S03.E01: Smells Like Mean Spirit

[Whimsy]

Quote

The newly promoted AFC Richmond face mockery as pundits predict they’ll finish dead last this season.

Original airdate 3/15/2023

 

I don't know why, but the website it use (TVDB) has different episode names now.  Sorry about any confusion.  Still no episode description, though.

[Girl in a Cardigan]

Two days! Official episode stills from 3x01

 

[Capricasix]

It dropped early, fam! It’s out now, at least in the Eastern time zone!

[DEL901]

11 minutes ago, Capricasix said:

It dropped early, fam! It’s out now, at least in the Eastern time zone!

Yeah!

[shapeshifter]

Excellent season premiere! Did not disappoint!

[Girl in a Cardigan]

I was not expecting it to drop so early, but for a 45-minute ep, I'm happy to have the extra time!

I think I don't usually like the first episode as it takes me a minute to get back into the groove. Not too many zingers tonight, but lots of set up for things to come. I did absolutely adore Phil Dunster's way of saying "poopie" as Jamie and will have that in my head forever now.

Not a fan of breaking up Roy and Keeley given that they had SEVERAL conversations where she said they weren't breaking up, she just wasn't going to Marbella on vacay, but I have faith that they are endgame.

I still get weird vibes from Keeley's mysterious financier and really the rest of her crew. Like, I get why the CFO is charmless and doesn't "get" Keeley, but did Keeley hire any of those other people? Why would they be freaked out by her screaming when Rebecca shows up? Also, Rebecca hasn't come by ONCE in the last six weeks?

Nate's in way over his head and the social media obsession is only one of MANY things that's going to bite him in the ass. Letting Rupert buy him a car is ... ugh, c'mon Nate! I want to root for his redemption the way we rooted for Rebecca's, but he's making it difficult right now. Can't wait for their first loss!

[Phebemarie]

The last 15 minutes were the strongest, I thought.  It seemed like there was a lot of extra talk...not really exposition...more like the writers were trying to reintroduce everyone in case we haven't been re-watching seasons 1 and 2 in impatient anticipation. 

Phoebe and Henry have really grown up during the long off season.  

I wonder what happened to Rebecca to make her back track a bit with Rupert.  

Speaking of Rupert, could the evil empire references be more obvious?  

I loved Ted's response to Nate's meanness.  It's the Lasso way after all. 

 

[Juneau Gal]

1 hour ago, Phebemarie said:

 

I loved Ted's response to Nate's meanness.  It's the Lasso way after all. 

 

Yes! As much as Ted’s positivity can be too much and border on toxic, he was right in how he handled Nate’s mean-spirited comments. That always really nettles a meanie when they want nothing more than you to strike back in the same way to show that they hurt you. 
I’m glad Ted is getting push back from many fronts, including his son, for his casual attitude towards winning; hope he takes heed. 

[Harvey]

Nate is so getting fired.

[sjankis630]

Hmm m. I guess I was the only one underwhelmed. It really seemed to drag and certain characters seemed tacked on. (The doctor in a scene which seemed to come from another show.

The only high points for me were from the early part with Nate being a dick.

Are Ted and Rebecca best chums now or still boss and employee?

I hope it picks up next week.

[LADreamr]

57 minutes ago, sjankis630 said:

Hmm m. I guess I was the only one underwhelmed. It really seemed to drag and certain characters seemed tacked on. (The doctor in a scene which seemed to come from another show.

The only high points for me were from the early part with Nate being a dick.

Are Ted and Rebecca best chums now or still boss and employee?

I hope it picks up next week.

No, I'm with you.  Still excited it's back, but it felt lethargic, and lacking in the heart, and spark, that made it so special.  The energy of the first two seasons is definitely still on hiatus.  I hope next week picks up.

[Trillium]

11 hours ago, Girl in a Cardigan said:

I think I don't usually like the first episode as it takes me a minute to get back into the groove. Not too many zingers tonight, but lots of set up for things to come. I did absolutely adore Phil Dunster's way of saying "poopie" as Jamie and will have that in my head forever now.

Not a fan of breaking up Roy and Keeley given that they had SEVERAL conversations where she said they weren't breaking up, she just wasn't going to Marbella on vacay, but I have faith that they are endgame.

I still get weird vibes from Keeley's mysterious financier and really the rest of her crew. Like, I get why the CFO is charmless and doesn't "get" Keeley, but did Keeley hire any of those other people? Why would they be freaked out by her screaming when Rebecca shows up? Also, Rebecca hasn't come by ONCE in the last six weeks?

