We have a problem, lol. See my Critical Notes after the breakdown.
ONE
We see Zuko riding his ostrich-horse across a ravine bridge in a desertscape. (The Western theme is set right away.) His stomach rumbles as he smells meat cooking. Grasping his knife, he considers killing the man tending the fire.
THREE
The man turns to attend to his pregnant wife. (This is a couple we will see again in a later episode.) Zuko continues on, drinking the last of his water.
TWO
Now woozy and faint, Zuko dreams of his mother as she walks away from him.
FOUR
Under a blazing sun, a settlement appears.
A gang of men playing at dice eye Zuko as he rides into town. He wants to stable his horse and eat, but he only has enough money for animal feed. Hiding nearby, a kid throws an egg at the gang and runs away. Seeing only Zuko, the gang accuses him, then takes his grain bag “for the army”. They snigger, and the lead thug pats his mace.
Popping up, the kid thanks Zuko for not ratting him out, then leads the ostrich-horse to his house. The boy, Lee, introduces his parents. Zuko won’t say his own name but can’t come up with a lie. They accept him, inviting him to supper if he’ll help on the barn.
On the roof, Zuko can’t nail shingles at all. (He’s hilariously terrible.) Lee asks personal questions and Zuko dodges.
Flashback to Zuko as a boy, sitting by a pond with his mother. The world is sepia-toned. He and his mother are close, snuggling, as they feed the turtle-ducks. Azula, meanwhile, plays with girl Mai and Ty Lee, scheming ways to humiliate Zuko. Mom shares a letter from Uncle Iroh at the siege of Ba Sing Se. He has knocked a hole in the wall and hopes to soon invade. For Zuko he sends an Earth Kingdom general’s dagger, and for Azula a doll. Azula, disgusted, sets the doll on fire and says her father would make a better Fire Lord than Iroh will.
Back to Zuko, asleep in the barn, as Lee sneaks in and takes his swords. Zuko, of course, is awake. He watches Lee practice with the swords in a sunflower field, than approaches. “You’re holding them wrong.” He gives Lee a lesson.
SWITCH
Daytime, and Zuko mounts up. In a dust cloud, the thugs arrive to tell the family that their son’s battalion got captured. As Zuko steps between them, he flashes back on a memory. His mom, crying, reads a letter that Iroh’s son has died in the war.
FIVE
In the present day, this dad is going to the front to get his son. Zuko gives Lee the Earth Kingdom dagger and rides away.
Flashback to boy Zuko practicing with the same dagger. Azula taunts him: Uncle’s coming home as a quitter. His son died and he fell apart. A real general would burn the city to the ground.
In the throne room, the children are tested in front of the their grandfather, the Fire Lord. Azula knows the answers, and also shows off her fighting skills with an impressive child’s kata. Zuko asks to demonstrate as well, but his fighting is dismal. Azula grins. His mom hugs him and tells him she loves that he keeps fighting even when it’s hard.
Everyone leaves except their father, and Azula pulls Zuko behind a drape to spy. Ozai argues that Iroh should have his birthright revoked. His bloodline is ended and he abandoned the siege. Fire rises around the throne as grandfather becomes angry. Zuko runs away before hearing what Ozai’s punishment will be.
Later, when Zuko’s in bed, Azula comes in and says, “Dad’s going to kill you.” She stayed and heard the rest of the meeting. The Fire Lord’s punishment should fit Ozai’s crime, and he shall know the pain of losing a son. Zuko won’t believe Azula.
SIX
Back to Zuko in the present. The farm mother finds him and asks for help. The boy Lee pulled the dagger on the thugs, and they took him away for the army.
SEVEN
“I’ll get your son back.”
EIGHT
Zuko rides into town like Clint Eastwood. He confronts the thugs in the street, and the showdown commences. One by one Zuko, using simple fight techniques, dispatches each thug until only the boss with the maces is left. Dual-wielding, the boss uses his maces to throw earth bending rocks at Zuko. Although he defends with his swords, Zuko is worn down by the beating of the rocks.
Flashback to his childhood as his mom leaves. “Never forget who you are,” she says.
Back to town as Zuko rises in a storm of fire. The boss goes flying. Someone asks, “Who are you?” and Zuko answers, “Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne.” No, you’re an outcast. When Zuko offers Lee the dagger, the boy rejects it, saying, “I hate you.”
Child Azula has the dagger, telling boy Zuko, “Grandpa passed away last night.” Zuko wants his knife back, wants to know where his mother is. Cut to the funeral in front of the entire Fire Nation. The priest announces that, per his dying wish, the Fire Lord is now succeeded by his second son, Ozai. All in attendance bow down.
NINE
Rejected by the townspeople, Zuko rides out of town and into the sunset.
CRITICAL NOTES
Well, obviously, that reversed Two/Three is where we need to start. Zuko’s dream of his mother must be the Two because this is the Trouble confronted at the Eight. This entire episode is: What happened to Mom? The Three/Six — how Zuko reacts to mothers in trouble — are beautiful supporting beats. Everything is harmonious, so why are the Two and Three backwards?
If the Two were in its proper place, we’d already know this is the Mom episode, and the pregnant woman would have more resonance. Right now she just feels random. The episode as it stands has a structural mistake. Is the episode ruined? Of course not. But if this were fixed and the beats put in correct order, holes in the plot would be easier for the writers to identify. Mom mysteriously walks away at the Two, therefore her story must resolve at the Eight.
What does actually happen with Mom? A satisfying end would be more likely if this episode had been structurally sound. I know this is a children’s show, so some answers must remain coy, but did Ozai kill his father? Did Mom sacrifice herself in order to save Zuko? Large, emotional issues are raised and then left unfinished. I don’t like when women in stories vaguely disappear. As the plot now stands, Mom has basically been fridged.