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Season 1 & 2 Discussion


Avabelle
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This thread is now locked.  There are individual episode threads where you can take the discussion.  Feel free to quote a post from this thread and carry it over to the episode thread to continue discussions. 

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8 hours ago, AllyB said:

People can do work on themselves, have realisations and make themselves change. But realistically, having lived half his probable life expectancy like this, he isn't going to change. Even if he wants to, it's very unlikely.

As someone who has worked in counseling for 20+ years and has worked through my own abusive upbringing to get to a healthier place, I'm well aware that it's difficult, and that most people are reticent to do the work.  That's why I said it would have to be a conscious decision on his part.

Edited by LADreamr
  • Love 2

the fun stuff:

- Rebecca and Higgins scatting (sounded really good!)

- Roy walking into a room and asking if they were talking about him and Keeley outright saying 'Yes' and Roy being ok with it

- The smoking room where Higgins getting with the program by suddenly having a pipe. LOL.

- The team ragging on Sam and then getting invested/excited by the 'three dots...' and then ragging on him again when no message appears

- Will bumping into Colin in Nate's doorway and saying "Oh sorry didn't see you there." and without missing a beat Colin (who is wearing a camo pattern jacket says "It's the camouflage.  Ha!

 

The good stuff:

I liked all of Ted and Doc Sharon's scenes.  His discomfort was palpable as was his hostile coping mechanisms -- fight or fight indeed.

I loved that she called him out about disrespecting her profession.  Also I hate it that people conflate getting rightly paid for work with not caring about the work you do.  At least Ted immediately owned up to that and the remorse on his face  was real.

Roy and Keeley.  I just love them.  I have said if before, I'll sat it again -- they are such an evolved couple, no manufactured drama.  And even when we get drama like this episode it is understandable and gets resolved.

 

The not great stuff:

I am sure the show plans some great redemption arc for Nate, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to like him totally. I admit I never paid much attention to Nate in S1 until the infamous rant scene where Ted allowed him to tell the players what they were doing wrong and he went from zero to 100. I thought it was remarkably nasty and had a tone.  By comparison I was not at all a fan of Jamie's in S1.   But Jamie was a garden variety asshole and he directed it to everyone equally  it wasn't personal.  Once he toned that down he was ok.  But Nate is different.  He is cruel.  And mean.  And even worse he punches down so he directs his meanness specifically and quite personally, as Beard noted.  Also he seems to do it with a specific need to humiliate.  So yeah, the show can redeem him all they want but I don't think I'll ever be a fan of that particular character.

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With JasonSudikis saying the show was designed with a three season arc and someone mentioning up thread that this is The Empire Strikes Back, I’ll go out on a limb that whatever darkness will come at or near the end of this season (and aren’t we at 7/12 already?).   Right now, the obvious candidates are Nate (doing something beyond the pale) and Will.  But this show doesn’t always do the obvious.  …which has me worried.  

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1 hour ago, DearEvette said:

the fun stuff:

- Rebecca and Higgins scatting (sounded really good!)

- Roy walking into a room and asking if they were talking about him and Keeley outright saying 'Yes' and Roy being ok with it

- The smoking room where Higgins getting with the program by suddenly having a pipe. LOL.

- The team ragging on Sam and then getting invested/excited by the 'three dots...' and then ragging on him again when no message appears

- Will bumping into Colin in Nate's doorway and saying "Oh sorry didn't see you there." and without missing a beat Colin (who is wearing a camo pattern jacket says "It's the camouflage.  Ha!

 

The good stuff:

I liked all of Ted and Doc Sharon's scenes.  His discomfort was palpable as was his hostile coping mechanisms -- fight or fight indeed.

I loved that she called him out about disrespecting her profession.  Also I hate it that people conflate getting rightly paid for work with not caring about the work you do.  At least Ted immediately owned up to that and the remorse on his face  was real.

Roy and Keeley.  I just love them.  I have said if before, I'll sat it again -- they are such an evolved couple, no manufactured drama.  And even when we get drama like this episode it is understandable and gets resolved.

