Writer:	Aaron Ehasz
Director:	Lauren MacMullan
Star:	Jack DeSena (Sokka),  Mae Whitman (Katara),  Mako (Uncle Iroh),  Dante Basco (Prince Zuko),  Dee Bradley Baker (Appa/Momo/Various Others),  Zach Tyler Eisen (Aang)
Recurring Role:	André Sogliuzzo (Captain)
Guest Star:	James Shigeta (Old Wanderer),  Mike Hagiwara (Leader)

This episode is in the Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 1: Water, Volume 2 DVD, along with The King of Omashu, Imprisoned, and Avatar Roku (Winter Solstice Part 2). (edit) Iroh is shown to have some connection with the Spirit World because he sees Roku's dragon, Fang, while others do not. (edit) It is revealed that Uncle Iroh has the nickname Dragon of The West. (edit) This marks the first time Iroh uses firebending to fight offensively, though he seems to hold back, using all other resources before resorting to fire. (edit) We learn for the first time that the capital of the Earth Kingdom is a city called Ba Sing Se. (edit)

Zuko: (To a bathing Iroh) Enough. we need to leave now! Get out of the water.
Iroh: Very well. (stands up)
Zuko: (looks away in horror) On second thoughts, why don't you take another few minutes. (edit) Aang: Hello? Spirit, can you hear me? This is the Avatar speaking. I'm here to try to help stuff.
(edit) Villager: As the solstice approaches, the natural world and the spirit world grow closer and closer, until the line between them is blurred completely. (edit) Fire Nation Soldier: Maybe there has been a land slide sir.
Zuko: Land doesn't slide up-hill. My uncle has been captured by earthbenders! (edit) Katara: Hey, what is that?
Sokka: It's like a scar. (edit)

When Aang tries to communicate with Appa at the town gate, Appa's lower lip is grey like his upper lip instead of furry and white. (edit) When Katara turns her head to see Aang approaching through the town gate after his trip to the Spirit World, her hair loops aren't attached to her bun. (edit) When the old man says that everything will be okay to Katara before Spirit Aang appears, his mouth doesn't move but we can still hear the words. (edit) When the gang is following the old man into the village, Katara's clothes are bright blue but Sokka's are more gray because of the lighting. So Katara's bright blue clothes should have been gray like Sokka's. (edit) The monster's name "Hei-Bai" literally means in Mandarin "black white", a clear reference to the panda spirit's fur color. (edit)

The "Spirit World" is a reference to actual beliefs of many cultures about life after death. Especially, the Egyptians believed that when a soul died they would go into a sort of spirit world. Also, the ancient Greeks had their beliefs about an underworld which is similar to a spirit world. (edit) When it is said that the spirit world comes closer to the world of living near the winter solstice, it is a reference to some neo-pagan cultures where the veil between the spirit and living worlds was believed to be more sparse during winter and especially winter solstice. (edit) Aang refers to Appa and Avatar Roku's dragon as animal guides. This is a clear reference to familiars, servants of supernatural beings, such as witches and wizards, who were usually animals. Such species were commonly black cats, snakes, toad or frogs, and owls. Like Avatar animal guides, these creatures usually displayed high intelligence and wisdom almost equal to that of their masters, if not above an average human, despite their animal origin. (edit) The giant wooden panda found in the center of the devastation looks similar to some totem poles in northern Native American tribes, or like old shrines dedicated to the kami in the Shinto religion. These carvings were to house a spirit or pay homage to them in some way to keep them from causing trouble. (edit) The ostrich-horses resemble the chocobos in the Final Fantasy series. (edit)