A standout among Avatar's most beloved installments receives an exclusive MTG collector's set.

Typically, summary installments are disliked by fans as a needless time filler, or sometimes viewed as a necessity for shows in the age of episodic releases. That wasn't always true, but Avatar: The Last Airbender showed it via "The Ember Island Players," a cherished segment in its last season that is now granted a dedicated Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair drop.

Highlights regarding the Secret Lair

The complete Secret Lair superdrop for the soon-to-release Avatar: The Last Airbender collection was unveiled on November 4. Containing five separate collections, and while the one called "My Cabbages!" is clearly funny homage to the series' best background character, the other collections seem somewhat lacking creativity, aside from one remarkable entry: "The Ember Island Players."

Based on installment 17 in the final season of the animated show, this special set includes these specific cards:

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

The reason this installment is special

Audiences of Avatar clearly recall this installment, which served as a recap of Aang and the group's quest leading up to the conclusion. In contrast to typical clip shows, or retrospective segments, "The Ember Island Players" did not stem from financial limitations or creative challenges. The show's makers genuinely intended to provide audiences a moment to recap the show's narrative, however, they opted to do it creatively.

Throughout the segment, the heroes watches a play inspired by their adventures at a playhouse set on Ember Island, called The Boy in the Iceberg. The play itself is factually incorrect, melodramatic, and utterly comical. It succeeds because it plays on the characters' views about themselves, setting them against with how the world (and particularly the Fire Nation citizens) sees them. It has the right amount of introspective humor, and it ends up possibly the best adaptation of the series released so far.

Appeal and availability

In terms of value, this offers a fantastic Secret Lair due to one key factor: Braid of Fire. This particular card sells between $20 and $40 on various platforms at the time of writing, while for $29.99 you can acquire the complete collection, or $39.99 for the premium foil treatment.

Magic's Avatar: The Last Airbender set is available for advance previews on Nov. 14 and launches globally on November 21.