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Usually, summary installments face criticism by fans as a needless diversion, or sometimes tolerated as a necessity for series in the era of regular broadcasts. However, this wasn't true, and Avatar: The Last Airbender showed it with "The Ember Island Players," a beloved episode in its last season which is now getting a special Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair collection.

Highlights of the Secret Lair

The entire Secret Lair superdrop for the soon-to-release Avatar: The Last Airbender edition was unveiled recently. Containing five Secret Lairs, and even though one titled "My Cabbages!" is an admittedly funny homage to Avatar's beloved recurring figure, the other collections seem somewhat uninspired, with one notable exception: "The Ember Island Players."

Based on the seventeenth episode of the third season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, this special set 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

Why this episode remains memorable

Audiences of Avatar warmly cherish this particular episode, which acted as a review of the protagonist Aang and his friends' adventure leading up to the conclusion. Different from standard summary installments, or "clip shows," "The Ember Island Players" was not driven from financial limitations or creative challenges. The producers specifically aimed to provide audiences a moment to revisit the series' story, but they decided to do it creatively.

Throughout the segment, the heroes watches a theatrical performance depicting their adventures on a stage located on Ember Island, named The Boy in the Iceberg. The play itself is inaccurate, over-the-top, and completely amusing. It works since it plays with the characters' perception regarding their own identities, setting them against against how the world (and particularly the Fire Nation) views them. It has the perfect balance of self-awareness, and it ends up possibly the finest interpretation of the series released so far.

Appeal and cost

In terms of value, this is a great Secret Lair because of one major element: Braid of Fire. This specific card sells between $20 and $40 on various platforms as of now, and for $29.99 you can obtain the entire Secret Lair, or alternatively $39.99 for the premium foil treatment.

Magic: The Gathering's Avatar: The Last Airbender set will be available during early access events starting November 14 and launches globally on November 21.