‘The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers’ Recap: ‘Spirit of the Ducks Part 2’

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

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Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 207 of ‘The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
 
In the first ‘Spirit of the Ducks’ episode from Season 1 of Game Changers, we saw a reunion of the Ducks teams from the original movies. Coach Bombay had hit some low points with his new squad, so his old players came back to remind him of the important things. With the new Ducks down to an 0-3 record in the EPIC round robin tournament, Coach Alex and the Ducks are in need of similar motivation, and a different kind of Ducks visit is the remedy. 
 
Before we get to see the Ducks grow as a team, this episode features some important growth for a few characters on their own. Over on Team Dominate, Evan chooses to bet on himself. Teams across camp are choosing their captains. Initially, Dominate comes to an easy consensus of electing camp superstar AJ Lawrence. Evan pushes back and nominates himself for the role. In campaign style speeches, they each plead their case. AJ points to his on-ice skills and Evan admits that on talent alone, AJ is the right choice. But he suggests that the best captain is one that can make the most out of a team. He points to the adversity he's faced in not being a top talent and suggests that he plays to the strengths of those around him. The two split the team's votes and settle the runoff by proving who wants it more by seeing who can last the longest in a cold tub. Evan wins and emerges as team captain. 
 
Another subplot of this episode focuses on relationships. Sofi and Jace see their relationship blossom, with the two spending more time together and falling for each other. In a rare moment, Jace opens up and shares with Sofi what brought him down into his slump. His struggles with self-confidence started after he scored an own goal trying to clear the puck during the Summer Showcase. To add insult to injury, he made the blunder on a big stage - at the Honda Center - and the video quickly went viral. The two bond over that and it feels like Jace can finally make the jump to get over the yips. Speaking of quick bonding, sparks fly when Coach Cole and Coach Alex kiss at the end of the episode, a culmination to the back-and-forth tension they've shared throughout the season. 
 
The main focus of the episode, however, is on the Ducks' experience on an unsanctioned field trip to the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks. Hoping to rally the team before designating a captain, Coach Alex uses a lifeline that Gordon Bombay gave her if things got tough: a phone call to the Anaheim front office. She arranges a meet and greet between the team and the Ducks' head coach. 
 
The team shows up full of excitement, with a magical sweeping shot of them entering the arena with the ice and scoreboard behind them. Unfortunately, the Disney storybook moment is soured quickly when Anaheim's assistant to the assistant to the director of fan relations reveals that they won't be able to meet the coach after an unexpected PR crisis (Anaheim hosted a dinner with a Michelin star chef who served whole roasted duck). 
 
It appears that the Ducks will get sent off with goodie bags but without a meeting, until Coach Alex appeals to the assistant. Walking down the halls of the arena, surrounded by pictures on the walls of the Ducks and Team USA squads from the original movies, Alex tells the assistant how she planned to turn the team's fortunes around by meeting the coach. The assistant reveals that he’s been a fan of those Ducks teams since he was a kid who found out that the professional sports team that he loved “was named after a bunch of misfit kids”, As a misfit himself, they inspired him. 
 
Strolling through a room with photos of the Bash Brothers and with Russ Tyler's Goodwill Games knucklepuck on a pedestal, he tells Coach Alex that she doesn’t need something big to turn the team around; she just needs to lean into all of the things that make the players weird and unique. He posits, “you want the coach of the Ducks to help you; you are the coach of the Ducks”. With that, Coach Alex tells every player on the team to "find your inner knucklepuck", flipping their perceived weaknesses into assets. While practicing, the Ducks get their payoff: a few players from the Anaheim Ducks join them for a scrimmage. Trevor Zegras, (my alma mater, the University of Denver's own] Troy Terry, and Max Jones suit up and mess around with the team. (I got two of the three right in my last review!) The cameo rivals that of the Stars' cameo in the first Mighty Ducks film, feeling more central to the plot and the development of its characters. 
 
This episode provided a lot of introspection and growth for the two top teams - the Ducks and Dominate - and for their key players. Each of the Ducks, Evan included, find something within themselves to help them push to the next level, setting up a David vs. Goliath matchup. Inspired, the Ducks look like they might finally have what it takes to play together and rally for a championship.

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