S03.E01: Smells Like Mean Spirit

[HelloooKitty]

My main take always:

what the heck has Jamie done to his hair NOW?

I hate Nate so much and watching his inevitable crash and burn is going to be so satisfying. 
 

Roy and Keely better be end game. 

[tennisgurl]

I'm so glad that the show is back, although because I binged the whole show over its hiatus it feels weird not to be able to watch the next episode right away. There were some rough spots as we get back to the new season, but it was generally a solid return. I love these characters so much I'd be happy to watch them just do their laundry.  

Nate has not only become an even more of a massive prick, he's become a stupid one. His inflated ego mixed with his still massive insecurities is going to end up being his undoing. He was a condescending dick to his players, rudely blows off other employees at the club who try to be friendly to him, and all he has to say at press conferences is petty shit talk, he might be a good strategist but he's clearly a lousy manager. When he starts crumbling under pressure and Rupert throws him to the dogs, he isn't going to have any friends to back him up. And I am absolutely sure that Rupert, who is just going more and more Palpatine by the day, will end up screwing Nate over, either when he started losing games or when he decides that his revenge plan is onto its next step. I absolutely think that Rupert hired Nate as a screw you to Ted and Rebecca, Nate might be having his time in the spotlight now but he's still a guy who was handing out water bottles two years ago, no way would Rupert hire such an inexperienced coach unless he was deliberately messing with his former team. I bet he ends up telling Nate exactly that and that's what makes Nate fully fall apart. I feel like the show will end up doing a redemption story with Nate, but they are going to have to work really hard to get me onboard. 

Roy and Keeley's break up is so lame that not even they can explain why they're breaking up. If you cant even name a reason for your break up, maybe its time to reconsider it? I know that Roy and Keeley are endgame so I'm not sad so much as annoyed that the show is going for the cliché break up/make up scenario.

Look at Jamie, getting the team back on track with some poo! He really has come far, even if I need someone to stage an intervention about that haircut. 

As much as I love Ted's positivity, and it really had taken the team far, I am glad that people are emphasizing that he really needs to focus on winning. He can do it in his quirky Ted way, like taking moral boosting field trips, but he has to have his eyes on the prize. I think his happy Ted-ness was just the right way to go for the press conference though, firing back at Nate would just give Nate the attention he so wants, blowing the whole thing off with a polite "I wish him the best" and some self deprecation not only makes Ted look like the classy one, but it makes it seem like he's too confident to raise to the bait, which is what Nate clearly wants him to do.   

[AnnMarie17]

1 hour ago, vibeology said:

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. 

I think my perfect job would be to be a "Continuity Expert" on films and TV shows.  Even in the best scenes (which this was not) I am incapable of focusing if continuity is off.  Phoebe's headband was on her forehead in the straight on shots and up where it belongs in the side angles.  It was driving me nuts and my darling husband KNEW it...he sat beside me giggling as I sighed/cringed at each and every flip of the camera angle.  That was eye twitchingly bad. 😖

[Phebemarie]

1 minute ago, AnnMarie17 said:

I think my perfect job would be to be a "Continuity Expert" on films and TV shows.  Even in the best scenes (which this was not) I am incapable of focusing if continuity is off.  Phoebe's headband was on her forehead in the straight on shots and up where it belongs in the side angles.  It was driving me nuts and my darling husband KNEW it...he sat beside me giggling as I sighed/cringed at each and every flip of the camera angle.  That was eye twitchingly bad. 😖

That was such a strange, annoying choice.  Was it continuity or some subtle hint from the director telling us the Roy/Keely break-up is messed up?

Nate already has a potential rival in Coach Disco.  What could that name symbolize, I wonder?  

[DEL901]

Moved to speculation thread

Edited March 16, 2023 by DEL901

[Phebemarie]

2 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

While I 100% believe Nate will crash and burn, I really hope he doesn’t become suicidal because that would cause Ted to truly break down.   

DEL901, could you have just stumbled on a story arc that would bring Ted and Nate’s stories full circle?  I was starting to speculate, but maybe i shouldn’t in an episode thread.

