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Recap / Avatar: The Last Airbender "Avatar Day"

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The villagers show their fury towards the iterations of the Avatar.

"That's why it's called 'justice': 'Cause it's 'just us'!"

Aang, Katara, and Sokka come across an isolated Earth Kingdom village that celebrates something called "Avatar Day". However, upon visiting the village, the team finds that the villagers are of an anti-Avatar sentiment, claiming that Avatar Kyoshi had killed their leader, Chin the Great. Shocked and dismayed by this, Aang resolves to stand trial in Kyoshi's stead, and Sokka and Katara are left to find evidence of the previous Avatar's innocence.

Meanwhile, Zuko has donned his Blue Spirit identity, and is stealing from Earth Kingdom villagers. When Iroh confronts Zuko about this, Zuko decides to split from his uncle and find his own way in the world.

Aang manages to resolve the court issue by channeling the spirit of Avatar Kyoshi. To everyone's surprise, she pleads guilty to the charge of slaying Chin the Great... a megalomaniac conqueror bent on subjugating her people. When it became clear that diplomacy would not solve anything, Avatar Kyoshi separated her people's peninsula from the mainland, creating the "Kyoshi Island" territory seen in the first season, and sending Chin the Conqueror plummeting to his doom. Deliberations are interrupted by a band of Fire Nation raiders, the "Rough Rhinos," who arrive and start busting up the town; despite his initial sentencing of "boiled in oil", Aang's sentence is switched to the "community service" of seeing them off. The final scene is of Aang, Katara and Sokka in the center of a no-longer-sarcastic Avatar Day. Though they still don't enjoy it, due to the pastries no longer being properly cooked.


Tropes:

