Among Avatar: The Last Airbender's most beloved episodes is honored with a dedicated MTG collector's set.
Ordinarily, summary installments are loathed by fans as an unnecessary waste of time, or perhaps tolerated as a necessity for series in the age of weekly production. That wasn't always the case, and Avatar: The Last Airbender demonstrated this through "The Ember Island Players," a cherished episode from its final season now being granted a special Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair drop.
Details of the special release
The full Secret Lair superdrop for the soon-to-release Avatar: The Last Airbender edition was announced recently. It features five separate collections, and even though the one called "My Cabbages!" is clearly amusing nod to the show's most famous minor character, the other collections feel a bit uninspired, aside from one remarkable entry: "The Ember Island Players."
Inspired by installment 17 in the final season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, this Secret Lair includes these specific cards:
- 1x Phantasmal Image as "Absolutely Accurate Actor"
- 1x Braid of Fire
- 1x Cursed Mirror
- 1x Mask of Memory
- 1x Thespian's Stage
Why this episode remains memorable
Viewers of Avatar clearly recall this episode, which served as a summary of Aang and his friends' quest leading up to the conclusion. Different from standard summary installments, or "clip shows," "The Ember Island Players" was not driven from financial limitations or creative challenges. The producers truly wanted to provide audiences a moment to revisit the show's narrative, but they decided to approach it inventively.
Throughout the segment, the heroes view a theatrical performance based on their adventures on a stage located on Ember Island, named The Boy in the Iceberg. The play itself is inaccurate, melodramatic, and utterly comical. It works as it plays with the heroes' understanding about themselves, contrasting them compared to how society (and notably the Fire Nation) perceives them. It possesses the perfect balance of introspective humor, and it results in possibly the top rendition of Avatar available to date.
Appeal and availability
Regarding worth, this offers a fantastic Secret Lair for one simple reason: Braid of Fire. This card trades for $20 and $40 through card retailers currently, and at $29.99 you can acquire the entire Secret Lair, or for $39.99 for the shiny edition.
Magic's Avatar: The Last Airbender edition will be available for advance previews on Nov. 14 and releases worldwide on Nov. 21.
