One of Avatar: The Last Airbender's top installments receives a dedicated Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair.

Usually, clip shows are loathed by fans as a needless time filler, or perhaps accepted as a necessity for shows during the period of regular broadcasts. This wasn't always the situation, and Avatar: The Last Airbender proved it with "The Ember Island Players," a popular episode from its final season which is now getting a dedicated Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair release.

Highlights regarding the Secret Lair

The full Secret Lair superdrop for the soon-to-release Avatar: The Last Airbender edition was announced on November 4. This includes five separate collections, and although the one called "My Cabbages!" is an admittedly humorous tribute to Avatar's most famous minor character, the remaining sets feel a bit uninspired, aside from one remarkable entry: "The Ember Island Players."

Drawing from the seventeenth episode from season 3 of the beloved series, this special set 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

What makes this segment stands out

Audiences of the show fondly remember this episode, which served as a review of Aang and the group's quest before the series' finale. In contrast to standard summary installments, or "clip shows," "The Ember Island Players" did not stem by budget restrictions or creative challenges. The creators genuinely intended to provide audiences a moment to reflect on the series' story, however, they opted to execute it with flair.

Throughout the segment, the heroes view a theatrical performance based on their adventures at a playhouse set on Ember Island, named The Boy in the Iceberg. The whole thing is wildly exaggerated, over-the-top, and utterly comical. It works as it plays with the characters' perception of themselves, juxtaposing them compared to how society (and especially the Fire Nation) views them. It contains an ideal level of meta-commentary, and it results in perhaps the top rendition of the series released so far.

Appeal and availability

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

Magic's Avatar: The Last Airbender edition will be available during early access events beginning November 14 and debuts internationally come November 21.