Have people seen Hannah Gadsby's one-woman show Nanette? It was going through my mind during Ted's press conference. It highlights how complicated and problematic it can be to make oneself the butt of the joke. There is some self-loathing in it. The jokes about his panic attacks, for example. Humor can de-stigmatize, but it can also be cruel. He would never make jokes about someone else's struggles, but he will joke about himself. Partly because he puts everyone else first, always.
The story about the janitor seems like a throw-away thing, but it's central to Ted's character. The janitor gives him money, but Ted uses it to buy the janitor something instead? Just accept the kind gesture! That's a pathology--not being able to receive gifts from others.
In fact... OMG. What if THAT is Ted's mission in England? Not to win the whole thing, or not solely that. But also to learn how, when appropriate, to put himself first.
I’ve been thinking along these lines too. Winning the whole thing can’t be about the game. It’s bigger than the game. Winning the whole thing has to be about loving oneself.
The press conference is very Cyrano/Roxanne – "You must love the little birdies..." It does get everyone on Ted's side, eventually, and does deflate Nate, but it's not exactly a head-to-head win. It seems to me he may actually be putting himself first here, by acting as an individual instead of a team coach, but I'm not sure if that's good or bad.
The janitor story said to me that even Ted's potential father *figures* died.
• Rupert (Nate's new evil Ted) thinks a car belongs to one of his cleaners, and calls to have it towed
Keeley and Nate both assume new positions of authority.
• Everyone around Keeley bullies her? (Maybe?)
• Nate bullies everyone.
• (And Ted seems to want to leave his position of authority.)
There's Nate/Ted symmetry and contrast, too. Nate discovers what it's like to be in his first press conference as team manager, to the point of paralleling Ted's panic attack, goofy references, and anxiety sound effects and camera angles. But where Ted was set up for failure by his boss (Rebecca sprung the conference on him while he was jet-lagged), Nate was set up for success by his (Rupert planted the question about AFC Richmond finishing 20th).
In addition to all the other stuff this show is always about, this season seems to be looking at individuality vs. leadership vs. mutuality, and how to handle people leaving, with an emphasis on team connections. (Ivor the sewer tour guide makes a point of adding "and his team" to his comment about the engineer of the sewers.)
Still being friends after a breakup:
• Keely/Phoebe
• Henry re: Nate's Lego minifig
• Ted maintaining his relationship with Henry
• Ted speaking well of Nate at the press conference
And just my favorite cut:
Ted in the sewer: "Ain't much scarier out there than a creepy clown, right?"
Yes, I was cringing and hurting for Ted through the whole press conference. While I loved the humor of teaching the reporters that “how ___ are you troupe”, the self-deprecating humor stung. And YES to the comparison to Nanette. I would bet the writers have seen that too and this was purposeful. Ted spent the episode doubting himself and this line of “jokes” seems to be a bit of his imposter syndrome and general self-doubt sneaking into his outside voice.
Thank you for your analysis and observations, really solid. A few more things that jumped out for me:
*Jamie stepping up as leader in the locker room, telling the team that Nate's comments are poopay and you have to let it flow. Mirrors Season 1 when Ted doesn't intervene in discord in the locker room and gives space for Roy to step up. This time, Ted was eager to go fix and Beard and Roy held him back.
*When Roy is working on strategy and talking about the film Hoosiers, Beard is reading "The Miracle of Castel di Sangro (and as we know, Beard's books aren't random. They're always intentional clues). The synopsis on Amazon:
"Master storyteller Joe McGinniss travels to Italy to cover the unlikely success of a ragtag minor league soccer team--and delivers a brilliant and utterly unforgettable story of life in an off-the-beaten-track Italian village.
When Joe McGinniss sets out for the remote Italian village of Castel di Sangro one summer, he merely intends to spend a season with the village's soccer team, which only weeks before had, miraculously, reached the second-highest-ranking professional league in the land. But soon he finds himself embroiled with an absurd yet irresistible cast of characters, including the team's owner, described by the New York Times as "straight out of a Mario Puzo novel," and coach Osvaldo Jaconi, whose only English word is the one he uses to describe himself: "bulldozer."
As the riotous, edge-of-your-seat season unfolds, McGinniss develops a deepening bond with the team, their village and its people, and their country."