[DEL901]

50 minutes ago, Phebemarie said:

DEL901, could you have just stumbled on a story arc that would bring Ted and Nate’s stories full circle?  I was starting to speculate, but maybe i shouldn’t in an episode thread.

Good idea.  

[Juneau Gal]

1 hour ago, AnnMarie17 said:

I think my perfect job would be to be a "Continuity Expert" on films and TV shows.  Even in the best scenes (which this was not) I am incapable of focusing if continuity is off.  Phoebe's headband was on her forehead in the straight on shots and up where it belongs in the side angles.  It was driving me nuts and my darling husband KNEW it...he sat beside me giggling as I sighed/cringed at each and every flip of the camera angle.  That was eye twitchingly bad. 😖

I was the same exact way! Thank you for confirming my thoughts!!!!

[Ilovepie]

17 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

We all know Nate will fail and I will gloat when it happens. 

Same. It was actually so frustrating watching Nate strut around like the cocky mean asshole he is and not get called on it even once by literally ANYONE! And to have self deprecating Ted laugh it off to the press even though his boss told him to do different and see her just shrug and laugh along was not funny at all. I am glad it got under Nate's skin to see that but it's not enough. I really hope Ted calls him on it at some point this season. Or Beard, or Roy Fucking Kent. Or Leslie. Or Rebecca, or Trent Crimm, Independent - ANYONE!!!! I would love for the West Ham team to turn on him for being a bully - we already had the redemption of Rebecca and Jamie, I need retribution here. I actually laughed when he put his head under the table - karma is a bitch Nate.

Favorite moments: Leslie and Rebecca's matching Keeley mascara stains on their shirts, Leslie's gagging noise when he's uncomfortable, the street workers knowing it was Roy when he yelled for them to fuck off, the french player talking about wine in the sewer and Jamie's poopeh comment, seeing Keeley's pink leopard made it to her new office. I need one of those.......

[Enigma X]

I found Nate annoying before his official turn, and now he is unbearable. Not looking forward to a redemption arc.

[shelley1234]

I'm so glad to have Ted Lasso back.  During the off-season, I have taken to encouraging and forcing those who haven't watched the show to do so.  

During some of the rewatches, one of my friends talked about how much she adored Nate in season one.  And it reminded me of how I felt as well before Nate turned to the dark side.  I do think Nate is learning that all that Ted and Beard do isn't as easy as he thinks it is.  And it is of course foreshadowing that he may have some panic issues as well.  I imagine Ted is going to find out and treat him as only Ted knows how....and not how Nate did. 

I don't like Roy and Keeley breaking up.   In fact, I reject it.  Fix that stat! 

I did love how Ted handled the press conference and turning Nate's burn right around in classic Ted Lasso style.  He was able to laugh at himself and the team's situation and take all the power away from Nate and Rupert.  You can't laugh at us if we are in on the joke.  Of course that only works if you don't lose, lose, lose.  

Hearing Ted question why he is there is haunting.  I get him missing his life and his son, but it still made me sad.  Seeing that Ted doesn't understand what he has done for the players, the team, Rebecca, etc.   Ted needs to look at that poster in the locker room and Believe in himself and his value.  Also, why is Ted not talking about this in therapy.  It seems like he is still trying to put a happy face on things instead of diving down deep in there.  I thought they broke through that BS last season. 

Can't wait til next week and to see where the show goes.  And I'm rooting for a fictional team to win games and make Rupert and Nate eat their words!!  

 

[Ilovepie]

I feel like I don't need Richmond to win it all which is just not believable, I just need them to finish ahead of West Ham.....

[shapeshifter]

6 hours ago, vibeology said:

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. 

Thank you! I kept wanting to push Phoebe's headband up!
 

6 hours ago, vibeology said:

The Press Conference was masterful.

Indeed, Ted had the press eating out of his hand. 
On the Speculations Without Spoilers thread I suggested that in the finale Ted and Trent Crimm could join forces to make a podcast.
And now thinking about the Chekhovian Lego Nate that Ted's son told him was a friend, causing Ted to move Lego Nate next to the team: Perhaps Yet-To-Be-Reformed Nate would join them too, using his wit for good.

