In season two episode seven of Apple TV’s Ted Lasso, titled Headspace, major characters like Nick Mohammed’s (Intelligence) Nate, Jason Sudeikis’ (We’re The Millers) Ted, and Brett Goldstein’s (SuperBob) Roy deal with prominent issues of their own that ironically developed just as things finally began turning around for Richmond. Meanwhile, Hannah Waddingham’s (Game of Thrones) Rebecca and Toheeb Jimoh’s (Anthony) Sam still remain unaware that they are dating each other via the anonymous dating app bantr.
Carrying on from the uncharacteristically depressing end to the last episode, Ted deals with learning to accept the help of team therapist Sharon, played by Sarah Niles (Beautiful People), after a bad experience with couples therapy with his then-wife. After an emotional yet realistic episode of Ted resisting his clear need for mental health help, it seems that he will eventually reach the other side of his anxiety disorder. Meanwhile, Juno Temple’s (Killer Joe) Keeley continues to deal with internal conflicts of her own when she realizes how often her and Roy are together. She begins seeking alone time in the most absurd of places – including the sweaty and smelly boot room in which her and Rebecca claim “smoking doesn’t count.” After these issues were brought to the attention of Roy, he had his usual outburst, and after an unrelated discussion with Phil Dunster’s (The Rise of the Krays) Jamie, he gave Keeley the space she needed and they solved their relationship issues by the end of the episode, proving their superiority as a TV couple.
One of the main plotlines of this episode was that of Nate’s confidence after his win in the quarterfinals in the preceding episode. Most of his scenes consist of him on Twitter, scrolling through topics like #CoachNate or #WonderKid. His immense lack of humility can be traced back to his incessant need to please his father, who is typically anything but impressed. Even further, Richmond suffered in this episode to Nate’s cockiness when he blatantly insulted Billy Harris’ (Something’s Wrong) Colin and his playing. It seems as though Nate’s mental spectrum only spans from a complete lack of self-confidence to overly bold. One can only hope that this plotline is temporary and that he will return to his former kind and caring self.
In a more comedic storyline, Rebecca and Sam obsessed over the other’s texts for most of the episode. While Sam impatiently awaited Rebecca’s response, Rebecca agonized over what to say. As the tension between the two is beginning to overflow, it can be predicted that they will meet within the next few episodes and discover the awful coincidence that they have fallen victim to.
Arguably the best part of this episode has been seeing Ted deal with his anxiety in a healthy, albeit frightening way. As a character who is typically confident (not in the same way Nate is) and upbeat, it hurts to see him in any other form. However, the show provides an accurate portrayal of how even people like Ted will inevitably have their off-days.
Rating: 9/10