This is the first episode in Book 3: Fire to not have a commercial aired for it right after the debut of the previous episode. (edit) This episode is available in the Avatar Book 3: Fire Volume 2 DVD along with The Runaway, The Puppetmaster, Nightmares and Daydreams, and The Day of Black Sun Part 1: The Invasion.
(edit) Character Debut: Ta Min, Young Sozin, Fire Lord Sozin, Young Roku (edit) Avatar Roku enters the Avatar State twice. First is when he faces Firelord Sozin angrily; the second is when he is trying to stop the eruption of the volcano. (edit) Aang said to Roku that he was amazed that Roku was fighting a volcano, even though Aang had battled one too in The Fortuneteller. (edit) Ability Debut: Firebenders have the ability to trasfer heat from one place to another. (edit) In this episode, Iroh reveals to Zuko that Ursa's grandfather was killed by Ozai's grandfather, but also that at one time they were best friends. This could be a reverse progression of Zuko and Aang's future friendship. (edit) Gyatso demonstrated an airbending form Aang coined as "Sky Surfing" while Gyatso was assisting in the training of Roku. It involves balancing on the mast of the glider in midair. (edit) Avatar Roku was friends with Monk Gyatso, and it appears that friendships can transcend lifetimes. (edit) When Aang wakes up in the Spirit World, he has no hair and he is back in his Air Nomad uniform. (edit) Sokka claims that the Spirit World does not have bathrooms, referencing the time he was trapped during The Spirit World. (edit) Translations
On the scroll written by Sozin, the word airbender is written as (fēng xié gōng shī) which translates as 'wind coercing master.' On the boxes which held the diary scrolls, 'Fire Lord Sozin' is written as (lič huǒ jūn sū jėn). Sozin or Sū Jėn translates as 'resurrection enters.' The word Sū was also used for Zuko's name on the segment's title card in The Tales of Ba Sing Se. (edit) Roku had problems mastering Water, which would be the element opposite of Fire, just as Aang has trouble mastering earthbending, the element opposite of Air. (edit) Both Roku and Sozin were shown to own dragons during their lifetime, suggesting that one does not have to be in tune with the spiritual world (ie: be the current Avatar) to have access to a dragon and that dragons could just be among the many other creatures that can exist in the Avatar: The Last Airbender Universe. (edit) It is revealed that Aang had hair when he was born. (edit) It seems Roku could control the Avatar State, seeing how he used it in his brief battle against Sozin. (edit) It took 12 years for Roku to master all the elements. (edit) This is the first episode in which we see the full potential of a master avatar. (edit) Iroh had been sending Zuko the scrolls telling him to find out more about his ancestors and explained to him that there is a good and bad side to his family history. Zuko needs to find out which path to take. (edit) It is revealed that Roku gets married, and Sozin was his best man. (edit) Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin had many things in common, including birthdays. (edit) This episode shows Aang being born right after Roku and his dragon, Fang, meet their demise. (edit) Iroh reveals that Ursa's grandfather is Avatar Roku, thus making him Zuko and Azula's maternal great grandfather. (edit) This episode occurs on the Summer Solstice- exactly six months after Book 1, Chapter 8: Avatar Roku, which occured on the Winter Solstice. (edit) This episode marks the first time that Iroh has spoken this season. It also marks the first episode in which Greg Baldwin portrayed the character on his own. (edit) This is the first episode of Avatar to air in the UK before it aired in the US- it aired in the UK on 24/10/2007 (edit) A two minute preview of this episode was aired on YTV a week before the airdate of the first episode of this season - The Awakening. (edit)