Edited March 16, 2023 by shapeshifter

[mledawn]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

On the Speculations Without Spoilers thread I suggested that in the finale Ted and Trent Crimm could join forces to make a podcast.

LOL just what we need - another podcast from a couple of middle-aged white guys.

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Lego Nate that Ted's son told him was a friend, causing Ted to move Lego Nate next to the team: Perhaps Yet-To-Be-Reformed Nate would join them too, using his wit for good.

My thoughts also. A bit of foreshadowing in the first episode makes sense but I hope we haven't guessed it correctly right off the hop.

[braziliangirl]

 

Maybe I'm one of the few that wants a redemption arc for Nate because to me it's clear that comes from health mental issues. I do think that one of the main themes from Ted Lasso is how to deal with insecurities and the lost (or the search) of an object of love. Nate doesn't seem to understand that ALL of them feel  that: Roy, Ted, Jamie, Isaac etc. 

Roy is "being stupid" for breaking up because he got hurt and is insecure about Keeley rising at her career and him adjusting to a new role (he had a line saying that he knows he's not talented as Nate in tatics or something like that), 

Ted is also afraid of trying to win and failing. Maybe he's afraid of actually winning. If he wins who will lose?

BTW, I really liked that he started to ask himself why he continued in London and that he defended himself at the press conference. It was a dig saying that he  thought Nate should've come up with a better material to make fun of Ted. It was deliberate. 

Nate wants so badly to be a top dog that he didn't quite understood that all of these male figures were anxious, scared of failing too. And that they're are not loved by all but they are by a few and that's mostly enough for them (look at Jamie and his father for ex.)Not only them but also Rebecca.

 Everybody is under pressure. I think it's interesting that he's the character that is always looking at twitter. It's a place where a lot of times arguments lack nuance or different parts about some subject are never quite integrated. Nate feels that he's the only one hurting and that blinds him (and makes him suffer even more). 

Rupert is the only one that i think is truly vile. Hoping Sassy shows up this season. 

[sharifa70]

Keeley and Rebecca’s relationship is my favorite female friendship on tv. I absolutely love that they openly support and admire each other without subtle (and not-so-subtle) digs. 

In addition to the male friendships the show has cultivated where men are allowed to have and express emotions, I love that they’ve also made space for women to demonstrate that we don’t actually need to compete; we can celebrate each other’s successes without the other person’s value being diminished as a result.

Count me in with the people who are firmly in the Keeley/Roy as endgame camp.

I am ready for Nate to stop with his vile, filthy, disgusting spitting. I am so grossed out every time.

[Eureka]

9 hours ago, AnnMarie17 said:

I think my perfect job would be to be a "Continuity Expert" on films and TV shows.  Even in the best scenes (which this was not) I am incapable of focusing if continuity is off.  Phoebe's headband was on her forehead in the straight on shots and up where it belongs in the side angles.  It was driving me nuts and my darling husband KNEW it...he sat beside me giggling as I sighed/cringed at each and every flip of the camera angle.  That was eye twitchingly bad. 😖

Things like that bug me too. Usually it’s eye color, like if someone plays a younger version and the eye color doesn’t match.

[Crs97]

I am so happy to have this back on my schedule!!  

Random Thoughts:

We spent some time telling Nate to get off our screen.  It may have gotten loud.

Isaac needs to tackle Jamie now and give him a haircut.

Keeley and Roy should not have broken up.  Nope.

In the opening scene, didn’t the phone show that the text message came from “Michelle Lasso”?  Nice fake-out that it wasn’t Ted’s phone, but Henry would have her contact in his phone as Mom.

Please for the love of God will someone please teach Ted that it is okay to walk away from toxic relationships?!?  When Henry wanted Nate’s Lego character moved, I so wanted Ted to take the opportunity to explain boundaries and loving yourself enough to disengage from people who hurt you.  At this point I don’t want Nate back with Richmond because I don’t like the implication that if you just take their abuse long enough they will eventually apologize.

I wish Nate hadn’t known how to drive the fancy new car.

[zapper]

up to know (as my memory tells me) Nate has only spit on the mirror, effectively on himself in actions of self degradation to show his self hatred.

this time he just ducked down and spat on the floor. Totally different motivations, if any. 

