So many references, callbacks, and Easter eggs. Here's one you may not know about, during the discussion about what "perfection" is. When Hannah Waddingham was on Brett Goldstein's movie podcast, he asked her (as he does every guest) what is objectively the best film. Lots of people say The Godfather (I or II) or other obvious choices. Hannah said Back to the Future.
I agree it was pretty tight. But, I have seen some other spin-off ideas...basically, Richmond Girls..either incorporated into OG without Ted, or, as spin-off with a few of the characters. Also, I believe the World Cup is in NAmerica next year, so one suggestion is Jason is in a few episodes as he coaches the American team...or, they bring the show back with Beard and Roy coaching...they are all there except Ted. And, he can zoom in for larger games/ events? Basically, I am in denial and hoping for any crumbs. Also, Hannah W has already recorded a Christmas special that is supposed to be awesome..she evidently is a trained vocalist...
I don’t think she gave him anything. I think it was an empty bag with her suspicion that he would not really be leaving. That’s probably not the case (both would and wouldn’t be on point for Keeley), but that’s my thought.
The whole thing was just so lovely that I am a bit speechless. I agree with others about the wonky turn with Roy/Jamie/Keeley. But it leaves some fodder for a season 4...... so I’m ok with that. I loved Dr. Sharon coming back and how deeply invested she was in the win. Colin’s kiss was just everything. Barbara in the box was AMAZING!!
The scene with the believe sign makes me weep just thinking about it. So deep. So meaningful. Nate’s literal repair. The team carrying pieces of it.
Not as much of a rainbow splash on the last episode, but Keeley was in a full rainbow dress and I loved that.
The trick play and perfect callback. The running man celebration dance.
I was bothered by that too. But the more I thought about it, for Keeley, it's not a love triangle. We never got much of an indication that she was falling back in love with Jamie. Considering that Roy presumably stayed over and they got it on after his big apology (i.e. Roy appears in Keeley's pink robe while Rebecca is visiting) and they were talking, it seems like Keeley was starting over with Roy or picking things back up slowly.
At any rate, it was Jamie and Roy who have been fighting over her/competing for her since season 1, so for them it's a love triangle. But not for Keeley. I don't think she's in love with both of them. She loved Jamie, then loved Roy and now she might not know what she wants to do.
So, it matches narratively. It was always about Jamie and Roy being at odds and then finally having a bromance. Wasn't really about Keeley. And after she kicks them out, they remain friends and go to dinner.
There's an alternate universe where we got a wonderfully bonkers Keeley-Roy wedding this season, but where the characters ended up going, the resolution was just right.
Right? I desperately wanted a Roy-Keeley wedding but a Jane-Beard wedding and Roy in therapy was even better. Plus it sets up a spinoff that includes Dr. Sharon helping Roy become a better version of himself.
I saw an interview with Phil and the cast in Colbert maybe? From a couple years ago. Phil/ Amie has never played sports...but, there was one shot in the first season that he went ahead and took and hie made it...they said, they weren’t acting when they were all jumping around and cheering etc! As a non- athlete myself, I LOVE THAT!
I have been reading around about this episode to see what other fans noticed (my version of clinking glasses at the pub) and lots of fans picked up on a shout out to Cheers, with Mae straightening a Geronimo picture on the wall (a continuation of the nods throughout the show, a la Ted/Sam/Rebecca). And George Wendt is Jason Sudeikis' uncle in real life.
Also, a shout out to The Office, when Nate is the assistant kitman, and corrected to be assistant TO the kitman (Dwight and Michael.)
I wonder if it might have been as true to say of this show, "It was never about soccer."
Ok- potentially unpopular opinion: I thought the penultimate episode was the better one. Perhaps because they really went for tying up allllll the loose ends and the show has felt looser and messier for its whole run.
That said- so much to love!