Sounds familiar, eh? lol
* The "Hoosiers" reference. Foreshadowing or confirmation of what we already strongly expect: AFC Richmond is going to have a perfect or winning season and face the giant West Ham in the championship. Also Roy asks, "What's a hoosier?" Hoosier is an inhabitant of Indiana but the name comes from the American South and implies that one is uncouth....which is how AFC is being viewed by the UK sports world and Nate who calls Ted a shitty coach.
* Language is always key in this show and it was interesting that the traditional cuss words we expected to hear from Jamie or Phoebe (being Roy's niece) were benign: poopay and stupid (Phoebe asked Roy if she could say a bad word) whereas Nate who previously never cussed, calls Ted "shitty"
*The Paddington reference was very funny--that Paddington gave them 0 marmalade sandwiches on Twitter and Dani discovering that someone else writes Paddington's tweets. Ted Lasso is very much a Paddington type character, especially with the biscuits he brings Rebecca.
*Also the talk about underdogs, top dogs...AFC Richmond are of course the hounds. And West Ham United, which is a real team, has a log of two hammers--iron work, ship building history--West Hammers. Rupert and Nate are trying to hammer, slam, dominate, beat Ted, Rebecca and AFC Richmond.
Fascinating observations here! Definitely noticing the light/dark themes. Definitely getting the Star Wars vibe, in which fathers and sisters and the force (#believe) are important. Nate has gone to the dark side, hair is white like a Storm Trooper. Ted starts off looking really bedraggled, and then tends that mustache, trying to get it together. Rebecca continues to conflate the team with Rupert. Him/They. And oh gosh, when the Super Hero toy was a gift from "mommy's friend" Jake. Oof.
If this hews close to Star Wars, and this is Return of the Jedi, I am betting the team will have some fun Ewok moments... playful underdogs who band together to defeat the empire. I agree that winning "the whole thing" will mean life, not just the league. It's pretty obvious that we'll see Ted face some of his demons and eventually there will be a squaring off between Rebecca and Rupert. The Keeley/Roy part (Han/Leia) is less obvious to me. And how about this for a weird turn: Rebecca and Ted getting together? They BOTH learn to forgive their past and, badabing, a romance? I am not 100% for that but I could see it.
Love how you've carried through all the Star Wars stuff. Yes, Ewoks please!
Ted/Rebecca is a fascinating speculation across the internet. Some people are VERY for it; some are VERY against. I heard somewhere that Jason Sudeikis has a close relationship with Kristen Wiig; he's called her his platonic soul mate. I expect we'll see a similar dynamic between Ted and Rebecca. As iconic as When Harry Met Sally is, I'd love to see a male-female friendship thrive and not turn to romance. That said, they have awesome chemistry (though Hannah Waddingham would have great chemistry with a bag of pistachio nuts).
Roy and Keeley will get back together. I think if the writers had intended for them to end the series (season?) apart, they wouldn't have started from that point.
The Times critic Christopher Orr noted “Any scene ever shot in a sewer anywhere in Europe is automatically a reference to “The Third Man,” one of the greatest films of all time. The last shot is probably my favorite in the history of cinema. If you haven’t seen it — or even if you have — do yourself a favor.” And since I binged on movies prior to the Oscar’s and I’m still wanting to focus on movies for awhile I’m going to check this movie out and see who “sewered” best.
My favorite part was the major role the kids played (and those laugh out loud parenting nuggets - the legos 💀). The beauty of the child-like wisdom! I’m hoping it’s a preview into the adults tending to their inner-child. Healing of wounds. Listening deeply to their needs. The light and dark offices might have been too on the nose, but the light wardrobe of the women and their offices... mixed with Nate’s Death Star office... it made a loud point. Perhaps Keely’s dark eye makeup on the light colored shirts is a nod to this as well.
Loved it all. Laughed a lot. Smiled on the inside. Bring on season 3!
Robert didn't love how moustache-twirling Rupert was. In season 1 he was a charming narcissist, but now he's downright villainous. I like it because it helps justify Rebecca's behavior--he wasn't just a philandering cad, he was emotionally abusive. And/or we see how vengeance is consuming him after the divorce, just as it consumed Rebecca for a while. But whereas she's trying to come back from it, he's descending further and further into the dark side.
