One of Avatar's best installments gets a dedicated Magic: The Gathering collector's set.
Usually, summary installments face criticism among audiences as a needless diversion, or perhaps tolerated as a necessity in television in the age of weekly production. This wasn't always true, and Avatar: The Last Airbender proved it through "The Ember Island Players," a popular episode from its final season that is now receiving a dedicated Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair release.
Information regarding the special release
The full Secret Lair superdrop for the soon-to-release Avatar: The Last Airbender set was revealed earlier this month. It features five Secret Lairs, and even though the one called "My Cabbages!" is certainly amusing nod to Avatar's best background character, the additional releases appear slightly lacking creativity, aside from one remarkable entry: "The Ember Island Players."
Based on the seventeenth episode of the third 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 segment is special
Fans of the series clearly recall this installment, which served as a recap of the protagonist Aang and his companions' journey leading up to the conclusion. Different from typical clip shows, or retrospective segments, "The Ember Island Players" did not stem from financial limitations or creative challenges. The creators specifically aimed to give fans a chance to revisit the show's narrative, but they decided to approach it inventively.
During the installment, the crew view a theatrical performance inspired by their journeys at a playhouse located on Ember Island, titled The Boy in the Iceberg. The entire performance is factually incorrect, over-the-top, and utterly comical. It works since it plays with the characters' perception about themselves, contrasting them compared to how society (and notably the antagonist nation) views them. It has the right amount of introspective humor, and it becomes perhaps the top rendition of Avatar we have had.
Worth and availability
Regarding worth, this is a great Secret Lair for one simple reason: Braid of Fire. This specific card trades for $20 and $40 on various platforms as of now, while for $29.99 you can acquire the full set, or alternatively $39.99 for the shiny edition.
Magic: The Gathering's Avatar: The Last Airbender collection will be available for pre-release events starting November 14 and debuts internationally come November 21.