A standout among Avatar's best episodes is honored with a dedicated Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair.
Usually, clip shows are loathed by fans as a needless waste of time, or at best accepted as a necessity for shows during the period of regular broadcasts. This wasn't always true, but Avatar: The Last Airbender proved it via "The Ember Island Players," a popular segment during its concluding run which is now receiving a special Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair release.
Highlights regarding the special release
The full Secret Lair superdrop for the soon-to-release Avatar: The Last Airbender set was announced earlier this month. Containing five distinct sets, and although a set named "My Cabbages!" is clearly funny homage to the series' most famous minor character, the additional releases feel a bit less imaginative, aside from one remarkable entry: "The Ember Island Players."
Drawing from the seventeenth episode in the final season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, this Secret Lair includes these particular 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 installment remains memorable
Fans of the show fondly remember this particular episode, which served as a review of Aang and the group's journey leading up to the conclusion. Unlike typical clip shows, or compilation episodes, "The Ember Island Players" wasn't motivated by budget restrictions or creative challenges. The creators specifically aimed to offer viewers a chance to revisit the show's narrative, but they decided to do it creatively.
Throughout the segment, the crew watches a stage show depicting their adventures on a stage set on Ember Island, named The Boy in the Iceberg. The whole thing is inaccurate, over-the-top, and completely amusing. It works since it plays on the characters' views about themselves, contrasting them against how the world (and notably the Fire Nation citizens) perceives them. It has the right amount of self-awareness, and it becomes possibly the finest interpretation of Avatar available to date.
Value and availability
When it comes to cost-effectiveness, this offers a fantastic Secret Lair due to one key factor: Braid of Fire. This particular card sells between $20 and $40 on online marketplaces as of now, and for $29.99 you can obtain the complete collection, or for $39.99 for the foil version.
Magic's Avatar: The Last Airbender collection can be accessed during early access events beginning November 14 and releases worldwide on Nov. 21.