 

The not great stuff:

I am sure the show plans some great redemption arc for Nate, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to like him totally. I admit I never paid much attention to Nate in S1 until the infamous rant scene where Ted allowed him to tell the players what they were doing wrong and he went from zero to 100. I thought it was remarkably nasty and had a tone.  By comparison I was not at all a fan of Jamie's in S1.   But Jamie was a garden variety asshole and he directed it to everyone equally  it wasn't personal.  Once he toned that down he was ok.  But Nate is different.  He is cruel.  And mean.  And even worse he punches down so he directs his meanness specifically and quite personally, as Beard noted.  Also he seems to do it with a specific need to humiliate.  So yeah, the show can redeem him all they want but I don't think I'll ever be a fan of that particular character.

I hope this show doesn't get too tropey but they did it with Jamie so I expect that Nate will also get his redemption arc under the great Ted Lasso.

Nate will probably get fired go into a dark place and come back in the nick of time to have fully changed into an emotionally healthy assertive individual that leads the team back to the Premier League. Mt. Trope has been scaled again.

Sorry, Nate is still out for me. Still should not be managing people ever again.

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1 hour ago, DearEvette said:

But Nate is different.  He is cruel.  And mean.  And even worse he punches down so he directs his meanness specifically and quite personally, as Beard noted.  Also he seems to do it with a specific need to humiliate. 

The sticking point for me with Nate is that he's not (always) mindlessly lashing out after being hurt/humiliated, perceived or real - there's a part of him that enjoys his own cruelty. He has no place being a coach or in a position of power to anyone. I would be fine, happy even, if he got some serious therapy as long as he also got another job at the same time, but if not he can fuck off. This is not going to be fixed with a "think about what you've done, Nate" talk from Ted or anyone.

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On 9/5/2021 at 4:45 PM, KittenPokerCheater said:

My unspoiled spec is that Nate goes to the dark side of the force and leaves to be a coach on ANOTHER team.

 

That's an interesting thought. I noticed in this episode that several times the pundits were heard saying something like "he should be a head coach somewhere." Foreshadowing, anyone?

Edited by Good Queen Jane
Added the verb
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On 9/4/2021 at 8:32 AM, carrier76 said:

I am a complete SATC-head myself, and it did not escape my attention that the ep they were watching also ended with the song “By Your Side” by Sade. Carrie tells Aiden she needs some time to herself when she gets home, and while she’s weirdly spending 30 seconds by herself in a separate space, that is the song playing. Clever for this show to have that as the soundtrack when Roy gives Keeley her moment. Except that Carrie and Aiden were awful and Roy and Keeley are 😍.

 

Between this reference and the Queen deep cut that ended episode 2, I feel like someone I know is scoring this show. Ha.

From what I've heard, Christa Miller (Bill Lawrence's wife) has a lot to do with the music on the show.  

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11 hours ago, Good Queen Jane said:
On 9/5/2021 at 4:45 PM, KittenPokerCheater said:

My unspoiled spec is that Nate goes to the dark side of the force and leaves to be a coach on ANOTHER team.

 

That's an interesting thought. I noticed in this episode that several times the pundits were heard something like "he should be a head coach somewhere." Foreshadowing, anyone?

Ooh, nice catch!  I agree with what Abra said above:
 

Quote

The sticking point for me with Nate is that he's not (always) mindlessly lashing out after being hurt/humiliated, perceived or real - there's a part of him that enjoys his own cruelty. He has no place being a coach or in a position of power to anyone. I would be fine, happy even, if he got some serious therapy as long as he also got another job at the same time, but if not he can fuck off. This is not going to be fixed with a "think about what you've done, Nate" talk from Ted or anyone.

It makes me nervous to think of Nate getting another coaching position somewhere else.  I don't know how long it would take to really do that work--but it wouldn't be quick--and I hope the writers don't try to make that kind of transformation happen over an episode or two; that would be completely unrealistic and a disservice to that kind of toxic dynamic and the damage that it can do.

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5 hours ago, Kiddvideo said:

When Nate wanted to get the window table for his parents' anniversary dinner, his first ask to Keeley was to make him famous which she discouraged. Now that he has a little fame, he's seeing what she meant. 

