Warning: This article contains spoilers The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers Season 1, Episode 2, “Dusters,” now streaming on Disney+.
The second episode of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers “Dusters” sees the Don’t Bothers in their first week of practice and losing their first game. Both Alex (Lauren Graham) and Evan (Brady Noon) continue their attempts to reach out to Coach Bombay (Emilio Estevez) and seek his help with their new hockey team. They seem to be making a little bit of progress because in the episode Coach Bombay takes to the ice and does one of his classic skates for self reflection and meditative contemplation. It’s a ritual he practiced in both the original film The Mighty Ducks and the sequel D2: The Mighty Ducks.
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Alex has taken on the role of coach for the Don’t Bothers and she feels out of her depth. She wants to create a fun, positive environment for the kids, but she doesn’t really know anything about hockey. She consults Coach Bombay for advice, but he stays steadfast in his decision to ignore the hockey team and continue his hatred of the sport. The series has yet to explain Bombay’s surprising distaste of the sport he was so dedicated to in the original trilogy of films. But this episode may be the start of his return to the Bombay fans know and love.
After a talk with Alex when he thinks he is alone, Bombay laces up a pair of skates and takes to the ice with gloves, a stick and a puck, and goes for a skate around the rink, flexing his skills. However he is not alone. Alex is in the stands and she watches him skate and reflect. She does eventually make her appearance known and attempts to get Bombay to open up, but he deflects. In the end he doesn’t explain to her his emotional situation, but he does offer words of encouragement much to her surprise.
In the original film, Coach Bombay took to the ice for a skate in a similar fashion. When he took over the District 5 hockey team, he similarly had fallen out of love with the game and his old friend and mentor Hans gifted him a set of skates and encourages him to skate. Bombay skates on an outdoor frozen pond at night and reflects on his situation. The scene features no dialogue but symbolizes a significant moment for Bombay where he changes his approach to coaching, which leads to him becoming Coach Bombay, the Minnesota Miracle Man.
D2: The Mighty Ducks sequel also features Bombay going for a skate to regain perspective. This time it is inline skates outside during a California sunset. He needs to just stretch his legs and skate to remind himself that his role at the Goodwill Games is to be a coach and a leader, not a corporate puppet for sponsors. Again the skate symbolizes a character change for Bombay and helps him regain his perspective and return to being the type of coach he should be.
While Coach Bombay in Game Changers still seems a few steps away from being the man fans have known and loved for so many years, there are signs his return is imminent. He goes for a contemplative skate in Season 1, Episode 2, “Dusters” that mirrors skates he has done earlier in the franchise that have previously helped him to regain perspective and become a better coach for his players. Therefore it seems possible that the Don’t Bothers are now closer to having Bombay as a coach than they were in the pilot.
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers stars Lauren Graham, Emilio Estevez, Brady Noon, Maxwell Simkins, Swayam Bhatia, Luke Islam, Kiefer O’Reilly, Taegen Burns, Bella Higginbotham and DJ Watts. The series premiered on Mar. 26 on Disney+, with new episodes each Friday.
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