Avatar: The Last Airbender (2003–2008): Season 3, Episode 3 - The Painted Lady - full transcript

KATARA: Water...

Earth...

Fire...

Air.

Long ago...

The four nations lived
together in harmony.

Then everything changed
when the Fire Nation attacked.

Only the Avatar, master of
all four elements, could stop them.

But when the world
needed him most

he vanished.

A hundred years passed, and my brother
and I discovered the new Avatar...



An airbender named Aang.

And although his airbending
skills are great

he has a lot to learn before
he's ready to save anyone.

AANG: Oof.

But I believe
Aang can save the world.

[♪...]

[MAN READING]

What about the invasion?

We'll join up with my dad
and the invasion force

on the day of the eclipse.

SOKKA: Keep quiet.

We're in enemy territory.

KATARA: What we need is some
new clothes.

AANG: Yeah, blending in
is better than hiding out.



If we get Fire Nation disguises

we'll be just as safe
as we would be hiding in a cave.

Ta-da, normal kid.

KATARA: How do I look?

[♪...]

[APPA GRUNTING]

Momo?

[MOMO CHATTERING]

Oh, Momo?

Ah. [LAUGHS]

You found me, buddy.

Hey, guys, I think
this river's polluted.

[INHALES, GRUNTS]

[ALL GROANING]

[SPITS]

Well, that explains why I can't
catch a fish around here.

Because normally my fishing
skills are... Off the hook.

Get it, like a fishing hook?

Too bad your skills aren't
on the hook.

[ALL LAUGHING]

It looks like we'll need to go
somewhere else to get food.

Assuming that'll fit into
Sokka's master schedule.

Hm... It's doable.

But that means only two
potty breaks today.

Hey, maybe we can
get food there.

Now you look just like
a little hill with horns.

Bye, buddy.

[APPA SNORTS, MOMO CHATTERS]

TOPH: I don't feel anything.

Where's this village?

It's in the middle of the river.

MAN: Sure is.

My name's Dock.

Mind if I ask who you are?

We're, um, from the Earth
Kingdom colonies.

DOCK: Wow, colonials.

Hop on, I'll give you a ride
into town.

KATARA: Why do you guys
live on the river?

Because we're a fishing town.

At least that's how it was
before the factory moved in.

Army makes their metal there.

Moved in a few years ago and
started gunking up our river.

Now our little village is
struggling to survive.

AANG: Thanks for the ride.

KATARA: Look at this place.

It's so sad.

We have to do something to help.

No, we can't waste
our time here.

We have a bigger mission
that we need to stay focused on.

These people are on their own.

These people are starving,
but you turn your back on them?

How can you be so cold
and heartless?

I'm not turning my back,
I'm just being realistic.

We can't go around helping every
rink y-dink town we wander into.

We'll be helping them all
by taking out the Fire Lord.

TOPH: Hey, loudmouth...

Maybe we should be
a little quieter

When we talk about taking out
the Fire Lord.

Come on, Katara,
be reasonable about this.

You know our mission
has to come first.

I guess so.

Let's just get
what we need and go.

[BELL RINGS]
Hey, Dock, you work here too?

I'm not Dock, I'm Shoe.

Dock's my brother.

But we just saw you.

You're even wearing
the same clothes.

The only difference is your hat.

Dock works on the Docks,
that's why they call him "Dock."

And I work in the shop,
that's why they call me "Shoe."

I don't get it.

Me neither.

What can I get you?

[FLIES BUZZING]

Hey, I'll give you
a special deal.

If you buy three fish,
I'll throw in a clam for free.

[SQUISH]

-[BOTH GROAN]
-We'll just take the fish.

Mind telling your brother
we need a ride back to shore?

Hey, colonials.

My brother says you need a lift.

Can you spare some food?

I wish I could help more.

[WATER SPLASHING]

Our detour into town today
has completely thrown off our schedule.

It's gonna take some serious
finagling to get us back on track.

Finagle away, o schedule master.

Well, for starters, it looks like we'll

need to wake up 43 minutes earlier
every day.

KATARA: 43 minutes?

Look, we only have a few weeks to get to

the Fire Lord in time for the invasion
and the eclipse

which, by the way,
only lasts for eight minutes.

And we just lost a whole day.

So if we want to make up
the time and stay on schedule

we have to wake up early.

Well, I'm not waking up early.

Or we could just cut out
all of our eating breaks.

-What?
-No way. Forget it.

I got it, how's this?

