Among Avatar's most beloved installments gets its own Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair.
Usually, recap episodes are loathed among audiences as a pointless time filler, or perhaps viewed as a necessity for shows in the age of episodic releases. That wasn't always the case, though Avatar: The Last Airbender demonstrated this through "The Ember Island Players," a popular episode during its concluding run now being receiving an exclusive Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair collection.
Details about the collector's edition
The entire Secret Lair superdrop for the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender edition was revealed recently. This includes five distinct sets, and while a set named "My Cabbages!" is an admittedly amusing nod to the show's beloved recurring figure, the other collections feel a bit uninspired, with one notable exception: "The Ember Island Players."
Drawing from installment 17 of the third season of the animated show, this special set features these specific cards:
- 1x Phantasmal Image represented as "Absolutely Accurate Actor"
- 1x Braid of Fire
- 1x Cursed Mirror
- 1x Mask of Memory
- 1x Thespian's Stage
The reason this segment stands out
Fans of Avatar clearly recall this installment, which functioned as a summary of Aang and the group's quest before the series' finale. Different from typical clip shows, or retrospective segments, "The Ember Island Players" wasn't motivated from financial limitations or scheduling problems. The creators genuinely intended to offer viewers an opportunity to revisit the series' story, however, they opted to execute it with flair.
In the episode, the main characters view a play based on their journeys at a playhouse set on Ember Island, titled The Boy in the Iceberg. The play itself is inaccurate, over-the-top, and completely amusing. It succeeds since it plays with the heroes' understanding of themselves, setting them against against how the world (and especially the antagonist nation) views them. It possesses an ideal level of introspective humor, and it results in perhaps the top rendition of the show we have had.
Value and cost
When it comes to cost-effectiveness, this is a great Secret Lair because of one major element: Braid of Fire. This card trades for $20 and $40 through card retailers currently, and for $29.99 you can snag the complete collection, or alternatively $39.99 for the shiny edition.
Magic: The Gathering's Avatar: The Last Airbender set is available during early access events on Nov. 14 and debuts internationally come November 21.
