Line #24 Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheRunaway


1	[[quoteright:333:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/avatar_runaway_scam.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:333:Toph's tremor senses prove essential in the con artist trade.]]
3
4	->''"It really seems like, my whole life, Katara's been the one looking out for me."''
5
6	Open to a Fire Nation courtyard, with Toph bound inside a net, being taken away by Fire Nation soldiers. Katara stands proudly over her, and cruelly announces that she brought it on herself. Flash back several days.
7
8	The Gaang is beginning to run low on money and supplies. Toph manages to acquire money by beating a cheating gambler at his own game using Earthbending. Toph quickly begins to realize how easy it is to gain money this way, and with Sokka's and Aang's help, they quickly begin a system of cons, using various forms of bending and disguises to earn money. While this allows them to gain extra supplies, such as maps, armor for Appa, and a messenger hawk, Katara harbors doubts about how safe and ethical the operation is. Her suspicions are only confirmed with the discovery that Toph is now wanted by the Fire Nation, under the alias of "The Runaway." The two girls butt heads; Toph accuses Katara of being too motherly and acting like she's better than the rest of them, while Katara accuses Toph of being out of control, simply because of the problems with her own parents.
9
10	After a heartfelt conversation with Sokka wherein she learns more about what makes the older girl act the way she does, Toph sees Katara's point, and concedes. Katara apologizes as well, but then wants to prove that she can have fun too, and proposes the ultimate con--hand Toph over to the town's police ([[HowWeGotHere as seen in the opening]]), get the reward, and then let Toph break out of the metal jailhouse. Easy.
11
12	Unfortunately, it's all been a ploy on behalf of Combustion Man, who captures both Toph and Katara, placing them in a wooden cell. Now it's up to the rest of the team, as well as Katara's sweat and ingenuity, to escape.
13	----
14	!!Tropes:
15	* AttackItsWeakPoint: Toph does this, albeit unintentionally, to Combustion Man. He destroys the rock she sends toward him, but a pebble-sized chunk makes it through and strikes his ThirdEye. He reels back in pain, and when he tries to blast the Gaang again moments later, he experiences a form of backfire where his power sprays out randomly in all directions, knocking him into a wall.
16	* BigShutUp: When Appa is left in charge of Hawky and Momo, the two little guys begin bickering, and Appa responds by roaring at them into silence.
17	* BothSidesHaveAPoint:
18	** Katara pointing out that Toph scamming ways can lead them into trouble. Which later on is proven right because Toph ends up being wanted by the authorities for her scams, and it turns out Combustion Man set them up. Katara may act bossy, but she is just looking after her well-being and believes Toph simply missed her parents and feel guilty for leaving.
19	** Toph is correct in saying the pebble guy was a cheater, so she cheated too to win, since the Gaang was almost out of money. During the argument, Toph pointed out how Katara isn't her, Sokka or Aang's mother, just a kid like them.
20	* BulletTime: Used during the shell game, to help illustrate Toph being able to sense the barker flipping the pebble(s) into his sleeves.
21	* CallingYourAttacks: Sokka to Aang--on an attempted sneak attack.
22	--> '''Sokka:''' HAAA! [[WithCatlikeTread SNEAK ATTACK!]]
23	--> ''A blindfolded Aang whomps him with an earth pillar''
24	--> '''Aang:''' Sokka, [[DeconstructedTrope sneak attacks don't work if you yell it out loud]].
25	* CantGetAwayWithNuthin: Averted. The Gaang gets away with 99% of their cons, and even then, the emphasis isn't that it's morally wrong, but that they were drawing attention to themselves.
26	* CaptainObvious: Subverted when Toph realizes "It's a trap".... while sitting in a cage.
27	-->'''Toph:''' Wait, it's a trap!\
28	'''Katara:''' [[SarcasmMode Really? No kidding! Is that why we're sitting in a wooden cage right now? Gee, how'd you figure out it was a trap?]]\
29	'''Toph:''' Not for, ''us'', Katara. We're the ''bait''. [Combustion Man] wants Aang.
30	* ContrivedCoincidence: Combustion Man's trap. He just so happens to arrive when Toph and Katara get thrown into a wooden cell.