[Night Cheese]

36 minutes ago, Crs97 said:

In the opening scene, didn’t the phone show that the text message came from “Michelle Lasso”?  Nice fake-out that it wasn’t Ted’s phone, but Henry would have her contact in his phone as Mom.

Thank you for pointing this out. I was making dinner when I turned this episode on and was so confused by this whole scene. You prompted me to rewatch. So the "love you!" comment from Michelle was meant for Henry--that makes sense, even if it was a poorly executed fake-out. But it doesn't sit well with me at all that Ted would tell Henry to tell his mom that he loves her. I think it's important for children of divorce to know that their parents still support each other, but saying "love" usually implies something more, at least to a child who may not understand the nuances of love, marriage, and divorce. It also comes off as "too steps back" for Ted who, really, reeeeallly, needs to move on. Easier said than done, I know, but it's still cringy and hard to watch. Mom's new "friend" who gifted Henry with the badass Thanos glove thing was an unnecessary slap in the face to Ted, who really should know better at this point. I hope he continues his therapy with Doc Sharon or someone else that he feels comfortable with.

[Blakeston]

I have to agree with those who don't think a redemption arc for Nate will be believable.

I haven't seen any indication that Nate has any empathy. Everything suggests that he's incapable of seeing beyond his own issues, and his own need to achieve high status. And his belief that Ted betrayed him and threw him away showed that his perception is utterly warped.

Empathy isn't something that you can learn as a thirty-something (or however old Nate is supposed to be) just because the goodness of Ted Lasso has warmed your heart. A lot of toxic people are just toxic. Nate appears to be one of them.

[shapeshifter]

1 minute ago, Blakeston said:

I have to agree with those who don't think a redemption arc for Nate will be believable.

I haven't seen any indication that Nate has any empathy. Everything suggests that he's incapable of seeing beyond his own issues, and his own need to achieve high status. And his belief that Ted betrayed him and threw him away showed that his perception is utterly warped.

Empathy isn't something that you can learn as a thirty-something (or however old Nate is supposed to be) just because the goodness of Ted Lasso has warmed your heart. A lot of toxic people are just toxic. Nate appears to be one of them.

I too am of the belief that a full grown leopard cannot change its spots.
However, I can imagine the writers (Jason Sudeikis/Ted, Brett Goldstein/Roy, and Brendan Hunt/Coach Beard) sitting around thinking how can they push the envelope even further, and then they decide to have a thirty-something leopard change its spots.

Or not.

[DEL901]

Lots of great points. we have a speculation without spoilers thread for season 3.  

[Ilovepie]

18 hours ago, sharifa70 said:

Keeley and Rebecca’s relationship is my favorite female friendship on tv. I absolutely love that they openly support and admire each other without subtle (and not-so-subtle) digs. 

Totally agree! And not only that, but Sassy accepting Keeley into her friendship group with Rebecca is awesome to see too. She could have resented her intrusion but she accepted her and now the twosome is a threesome when she's around. Lovely to see women supporting women, which has been my experience more often than not in my life and not what is portrayed on TV most of the time.....

[Tess23]

Too much Nate, but so happy to have the gang back. So many shows lose the charm of their first season - so hoping that's not the case here after such a dark Season 2. 

Rupert as Keely's secret investor?

[MissLucas]

I think there will be a Nathan redemption arc because that's standard story-telling. Nate's fairy tale isn't a fairy tale and he knows it. The moment we see him sitting alone at the diner table he always wanted, his face falling when his mother told him that his father was mad at him... I liked those subtle cracks in his supposedly perfect world. And they will get  bigger.

[Holmbo]

On 3/15/2023 at 5:28 AM, Phebemarie said:

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.

I think for us it felt like rethreading but for casual viewers it was probably necessary.

[Holmbo]

I don't hate Nate at all. I find him the most interesting character on the show and I love Nick's performance.

[Lois Sandborne]

On 3/15/2023 at 4:13 PM, iMonrey said:

Are there really direct flights from London to Kansas City? That seems unlikely to me. Surely you have to stop in NY first.

