This week brought a return to form as the series shed some of the subplots that had been bogging down the story in recent episodes.
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By Christopher Orr
Season, 3, Episode 9: ‘La Locker Room Aux Folles’
For anyone doubting the adage that less is sometimes more, I offer the example of this episode of “Ted Lasso.” While it’s not what I would describe as remarkable, or even especially memorable, it has a nice rhythm to it, in part because it tackles fewer unrelated story lines. The aggressive jumps from subplot to subplot, many involving new or peripheral characters are less in evidence — Keeley’s professional and romantic dalliances with, respectively, Shandy and Jack, had been particular offenders — and their absence is a welcome break.
Speaking of Jack, it appears that particular subplot has already run its highly unnecessary course. I cited most of my objections last week. But even I’m a little taken aback at how casually the show has discarded a once semi-central story line. Keeley and Jack had one fight, Jack slammed the door like Nora in “A Doll’s House” and now (unlike Nora) she has relocated to Argentina. What does this mean for her financing of Keeley’s business? If past discarded subplots are any clue — remember the momentarily club-threatening dispute with Dubai Air? — absolutely nothing. Still, for the record: Good riddance, and on to what still matters.
Colin
Anyone wondering about this episode’s central theme had to do no more than read the all-too-specific title. It’s a reference to “La Cage Aux Folles,” the play about a gay couple that was later adapted into a French film, an American film and a hit Broadway musical. For anyone who missed the episode title, we helpfully open to the strains of the musical’s prelude, as the AFC Richmond squad goes through a beautifully choreographed practice (sorry, training) that culminates, after several pinpoint passes, in a goal by Isaac. The team has been playing incredibly since last we saw them, and will soon find themselves on an eight-game winning streak! (Has anyone else noticed that Richmond seems to alternate between long winning and losing streaks without ever being, you know, average?) Spirits are high.
Well, all spirits save one. When Colin congratulates Isaac on his shot, the latter merely scowls back. Later, Isaac refuses Colin’s invitation to get a beer with a curt, angry “No.” Next, before the game with Brighton & Hove Albion — I’m with Ted; sounds like a law firm — Isaac leaves Colin’s attempted fist-bump un-bumped. And finally, he lays into Colin after an error on the field, before charging furiously into the stands to confront an abusive fan.
There are two possibilities here. Either Isaac is angry that Colin is gay — a fact he discovered accidentally last episode — or he is angry that Colin never told him. I think I speak for most if not all regular viewers of “Ted Lasso” when I say there was never any doubt in my mind which would be the case. This was a plot twist that was (forgive the phrase) straight as an arrow.
But that doesn’t mean it was an ineffective one. Colin’s announcement to the team is not merely the setup for a nice Lasso lesson of the kind we’ve seen fewer of this season, it’s the setup for Colin’s own comeback: “Coach, did you just compare being gay to being a Denver Broncos fan?”
Billy Harris, who plays Colin, has been excellent throughout the past few episodes, and never more than in this one, in which he repeatedly displays a deft comic touch. After explaining to Trent that this was the “second-best way” his revelation to the team could have gone, he describes what would have been the best way. And let me tell you: I would’ve been first in line to buy that copy of Oprah’s magazine.
Don’t even get me started on Colin’s final conversation with Isaac, after both have laid their cards on the table. These are two friends having a hilarious conversation neither one envisioned, but one for which they are both finally ready.
Is it a bit of a stretch that a men’s professional sports team would harbor zero outspoken homophobes? Probably. But given that we have just three episodes to go, it’s almost certainly for the best.
Nate (and Jade and Rupert)
It’s a pleasant surprise, for us as well as Nate, when Jade stops by his office bearing lunch. But several items of West Ham merch later, storm clouds roll in. By which I mean, of course, Rupert.
The turtle-necked Lucifer proceeds to offer a brief yet comprehensive master class in his personal art of seduction: the offhand compliment about Jade’s smile, the display of his “amateur dialectologist” party trick, the intimation she might be out of Nate’s league. None of it is too strong or obvious. Rupert is testing and assessing, displaying his well-rehearsed charm in doses small enough to see what might stick.
Jade is having none of it, just as she was unimpressed by Nate’s attempts at a “wunderkind” persona at A Taste of Athens. Her immediate response to Rupert’s visit — “He seems very wealthy” — may be the most delightful cutting-down-to-size he has inspired to date. And when Nate explains that his boss is “actually really decent,” Jade responds with the eternal half-smile of the person who knows better.
