Ted Lasso picks up the morning after the historic win at Goodison Park against Everton. It was a wild night and it looks like everyone needs more time to recover after all their celebratory drinking. Fearing he might miss the trip back home, Nate passes out in the luggage compartment on the bus. Elsewhere, both Rebecca and Ted manage the awkwardness following a one-night stand.
[Spoilers Ahead]
The one-night stand is a totally new experience for Ted Lasso and he needs help analyzing the whole situation. He gathers Coach Beard, Nate, and Higgins for their thoughts. His friends’ insights are so helpful that they decide to form an informal group to discuss their relationship problems: the Diamond Dogs. A nice ode to the team’s nickname, the Greyhounds, and David Bowie’s eighth studio album.
The formation of the Diamond Dogs is a bit fortuitous since Roy is having issues with his newly formed romance with Keeley. The club’s captain is taking a different approach this time wanting to keep it slow since he doesn’t want to blow his chance. It becomes more complicated when Jamie Tart reappears. The group does more than provide support; they also aren’t afraid to give the hard truths when needed. They provide the kick in the pants Roy needs to finally commit to Keeley.
Meanwhile, Rebecca’s ex, Rupert, rears his ugly head again. He delivers the double blows that he’s engaged to the woman he met at the gala and that through a loophole, he’ll soon be able to become a minority owner of AFC Richmond. When he does, he’s going to make her life miserable by holding a press conference every match day to criticize her publicly. Ted Lasso plays the role of white knight coming to his boss’ aid and challenges her verbal attacker to a duel (of darts).
“The Diamond Dogs” is an example of what Ted Lasso does best – focus on the characters. The courtship between Roy and Keeley has been, though telegraphed, well developed. It covers any complications relationships have including the insecurities and second guessing but it has been really sweet and tender how it’s progressed. The press conference scene is filled with cheese, but still works based on the chemistry of the pair and especially the charm of actress, Juno Temple.
Even those not on the team still experience growth. Jamie’s sudden departure prevented him from expressing his gratitude to Keeley for showing a side of himself that he’s not always in touch with. He was also genuinely hurt when he was recalled back because Lasso could have stepped in. With all the progress Jamie was making as a teammate, he was angry his coach didn’t fight for him.
After helping with his panic attack in Liverpool, Ted declares he’ll always have Rebecca’s back. It shows when he comes to her defense against Rupert. The show took the intensity from the pitch and brought in into the pub with the epic darts match. It was entertaining how both try to one up each other in their attempts to hustle the other. Lasso’s final speech while he ices the win shows why he’s such an inspiring underdog.
Despite the bonding and joy from the episode, it does end on a dramatic low note. All of Rebecca’s earlier actions are coming back to haunt her and people’s loyalties to the team trump even the boss. Plus, things are building to a spectacular showdown with Manchester City to determine the team’s EPL fate. Will AFC Richmond avoid relegation or will Jamie play spoiler for his old team? We only have two episodes left to see.
“Diamond Dogs” continues to effectively build the close relationships of its characters off the field but throws an intriguing monkey wrench that could foul up the team.
Ted Lasso can be currently seen on Apple TV+ with new episodes released on Friday.
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