Nate's in way over his head and the social media obsession is only one of MANY things that's going to bite him in the ass. Letting Rupert buy him a car is ... ugh, c'mon Nate! I want to root for his redemption the way we rooted for Rebecca's, but he's making it difficult right now. Can't wait for their first loss!

Yes the weakest part of this for me was definitely everything with Keeley. Suddenly she’s just some silly girl who likes flowers and doesn’t know what a CFO is. And of course a woman can’t have a new job without it harming her personal life. Jesus, Mary and Fuckface Joseph, we’ve seen this plot a million times and it’s always dumb. And while I also expect they do ultimately get back together, it’s just a lazy trope. That being said, the scene with them and Phoebe was well done, you could feel the pain. I hope they don’t drag it out until nearly the end of the season and wrap this up quickly.

Much like I will always say bèbè like Moira Rose, poopeh by Jamie Tartt will be in regular rotation. 

We’re still very much in the dark forest. Hopefully they start making their way out soon. 

Edited March 15, 2023 by Trillium

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Trillium said:

Yes the weakest part of this for me was definitely everything with Keeley. Suddenly she’s just some silly girl who likes flowers and doesn’t know what a CFO is. And of course a woman can’t have a new job without it harming her person life. Jesus, Mary and Fuckface Joseph, we’ve seen this plot a million times and it’s always dumb. And while I also expect they do ultimately get back together, it’s just a lazy trope. That being said, the scene with them and Phoebe was well done

I thought the real issue of last season's Keeley-Roy breakup was that Roy had nothing much going on and wanted Keeley to hang with/babysit him all the time. 
But now, with Nate gone, as was explained to Phoebe as to why Roy was "too busy" for a relationship, Roy's neediness is no longer an obstacle to their relationship. 
Note too that Keeley kept trying to explain to Phoebe that they were "on a break," whereas Roy talked over her saying they had "broken up." 
Phoebe then tells Roy later in the car that he's stupid. 

To me, Roy comes across as the dummy. Keeley and Phoebe are intelligent. 

 Although I don't know what to make of the CFO joke.

[DEL901]

6 hours ago, Harvey said:

Nate is so getting fired.

If he thought Ted didn’t treat him well….it will pale at Rupert’s vindictiveness when they lose. 

Anyone notice the actress playing Keely wasn’t listed with the regulars?

[lambertman]

She was there. “with Juno Temple” is actually an honorific (in that agents push for it) rather than a slight. 

Edited March 15, 2023 by lambertman

[AheadofStraight]

It was so great seeing these characters again! If this is the season of redeeming Nate, it is going to take A LOT for me because the panic during the press conference did not move the needle for me even one iota...and I say that as someone who has experienced panic attacks. If there is a show that will be able to do it though, no doubt this one will. Marketing savvy Keeley doesn't know what a CFO is? B.S. Looking forward to seeing where this season goes!

[KittenPokerCheater]

LOVED it when Jamie Tart was truly a team member with his unexpectedly use the sewer metaphor to calm people down…he’s changed so much from season one.  

So much to love about this episode.  Worried about Ted though.  I want him to get into the “win the whole fucking thing” mindset.

[kwnyc]

11 hours ago, Girl in a Cardigan said:

I did absolutely adore Phil Dunster's way of saying "poopie"

poo-PEH! Yes, I think that is a keeper. (Is that really the way Mancunians talk?)

I admit I stayed up until midnight to watch the first episode.

Overall, very pleased, except they had the kids do too much heavy lifting. Especially Phoebe...she was a charming, what, 8-year-old last season, and responds to the Keeley/Roy breakup like a little philosopher. (And is it an inside joke that they call her "Phoebs" and Keeley says they are "on a break?")

And I'm torn about Ted's kid. He really is a chip off the old block, though also a bit too wise for his years.

Nate is SO in search of a daddy figure, and Rupert will probably end up ripping his entrails out. And he still won't please his actual father. 

Wow. Even Leslie's 10-year-old thinks Richmond will finish last. I realize that's a plot convention, but the team finished strong the previous season AND they have both Jamie Tartt and Danny Rojas, along with Sam Obisanya...aren't they considered 3 of the rising stars in the sport? (But what do I know...I am an Orioles' fan.)

Go, Doc Sharon. 