From now on, we'll take
food breaks and potty breaks

at the same time.

Ew.

Hey, it might be gross,
but it's efficient.

Either way, we have to
leave here first thing tomorrow morning.

[APPA GROANING]

What's the matter, Katara?

I think Appa's sick.

What, Appa's sick?
That's awful.

TOPH: Wow, Sokka, I didn't
realize you cared so much.

Of course I care.

I might as well just
throw our schedule away now.

And I'm concerned because my
big, furry friend doesn't feel well.

TOPH: He must've gotten sick

from being in the
polluted water.

AANG: He doesn't look sick.

Are you OK, buddy?

[GROANS]

His tongue is purple.

That can't be good.

Katara, can you heal him?

It looks like he needs
some medicine.

Maybe we can find
the right herbs in town.

TOPH: Is it just me, or
does this place seem different?

AANG: Yeah,
are the people happier?

[CHILD LAUGHING]

SOKKA: Hey, Shoe, what's
going on with everyone today?

Ah, something amazing happened
last night.

Food was delivered to our village by
a mysterious and wonderful person.

The Painted Lady.

The painted who now?

The Painted Lady.

She's part of our town's lore.

They say she's a river spirit

who watches over our town
in times of need.

I always thought she was
just a legend.

Until now.

SOKKA: See, we don't need to help
these people,

they already have someone to help them.

All we need is medicine
for our sick friend.

SHOE: Medicine?

Sorry, all the medicine we have
goes to the factory.

That's why there's so many
sick people in our village.

Looks like we need to stay
another night so Appa can rest.

[SIGHS] I guess you're right.

You got any more food to sell?

Would you like the one-headed
fish or the two-headed fish?

Two-headed.

What, you get more
for your money that way.

[ALL GROAN]

[FLIES BUZZING]

[♪...]

Thank you, Painted Lady.

[WATER SPLASHES]

Hi, Dock, is Shoe around?

Let me check... [WHISTLING]

[WHISTLING] Hey there,
back again, are you?

We need more food.

Our friend is still sick and we
can't leave until he's better.

Oh, well, that's too bad.

Maybe if you guys are lucky

the Painted Lady will
visit you in the night

and heal your friend.

And maybe she'll cook us
a midnight snack

and we'll all have a sing-along.

Yeah, maybe.

You know, last night
she visited us again.

Healed most of our sick folks.

AANG: Is that why this place
seems so festive?

SHOE: Yep, it's all because of
the Painted Lady.

KATARA: Can you believe how much an entire
village can be affected by one lady?

I mean, spirit?

Well, I hope she returns
every night.

Otherwise this place would go
right back to the way it was.

Why would you say that?

Look how much better off
these people are.

Yeah, now, but without her, they wouldn't
be able to fend for themselves.

If she really wanted to help

she would use her spirit magic
to blow up that factory.

Ooh... [IMITATES EXPLOSION]

Spirit magic doesn't work
that way, Sokka.

It's more like...
Whoo... [IMITATES EXPLOSION]

-[LAUGHING]
-Whoo...

[MOMO CHATTERING]

What's the matter, buddy?

It's her.

Hello, Painted Lady spirit.

Excuse me,
I don't mean to bother you

but my friend's sick and we're
on kind of a tight schedule.

Wait, but I'm the great bridge
between your world and mine.

[ICE CRACKLING]

AANG: I know Hei Bai,
we're close personal friends.

Hey.

[GRUNTS]

[PANTING]

[GASPS]

My name's Aang.

I'm the Avatar.

Well, hello, Avatar.

I wish I could talk,
but I am very busy.

Yeah, me too.

I hate that.

You know, you're really pretty
for a spirit.

I don't get to meet too many spirits,

but the ones I do meet...
Not very attractive.

[CHUCKLES] Thank you, but...

You seem familiar, too.

A lot of people say that.

No, you really seem familiar.

Look, I really should get going.

Katara?

Hi, Aang.

You're the Painted Lady?
But how?

I wasn't at first, I was just
trying to help the village.

But since everyone thought
that's who I was anyway...

I guess I just kind of
became her.

So you've been sneaking out
at night?

Wait, is Appa even sick?

He might be sick of the purple
berries I've been feeding him

but other than that, he's fine.

I can't believe you lied to
everyone so you could help these people.

I'm sorry,
I know I shouldn't have.

No, I think it's great.

You're like a secret hero.

Well, if you want to help...

There's one more thing
I have to do.

You want to destroy
this factory?