I noticed upon my second viewing how often Rupert touches Nate, especially on the shoulder. It's a perversion of a fatherly gesture and creepy AF. I like where they're going, though it's hard to watch. That said, I expect we won't see nearly as much of them as the season goes on. They had to establish the conflict so the showdown makes sense, but we have a lot of other heroes to tend to.
I think what we’re seeing is a lot of what happens after a group/community goes their own individual ways for a time. It’s good, it’s healthy, but it also means some work needs to be done to get back on the common page - made all the more distanced by external factors (Rebecca still processing the influence of Rupert on her life, Ted figuring out what his ultimate role/purpose is in England, etc etc). This distancing was particularly evident in Rebecca being unhappy with Ted’s coaching style (which had brought them to this point and foo so far).
Taking the team on a tour of the sewer system is unconventional, to be sure, but it's only a disaster if social media reaction is your yardstick. That Rebecca is so freaked out by it suggests that the team needs to come together and re-form some cohesion.
I guess I didn’t take it that Ted and Rebecca have lost anything in their relationship. I saw Rebecca just learning that her team is placed last while her ex’s team is favored for the top spot. I saw her acting out on this news, but she certainly seemed back on Ted’s team at the end of the show and buying into the belief still running rampant in the show “to let Ted be Ted.”
I didn't quite buy the premise that everyone was so upset at being ranked last. Like Jan Mass said, they just got promoted, they're in an objectively tough position. On the other hand, if they come in 19th place, they've exceeded expectations! Meanwhile West Ham has nowhere to go but down. Remember Ted said in the darts scene, "guys have underestimated me my entire life." He's used to this! It's only a problem because he hasn't committed himself to going for the gold. His declaration in the season one finale was all bravado--he's wiser now and understands how hard it will be, so it's understandable that he's holding back from giving it his all.
I think Rupert's presence in the league has Rebecca off her game because she's confusing what happens in the press room with what happens on the pitch. The latter is what matters. And how you "win" matters most of all.
I have rewatched season 2 after watching Wednesday and find myself feeling quite bothered by the ways that Ted simply allows people to behave badly with no consequences. Especially being oblivious to Nate’s cruelty to Will over and over. Sassy didn’t let Rebecca off so easily but Ted gives her a hug and they move on. Even when she revisited her drunken plotting her first Christmas after the divorce, there’s an uncomfortable silence and then they move on. I am really hoping that there is a reckoning of bad behavior in this season. At present I’m feeling like Ted’s leadership is lacking in accountability and I’m hoping for more from him this season.
Agree with all of this! And I have a bad feeling about how it will resolve, or not--as emotionally intelligent as the writers are, I worry that the sunny personality is such a beloved trope that they won’t work up the nerve to disrupt that.
There’s a whole lot about Ted’s arc that parallels my own life over the last couple of years, which is really weird. And lovely...
Both Ted and Nate will need to learn how to truly own their worth to inhabit the leadership roles they are in- coping skills that save your bacon today will fry your ass eventually.
Definitely not buying the end of Roy-Keeley.
Rebecca and Ted need to find the both-and of what success looks like with internal and external measures.
I think they know Trent is a fan favorite and they’re going to make us long for him.
I love everything you said. As trauma experts and therapists remind us, the strategies that worked to keep you alive are to be celebrated, but when they stop working, it’s vital that you find new ones (fry your ass... lol you have such a way with words).
OK so...Why did Rebecca say "Stand up to him, Ted!"? Ted is the white knight player in darts when Rupert is a real ass. What happened to Ted and Rebecca over the summer that they no longer have this rapport?
I deeply appreciate that the way Ted stands up to Nate is to (mostly) be self-deprecating. That seems consistent with who he is, and also the high road. What was his first comment in the press room about Nate? I can't remember now but I'm pretty sure it was almost a little zinger, right?
I think Rebecca senses that Ted’s sense of mission and purpose is flagging.
He said he thought the comment was funny, and that Nate was good at taking even a small weakness and exploiting it. Which seems pretty clearly connected to Nate’s tirade against Ted in S2 finale, when he said he belonged back in America with his son, implying he was a bad father.
Then he said he thought the joke was a bit weak, and showed Nate up by firing off a handful of much better zingers directed against himself.
