Avatar: The Last Airbender/Recap/Book 3/07 The Runaway

""It really seems like, my whole life, Katara's been the one looking out for me.""

Open to a Fire Nation Courtyard, with Toph bound inside a net, being taken away by Fire Nation soldiers. Katara stands proudly over her, and cruelly announces that she brought it on herself. Flash back several days.

The Gaang is beginning to run low on money and supplies, Toph manages to acquire money by beating a cheating gambler at his own game using Earthbending. Toph quickly begins to realise how easy it is to gain money this way, and with Sokka and Aang's help, they quickly begin a system of cons, using various forms of bending and disguises to earn money. While this allows them to gain extra supplies, such as maps, armour for Appa, and a messenger hawk, Katara harbours doubts about both how both safe and ethical the operation is. Her suspicions are only confirmed with the discovery that Toph is now wanted by the Fire Nation, under the alias of 'The Runaway'. The two girls butt heads; Toph accuses Katara of being too motherly and acting like she's better than the rest of them, while Katara accuses Toph of being out of control, simply because of the problems with her own parents.

Finally, Toph sees Katara's point, and concedes. Katara, however, wants to prove that she can have fun too, and proposes the ultimate con - hand Toph into the Fire Nation, get the reward, and then let Toph break out of the metal jail house. Easy.

Unfortunately, its all been a ploy on behalf of Combustion Man, who captures both Toph and Katara, placing them in a wooden cell. Now its up for the rest of the team, as well as Katara's sweat and ingenuity, to escape.

Tropes:
"Sokka: HAAA! SNEAK ATTACK!
 * Calling Your Attacks: Sokka to Aang - on an attempted sneak attack.


 * A blindfolded Aang whomps him with an earth pillar*

Aang: Sokka, sneak attacks don't work if you yell it out loud."


 * Can't Get Away With Nuthin': Averted. The Gaang gets away with 99% of their cons, and even then, the emphasis isn't that its morally wrong, but that they were drawing attention to themselves.
 * Digging Yourself Deeper: While asking Aang if she acts motherly, Katara demands "Stop rubbing your eye and speak clearly when you talk."
 * Flopsy: One of the scams pulled by Toph and Sokka.
 * Gilligan Cut: Aang gives Katara his Avatar promise that they won't pull any more scams. Cut, and we get a montage of them scamming.
 * Godiva Hair: While Katara is bathing.
 * In Medias Res: The episode begins with Katara betraying Toph, than flashbacks to explain how it happened.
 * Karmic Thief: Toph tries using the "cheating a cheater" as a way to justify conning at first to Katara.
 * Kleptomaniac Hero: Most of the Gaang being con artists.
 * Little Miss Con Artist: Toph.
 * Locking MacGyver in The Store Cupboard: Katara and Toph get stuck in a wooden cage, with nothing for either of them to bend. Katara starts jogging in place and breaks out using her sweat.
 * More of Invoked because Toph was planning on this for her breakout, Subverted because the guards clearly knew about Toph's metal bending as they specifically chose a wooden cage. Nothing else in the cell was used to break out. Arguably Double Subverted since Katara was able to find water anyways from her own sweat, but is it really this Trope if the tool for your escape is your own sweat?
 * Mythology Gag: The Hawky vs. Momo rivalry has its roots in the unaired pilot in which Zuko has a pet hawk.
 * The Runaway: Toph officially receives this title from a wanted poster.
 * Team Mom: Toph really doesn't appreciate Katara being this. That is until Sokka mentions her history and how she took on a motherly role at an early age.