatar. The main source of the episode's conflict is that Zuko needs to convince the Gaang that this time, his HeelFaceTurn is genuine.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: Zuko thinks that the best solution to join the Avatar's team is to admit to all of his misdeeds and beg to become Aang's firebending teacher. It goes wrong when he lets slip that he sent an assassin against them,rather than say tell them what was discussed in that meeting he was agonizing about a few weeks ago.

** In the commentary, Mike and Bryan note that this could prove quite a problem to M. Night Shyamalan's live action adaptation. Of course, this was before the first film of that adaptation flopped so badly that the other two [[StillbornFranchise were scrapped]].

* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Sokka, a BadassNormal, kills Combustion Man by hitting him in his third eye; when Combustion Man tries to use his powers, his powers backfire, blowing him up.
* DiggingYourselfDeeper: Zuko lets it slip that he sent that assassin after them earlier in the season. He later acknowledges how stupid this was of him and that he should've just scapegoated Azula for it.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Combustion Man gets killed by his own weapon.

* IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer: Non-romantically - Katara threatens Zuko if he does anything to hurt Aang at the end of the episode.

* LickedByTheDog: [[AndroclesLion Appa]] licks a reformed Zuko to show he likes him. Sokka thinks he just covered himself in honey.

* NotHelpingYourCase: Yeah, Zuko, mentioning the assassin you sent after them was ''not a good idea''.

* PetTheDog: Deconstructed -- [[UngratefulBastard the Gaang]] [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished are unimpressed]] that Zuko has "done some good things," like freeing Appa from the Dai Li.