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Typically, recap episodes are disliked from viewers as a needless diversion, or perhaps accepted as a necessity in television in the era of weekly production. This wasn't always the situation, though Avatar: The Last Airbender proved it with "The Ember Island Players," a beloved installment during its concluding run that is now receiving an exclusive Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair drop.

Details of the Secret Lair

The full Secret Lair superdrop for the soon-to-release Avatar: The Last Airbender edition was announced earlier this month. Containing five Secret Lairs, and although the one called "My Cabbages!" is an admittedly humorous tribute to the series' beloved recurring figure, the other collections appear slightly lacking creativity, with one notable exception: "The Ember Island Players."

Drawing from episode 17 of the third season of the animated show, this Secret Lair contains these particular cards:

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

Why this segment remains memorable

Viewers of the show warmly cherish this installment, which acted as a summary of the protagonist Aang and the group's journey leading up to the conclusion. Different from standard summary installments, or compilation episodes, "The Ember Island Players" was not driven from financial limitations or creative challenges. The show's makers truly wanted to give fans a moment to revisit the overall plot, but they decided to do it creatively.

During the installment, the main characters watches a theatrical performance inspired by their adventures in a theater located on Ember Island, named The Boy in the Iceberg. The whole thing is factually incorrect, cheesy, and completely amusing. It excels because it plays with the characters' perception regarding their own identities, setting them against against how the world (and particularly the antagonist nation) sees them. It contains the perfect balance of introspective humor, and it becomes arguably the top rendition of the series we have had.

Worth and availability

Regarding worth, this represents an excellent Secret Lair because of one major element: Braid of Fire. This specific card trades for $20 and $40 on various platforms currently, and for $29.99 you can acquire the complete collection, or alternatively $39.99 for the foil version.

Magic: The Gathering's Avatar: The Last Airbender edition is available during early access events beginning November 14 and releases worldwide on November 21.