Ted Lasso S4 E6

Spoilers

Don’t Jump Around Much Anymore

Be careful when “Jump Around” comes on… especially when you have a bad knee.

Roy went down at a New Year’s Eve party as the House of Pain hit played. He and Jamie Tartt, who was back guest starring, joined in the dance and Roy’s knee let out. It led to Keeley to meet Roy’s new doctor girlfriend, which was crushing to her.

Then a supremely doped up Roy ends up telling the doctor that he loves….Keeley. Roy did not realize he was talking to the doctor… and Keeley heard him, but only up to the point where he said “I love you”. Of course she thought Roy was meaning the doctor. It was an old misunderstanding trope of sitcoms, but there is a reason why it has been used as often as it has. It worked here too.

It did feel weird that we got a New Year’s Eve episode in September, but I forgive that too because it was a solid character episode. We had important moments for not only Roy & Keeley, but also Ted & Ted’s ex-wife, Michelle, Beard, Jamie, and Rebecca and Matthijs. Then, Alice seemed to take some huge steps, but then took giant leaps backward.

Oh, and Tracy Ulman’s character is amazingly weird and downright psychotic.

Some of the episode’s arcs were heartbreaking while other arcs help move the characters forward. The scenes between Ted and Michelle were really sweet. I was afraid they were going to do some alcohol related sex between them, but they stuck with the friendship and Ted feels able to ask someone out on a date.

Rebecca and Matthijs made up in time for midnight as Matthijs arrived at the hospital where Rebecca was hanging out with Jamie after bringing Roy here for his knee. It was a nice resolution, but there was not really much of a story this way. Still, with the other flops of relationships, it was nice to have someone happy.

Ted Lasso S4 E5

Spoilers

“Riches of Embarrassment”

A fabulous episode of Ted Lasso with a return to form for Ted and the others.

And some Ted Lasso quotes to add to it…

My favorite… “There’s a reason the rearview mirror is smaller than the windshield.” That was a classic Ted Lasso-ism.

I do hate what the show is doing with Keeley and Roy. Having Roy find another woman after Keeley insisted he go on a series of dates is just too cruel. I don’t know if this is leading to a Keeley-Rebecca pairing, but I still want Roy-Keeley to be together. I hope that is the endgame of this relationship section.

Ted and Beard realized that they have a “coach problem,” as Alice’s negativity is isolating her and making her an outcast among the team. There is a definite story here that is unresolved and I am here for it. I was shocked when Ted told Alice that he was suspending her for a game so she could figure out what was going on with her. He made a reference to Nate without mentioning his name.

Ted Lasso’s positivity is just off the charts and he does a whole halftime speech on embarrassment that is just so great that it carried the entire episode.

However, drunk Rebecca is right up there too.

The match against Chelsea was well done and Richmond’s defeat felt right. They fought back to tie after being down 2-0 at half when Ted’s inspirational message on embarrassment brought them out of the tizzy. However, the sudden defeat did feel like it was right for the overall narrative of the show.

This was an episode that reminded me of how much I wish I was like Ted Lasso. He is such an awesome model to inspire to.

Oh, and Beard is hilarious. What was up with that play?

Ted Lasso S4 E4

Spoilers

“Greyhounds’ Day Off”

Cliques.

They can cause trouble with a team. You see it all over the place and this week’s Ted Lasso dealt with the coaching staff of the Lady Greyhounds of Richmond trying to stomp out the cliques that were threatening to derail their team before they even get started.

In Ted Lasso’s eclectic manner and undeniable folksy wisdom, he requires the team members to go to a pub trivia night.

Things go crazy. The team winds up in a bar brawl with another team of asre-hole men as they all get arrested.

Fairly predictable outcome in the trivia contest, but I do like how it worked out and the scenes of the team in jail celebrating was great.

Roy was on multiple dates in one night after Keeley told him that he needed to date at least ten women before she would consider them getting back together. However, it feels like Roy may be slipping away from her as he was into a bartender before falling to the ground with his knee. Then, Roy’s sister took him to the hospital where he met a doctor who irritated and infuriated him. You can see where this is going too.