And he hasn't even seen the full effect of fame if that is the trajectory they are going.  The cycle is they build you up -- hence the pundits and social media being super effusive in their praise -- and then they shoot you down (see: Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles and, well, a lot of other people).

Right now Nate is safe because he can reap all the rewards of praise because he was instrumental in a win.  But if the team loses, the brunt falls on Ted.  If Nate were strike out on his own, he has no Ted Lasso sized shield if he begins to fail.  And right now we see how he terribly he handles a team (without the leavening influence of Beard/Ted) and how he handles criticism.  And neither is optimal.

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5 hours ago, DearEvette said:

And he hasn't even seen the full effect of fame if that is the trajectory they are going.  The cycle is they build you up -- hence the pundits and social media being super effusive in their praise -- and then they shoot you down (see: Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles and, well, a lot of other people).

Right now Nate is safe because he can reap all the rewards of praise because he was instrumental in a win.  But if the team loses, the brunt falls on Ted.  If Nate were strike out on his own, he has no Ted Lasso sized shield if he begins to fail.  And right now we see how he terribly he handles a team (without the leavening influence of Beard/Ted) and how he handles criticism.  And neither is optimal.

 

Good point. Nate has only experienced a few jerks online who called him a loser (and those jerks will always be out there. You could find the cure for cancer and then save a bunch of puppies and orphans from a fire on your way home and some dink on the internet will call you a loser). And one or two jerks were enough to send Nate into threatening Will. Nate is gonna be in for a rude awakening when the inevitable backlash starts and he will not handle it well.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Nate runs off to another team (especially if he starts getting heat for the way he treats Will) and it will be an absolute disaster. He may know the sport, but he doesn’t know how to handle people. His players won’t respect him, and we are all seeing how well Nate deals with that.

Edited by Kostgard
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7 hours ago, Kostgard said:

I wouldn’t be surprised if Nate runs off to another team (especially if he starts getting heat for the way he treats Will) and it will be an absolute disaster. He may know the sport, but he doesn’t know how to handle people. His players won’t respect him, and we are all seeing how well Nate deals with that.

But he can't come back to Richmond then after it doesn't work out - because we've already been there and done that with Jaime, and it would be pretty appalling if a show that's only supposed to be 3 seasons reuses storylines like that.  

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2 hours ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

But he can't come back to Richmond then after it doesn't work out - because we've already been there and done that with Jaime, and it would be pretty appalling if a show that's only supposed to be 3 seasons reuses storylines like that.  

Execellent point.  Nate’s storyline has been redundant to me all season (though, admittedly, Nate’s arc differs from Jamie’s in that it also compromises Ted and Beard as characters).  And wow am I tired of narratives that explore a guy’s abusive behavior.  Just because the writers think the psychology is on-point doesn’t mean I want to watch it on this show.  Why has Nate earned such a big subplot this season?  Why not another supporting character with a new story?  Nate is wrecking the season for me…and Roy is saving it.  Wonder where the balance will be after the season finale?

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12 hours ago, Kostgard said:

Good point. Nate has only experienced a few jerks online who called him a loser (and those jerks will always be out there. You could find the cure for cancer and then save a bunch of puppies and orphans from a fire on your way home and some dink on the internet will call you a loser). And one or two jerks were enough to send Nate into threatening Will. Nate is gonna be in for a rude awakening when the inevitable backlash starts and he will not handle it well.

And that’s with him searching his name on Twitter. It doesn’t seem like he has an account since no one is coming into his mentions or snitch-tagging him any of this stuff. It would be interesting (in an academic way, not that I actually want to see the spiral)to see how he’d react if he tried to get into social media and engage with “his public.”

On 9/5/2021 at 5:06 PM, Trillium said:

Is Nate Anakin Skywalker?

On this theory, I'd say Luke.  Nate is becoming his father . Dad is cold, rude and "know-it-all" obsessed with media -old school ,though. Yelling at the newspapers. 

