The problem with this episode is how this topic had already been addressed in the past. It ultimately leads to Toph and Katara fighting about whether their form of stealing is right except this argument has already been tackled before. The Runaway contains tons of great moments between Team Avatar as Toph abuses her earthbending to scam street artists. Toph and Katara have always had a generally rocky relationship- one that always resolved the same way time and time again though. The spirit of The Painted Lady herself is an interesting concept, but even then that is not fully explored by the time she appears. The entire episode plays out as if the team has nothing else to do, yet there is so much to still be explored with the cast’s current situation. The twist that Katara is disguising herself as the spirit known as The Painted Lady is blatantly obvious from her first interactions with the townspeople, especially the kid who is in dire need of food. The setup and premise are built up fine enough and provide several gripping ideas as to how Fire Nation industrialism continues to poison local civilians, but the payoff does not feel well earned by the time the conclusion hits. It is an episode that culminates into a lot of what we have already seen before in another unique location. She will never turn her back on a group of oppressed people in need of help and The Painted Lady continues to show that in an unremarkable fashion.

Katara has always been dedicated to helping those who are desperately struggling since the very first episode of the series.

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