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Ordinarily, summary installments are loathed from viewers as a pointless diversion, or at best tolerated as a necessity in television in the era of weekly production. However, this wasn't the situation, but Avatar: The Last Airbender proved it via "The Ember Island Players," a popular installment during its concluding run which is now granted an exclusive Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair collection.

Highlights regarding the Secret Lair

The full Secret Lair superdrop for the forthcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender edition was revealed on November 4. This includes five distinct sets, and even though one titled "My Cabbages!" is clearly amusing nod to the series' most famous minor character, the remaining sets appear slightly lacking creativity, aside from one remarkable entry: "The Ember Island Players."

Inspired by the seventeenth episode in the final season of the beloved series, this collector's drop contains these particular cards:

• 1x Phantasmal Image portrayed as "Absolutely Accurate Actor"
• 1x Braid of Fire
• 1x Cursed Mirror
• 1x Mask of Memory
• 1x Thespian's Stage

What makes this episode is special

Audiences of the series warmly cherish this installment, which functioned as a review of Aang and his friends' adventure prior to the final episode. Different from typical clip shows, or retrospective segments, "The Ember Island Players" was not driven by budget restrictions or scheduling problems. The producers specifically aimed to provide audiences a moment to revisit the overall plot, however, they opted to approach it inventively.

In the episode, the main characters view a play based on their exploits at a playhouse set on Ember Island, called The Boy in the Iceberg. The play itself is factually incorrect, melodramatic, and overall hilarious. It succeeds since it plays on the characters' views of themselves, contrasting them with how the world (and notably the Fire Nation) sees them. It contains the right amount of self-awareness, and it ends up arguably the best adaptation of the series released so far.

Value and pricing

In terms of value, this offers a fantastic Secret Lair due to one key factor: Braid of Fire. This card sells between $20 and $40 on online marketplaces at the time of writing, and at $29.99 you can obtain the entire Secret Lair, or for $39.99 for the shiny edition.

Magic's Avatar: The Last Airbender set will be available for pre-release events beginning November 14 and debuts internationally come November 21.