We're working on it! KC just opened a huge new terminal, and the biggest priority is adding new lines and international flights. Maybe they'll get the Ted Lasso bump and end up with a straight shot to Heathrow.

On 3/16/2023 at 10:10 AM, tennisgurl said:

I'm so glad that the show is back, although because I binged the whole show over its hiatus it feels weird not to be able to watch the next episode right away.

I waited until each of the previous seasons was over to watch them (same thing I'm doing with Shrinking), but since this is supposed to be the last, I decided to watch week-to-week. I hate it. I thought this was a good premiere though. It felt like a lot of character arcs kicked off, and I'm impatient ready to see where we're going.

Any PR flack should know the point of flowers in an office, even a PR CFO. Something ain't right there. Love seeing Katy Wix though.

That look that Roy gave Keeley when she reassured him that he'd do fine with the tactics was f***ing hot, and it's st**** to break them up.

I had hoped we left Nate spitting on things back in Season 2. Alas.

[lgprimes]

Just to be a jerk (although this is my honest opinion) I’m stating right here that I like Roy’s chemistry with Phoebe’s teacher from last year better than when he is with Keeley. 
I’m pretty sure you all will get the happy ending you want for your dream couple but for me, they ain’t it.

[Juneau Gal]

1 hour ago, lgprimes said:

Just to be a jerk (although this is my honest opinion) I’m stating right here that I like Roy’s chemistry with Phoebe’s teacher from last year better than when he is with Keeley. 
I’m pretty sure you all will get the happy ending you want for your dream couple but for me, they ain’t it.

I agree with you. And I’ll add: since about mid-season 2 I’ve not liked the Keeley character, how the writers have developed, or not, her. I feel she came off ridiculous in this episode; the direct opposite of Nate but equally as in over her head. Maybe that is the point. 

[Captain Carrot]

16 hours ago, MissLucas said:

The moment we see him sitting alone at the diner table he always wanted, his face falling when his mother told him that his father was mad at him... I liked those subtle cracks in his supposedly perfect world. And they will get  bigger.

I really hope we get more of Nate's father this season. Most of what we know of their relationship is through Nate, and his view of Ted's actions in S2 show how reliable Nate is in these matters. Now I don't think his father is a warm and fuzzy guy, but what did we see so far.

1) Not wanting his son to whistle for him like you would a dog.

2) Telling his son not to let his ego get out of control. (This seemed like a problem with the father at the time, but maybe he knows his son well enough to know how the attention would affect Nate).

3) Not liking Nate's behavior in the press conference. (Nate was acting pretty shitty, so it makes sense that the father wouldn't be a fan of that behavior).

Regarding Roy and Keeley, I'm not worried because I'm sure they'll be back together before too long. Their breakup makes sense to me based on what we've seen of Roy's insecurities about his abilities outside of being a football player. They'll get back together when he stops getting in his own way.

[kittykat]

Yeah sorry, I hate that they broke Roy and Keeley up for sitcom contrivance sake especially after their forced eleventh hour relationship problems in S2. Let me guess around ep 3 or 4 Roy will start dating Phoebe's teacher as a placeholder until the inevitable finale reconciliation.  This show manages to lovingly subvert or add a nice twist to sitcom tropes bit this one just played into one of the laziest one.

Edited March 18, 2023 by kittykat

[AstaCharles]

Loved the Evil Empire vibe with Rupert's team. The office designs, everything. Even the assistant is almost droid like. "It's a car."

 

[Lois Sandborne]

On 3/18/2023 at 8:37 AM, lgprimes said:

Just to be a jerk (although this is my honest opinion) I’m stating right here that I like Roy’s chemistry with Phoebe’s teacher from last year better than when he is with Keeley. 
I’m pretty sure you all will get the happy ending you want for your dream couple but for me, they ain’t it.

I like Ms. Bowen too, and I think she and Roy have a fun chemistry. Since she was featured in the catch-up package it seems pretty obvious something's going to happen between them. But I haven't seen much to say they'd be good partners.