 

[shapeshifter]

12 minutes ago, AheadofStraight said:

If this is the season of redeeming Nate, it is going to take A LOT for me because the panic during the press conference did not move the needle for me even one iota...and I say that as someone who has experienced panic attacks. If there is a show that will be able to do it though, no doubt this one will.

Another show would have to heroically or tragically kill off Nate to redeem him.

[DEL901]

Nate and the spitting…he did that last year when he was feeling overwhelmed and inadequate.   The press conference showed him yet another area he doesn’t stack up to Ted.  He was asked about moving from kitman to manager in two years…and doesn’t acknowledge that without Ted he’d still be doing laundry.  And loved his reaction tonTed’s response and how much the press loved it/him  

I thought the episode was a little slow, but they had two goals I think they met…catch up up on what happened in the last few months and set up season 3.  

As for Keeley….definitely something hinky going on in that office.  I think there is a new character who is a venture capitalist joining the show…and I think they might be the one who set up Keely’s firm.  

[Trillium]

32 minutes ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

So much to love about this episode.  Worried about Ted though.  I want him to get into the “win the whole fucking thing” mindset.

Ted believes in everyone but himself. I think he needs to come to the realization he is a strong and capable man, and not a piece of shit  and I think he will. I do think they win the whole fucking thing in the end and that everyone ends up in a better place than they are right now. 

And unless I missed it, how on earth were they in a sewer with a rat and there wasn’t one TMNT reference! 

 

[Capricasix]

There was one Jesus Christ Superstar reference, though - not in the sewer, but earlier in the episode.

[funnygirl]

Unpopular Opinion: I don't give a shit about Nate. I don't care for his redemption that is so clearly coming. Some people are just assholes. He is an asshole, an insecure one. Always has been. 

Other than that character/plot, which I'm sure will suffocate the majority of this season, I am happy the show is back! 

[LADreamr]

40 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

As for Keeley….definitely something hinky going on in that office.  I think there is a new character who is a venture capitalist joining the show…and I think they might be the one who set up Keely’s firm.  

And maybe a Rupert connection, like he was behind the whole thing?  Getting her in a position with her business that when he comes at her to do PR for West Ham and smear Richmond, it puts her in a tough situation?  And then maybe Roy steps up and helps her navigate it and that leads to them getting back together?

I guess I missed this show even more than I thought.

[Xantar]

Breath of the Wild doesn’t have levels. Do your homework, writers. 

[Girl in a Cardigan]

1 hour ago, Xantar said:

Breath of the Wild doesn’t have levels. Do your homework, writers. 

On that note, the airport code for Kansas City International airport is MCI (or KCMI), not KCI. Even if locals call it KCI, it probably wouldn’t show up in a flight tracking app like that. 

[xhoipolloix]

Quote

There was one Jesus Christ Superstar reference, though - not in the sewer, but earlier in the episode.

What's the buzz tell me what's happening. I loved it.

[mledawn]

2 hours ago, funnygirl said:

Unpopular Opinion: I don't give a shit about Nate. I don't care for his redemption that is so clearly coming. Some people are just assholes. He is an asshole, an insecure one. Always has been. 

Other than that character/plot, which I'm sure will suffocate the majority of this season, I am happy the show is back! 

I literally stopped the episode as soon as I saw him at practice. I need ZERO Nate. I barely powered through him this ep but I might just skip his parts next time and come to the forum to find out from context clues. The lean over and spit thing was ridiculous and ham-fisted.

I actually laughed at him parking his Mini - clearly a plot point because no way would he still have that car. If he's the new coach of a Premier League team but still has a massive Napoleon complex and daddy issues, the first thing he's doing is buying a new car. That  POS would have been gone last season.

Edited March 15, 2023 by mledawn
The football team isn't the one with the complex/issues.

[Thalia]

23 minutes ago, xhoipolloix said:

What's the buzz tell me what's happening. I loved it.

And Nate was saying the lyrics of "Getting to Know You" from the King and I at the beginning of the presser, when he was channeling SweetlyAwkwardNate.  I saw it with Yul Brynner 42 years ago, but couldn't remember plot details.  So I read the Wikipedia summary of the plot to see if there was any hidden allusion to this season's theme.  

Anna comes into a culture must different from her own to teach the children of the King of Siam.  She must learn their ways and she clashes with the King over the values of the west and those of Siam.  In one important scene she prevents him from using the whip on a recalcitrant wife.  When the King dies, the first thing the new King does is end the practice of kowtowing (I had to look that up) to the monarch.  Kowtowing is where you kneel and touch your forehead to the floor to show submission. Emperor Palentine Rupert would LOVE that.  

