Nightmares and Daydreams

Season 3, Episode 9, Aired

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Four days prior the invasion, Aang becomes nervous over his soon-to-come confrontation with the Fire Lord. His anxiety gets the better of him as he begins to suffer from outrageous nightmares and hallucinations. Meanwhile, Zuko becomes upset to learn that he was not informed about a war meeting.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (84)

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  • Another filler.

    2.0
    "Terrible"
    By carnagae1225, Oct 11, 2011
    I will aslo know season 3 as the filler epsode season. Aang is suddenly nervous about the invasion. He doesn't sleep and trains all day (which is kicking and punching nothing). This episode was completly pointless. This episode was only going to be humorous. Which is like the infamous episode "The Great Divide". But The Great Divide was actually funny. The only scene I found funny was The ninja standoff between Appa and Momo. I think everybody would agree. They could have skipped over this, because Aang showed little hesitation later on. By far this is the worst Avatar episode I have seen.moreless

  • Nightmares and Daydreams

    10
    "Perfect"
    By TrueTvWatcher, Jan 13, 2011
    Nightmares and Daydreams was a perfect, entertaining and trippy episode of Avatar The Last Airbender. I really enjoyed watching this episode because Aang had a lot of character growth as he kept having hallucinations and nightmares about fighting the Fire Lord. I thought this was a very creative and artistic episode. I also enjoyed Zuko's scenes where he still doubts his place at home. I found it interesting to see more of the Fire Nation and that crew back at home and how things work. I thought the scene with Appa vs Momo was funny. I enjoy the various animal creations in this series, koala sheep, platypus bear, and chicken possums for example. The end of this episode was humorous and perfectly fitting!!!!!!!moreless

  • Annag finds him self in somewhat of a dream land, not knowing how to handle the up coming batle. This episode follows him as he trys to focus and calm down.moreless

    6.5
    "Fair"
    By avatargirl101, Oct 09, 2010
    Over all this episode wasn't the best. Sure, it was funny, but it didn't do much to move the show along. I guess it did let you see how one can become nervous before a big event like Annag was dealing with, but still it seemed like just a filler episode. It was goofy and silly. The show may of needed that though. It had been a long Book 3 with lots of drama so a little humor and fun just gave for a break before the final invasion and battle. It is still worth watching though so if your a true Avatar fan don't skip out on this even though it is just a filler.moreless

  • I swear the storyboard guys for Robot Chicken did this episode.

    8.5
    "Great"
    By ZaleIsBackAgain, Oct 09, 2010
    How to describe this episode? Other than the Zuko moments and the characters established in this show already, this hardly resembled an Avatar episode. Felt more like your crazy Saturday morning cartoon full of crazy scenarios and kicks and giggles. And you know what? It was pretty damn funny! All the randomness, silliness, and craziness! Aang's nightmares were just a big collection of hilarity and nonsensical scenarios, like about needing pants and knowing math to beat the Fire Lord, Appa and Momo battling each other as if they were samurais. When the rocks acted like snakes though, that's when it started getting TOO crazy! Still a funny episode though.moreless

  • Very silly episode which didn't make any sense, nothing happened, and was completely off. I love the Avatar show but in my opinion the writers are slightly messing up season 3 so far. Too many fillers, no plot moving, ackward episodes, here's my review.moreless

