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Ordinarily, recap episodes are disliked from viewers as a pointless waste of time, or perhaps tolerated as a necessity for series in the age of regular broadcasts. That wasn't always the situation, and Avatar: The Last Airbender proved it via "The Ember Island Players," a beloved segment from its final season now being getting a dedicated Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair release.

Highlights regarding the collector's edition

The complete Secret Lair superdrop for the soon-to-release Avatar: The Last Airbender edition was revealed earlier this month. This includes five separate collections, and even though a set named "My Cabbages!" is clearly humorous tribute to Avatar's most famous minor character, the remaining sets feel a bit lacking creativity, except for one standout: "The Ember Island Players."

Inspired by the seventeenth episode of the third season of the animated show, this Secret Lair includes the following cards:

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

The reason this episode stands out

Fans of Avatar fondly remember this episode, which acted as a summary of the protagonist Aang and his friends' quest before the series' finale. In contrast to standard summary installments, or retrospective segments, "The Ember Island Players" was not driven by budget restrictions or scheduling problems. The show's makers specifically aimed to give fans a moment to revisit the show's narrative, but they decided to do it creatively.

Throughout the segment, the heroes view a play depicting their journeys at a playhouse set on Ember Island, named The Boy in the Iceberg. The whole thing is inaccurate, cheesy, and completely amusing. It works because it plays on the characters' views of themselves, contrasting them against how the world (and especially the Fire Nation) perceives them. It contains the perfect balance of introspective humor, and it ends up possibly the best adaptation of Avatar released so far.

Appeal and pricing

When it comes to cost-effectiveness, this represents an excellent Secret Lair for one simple reason: Braid of Fire. This card sells between $20 and $40 through card retailers currently, and at $29.99 you can snag the entire Secret Lair, or alternatively $39.99 for the shiny edition.

Magic: The Gathering's Avatar: The Last Airbender collection will be available for pre-release events on Nov. 14 and debuts internationally on Nov. 21.