After three mediocre debut episodes, Ted Lasso appears to have finally hit its stride in this new third season. We’ve finally been introduced to an interesting new character, Ted (Jason Sudeikis) and Nate (Nick Mohammed) have finally thrown down, and dating app Bantr is back in full focus. Ted Lasso fans, rejoice!
Before we can get into the big game between Richmond and West Ham—Ted and Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) versus Nate and Rupert (Anthony Head), respectively—Ted Lasso drops a pretty big bombshell in Ted’s personal life. We know his ex-wife Michelle (Andrea Anders) has been seeing a new guy, and in the last episode, he’s revealed to be “Dr. Jake.” But what kind of doctor, exactly? He’s a therapist. Ted’s former couple’s therapist, in fact.
What a great plot twist! With all the chipper quips and pep talks, it can be hard to remember that Ted Lasso is a show for adults. With a tampon mishap, some friends with benefits chatter between Ted and Sassy (Ellie Taylor), and Rebecca’s lingering feelings for Sam (Toheeb Jimoh), this most recent episode is proof that Ted Lasso deserves a TV-MA rating.
Sometimes, I wish that adult series would make its way to the players more. That’s the case in this episode, in which all of the Richmond AFC team discover that the famed “BELIEVE” poster has been torn down by an unknown antagonist. While we all know it’s Nate, and the head coaches discover the culprit thanks to some sleuthing by Trent Crimm (James Lance), the players are still in the dark and decide to wage vicious attacks on whomever would commit such an atrocity. More on this later—call it Chekhov’s Torn “Believe” Sign, if you will.
Richmond AFC struggles to play against Nate’s strong team. Honestly, it’s a welcome change—it’s been a long while since Richmond has been the underdog, and when they inevitably rise up to take down West Ham by the end of the series, the payoff will feel sweet. But here’s where that adult side could come in more: Let the players curse! Let them be angry! They are so pissed off, and all they do is vaguely yell into the abyss. I want to see Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernández) get so angry that the show has to start bleeping out words.
Eventually, they do get that angry, just in a more boring way. We’ve arrived back at Chekhov’s Torn “Believe” Sign: While Ted is pulled away by Rebecca during halftime, the edgier Coach Beard and Roy (Brett Goldstein) decide to put a little fire in the bellies of their players. They play the footage of Nate tearing down the “Believe.” They’re all furious. Who would curse such a team?
Which leads them back onto the field, bitter with rage, feeling as though the spikes in their cleats would be better off stabbing Nate’s eyes out instead of sinking into turf. Unfortunately, that fury does nothing but incite a few wars on the field, leading to the removal of several players. Richmond ultimately has more players receiving red cards than they have goals scored by the end of the game. Woof.
But the tension throughout this whole episode is marvelously entertaining. There’s Rupert and Rebecca, though their condescending stares across the audience have gotten a tad too overused. Nate and Ted finally share another scene together, in which Nate attempts to avoid his former boss by shoving his nose in the corner of an elevator. It doesn’t work. I gasped when the two almost had to have a conversation.
And then there’s the new character, who brings a little more conflict to Keeley’s (Juno Temple) life—as if she needs it. The person who funded her company is visiting to watch Richmond AFC play. Named Jack Danvers, the team is shocked to find out this mystery investor is actually a woman. Keeley finds out in possibly the worst way possible: She begs a stranger in the bathroom for a tampon, and that stranger turns out to be Jack (Jodi Balfour).
Though we don’t get much of Jack beyond this tampon incident and the game later, she’s already ten times better than newcomer Zava (Maximilian Osinski), who hasn’t really added anything new to Ted Lasso. With tensions between Nate and Ted on the rise, a mysterious new figure in Keeley’s life, and a new bromance between Roy and Jamie (Phil Dunster), Ted Lasso has finally hit its third season groove.
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