I do agree that I’m ready for them to start working together in parallel again. There was even a point where she called him Coach Lasso, which seemed overly formal.
I read somewhere that Jason S. said Ted was more of a white rabbit than a white knight, which I thought was clever.
Shows, again, Ted’s overall perspective: lift up and honor the gifts in others. He did it with Nate, throughout all the seasons, he did it with Jaime even after his goal with Man City relegated Richmond at the end of season1...it’s how Ted views the world &’operates, but not everyone will see the merit of that all the time
Also, the devastation of Jason S. toward his ex, Olivia Wilde, makes me wonder if this famous "Jake" who gives out toys is going to look like Harry Styles.
The introduction of Jake is really interesting and very realistic. I'm on record hoping that Ted will stay in England with conditions falling into place for Henry to move to be with him. I'm also fine with him returning to the US, absent those conditions. What I don't want is Ted going back to Kansas simply because he feels now threatened by this new guy. That would not be growth for him.
I still haven’t closed the door on Ted/Sassy, and would prefer that over Ted/Rebecca. But there’s always room for a new, no-entangled character that shows what growth & differentiation can look like
I like Ted and Sassy as well--she's been a fairly flat character thus far (though one I greatly enjoy) but they've teased at a good bit of depth there, with her being a child psychologist and mother of the pretty darn amazing Nora. If they choose to beef up her character it could be a really wonderful relationship.
I also think a lot about Tahani's arc in The Good Place, and how (spoilers for a several-year-old show) this person who always defined herself in relationship to other people ended up spending eternity learning new things and basically, falling in love with herself. It's my favorite arc in the series.
Have people seen Hannah Gadsby's one-woman show Nanette? It was going through my mind during Ted's press conference. It highlights how complicated and problematic it can be to make oneself the butt of the joke. There is some self-loathing in it. The jokes about his panic attacks, for example. Humor can de-stigmatize, but it can also be cruel. He would never make jokes about someone else's struggles, but he will joke about himself. Partly because he puts everyone else first, always.
The story about the janitor seems like a throw-away thing, but it's central to Ted's character. The janitor gives him money, but Ted uses it to buy the janitor something instead? Just accept the kind gesture! That's a pathology--not being able to receive gifts from others.
In fact... OMG. What if THAT is Ted's mission in England? Not to win the whole thing, or not solely that. But also to learn how, when appropriate, to put himself first.
I’ve been thinking along these lines too. Winning the whole thing can’t be about the game. It’s bigger than the game. Winning the whole thing has to be about loving oneself.
The press conference is very Cyrano/Roxanne – "You must love the little birdies..." It does get everyone on Ted's side, eventually, and does deflate Nate, but it's not exactly a head-to-head win. It seems to me he may actually be putting himself first here, by acting as an individual instead of a team coach, but I'm not sure if that's good or bad.
The janitor story said to me that even Ted's potential father *figures* died.
On second watching...
So much symmetry and contrast:
• Ted means to buy a janitor a present
• Rupert (Nate's new evil Ted) thinks a car belongs to one of his cleaners, and calls to have it towed
Keeley and Nate both assume new positions of authority.
• Everyone around Keeley bullies her? (Maybe?)
• Nate bullies everyone.
• (And Ted seems to want to leave his position of authority.)
There's Nate/Ted symmetry and contrast, too. Nate discovers what it's like to be in his first press conference as team manager, to the point of paralleling Ted's panic attack, goofy references, and anxiety sound effects and camera angles. But where Ted was set up for failure by his boss (Rebecca sprung the conference on him while he was jet-lagged), Nate was set up for success by his (Rupert planted the question about AFC Richmond finishing 20th).
In addition to all the other stuff this show is always about, this season seems to be looking at individuality vs. leadership vs. mutuality, and how to handle people leaving, with an emphasis on team connections. (Ivor the sewer tour guide makes a point of adding "and his team" to his comment about the engineer of the sewers.)
Still being friends after a breakup:
• Keely/Phoebe
• Henry re: Nate's Lego minifig
• Ted maintaining his relationship with Henry
• Ted speaking well of Nate at the press conference
And just my favorite cut:
Ted in the sewer: "Ain't much scarier out there than a creepy clown, right?"
