This week’s Ted Lasso opens with Rebecca and Sam continuing their low key relationship during the morning after one of their meet ups. They are so cute together when the former goes looking for the latter’s gray hairs. As they two lovebirds begin making breakfast half naked, Rebecca’s mom, Deborah, comes through the front door discovering their secret. If it wasn’t awkward enough, she brings bad news: Rebecca’s dad has passed away.
Funerals are a sad occasion, mourning the loss of a loved on but they can be a time of celebrating a life as well not to mention an event that brings people together. As we’ve seen this season, AFC Richmond is a family so the players and staff attend to pay their respects in a touching gesture. They all clean up well and no one even wears sneakers.
“No Weddings and a Funeral” explores the complicated relationships some of the characters had with their fathers. Rebecca has been harboring a dark secret about hers while we learned Ted’s had committed suicide. There are clever cuts between the two going back and forth from their locations as they discuss their paternal issues. The tension and emotions are high because of the situations they’re in; Rebecca in a heated exchange with her mom and Ted Lasso with his therapist.
The respective scenes wouldn’t resonate as much if the actors didn’t have talented people opposite them. Harriet Walter as Deborah, is a sympathetic figure who has been mistreated her whole marriage but yet she can’t bare to part with him. Even though Rebecca scolds her, she comes with the warm heartedness admitting how proud she was her daughter broke the cycle and divorced Rupert.
We’re not shy praising Sarah Niles this season. Her Dr. Fieldstone exhibits enough vulnerability for someone to feel comfortable enough to open up to and provides a judgement free analysis. She also seems to guide her patients to comforting places like when she asks about any happy memories Ted Lasso had of his dad. It’s a touching story of a father’s gesture to make sure his son doesn’t fail a test and leads to Ted’s regrets of not expressing how he felt before the suicide. Maybe if he let his dad know what he meant to him more often, maybe he wouldn’t have killed himself.
Despite the somber mood, the comedy tries to lighten things. The delicious dish session between Rebecca and the girls is priceless. Keeley and Sassy don’t even have to give their friend the third degree to pry the truth about her secret lover. They’re so rowdy that they have to be constantly reminded to keep their voices down especially when Keeley guesses correctly. There’s a nice touch of continuity when Rebecca apologizes to her goddaughter for sleeping with her crush.
There are some aspects that didn’t quite work this episode of Ted Lasso. There was probably a little bit too many jokes considering the setting and some of the plotlines didn’t really have any value to the overall narrative. Other than showing that they are doing better this week, Coach Beard and Jane’s phone call didn’t lead anywhere.
In addition, I’m not sure revisiting the Jamie, Roy, and Keeley love triangle is a good decision. Jamie’s redemption story has been a good arc for the character and there’s no need to force him into the lovebirds since there hasn’t been any real indication that Keeley is truly unhappy.
Though one development could be interesting is what Rupert whispered in Nate’s ear as he left. Rebecca’s ex already relinquished his shares of AFC Richmond and he could be angling to purchase a new team and would be in need for an up-and-coming coach.
The latest episode is an emotional look at Rebecca and Ted’s complicated relationships with their fathers
New episodes of Ted Lasso drop Fridays on Apple TV+.
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