Maybe Nate will not get fired, but eventually see that his style of coaching is not working and will adopt the methods of Outsider Ted?  

 

[DEL901]

30 minutes ago, Thalia said:

And Nate was saying the lyrics of "Getting to Know You" from the King and I at the beginning of the presser, when he was channeling SweetlyAwkwardNate.  I saw it with Yul Brynner 42 years ago, but couldn't remember plot details.  So I read the Wikipedia summary of the plot to see if there was any hidden allusion to this season's theme.  

Anna comes into a culture must different from her own to teach the children of the King of Siam.  She must learn their ways and she clashes with the King over the values of the west and those of Siam.  In one important scene she prevents him from using the whip on a recalcitrant wife.  When the King dies, the first thing the new King does is end the practice of kowtowing (I had to look that up) to the monarch.  Kowtowing is where you kneel and touch your forehead to the floor to show submission. Emperor Palentine Rupert would LOVE that.  

Maybe Nate will not get fired, but eventually see that his style of coaching is not working and will adopt the methods of Outsider Ted?  

 

One problem with Nate changing and then succeeding….Rupert would then succeed and that cannot be allowed to happen.   Maybe Nate will have an epiphany and tank things for Rupert?

[meira.hand]

4 hours ago, kwnyc said:

And I'm torn about Ted's kid. He really is a chip off the old block, though also a bit too wise for his years.

I wasn't torn , I hated it. It is such a trope of old sitcoms to have kids speak in perfectly articulated smart ass jokes like they never do in real life. In the beginning when the air hostess asked him if he was excited to go back, his answer: "To all my toys? yes. To my country political landscape? not so much." I actually flinched.

Also quoting Phoebe during the breakup talk: "It makes sense .. and few relationships can survive a major career change, much less two" .. ".. so one of my core beliefs is that nothing lasts forever". WTF. Like the Ted Lasso writers lost their pitch perfect ear when encountering children?

Edited March 15, 2023 by meira.hand

[iMonrey]

Are there really direct flights from London to Kansas City? That seems unlikely to me. Surely you have to stop in NY first. (Just did a quick search, did not find any direct flights. That doesn't mean there aren't any or that Henry didn't stop in NY or Chicago first but the map on Ted's phone showed a direct path from London to KC.)

I wish Ted wasn't so naive about stuff like taking the team down into the sewers and having people watch, record and post on Twitter. Rebecca is right, he's not worried enough about how the team looks.

Quote

Speaking of Rupert, could the evil empire references be more obvious?  

The "West Ham as Russia" thing is a little too on the nose with their double hammer insignia and the crimson red backdrops.

[sharifa70]

5 hours ago, kwnyc said:

poo-PEH! Yes, I think that is a keeper. (Is that really the way Mancunians talk?)

And the way Ted repeated it the same way made me snort-laugh.

Also: Higgins asking Rebecca why she was dressed like an umlaut.

16 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

I wonder what happened to Rebecca to make her back track a bit with Rupert. 

I didn’t feel that she did backtrack. Her original focus was on destroying what he loved by hiring an “incompetent” coach to drive Richmond into the ground. Over time, she grew to love the team and she wants them to succeed. If she’s still a little too interested in what Rupert thinks, that’s fair, but now she wants to beat him (with a team she has come to respect and support). But she can still respect and support her team while wanting to beat the superiority out of her smug ex.

Edited March 15, 2023 by sharifa70
Added a thought

[Quickbeam]

Little Phoebe is growing up! She looks so much older. Sigh. 
 

They could drop the Nate character right now and I wouldn’t care. Tony Head plays evil enough for any show. I’m still stuck on the baby being dressed in black for Rebecca’s father’s funeral. 

[Sakura12]

While this wasn't the strongest first episode, I'm glad this show is back. 

I'm with Phoebe, why are they breaking up. They made that time to see each other. 

Ted's still struggling, I'm glad he still talking to Dr. Sharon. 

To borrow from Trent Crimm, The Independent. We all know Nate will fail and I will gloat when it happens. 

[Girl in a Cardigan]

2 hours ago, meira.hand said:

I wasn't torn , I hated it. It is such a trope of old sitcoms to have kids speak in perfectly articulated smart ass jokes like they never do in real life. In the beginning when the air hostess asked him if he was excited to go back, his answer: "To all my toys? yes. To my country political landscape? not so much." I actually flinched.

