REVIEW: ‘The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers,’ Episode 10 – “State of Play”

The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers ended its season on as high a note as possible. Starring Lauren Graham, Emilio Estévez, and a team of young actors on Disney+, the Don’t Bothers are fighting their way through the state tournament, but Sofi’s (Swayam Bhatia) knee injury is getting bad. Fortunately, as The Mighty Ducks Episode 10 shows over and over again, this team has become a family and they are all going to support each other by any means necessary.

For the past several episodes, I have lauded The Mighty Ducks for breaking past the tropes that initially captivated me and pushing itself into being something more groundbreaking. In the season’s finale though, I am more than glad to say that it has reached its zenith, so lush with tropey goodness while still treading new ground in the same episode. In the interest of remaining spoiler-free, the first half of the episode does not go as expected. It happens much faster than anticipated, using a bit of an awkward video montage, but it is totally an unexpected twist. Then, it settles into a perfect display of all the tropes that make sports stories so good. There’s drama, there’s suspense, and there’s oodles of inspiration and love for one another.

Nearly all of the cast’s personal arcs reach a new high in this episode. Players who had low confidence, as players and as friends, get opportunities to be stars. Evan (Brady Noon) and Sofi’s mutual crushes get treated like the 12-year-olds they actually are. And even the Mighty Ducks’ parents and players start to show real signs of growth. The only complaint I really want to lodge is how much Sam’s (De’Jon Watts) growth feels minimal compared to everyone else, especially being the only Black player on the team and pretty much the whole show.

Truly, the beauty of this series has been its ability to provide a classic sports story of underdogs and misfits while still feeling completely fresh and exciting week to week. I could never have seen coming the way this season ended. And yet, even if I had, I would have been equally satisfied. It’s a testament to how strong the themes and the actors were that no matter what could have happened I still would have been gushing about the series and its ending. I hope the show receives many more seasons and offers its characters chances to continue growing as a team and as individuals. Teams are about the unit, but they’re also important for individual growth. I hope as the cast inevitably gets bigger that none of these great characters get left behind. Showing how they learn and grow, together and on their own, as they grow into teenagers and have all be assortments of lessons to learn and tropes to act now would be absolutely spectacular.

The Mighty Ducks Episode 10 is a perfect ending to an outstanding series. It offers an immaculate mix of subverted and fulfilled expectations, resulting in the best possible ending for a show that more than deserves one.

The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers Episode 10 is streaming now on Disney+.