CUT TO: Rupert
So much good stuff so I'll just say "yay Keith's here"
Yes, I was cringing and hurting for Ted through the whole press conference. While I loved the humor of teaching the reporters that “how ___ are you troupe”, the self-deprecating humor stung. And YES to the comparison to Nanette. I would bet the writers have seen that too and this was purposeful. Ted spent the episode doubting himself and this line of “jokes” seems to be a bit of his imposter syndrome and general self-doubt sneaking into his outside voice.
💜
Really good first episode of the new season. I've watched it twice. Here's a fun article I read on Rupert's office: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ted-lasso-modeled-ruperts-office-230928761.html
Also, I thought this CNN opinion piece on the villain being "the past" was spot on: https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/15/opinions/ted-lasso-season-three-new-villain-perry-gabriele-ctrp/index.html
Thank you for your analysis and observations, really solid. A few more things that jumped out for me:
*Jamie stepping up as leader in the locker room, telling the team that Nate's comments are poopay and you have to let it flow. Mirrors Season 1 when Ted doesn't intervene in discord in the locker room and gives space for Roy to step up. This time, Ted was eager to go fix and Beard and Roy held him back.
*When Roy is working on strategy and talking about the film Hoosiers, Beard is reading "The Miracle of Castel di Sangro (and as we know, Beard's books aren't random. They're always intentional clues). The synopsis on Amazon:
"Master storyteller Joe McGinniss travels to Italy to cover the unlikely success of a ragtag minor league soccer team--and delivers a brilliant and utterly unforgettable story of life in an off-the-beaten-track Italian village.
When Joe McGinniss sets out for the remote Italian village of Castel di Sangro one summer, he merely intends to spend a season with the village's soccer team, which only weeks before had, miraculously, reached the second-highest-ranking professional league in the land. But soon he finds himself embroiled with an absurd yet irresistible cast of characters, including the team's owner, described by the New York Times as "straight out of a Mario Puzo novel," and coach Osvaldo Jaconi, whose only English word is the one he uses to describe himself: "bulldozer."
As the riotous, edge-of-your-seat season unfolds, McGinniss develops a deepening bond with the team, their village and its people, and their country."
Sounds familiar, eh? lol
* The "Hoosiers" reference. Foreshadowing or confirmation of what we already strongly expect: AFC Richmond is going to have a perfect or winning season and face the giant West Ham in the championship. Also Roy asks, "What's a hoosier?" Hoosier is an inhabitant of Indiana but the name comes from the American South and implies that one is uncouth....which is how AFC is being viewed by the UK sports world and Nate who calls Ted a shitty coach.
* Language is always key in this show and it was interesting that the traditional cuss words we expected to hear from Jamie or Phoebe (being Roy's niece) were benign: poopay and stupid (Phoebe asked Roy if she could say a bad word) whereas Nate who previously never cussed, calls Ted "shitty"
*The Paddington reference was very funny--that Paddington gave them 0 marmalade sandwiches on Twitter and Dani discovering that someone else writes Paddington's tweets. Ted Lasso is very much a Paddington type character, especially with the biscuits he brings Rebecca.
*Also the talk about underdogs, top dogs...AFC Richmond are of course the hounds. And West Ham United, which is a real team, has a log of two hammers--iron work, ship building history--West Hammers. Rupert and Nate are trying to hammer, slam, dominate, beat Ted, Rebecca and AFC Richmond.
Andy! A tour de force!
Amazing stuff here.
Fascinating observations here! Definitely noticing the light/dark themes. Definitely getting the Star Wars vibe, in which fathers and sisters and the force (#believe) are important. Nate has gone to the dark side, hair is white like a Storm Trooper. Ted starts off looking really bedraggled, and then tends that mustache, trying to get it together. Rebecca continues to conflate the team with Rupert. Him/They. And oh gosh, when the Super Hero toy was a gift from "mommy's friend" Jake. Oof.
If this hews close to Star Wars, and this is Return of the Jedi, I am betting the team will have some fun Ewok moments... playful underdogs who band together to defeat the empire. I agree that winning "the whole thing" will mean life, not just the league. It's pretty obvious that we'll see Ted face some of his demons and eventually there will be a squaring off between Rebecca and Rupert. The Keeley/Roy part (Han/Leia) is less obvious to me. And how about this for a weird turn: Rebecca and Ted getting together? They BOTH learn to forgive their past and, badabing, a romance? I am not 100% for that but I could see it.