Yes, Sokka was just kidding,
but he was right.

Getting rid of this factory is the only
way to help these people permanently.

[♪...]

Ha-ha...
[IMITATES EXPLOSION]

Shh, we don't want to
wake Sokka.

Hi... Sokka.

We were just out
on a morning walk.

Oh, really?

A morning walk?

I know you're the Painted Lady.

I know you've been sneaking out
at night.

And I know you've been lying about Appa

and feeding him
purple-izing-tongue berries.

-Ah.
-[MOMO CHATTERS]

Katara, what you did put our
whole mission in jeopardy.

We're leaving right now.

And how long did you
know about this?

Hey, I just found out
this morning.

What's going on?

Fire Nation soldiers are
heading to the village.

What did you do?

I kind of destroyed
their factory.

You what?

-It was your idea.
-I was joking.

I also said to use spirit magic
and made funny noises.

[GROANS] Did you even
think this through?

The army's gonna blame
the villagers.

They're headed there right now
to get revenge.

Well, what was I supposed to do?

Leave, do nothing.

No.

I will never, ever turn my back
on people who need me.

I'm going down to the village

And I am gonna do
whatever I can.

Wait.

I'm coming too.

I thought you didn't
want to help.

You need me, and I will never
turn my back on you.

Sokka, you really do have
a heart.

He really does have a heart,
doesn't he?

[GRUNTS]

[♪...]

[♪...]

I thought we could live
as neighbors in peace

but I guess I was wrong.

You steal our food,
our medicine...

And then you destroy
our factory.

We didn't do any of that.

Yeah, the Painted Lady
brought us food.

She's the one that healed
our sick, not your medicine.

Oh, right, the mysterious
Painted Lady did it.

And I suppose she drew the army
emblem on your containers, too.

[CROWD GASPS]

This is a town of thieves
and liars.

[GRUNTS]

Where's your Painted Lady now?

We're going to cure the world
of this wretched village.

Light it again.

Look at that,
where's it coming from?

I don't know.

Something strange is going on.

[DISTANT ROARING]

[WHISPERS]
It's the Painted Lady.

[SINGSONG] She's coming.

There is no Painted Lady.

[ROARING AND LOUD THUDS]

[PLAYING EERIE TUNE]

-What is that sound?
-Maybe it is her.

Do something.

[BOTH SCREAM]

Stand your ground.

I'll take care of you myself.

[GRUNTS]

[SCREAMS]

[GRUNTING]

[GASPING]

Leave this village
and never come back.

[DISTANT CHEERING AND WHISTLING]

[CHEERING]

I knew you'd come.

DOCK: Thank you.

MAN: Painted Lady,
you're the best.

Me and my brothers
really owe you a lot.

Hey, wait a minute, I know you.

You're not the Painted Lady.

You're that colonial girl.

Yeah, you're the lady
that gave me a fish.

You've been tricking us.

You're a waterbender.

She's a waterbender.

MAN: How dare you act like
our Painted Lady?

[CROWD GRUMBLING]

Maybe she is a waterbender, but
she was just trying to help you.

Because of her, that factory
won't be polluting your river

and the army is gone.

You should be down on your knees
thanking her.

Sokka, it's OK.

I shouldn't have acted like
someone I wasn't

and I shouldn't have
tricked you.

But I felt like I had to
do something.

It doesn't matter if
the Painted Lady is real or not.

Because your problems are real,
and this river is real.

You can't wait around
for someone to help you.

You have to help yourself.

She's right,
but what should we do?

Maybe we can clean the river.

Yeah, we can clean the river.

[CROWD CHEERING]

DOCK: Thank you.

You know, you're not so bad
for a waterbender.

You wouldn't mind keeping that
a secret, by the way, would you?

No problem.

Keeping my mouth shut is
a personal specialty.

My brother Shoe, on the other
hand, ho, he's a blabbermouth.

[GROANS]

So, Dock, are you gonna
help us clean?

No, ma'am, I'm going to get
my other brother, Bushi.

He loves cleaning rivers.

All right, I'm Bushi.

Let's get some
river cleaning done.

Aha, I knew it.

I knew you were the same guy.

You're the shop owner
and the boat guy.

Oh, you must be talking about
my brothers, Dock and Shoe.

No, I just saw you.

You switched hats and called
yourself a different name.

Oh, you know who does that?

My brother Dock.

He's crazy.

[LAUGHS]

[WATER SPLASHING]

Thank you.

[♪...]