Among Avatar's best episodes receives a dedicated MTG special card drop.

Typically, clip shows are disliked from viewers as a needless time filler, or perhaps accepted as a necessity for series during the period of weekly production. This wasn't always the situation, though Avatar: The Last Airbender demonstrated this via "The Ember Island Players," a beloved segment from its final season now being getting an exclusive Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair drop.

Highlights regarding the Secret Lair

The entire Secret Lair superdrop for the forthcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender set was announced recently. This includes five distinct sets, and even though a set named "My Cabbages!" is an admittedly amusing nod to Avatar's best background character, the remaining sets feel a bit less imaginative, aside from one remarkable entry: "The Ember Island Players."

Inspired by installment 17 from season 3 of the beloved series, this Secret Lair features the following 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 installment is special

Fans of the show clearly recall this particular episode, which acted as a recap of the hero Aang and his companions' quest before the series' finale. Different from other recap episodes, or compilation episodes, "The Ember Island Players" did not stem due to production constraints or production issues. The creators genuinely intended to offer viewers a moment to recap the series' story, but they decided to execute it with flair.

Throughout the segment, the main characters view a play depicting their adventures on a stage set on Ember Island, named The Boy in the Iceberg. The whole thing is factually incorrect, melodramatic, and utterly comical. It succeeds because it plays with the characters' perception about themselves, contrasting them against how the world (and especially the Fire Nation citizens) perceives them. It has the perfect balance of self-awareness, and it becomes perhaps the best adaptation of the series we have had.

Appeal and availability

Regarding worth, this offers a fantastic Secret Lair for one simple reason: Braid of Fire. This particular card trades for $20 and $40 on various platforms as of now, and for $29.99 you can obtain the complete collection, or $39.99 for the premium foil treatment.

Magic's Avatar: The Last Airbender edition will be available for advance previews on Nov. 14 and launches globally come November 21.