S02.E04: Carol of the Bells

[Whimsy]

Quote

It’s Christmas in Richmond. Rebecca enlists Ted for a secret mission, Roy and Keeley search for a miracle, and the Higginses open up their home.

original airdate 8/13/21

[SoWindsor]

Okay I feel like the Grinch but this episode felt off to me.

I’m sad to say but they seem to be hitting a sophomore slump!

[krankydoodle]

I thought this episode was a lovely treat. It doesn't really advance any storylines if I remember right, but has lots of nice character moments (I loved that one of the first things we see at the Higgins house is a prominently placed photo of Cindy Clawford). I can imagine rewatching this one during the holidays if I just need a quick pick-me-up.

[Turtle Wexler]

It's a small thing, but I love that the "Ussie" guy comes back in it. (The woman playing the dentist is his actual mom, IRL.)

[blackwing]

I loved this episode, I thought it was one of the funniest ones yet.  I felt bad for Phoebe but when she breathes on both Keeley and Roy, the faces and comments they made had me in stitches.

I also loved seeing how each of the characters was spending Christmas (we saw all of them except Jamie and Nate, presumably because they are spending time with family).  I especially liked hearing Hannah Waddingham sing.  Wow, she's got some pipes!

[Turtle Wexler]

On 11/18/2021 at 10:06 AM, blackwing said:

 

I loved this episode, I thought it was one of the funniest ones yet.  I felt bad for Phoebe but when she breathes on both Keeley and Roy, the faces and comments they made had me in stitches.

 

blackwing, just reading this made me giggle. I agree. I am rewatching Ted Lasso while working (makes that so much more bearable!), and I rewatched this last night. Keeley’s and Roy’s reactions still make me laugh—especially Roy’s dry-heaving while Keeley is trying to get Phoebe to feel no shame. Juno Temple and Brett Goldstein do such a great job of selling their discomfort. (I also feel terrible for Phoebe!)

[anna0852]

The locker room scenes with the team are my favs. Of course that's how Issac plays Santa!

And I loved the background event of Will (the equipment manager) being given a literal box of cash. Will's treatment under the Ted/Rebecca reign is light-years better than how Nate was treated under Rupert/Old Coach.

[Danny Franks]

It was nice to see Claire Skinner as the dentist. She has years of experience acting opposite precocious youngsters, in her role on Outnumbered (not the Fox News opinion show, which I've just discovered exists). Phoebe is no Karen, of course, but the no one is. That show had some of the best child acting I've ever seen... of course, a lot of it was just the kids rambling on while the adults reacted to it as best they could.

I liked this episode. It's Christmassy and low-stakes and just nice. I could do without the sing-along at the end, because I do hate it when people who don't normally sing on TV just break out into song. Even when they have incredible voices.

The players all coming over to the Higgins' house when just a few have come before speaks to how Ted has engendered a real sense of family at the club. I liked how even the supermodel that Richard brings seems to be enjoying herself in the end, hanging out with Higgins' kids.

I definitely didn't miss Nate, but would have liked to see Jamie at Christmas, even if it was only in passing because he's off to some trendy, celeb filled party.

[Kel Varnsen]

So is Jason Sudeikis obsessed with the movie Once or something? He talked about it with Rebecca when they left his apartment. And in the show Last Man on Earth he and Will Forte sang a song from it on Karaoke all the time.

[TV Anonymous]

A bit out of topic, here Waddingham sang that song in a real stage with Michael Bublé.