Ted Lasso (Season 3), Episode 5 Recap and Ending Explained: What I really like about the current season of Ted Lasso is the intent they are showing when it comes to staying close to the real world, unlike the candy-coated last season, where every single problem used to get solved in a jiffy. The thing we can all agree upon regarding LIFE is that it is both good and bad, and there is no balancing scale. Not everything gets fixed, and not all of us find the light at the end of the tunnel.
Of course, in the world of Ted Lasso, everything will eventually be fixed at the end, which is the whole point of the show itself- to give us hope. But to “Believe” in the hope it is giving us, there has to be a certain amount of relatability factor. Otherwise, it becomes hard for us to embrace the show. I’m glad that they are finally doing it by not throwing the conflicts into an imaginary trash can like a piece of tissue paper and letting those run the natural course instead.
Apart from Roy and Keeley, which I thought would get a lot of focus this season (but thankfully, I was wrong after all), there was another thing that really bothered me, although I haven’t really been vocal about it. It is the psychic storyline involving Rebecca. What this episode does is finally address it in a surprisingly mature way by involving all the storylines together. Fittingly titled “Signs,” the episode pretty much does everything right from the start to finish. It is not without flaws, as the Zava storyline in this episode was neither impressive nor convincing, but that doesn’t take away from it.
Ted Lasso (Season 3), Episode 5 Recap:
Well, it looks like our old friend Nate, the “Wonderkid,” has done more damage to Richmond than taking away the chance to go to the top of the table. Richmond has completely lost the plot and has been on a losing streak since then. Even Zava, who continues to score goals despite everything, has been unable to save them. And if this is not enough, their next opponent is Manchester City, the table topper and arguably the worst possible opponent in this situation.
Is Ted’s managerial days at Richmond over?
Well, probably not, but it does seem like that, given the circumstances. The man lacks technical knowledge about football but makes up for it with his positivity and unique approach to the sport, for which he gets all the love he deserves. But it is a professional matter, after all, and the “underperforming” can’t be taken lightly. So Rebecca screaming at Ted and wanting to know when they will win again is a behavior that is not at all justified but completely understandable.
Ted is not having a good time on a personal front as well, and his son, Henry, has been involved in a bullying-related accident at his school recently. His distress gets multiplied by 1000 times when he finds out from his ex-wife that it is Henry who happens to be the bully, not the other way around.
What’s up with Rebecca?
Rebecca’s individual, psychic-related storyline gets further pushed when she meets a man she has briefly dated in the restaurant with his newly found soulmate. The main takeaway from here is the woman referring to the man as her “Sight in Nining Armour,” something very similar to what the psychic said.
Taking a hint from here and while continuously fidgeting with the green matchbox that Sam gave her, Rebecca goes to visit a fertility clinic where she meets a certain Doctor Wagner, who assures her that becoming a mother is very much a possibility for older women as well.
Nathan is on a date
Richmond players are surprised to find out about a certain link-up between the Russian model Anastasia and their former Assistant coach Nathan “Nate” Shelly, which we know originated from Rupert’s celebration party after beating Richmond.
Anyway, in spite of all the professional success he has achieved recently, Nathan is still the same old Nate, and I am not surprised to see him fumbling while on a date with Anastasia at his favorite restaurant. Yes, we are talking about the one with the window seat, and thanks to the manager being a West Ham fan, Nathan does get the much-coveted seat, after all. The receptionist (on whom he used to have a crush on; not sure if I should use past or present tense here) is treating him the same, though, and not giving any special treatment.
Not much to say about the date as that goes exactly how you would expect it to. Anastasia gets bored, finds the place depressing, hates the food for not being Instagram-worthy (even though she doesn’t mention it directly, which is nice of her), and bails midway, leaving a battered and bruised Nathan behind.
And finally, what’s happening on the Keeley front?
Every week, I tend to cover the Keeley part of the episode early on during the recap as it makes very much sense to me to save the “meatier” part for the latter. This week, however, is a different story.