Love how you've carried through all the Star Wars stuff. Yes, Ewoks please!
Ted/Rebecca is a fascinating speculation across the internet. Some people are VERY for it; some are VERY against. I heard somewhere that Jason Sudeikis has a close relationship with Kristen Wiig; he's called her his platonic soul mate. I expect we'll see a similar dynamic between Ted and Rebecca. As iconic as When Harry Met Sally is, I'd love to see a male-female friendship thrive and not turn to romance. That said, they have awesome chemistry (though Hannah Waddingham would have great chemistry with a bag of pistachio nuts).
Roy and Keeley will get back together. I think if the writers had intended for them to end the series (season?) apart, they wouldn't have started from that point.
The Times critic Christopher Orr noted “Any scene ever shot in a sewer anywhere in Europe is automatically a reference to “The Third Man,” one of the greatest films of all time. The last shot is probably my favorite in the history of cinema. If you haven’t seen it — or even if you have — do yourself a favor.” And since I binged on movies prior to the Oscar’s and I’m still wanting to focus on movies for awhile I’m going to check this movie out and see who “sewered” best.
My favorite part was the major role the kids played (and those laugh out loud parenting nuggets - the legos 💀). The beauty of the child-like wisdom! I’m hoping it’s a preview into the adults tending to their inner-child. Healing of wounds. Listening deeply to their needs. The light and dark offices might have been too on the nose, but the light wardrobe of the women and their offices... mixed with Nate’s Death Star office... it made a loud point. Perhaps Keely’s dark eye makeup on the light colored shirts is a nod to this as well.
Loved it all. Laughed a lot. Smiled on the inside. Bring on season 3!
Robert didn't love how moustache-twirling Rupert was. In season 1 he was a charming narcissist, but now he's downright villainous. I like it because it helps justify Rebecca's behavior--he wasn't just a philandering cad, he was emotionally abusive. And/or we see how vengeance is consuming him after the divorce, just as it consumed Rebecca for a while. But whereas she's trying to come back from it, he's descending further and further into the dark side.
I noticed upon my second viewing how often Rupert touches Nate, especially on the shoulder. It's a perversion of a fatherly gesture and creepy AF. I like where they're going, though it's hard to watch. That said, I expect we won't see nearly as much of them as the season goes on. They had to establish the conflict so the showdown makes sense, but we have a lot of other heroes to tend to.
I think what we’re seeing is a lot of what happens after a group/community goes their own individual ways for a time. It’s good, it’s healthy, but it also means some work needs to be done to get back on the common page - made all the more distanced by external factors (Rebecca still processing the influence of Rupert on her life, Ted figuring out what his ultimate role/purpose is in England, etc etc). This distancing was particularly evident in Rebecca being unhappy with Ted’s coaching style (which had brought them to this point and foo so far).
A great point.
Taking the team on a tour of the sewer system is unconventional, to be sure, but it's only a disaster if social media reaction is your yardstick. That Rebecca is so freaked out by it suggests that the team needs to come together and re-form some cohesion.
I guess I didn’t take it that Ted and Rebecca have lost anything in their relationship. I saw Rebecca just learning that her team is placed last while her ex’s team is favored for the top spot. I saw her acting out on this news, but she certainly seemed back on Ted’s team at the end of the show and buying into the belief still running rampant in the show “to let Ted be Ted.”
I didn't quite buy the premise that everyone was so upset at being ranked last. Like Jan Mass said, they just got promoted, they're in an objectively tough position. On the other hand, if they come in 19th place, they've exceeded expectations! Meanwhile West Ham has nowhere to go but down. Remember Ted said in the darts scene, "guys have underestimated me my entire life." He's used to this! It's only a problem because he hasn't committed himself to going for the gold. His declaration in the season one finale was all bravado--he's wiser now and understands how hard it will be, so it's understandable that he's holding back from giving it his all.
I think Rupert's presence in the league has Rebecca off her game because she's confusing what happens in the press room with what happens on the pitch. The latter is what matters. And how you "win" matters most of all.
A nice West Wing reference! Let Bartlet be Bartlet.
