Never thought you would be the type of person to love this so kudos @DaDakota My review: Wow @ this episode! Gave us so many moments for all the characters to get their shine, only Keeley not as much. While I really would've loved to see her and Jack enjoying the Aurora Borealis, keeping that a mystery for now and focus on the team was a great choice With the recent idea (post on Reddit) about which individual we'd love to see a focus on for one episode, I think this gave us enough for a lot of them to not really need that anymore. Still, especially with Tartt's talk about his father, I still wouldn't mind an episode where he has some private time with his dad, which is still likely I think though not the main focus. Anyway, back to this gem of an episode, reminiscent of Beard's After Hours, but then infused with the regular Ted Lasso episode structure and feel. It's like a mini-movie and one I think one that you can always come back to as a really wonderful 'feel good' episode. It finally had more positivity and opening up ways for it to move forward, necessary and cathartic for different people, like: Higgins cutting loose as a musician Will feeling he is truly part of the club and becoming a man Rebecca having a wonderful connection with a man and support from Sassy Ted finally seeing ways to be a competent coach and re-connecting with home Roy & Tartt apologizing and opening up to each other Colin & Trent Crimm opening up about their sexuality and acknowledging the struggle Isaac letting out his frustration and finding common ground so the team can come together These things are all moments that even in a vacuum are amazing, wonderful, wholesome, which is why I feel at any point in time you can watch this episode and enjoy it. But realizing the pressure everyone is under, the struggles everyone is having, makes this a much needed episode. Also for the fans, which is why I believe this was beautifully written and at the right time. They couldn't have gone much longer without giving us some of these feel good moments that have been sorely missing. Ted & Beard not having their regular beer for me was made up with this moment in the hotel and bus for example.What also made me breathe a sigh of relief was that Rebecca just fell in the water instead of what a lot of us feared, which was a potential car crash and maybe Sassy dying. Trent Crimm not being the reporter some feared he would be I can imagine made some people happy, as in blowing Colin's cover. In general this was kind of the answer to some of our questions, like will Ted ever be a competent coach or even will he actually invest enough that he won't get fired? Will Rebecca get involved with anyone and potentially befall some bad luck? Can Isaac be a leader? The genius of this episode to me was in those moments, the characterization of ones involved, but also as a Dutch person & Scrubs fan, in the jokes and the call backs to past episodes and cultural references like: Jan Maas directness, which was echoed by the reporter, Roy and the manager of Ajax setting the record straight on how you pronounce Cruijf. The song played in the stadium, Ajax song 'Three Little Birds' by Marley, which was first perceived as negative by Rebecca, to end up as the positive theme song and like a red thread throughout the episode. Higgins love for Jazz music and being cultured - he knows his **** - and showing us that he truly was not himself before, kind of feeling the pressure of his position, which they never really showed before and why his suggestion to fire Ted to me didn't feel like in character. Tartt being a smart guy and knowing all this stuff about Amsterdam, yet also admitting his flaws. Tartt just asking a random guy - a stray most likely - if he can get a bike, that are clearly stolen. Roy not believing in wind mills. Roy opening up to Tartt, but also finally chasing Tartt like his old coach used to do. Just not a motor bike, but a regular one. Tartt losing his virginity to a prostitute on his birthday from his father was a nod and reference for me to the Janitor in Scrubs saying he got a 42-year old w**** for his birthday from his father. Will actually becoming a man after being treated like a child, admitting to Zava he is underage, with now casually mentioning a threesome to his mom. He really came out of his shell here. Beard making shroom tea, a call back to Jane having made him mushroom tea, especially for Ted who of course hates it. Ted on drugs tripping the **** out, very Scrubs like moment there. References to back home for Ted with Yankee Doodle Burger Bar and the flower in the museum Van Gogh Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan, the triangle offense, total football (invented in 70s in Holland) and the pyramid reference to the book Ted started to dabble in early in the season and Beard has been reading since the beginning. Rebecca's whole sequence walking down the street, not realizing there's a bicycle lane, to being with a guy on a boat, the word 'gezellig'. Trent Crimm talking about the Westerkerk and Anne Frank. Beard actually combing his beard and taking care of his skin. Beard tripping (or not), but at least not seeing him for the whole night, only to end up jumping out of a van speaking perfect Dutch felt like a callback to the Beard After Hours episode. Rojas being overwhelmed by more than 1 tulip and also getting angry with the iindecisiveness. Jan Maas suggesting going to a party 2 hours away like it's normal. Zava only playing one year at Ajax, very fitting. etc. For me, this made for a lot of things that felt off this season. I was happy the focus was on the team, very positive, and the genius writing of Beard as well as his character again being a gem for me. The one thing though, Ted was about to go into a panic attack when mentioning his father as he reminisced about watching basketball with him. So we're not out of the dark completely. If we are mostly past the dark, then I feel they could've gone a bit darker and more gloomy - and makes me wonder how much Dr. Sharon will actually be involved - but I understand the need for balance in a drama-comedy is a very hard one. Very tough to do, so kudos for Ted Lasso as a show to strike that as much as they can and giving us this gem of an episode. The type to win an Emmy for sure. 10/10
