ONE
Our group rides the train from the outer wall into Ba Sing Se. Sokka jokes about their bad luck, and Katara reassures Aang that they’ll find Appa. As the train passes through the inner wall, the city stretches before them for miles in each direction. Even a giant bison might be hard to find in such a dense metropolis.
They disembark at the train depot. Aang blows his bison whistle with no result.
TWO
An overly-smiling woman approaches. It’s Joo Dee, come to show the Avatar the city. She knows all their names. When Sokka interrupts, insisting they tell the Earth King about the coming invasion, Joo Dee ignores him. He tries again. The camera goes close on Joo Dee’s smiling face: the city is perfectly safe.
THREE
They tour the city in a carriage. Joo Dee explains that the city has many walls to help maintain order. Katara asks why all the poor people are blocked off into this part of the city?
FOUR
Transition to Zuko and Iroh, who obviously live in this refugee section. Iroh, cheerful, tells Zuko he’s found them jobs. As they walk down the street, Jet steps out and watches. He’s looking for proof of firebending, he reassures his gang, then he’ll turn them over to the police.
Meanwhile, Joo Dee takes our group on a very boring and generic city tour. Toph says they’re being handled.
Jet lurks outside a building. Inside, Zuko and Iroh put on aprons. Their new job is in tea service. The owner offers them each a cup. Iroh finds it terrible and decides to make changes.
Our group has reached the Upper Ring, home to the most important citizens. They drive past the Royal Palace, guarded by the Dai Li. The Avatar’s guest house is further along. Joo Dee tells them their request to see the King will be processed in a month, which outrages Sokka. Resigned, Aang decides to use the time looking for Appa. Joo Dee insists on escorting him.
They try asking at a pet shop if anyone’s seen a flying bison. Where would someone sell an illegal animal? Joo Dee gives the owner a look, and he claims he knows nothing. She leaves them back at their house and tells them to rest.
Across the street, a face peeks at them. When our group approaches, the man is friendly, but he warns them: whatever you do, stay away from the Dai Li.
That night, Jet spies on Iroh and Zuko in their apartment. Iroh is still making tea, but the spark rocks to heat the water are missing. Jet stole them. Instead of firebending, as Jet wishes, Iroh pops next door and borrows from the nice neighbors.
SWITCH
The next morning, Katara has an idea. She’s seen a notice that the King is having a party tonight for his pet bear. They’ll just follow the crowd. Toph shuts down the idea saying Katara’s a country bumpkin who doesn’t know society manners. But she can teach her. The two guys, however, are hopeless.
FIVE
That evening, Katara and Toph step out in full makeup and dress. Their plan is to get into the party, then let the guys in by a side gate.
Meanwhile, Jet still spies on the tea shop. The rest of his gang tell him he’s become obsessed. Fine, he doesn’t need their help. Inside the shop, customers rave about Iroh’s tea. The owner offers to give Iroh a raise. Jet bursts through the door and accuses Iroh of being a firebender. He pulls out his swords. At a table, officers tell him to calm down. Instead, Zuko grabs their swords and duels Jet. Freeze frame on their battle, and . . .
. . . cut to Katara and Toph arriving at the palace. They have no invitation. Toph uses her family crest and tries to bluff, but it doesn’t work. However, Katara sees an obviously important man arriving, and tries to persuade him to help. He agrees. The doorman bows to him and the girls follow him in.
In the party, the bear sits at the head of the dining table. It jumps onto the table and tears into the roast. Katara and Toph enter with their friendly gentleman who introduces himself as Long Feng. He refuses to abandon them until they can find their family.
The guys, hanging around the back of the palace, notice wait staff entering and decide to pose as bus boys.
Zuko and Jet battle into the street.
Toph immediately hears the “twinkle toes” footsteps of Aang and finds the two bus boys. Long Feng is gone, but Joo Dee rushes up in a panic. She tries to force them to leave, which leads to Aang spilling water on a guest. Trying to help, Aang shoots an air blast at the lady, ruining her hair and make-up. Instead of a disaster, though, the lady is excited to see the Avatar at the party. He entertains them all with bending tricks while Sokka sneaks away to look for the King. Even the bear is amused.
Back to the street duel. Two officials approach and order them to stop. Jet accuses Zuko of being a firebender, and Iroh tells him he’s confused. The owner, whose shop has been destroyed, sticks up for Iroh. So do the officers, who call Iroh the finest tea maker in the city. Jet is taken away, protesting.
At the party, the King arrives in a palanquin. Jumping on his air ball, Aang calls out greetings and rolls forward. The palanquin continues on, though, and our group is quietly captured.
SIX
Aang is met by Long Feng, who reveals himself as head of the Dai Li. He sequesters our group in the library where Sokka passionately argues to see the King.
SEVEN
Long Feng makes it clear that he actually runs the city, including the military. The King is a cultural figurehead.
EIGHT
As Long Feng tells the group that the war is never mentioned in the city, we see Jet in prison as the Dai Li strap him to a chair. Crosscut Long Feng — a calm and menacing presence — with Jet as the guard brainwashes him. “There is no war in Ba Sing Se.”
Aang protests. He’ll tell everyone about the war. Long Feng quietly threatens that it would be a shame if he couldn’t continue to look for his bison. Now, Joo Dee will see you home.
NINE
But the woman who enters and introduces herself as Joo Dee and smiles mindlessly is not the same person. Their Joo Dee has been replaced.
CRITICAL NOTES
At the Three, our group begins to “be handled”, as Toph calls it. At the Six, they learn that Long Feng is the handler. Their side of the episode is a discovery that the Earth King is not in charge of his own kingdom.
It’s fun to see Iroh win over the city with his tea making skills, but their side of the episode is here to give us Jet, who exposes the Dai Li’s torture. At the Two, Joo Dee’s smile makes us suspicious and uneasy. At the Eight we see what’s behind that smile.
This episode makes sense in the overall arc of the season. Did you think our group could just walk into Ba Sing Se and see the King? There needs to be a struggle. That’s drama. However, I feel as handled as Toph. This is an unpleasant city that I don’t want to visit. I just want to find Appa.