One of my favorite parts of the episode was the use of Trent Crimm (James Lance) and Dr. Sharon Fieldstone (Sarah Niles) as a framing device around the episode. Both characters were favorites of mine and it was great seeing them again, as Trent was interviewing her for a podcast.

The whole Keeley/Rebecca story felt like a big nothing and I was not into it much at all.

Fun episode, but pretty generic for a Ted Lasso episode.

Ted Lasso S4 E3

Spoilers

“Richmond’s Got Talent”

The injury bug strikes the strikers for Ted Lasso’s new Richmond Women’s team. Well, one is an injury and one is a pregnancy, so I shouldn’t qualify it as an injury. But the strikers are out, so this leads to an open tryout.

The open tryout did not bring the football version of Susan Boyle. There is an option though and it was one that Coach Alice mentioned. She once coached a striker that was one of the best she’d seen, but who had quit to go to law school. Her name was Gemma and she had had enough of Alice’s demeanor toward her back then and did not want to hear anything from her now.

Gemma couldn’t deny the Lasso charm though, and it seemed as if Ted had reignited the passion for the sport inside her, and she came to join the team. Of course, she came on the day of the historic first game. She also wound up scoring a late goal after being inserted into the game near the end.

This was not only Gemma’s story though as Keeley was having a hard time getting the kit delivered for the first game, a young mother Lizzie was one who stood out at the open tryouts and was able to make the team, and Rebecca kept standing up her boyfriend at a restaurant.

I do like the new cast of the football team that we are starting to get. There are some intriguing characters that are more than just the one note that it appeared they were previously.

It was nice to see the much more presentable Coach Beard this week, no longer looking like a caveman in a Richmond outift.

This has been a decent season so far, even if I do not think it has matched the original three seasons in overall quality as of yet.

Ted Lasso S4 E2

Spoilers

“Carol of the Bells”

The second episode got Ted out of Kansas City and back to Richmond, and we get to meet some of the weird team members on the female team and the assistant coach Alice Chilton. Chilton was angry about being passed over by Rebecca for the head job, and made comments to her hinting at her being sexist (or not a Feminist). Chilton resigned her position but stuck around for a week to help walk Ted through. Of course, we all knew she was staying as she saw the light that was Ted Lasso.

We spent some time with Beard, who has apparently gone crazy and doesn’t want to hurt Roy. Beard’s excessive hairstyle was outrageous.

Chilton’s comment sent Rebecca into a tailspin, which led to her introspection.

The new locker room for the women was a great scene, and seeing Roy and Keeley flirt as Roy fixed the locker room (which was originally the visiting team locker room) from the tricks Roy was pulling to try and get the edge on the other team.

I enjoyed this episode too. Ted Lasso is awesome and one of the best characters around.

Things are getting set up but I would hope that there will be an overarching story for the season. At this point, it seems like the story is trying to keep the new team afloat.

Apple TV + is the streamer for Ted Lasso.

Ted Lasso S4 E1

Spoilers

“Home”

There may not be a more engaging or positive character on TV than Ted Lasso. I remember when I first started watching the show, I wanted to be more like Ted Lasso in my own classroom.

I was doubtful when I heard that Apple TV was bringing the show Ted Lasso back for a fourth season after a finale of season three that felt complete. Was this worth bringing back or would this just tarnish my memories of the awesomeness of the previous three years?

I watched the first episode on Apple TV tonight and I have to say that I am intrigued. Despite the show feeling at times like a documentary for Kansas City, we placed these characters that we loved square back on the screen and they shone as they always did.

Ted himself is just amazing, making the best out of whatever is around him. He is still teaching lessons and providing the most down-home sayings and quotes. Jason Sudeikis slipped right back into the character of Ted Lasso without missing a beat.

Placing Rebecca, Keeley and Higgins as the fish-out-of-water this time was a nice change as they were attempting to recruit Ted to coach the new Richmond female football squad. While they did spend too much time filming on location around Kansas City, the easy chemistry of these characters came through one again.

I am 100% going to watch this show, as I spent a good chunk of the premiere laughing, but I am not sure yet if this is something that I would have chosen to do. I am still unsure if this will live up to what has come before. Still, I was entertained by this first episode and hope springs eternal.