One of Avatar's best installments is honored with its own Magic: The Gathering special card drop.
Typically, clip shows are loathed from viewers as an unnecessary diversion, or perhaps viewed as a necessity for series in the age of weekly production. This wasn't always the case, and Avatar: The Last Airbender showed it with "The Ember Island Players," a popular episode during its concluding run that is now getting a special Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair release.
Details of the special release
The entire Secret Lair superdrop for the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender collection was unveiled on November 4. Containing five Secret Lairs, and although a set named "My Cabbages!" is clearly funny homage to Avatar's best background character, the remaining sets feel a bit uninspired, aside from one remarkable entry: "The Ember Island Players."
Drawing from episode 17 in the final season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, this Secret Lair includes the following cards:
- 1x Phantasmal Image portrayed as "Absolutely Accurate Actor"
- 1x Braid of Fire
- 1x Cursed Mirror
- 1x Mask of Memory
- 1x Thespian's Stage
Why this installment stands out
Fans of the series warmly cherish this installment, which acted as a recap of the hero Aang and his friends' adventure leading up to the conclusion. In contrast to other recap episodes, or compilation episodes, "The Ember Island Players" wasn't motivated by budget restrictions or scheduling problems. The producers genuinely intended to give fans an opportunity to recap the overall plot, but they decided to execute it with flair.
During the installment, the heroes view a theatrical performance depicting their exploits in a theater located on Ember Island, named The Boy in the Iceberg. The whole thing is factually incorrect, melodramatic, and completely amusing. It works because it plays with the heroes' understanding of themselves, setting them against against how the world (and notably the Fire Nation) perceives them. It has the perfect balance of meta-commentary, and it ends up possibly the top rendition of the show released so far.
Value and availability
Regarding worth, this is a great Secret Lair for one simple reason: Braid of Fire. This card is valued between $20 and $40 on various platforms at the time of writing, and at $29.99 you can snag the complete collection, or alternatively $39.99 for the premium foil treatment.
Magic: The Gathering's Avatar: The Last Airbender collection can be accessed for pre-release events beginning November 14 and debuts internationally come November 21.
