A standout among Avatar's best episodes is honored with its own MTG Secret Lair.
Usually, recap episodes are disliked among audiences as a needless waste of time, or perhaps tolerated as a requirement for shows in the age of episodic releases. This wasn't always true, and Avatar: The Last Airbender demonstrated this through "The Ember Island Players," a beloved episode from its final season that is now getting a special Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair release.
Details regarding the special release
The entire Secret Lair superdrop for the forthcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender edition was announced on November 4. Containing five separate collections, and although one titled "My Cabbages!" is clearly humorous tribute to the show's best background character, the other collections feel a bit lacking creativity, aside from one remarkable entry: "The Ember Island Players."
Based on the seventeenth episode from season 3 of the animated show, this Secret Lair includes the following 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
Fans of the show warmly cherish this episode, which acted as a recap of the hero Aang and his companions' quest prior to the final episode. In contrast to standard summary installments, or retrospective segments, "The Ember Island Players" wasn't motivated by budget restrictions or production issues. The show's makers specifically aimed to give fans a chance to reflect on the overall plot, however, they opted to approach it inventively.
During the installment, the crew observe a stage show depicting their journeys at a playhouse set on Ember Island, called The Boy in the Iceberg. The whole thing is factually incorrect, melodramatic, and completely amusing. It works as it plays with the characters' perception regarding their own identities, juxtaposing them with how the world (and particularly the Fire Nation citizens) perceives them. It has an ideal level of self-awareness, and it ends up perhaps the finest interpretation of the show we have had.
Worth and availability
When it comes to cost-effectiveness, this represents an excellent Secret Lair due to one key factor: Braid of Fire. This particular card trades for $20 and $40 on online marketplaces currently, while for $29.99 you can obtain the entire Secret Lair, or alternatively $39.99 for the shiny edition.
Magic: The Gathering's Avatar: The Last Airbender collection will be available for advance previews starting November 14 and launches globally come November 21.