    4.5
    "Poor"
    By Zpherx, Jun 24, 2010
    I'm really sorry to score this episode so low but like majority of season 3 so far, it hasn't made much progress in the story, if any at all and this episode really shows just that, no movement in the plot. I was really disappointed in this episode because unlike seasons 1 & 2, this episode showed no dramatic scenes that would lead to a tragic event. "The waterbending master" and "The earth king" made alot of sense before a tragic episode. They showed progress in the story and scenes that left a hint towards what would happen in the following episode. But this one goes way off course. It's way too cartoonish and off the whole serious Avatar genre. If Aang was going to have "Nightmares and dreams" why weren't they serious or as dramatic as they were in "The Storm" or "The Avatar State". The only progress I saw from this episode was Sokka making armor for Appa and Aang & Katara kissing (even though it was only a dream!). That's it. No dramatic scenes, no foreshawdowing, no hinting towards whats gonna happen next, just Aang running around in circles hullucinating. First of all, why would he be hullucinating? I thought Aang would be having thoughts about doubting himself, thinking "am I ready to face the fire lord?", not running around hitting trees and having thoughts that have nothing to do with the fire lord or unnecessary thoughts about the fire lord. Even Zuko's part was just a waste. Deja vu about Zuko not feeling himself again. They didn't even explain what the war meeting was about. And whats the deal with Momo & Appa talking? I admit it was funny but this would have been better off as a short rather than a whole episode. Just a waste of time. It's like this episode turned out to be even worse than "The beach". Not Avatar at all. Not story moving. Just a filler. Now the big event is coming and we are left with one question. How in the heck are they prepared for this invasion? The gang just sitting there at the rendevouz point just doesn't quite answer it. Yeah we know Sokka knows how to use a sword, yeah we know Katara is pretty good at waterbending(and bloodbending), and yes we know an eclipse is coming. But Aang hasn't done anything. He STILL has yet to learn firebending. Overall this episode could have been a lot better. Had it been more serious then it probably would have been a good episode. I can care less if anyone disagress with this review. I'm just expressing my opinion.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (10)

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    • The bed for Aang at the end changes from an eight shape to a circle.

    • While Azula is getting her hair washed and combed, the fish fountains beside her head vanished when she tells Zuko he is welcome at the meeting.

    • Fire Lord Ozai's picture was directly opposite to his war chamber in this episode. However, in The Awakening there wasn't a picture opposite to the fire lord's chamber. The picture of the Fire Lord should be put up at the time of succeeding the throne and can't be moved since.

    • It's never explained why Zuko never received an invitation despite his sister receiving one as well as Ozai's ecstatic enthusiasm towards Zuko at the meeting.

    • Despite the ocean breeze shifting Katara's hair and clothes, Aang's own hair and clothing remains still.

    • Katara appears wearing sandals before and during Aang's daydream but when he responds to Katara's question after the kiss, her sandals are missing.

    • Sokka's sword is black with a gold hilt but in the scene when Aang is pulling Sokka's leg, Sokka's sword can be seen with a silver blade and a green hilt.

    • This the first time Aang and Katara kiss (though it was in one of Aang's daydreams).

    • In the daydream kissing scene, Aang appears much taller than his usual height, equaling the height of Katara. However in previous and future episodes, he appears much shorter.

    • The Firelord Ozai sparring dummy uses the picture Aang made of noodles during The Headband.

  • QUOTES (12)

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    • Katara: Aang, it's the middle of the night. You need to go back to sleep. Aang: But I forgot my pants and my math test! Katara:(looks puzzled, then sighs.) Aang, please sleep. For me.

    • Sokka: (speaking in a mocking tone) Why don't you get right down to business and tell me what's been bothering you. Aang: (looking slightly annoyed) You know what's bothering me. I have to fight the Fire Lord in a few days. Sokka: Mhm. (nods and gestures toward Aang) Tell me more about this, 'Fire Lord.' Why are you so afraid of him? Aang: You said it yourself. He's the baddest man on the planet. I'm supposed to defeat him and save the world. Sokka: Hmm. (close shot of Sokka with his eyes closed and nodding deeply) Life does feel that way some times, doesn't it? (cut back to shot of Aang, now getting frustrated) Like we're all trying to save the world from evil. Aang: Okay, but what can I do to feel better? Sokka: Want to try screaming into this pillow? (Shot of Aang being presented with a fluffy Koala-Sheep. Aang screams into it and the Koala-Sheep fusses comically. Sokka scratches his head and then gives Aang the thumbs up sign and nods. Aang then shakes his head.)

    • Fire Lord Ozai: (realizes he's not wearing pants) No! My royal parts are showing!

