S03 E03 4-5-1

"Hello, is this the American Psychological Association ethics board?"

😳😳😳😳 YOU GUYS.

I’ve got three (oh wait: four) different text threads going about this episode, so I’m gonna get something posted that’s quick rather than thorough, so we can all chat together.

Spoilers after the GIF:

Ted Lasso Fans: We’ll never ever hate anyone as much as we hate Nate.
Dr. Jacob: Hold my beer.

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I mean seriously. Many of us have been saying since season one that it was ethically suspect for a couples’ therapist to also provide therapy for one member of that couple. Initially I had chalked that up to writers’ convenience, but now I’m wondering if it’s actually a character note. Ted is extremely intuitive and empathic, and even if Dr. Jacob and Michelle weren’t dating at that point, it was more than Midwestern skepticism that had him on his guard.

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I mean SERIOUSLY. This Enneagram One is ready to report that m*****f***** to the credentialing board in the state of Kansas. “Give her some space”?! Can you say gaslighting?

And he gives a pretty fancy gift to Henry after he comes home from visiting his DAD.

By next week I will have calmed down a bit and be willing to entertain the possibility that, just as other villains in this show become complicated fleshed-out people in the capable hands of these writers, we will come to see Michelle and even Jake sympathetically too. In the meantime: eff that guy for all the reasons, not least of which is bringing Mango Mussolini into this universe.

Finally, what is Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein’s deal with terribly-boundaried therapists?!? (Bonus Shrinking content right there)

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Last thought on the therapist thing: the central spiritual work for Ted is to learn healthy boundaries and self-regard—to believe that he is just as worthy of love as the people around him whom he showers with positivity. Whatever the final reckoning is between Ted and his ex—and I’m buying more stock in Stays in England—I really wish we’d seen more indignation from the people around him, though I appreciate Sassy at least acknowledging that it’s shady AF.

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References to gold: kintsugi, but also Zava describes himself as full of gold.

Regarding Zava, not too much to say about him. He’s not great for team cohesion, but he’s also not as toxic as I was fearing. Addressing the kitman as the most important person in the room was really pretty nice. And Maximilian Osinski does a good job, because I was really dreading that cat and I actually enjoy watching him. (And man alive, he’s tall.)

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Doesn’t “shite in nining armor” sound exactly like something Ted would say?

Incidentally, guess who wears jersey number 9 for Richmond.

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There was something weird about the pace and camerawork in the scene in Ola’s. Not bad, just weird. Shakycam?

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I said in my season two recap that the best love story in the show might be Roy and Phoebe. I was wrong: it’s Roy and Jamie.

Also: Give. Us. A. Training. Montage.

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Colin. I was overjoyed to see him with his boo, though introducing Michael as his “wingman” broke my heart. The final shot with Trent Crimm is clearly meant to have a nefarious vibe, but that’s a headfake. I expect Trent will be an ally (I thought he was gay myself), and as often happens on this show, I expect they’ll resolve it PDQ.

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Can we talk about how proud we are of Ted for managing his panic during the match?

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Notice that Tish the psychic didn’t say Rebecca would have a baby, though Rebecca clearly took it that way. She said she’d have a FAMILY. Lots of options for that: the “family we make along the way,” or Ted and Henry (though I doubt it), or a better relationship with her mother, or maybe even Nora and Sassy.

Because hey: remember what song Rebecca sings in season one: “Let It Go” from Frozen, which Sam namechecks in season two as “a beautiful metaphor for many of life’s journeys.” What’s the big switcheroo in Frozen? That the “true love” needed to cure Elsa isn’t romantic love at all. The movie subverts all the Disney tropes by lifting up sisterly love as the one that conquers all. Similarly, Rebecca’s “family” will not be what she expects.

Edit: Tish later says she will be a mother, but I still think it’s going to be a different kind of family.

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The throat-clearing of episodes 1 and 2 are done. It’s going to be a great ride.

Discuss…

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