And speaking of West Wing, Robert pointed out, Beard and Ted had a walk and talk at the end (in front of his apartment)
I have rewatched season 2 after watching Wednesday and find myself feeling quite bothered by the ways that Ted simply allows people to behave badly with no consequences. Especially being oblivious to Nate’s cruelty to Will over and over. Sassy didn’t let Rebecca off so easily but Ted gives her a hug and they move on. Even when she revisited her drunken plotting her first Christmas after the divorce, there’s an uncomfortable silence and then they move on. I am really hoping that there is a reckoning of bad behavior in this season. At present I’m feeling like Ted’s leadership is lacking in accountability and I’m hoping for more from him this season.
Agree with all of this! And I have a bad feeling about how it will resolve, or not--as emotionally intelligent as the writers are, I worry that the sunny personality is such a beloved trope that they won’t work up the nerve to disrupt that.
There’s a whole lot about Ted’s arc that parallels my own life over the last couple of years, which is really weird. And lovely...
Both Ted and Nate will need to learn how to truly own their worth to inhabit the leadership roles they are in- coping skills that save your bacon today will fry your ass eventually.
Definitely not buying the end of Roy-Keeley.
Rebecca and Ted need to find the both-and of what success looks like with internal and external measures.
Where is Trent Krimm?
I think they know Trent is a fan favorite and they’re going to make us long for him.
I love everything you said. As trauma experts and therapists remind us, the strategies that worked to keep you alive are to be celebrated, but when they stop working, it’s vital that you find new ones (fry your ass... lol you have such a way with words).
Do you think Ted is an unhealthy 7?
I suspect he is, given the wound
OK so...Why did Rebecca say "Stand up to him, Ted!"? Ted is the white knight player in darts when Rupert is a real ass. What happened to Ted and Rebecca over the summer that they no longer have this rapport?
I deeply appreciate that the way Ted stands up to Nate is to (mostly) be self-deprecating. That seems consistent with who he is, and also the high road. What was his first comment in the press room about Nate? I can't remember now but I'm pretty sure it was almost a little zinger, right?
I think Rebecca senses that Ted’s sense of mission and purpose is flagging.
He said he thought the comment was funny, and that Nate was good at taking even a small weakness and exploiting it. Which seems pretty clearly connected to Nate’s tirade against Ted in S2 finale, when he said he belonged back in America with his son, implying he was a bad father.
Then he said he thought the joke was a bit weak, and showed Nate up by firing off a handful of much better zingers directed against himself.
I do agree that I’m ready for them to start working together in parallel again. There was even a point where she called him Coach Lasso, which seemed overly formal.
I read somewhere that Jason S. said Ted was more of a white rabbit than a white knight, which I thought was clever.
Shows, again, Ted’s overall perspective: lift up and honor the gifts in others. He did it with Nate, throughout all the seasons, he did it with Jaime even after his goal with Man City relegated Richmond at the end of season1...it’s how Ted views the world &’operates, but not everyone will see the merit of that all the time
Also, the devastation of Jason S. toward his ex, Olivia Wilde, makes me wonder if this famous "Jake" who gives out toys is going to look like Harry Styles.
lol and sob!
The introduction of Jake is really interesting and very realistic. I'm on record hoping that Ted will stay in England with conditions falling into place for Henry to move to be with him. I'm also fine with him returning to the US, absent those conditions. What I don't want is Ted going back to Kansas simply because he feels now threatened by this new guy. That would not be growth for him.
Me, always the romantic… does Ted fall in love with a Brit this season?
I still haven’t closed the door on Ted/Sassy, and would prefer that over Ted/Rebecca. But there’s always room for a new, no-entangled character that shows what growth & differentiation can look like
I like Ted and Sassy as well--she's been a fairly flat character thus far (though one I greatly enjoy) but they've teased at a good bit of depth there, with her being a child psychologist and mother of the pretty darn amazing Nora. If they choose to beef up her character it could be a really wonderful relationship.
I also think a lot about Tahani's arc in The Good Place, and how (spoilers for a several-year-old show) this person who always defined herself in relationship to other people ended up spending eternity learning new things and basically, falling in love with herself. It's my favorite arc in the series.
Had Brett staring me in the face this morning with my Sunday NYTimes and it was lovely. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/11/arts/television/brett-goldstein-ted-lasso-hercules.html