Diksha Sundriyal
Apple TV+’s ‘Ted Lasso‘ brings back its lovable protagonist for a fourth season, but this time, we meet him in a different place. The third season ended with him deciding to leave AFC Richmond and going back home to Kansas City. It has been a couple of years now, and Ted is seemingly content with his life. He is bagging groceries at a local store, where he crosses paths with a football player he once coached, and pretends to steal stuff just to warn a young man of the consequences he would face if caught. He is called to school by the teacher to reveal that they found a disturbing poem in Henry’s notebook, which turns out to be the lyrics to “Public Enemy.” This is the extent of a tense situation he experiences nowadays. But that is about to change. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Ted Receives an Offer He Doesn’t Want to Refuse
Henry is set to graduate next week, and with him ready to follow a new path, it seems Ted should do the same. Of course, he is not thinking about it at this point, which is why he is happy but surprised when Rebecca, Keeley, and Higgins show up at his door. He takes them to the diner where they relish the barbecue, not so much the stains it leaves on their clothes. They update each other about their lives, or at least, everyone else does, while Higgins is busy eating. It turns out Keeley and Roy have a complicated relationship at this point: she thinks they are good friends, but she admits Roy might not see things the same way.
Eventually, they come to the point. Rebecca reveals that Richmond has a new women’s team and she would like Ted to coach it. He jokes about whether she will try to sabotage things as she did last time, but she promises she is dedicated to making the team the best, which is why she wants Ted. She thought he would happily take the job, which is why things got a bit awkward when he said he would think about it. Later, in the hotel room, Rebecca tries to remove the stain from her dress, only to get barbecue sauce on her current dress, leaving her with few options.
She has a quick video chat with Matthijs, and clearly, things are going well between them. She also has a brief chat with Higgins about what to do if Ted doesn’t accept their offer. Later, they go to Henry’s game and are surprised to see that Ted is not coaching the team. It is also clear that Henry is a good player, but his coach benches him. Ted tries to talk to the coach after the game, but since he is a parent, he is advised to leave it with the coach. During the game, Michelle asks him if he wishes to take the offer. Ted says he is not going to because he left his job in the first place to be with his family.
Ted Receives a Reality Check from Dottie
With both her dresses ruined, Rebecca goes out with Keeley to find something new while wearing a Kansas City T-shirt. They talk about how nice everyone seems in the town, though they keep confusing Missouri with Kansas. While this excites Keeley, Rebecca thinks it is a bit too much to know everything about your barista in a single interaction. On the way, they find a boutique called Dazzle Me Moi. Everything is very glittery and sparkly there, completely not of Rebecca’s taste. Still, she tries on a suit. Although she is not initially in the mood to buy it, the boutique owner starts talking about how she opened the business with the settlement money from her divorce.
Apparently, the recession almost led her to close it, but then one post from a backup dancer in Taylor Swift’s concert changed everything. Rebecca is happy to support a woman leading her own business against all odds, so she decides to buy the suit after all. Meanwhile, Higgins arrives at the jazz museum he’d wanted to visit, only to discover it is closed for a private event featuring major pop stars. Instead, he is invited to visit the nearby museum dedicated to Black baseball players. Even though Higgins doesn’t know anything about the sport, he decides to give it a go and learns some very illuminating things indeed.
Meanwhile, Dotti is selling her stuff in a yard sale, where she makes up stories about random things to sell them at double the price. Even her own son is not spared as she tries to sell him back the Richmond scarf he brought for her. When he goes inside her house to get some stuff, he notices his childhood pictures on the wall and the plaque his father received from work for being a great employee. He talks with Dottie about how much he loved going to his father’s workplace with his father and about his own work. He wonders why no one asks him about his work. Dottie points out that Ted talked about his father’s work because his father was doing something he loved. If Ted doesn’t care about his own job, why would anyone else?
Ted Makes a Definitive Decision
Dottie’s words serve as a reality check for Ted, and this thought stays with him as he joins Rebecca, Keeley, and Higgins to watch the women’s football match. Keeley is so excited, especially watching the match with the context of Richmond’s new women’s team, that she starts talking about stadiums and whatnot. Rebecca, however, has to temper her expectations because nothing is set in stone so far. Still, by the end of the night, Ted’s answer is still a no, and it’s time for them to leave. Rebecca gives him a box of tea as a parting gift, with the message “let it steep.” It isn’t just about the tea but also about his decision. She hopes that he will come around to accepting the offer because he loves coaching.
Sure enough, the thought of coaching again has ignited his fancy, but he doesn’t want to leave his family behind this time. He looks at his father’s things, which he got from Dottie’s house earlier that day. At the same time, he looks at pictures of Richmond and its players, and at the pride and joy he felt while working with them. He wants to go back, but that doesn’t mean he has to make the same choice as last time. He texts Michelle, asking her if she would be open to moving across the pond. When she says yes, he wonders if Henry would agree too, only to discover it was Henry texting all along. Michelle, however, also says yes, and with that, Ted has his answer. He is going to Richmond after all.
Read More: Is Ted Lasso Based on a True Story?
You must be logged in to post a comment.