Aang: And I also think it was about friendships.
Toph: Do you really think friendships can last more than one lifetime?
(Aang holds Toph's hand)
Aang: I don't see why not.
Katara grabs Toph's hand)
Sokka: Well, scientifically speaking, there's no way to prove that-
Katara: Oh Sokka, just hold hands!
(Sokka quickly grabs Katara's hand while still in his thinking pose, Katara smiles) (edit) Sozin: Looks like I win again Roku.
Roku: Are you kidding? The tree root did all the work. Nice one, Sozin. (edit) (After Aang told his friends what Roku told him)
Katara: You mean after everything they went through, after all those years, and even after Roku showed him mercy, Sozin betrayed him like that?!
Toph: Wow. Those guys are just born bad. (edit) Roku: I'm letting you go, Sozin. I'm letting you go as a tribute to our past friendship, but I warn you: one more step out of line will result in your permanent end. (edit) Roku: Sozin, it's my wedding! Have a cookie! Dance with someone! (edit) Zuko: You sent this, didn't you, I found the secret history, which by the way should be renamed the history most people already know. The note said I needed to know about my great-grandfather's demise, but he was still alive in the end.
Iroh: No... he wasn't.
Zuko: What are you talking about?
Iroh: You have more than one great-grandfather, Prince Zuko. Sozin was your father's grandfather. Your mother's grandfather was Avatar Roku.
(Zuko starts in disbelief.)
Zuko: Why are you telling me this?
Iroh: Because understanding the struggle between your two great-grandfathers can help you better understand the battle within yourself. Evil and good are always at war inside you, Zuko, it is your nature, your legacy. But there is a bright side: what happened generations ago can be resolved now, by you. Because of your legacy, you alone can cleanse the sins of our family, and the fire nation. Born in you, along with all strife, is the power to restore balance to the world. (edit) Roku: Love's hard when you're young.
Aang: You don't have to tell me.
Roku: Don't worry; it gets better. (edit) Aang: You were friends with Fire Lord Sozin?
Roku: Back then he was just Prince Sozin, and he was my best friend. (edit) (Aang makes a grunting noise, and what appears to be him soiling himself, followed by a sigh of relief, while he is still connecting with the spirit world)
Katara: Do they have bathrooms in the spirit world?
Sokka: As a matter of fact, they do not. (edit) Roku: I've seen the colonies, Sozin. How dare you occupy Earth Kingdom Territory!
Sozin: How dare you- a citizen of the Fire Nation- address your Fire Lord this way? And your loyalty is to our nation first- anything less makes you a traitor.
Roku: Don't do this, Sozin. Don't challenge me- it will only end badly. It's over.
(Roku turns and walks away- and Sozin unleashs a fire blast at him.) (edit)

At the end of his training, Roku referred to it as bitter work. This is in reference to the second season episode Bitter Work in which Aang was struggling to learn earthbending. (edit) When Sozin is landing from his jump at the beginning of the spar, the left flame of the ornament is red and his topknot is gold. (edit) Firelord Sozin is Zuko's grandfather on his Father's side and Avatar Roku is Zukos Grandfather on his mother's side which makes Avatar Roku and Firelord Sozin brother-in-law's. (edit) In this episode we see the hair piece worn by the crown prince, but the problem is, how can Iroh have given the exact same hair piece to Zuko if Roku had lost it after trying to save his island?