I like Juno Temple as an actress, but the character of Keeley Jones hasn’t really worked for me if I’m being honest. She has certain moments, but I have not been a fan of how the character was developed, as well as her romantic arc with Roy Kent. However, while I was apprehensive about the Roy-Keeley post-breakup drama, I found the development of the character much better than in the last two seasons. Of course, that got damaged by the Shandy character. However, in this episode, Keeley finally fires Shandy (with little help from Jack), something that was inevitable from the moment Shandy started to work for her.
Barbara can’t seem to hide her “I told you so” vibe regarding the incident, and I am totally on her side. Shandy retaliates in a manner you would expect from her, sneakily entering the office and leaving a sheep to (literally) shit all over the conference room. In order to handle that, Keeley and Jack miss the Richmond vs. Manchester City game and end up on the couch (oh well). After a little this and that and chugging warm vodka directly from the bottle that Shandy stashed in the office, the “Keeley and Jack” finally happens, and I couldn’t be happier about it. More on this later.
Ted Lasso (Season 3), Episode 5 Ending Explained:
What happens in the game?
Richmond suffers another loss, this time a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City (I’m sure Erling Haaland had a lot to do with that). But in a rather shocking manner, Zava goes AWOL just before the game, leaving everyone dumbstruck. He eventually announces his retirement in a self-made video which doesn’t sit well with me. The only thing that can happen from here is Jamie Tartt finding his rhythm and becoming the key to changing Richmond’s (and coach Ted’s) fortune.
Why did Ted tear up the “BELIEVE” sign?
Before coming to that, I am gonna take one final look at all the other characters and story arcs, especially Keeley and Jack.
Rebecca receives a call from Dr. Wagner after the disastrous game, which is most likely not good news for her. She calls her closest friend, i.e. Keeley, but she is obviously occupied otherwise (really happy for her, by the way). Therefore, we don’t get to know what the doctor said.
Regarding Keeley and Jack, the chemistry between Juno Temple and Jodi Balfour has been electrifying from the first moment their characters met in the show. And the writers have handled things really well so far. In fact, I would even say this is the best romantic arc the show has offered so far. I really hope they don’t squander all the good work by bringing some other elements into it. I already ship Keeley and Jack, and they deserve a happy ending.
Meanwhile, despite being abruptly left by Anastasia in the middle of his date, Nate’s day end really well when the receptionist serves him the much-awaited Baklava and joins him upon his insistence, and the two end up having a pretty good time. We see a happy, relaxed Nate after a long time. Maybe someone is on their way to come back home, eh?
Now, the most significant part of the episode is Ted tearing up the famous “BELIEVE” sign inside Richmond’s dressing room. However, Nate has already done the unthinkable, which was an act of passion.
While the Richmond players scrutinize their performance in the City game, they get the news of Zava, which further upsets them. Ted was contemplating having a confrontation with his own son, which finally happens when Henry video calls and apologizes for what he has done. He mentions that he should have just followed Ted’s rule of “counting 1 to 10 when angry”. Talking with their son reassures Ted about Henry not losing his ways, and with this reassurance, he goes out to address his team when they need him the most.
Ted tells them that Zava going away might just be a blessing for the team, and he believes if there’s anybody who can turn the wheel of fortune, then that is everyone who is present in the room. As simple as that. Suddenly, half of the already torn “BELIEVE” sign flutters and one of the players gets jittery. Seeing that, Ted brings down the sign himself and tears it up. He tells everyone that the sign is not needed anymore as the belief comes from within, and whatever happens is what the players do on the field.
Ted Lasso has come a long way, after all, both in terms of the show and the character.
Some tidbits:
- We get a glimpse of Trent Crimm’s rainbow-colored coffee mug, hinting at him being an LGBTQ character, and not outing Colin in episode 3 also makes sense now. Very well played.
- We don’t get any Roy and Jaime other than Jaime confirming if he should see Roy at four am on a Saturday morning, which only implies the two are still working together, and Roy is going to be a huge reason behind Jaime’s much-awaited comeback.
- It is Higgins who verbally floats the idea of firing Ted to Rebecca, which shows his commitment to their well-being.