Mae’s stack of share certificates
Doc Sharon’s celebration dance
Keeley’s choice to boot both Roy and Jamie
Rupert getting the “wanker” chant because, well, it’s accurate and wasn’t about his team losing
Trent’s hair getting the notice it deserved
Colin’s clear decision to embrace and kiss his SO in public... that was intentional and in the moment and well-acted
Mackadoo. All of his scenes were bangers
So Long, Farewell was the perfect callback/echo of Bye Bye Bye... and TED DIDN’T SKIP OUT on the last anything
I don’t want a spin off. I want these seasons and these characters to just be a story we loved and lives together. Maybe the occasional Red Nose Day short. But if Shrinking shows us anything, it’s that we need these stories in all kinds of settings (geographical and vocational)
My algorithms are serving me up clips from a 60 minutes piece that I haven’t watched... and they make me want to see more of the cast talking about their characters and their experiences.
I feel like I have an absurd number of emotions tied to this, but for some odd reason I just keep thinking about Rupert’s ridiculous villain cape. So over the top, I can’t tell if I loved it or hated it!
But overall, I would say that as far as finale’s go, it was an imperfect beauty- so many amazing moments, in particular using Nate’s play and Beard’s appendix scene, that make up for any story imperfections like the Roy/Jamie fight and odd tonal shifts.
Yes, didn't love the love triangle. Does my face look like it's in the mood for shape-based plot lines??
And while I'm thrilled to see Roy in therapy, and believe just about everyone can benefit from it, he had a lot of emotional intelligence in seasons 1 and 2 that kind of evaporated--I'm not quite sure where that went. A bit of Flanderization of his character.
Many folks on Reddit think the wedding was a dream, partly because the CGI made it look really cheesy, but also because there's no way Ted would miss that. I think it was real and that Beard didn't tell him about it, opting to let him live his life undisturbed.
It reminded me of the Scrubs finale, which makes some sense because they were both Bill Lawrence- for those who haven’t seen it, they have this dreamlike future scene where the main character says “the future can be whatever I want it to be”. I choose to think of it that way- all of those beautiful things we saw in that final five minutes can be real because that’s the sort of ending we want out of a show this beautiful and optimistic.
I couldn't agree more. Kintsugi. Exactly. It brought what was broken back together -- not as if nothing had happened, but with gold making it more beautiful than I could have imagined. What an amazing series finale. Be a goldfish. But not where this series is concerned.
So much already so well said here. I think this finale nailed it because it didn't shy away from packing in as many feel-good moments as possible, but ALSO pulling the rug out from under us a couple times - most notably the opening scene when it really looked as though Ted and Rebecca had slept together! Totally got me - I was shocked. Also, of course, Jamie and Roy fighting over Keeley, and then Roy and Keeley NOT ending up together at the end. It felt like real life, I thought - things aren't tied up in big bows, and people's lives never get resolved or "ended." We are all a work in progress. (Also leaves room for another season, but how can they without Ted?) And just the episode was full of what we love Ted Lasso for - sweetness and goofiness, true virtue and wholeness, reconciliation, and messy but loving relationships.
Oh, I love all the reminders in here of details I had forgotten or missed. It was the same feeling as the end of a fireworks show, when everyone feels the explosions coming in close succession. (Speaking of Succession, Rebecca's mom was the same actor who played the mother of the fighting siblings.) I loved the kintsugi sign, the way Rebecca is called a matriarch, and they rephrase that to be Soccer Mom, the hints that Dr. Jacob might be on his way out (?), and the music. I loved that they won the game and shared the ball! I loved the ZAVA GIFT! The biggest avocado ever, "I am inside you!" Jamie calling Roy an 'older man.' Love it. I am on team 'dream sequence' for the Beard wedding, or potentially 'inception' (your call, viewer). Rebecca was wearing the same outfit in the first episode and the last, just pure fire/tiger colors. Ted, so sidelined by emotional distress at the beginning of this season, was fully a leader by the end. Nate wishing Ted good luck for the last time, bumbled, was awesome. Bravo. Rom/Com energy. It was not going to mess with us. They landed the plane!
It was amazing and had a big ole ugly cry throughout most of it. And to be honest, I've gone back and looked over certain scenes and I can't do it without crying.
Maryann, you asked me a couple of episodes ago about where I get Ted Lasso info/insights and really, I just Google and look at various articles. I'm seeing lot of negative buzz about the wedding scene due to the CGI being poor quality; at the same time, folks are suggesting that the wedding, which was surreal with Stonehenge and the costumes and the hazy filter, was Ted's dream because its the last scene in the montage and Ted wakes up on the plane right after. Considering that Beard made a funny and dramatic exit off the plane because of his love for Jane, that would track.
Highlights:
--Roy meeting with Doctor Sharon
--Keeley and Barbara running the pr biz...now KBPR. And instead of everyone at cubicles, they are all sitting around two big tables.
--Barbara getting excited about blood in sports. Lol.
--Rupert's demise which was truly sad
--AFC Richmond winning the game/the players and the Believe sign/Sam makes the Nigerian team
--Dani and VanDamme reconcile and VanDamme returns to Zorro with his cool mask
--Nate's apology to Ted
--Ted's note for Trent Crimm about the book "It was never about me"
--Keeley and Rebecca starting AFC Richmond Women's Team (SPIN-OFF PLEASE!)
--Roy joining the Diamond Dogs. The whole meeting was wonderful. Nate acknowledging that people can change and getting a nod from Beard. But my favorite quote was from Higgins:
“Human beings are never gonna be perfect, Roy. The best we can do is to keep asking for help and accepting it when you can. And if you keep on doing that, you’ll always be moving towards better.”
--Cat Stevens Father and Son, perfect. And that song always, always makes me cry. Whew. (See my opening paragraph)
--Roy and Jamie solidifying their friendship. It was never about Roy and Keeley or Jamie and Keeley but the two of them, which was superbly set up in Season 1 at the charity auction.
--Ted and Rebecca--best friendship on TV. A testament to the incredible performances by Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham through the whole series, and especially in their airport goodbye scene--they both convey so much with their "thank you" and hug.
--Sound of Music goodbye gift from the players to Ted. Perfection
Damn, I will miss this show.
I've been moved many times by other series. And until now, none had stirred my heart quite like MASH. But Ted even tops that one because of how it speaks to the current times we're living in and the struggles we are going through.
p.s. This relates more to the penultimate episode, however it relates overall to the redemption arc with Nate. I googled the meaning of jade. And here's what spruce.com says:
"Jade is a highly valued stone that symbolizes gentleness, serenity, harmony, and balance in feng shui, or the practice of bringing balance to your life and home with energy. Jade has many meanings, including strength, luck, and good health. Jade is also revered for its healing properties balancing the body's processes."
Nothing is accidental in Ted Lasso. When Jade sat down with Nate for dinner after the model dumped him, his redemption started and he became more of himself, but better, again. Jade brought gentleness, serenity and balance to Nate.
Also Trent. Just Trent Crimm. I found his desire for Ted to love his book really surprising, but totally on point. He was truly a huge element to the secret sauce of the season. And where can he go now that he realizes it's about the whole team and not just one man? I love that dawning for him.
He wouldn't have had access to the team without Ted's approval. Everyone else was gesturing madly to get Ted to say "no." I think he hoped Ted wouldn't regret the decision.
"The Flying Dutchman" [chef's kiss]
So many references, callbacks, and Easter eggs. Here's one you may not know about, during the discussion about what "perfection" is. When Hannah Waddingham was on Brett Goldstein's movie podcast, he asked her (as he does every guest) what is objectively the best film. Lots of people say The Godfather (I or II) or other obvious choices. Hannah said Back to the Future.
"Change the title of the book because it was never about me" --> "Make it a spinoff"
But they wrapped it up pretty tightly, so... ?
I agree it was pretty tight. But, I have seen some other spin-off ideas...basically, Richmond Girls..either incorporated into OG without Ted, or, as spin-off with a few of the characters. Also, I believe the World Cup is in NAmerica next year, so one suggestion is Jason is in a few episodes as he coaches the American team...or, they bring the show back with Beard and Roy coaching...they are all there except Ted. And, he can zoom in for larger games/ events? Basically, I am in denial and hoping for any crumbs. Also, Hannah W has already recorded a Christmas special that is supposed to be awesome..she evidently is a trained vocalist...
What do we think Keeley gave to Beard as a going away gift?
A book. Not sure what... but something related to Richmond. Was that the same snow globe she got for Barbara?
I believe that was the same snow globe, which of course makes even more sense as a remembrance for Ted
I don’t think she gave him anything. I think it was an empty bag with her suspicion that he would not really be leaving. That’s probably not the case (both would and wouldn’t be on point for Keeley), but that’s my thought.
The whole thing was just so lovely that I am a bit speechless. I agree with others about the wonky turn with Roy/Jamie/Keeley. But it leaves some fodder for a season 4...... so I’m ok with that. I loved Dr. Sharon coming back and how deeply invested she was in the win. Colin’s kiss was just everything. Barbara in the box was AMAZING!!
The scene with the believe sign makes me weep just thinking about it. So deep. So meaningful. Nate’s literal repair. The team carrying pieces of it.
Not as much of a rainbow splash on the last episode, but Keeley was in a full rainbow dress and I loved that.
The trick play and perfect callback. The running man celebration dance.
I’m going to miss this show so damn much.
All of this. All of it. THE LITERAL REPAIR.
And, that Ted was the one to realize the offsides play! 3 years ago he didn’t know anything about the game! Love Nate’s literal “ repair”!
I was bothered by that too. But the more I thought about it, for Keeley, it's not a love triangle. We never got much of an indication that she was falling back in love with Jamie. Considering that Roy presumably stayed over and they got it on after his big apology (i.e. Roy appears in Keeley's pink robe while Rebecca is visiting) and they were talking, it seems like Keeley was starting over with Roy or picking things back up slowly.
At any rate, it was Jamie and Roy who have been fighting over her/competing for her since season 1, so for them it's a love triangle. But not for Keeley. I don't think she's in love with both of them. She loved Jamie, then loved Roy and now she might not know what she wants to do.
So, it matches narratively. It was always about Jamie and Roy being at odds and then finally having a bromance. Wasn't really about Keeley. And after she kicks them out, they remain friends and go to dinner.
I am so in for the Richmond women's team series.
They need to keep it going long enough for that Kokoruda girl to join, she is a f***ing beast in defense
Shannon, aka “soccer girl” who schools the guys with her juking skills, would be a great ace striker for the women’s team!
You know it, Coach!
It's a fantastic potential pivot.
I just saw on Reddit that Phil Dunster and Toheeb Jimoh have talked about bidding farewell to their characters, so no Jamie and Sam, apparently.
They set it up for a Keeley-centric series with a Jamie/Roy triangle built in from the start, though. We shall see...
More Barbara, please!
Right...LOL..more blood!
Keeley's Roy.
There's an alternate universe where we got a wonderfully bonkers Keeley-Roy wedding this season, but where the characters ended up going, the resolution was just right.
Right? I desperately wanted a Roy-Keeley wedding but a Jane-Beard wedding and Roy in therapy was even better. Plus it sets up a spinoff that includes Dr. Sharon helping Roy become a better version of himself.
I saw an interview with Phil and the cast in Colbert maybe? From a couple years ago. Phil/ Amie has never played sports...but, there was one shot in the first season that he went ahead and took and hie made it...they said, they weren’t acting when they were all jumping around and cheering etc! As a non- athlete myself, I LOVE THAT!
Keeley, Rebecca, Jamie, Roy, Shannon.
I have been reading around about this episode to see what other fans noticed (my version of clinking glasses at the pub) and lots of fans picked up on a shout out to Cheers, with Mae straightening a Geronimo picture on the wall (a continuation of the nods throughout the show, a la Ted/Sam/Rebecca). And George Wendt is Jason Sudeikis' uncle in real life.
Also, a shout out to The Office, when Nate is the assistant kitman, and corrected to be assistant TO the kitman (Dwight and Michael.)
I wonder if it might have been as true to say of this show, "It was never about soccer."
Also: “if you care about someone and you got a little love in your heart, there ain’t nothing you can’t get through together.”
Gezzelig.
Doing your best, and then learning to be content whatever the outcome because you know you did your best.
Committing to the ongoing development of self and relationships.
I love that McAdoo kept his portion of the sign in his captain’s band!
Ok- potentially unpopular opinion: I thought the penultimate episode was the better one. Perhaps because they really went for tying up allllll the loose ends and the show has felt looser and messier for its whole run.
That said- so much to love!
Mae’s stack of share certificates
Doc Sharon’s celebration dance
Keeley’s choice to boot both Roy and Jamie
Rupert getting the “wanker” chant because, well, it’s accurate and wasn’t about his team losing
Trent’s hair getting the notice it deserved
Colin’s clear decision to embrace and kiss his SO in public... that was intentional and in the moment and well-acted
Mackadoo. All of his scenes were bangers
So Long, Farewell was the perfect callback/echo of Bye Bye Bye... and TED DIDN’T SKIP OUT on the last anything
I don’t want a spin off. I want these seasons and these characters to just be a story we loved and lives together. Maybe the occasional Red Nose Day short. But if Shrinking shows us anything, it’s that we need these stories in all kinds of settings (geographical and vocational)
My algorithms are serving me up clips from a 60 minutes piece that I haven’t watched... and they make me want to see more of the cast talking about their characters and their experiences.
Yes, I'd like the oral history, please
I feel like I have an absurd number of emotions tied to this, but for some odd reason I just keep thinking about Rupert’s ridiculous villain cape. So over the top, I can’t tell if I loved it or hated it!
But overall, I would say that as far as finale’s go, it was an imperfect beauty- so many amazing moments, in particular using Nate’s play and Beard’s appendix scene, that make up for any story imperfections like the Roy/Jamie fight and odd tonal shifts.
Yes, didn't love the love triangle. Does my face look like it's in the mood for shape-based plot lines??
And while I'm thrilled to see Roy in therapy, and believe just about everyone can benefit from it, he had a lot of emotional intelligence in seasons 1 and 2 that kind of evaporated--I'm not quite sure where that went. A bit of Flanderization of his character.
Many folks on Reddit think the wedding was a dream, partly because the CGI made it look really cheesy, but also because there's no way Ted would miss that. I think it was real and that Beard didn't tell him about it, opting to let him live his life undisturbed.
It reminded me of the Scrubs finale, which makes some sense because they were both Bill Lawrence- for those who haven’t seen it, they have this dreamlike future scene where the main character says “the future can be whatever I want it to be”. I choose to think of it that way- all of those beautiful things we saw in that final five minutes can be real because that’s the sort of ending we want out of a show this beautiful and optimistic.
OMG. Speaking of Bill Lawrence. Have you watched Shrinking????
It's bawdier than Ted Lasso, but so much of the same DNA, and [whispering very quietly] ~it's even funnier in my opinion~
Shrinking. Yes
Shrinking for the WIN. I love Lasso, I adore Shrinking.
I agree. It made me laugh out loud much more than Ted Lasso, much as I dearly love Ted Lasso. It's more clever and sharp.
I couldn't agree more. Kintsugi. Exactly. It brought what was broken back together -- not as if nothing had happened, but with gold making it more beautiful than I could have imagined. What an amazing series finale. Be a goldfish. But not where this series is concerned.
Haha yes!
So much already so well said here. I think this finale nailed it because it didn't shy away from packing in as many feel-good moments as possible, but ALSO pulling the rug out from under us a couple times - most notably the opening scene when it really looked as though Ted and Rebecca had slept together! Totally got me - I was shocked. Also, of course, Jamie and Roy fighting over Keeley, and then Roy and Keeley NOT ending up together at the end. It felt like real life, I thought - things aren't tied up in big bows, and people's lives never get resolved or "ended." We are all a work in progress. (Also leaves room for another season, but how can they without Ted?) And just the episode was full of what we love Ted Lasso for - sweetness and goofiness, true virtue and wholeness, reconciliation, and messy but loving relationships.
"sweetness and goofiness, true virtue and wholeness, reconciliation, and messy but loving relationships"
My jam!
Oh, I love all the reminders in here of details I had forgotten or missed. It was the same feeling as the end of a fireworks show, when everyone feels the explosions coming in close succession. (Speaking of Succession, Rebecca's mom was the same actor who played the mother of the fighting siblings.) I loved the kintsugi sign, the way Rebecca is called a matriarch, and they rephrase that to be Soccer Mom, the hints that Dr. Jacob might be on his way out (?), and the music. I loved that they won the game and shared the ball! I loved the ZAVA GIFT! The biggest avocado ever, "I am inside you!" Jamie calling Roy an 'older man.' Love it. I am on team 'dream sequence' for the Beard wedding, or potentially 'inception' (your call, viewer). Rebecca was wearing the same outfit in the first episode and the last, just pure fire/tiger colors. Ted, so sidelined by emotional distress at the beginning of this season, was fully a leader by the end. Nate wishing Ted good luck for the last time, bumbled, was awesome. Bravo. Rom/Com energy. It was not going to mess with us. They landed the plane!
Indeed they did!
It was amazing and had a big ole ugly cry throughout most of it. And to be honest, I've gone back and looked over certain scenes and I can't do it without crying.
Maryann, you asked me a couple of episodes ago about where I get Ted Lasso info/insights and really, I just Google and look at various articles. I'm seeing lot of negative buzz about the wedding scene due to the CGI being poor quality; at the same time, folks are suggesting that the wedding, which was surreal with Stonehenge and the costumes and the hazy filter, was Ted's dream because its the last scene in the montage and Ted wakes up on the plane right after. Considering that Beard made a funny and dramatic exit off the plane because of his love for Jane, that would track.
Highlights:
--Roy meeting with Doctor Sharon
--Keeley and Barbara running the pr biz...now KBPR. And instead of everyone at cubicles, they are all sitting around two big tables.
--Barbara getting excited about blood in sports. Lol.
--Rupert's demise which was truly sad
--AFC Richmond winning the game/the players and the Believe sign/Sam makes the Nigerian team
--Dani and VanDamme reconcile and VanDamme returns to Zorro with his cool mask
--Nate's apology to Ted
--Ted's note for Trent Crimm about the book "It was never about me"
--Keeley and Rebecca starting AFC Richmond Women's Team (SPIN-OFF PLEASE!)
--Roy joining the Diamond Dogs. The whole meeting was wonderful. Nate acknowledging that people can change and getting a nod from Beard. But my favorite quote was from Higgins:
“Human beings are never gonna be perfect, Roy. The best we can do is to keep asking for help and accepting it when you can. And if you keep on doing that, you’ll always be moving towards better.”
--Cat Stevens Father and Son, perfect. And that song always, always makes me cry. Whew. (See my opening paragraph)
--Roy and Jamie solidifying their friendship. It was never about Roy and Keeley or Jamie and Keeley but the two of them, which was superbly set up in Season 1 at the charity auction.
--Ted and Rebecca--best friendship on TV. A testament to the incredible performances by Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham through the whole series, and especially in their airport goodbye scene--they both convey so much with their "thank you" and hug.
--Sound of Music goodbye gift from the players to Ted. Perfection
Damn, I will miss this show.
I've been moved many times by other series. And until now, none had stirred my heart quite like MASH. But Ted even tops that one because of how it speaks to the current times we're living in and the struggles we are going through.
p.s. This relates more to the penultimate episode, however it relates overall to the redemption arc with Nate. I googled the meaning of jade. And here's what spruce.com says:
"Jade is a highly valued stone that symbolizes gentleness, serenity, harmony, and balance in feng shui, or the practice of bringing balance to your life and home with energy. Jade has many meanings, including strength, luck, and good health. Jade is also revered for its healing properties balancing the body's processes."
Nothing is accidental in Ted Lasso. When Jade sat down with Nate for dinner after the model dumped him, his redemption started and he became more of himself, but better, again. Jade brought gentleness, serenity and balance to Nate.
I did not notice it changed to KBPR! I love knowing that, thank you.
I'm with you on Higgins, such a great line.
I totally missed the KBPR.
Also Trent. Just Trent Crimm. I found his desire for Ted to love his book really surprising, but totally on point. He was truly a huge element to the secret sauce of the season. And where can he go now that he realizes it's about the whole team and not just one man? I love that dawning for him.
As a writer, I so related to Trent!
He wouldn't have had access to the team without Ted's approval. Everyone else was gesturing madly to get Ted to say "no." I think he hoped Ted wouldn't regret the decision.