Gordon Bombay back on the ice coaching some hockey! Yes! Episode 4 does a great job of further setting up the beef between The Don’t Bothers and The Ducks. It’s great to see Gordon Bombay doing his favorite things, coaching and getting close to single hockey moms.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe episode centers around a moms skill challenge between The Ducks and what is supposed to be another team, but the other team is unable to make it, The Don’t Bothers step in. The stakes get built on 2 levels as not only does Alex (Lauren Graham) get to stick it to her boss, but The Don’t Bothers would also get Sofi to join the squad with a victory. Nick trying to get Evan in the best friend zone wants him to have a sleepover. They end up inviting screen obsessed goalie Koob as they want him to get some social skills. When Nick’s moms take away the kids phones before bed Koob has to use his angelic voice to distract them to get his phone, when he realizes he has no charger and his phone dies, he is freed from its grasp.
After leaving the rink one night Gordon and Alex run in to Stephanie and her husband who take them to dinner so we can hate them more. When the husband mentions his hockey background, Gordon does ask him if he’s ever been punched in the face, which is great as he’s saying what we’re all thinking. Letting Gordon get the background on Alex’s bosses general vibe of being terrible it gives him the fuel he needs to stoke the fire to teach Alex how to hit an amazing slap shot. It’s nice to meet the moms of the respective players to get a glimpse to their home lives and backstories. After practicing once with coach Bombay they become good enough at skating and hockey to be competitive with the Duck Moms. Gordon finally gets some close 1 on 1 with Alex and helps her learn to harness some of her anger in to her hockey
Sofi gets cold busted showing up to Ducks practice in a Don’t Bothers jersey. Her parents are pissed and come to the Ice Palace to tell their daughter that the Don’t Bothers are a bunch of losers. Sofi is the forced overachiever but she rebels against her parents as they are dictating their lives. When we find out Sofi’s brother got in to Harvard because they “need” a French horn player in their band, it harkens to stories of Operation Varsity Blues. Sofi and her parents agree if the Don’t Bothers moms win she can join the team, if The Ducks win, she will shut up forever and be miserable on the Ducks.
At the skills challenge we are lucky that it is MC’d by Ducks Coach T who has the personality of a dry dish towel, but is serious about hockey. Competition is tight and it comes down to the slapshot challenge between Alex and her nemesis and reigning champ Stephanie. Stephanie looks like she is in control and hits a record of 40MPH on her last slap shot. Alex is ready to tee off, when Gordon calls her attention and gives her a quick reminder of the anger she has towards Stephanie and boom she hits 41MPH. The Don’t Bothers win until Stephanie’s husband is narcs and shows his phone replay that Alex was slightly over the line… So The Ducks “celebrate” their “win” and Sofi has to stay with those assholes.
Finally back at home Sofi has a talk with her father, he signs her permission slip to join The Don’t Bothers when he realizes it will actually make her happy and The Ducks are a bunch of spoiled assholes. Gordon swings by Alex’s house to bring over his leftover pie so he can start moving in and finally have a home as he’s seemingly homeless living in the Ice Palace. Still no cameos from past Ducks, but we will need to stay tuned.
