A standout among Avatar's most beloved episodes gets a dedicated Magic: The Gathering special card drop.
Ordinarily, clip shows face criticism by fans as a pointless time filler, or perhaps tolerated as a necessity for shows in the age of regular broadcasts. However, this wasn't true, and Avatar: The Last Airbender demonstrated this with "The Ember Island Players," a beloved segment during its concluding run which is now receiving a dedicated Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair release.
Highlights of the Secret Lair
The full Secret Lair superdrop for the soon-to-release Avatar: The Last Airbender set was revealed recently. Containing five distinct sets, and even though one titled "My Cabbages!" is clearly funny homage to Avatar's most famous minor character, the other collections seem somewhat lacking creativity, with one notable exception: "The Ember Island Players."
Inspired by installment 17 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 installment is special
Fans of Avatar clearly recall this particular episode, which acted as a recap of the hero Aang and his companions' journey leading up to the conclusion. In contrast to other recap episodes, or "clip shows," "The Ember Island Players" wasn't motivated from financial limitations or production issues. The show's makers genuinely intended to give fans a chance to revisit the series' story, yet they chose to do it creatively.
During the installment, the main characters watches a stage show based on their adventures on a stage on Ember Island, named The Boy in the Iceberg. The play itself is wildly exaggerated, melodramatic, and utterly comical. It succeeds as it plays on the characters' views regarding their own identities, setting them against compared to how society (and notably the antagonist nation) views them. It contains the perfect balance of meta-commentary, and it becomes arguably the best adaptation of the series we have had.
Worth and availability
When it comes to cost-effectiveness, this offers a fantastic Secret Lair for one simple reason: Braid of Fire. This particular card trades for $20 and $40 on various platforms currently, and at $29.99 you can snag the full set, or for $39.99 for the premium foil treatment.
Magic's Avatar: The Last Airbender set can be accessed for advance previews beginning November 14 and releases worldwide on November 21.
