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Ordinarily, recap episodes are loathed among audiences as a pointless time filler, or sometimes accepted as essential for series in the era of weekly production. This wasn't always true, though Avatar: The Last Airbender demonstrated this through "The Ember Island Players," a popular episode in its last season now being receiving a special Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair collection.

Highlights about the Secret Lair

The entire Secret Lair superdrop for the forthcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender set was revealed recently. This includes five separate collections, and while one titled "My Cabbages!" is an admittedly funny homage to the show's beloved recurring figure, the remaining sets appear slightly lacking creativity, with one notable exception: "The Ember Island Players."

Drawing from episode 17 in the final season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, this special set includes these specific cards:

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

What makes this segment remains memorable

Audiences of the series fondly remember this episode, which acted as a summary of the hero Aang and the group's journey before the series' finale. Different from standard summary installments, or "clip shows," "The Ember Island Players" wasn't motivated due to production constraints or creative challenges. The show's makers specifically aimed to give fans an opportunity to recap the show's narrative, however, they opted to execute it with flair.

During the installment, the heroes observe a stage show inspired by their journeys at a playhouse set on Ember Island, named The Boy in the Iceberg. The play itself is factually incorrect, melodramatic, and completely amusing. It works 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 possesses the perfect balance of self-awareness, and it becomes arguably the top rendition of Avatar available to date.

Worth and cost

Regarding worth, this represents an excellent Secret Lair because of one major element: Braid of Fire. This specific card is valued between $20 and $40 through card retailers currently, and at $29.99 you can snag the full set, or $39.99 for the shiny edition.

Magic's Avatar: The Last Airbender set can be accessed for pre-release events on Nov. 14 and launches globally come November 21.