By Chloe Largent
The first season of “Mighty Ducks: Game Changers” left the Don’t Bothers brandishing their newly won title as the Mighty Ducks. Sadly, the joy of the season finale has worn off. As summer break approaches, and the second season begins, The Ducks are left without a coach and ice rink. The beloved Ice Palace Arena that was falling apart in season one is now being torn down and Gordon Bombay is nowhere to be seen. Bombay is not the only missing character this season, as two ducks are gone without a mention.
Instead, we get new faces as Coach Collin Cole (Josh Duhamel) and his son Jase (Naveen Paddock) arrive. A past NHL player, Coach Cole takes the game very seriously and strives for nothing less than perfection from his students. His demeanor and rough teaching style resemble that of Coach Ted Orion, who replaced Bombay as the Ducks’ coach in Mighty Ducks 3. His son Jase seems to be an outlier, not striving for any form of excellence. Does he hate hockey and is only there to appease his father? Or could there be a Mighty Duck in there somewhere? Maybe the lovable Ducks will show him how he can enjoy the sport and the friendships attached to it.
Just when things are looking dire for the Ducks, they receive an invitation to the prestigious hockey summer camp, Epic, run by none other than Coach Cole. As the Ducks fight for their place at Epic, Alex Morrow (Lauren Graham) continues to encourage them to not overexert themselves and to have fun.
Since “Mighty Ducks: Game Changers” is a revival of a well-loved movie series, a large part of the appeal is the return of original characters. This is similar to another popular Disney+ show “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” which has had original cast members return such as Corbin Bleu and Lucas Grabeel. In season one of “Mighty Ducks: Game Changers,” we saw Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) return in a main role as well as several appearances of the Original Ducks. This is what drove me to want to watch the show originally. It was amazing to have Bombay back, especially since Mighty Ducks 3 had already written Bombay out of the Ducks’ lives. He was back, and he was going to coach.
Due to controversy, Emilio Estevez was not invited back for season 2. This could hurt the desire of older fans to watch the new season. What is the appeal with no connection to the originals? What makes it the “Mighty Ducks?”
In the season two premiere, viewers were treated to the appearances of Fulton Reed (Elden Hensen) and Dean Portman (Aaron Lohr) as they bring back their dynamic duo, the Bash Brothers. With such cameos in the first episode, it leads me to wonder if they will bring in more of the original cast. If Disney+ plays their cards right I think season two could do an excellent job of bringing new and old together, just as they did in season one.
Watch Mighty Ducks: Game Changers Season 2 Episode 1 on Disney+
Chloe Largent is a senior Marketing student and a lifelong fan of cinema. She loves coffee and trying new flavors especially if it means more caffeine. If she is not cracking the books you can find her grabbing a meal with friends, assisting in org events, or playing board games with her unit.
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