[Raachel2008]

On 3/15/2023 at 6:13 PM, iMonrey said:

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 think the map was supposed to be a poetic license, like Henry's trip back home and not his flight. FWIW, when he was leaving with the air company lady, they did call his flight, 2492, with service to JFK. 

Yeah, the child playing Henry is not brilliant, but it is ok, his screen time is limited, so I'm okay with that. I actually found his line about politics hilarious.

Ted questioning what he's doing in London has everything to do with his family/Henry. He misses his kid, he is a different person when he is around. Just compare his apartment when Doc Sharon entered there last season and now post-Henry, even with all the toys around: when his son is around you can see it's a true home for him not just someplace he uses to sleep.

I was never a fan of Nate and of course Rupert only hired him to undermine/hurt Rebecca/Ted. No Premier League team would hire as lead coach someone who until two years ago, like the reporter pointed out, was washing other temas’ underwear. And of course no Premier League player would accept that kind of treatment from that same coach. I know we are supposed to go full 'suspend belief' here, but please.

At the same time they same time they want us to believe that Nathan doesn’t have money for a better car. 

I never cared about Nate and my dislike  for him only grew with time. I think he is unsufferable, and I don't really think you can compare whatever redemption arc they have in store for him to Rebecca. Rebecca wanted her team to fail and that's why she hired Ted, but she was never abusive or verbally violent towards people, she also never bullied anyone. The easy way would be to compare Nate to Jamie, who bullied Nate himself and ws a dick, but in my book Nate is much worse, because Nate is being a dick to everybody, while Jamie had -3-4 targets. Also, and I think this is what really separates them, IMO, Jamie was a bully when he was at the top and when he was at his lowest, you know? He was awful, but he was true to whom he was back then, if it makes any sense.  Nate became a bully when he gaigned some amount of power - power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely, and yadda yadda yadda.

Ted Lasso is not that kind of show, but I wish Nate's endgame would be coaching mediocre teams from the third league, kind without any once of the warmth and companinshio he had at Richmond.

Count me on team Rupert is financing Keeley's PR firm, though it would be awesome if the money was coming from Rebecca. I don't like how dumb they made Keeley this ep, no way she doesn't know what a CFO is. 

Not worried at all about Keeley and Roy. I'm just irritated that wer are going to sit this contrived shit.

Edited March 20, 2023 by Raachel2008

[shapeshifter]

12 hours ago, Raachel2008 said:

I don't like how dumb they made Keeley this ep, no way she doesn't know what a CFO is. 

On 3/15/2023 at 9:34 AM, shapeshifter said:

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

At least in part, I think Keeley is fake-pretending to not know what a CFO is because she’s angry that the CFO is talking down to her.  
Kind of like:  
You think I’m stupid? Well, I’m so stupid that I don’t even know why you have a job.

And/or, before Rebecca pointed it out, Keeley was probably passive aggressively playing dumb in order to do what she knows is smarter🌟——in part because Keeley uses charm and a version of Ted Lasso’s niceness as a super power.

____________

🌟although I'm now recalling someone else's tyrannical boss who spent her own money to keep fresh flowers and full bowls of candy in the work space to make up for being a terrible boss to work for. This is not Keeley, but it is similar in that both the real life mean boss and kind-hearted Keeley are trying to use flowers and candy to make the collective environment more pleasant. 
But IRL, a lot of folks are dieting or allergic to flowers, so, I guess this is comedic irony?

Edited March 20, 2023 by shapeshifter

[Schweedie]

On 3/16/2023 at 3:57 PM, HelloooKitty said:

My main take always:

what the heck has Jamie done to his hair NOW?

I mean, I know it's (probably) not the most important thing, but it was SO BAD. And it was starting to look so good and grown up at the end of last season, too!

[Captain Carrot]

One thing I forgot to mention is Coach Beard's hat. I think his return to the KC hat means that he's not with Jane at the moment. I wonder if we're going to be able to track when they're together/broken up based on his hat.

[KittenPokerCheater]

Re: Nate's inevitable fall.  I wonder if he will ever learn that the photo he griped about at the end of last season is/was sitting on top of his drawer in his home.  That it meant more to Ted than just to have it in his office.  Because that it what made me so sad when he lashed out at poor Ted.

