The episode opens with a whoop from Aang as he celebrates the first day he begins instructions in Earthbending with none other than Sifu Toph, who appears to be equally enthusiastic as she explodes out of her tent, greeting her pupil, and even dedicates a moment to give Sokka a nice wake-up lift.
Meanwhile, back in another part of the desert, Zuko explains to a waking uncle Iroh that Azula had unleashed a surprise lightning attack on him (which, in fact, wasn't all too much of a surprise). After a bitter taste of Zuko's home-made tea, it is agreed that Azula needs to be brought down, and to do so, Iroh will resume training Zuko in firebending. It looks like they'll be turning up the heat to match that of Azula, but doing so requires prince Zuko to face his shame and embrace humility.
Things aren't looking so great for Aang when it becomes apparent that he can't move boulders, but they move him as his first attempt to imitate Toph in smashing a giant rock into the cliff turns into him airbending himself right into Appa. "Rock beats airbender" says a hungry Sokka, who goes off to look for some grub.
As Sokka nears his next meal from afar in the tree tops, he prepares a jump that will secure his meal, but secures himself into a crevice instead. A nonchalant attitude sons turns into panic as he realizes he's gotten himself into a real jam that could very well spell the end of his days as a sarcastic meat-eater, or his own life if doesn't get out.
Toph begins to put Aang through a series of trials in earthbending, each more trying than the one before it, but it appears to be improving his ability to sense the Earth, or so it seems. After a particularly rough few words from Toph, Katara pulls her aside and advises her to be gentler with Aang as he responds better to kind encouragement and a gentle nudge in the right direction.
Seemingly agreeing with Katara, Toph blindfolds Aang, and tells him to stop a rolling boulder speeding toward him from the cliff top. At the last moment, he airbends above it, disappointing Toph to the point that she berates him even further. Aang trudges off with Katara to practice waterbending to take a break from something he obviously cannot master. The two talk and Katara reveals that just as Fire and Water are opposites, so are Earth and Air. As an airbender, earthbending will naturally come harder, but if he tries thinking differently, it will come to him.
Sokka, still stuck in the ground, has befriended the little cuddly animal now resting upon his head, and shares with it his tale that if he ever gets out, he promises that he won't ever eat another piece of meat again, nor will he crack a wind of sarcasm either. Great, the two distinguishing features of his personality, now going to waste. As if to console him, the animal brings back an apple...which Sokka can't even reach.
Zuko becomes frustrated that he can't seem to manipulate the energy and its balances correctly to create lightning, always receiving a blast in the face full of fire. Uncle Iroh reveals that he was afraid this would be the fate of his lesson. Zuko cannot master this technique because he still has too much turmoil inside of him that he must let go, allowing himself to be humble. Zuko seems to only partially understand as he confuses his pride for humility. Uncle finally imparts upon him the philosophies of the different groups, from fire nation to the very own water tribe. Zuko, confused, wonders why Uncle Iroh is teaching him about matters that would seem only relevant to the Avatar. He learns from his uncle that knowing more about who you deal with makes you a stronger contender in the long run, and leads him to learn how his Uncle created his own move to deflect lightning from the very waterbenders themselves. This pleases Zuko greatly.
After an extremely annoying Toph reveals she has taken it upon herself to not only eat Aang's walnuts, but also of using his staff as a nutcracker, he becomes aggravated but continues his meditation. Yet again he is disturbed, but this time from Katara, who worries about Sokka and how although sunset is approaching, he has yet to come back. Aang decides it would be quicker to find him if they split up.
Aang finds Sokka nestled in his little crevice with his snuggly little animal, but despite his airbending efforts to free him, is unable to ultimately get Sokka out of his jam. Sokka advises Aang use his newly found art of earthbending, but a depressed and disappointed Aang not only refuses to help because he can't, but also does not seek out Toph either. It is only when the snuggly little animal's mom comes around that both realize that Sokka's life is in jeopardy unless Aang can do something else beside his airbending. In a final attempt to stop the beast, Aang miraculously earthbends a wall that the creature runs into, and is shocked to discover Toph was watching the whole time. After a heated demand of an explanation of why she didn't do anything to help, she helps him realize he can earthbend now because he was able to stand up to her. Toph is the one to free Sokka from the ground because Aang, while he finally achieved earthbending, still could wind up crushing his poor friend.
Zuko, armed with the knowledge that his uncle left him (in the deflecting lightning requires that you feel the energy travel from your fingertips, to your stomach and out your other hand - but never past the heart!), heads out into a developing storm. He had wanted his uncle to shoot lightning at him so he could deflect it, but after his uncle refused, he insisted he would find another way. Atop a mountain in the raging storm, he begins to tear as he realizes he might not get his chance to prove himself, as always seems to be the case for so much of his life. With that note and a blazing storm in the background, the episode ends...