To me it seems there's a "turning into your parents" thing with Ted, Nate, maybe Beard and I'll also add Rebecca. Only because her dad buys the mom expensive gifts to keep her happy, and Rebecca offered to buy the restaurant so Nate could get a good table.

 

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Earlier this week, I saw an interview with former major league baseball player Francisco Cervelli. He retired after last season, so this is the first year of his adult life that he has no connection to baseball.

The funny thing is that, although I don't think he mentioned Roy by name, he said that watching Ted Lasso convinced him that he wanted to return to the game in some capacity.

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I’ve thought a little more about Nate after reading the additional posts, and a few things stick out to me:

  • Looking back to season one when Nate gave the team its pep talk, I’m struck by how specific his attacks were. Maybe Ted read Nate’s “notes”, and saw them as such, but even at first viewing I was struck by how personal they were. At the time (and still) they seemed to me to be grievance-airing by a petty man. I had the sense that Nate had been keeping score, so to speak, of every real and perceived wrong and it manifested in what turned out to be an effective motivator. I’m guessing that Ted saw Nates notes as just that- notes on game play, but they seemed deeply personal to me.
  • If Ted goes with another one of Nate’s calls/bold moves, and it fails, Nate won’t be the one to take the heat for it-Ted will (and basically rightly so because in the end, the team strategy is Ted’s responsibility). There is no way in hell Ted Lasso will say “I tried another Nate bold move and it didn’t pan out” when Trent Crimm The Independent asks Ted about a failed big play. So that sets us up to see how Nate handles that and whether that becomes his path to accepting responsibility or becoming so enamored of his new persona that he rolls with it (and begins to alienate the rest of the team).
  • Ted and Beard have been noticing Nate’s behavior all season-there have been lots of little glances etc when Nate acts dickish. I think they both know there’s nothing they can actually say to Nate that’s going to reign it in and they’re the kind of guys that aren’t “do as I say not as I do” people, but try to be role models. The question is how they respond if they witness Nate’s abusive behavior. 
  • The addition of Roy to the coaching staff really makes it interesting on multiple levels (because more Roy Kent is always good!). I think Ted and Beard appreciate the value Nate adds to the coaching staff, but let’s face it, if they have to choose, Roy is the more valuable coach. He understands how to motivate the players and he knows the game and he has the players’ respect. Nate is dedicated and has a good feel and love of the game but he is a novice (and I know that Ted and Beard fall in that category but they have been actual coaches for a while and understand all that entails). My personal feeling is that unless Nate experiences some major growth, he’s at the pinnacle of his coaching career because his behavior is abusive, he has a short fuse and he doesn’t tolerate dissent well-all which makes him a very poor candidate to coach at any level higher than where he is. 
     

I really dislike Nate but admit I’m intrigued to see where the story goes. It’s possible that maybe he could leave to coach a lower tier team, but I can’t imagine that he’d end up as a head coach of even a relegated team because he’s got one good play under his belt. (Unless a team was desperate for PR, maybe.) The team has overcome losing Jaimie, losing Roy, getting Jaimie back and getting Roy back. It seems to be well positioned, so I sense the drama with Nate is what’s going to fuck it up.

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Great write up Mayse.   I’ve been thinking about where this season and storyline are going….and with speculation upthread about Ted’s dad possibly committing suicide.  Also, I joked upthread about, since this is supposed to be The Empire Strikes Back, who would get encased in carbonite.  

What if things go south and it is Nate who tries to end things.   That would be quite a cliff hanger as they wait to see if he makes it and also how Ted handles it.  Or I could be completely off base. 

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I know there’s been a lot of suicide speculation, but that seems really heavy for this particular show. I also think it would go down a rabbit hole that would be difficult to recover from-I can’t even fathom how personally Ted would take it if one of his team killed himself. If we thought Ted’s panic attacks were dark, good lord…

I hope I’m right that Nate’s struggle with his self esteem and his ego, as well as Ted in therapy, learning how he uses humor and his all shucks nice guy persona to avoid/deflect conflict and unpleasantness, is as dark as we get. The show is sappy, but it’s funny and it’s a rare bright spot in this world right now. I don’t want it to get super deep and dark. Having some personality conflicts and at least one asshole in the mix is realistic enough for me right now, thanks very much.