    • Aang: I don't need sleep! What I need is practice, hit me! Katara: I'm not going to hit you. Toph: Want me to do it?

    • Aang: Oh look, another hallucination. An imaginary bed made out of clouds. Toph: Hey, it's real. We spent hours working on it. Sokka: We made it for you. (suddenly appears with his friends from the mist) A good night sleep will probably take the crazy away. . .We hope.

    • Aang: (yawns) Good night, Katara. Good night, Sokka. Good night, Toph. Good night, Appa. Good night, Momo. Good night, Appa and Moe-- Toph: (aggravated) GO TO SLEEP ALREADY! (Aang reacts and does so)

    • Aang: (wakes up scared from a nightmare) Sokka, wake up, I need to know what day it is! Sokka: What!? Who's talking? (wakes up and hits his head on the side of a cliff)

    • Zuko: (To Mai) During the meeting I was the perfect prince, the son my father wanted, but I wasn't me.

    • Sokka: Stupid Avatar, stupid cliff stupid dream, I can climb fast!

    • Aang: (After Toph starts to drink some water from Katara's waterpouch) Don't drink that!!! Toph: (She spits it out getting Katara wet) Why!? Is it poison!? Aang: In my dream, we were in the invasion, and we had to stop because you had to go to the bathroom! We all died because of your tiny bladder!!!

    • Momo: (To Appa) You don't like it! Then why we just go right now!

    • Katara: What are we doing? Aang: What our hearts have been telling us to do for a long time. Baby, you're my forever girl.

  • NOTES (2)

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    • This episode is available in the Avatar Book 3: Fire Volume 2 DVD along with The Avatar and the Firelord, The Runaway, The Puppetmaster, and The Day of Black Sun Part 1: The Invasion.

    • This episode first aired on October 26, 2007 in the UK, ahead of the US airing.

  • ALLUSIONS (13)

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    • Appa wielding three swords could be a reference to Roronoa Zoro from One Piece.

    • Both Aang and Sokka call the Fire Lord the baddest man on the planet which could be a reference to Mike's Tyson's nickname.

    • In one of Aang's dream, Guru Pathik is seen with six arms, which resembles the Hindu god of Vishnu.

    • When Aang has his third dream, and he bursts into the throne room, he's dressed like a Final Fantasy character.

    • In one of Aang's dream, we can see the comet is falling to strike. It's similiar to a scene in Armageddon where meteors are attacking Earth and destroying everything.

    • The plot of this episode is very similar to the episode Dream Stalker from Xiaolin Showdown. A character was tormented by never-ending nightmares and even went as far as to stop sleeping.

    • In Aang's second dream, his outfit and the way he ran was an allusion to the popular anime, Naruto.

    • The sword fight between Appa and Momo near the end of the episode is reminiscent to the comic series Usagi Yojimbo, which tells the story of a ronin (a samurai without a master) anthropomorphic rabbit in Edo Japan. The entire series replaces the humans in the world with anthropomorphic animals.

    • The Yoga that Aang and Katara do is an allusion to Bikram Yoga, which is Yoga done in a room heated to around 105F.

    • As Aang's hallucinations from his being sleep-deprived reaches its peak, with inanimate objects coming to life and the surrounding animals acting completely out of the ordinary, the scene begins to look like one of the earlier scenes in the first Dragon Ball Z movie, Dead Zone, where one of the main characters, Gohan, eats a fruit that gives him similar hallucinations.

    • Aang's hair-style and gi outfit in the first dream he has in the episode is in homage to the main character, Son Goku, of the popular anime Dragon Ball Z.

    • When Aang sounded like he was talking to Momo in Momo-like chatter, it's similar to The Wild Thornberrys, where Eliza, the youngest Thornberry, who was granted the "secret" ability to talk to animals, would sometimes get caught talking to her friend, Darwin the chimpanzee, in chimp chatter.

    • Sigmund Freud When the Gang tries to help Aang sleep Sokka puts on his beard and even dons the accent in helping Aang talk through his issues.

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