31	* ConvenientlyTimedAttackFromBehind: When Combustion Man has Aang unconscious lying before him, he goes for a finishing move but is stopped in his tracks by Katara behind him, who puts an ice block around his head.
32	* DidntThinkThisThrough: Aang and Sokka write a letter to Katara from Toph in hopes of reconciling them when they're squabbling. Katara, not fooled, reminds them that Toph is blind and can't read or write. Then Aang suggests writing a letter to Toph from Katara, before Sokka points out that would run into a similar obstacle.
33	* EurekaMoment: When Katara and Toph get locked in a wooden cage. Toph's earth-bending was useless on it, and Katara didn't have any water to use, or so she thought. She suddenly realized how sweaty she was and managed to break them both out by water-bending her own sweat.
34	* FluffyTheTerrible: Sokka's initial nickname for Combustion Man is "Sparky-Sparky Boom Man".
35	--> '''Aang:''' It's Sparky-Sparky Boom Man!\
36	'''Sokka:''' You know, I'm starting to think that name doesn't quite fit.
37	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Katara breaks herself and Toph out of a wooden cage by exercising and bending her sweat. Bending bodily fluids would be the main focus of [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderThePuppetmaster the next episode]].
38	* ForgedLetter: Sokka, in an attempts to patch things up between Katara and Toph, writes a fake apology letter claiming to be Toph and sends it to Katara, via messenger hawk. It fails hilariously, after she reads it and [[LampshadeHanging points out a rather obvious oversight]], that Toph can't write due to her blindness. Aang then suggests sending a fake apology letter to Toph, but Sokka points out there‘s going to be a similar problem.
39	* ForgotTheDisability:
40	** In an attempt to reconcile Toph and Katara, Sokka and Aang try and use Sokka's new messenger hawk to Katara with an apology letter signed by Toph. This attempt falls flat when Katara points out that Toph is blind and therefore cannot read or write.
41	** Earlier, Sokka and Katara both try confronting Toph with a wanted poster of her, only for Toph to point out that she cannot see what is on the paper and thus has no idea what they're getting at.
42	-->'''Toph:''' (''to Sokka'') Well, it ''sounds'' like a sheet of paper, but I'm guessing you're referring to what's ''on'' the sheet of paper.
43	-->'''Toph:''' (''to Katara'') Seriously, what's ''with'' you people?! I'm ''blind''!
44	* GilliganCut: Aang gives Katara his Avatar promise that they won't pull any more scams. Cut, and we get a montage of them scamming.
45	* GodivaHair: While bathing, Katara's hair is long enough that it covers her chest while floating in the water.
46	* HowWeGotHere: The episode begins with Katara seemingly betraying Toph, then flashbacks three days prior to explain how it happened.
47	* IdiotBall: Aang and Sokka send a ForgedLetter to Katara from Toph, completely forgetting that Toph is blind and cannot write. This is lampshaded by them after the plan backfires:
48	-->'''Aang:''' I can't believe we forgot Toph can't write.\
49	'''Sokka:''' Yup, we're idiots.
50	* IResembleThatRemark: Katara denies acting motherly towards the rest of the group. She asks Aang for his opinion, adding "Stop rubbing your eye and speak clearly when you talk.", to which Aang responds "Yes, ma'am!".
51	* IWillShowYouX: A classic one happens during Katara and Toph's first squabble.
52	-->'''Toph:''' Hungry for a mud pie?!
53	-->'''Katara:''' I'll give you a mud pie!
54	* KarmicThief: Toph tries using the "cheating a cheater" as a way to justify conning at first to Katara.
55	* KleptomaniacHero: Most of the Gaang being con artists.
56	* LittleMissConArtist: Toph, thanks to her earthbending allowing her to feel how the games work, and to change the outcome, without raining any eyebrows... At first.
57	* MudWrestling: Toph (an Earthbender) and Katara (a Waterbender) have an angry sparring match, with mud as the inevitable result.
58	* MythologyGag: The Hawky vs. Momo rivalry has its roots in the unaired pilot in which Zuko has a pet hawk.
59	* ObfuscatingDisability: {{Played With}}. Toph really ''is'' blind, but she has a DisabilitySuperpower to compensate that's so good that her friends sometimes forget. For her first scam, she pretends not to have said power and puts on a "helpless blind girl" act so the crooked street magician lets his guard down.
