A masked mystery, frog-sucking medicine, and a rare Aang-Zuko team-up? Yup, we’re talking about one of the best episodes of Book One.

In this episode of Avatar State Radio, Kevin and Mike dive into the iconic thirteenth chapter of Avatar: The Last Airbender, “The Blue Spirit.” With Katara and Sokka laid up with a mysterious fever, Aang has no choice but to venture solo into the Fire Nation–armed with hope, heart, and… frog medicine?

Kevin kicks things off by appreciating the callback to The Storm and how the show subtly weaves character threads across episodes. Zhao continues to be the worst, and our hosts debate whether the admiral has any potential for redemption or if he’s officially the Big Bad of Season 1. Spoiler: it’s not looking great for our favorite fire-fueled egomaniac.

Meanwhile, Appa and Momo take on babysitting duties (with mixed results), Kev still can’t pronounce Zuko, and the gang questions the science of frozen frog healing. Is it medicine? An insult? Just really bad advice?

And then—enter The Blue Spirit.

We get into the thrilling prison break sequence, the incredible tension of Aang’s narrow escape, and that unforgettable moment when Zuko’s mask comes off. There’s a lot to unpack between Aang and Zuko here, and the episode leaves us wondering: is there a world where these two could fight side by side?

Plus: overpowered firebenders, Katara’s surprising line delivery, a truly odd final line (“This is tasty”), and—of course—Mike’s trivia!

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ThatNerdyKev.com | Starbird Media, LLC | Everything is Awesome | Get 'Em Next Year | @ThatNerdyKev on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Twitch

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Our intro music is The Voyage by Audionautix, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Quick Update from Kev about what's going on.

In this episode of Avatar State Radio, Kev and Mike dive into The Storm, an emotional and revealing episode that explores the pasts of both Aang and Zuko. But first—MARK HAMILL, BABY! Mike takes a moment to celebrate every version of Fire Lord we’ve had, from Mark Hamill’s legendary voice acting to Cliff Curtis and Daniel Dae Kim’s live-action performances.

The episode’s intensity kicks off with Aang’s haunting dream, which starts with everyone flying in a whimsical way before turning into a nightmare about his past. Kev and Mike break down how the weight of Aang’s decision to leave the Air Nomads has been haunting him for 100 years. Meanwhile, Kev loves the episode’s flashbacks, as they provide crucial context for why Zuko is the way he is. The biggest takeaway? Zuko is not his father. When it comes down to it, he’s willing to save his people, not sacrifice them.

Parallels between Aang and Zuko’s pasts become clear, with Aang’s discovery of his Avatar status quickly leading to his fateful freezing in the storm. At the same time, Zuko’s story unfolds, revealing the tragic consequences of his defiance. Kev and Mike debate what’s worse: the way the grumpy fisherman talks to his wife or adults literally hitting children.

Katara reassures Aang that he gives people hope, while Iroh reminds the crew that, in his own way, the Avatar also gives Zuko hope. And speaking of Iroh—this episode delivers an incredible moment as he redirects lightning for the first time, proving just how powerful he is as a firebender.

For the first time in a while, we see Aang enter the Avatar State, heightening the emotional weight of the episode. Though Kev initially feels this is one of the weaker episodes, talking it through with Mike helps him appreciate it more. Mike, however, notes that for many fans, The Storm is a top-tier episode of Season 1, leading to some fun debate. They also touch on the fascinating way the Air Nomads determine the next Avatar, which mirrors how the Dalai Lama is chosen.

And finally, Kev completely loses his ability to pronounce “Zuko,” proving that even in an intense episode, there’s always room for some laughs.

Find Mike

Tellest.com | Twitter @tellest | Facebook @tellestbooks | Twitch @ThatTellestGuy | Etsy | Patreon

Find Kev

ThatNerdyKev.com | Starbird Media, LLC | Everything is Awesome | Get 'Em Next Year | @ThatNerdyKev on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Twitch

Find Avatar State Radio

AvatarStateRadio.com | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Amazon

Our intro music is The Voyage by Audionautix, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://audionautix.com/