  • All-Powerful Bystander: During Kyoshi's explanation of what happened, a map is shown of Chin's conquest, which includes the entire Earth Kingdom (except Ba Sing Se). At no point does Kyoshi actually try stopping Chin until he gets to her home... and then all she does is tell him to shove off.
  • Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: The wheel of punishment includes such sentences as mauled by bears, boiled in oil, and community service.
  • Audible Gleam: Sound effect when Aang stands on the shoulder of his straw puppet and removes his hat to reveal himself to be real thing.
  • Audience Murmurs: The crowd murmurs when the Surprise Witness is presented.
  • Awesome by Analysis: Well... kind of. Sokka manages to find considerable pieces of evidence that support Aang's defense, only for Katara to finish his sentences every time.
  • Bait-and-Switch: The Gaang are initially excited by Avatar Day, expecting a celebration in his honor. It's not.
  • Boots of Toughness: Avatar Kyoshi wore these, since she had "the biggest feet of any Avatar". Which makes sense, as compared against Chin, she was probably well over six feet tall.
  • Breather Episode: For the Gaang, at any rate. No Azula, just some angry locals and the Rough Rhinos.
  • Bubble Pipe: Sokka gets one for his Sherlock Holmes impression.
  • Bullying a Dragon: The entire episode revolves around a town of non-benders, with no non-bending warriors, threatening the Avatar, not pausing to consider just how stupid an idea that is. When Aang fights off the Fire Nation at the end of the episode, he shows that if it weren't for his good nature he could have just whipped them at the start. Or, you know, let the Rough Rhinos decimate their town.
    • Chin in the backstory. He picked a fight with Kyoshi, flat out threatening her to her face.
  • The Bus Came Back: Zig-zagged; despite the return to Kyoshi Island, Suki does not reappear, having decided to take part in the war thanks to the Gaang's last visit, along with the rest of the Kyoshi warriors. However, the head of Kyoshi Island does return. As does Koko, Aang's fangirl, and Foamy Mouth Guy.
  • Clear My Name: Aang decides he has to clear the Avatar's name when the citizens of a town accuse Avatar Kyoshi, one of Aang's past lives, of murdering their leader 370 years earlier. Of course, it was subverted when Kyoshi herself confessed to the murder (though under the circumstances, it would be considered more either an accident or self-defense; Kyoshi states in a later appearance that she considers this a meaningless distinction).
  • Comedic Underwear Exposure: When Chin the Conqueror refused to back down from Kyoshi, Kyoshi used airbending to blow away his clothes, leaving Chin wearing only his underwear loin and crown.
  • Courtroom Episode: This episode is structured around a court case proving a former Avatar not guilty of a crime committed 370 years ago.
  • Crazy Enough to Work: Katara's idea of having Aang wear Kyoshi's clothes to summon her spirit. It does work, only for Kyoshi to admit her guilt.
  • Detectives Follow Footprints: Sokka uses his magnifying glass to inspect the tiny footprint believed to be Avatar Kyoshi's. In the end, though, the footprint is revealed to actually be Chin the Great's.
  • Dirty Coward: Mayor Tong. After celebrating a holiday dedicated to hating the Avatar, imprisoning the current incarnation of said Avatar, refusing to listen to evidence proving Aang's innocence, and sentencing him to be boiled in oil, all with the most Smug Snake demeanor you can imagine... Fire Nation mercenaries show up, he squeals and hides, and begs Aang to save them. Mere seconds after sentencing him, mind you.
  • Disney Villain Death: This was the real fate of Chin. He was too angry at Kyoshi's retreat to notice that the newly formed cliff he's standing on was crumbling and he thus fell to his watery grave.
  • Disorganized Outline Speech: Aang's defense.
  • Disproportionate Retribution: The Chin 'justice' system apparently has the potential to sentence people to fates such as "boiled in oil" and "torture machine" for any and all offenses. Conversely, there's a chance that any offense will result in nothing but community service.
  • Dramatically Missing the Point: When Kyoshi confesses to killing Chin, she points out that he was a bloodthirsty conqueror who was trying to take over the world and threatening Kyoshi's home. The angry mob completely neglects this detail in favor of focusing on Kyoshi's "confession" and punishing Aang accordingly.
  • Easily Forgiven: Aang only needed Tong to pardon him with "community service" before he readily forgave the villagers and went to work saving their home from the Rough Rhinos.
