“Yes” is the new “Believe,” sort of, if you’re keeping up with Ted Lasso. In Season 4, Episode 7, our characters reach something of an inflection point.
Alice finds some online advice to help mitigate her negativity: She needs to say “yes” more. The problem is that she takes the advice very literally — maybe too literally. We even get a yes to Ted hanging his iconic “Believe” sign in the coach’s office — a far cry from Alice’s initial reluctance to embrace change.
Alice’s players start to push their luck when they ask to change their practice routine. Alice reluctantly says yes, and wouldn’t you know it? The team starts to look better. Maybe “yes” really is the answer.
Off the field, however, the answer is “no.” Coach Beard’s boo thing, Dr. Erin, tells him that she doesn’t want to be in a relationship with him anymore because she can tell he’s still in love with Keeley. It’s not hard to see where this love story is heading.
For Ted, though, there’s a big yes in his love story. He says yes to online dating, and he and Keeley create his dating profile in a pretty funny scene together in Keeley’s office.
Ted and Keeley have a quippy back-and-forth over Ted’s pronouns. Ted says he’s “pro-adjectives” and “pro-verbs.” One has to wonder whether Ted pretends to be clueless or is genuinely just blissfully ignorant of the world.
The dating website is called “Bantr” — really hammering home the British humor.
Back in the coach’s office, Ted notices that Alice’s strategy for optimism is starting to drive her crazy, so he adds a little revision: “Yes, and.” You may recognize that phrase if you also have a friend who recently started taking improv classes.
Alice sees Ted’s “Believe” sign and adds her own revision. She posts the poster in the locker room and adds a Post-it note to it: “And Win.” Win is the only thing the Lady Greyhounds haven’t done yet.
A little moment like this really does wonders for Alice’s positivity score. Maybe she’s finally trending in the right direction. And maybe Ted can finally find love.
Rating: 7/10