Writer:	Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino
Director:	Giancarlo Volpe
Star:	Jack DeSena (Sokka),  Dee Bradley Baker (Appa/Momo/Various Others),  Mae Whitman (Katara),  Zach Tyler Eisen (Aang),  Jessie Flower (Toph (Episodes 26- )),  Olivia Hack (Ty Lee),  Makoto Iwamatsu (Uncle Iroh),  Dante Basco (Prince Zuko),  Grey DeLisle (Princess Azula),  Cricket Leigh (Mai)
Recurring Role:	Jim Meskimen (General How),  André Sogliuzzo (Hakoda),  Clancy Brown (Long Feng),  Sab Shimono (Master Yu)
Guest Star:	Brian George (Guru Pathik),  Richard McGonagle (Bato),  Phil LaMarr (Earth King),  Brian George (Guru),  Marc Graue (Xin Fu)

Military Debut: Southern Water Tribe warriors (edit) Princess Azula learns from the Earth King that there will be a solar eclipse on a future day, which will be the day the Fire Nation will be attacked. (edit) It is revealed that Aang's greatest fear is facing Fire Lord Ozai. (edit) The location of the second chakra, the Water chakra dealing with pleasure, is the only one that is never explicitly mentioned anywhere within the episode. This is most likely due to the fact second chakra (Swadhisthana) is located in the pelvic region and is related to sexual emotions and processes, hence its connection to pleasure, and such a fact was deemed inappropriate for children's programming. (edit) Aang's visions through the sequence of the chakras are each tinted to follow the sequence of the color spectrum, from red to violet. (edit)

Azula: We have been presented with an extraordinary opportunity, girls.
Ty Lee: Mai finally gets to wear make-up that's not totally depressing?
Mai: (make-up smeared all over her face, sarcastically) Ha, ha. (edit) Zuko: (enthusiastically) Now let's make these people some tea.
Iroh: (eagerly) Yes! Let's make some tea!
(edit) Katara: Thank goodness you're here Suki! Something terrible is going on. The fire nation has infiltrated the city I just saw Prince Zuko and his uncle! (Azula's eyes widen) We have to tell the Earth King right away!
Azula: Oh don't worry. I'll be sure to let him know. (edit) Master Yu: I believe we need to go right.
Xin Fu: What are you talking about? The Beifong estate's this way.
Master Yu: I'm quite certain you're mistaken.
Toph (knocking on the metal box): Hey! Can you two old ladies quit your bickering for a second? I gotta go to the bathroom!
Master Yu: Oh...uh...Ok but make it quick. (Master Yu pulls out the key for the box and is about to open the metal box, but Xin Fu stops him)
Xin Fu: What's wrong with you?!
Master Yu: Oh! Very sneaky Toph! Nice try, but you can't trick me!
Toph: Let me out of here so I can kick both your butts! Xin Fu: Quit your banging! You might think you're the greatest Earthbender in the world, but even you can't bend metal. (edit) Mai: Uhhh. I'm tired of wearing this girly disguise. I don't know how anyone could fight in this.
Ty Lee: Maybe thats why it was so easy to beat the Kyoshi Warriors and take their clothes.
(Dai Li agent looks at Mai and Ty Lee)
Mai: How much longer do we have to serve the Earth King? If I have to clean up one more pile of bear poop, I'm gonna throw up.
Ty Lee: Princess Azula promised we would go back to the Fire Nation as soon as we captured the Avatar. We just have to be patient.
Mai: Shush up! Do you want the whole palace to know we're Fire Nation?
Ty Lee (whispers): Sorry.
(Dai Li agent creeps away; Azula walks out)
Azula: Good work girls. I'm sure the Dai Li will deliver the message. (edit)

The characters on the sign inside Iroh's teashop read a proverb: "It is better to go for three days without food than one day without tea". (edit) From this episode onward (except for The Awakening), Zuko's hair appears as a dark brown instead of black. (edit) When Katara is told by General How to deliver the battle plans to the Earth King, she says she will do it right away and it's day. But if you watch closely the following scenes are at sunset, at night, at day again, then at night once more when Katara reached the throne room. This couldn't be possible since Katara just made a quick stop at "The Jasmin Dragon" between her two scenes. (edit) In the part when the guru teaches Aang to open the 4th chakra, Aang turns his head to his left to see a woman Airbender statue, but actually, the statue is to his right. (edit)

The writers once again bring up the seasonal concept of everything and everyone being connected, or rather sharing "branches of the same tree", within this episode. Guru Pathik's instruction how the greatest illusion of time is separation echoed that of Huu's teachings in The Swamp. Aang even goes as far as reciting his "everything is connected" line he uttered after being imparted with the precept in the episode. (edit) The process of Aang opening the seven chakras to master the Avatar State draws heir to the characters Rock Lee and Might Guy of the anime/manga series Naruto. In the show, they are taijutsu experts who are able to open chakra gates in order to achieve immense, almost godlike power, much like that of the Avatar State. The only difference being that have the two have the potential to open eight and that the opening of the gates takes a severe physical strain on their bodies, whereas for Aang the toll is primarily emotional. (edit) The food Iroh is cooking in the morning is rice congee (a type of rice porridge), a popular dish in Asia. (edit) Azula's battle strategy to take down the Earth Kingdom is similar to that of the Greeks in the Trojan War. By dressing up as the Warriors of Kyoshi and entering under the guise of allies, she was able to take down the Earth Kingdom from the inside, after years of failed penetration by the Fire Nation from the outside. The Greeks built a wooden horse after many years of trying to take Troy down from the outside. Greek soldiers were inside the horse, and when the Trojans took the horse inside, they came out and burnt Troy to the ground. (edit) The training of Aang by the Guru resembles Luke Skywalker's training under Yoda in Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back. (edit)