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Ordinarily, summary installments are loathed among audiences as an unnecessary waste of time, or at best accepted as a necessity for series during the period of regular broadcasts. However, this wasn't true, but Avatar: The Last Airbender proved it via "The Ember Island Players," a beloved installment from its final season now being getting an exclusive Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair release.

Highlights regarding the collector's edition

The full Secret Lair superdrop for the forthcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender collection was announced earlier this month. Containing five distinct sets, and even though one titled "My Cabbages!" is clearly amusing nod to the series' best background character, the other collections appear slightly uninspired, with one notable exception: "The Ember Island Players."

Drawing from episode 17 in the final season of the beloved series, this collector's drop includes these particular 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

Fans of the show fondly remember this particular episode, which acted as a recap of the hero Aang and his friends' journey before the series' finale. Different from standard summary installments, or "clip shows," "The Ember Island Players" did not stem due to production constraints or production issues. The show's makers truly wanted to provide audiences a chance to revisit the series' story, however, they opted to approach it inventively.

Throughout the segment, the heroes view a theatrical performance inspired by their adventures in a theater located on Ember Island, titled The Boy in the Iceberg. The whole thing is inaccurate, cheesy, and overall hilarious. It succeeds as it plays on the characters' views regarding their own identities, juxtaposing them against how the world (and especially the Fire Nation citizens) sees them. It has the perfect balance of meta-commentary, and it ends up arguably the finest interpretation of the show available to date.

Appeal and pricing

In terms of value, this represents an excellent Secret Lair for one simple reason: Braid of Fire. This card sells between $20 and $40 on online marketplaces at the time of writing, while for $29.99 you can snag the entire Secret Lair, or $39.99 for the foil version.

Magic: The Gathering's Avatar: The Last Airbender edition can be accessed for advance previews beginning November 14 and releases worldwide on November 21.