60	* OnceMoreWithClarity: The episode opens with Katara apparently betraying Toph, as two men capture her in a net and drag her away. However, when we get to the same scene in the middle of the episode, it turns out that Toph was in on it, and Katara wanted to participate in one of Toph's scams, by turning her in and collecting the reward
61	* PayEvilUntoEvil: Toph's justification for her operation. It falls apart after the first scam, as none of her subsequent victims show any signs of cheating like the first.
62	-->'''Katara:''' So, she cheated.
63	-->'''Toph:''' Hey! I only cheated because ''he'' was cheating. I cheated a cheater -- what's wrong with that?
64	* RunningGag: Both Katara and Sokka show Toph the wanted poster of her by doing the whole "poster in front of the face" routine, despite both knowing Toph is blind, which she points out on both occasions.
65	-->'''Toph:''' I mean, seriously, what is with you people!? I'm '''''blind!'''''
66	* TheRunaway: Coincidentially for the title, this episode delves more into Toph's reasons for escaping, and how she is feeling about having hurt her parents.
67	* ShellGame: Toph finds out she can scam street magicians by playing this game. Because her earthbending DisabilitySuperpower lets her sense where the pebble is, she can get it right every time. She even puts it back under a shell when a con artist tries to stealthily put it in his sleeve.
68	* SkewedPriorities: When Sokka discovers a wanted poster with Toph's face, all she's concerned about is if it's a good likeness. Sokka compares it to her and admits it's pretty close, despite how crude the actual drawing is.
69	* StagedPedestrianAccident: In one scam, Toph creates a huge boulder in front of a carriage and just lies by the side to give the impresion they run over her. And then Sokka disguises as a police officer to get the driver to bribe him to remain quiet.
70	* SuperDickery: The episode starts with Katara betraying Toph and turning her in to the police, then flashing back to the events that led up to it. It turns out that they were running a scam to get the reward money that was being offered for Toph's capture.
71	* TailorMadePrison: Combustion Man puts Katara and Toph in a wooden cell, where they don't have access to earth or water so they can't break out using their powers. However, Katara quickly realizes that she's able to get her and Toph out by running in place until she sweats, then forming it into a whip.
72	* TeamMom: Katara shows how she worries about the wellbeing of the rest and how she doens't want them to get in trouble, but expect them to not question her. Toph outright refuses to hear Katara and even tells her she is not the mother of anyone there to be ordering them about. Although later Toph admits that , while she does find Katara's team mom schtick annoying, she also admits that Katara cares for the REAL her far more than her own mother ever did, and that she appreciates that much at least.
73	* TemptingFate: After spending most of the episode confronting Toph about her scams, Katara finally decides to get in on the action... only for them both to be caught and used as bait by Combustion Man.
74	* TestYourStrengthGame: As part of one of her scams, Toph hits a high striker, sending the weight flying into the air to the amazement of the audience.
75	* ToiletHumor: Hawky poops on Sokka's hand shortly after Sokka gets him.
76	* WalkOnTheWildSideEpisode: Katara decides to show Toph she's not so uptight and can be fun by doing "the ultimate scam" with her. Katara turns Toph into the police to collect the large amount of reward money offered for Toph's capture, and then Toph uses her metalbending to escape the prison and then Team Avatar leaves town. Unfortunately, it backfires because Combustion Man uses it to capture the two girls and locks them in a wooden jail cell.
77	--> '''Katara:''' I can't believe I was so stupid. See, this is exactly why I'm against these scams. I knew this would happen!\
78	'''Toph:''' ...But this was your idea.\
79	'''Katara:''' I know. I wanted to show you that I'm not so motherly. I wanted to show you that I can fun, too.\
80	'''Toph:''' Katara, you ''are'' fun. If nothing else, you're at least fun to argue with.
81	* WantedPoster: Toph gets her own poster after attracting too much attention.
82	* YouAreInCommandNow: At the climax, when it’s just the group’s animal companions left alone, Sokka quickly declares Appa is in charge. The big guy is left to cow the little guys into submission when they start bickering.
83	* YoureNotMyFather: Toph shouts at Katara that she is not her mother.

Context Recap / AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheRunaway