If you’re feeling lonely, audiences may want to steer clear of the latest Ted Lasso episode—or watch it in a cathartic way. Because this episode is all about breakups.
Immediately, the episode sets the tone as Mady Song, a Lady Greyhound player, spots Ted eating a hot dog alone. She emphasizes that a hot dog is a social food—not a food of solitude.
Meanwhile, Coach Beard watches his ex-lover, Jane Payne, perform her new one-woman play, which highlights how poor of a partner he was. It’s pretty funny to see Jane, played by Phoebe Walsh, dress in a Ted Lasso costume with a fake mustache. But Beard is devastated when he learns the production was green-lit for the West End, where Emma Stone will take the lead.
Rebecca and Keeley face their own heartbreak, too. Things between Rebecca and Mathis take a turn after Rebecca acts awkwardly about Mathis moving to London. Keeley, meanwhile, gets egg on her face after realizing that telling Coach Kent to go out and find more women may have actually backfired.
By the way, this show is about football, and the Lady Greyhounds have a game against Chelsea, the best team in the FA Cup.
As the game begins, Keeley and Rebecca are disappointed by the lack of fans at the women’s soccer game. But the empty stands don’t affect the action on the field. The game sequences feature some really fun tracking shots, making for an exciting watch.
In the first half, Richmond gives up two goals, meaning Ted has a lot of work to do for his halftime speech. As the players enter the locker room, Alice verbally insults each player as they walk by her, completely kneecapping the team. Ted does not like that one bit.
While Ted is usually full of optimism, he funnels all the embarrassment and loneliness into his pep talk. He admits that he is embarrassed by his lonely, divorced life. But sometimes, he says, risks are worth the embarrassment. While the team is being embarrassed by Chelsea, maybe it’s worth the risk to embrace that embarrassment and play their hearts out.
His speech works. Richmond scores two goals in the second half, only to lose in the final minute when a Chelsea shot deflects off a Richmond defender and into the goal.
Despite the loss, there is an air of hope in the locker room. No one is fighting. Everyone is supporting one another.
Everyone except Alice. Ted spots her negativity and suspends her for one game.
This episode is kind of a downer on paper, but the comedic moments shine through the despair. The actors play up the exaggeration of their loneliness and breakups, adding humor to the situation.
May better days come for the Richmond Lady Greyhounds, but even in all the loneliness, Ted Lasso can still be a pretty happy show.
Rating: 8/10
