Last weeks episode was all about fan service, giving us some much-needed nostalgia in the way of the original cast showing up for a reunion. It was great to see and came at the perfect mid-way point of the series. When making a rebooted movie or series from a beloved franchise, it’s essential to tread carefully between something new and just the right amount of nostalgia. This is something that I’ve enjoyed about this series; it walks that line very well.
The team are upset with Evan this week after they caught him out at a secret practice with the Mighty Ducks. The episode is focused on Evan winning his friends back over after he let them down. There’s a lot more time spent on the ice this week as we return to the familiar hockey action we missed out on last week. There’s a clue in the episode title about where the “Don’t Bothers” will be practising this week, and they’ve gone old school and taken practice outdoors. Skating on the pond reminds them all of why they joined the team, as they all have great fun together.
There is a lot of feel-good moments this week as the team find their way back together. Is it a little bit cliched? Possibly, but I feel like that’s what the show aims towards, and that’s fine by me. There’s a lot that can be said for a feel-good half hour’s viewing that relies on some much-loved nostalgia.
This series can’t go wrong in my eyes, certainly not so far. It’s good honest, Disney fun, and in a world that often sees kids of this age having grown up too quickly, it’s nice to see a more back-to-basic friendship-focused story play out. A solid 4/5 this week, as we build towards the season finale in 3 weeks.