Also quoting Phoebe during the breakup talk: "It makes sense .. and few relationships can survive a major career change, much less two" .. ".. so one of my core beliefs is that nothing lasts forever". WTF. Like the Ted Lasso writers lost their pitch perfect ear when encountering children?

I’ve never been a fan of Henry Lasso. It feels bad to rag on a kid for their shit acting but it always feels like he’s reading a cue card just over Jason’s shoulder and it’s annoying. I know that Ted’s issues include his relationship with his kid, but said kid just sucks all the energy out of whatever scene he’s in that I’m like why are you missing this kid so much? 
 

Phoebe I’ve liked a little better because the kid seems to be up to level with Brett and Juno, but she also felt flat in that scene. But maybe that’s because that whole scene didn’t work for me with them supposedly communicating enough to agree to share with Phoebe but not enough to actually know what they planned to tell her. 
 

I don’t want to be disappointed by the premiere and I know it’s laying the groundwork for good stuff but it’s not one I need to watch again. 

[MissLucas]

Where's Trent Crimm???

I thought it was a solid opener. It's clear that we have to deal with Nate and I kinda enjoy Anthony Head going for full Palpatine. Nate's already unraveling, that was a clearly a panic attack and there will come a time when spitting won't do the trick any longer. Karma and all that.

Keeley's plot didn't work for me but I enjoyed seeing Katy Wix as her CFO. 

Doctor Sharon hopefully got off! ahem...

 

Edited March 16, 2023 by MissLucas

[Traveller519]

Well the writers certainly like to write precocious children. Henry and Phoebe are pushing Nora levels.

Otherwise I felt it was a good first episode for the season to set things up. Nice to see Ted turning down his previous favourite [spelled incorrectly] coping mechanism, a trip to the Crown & Anchor.

[Captain Carrot]

It's probably not an original expression,but my mom used to say that she could forgive but she wouldn't forget. That's how I feel about Nate and any redemption arc. He can earn forgiveness, but bridges have been burned and he cannot return to Richmond.

[DEL901]

Nate has so much self loathing and Rupert actively encourages his worst impulses.   

And I can’t believe Rupert seriously believes a man who used to do the team’s laundry and was assistant coach for a season at the most is equipped to manage one of the top teams in the league, no matter how strategically smart he is.  

Rupert has got something up his sleeve…maybe he thinks if he breaks Nate maybe by publicly humiliating him over a loss, Nate is bound to go off the deep end… and softy Ted will be wracked with guilt  

I don’t think Rupert ever forgot the darts drubbing…that was a personal humiliation, and probably what set his revenge plan in motion.  

[Trillium]

38 minutes ago, Captain Carrot said:

It's probably not an original expression,but my mom used to say that she could forgive but she wouldn't forget. That's how I feel about Nate and any redemption arc. He can earn forgiveness, but bridges have been burned and he cannot return to Richmond.

This is what I think too. Nate is fucking around, and eventually he’ll find out. I suspect he will have an epiphany and try to make amends, and while Ted may ultimately forgive, Nate might need to live with the consequences of his actions. 

Edited March 16, 2023 by Trillium

[Johnny Dollar]

Very disappointed in this episode. It seems like they took to heart the criticisms that S2 wasn’t funny enough, so they crammed this episode with every tired old tv trope and cliche in the book.  I hope it gets better.

I still don’t understand what Nate’s beef is, or why a top level team would hire the towel boy from a second tier team to be their manager. Or why Keely and Roy broke up when their lives don’t seem to have changed much. 

Edited March 16, 2023 by Johnny Dollar

[Straycat80]

I’m glad this show is back, it was a little slow and clunky but that’s ok for a first episode. I don’t like that Roy and Keeley broke up and don’t understand why. Hopefully they’ll get back together. 

[SnarkShark]

It just became obvious to me that the kid playing Ted's kid is kinda horrible.  So flat. 

This ep wasn't horrible, but like Henry Lasso... it didn't feel very natural.  At least at first.  I do think it felt less stilted in the back half. 

I did like Nate being pathetic though.  Although as I said months back, I actually think the story might have been better if he was an assistant coach at West Ham.  The way I HOPE it goes now is that Rupert is SO irritatingly hands on, it makes things impossible for Nate. 

