Review: Apple TV’s ‘Ted Lasso’ Season Two Episode Three “Do the Right-est Thing”
In season two episode three of Apple TV’s Ted Lasso, titled “Do the Right-est Thing,” Toheeb Jimoh (Anthony) is given a big moment in the forefront as Sam Obisanya, the Nigerian soccer player who decides to boycott AFC Richmond’s Dubai Air sponsor when he finds out they’re owned by Cerithium Oil, a corrupt company that has caused major pollution in Nigeria. Sam doesn’t want to represent this sponsor and decides to take a stand.
Sam has been growing as a leader all season, but this is the first episode in which he truly took the spotlight and we got to see how big his heart really is. He is the face of the Dubai Air marketing campaign, so he knew it would be extremely costly for him to back out of their campaign. You might be wondering if Dubai Air is a real airline, and the answer is no. However, this moment reminds us of how athletes have been pivotal in taking a stand for what they believe in, whether it’s kneeling during the national anthem or representing a charity they care about.
This movement comes at an important moment in the plot, just as Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster, Strike Back) is re-introduced to the team. Sam is battling with upholding his morale under the microscope of his sponsor, and Jamie is trying to regain the trust of his teammates after he bullied them last season. So, it’s a no brainer that when Sam covers up the Dubai Air print on the front of his jersey with black duct tape before a match, Jamie joins him in this rebellion. It’s a genuine and heartwarming moment to see this softer side of Jamie who desperately just wants to feel accepted by his teammates.
In an effort to get the team to no longer see Jamie as a villain, Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis, We’re The Millers) introduced us to his alter-ego, Led Tasso. Led Tasso is a hot-headed angry coach that makes the players run “1,000 laps” just because he can. Much different than the sweet Ted Lasso we all love. However, his scheming plan works because the whole team thanks Jamie for sticking up to Led Tasso, and suddenly he seems a little less like the enemy. Maybe Ted Lasso was onto something with this whole alter-ego schtick.
This episode was all about growth. We saw Sam grow as a fearless leader, Jamie grow as a supportive teammate, and even Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham, Game of Thrones) grow as she courageously delivered the news to the team’s sponsor that Sam would no longer represent them. These strong developments in every character are what made this the most positive and uplifting episode of the season thus far.
Rating: 10/10