Bitter Work

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Avatar: The Last Airbender episode
"Bitter Work"
Toph trains Aang for earthbending.
Book	Two: Earth
Chapter	Nine
Episode #	Twenty-nine
Prod. code	209
Airdate	June 2, 2006
Writer(s)	Aaron Ehasz
Director	Ethan Spaulding
Guest star(s)	Mae Whitman (Young Lu Ten)

Previous episode
"The Chase"
Next episode
"The Library"

"Bitter Work" is an episode from the animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, which airs on Nickelodeon. It is the ninth episode of the second season of the series.

When Aang struggles with a block while trying to learn earthbending from Toph, he wonders if the problem is with him or his teacher. Meanwhile, Sokka gets himself in a jam.

[edit] Episode synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Aang awakes from his sleep, excited that he will finally begin his earthbending training with Toph. He enthusiastically asks her what they will do first, and Toph replies that they will simply learn how to move a rock.

Toph teaches Aang that earthbending requires a firm, steady stance. She demonstrates the technique by sending a rock into a wall. Aang tries to emulate her, but he ends up hitting the rock with airbending and propels himself backwards.

Meanwhile, Iroh awakes to find his nephew Zuko watching over him. Zuko explains that Iroh was knocked unconscious after a surprise attack by Azula. They are in a partially destroyed home in the abandoned town presented the end of the last episode.

Zuko says that he has contemplated and realized that he will eventually encounter Azula again. He wants to learn more advanced firebending techniques so he can defeat her. To Zuko's surprise, Iroh agrees with him.

Meanwhile, Aang is trying to figure out why he could not move the rock, since he did the correct stance. He tries to find an alternate solution, but Toph explains that creative thinking is the problem. Earthbending requires a head-on approach. Aang then trains by doing several activities involving rocks. He starts to become successful with the many different training activities.

Meanwhile, Sokka (who is alone) is hiding in a tree. He spots a small, cute, but unidentifiable creature. Sokka comically states that even though it is cute, it is still made of meat. He then jumps down from the tree to attack it. However, he falls into a crack in the ground. Without his arms to use, he is stuck in the crack.

Meanwhile, Iroh explains how Firebenders can create lightning. Lightning requires peace of mind; it does not use aggression, unlike the other forms of firebending.

Iroh generates lightning.

Iroh continues to explain how to create lightning. Positive energy and negative energy must be separated, creating an imbalance. (Possibly the positively and negatively charged protons and electrons.) When the different energies recombine, tension is released, creating lightning. He successfully demonstrates how to make lightning. Then Zuko tries to create it. However, he just creates a fire blast and flies backwards., similar to the way Aang made an air blast while trying to earthbend.

Meanwhile, Toph decides that Aang will stop a rock. Toph puts a blindfold around Aang's eyes and rolls a boulder down a steep hill towards him. Aang then flinches and jumps over the rock. Toph yells at Aang and calls him a wimp. Katara tries to console Aang by teaching him some more waterbending.

Zuko is still unsuccessful with lightning, creating another explosion. Iroh determines that Zuko's turmoil inside him is preventing him from creating lightning. Zuko still has some pride, even though he has been humbled. Iroh decides to teach Zuko a move that he made up himself.

Meanwhile, Sokka is contemplating in the crack in the ground. He is then convinced that he will be a vegetarian if he can escape out of the crack.

In a marsh, Aang is moving a small mass of water around with Katara. She tries to tell Aang to face the issue instead of avoiding it. Aang, however, is unable to do that. Katara explains that Aang is working with his opposite element, earth. Katara then surprises Aang by throwing a reed at him. Aang is able to use water to cut the reed into two pieces before it reaches him. Katara congratulates Aang for having excellent reflexes of a master Waterbender and Aang replies to her as Sifu (teacher) Katara.

Iroh gives further detail about the four nations to Zuko. The Fire Nation symbolizes power and desire, the Earth Kingdom symbolizes endurance and diversity, the Air Nomads symbolize freedom from worldly concerns, and the Water Tribes symbolize love and community, especially in the face of change. He explains that people can gain wisdom by understanding each other. Iroh learned his special move by understanding the Waterbenders.