BTW: I agree with giving the actors who have played the lesser known players more attention in the titles but it did have the unfortunate effect of making it into a manic progression of names.  They needed to go slower and double up names instead. 

[juno]

I was so excited about seeing this show again and wow just crushed. That was total garbage.

What was the episode about? Ted's kid leaving. Roy breaking up. Nate taking over as Manager.

I never liked Nate and absolutely can't stand any moment he is on screen. When he is crushed and goes back to Ted to complete his obvious redemption tour I will probably hate Nate even more but hate Ted for taking him back.

More Roy and Kelley is always necessary, and them breaking up is useless drama.

Ted had some good moments but didn't seem to be fully present in his scenes. The trip to the sewer was really dumb and good on Rebecca for chewing him out. He really is lucky to have a job.

I hope it improves but if it doesn't I understand why they want to end it.

[PWHCHCH]

Katy Wix (CFO) is an amazing talent so hopefully she has more to come. She’s too good to waste on a single 5 second one shot, so fingers crossed there’s more for her. 

[Athena5217]

On 3/15/2023 at 12:28 AM, Phebemarie said:

Speaking of Rupert, could the evil empire references be more obvious?  

My first thought when I saw Rupert’s office was that Darth Vader is his interior decorator.

From now on, I will only refer to feces as poo-PEH.

When the episode started, I thought I had selected the pilot by mistake. Nice parallels.

[Captain Carrot]

2 hours ago, Athena5217 said:

My first thought when I saw Rupert’s office was that Darth Vader is his interior decorator.

Honestly, Palpatine made all the decisions in that relationship. At the end of the day Vader was just his errand boy that he was happy to throw away when a better option was available. (Which doesn't bode well for Nate if that window was as intentional as we believe).

I have a feeling that all of the pundits are just looking at West Ham's record and the fact that most teams that get promoted in one season get relegated the following season. (Per Ted Lasso at least, don't know the sport well enough to know if that last part is a fact).

Here's some other facts:

Richmond only got relegated due to Rebecca's sabotage in S1, so they're not typical for a team that just got promoted.

From what we saw/heard in S1 & S2 there was an implication that Rupert wasn't a great owner. His manager was a mediocre talent that bounced around the league and his two star players were an older player that went to Richmond to finish his career and a younger player that was loaned to him from another team. Buying a better team doesn't magically make him a better owner.

Nate's good at tactics, but not the actual running of a team. His locker room is probably more poisonous than the Richmond one was when Ted took over. That team will fall apart the second there's any difficulties. (Compared to Richmond that has been built to be resilient).

Speaking of Nate. I've long believed that in the long run the right thing to do is also the smart thing to do. I think we're going to see that play out this season. We saw him ignore a woman that greeted him and tell a man that was trying to be friendly to get out of his office. A practical reason to be nice to people is so that there will be some loyalty when you need it. He's ensuring that everyone at West Ham will be delighted to throw him to the wolves. (Regarding right=smart. Money/power obviously lets you get away with more. So Rupert can be a shit and get away with it. Nate...can't).

[vibeology]

On one level I hate Nate and his assholish ways but I do find the plot interesting and realistic. Nate spent two years watching Ted and Beard build a team and learned not one damn thing about it. That idiot line or whatever he called it will destroy morale. The only thing these players will unite around is a hatred for Nate. He's already is so much trouble and he has no idea. It's fascinating to watch.

The sewer tour didn't bother me. Ted and Beard were right. Nothing positive was going to be accomplished in that practice with everyone in such an awful mood. Breaking out and teaching them some more about teambuilding was the very best use of their time. I wish Ted had explained himself better to Rebecca but I don't think he was wrong for calling the practice and using the time to strengthen the team. Ted does need to get a bit of killer instinct and a desire to win going but the foundation is a team that are all working together for the same goal.

Roy and Keeley bum me out because these feels very artificial. Was Phoebe wearing her headband ridiculously low or is that the style with the youth of today? It just seemed like it was basically on her forehead. 

The Press Conference was masterful. Ted was nice because being nice is the right thing to do. You never lose the high ground by being kind. I honestly don't know if Ted fully understands how dark Nate is and just how much that approach was going to destroy him but I know he did have a sense of it and knew that it would win in the press at least. He was able to be true to himself and win. Hopefully not for the last time this season.

[SnarkShark]

4 hours ago, Athena5217 said:

My first thought when I saw Rupert’s office was that Darth Vader is his interior decorator.

That was The Emperor's window, not Vader's I think.