Diksha Sundriyal
After overcoming the problem of the cliques, Apple TV+’s ‘Ted Lasso‘ brings a new challenge for the Greyhounds in the form of their David vs. Goliath match. The team is set to play against Chelsea, who are the best there is, with no one having any ounce of doubt that Richmond’s chances of winning are slim to none. Still, the fight goes on, and the events of the fifth episode show just how much fight the team has. The episode begins with Margy and Mady finding Ted alone, eating a hot dog. They take his picture and are saddened by how lonely he seems. In fact, they are so perturbed by this scene that they decide to get back together because neither wants to die alone. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Keeley and Rebecca Receive Surprising News
The preparations for the game against Chelsea have begun. A motivational video with the Richmond players declaring “it’s my time” is already making the rounds on social media and has been liked so many times that Keeley is confident they will fill the stadium in no time. Meanwhile, Ted addresses the team, preparing them for the challenge ahead, but his speech is cut short by the women asking him if he is single and lonely. They show him the picture Margy and Mady took and seem genuinely concerned about him. He assures them the picture doesn’t tell the whole story and turns the focus back on Chelsea. Discovering how deeply the team is invested in Ted’s personal life flusters Alice, who remarks that they have never asked her anything about her life.
Elsewhere, Roy prepares to leave with the team for their own match, which means he won’t be around for Richmond’s match with Chelsea. He wishes good luck to Keeley, but finds himself on the spot when she asks him how many dates he has been on. He says nine, but doesn’t seem very happy about it. Later, as he is about to leave with the team, Keeley remarks that he could go on the tenth date while he is away, so when he comes back, they could figure out things between them. This is when he reveals that he has already been on the tenth date and, in fact, the last five have been with the same woman. This catches Keeley off guard, and she immediately makes an excuse and leaves.
Rebecca is also caught by surprise when Mathijs comes to London with his daughter and reveals it is not a visit. He was offered a job in London, and he has accepted it, which means he and Rebecca can be together properly now. She smiles in front of him, but by herself, she worries that their long-distance dynamic has been working so well that this sudden change might undo everything. She shares this concern with Ted, worrying that she and Mathijs might end up hating each other if they live together. However, Ted assures her that she is simply projecting her fear from past relationships and that she has nothing to worry about.
Beard Decides to Confront Jane
When Ted shows up at work the next day, he discovers that the team has pitched together to buy him a pair of jeans. He is glad to receive the gift, but it only makes Alice angrier. Because she cannot talk about it, she gets the anger out on the team on the field. She lashes out at Shannon, calling her unfit to be part of the team, prompting Gemma to defend Shannon and leading to a fight between them. Gemma refuses to be bullied by Alice, but it only results in her and the team receiving 15 laps as punishment. Ted is concerned by Alice’s actions. He talks to her about how a good barbecue takes time, much like the team, which doesn’t need to be poked and prodded every ten minutes. He tells the coach to trust the process and not be hasty with the players.
Meanwhile, the word about Jane’s one-woman play spreads and comes back to Beard, when three men ask him about it in the pub. Beard decides it’s time to watch the play and takes Ted with him. It turns out that Jane has put herself on trial for trying to manipulate Beard into marrying her by lying to him about being pregnant. The play takes a lot of creative liberties, including the part where Jane and the play’s version of Ted sleep together. In the end, the fake baby bump is revealed to be a pillow, which she tears apart, leading the audience to burst into a rousing applause. Beard has had enough and seeks out Jane to tell her she must stop the play. But the conversation leads them to have sex.
While waiting for Beard, Ted goes backstage and encounters a woman who introduces herself as the stage manager. She tells him to stop whistling because it’s bad luck. They have a conversation about why she chose to become a stage manager rather than an actor, and whether Ted in the play accurately portrays the real Ted. She leaves, and Ted doesn’t get her name, but clearly, they are meant to cross paths again soon. When Beard comes out of Jane’s room, he reveals that she won’t be doing the play anymore because it has been picked up for a West End production, with someone like Jennifer Lawrence or Emma Stone playing the role. Now, Beard will never be rid of it.
The Greyhounds Face the Might of Chelsea
Rebecca starts to settle in with Mathijs and his daughter, Jelka. She bonds with the girl as they eat ice cream together. But then Jelka reveals that she and her father moved to London to be with her mother, who had already moved there. It seems Mathijs hadn’t told Rebecca the whole truth. The next morning, when she asks him about it, he gets angry at her for talking to his daughter about his separation from his ex-wife, which he has been trying to shield her from. The conversation escalates so quickly that Rebecca is taken aback when Mathijs says they should take a break to decide whether it is worth moving forward with their relationship.
Finally, the day of the match arrives. While the tickets were sold out, the stadium is still half full, which shows Keeley that tapping likes on the phone is easier than actually showing up. She is saddened by the turnout, but then Zelda Southport, who shows up with a bottle of liquor, tells her to chill a little. When Keeley slips away, Rebecca decides to drink with Zelda, and they talk about how Keeley’s dreaminess is balanced by Rebecca’s realism. Meanwhile, the first half of the game goes incredibly badly. At halftime, a drunk Rebecca goes on camera and calls out to the spectators at home, asking them where they are and why the stadium is not full. The team, on the other hand, gets an earful from Alice, which prompts Ted to tell her they should talk later.
As Ted addresses the team, he begins by talking about himself. He reveals that, while he is divorced, single, and ready to date again, he is nowhere near as lonely as the picture made him out to be. This segues into embarrassment, which Ted calls an entirely useless thing because what truly matters is trying. While Chelsea has two goals on them, he asks the team to focus on getting just one goal in and then work from there. His words work their magic, and the second half is much better. The team scores two goals, and for a minute, it looks like they just might win. But then a few misses cost them the game by one goal. They are a bit disappointed in their defeat, but they still did better.
Ted Makes a Difficult Decision Regarding Coach Chilton
Keeley shows up to console them and apologize for not being able to fill the stadium. So, they remind her that this is the biggest crowd they have ever played for, so she should stop beating herself up as well. Neither of them truly failed. As a drunk Rebecca and Zelda discuss the team’s loss, the elder woman points out that this defeat was necessary for Keeley to have her dreaminess clipped just a little. And perhaps now, she will start paying more attention to what Rebecca has to say, which is still a win. As everyone packs up and leaves, Alice goes to Ted about that talk he wanted to have with her. It brings him no joy, but he points out that she reminds him of another coach he worked with who had a similar problem.
His issue was dealt with differently, and with Alice, Ted is trying something new. So, he suspends her for the next match, which leaves her with the whole Christmas and New Year’s break to reflect on what kind of coach she wants to be. She is taken aback by his decision, but perhaps even she knows this is necessary. The episode ends with Keeley and Rebecca watching ‘Bridesmaids’ and discussing the day’s events. Keeley ends up crying because Roy is dating someone else, and Rebecca reveals that her heart has also been broken by Mathijs. The women comfort each other in their friendship as they pour their hearts out.
Read More: Who is Erin Beaumont? Who Plays Her in Ted Lasso?
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