Meanwhile, Toph taunts Aang about his submissiveness by abusing his staff. She walks away, but Katara arrives, saying that Sokka has not been found yet. Aang and Katara split up to search for Sokka.

Sokka is ready to give up meat and sarcasm in order to escape from the crack in the ground. This is proven to be hypocrisy when Aang finds him, and Sokka immediately asks Aang if he has any meat, and responds to Aang's inability to free him with sarcasm. Aang tries, but is unable to use airbending to free him. Sokka requests that he should get Toph to help, but Aang feels too scared to ask her for help. Consequently, Sokka remains in the hole.

The critter returns, and Aang identifies it as a saber-tooth moose-lion cub. Then the mother of the cub arrives, and she is furious.

Iroh begins to teach Zuko how to redirect lightning. Lightning goes through one arm, into the stomach, and out the other arm. They practice the hand motion to feel the pathway. When Zuko thinks he has mastered it, he demands that Uncle Iroh strike him with lightning. However, Iroh refuses because of the possibility of hurting his nephew. Zuko then leaves to "find his own lightning", as a storm is approaching.

The mother sabertooth moose-lion starts to attack Aang and Sokka. Aang tries to initially avoid it, but he eventually faces the mother head-on and sends her away. Toph, who was silently observing the conflict, congratulates Aang, but Aang demands that she give his staff back. Toph then says that Aang is thinking like an Earthbender. Aang successfully earthbends a rock. Toph then drags Sokka out of the hole.

Aang, Toph, and Sokka find Katara, who is relieved that Sokka has been found.

At the end of the episode, Zuko stands atop a mountain, yelling into the storm as the lightning crackles overhead. He dares the storm to strike him, in the hope of being able to practice what his uncle just taught him and, in some way, seek an end to his misery. But the storm, seeming to mock him, does not oblige. Zuko, who suddenly sheds a tear, falls to his knees crying out in anguish.

[edit] Notes

Iroh's son, Lu Ten, is seen for the first time.
Toph's delivery of, "Good Morning, Earthbending Student!" is crooned in the same way as Adrian Cronauer's "Good Morning, Vietnam!"
It is confirmed that Iroh is able to create lightning. Iroh's explanation of how firebending creates lightning -- that is, by separation of positive and negative energy -- closely matches the scientific explanation for how lightning is actually formed, through separation of positive and negative charges.
Aang Earthbends for the first time outside of the Avatar State, and has now Bended all four elements.
Iroh mentions that in order to redirect lightning, it must be channeled from one arm through the stomach to the other arm. Having it flow through the heart can be very dangerous, even fatal. This is scientifically true, where electricity can be used to start or stop the heart during cardiac arrest.
Iroh invented his redirection of lighting technique through his studies of the Waterbenders and their ability to deal with the flow of energy. His description of the "sea of chi" during his explanation of the technique is drawn directly from the Taoist practices of Chi Kung and Tai Chi, on which waterbending is based.
When Zuko weeps at the end of the episode, his scarred eye does not shed any tears. It is interesting to note that when his healthy eye opens all the way, the scarred one remains still, but when Zuko closes his right eye, the left shuts evenly with it. This suggests that the scar has affected his tear duct and eyelid muscle, rather than just his skin.
The diagram that Iroh draws into the ground presents each of the elements and arranges them in opposing forces. Water is the opposite of Fire and Air is the opposite of Earth. It is important to recognize that the bottom two elements, Air and Fire, are mainly identified with emotions. The top two elements, Earth and Water, represent worldly attributes of intrepidity and community, respectively.
Katara's and Toph's teaching styles are both defined in this episode as two of the four consequences of operant conditioning. Katara suggests to Toph that her use of positive reinforcement has helped Aang. Toph, however, uses negative punishment in order to change Aang's attitude.
Aang addresses Toph and later Katara as "Sifu," which means "teacher" in Cantonese. It is most commonly used in martial arts schools.