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Quote

I know there’s been a lot of suicide speculation, but that seems really heavy for this particular show

Very good point.  This IS Ted Lasso, not This is Us or Mare of East Town.  I take back all my gloomy speculations.

Hopefully everyone who needs it will have their Rebecca Moment: “I lost my way for a minute, but I’m on the road back.”

Because if Jamie Tart can evolve and grow, then so can everyone else.

 

Edited by KittenPokerCheater
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1 hour ago, Juneau Gal said:

Wow! Wow, what an episode. I laughed, cried, gasped. So many many things to unpack. All the relationships played out very interestingly. 

Every word you wrote is exactly how I felt especially "I laughed, cried and gasped!  It was the best episode of this season so far!  

Edited by dbklmt
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Quote

Looking forward to seeing where they go in this next episode.  It seems like a lot longer than a week since the last one. 

It was forty-five minutes. I wouldn't mind each episode being this long. 

A very whirlwind episode and emotional on many levels. I loved the insight on Dr. Sharon's life (I loved all of the moments between she and Ted) how the men shared their secrets, Isaac slinging his clippers, how Roy comforted Jamie surely seeing the effects of a wretched father must send his mind to thinking what could have been in store for Phoebe if her father hadn't fucked off.  I love Sam/Rebecca. That's the kind of rom-communism I'm down with. And they ended with one of my favourite Keane songs. What's not to love? 

I checked the IMDB credits before I watched the episode and I saw someone credited as "funeral friend" so I honestly thought Dr. Sharon would get killed. Then I, weirdly, thought maybe Beard would get into some accident as he was leaving Ted. Glad that wasn't the case. 

Edited by AngieBee1
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Oh my heart, I loved this episode so much! Perfect mix of giggles and emotion, and that hair-cutting scene was pure joy. Jan Maas not getting it cracked me up - it reminded me of Ben on Parks and Recreation not getting Li'l Sebastian. Loved seeing more of Sharon and her and Ted opening up to one another.

And man, I'm impressed by how much they've managed to make me love Jamie after his early dickishness. His dad explains so much about him. When he was listening to Sam talk to his dad on the phone I thought for sure he was going to backslide out of envy/resentment over other people having actual good relationships with their dads and take that out on someone, probably Sam, but nope. He really has grown.

The way Beard left has me nervous. Like, I *know* this is a comedy, but the dark forest thing and Empire Strikes Back comparison keeps making me expect something really bad to happen to someone.

Edited by Schweedie
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I don’t think Sam and Rebecca are an end-game relationship, but I think they are good for each other right now.  

More glimpses of Nate the Hateful. Perhaps Jamie can help him since they both have terrible fathers.  And speaking of Jamie, loving the growth.  And loving the moment with Roy and how Roy started out patting his back with a closed fist and then transitioned to a proper hug. 

I was terrified Dr Sharon would die, and I was happy it turned into a bonding session with Ted. Who knew she was a West Side Story fan. And they showed us she has her own demons snd is in therapy.  Also loved that Ted felt able to confess about his panic attacks and the others confessing too.  But I worry that Nate will use Ted’s confession to save himself and defect attention in the future if he gets criticized.  

eta. From the first season. This show has deviated from the sitcom feel good norm where anything bad is resolved by that episodes’s credits.  Remember, last season ended with Richmond losing and being relegated, instead of the usual miraculous win.  

Edited by DEL901
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20 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

Also loved that Ted felt able to confess about his panic attacks and the others confessing too.  But I worry that Nate will use Ted’s confession to save himself and defect attention in the future if he gets criticized.  

Oh, this is what came to my mind too when he shared.  As someone else noted, I don't like Nate, but I am interested in where they are going with the character.  Given how many episodes are left I wonder if his "break" will happen next season.

I can't remember when I have so looked forward to show.  It's just perfect for these times.  Even the most cynical of my friends agree that it manages to be endearing and sweet without being saccharine (for the most part).  

