In season two episode four of Apple TV’s Ted Lasso, titled “Carol of the Bells,” Jeremy Swift (Downton Abbey) shows a new side to Higgins that was yet to be seen, Jason Sudeikis’s (We’re the Millers) Ted and Hannah Waddingham’s (Game of Thrones) Rebecca provide Christmas miracles to childhood all around London, and Brett Goldstein’s (SuperBob) Roy and Juno Temple (Horns) attempt to solve Phoebe’s chronic bad breath. In the Christmas episode, the team ends up more united than ever after a turbulent and divisive start to the second season with the return of Phil Dunster’s (The Rise of the Krays) Jamie Tartt, and the emergence of a new face to Richmond, a sports psychologist played by Sarah Niles (I May Destroy You).

The fourth episode of the second season made clear just how close, albeit chaotic, the team is. In a remarkably heartwarming storyline, Higgins and his family host the players who were unable to be with their families on Christmas Day. He mentioned at the beginning of the episode that only a few players typically show up, however, the dinner table was filled from head to toe (and more) by the end of the night. While the Richmond team surprised the Higgins family with an immense amount of culturally significant foods from their homelands of Lagos, Guadalajara, Groningen, Cordon, Montreal, Benin City, Harare, Kingston, and Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Ted’s family played a surprisingly small role in the episode. After losing his son, via FaceTime, to an “overpriced guilt gift,” Rebecca surprised Ted with an adventure across the city to bring joy to London’s youth on his first Christmas as a divorceé. Playing a more comedic role in this episode, Roy’s love and protectiveness over his niece, which have been built since last season, were solidified when he took Phoebe and Keeley door to door on Christmas Day in search of a dentist to cure Phoebe of the bad breath that resulted in her getting bullied in school.

Arguably the most notable part of “Carol of the Bells” was the break from the events of the previous episodes, where Richmond was opposed to having Jamie back on the team. Specifically, Sam, played by Toheeb Jimoh (Anthony), was hurt by Ted’s decision to reinstate his former tormentor in his spot on the team. During the same episode, Sam learns that Dubai Air, the team’s main sponsor, is owned by Cerithium Oil – a company that has contributed immense amounts of pollution to Nigeria. In protest, Sam covered the sponsor’s logo on his jersey, and the rest of the team – including Jamie – followed suit. It seems that after this brief release from the regular plot, the team will find their way towards being family.

This episode was all about family. Most of the Richmond team live far from their immediate family and rely on their fellow teammates to take up familial roles. Ted has most recently lost his family, both to distance and to a divorce; however, Rebecca made it her mission to ensure that he will not feel this loss because she also knows what it’s like to lose her family. Meanwhile, Roy, who was once a part of the Richmond family, has found solace in Keeley and Phoebe throughout this season. “Carol of the Bells” proved to be both a magical and light-hearted episode because it reminded people of the importance of family – chosen or not.

Rating: 9/10