Just watched episode 4 of season 3. I won’t give any spoilers but as a coach this episode really hit me hard. Like Ted I had the experience of a brilliant young player who turned against me and pretty much poisoned the team I was coaching then. Part of the problem was that he felt I was holding him back, such as not promoting him faster and not letting him run practices the way he wanted. A lot of this had to do with that in addition to the college Judo program being a competition team it also was a club meant to serve the university community. As such I as coach both was trying to win competitions but also attract and retain as many students as possible. This meant I couldn’t just run it as a full on competition team with difficult and tough training but also had to make sure to bring along people who weren’t as good. Also like Ted Lasso I didn’t believe in winning at all costs but that overall improvement of my students as better people was the goal. This guy didn’t appreciate that. He was a a very good judoka and he wanted harder practices and didn’t want to help or deal with other students who weren’t good. Further he was trying to get other player to do techniques that I felt were dangerous and or that they weren’t ready for. On top of all of that things came to a head shortly before the pandemic happened and the University shut down the Judo Program and haven’t restarted it. I had the other problem of not coaching a varsity sport that made a lot of money and even though I had players who had won at national level the University never gave much support to Judo or martial arts in general. Ted Lasso’s story of having Nate betray him and then having to deal with the rivalry really speaks to me to me at that level. I now split my time coaching at other clubs and refereeing so I’ve had to deal with that player and some of the other players who sided with him. Some of the players and my assistant coaches who sided with me have been far more angry at him like Coach Beard and Roy Kent than I have. Like Ted though I don’t wish them any harm but do feel bad about how things went. This is one of the reasons why this show is so good as I almost feel like what Ted and Richmond are going through with Nate and a West Ham is what I went through.
Such a wholesome series. Really enjoying it. Never got into it while it was popular in the pandemic, but better late than never.
After a lackluster episode last week, they come back with such good writing and material this week. This really is the best show in a long while.
My God this episode was awesome. The scene with Ted, Beard and the Son at the Pub was masterclass. I dont want this one to end.
Feel the complete opposite. Lots of negative feelings about this one, some parts feel really out of character and lots of missed opportunities. Only 4 episodes left and no way they can wrap it all up in a satisfactory way.
Mixed thoughts on this episode. Some good stuff, some not so great stuff. Liked Ted and Nate's stories, along with the football team overall. The Keeley stuff needs resolution of some sort already because it is dragging.
I didn't like last season with how Nasty Nate turned, but this season has been aces with me. It humanizes everyone while giving them real thoughts and sometimes imperfect actions. I wish more shows were like this, wholesome and real without empty catchphrases/preaching and lobotomies. It's an anti-sports-show-about-sports because the typical sports show/movie structure is about leading up to big game where winning is usually the case or a big lesson is learned for losing...in order to win big the next time. I don't know if they'll ever get to the championships and a part of me wonders if that even matters anymore. It's just "inauthentic" for them not to try. But weirdly, there would definitely be a lot of lost tension if they did. It's like a mcguffin-not-mcguffin.
I finished the season and while still good I think this season was a step back. There were some real good points this season but also it felt disjointed at times with several story lines that came and went. Spoiler The storyline with Zava felt very unresolved and as a character he had very little development. He showed up and clearly made a big difference to the team but then disappeared with no good explanation of why or resolution with the teams’ feelings towards him. If Dani Rojas loved him so much and Jamie was so jealous of him that seemed like good fodder for a storyline. Most of all though Ted never developed a relationship with him. When they first brought him on I thought they were going to develop a storyline of the great player who only cares about himself and clashes with Ted. Instead he just appeared to be a plot device to show how Rebecca could get one on Rupert. Jack and Keeley also felt somewhat rushed and not really resolved. Jack worked as a plot device showing keeley being unlucky in love but as a character she felt underdeveloped. I think the intention was she was a female Rupert. A rich person who just gets what they want and uses them and abandons them. The actor playing Jack is very good in For All Mankind though and it would’ve been nice to give her the chance to develop the character More.
Lot of boring storylines this season with some good comedic scenes. I am just watching to finish the season now...but yawn.
