One of Avatar's top episodes receives its own MTG collector's set.
Ordinarily, recap episodes are loathed among audiences as a needless waste of time, or sometimes viewed as essential for series during the period of regular broadcasts. That wasn't always true, but Avatar: The Last Airbender proved it with "The Ember Island Players," a cherished segment during its concluding run now being getting a special Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair release.
Highlights of the Secret Lair
The complete Secret Lair superdrop for the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender edition was announced recently. Containing five distinct sets, and even though one titled "My Cabbages!" is an admittedly funny homage to the show's best background character, the remaining sets appear slightly lacking creativity, with one notable exception: "The Ember Island Players."
Drawing from episode 17 in the final season of the animated show, this collector's drop features the following cards:
- 1x Phantasmal Image portrayed as "Absolutely Accurate Actor"
- 1x Braid of Fire
- 1x Cursed Mirror
- 1x Mask of Memory
- 1x Thespian's Stage
Why this episode remains memorable
Fans of the series clearly recall this particular episode, which acted as a review of Aang and his friends' adventure leading up to the conclusion. Different from typical clip shows, or retrospective segments, "The Ember Island Players" was not driven due to production constraints or production issues. The producers truly wanted to offer viewers a moment to reflect on the overall plot, but they decided to execute it with flair.
During the installment, the crew observe a theatrical performance inspired by their journeys on a stage set on Ember Island, named The Boy in the Iceberg. The entire performance is inaccurate, melodramatic, and overall hilarious. It works as it plays on the characters' views about themselves, setting them against with how the world (and especially the antagonist nation) perceives them. It contains the perfect balance of meta-commentary, and it results in arguably the top rendition of the series released so far.
Appeal and availability
In terms of value, this represents an excellent Secret Lair because of one major element: Braid of Fire. This card is valued between $20 and $40 on various platforms at the time of writing, and for $29.99 you can snag the entire Secret Lair, or alternatively $39.99 for the premium foil treatment.
Magic's Avatar: The Last Airbender edition will be available for pre-release events starting November 14 and releases worldwide on November 21.
