One of Avatar's most beloved episodes receives a dedicated MTG collector's set.
Typically, summary installments face criticism from viewers as a pointless waste of time, or at best tolerated as essential for series in the era of regular broadcasts. This wasn't always the situation, though Avatar: The Last Airbender showed it through "The Ember Island Players," a popular installment in its last season that is now granted a special Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair collection.
Information regarding the special release
The full Secret Lair superdrop for the forthcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender edition was unveiled on November 4. This includes five Secret Lairs, and while the one called "My Cabbages!" is an admittedly funny homage to the show's beloved recurring figure, the remaining sets seem somewhat uninspired, with one notable exception: "The Ember Island Players."
Drawing from the seventeenth episode in the final season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, this Secret Lair contains the following cards:
- 1x Phantasmal Image represented as "Absolutely Accurate Actor"
- 1x Braid of Fire
- 1x Cursed Mirror
- 1x Mask of Memory
- 1x Thespian's Stage
Why this segment remains memorable
Fans of the series fondly remember this installment, which functioned as a summary of the hero Aang and his friends' journey leading up to the conclusion. Unlike other recap episodes, or "clip shows," "The Ember Island Players" wasn't motivated due to production constraints or scheduling problems. The show's makers genuinely intended to offer viewers a chance to reflect on the series' story, yet they chose to do it creatively.
During the installment, the main characters watches a theatrical performance depicting their adventures on a stage set on Ember Island, named The Boy in the Iceberg. The whole thing is wildly exaggerated, melodramatic, and completely amusing. It excels as it plays with the heroes' understanding of themselves, contrasting them against how the world (and notably the antagonist nation) views them. It contains the perfect balance of meta-commentary, and it becomes perhaps the finest interpretation of the show available to date.
Worth and availability
In terms of value, this is a great Secret Lair for one simple reason: Braid of Fire. This specific card sells between $20 and $40 through card retailers at the time of writing, while for $29.99 you can snag the full set, or for $39.99 for the foil version.
Magic's Avatar: The Last Airbender edition will be available during early access events on Nov. 14 and releases worldwide on November 21.