  • Establishing Character Moment: While Avatar Kyoshi has been frequently mentioned prior to this episode, this is the first physical and speaking appearance of Kyoshi. And she immediately establishes herself as someone far different from Aang when she manifests within him. She flatly admits she did kill Chin, but only because he was a horrible tyrant and a power-hungry conqueror not unlike the Fire Lords of the Hundred Year War. She also displays the most impressive feat of the Avatar seen up to this point, using all four bendings to separate her home peninsula from the mainland and create Kyoshi Island, which inadvertently killed Chin in the process. From that point onward, Kyoshi has been consistently depicted as an uncompromising and powerful Avatar who was more warrior than diplomat like Roku.
  • Expy: The arrogant Jerkass Mayor Tong greatly resembles Chi-Fu in both appearance and personality, and even shares his voice actor.
  • Extremely Short Timespan: Both the main plot and the B story take place in the span of roughly 12 hours, from pre-dawn until twilight. Specifically, it all takes place on Avatar Day.
  • Eye Scream: When the torch carrier throws the torch into the straw Aang's eye. The real Aang winces sympathetically.
  • Face of a Thug: During Aang's stay in prison, he ends up meeting some very big, very imposing prisoners who he befriends almost immediately. They even give him some relationship advice for Katara. One of them even gets emotional.
  • False Confession: Zigzagged. Kyoshi readily admits to killing Chin here, but in a later episode, Aang points out that she technically didn't. During their confrontation, as Kyoshi was splitting off her home from the mainland, the cliff Chin was standing on began to crumble, but he refused to move to safety and thus fell to his death. However, Kyoshi herself rejects this distinction, as her intent was to kill Chin regardless of how the events ended up playing out, and states that had she needed to directly strike Chin down in order to stop him, she would have done so without hesitation.
  • Faux Horrific: Aang is briefly scared by an old man. He's not particularly menacing, or ugly, he just says "now look at us!" and Aang screams.
  • Foil: Chin's village is this to Kyoshi Island. On one hand, the Kyoshi Islanders greatly respect and revere the Avatar, recognizing all the help he's done for them. On the other hand, Chin's village despises the Avatar over one petty crime that wasn't even a real murder, willing to execute the Avatar despite him being the key to stopping the Fire Nation.
  • Foreshadowing:
    • Chin's village was not willing to accept Aang's payment for bail with Water Tribe money, despite that a merchant from earlier was flexible enough to accept it. This is a red flag of how arbitrary and intolerant the village is.
    • Heck, the fact that most of the inmates imprisoned by Chin's village are in fact kindly and friendly sorts clues in the audience that the village's justice system is rather skewed if they lock up people with good hearts, not just Aang.
    • The fact that Chin's village are intolerant of facts and rigged the jury to favor their story foreshadows that Chin was not as noble or great that the villagers claim him to be and that if Kyoshi did kill him, it was for a very good reason.
    • Iroh's speech to Zuko about not giving into despair when he is at his lowest is another clue to what happened to Iroh at Ba Sing Se.
  • Filler: The Zuko plot is not filler, nor is finding out what's going on with Suki, and the backstory to Kyoshi is nice, but the main story with the Gaang is pure Adventure Towns.
  • Gone Horribly Right: The Gaang's plan to attempt to summon Kyoshi's spirit through Aang's body using her clothes, which are still tied to her spirit. It works, but unfortunately, she confesses to "murdering" Chin.
  • Historical Hero Upgrade: In-universe, the people of the village idolize Chin as Chin the Great because he was so great. They offer no other explanation as to why he should be revered. Avatar Kyoshi reveals the truth as to why the villagers omit the details of Chin's "great" reputation: He was actually a horrible tyrant that nearly destabilized the entire Earth Kingdom through his conquest and was known elsewhere as Chin the Conqueror.
  • Historical Villain Upgrade: In-universe, this is what the people of the village have done to Avatar Kyoshi. The villagers claim that "Chin the Great" was mercilessly stabbed in the back by Kyoshi at his temple, when in reality, Chin The Conqueror was inflicting a reign of terror upon the Earth Kingdom and attempting to conquer Kyoshi's native island, her attack on him was in self-defense, and she was only accidentally responsible for his death.
  • History Repeats: 370 years ago, Chin tried to go up against Kyoshi, despite being a small man facing the Avatar. It went as well as you'd expect. In the present, the village that was built in his honor continually antagonize and persecute Aang, despite that they are but non-bending villagers and he's the Avatar. Apparently, they have learned goose egg from history. (See Bullying a Dragon).
  • Honour Before Reason: Aang goes along with being put in prison, and on trial for Kyoshi's "crimes" despite as Sokka points out he could just bust out of the prison and leave. Given the whole world is relying on him, no-one (except the people of Chin) would hold it against him.
