LogFAQs > #942390085

#15: The Desert (2.11)

And now, the 2nd part of that three parter. The desert deals with the immediate aftermath of losing Appa, as well as the kids finding themselves stranded on a large desert like they were not expected to be, since they could fly before.

Aand is mad, and almost out of control. Toph reminds us why she is poorly equipped to deal with situations involving people, which is made worse by the fact she is not as great at bending sand (a thing she would work hard to remedy, as we see in a later S3 episode). Sokka might have been a resource, but then he decides to drink cactus juice early in the episode and becomes just another liability. Which is great for the viewers, because Cactus High Sokka is one of the greatest things to ever happen to television. Nuff said.

But when the whole team is in danger of falling apart, Katara reminds us why she is one of the best characters, having easily the most emotional intelligence of the group. She just forces them to stay together, she patiently endures Aang's angry ramblings, and makes them push through, and keeps them hydrated while handling thirst herself. Eventually, they reach the end of the desert and find the bandits who stole Appa. As Aang goes into Avatar State and threatens to kill them, Katara, once again, manages to calm him down. Aang is far from healed, but Katara managed to keep him from losing himself before then.

It's a great episode about overcoming loss, and about teamwork and hardship in difficult situations.