REVIEW: ‘The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers,’ Episode 6 – “Spirit of the Ducks”

The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers is a Disney+ Original series based on the classic movie series. Lauren Graham, Emilio Estévez, and a team of young actors star in this wholesome hockey show. In The Mighty Ducks Episode 6, Evan’s (Brady Noon) tempted back to the Ducks and his mom (Graham) isn’t going to tell him what to do one way or another. Meanwhile, the original Mighty Ducks are back in town for the Ducks gala and Gordon (Estévez) is put in an uncomfortable situation.

This episode is outstanding. I’ve never seen the original Mighty Ducks movies, so this episode doesn’t have the nostalgia effect on me I’m sure many viewers will get. But what it does have is overwhelming amounts of heart. Like every episode before it, The Mighty Ducks Episode 6 follows some classic tropes. Evan is being tempted back to the Mighty Ducks and he’s seriously considering it. The Don’t Bothers have no chance of making it to States after all and Coach T (Dylan Playfair) is pretty convincing. But where the episode departs from my typical expectations of such a dilemma is that Evan’s mom never once tries to convince him of anything except to do what he believes is right. It’s nothing grand, but it allows Evan to make his own choices, good or bad.

This episode also marks a really important piece of growth for Gordon. He has a run-in with Fulton Reed (Elden Henson), one of the original ducks which eventually leads to a whole reunion. Only it’s not as sweet as one might hope. There’s a lot of tension and at first, I was frustrated that none of the old team members picked up on the fact that maybe they needed to be for Gordon what Gordon was once for them. But then I realized that honestly, if I hadn’t heard from somebody I once looked up to in who knows how long and this was how he treated me, I’d be really upset too. So much excitement to get to see him only to be so sharply disappointed. Fortunately, the unpleasant encounter makes the episode’s conclusion that much sweeter. It was an emotional high point for the season, until the final moments anyway.

With no attachment to the original cast or plot in any way, my love for this episode comes from the way that ultimately the adults all serve as strong role models for the Don’t Bothers. I don’t want to spoil what happens, but I found myself laughing at jokes I probably didn’t even get and just generally impressed by the way new and old viewers were clearly both kept in mind when writing this reunion episode. All of the kids also get lines this time. Even if most of them were just jokes, I don’t honestly think a single one was a dud.

The Mighty Ducks Episode 6 is the highlight of the season so far, perfectly integrating the original cast without ever alienating me as somebody who has never seen the original movies. The emotional points are high and the tropes continue to find themselves subverted in meaningful ways.

The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers is streaming now on Disney+ with new episodes on Fridays.