  • Hyperspace Holmes Hat: During the investigation, Sokka pulls out a Futou (Chinese winged bureaucrat's hat), monocle, and bubble pipe from out of nowhere, making him look like a cross between Justice Bao and Sherlock Holmes.
  • Irony: The prisoners are far kindlier and understanding towards Aang than all of Chin's village put together.
  • It's All About Me: The villagers of Chin are perfectly willing to kill a minor in some pretty horrific ways, which would also screw over the rest of the world in the process, just over what one of his prior incarnations did several hundred years ago.
  • Jerkass Has a Point: In the beginning when the Gaang get attacked and Aang and Katara take the time to get his staff and her scrolls, but tell Sokka there's no time to get his boomerang. Sokka points out there was time for their stuff and not for his to which Katara says "That's correct!" But Aang and Katara noticed their stuff was left behind right away, and they immediately got it and got back to Appa. Sokka hadn't noticed his boomerang until after they had taken flight and were on their way out.
  • Jeweler's Eye Loupe: Sokka wears one when investigating the giant footprint of Avatar Kyoshi.
  • Just Eat Gilligan: Lampshaded; Aang could have escaped from Chin at any point he wished, and when the Fire Nation shows up, he shows that he could have escaped from his restraints at any time he wanted.
  • Kangaroo Court: Chin Village's legal system turns out to be this way. Evidence is not allowed, nor is anything resembling a defense. It is, quite literally, the plaintiff and the guilty party giving their sides of the story, then the mayor decides who's right. Yes, the same mayor vouching against the defense.
  • Karmic Death: Chin is revealed to have suffered one after his years of violence, due to his own pride.
  • Lampshade Hanging: On seeing Sokka smoking his bubble pipe, a confused Katara asks where he got it from.
  • The Magnificent: Chin the Great, or as Kyoshi knew him, the Conqueror.
  • Mama Bear: Avatar Kyoshi was acting as one to her village when she created Kyoshi Island.
  • Mouth Cam: The scene where we see a spider has built a web in Sokka's mouth while he's sleeping.
  • The Napoleon: Chin the Great turns out to have been a megalomaniacal pipsqueak.
  • Not Helping Your Case: Kyoshi briefly appears during the trial to confirm that she did in fact kill Chin. Subverted with the revelation that Chin was a conquering villain and his death was an indirect accident, although double subverted in the village being too far up their own ass to acquit Aang.
    • Though it also did waste time that kept Aang from being sentenced to death, long enough for the upcoming Fire Nation invasion...
  • Not So Above It All: An almost wordless example. When Iroh questions where Zuko's been getting all these goods and treasures, Zuko rebels that it doesn't matter where they came from. Iroh gives him a knowing glare that indicates he suspect Zuko's stealing, and he doesn't like it. But then he takes a bite out of a pastry Zuko most likely got from stealing, prompting him to get a satisfied expression, as though deciding he'll let it slide as long as he gets more pastries.
    • Aang briefly refuses to help the town from being attacked by the Rough Rhinos citing "He's supposed to be boiled in oil right now", though he helps when they switch his punishment to community service.
  • Orifice Invasion: Momo grabs a spider out of Sokka's mouth at the beginning of the episode. Played for Laughs.
  • Our Founder: The village has a jade statue of Chin in the middle of the outdoor court, the leader of the Rough Rhinos slices it to pieces and implies he'll do it to the mayor.
  • Play-Along Prisoner: As noted elsewhere on the page, Aang could have easily escaped prison even without his bending. It was the principle of the thing that mattered.
  • Prison Rape: Alluded to. While Katara and Sokka go to clear his name, there's a shot of Aang in prison, where he’s approached by a huge, tough-looking convict talk about how he thinks Aang's going to fit in very well. Cue cut to a different scene. When the episode gets back to Aang, we see that the convicts have, indeed, become friends with him and are kindly giving him relationship advice about his crush on Katara.
  • "Rashomon"-Style: There are two conflicting tales of what Kyoshi was doing on the day that would be known as "Avatar Day" in Chin Village (or "Kyoshi Day" in Kyoshi Island).
    • Mayor Tong claims that Avatar Kyoshi emerged from the temple on sunset, struck Chin the Great down, and left behind a small footprint. Chin's statue was built to mourn the fallen hero though both the statue and the temple were carved from the same stone.
    • Oyaji, the head of Kyoshi Island, finds it preposterous that Kyoshi would murder someone. He claims Kyoshi was present at the ceremony of Kyoshi Island's founding on that same day at sunrise (or sunset according to the painting), and she had the largest feet of any Avatar. Sokka and Katara deduce that Kyoshi couldn't be two places at once and thus had an alibi.
