One of Avatar: The Last Airbender's top episodes receives its own MTG Secret Lair.
Ordinarily, recap episodes are disliked among audiences as a pointless waste of time, or at best tolerated as a necessity in television during the period of episodic releases. That wasn't always the case, though Avatar: The Last Airbender proved it via "The Ember Island Players," a popular installment in its last season that is now receiving a dedicated Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair collection.
Highlights about the Secret Lair
The full Secret Lair superdrop for the soon-to-release Avatar: The Last Airbender edition was unveiled recently. It features five separate collections, and although the one called "My Cabbages!" is certainly funny homage to the show's best background character, the other collections feel a bit uninspired, aside from one remarkable entry: "The Ember Island Players."
Inspired by episode 17 of the third season of the animated show, this special set contains these particular cards:
- 1x Phantasmal Image portrayed as "Absolutely Accurate Actor"
- 1x Braid of Fire
- 1x Cursed Mirror
- 1x Mask of Memory
- 1x Thespian's Stage
The reason this segment remains memorable
Fans of the series warmly cherish this particular episode, which functioned as a summary of Aang and his companions' quest before the series' finale. Different from typical clip shows, or "clip shows," "The Ember Island Players" did not stem due to production constraints or creative challenges. The producers specifically aimed to offer viewers a chance to revisit the show's narrative, yet they chose to execute it with flair.
During the installment, the main characters observe a play based on their adventures in a theater set on Ember Island, called The Boy in the Iceberg. The whole thing is inaccurate, over-the-top, and utterly comical. It excels as it plays with the characters' perception about themselves, setting them against with how the world (and notably the antagonist nation) perceives them. It has the right amount of self-awareness, and it becomes perhaps the top rendition of Avatar we have had.
Appeal and cost
Regarding worth, this represents an excellent Secret Lair due to one key factor: Braid of Fire. This specific card sells between $20 and $40 on online marketplaces as of now, while for $29.99 you can obtain the entire Secret Lair, or alternatively $39.99 for the premium foil treatment.
Magic: The Gathering's Avatar: The Last Airbender set can be accessed for pre-release events beginning November 14 and releases worldwide come November 21.
