Dhruv Trivedi
‘Ted Lasso’ season 2 follows the adventures of Coach Ted as he trains the flagging AFC Richmond football team and attempts to bring them back to their former glory. Accompanied by a host of eccentric and lovable characters, the ever-optimistic coach grapples with anxiety this season. However, Apple’s feel-good sports show also delivers laughs in spades, and the usual favorites Roy Kent and Jamie Tartt continue to butt heads.
Like any good show, the follow-up season raises the stakes and explores a couple of unexpected scenarios. The finale also ends with a twist that likely has many fans quite devastated by the actions of one of the show’s beloved characters. There’s a lot that ‘Ted Lasso’ season 2 throws (or rather, kicks!) at us, so let’s make sure we’ve caught it all. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Ted Lasso Season 2 Recap
Season 2 opens with AFC Richmond beginning their season after being relegated to the Championship League due to a string of devastating losses in season 1. However, Jamie Tartt’s career with Manchester City also comes to an abrupt end, and he finds himself back at his old team. After retiring from professional football, Roy Kent explores a career as a sports commentator but misses being in the middle of the action. Finally tired of his pompous colleagues, he walks out with his signature fiery intensity and joins AFC Richmond as a coach.
Kent’s appointment as a coach threatens Nate, who remains the juniormost coach and struggles with low confidence. After parting ways with their ecologically disastrous sponsor, the team gets funding from a new dating app called Bantr. Through the app, Sam and Rebecca unknowingly form a deep connection and dabble in romance. However, a rich football enthusiast from Ghana then makes Sam a very generous offer, which threatens to see the young athlete leaving AFC Richmond.
In the season finale, Sam eventually decides to stay with the football team, much to Rebecca’s relief. Before their final match of the season, Ted is caught off guard when a news story reveals that he had a panic attack during one of his team’s matches. To make things worse, the reporter informs the coach that his source is Nate. During the final match, Nate continues to sulk and, in his final face-off with Ted, blames him for being a fraud.
Ted Lasso Season 2 Ending: Does AFC Richmond Win the Final? Are They in the Premier League?
AFC Richmond’s last match of the season is a close one but ends on a positive note. As the team celebrates, Ted notices that someone has torn up his “BELIEVE” poster. In a press conference after the match, he comes clean to the press about his panic attack while also stressing the importance of starting a dialogue about mental health in sports. Roy, to celebrate the victory, plans a six-week vacation for him and Keeley. However, he is heartbroken when she claims to be too busy and tells him to go by himself. The season closes with a brief scene featuring Nate overseeing football practice along with Rebecca’s ex-husband Rupert.
So, first things first, what is the fate of AFC Richmond? Despite not winning their final match of the season against Brentford, the team manages to tie the game after a nail-biter of a penalty kick by Dani Rojas. A tie is all that’s needed for AFC Richmond to garner enough points to be promoted to the Premier League. Therefore, after spending a season relegated to the Championship League, our favorite team is back in the highest league in English football.
Why is Nate Angry at Ted? Does He Leave AFC Richmond?
The extent of Nate’s resentment towards Ted is finally seen in the season 2 finale when he berates the head coach for being a fraud. Nate has various complaints, including Ted initially building up his confidence but then completely sidelining him. He also claims that Ted is trying to pin the team’s less than stellar performance on him and that he (Nate) has earned his position as coach, whereas Ted was just handed the position. While some of the junior coach’s emotional jabs hit home, many of his complaints seem exaggerated. It looks like Nate is frustrated by his lack of authority, and his insecurities have resulted in him blaming Ted for this.
When AFC Richmond gets their spot back in the Premier League, Nate is the only one that doesn’t celebrate. Though only hinted, he almost certainly tears up Ted’s “BELIEVE” poster around which the team rallies. The closing scenes of the season finale show us just how badly he wants revenge on Ted. The team that Nate is seen coaching at the end is Westham, which Rebecca’s scheming husband, Rupert, has recently purchased. This move is a blatant call to war by Nate, not just aimed at Ted but at all of AFC Richmond.
Does Sam Obisanya Leave AFC Richmond? What Happens Between Him and Rebecca?
Sam gets a very generous offer from a billionaire from Ghana who wants to establish an African football league. Edwin Akufo even offers to pay AFC Richmond handsomely for releasing Sam from his contract. In the end, however, the young football player decides to stay with the club and turns down Akufo. The billionaire’s surprisingly immature (and hilarious) reaction aside, Sam’s decision also gives us a clue about what he is planning.
Apart from reinforcing his loyalty to AFC Richmond, Sam staying back also suggests that he hasn’t completely given up on rekindling his romance with Rebecca. After realizing how much they have in common but being forced to be apart because of appearances and Rebecca’s fear of commitment, the two might just get together again.
Rebecca’s fear of losing Sam to Akufo’s project is abundantly clear (even though she tries to hide it), showing us how much she still cares about him. Sam has also always been open about wanting to rekindle his brief relationship with Rebecca, and it seems like he is still hopeful. Keeley is the only one that knows about Rebecca and Sam’s romantic entanglement, but Ted might just begin to suspect something after witnessing an awkward conversation between the two. Therefore, a lasting romance between Sam and Rebecca remains likely.
Do Roy Kent and Keeley Jones Break Up?
Roy and Keeley seemed to be a match made in heaven, but cracks in their relationship have also appeared. The first signs were Keeley getting frustrated with Roy always being around her and not giving her enough space. Jamie Tartt’s proposal to her also seems to have had an effect, and the final blow is the (highly symbolic) magazine article about the couple that only features pictures of Keeley. With an offer to start her own PR agency, Keeley seems to be moving on in more ways than one.
Though the couple doesn’t officially break up, Keeley saying she’s too busy to join Roy on a romantic celebratory vacation seems quite ominous. She insists that everything is fine, but Roy can’t help himself and asks whether they’re breaking up or not. We last see him deep in thought after Keeley very pointedly walks away from the conversation, telling us that all is certainly not well in the relationship.
If not immediately, it seems to be getting increasingly certain that the couple will eventually break up. This doesn’t mean that we can expect to see Keeley getting back together with Jamie. Considering she looks up to Rebecca — who is the quintessential strong, single “boss lady” — we might just see Keeley channeling a similar persona and focussing on her personal and professional journey without being tied to a partner.
Read More: Is Ted Lasso Based on a True Story?
