Initial thoughts on Game Changers: S01E07 – Pond Hockey

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I really don’t know how to feel about this episode.

Obviously after the reunion episode last week, anything will be a comedown. On the other hand, what did this one really do for the Don’t Bothers overall? I suppose it reunited Evan and his team after he had a practice with the Ducks, but the parts with Alex seemed utterly superfluous – and I say that as someone who enjoys her as a character.

And the final play that gave the win? Can we go back to the ridiculousness of Dwayne roping people instead? The final play was – am I right here? – close your eyes and the other team will be so blown away, they’ll be frozen in wonder as you execute the slowest and easiest to intercept goal on the planet?

I am all for the silly twiddly moves, I’m willing to believe that Tammy Duncan’s spins are distracting, that Dwayne Robertson is allowed a rope on the ice, that Russ Tyler’s knucklepuck will work (despite the alleged mythbusters episode, which I’ve never seen) and that Fulton Reed’s slapshot can destroy the first eighteen things it hits. But I refuse to buy into “close your eyes” as a play.

No. Just fuck off.

Also, it’s starting to show that the writers keep forgetting about kids. Sofi (apologies, I’ve spelled her name every which way so far, but this one is right) has missed a couple of episodes, Koop has spent the entire run being a terrible goalie and nobody has noticed, Sam completely shut down this episode, and I was frankly amazed they remembered to resolve it, and IS ANYONE GOING TO CHECK THAT SOFI’S KNEE IS OK?

(Any movie watcher is remembering Banks’ wrist in D2. The longer you leave it, the worse it will be.)

Obviously Nick continues to be a joy, and his off-hand remark that you’ll get an uplifting message from his moms if you answer his phone was yet another example, but aside from Nick and Evan, the kids are kind of hit and miss – and that fault doesn’t lie with the actors.

But I don’t know if that’s just me sulking because Fulton, Averman and co aren’t in this episode.

I do know I didn’t feel this way about the masses of kids in Cobra Kai. They all seemed pretty consistent.

Well, if anyone has any thoughts, leave them below.