It is possible that the head piece of the crown prince is an artifact given to each crown prince of each generation. If so, the head piece Iroh gives Zuko is his own. By that logic, Zuko should have one of his own, too, but perhaps not because of his father's unsual ascent to the throne. (edit) In the beginning of the episode, Prince Sozin gives Roku the hair piece that was supposed to be worn by the crown prince. Even on the night when Roku dies, we see it. This shows us that Roku cared about Sozin even when they were enemies. (edit) When Sozin catches Roku's first attack when we first see them and it forms a sphere in his palm, Sozin's eyes lose their pupils and light. Simultaneously, the topknot above the ornament turns gold. (edit) During the fight when Sozin shot a huge fire blast at Roku, we know that Roku who was still walking on the carpet went into the earth to avoid the blast. But moment later, we can see the carpet was completely intact. (edit) Airbending is about controlling the flowing of air around the bender's body, but when Roku and his wife were escaping from the volcano, Roku shot a strong wind to create a tunnel with fresh air. However, since the air around Roku was all polluted, he couldn't possibly create a air tunnel with fresh air in it. (edit) When Roku saw the colonies and went to talk to Sozin, his mustache was almost completely white, after a while when he finished attacking Sozin, his mustache became gray. (edit) We all know that Toph used the piece of meteorite that Sokka gave her as a ornament around her left arm, at the last moment of the episode, the meteorite on her left arm disappeared. (edit) If Roku had mastered the Avatar state, being able to enter it at will, how could he still have affection for his wife, as she would prevent him from forgetting his earthly bondings, locking his last chakra. (edit) Fang (Roku's dragon) gave his life and died with Roku. (edit) When Roku is showing Aang his past lives using the Avatar State (Season 2, episode 1), the Fire Nation Avatar, shown after Yangchan, can actually control lava, since he manages to make three volcanoes erupt and conduct their lava flow. It's therefore very odd that Roku didn't have such skill. (edit) Iroh tells Zuko that because he has Sozin and Roku's blood running through his veins, he is always at conflict within himself; though Azula who shares the same blood as him, does not seem to suffer from this like Zuko does. (edit) This is the first time Iroh talks in the series since The Crossroads of Destiny. (edit) In this episode Aang moves, when he's connected with the Spirit World. Usually his body remains still like an empty shell, so it is unusual that he moved this time. (edit) Roku had three friends from the other nations and a wife from the Fire Nation, representing the four elements. Also three of them are alluded to by a member of the Aang Gang. Katara is very similar to Roku's wife with a similar hairstyle, facial features, and maybe coloring. Sokka is Roku's waterbending teacher. Toph is similar to Roku's earth teacher by his soleless feet and competitive nature. Roku and Aang were also friends with Monk Gyatso. At the end of the episode Toph asks if friendships can last more than one life time, that sentiment plus the similarities suggest the Avatar isn't the only one who is reincarnated, or rather each Avatar tends to draw similar people to them. (edit) In this episode, it is shown that both Sozin and Roku had dragons - Sozin's is blue and Roku's is red, just like in the episode The Earth King when Zuko is having his "nightmares" involving two dragons - one red the other blue. Also voiced by contrasting characters Iroh (red) and Azula (blue), possibly symbolizing the outcome of Zukos choices. (edit) In this episode, Aang was not in the Avatar State. In fact, he was in the state of connection. It was seen in the season 1 finale with the two fish, when we see Aang, glowing but not in the Avatar State, so when he glows, he is either in the Avatar State or the Spirit Connection. (edit) It seems that Fire Lord Sozin could distract the heat from the lava and emanate into the air, demonstrating firebenders ability to not only use and increase fire but to decrease and get rid of it as well (in elemental terms lava is fire + earth). (edit) Avatar Roku's spirit seems to be as old as he was when he died, but he still wears the headpiece, but he died without it. So his spirit represents his last and his usual appearance as well. (edit) Avatar Roku hints to Aang that if he is determined enough, he will end up with the one he loves. (edit) In this episode, it is revealed that Avatars can marry and have children. (edit)

The hair ornament that that Sozin gave Roku is an allusion to the Japanese kanzashi. Kanzashi are instruments can be put into your hair. In some cases, the quality of your kanzashi was determined by your social status, just like only royalty had that hair ornament in Avatar. (edit) The Volcanic Eruption at Thera

In the prehistorical time period of the Minoans (The Bronze Age), an island north of Crete called Thera (modern day Santorini) had a volcanic eruption that rivals the intensity of that of Mt. Vesuvius at Pompeii and Herculaneum. This eruption covered the city of Akrotiri in a solid layer of ash and debris. This city had buildings as many as 4 stories high but all were covered in debris. This could be alluded to Roku's town that was covered in debris by a volcanic eruption. This is evident that the town is buried by Toph's comments when landing on the island. Also this island is also away from the main island, like Thera is to Crete. (edit) Roku and Sozin being friends rather than enemies with the same birthdays is just like Gale Glory and Gale King who are the same from Rave Master. (edit) Air Surfing is much like Lifting from "Eureka Seven". (edit) The technique Fire Lord Sozin used to divert the steam from the volcano is similiar to the one Iroh showed to Zuko on how to divert lighting. (edit) The story of The Avatar and the Fire Lord is very similar to the story of the movie 'The Ten Commandments'. Moses (Charlton Heston) grew up in the pharaoh's palace as a prince, until he must choose the people's interest instead of his own, and he becomes a prophet who has to struggle with the new pharaoh, his former brother, Rameses II. (Yul Brynner). However Moses successfully made the Exodus of his people, he couldn't finish his mission, which was fulfilled by his successor, Joshua. (edit) Zuko comes to know the details of the eruption from Sozen's reminiscence, similarly how we know the details of the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum from the letter of Pliny the Younger, who was Pliny the Elder’s nephew and heir. (edit) When Katara asks if there are any bathrooms in the Spirit World and Sokka says no there isn't. This is a refrence to the episode The Spirit World which when Sokka was saved he said "I really need to go to the bathroom". (edit)