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I loved this episode and I am still trying to process it. I really liked the juxtaposition of Jamie seeing "Dad" show up on his phone and him frowning and ignoring it with Sam also seeing "Dad" calling and smiling and answering it with joy.  But what really impressed me is something I have been noticing for a long time which is how the back scenes continue the story. In this episode, while Rebecca is on camera in front of her door after coming in from her date with Sam, you can see a figure in the opaque glass behind her also just standing there for a while and then slowing walking away. I first started noticing these touches in the "Led Tasso" scene. When "Led" was yelling at the team on team on the field, you could see Will in the background righting the table that "Led" had overturned and then going up into the stand to get the can "Led" had thrown there. Nicely done, show!

By the way, if anything bad happens to Coach Beard on his way home, the writers had better hide from the Wrath of Me, for it will be terrible to behold.

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I wonder if the ER doctor caring for Sharon was Roy's sister/Phoebe's mom.

Speaking of Phoebe, I always love when she shows up.

I am not here for the Sam/Rebecca relationship, for reasons Rebecca knows and mentioned. Sam's too young and she's his boss (no I don't think she was grooming him/a pedophile). I do wonder why Bantr doesn't let you set your own age/select a preferred age range which is the only explanation as to how this happened).

Poor Leslie is going to get some kind of inhaled chemical toxicity condition being in the supply closet like that.

I loved the Diamond Dogs + Roy pre-game confession session (or is it Coaches + Leslie?). Especially glad that Ted was able to be open about his panic attacks, and I too am worried that Nate will use that information in the future to make me hate him (more?).

I'm a little concerned that they're showing so much of Sharon's personal life to Ted, including him buying her a new bike? That's overstepping the client/therapist relationship. I did find the Voice Notes (is that an iPhone thing?) bit hilarious.

Great storyline with Jamie and his dad. Loved Roy hugging him, and Jamie accepting it.

A little worried about Coach Beard now, too.

Ted finally admitting to Doc Sharon that his father killed himself. Just the way he said his father did that to him and his mom. That got me.

Edited by Abra
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Ugh! I laughed, I cried - it was better than Cats.

Agree with the idea that Nate sells out Ted’s confession. Likely linked to Trent from The Independent. 

I am also worried that the Sam-Rebecca thing will get out (obviously) and Sam’s father will not be so happy. 

Roy Kent is just a total gem and Brett Goldstein has to be just beside himself with joy every day for getting to write for, and inhabit the character.

 

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I also enjoyed the insight into Dr Sharon’s life. Makes sense she has a therapist, most therapists do. We saw how riding her bike is how she tunes out and relaxes, though I guess she breaks it to yell about dogs (as an owner of a greyhound, I take offense at her yelling at someone for putting a sweater on their dog - some dogs need it! Though, my dog does hate his coat, even if it is necessary, so Dr Sharon would be right about that. And I also hate dog owners who can’t control their dogs, so I guess we’re on the same page after all). And accepting a gift like a new bike from a client seems like an ethical trouble spot.

I also liked that we learned that Phoebe’s dad sucks, which is why Roy stepped up. Sad as his fear that Phoebe is only picking up the worst of him is, I’m guessing a lot of parents have that fear at some point.

Thoroughly enjoyed that Ted’s confession about his panic attacks lead to a cascade of confessions from the rest of the Diamond Dogs (and Roy).

Rebecca and Sam…are going to be an issue. Realistically, anyway. I get that Rebecca is doing that “be brave enough to let someone wonderful love you” thing and Sam is pretty great, but this is dangerous ground. She’s the divorcée of a very wealthy man who snagged his beloved football team in the divorce, hired an American with no knowledge of the sport to coach the team, saw them regulated to a lower league, and oh, hey - remember how one member of the team protested against their sponsor and faced zero repercussions? Yeah, she’s sleeping with him. The British media would eat her alive if they caught wind of this.

Then this episode killed me in the end with Jamie’s confrontation with his shitty dad, Roy hugging Jamie because he realized what a shitty dad Jamie has been living with, and Jamie crying as a result. Then Ted wanders off to go finally say out loud what happened to his dad.

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