When we next see Nate and Rupert, the scene is staged almost like a horror movie. As Nate sketches plays on his whiteboard, Rupert appears behind him in the doorway to lurk for a moment, silent and unseen. Just listen to the ominous music: If this were a different show, Rupert would be holding a machete. But his jabs are more subtle: ostentatiously forgetting Jade’s name, helping himself to Nate’s baklava without invitation.
Later, Rupert invites Nate out for a drink without Jade, a “guy’s night.” It’s a phrase that evidently means different things to different guys, as Nate discovers when he shows up to find Rupert happily ensconced with two beautiful women. “The girls will be joining us,” he explains, to absolutely no one’s surprise but Nate’s. One can almost see the scales falling from his eyes; it’s like watching a glacier calving.
Nate makes his excuses and instead heads to Jade’s apartment where, in a lovely touch, they do not kiss but merely hold each other for a moment. Nate has passed life’s test, but he has failed Rupert’s. We will learn soon enough whether or not there are consequences.
Roy
Ask and ye shall receive. I was pretty hard on the show’s treatment of Roy last week. And, behold, we’re granted, for the first time in a while, reason to be optimistic about him, courtesy of some long-overdue tough love from Rebecca. (That line in Episode 6 regarding Keeley’s whereabouts — She’s “somewhere that believes they deserve her” — was merely a warm-up.)
After some characteristic Roy grousing, Rebecca sits him down to discuss his skipping the news conference he was supposed to be giving. “Is that the plan for the rest of your life? You’re just going to walk away from everything the second it isn’t fun or easy?” she demands. And no, she’s definitely not just talking about the news conference. For good measure, she adds, “Get out of your own way, man!”
And for the remainder of the episode he pretty much does. When Isaac storms out of the locker room, it’s Roy — you will recall he helped turn Isaac into a strong team captain last season — who offers support while withholding questions and judgment alike. And at a surprise makeup news conference, he explains Isaac’s rushing into the stands with a story that can only be described as Lassoean. There’s hope for Roy yet.
Which of course means there’s hope for Roy and Keeley yet. Maybe. Last episode, it seemed like a Keeley-Jamie reunion was more likely. Or perhaps neither will take place. Maybe Rebecca will adopt Keeley: After all, she’s already playing a fairly maternal role and the psychic, as discussed, merely said that Rebecca would “have a family” and “be a mother.” Two central plotlines solved with one unexpected twist! Which brings me to …
The ticking clock
We are now 31 episodes into the 34 episodes of “Ted Lasso” that will, to the best of our current knowledge, ever be broadcast. Even if the showrunners ultimately relent and offer a Season 4, they have been adamant that three seasons were all they intended and will conclude the story they intended to tell.
Which means we have three episodes in which to determine Rebecca’s romantic/parental status, Keeley’s romantic status (likely but not necessarily involving Roy or Jamie), Ted’s parental/geographic status, and the status of Nate’s soul. If Ted leaves, who will be Richmond’s new coach? Will the team be relegated — or win the Premier League championship?
And those are just some of the big questions. The smaller ones — will Rebecca ever use her knowledge of Rupert’s affair with Ms. Kakes against him? Will we ever see the wonderful Phoebe again? — are too numerous to catalog. Buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy few weeks.
Odds and ends
Another episode gone by without any sign of Rebecca’s marvelous Dutch love interest. At this point, I think this is both good and bad news. Bad, because presuming he shows up, their arc will be rushed by definition. Good, because I sincerely doubt there’s time to introduce another potential love interest. Though there’s always the Keeley adoption option, I suppose.
In that early training, a near-perfect Beardism: “I haven’t seen 22 dudes have this good a time on grass since I saw the Grateful Dead jamming with the Black Crowes and Phish.”
The joy in Nate’s voice when he introduces Jade to Rupert as his “girlfriend.” He practically sings the word.
Speaking of singing, the episode ends as it began, with “La Cage Aux Folles,” in this case the song “I Am What I Am.”
After all the focus on Michelle and Jake’s potential matrimonial status last episode — and Ted’s existential concern about the topic — our Ted/Henry/Michelle quota is limited to a single parent-teacher phone conference. And as much as the idea of being on the teacher end of that call frightens me, Ted’s “We’d better go let Ledbetter go” was pretty clever.
If Coach Beard really had to start a trans-Atlantic beef over rock guitarists at his news conference, I wish he’d picked a better champion than Joe Walsh. Although it did set up a nice line about “the guy from Cream.”
Ted: “That’s what that lady from the American ‘Office’ said.” Speaks for itself.
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