Assuming most of you have the script of every episode of this show memorized, since this show is on par with Veggietales in influence on your childhood, you may recall the 4d chess played over the last several episodes of the second season. If you have not seen this show, watch all three seasons (because as far as i’m concerned there are no seasons after that) and then come back to this post, because it will be un-understandable and have spoilers for the show.
If you are a proper 2000’s kid and have the entire show memorized, you know exactly what and who I am talking about, and when I am starting. In episode 19, “The Guru”, Azula had infiltrated Ba Sing Se because she could after coming across and defeating the Kyoshi warriors, and while in the city she gathers information and hears that Aang is there as well, and the kings old adviser used to control him and the city through his secret police until he was arrested. She took advantage of the opportunities she found thus far, gathers information or prospects and discovers not only the opportunity to capture Aang but to take over the city. She does this with some of the best 4d chess a kids show has ever contained.
Utilizing the idea of “not spilling your candy in the lobby” to her advantage, Azula makes sure the secret police still loyal to the kings old adviser, Long Feng, overhear that she and her companions intentions are to infiltrate the city. Long Feng hears of this and comes up with the idea to work with Azula to regain control of the city in exchange for giving her Aang and not exposing her as an infiltrator, in reality both things Azula wanted and that she got because of the information she purposefully let slip to him.
As soon as this happens, Azula begins leading the secret police as Long Feng has to remain in his prison cell, and she uses this to sell her as leader to the secret police and indirectly instill that they should trust her and listen to everything she says, controlling the feel of the conversation and giving the secret police the impression they would be receptive to.
The coup against the king takes place, and succeeds. However, Long Feng planned on double crossing Azula once the secret police retook control of the city, which leads to the one scene you definitely remember from this show:
Azula took Long Feng off guard, and as soon as she did she told him his entire backstory and everything she knew about him presumably from the secret police, showed extreme confidence in herself against Long Feng and capitulated him.
While this was happening, Azula learned that Zuko is also in the city, has him arrested and uses personal emotions of his to sell him on switching sides and working with her. Aang and his companions escape, and the season ends after episodes and episodes of good things happening get completely reversed in two by Azula finding and taking the opportunity to singlehandedly manipulate, persuade and sell her way from being stuck outside of the city to having control of Zuko, the old regime, the city and the whole kingdom.
BoweryJE22
ATLA is such a good show and this is a really good example of “selling yourself” even if it’s for malicious reasons. Throughout the entire show Azula did a remarkably good job at finding peoples’ “kryptonite” and using their emotional vulnerabilities against them. And with all the confidence she had it’s no surprise how effective she was executing her plan to take control of Ba Sing Se.