    • Eventually, Avatar Kyoshi reveals the truth: She was responsible for Chin's death but Chin was also actually a horrible tyrant who tried to conquer the Earth Kingdom; Kyoshi Island was a peninsula that she separated from the mainland to protect her people from Chin the Conqueror; the tiny footprint was actually made by Chin himself; and Chin wasn't directly killed by Kyoshi but rather fell to his own doom because he was too stubborn to move from the unstable cliff created by Kyoshi splitting the land in two.
  • Red Baron: Chin was actually known as Chin the Conqueror outside of Chin Village due to him nearly conquering the entire Earth Kingdom. And he wasn't a nice person to begin with.
  • Revenge Before Reason: The Chin Village couldn't care less that Aang (and his previous two incarnations) have done the world good. They rather see him imprisoned and executed for something Avatar Kyoshi did centuries ago, regardless it could spell doom for their world in wake of the Fire Nation's invasion. They don't even change their minds when Kyoshi herself reveals that Chin "the Great" was a conqueror who was trying to take over the world.
  • Self-Disposing Villain: Although Kyoshi claims to have killed Chin, it's more accurate to say that Chin ended up killing himself because he was too stubborn to move from the crumbling cliff.
  • Serious Business: Sokka's the detective here, as he keeps reminding Katara. Eventually she gets annoyed enough by this to bludgeon him with his own pipe.
  • Shadow Archetype: The Chin village to Kyoshi Island. Whilst Kyoshi Island greatly revere the Avatar as their founder and savior, Chin Village hates the Avatar for killing Chin and reducing their Empire to a measly town.
  • Shaped Like Itself: According to Mayor Tong, the reason everyone loved Chin the Great was "because he was so great".
  • Shipper on Deck: The prison Aang has to remain in is filled with several dangerous looking criminals... who are actually amiable with him and give him love advice with Katara.
  • Slapstick: Katara interrupts Sokka's conclusions several times, then once they get to Kyoshi's shrine she looks like she's about to do it again...only for Sokka to shove her across the room, causing a startled yelp and crash.
  • Sleazy Politician: The Mayor is absolutely this.
  • Slipped the Ropes: Once Aang is imprisoned, he's "restrained" with his head and arms put through the holes of a wooden plank. The holes are bigger than his head and wrists, so he releases himself easily, but he doesn't leave the prison.
  • Stock Punishment: The pillory Aang has to wear.
  • Surprise Witness: Subverted. They manage to get Avatar Kyoshi to appear, but she admits to killing Chin.
  • Too Dumb to Live: Chin picked a fight with an Avatar. Amazingly, Kyoshi doesn't directly kill him, he just happens to be screaming on top of a newly-created cliff, which crumbles underneath his feet.
    • The Chin villagers are also this, honestly, without a shadow of a doubt believing that imprisoning the Avatar and trying to execute him is a good idea, never once stopping to consider the possibility that killing him will screw them (and the world as a whole) over in the process.
  • Two Lines, No Waiting: The A story is Aang's trial and attempt to clear his past incarnation's name, the B story is Iroh's failed attempt to talk Zuko out of stealing.
  • Undignified Death: How Chin really died. He wasn't stabbed in the back by Avatar Kyoshi at his temple like the Chin villagers believed. He instead suffered a Disney Villain Death because he was too stubborn to notice that the newly created cliff he was standing on was unstable. Oh and this was after Kyoshi's airbending blew off his clothes, meaning he died in his underwear.
  • Vestigial Empire: Chin the Conqueror ruled almost the entire Earth Kingdom in the days of Avatar Kyoshi. Now, there's apparently only a tiny village left that remains loyal to his memory.
  • Villain with Good Publicity: Chin. He's revered as a hero by the villagers despite being a conquering megalomaniac. Subverted, when the villagers hear Kyoshi's confession, which they at first don't care about and still demand Aang's death, but they fully back out of this reverence for Chin when they are later saved from the Rough Rhinos by Team Avatar.
  • Wham Episode: A relatively small one, but the B story has Zuko and Iroh split up.
  • Wham Line: Two of them.
    Tong: Evidence? Hmph! That's not how our court system works.

    Kyoshi: I killed Chin the Conqueror.
  • Worst. Whatever. Ever!: What the Gaang thinks of the town at the end, almost said verbatim.
    • The town was previously known for its yearly festival, which (aside from celebrating their hatred of the Avatar) was famous for its delicious fried pastries. Now that they don't fry their festival pastries (to honor that the Avatar was not boiled in oil), they don't even have that going for them anymore.

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