[Schweedie]

6 hours ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

Re: Nate's inevitable fall.  I wonder if he will ever learn that the photo he griped about at the end of last season is/was sitting on top of his drawer in his home.  That it meant more to Ted than just to have it in his office.  Because that it what made me so sad when he lashed out at poor Ted.

I could see Nate showing up at Ted's place for a confrontation, or maybe (hopefully) to apologise, and noticing it. I'd like that.

[MicheleinPhilly]

It took 2 watches of this episode before I could get fully back on board. While there was plenty of story movement, it just didn't have any of those laugh out loud moments I've come to expect. 

Still hate Nate with the fire of a thousand suns and hope he dies miserable and alone. God, what a twat. 

I wish they hadn't taken the "Keeley is in charge and is now a basket case" route. Yes, starting a new business is a huge time commitment and is very stressful but they've always presented her as being pretty bad ass in her own right. I suspect some of it has to do with sadness over Roy but there is absolutely NO WAY she doesn't know what CFO stands for. 

I've now used "poop-eh" at least 6 times even when the sentence didn't call for it. 

[Mrs. Stanwyck]

3 hours ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

I wish they hadn't taken the "Keeley is in charge and is now a basket case" route. Yes, starting a new business is a huge time commitment and is very stressful but they've always presented her as being pretty bad ass in her own right. I suspect some of it has to do with sadness over Roy but there is absolutely NO WAY she doesn't know what CFO stands for. 

I'm choosing to believe she is still bad ass and great at her job but I also get her stress and sometimes you have to acknowledge it.  She is in charge of a lot more than she used to be so she is out of her comfort zone.  She doesn't cry in front of her team - she does it with the safety of trusted friends.  Its probably very cathartic.  I don't think it means she is a basket case.  I do not, however, have any good excuse for why she wouldn't know what CFO stood for.

Regarding Nate - who is very hard to have any positive feelings about - I actually hope his redemption doesn't come from failure.  I think it would be interesting for him to achieve his definition of success and still be unhappy because he still doesn't have the respect of his father and because he has absolutely no one in his life to celebrate the success with.  I would like for him to choose to make amends rather than being forced to because he failed.

That being said, I do not want Rupert to succeed at all because he is a terrible person.

[monakane]

On 3/16/2023 at 9:15 PM, Eureka said:

Things like that bug me too. Usually it’s eye color, like if someone plays a younger version and the eye color doesn’t match.

This!  It made me crazy watching The Crown seasons 3 and 4.  Both Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter have brown eyes.  Both Elizabeth and Margaret (especially) had distinctive blue eyes.  On topic, Keeley and Roy better be end game or I will go Elvis on my TV.

[Capricasix]

“What’s the frequency, Roy Kenteth?” 😄

[EtheltoTillie]

On 3/16/2023 at 11:10 AM, tennisgurl said:

 And I am absolutely sure that Rupert, who is just going more and more Palpatine by the day, will end up screwing Nate over, either when he started losing games or when he decides that his revenge plan is onto its next step. I absolutely think that Rupert hired Nate as a screw you to Ted and Rebecca,

This is so interesting, because Rebecca hired Ted as a screw you to Rupert.  But she's not really a bad person, and Ted won her over and won the  team over.  Whereas Nate hasn't got the people skills.  I mean, he put someone in the dumbass corner! 

 

Edited March 21, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[Eureka]

2 hours ago, monakane said:

This!  It made me crazy watching The Crown seasons 3 and 4.  Both Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter have brown eyes.  Both Elizabeth and Margaret (especially) had distinctive blue eyes.  On topic, Keeley and Roy better be end game or I will go Elvis on my TV.

Exactly with The Crown!

[Capricasix]

2 hours ago, monakane said:

On topic, Keeley and Roy better be end game or I will go Elvis on my TV.

Or Isaac McAdoo 😄

[EtheltoTillie]

Speaking of Phoebe's headband and such, am I crazy or did she have a blob of chocolate on her mouth the whole time?  That was kind of a brave choice. 

[paramitch]

I was pretty surprised at this episode overall -- it felt ROUGH. The opening dialogue with Ted's little boy was just terribly written and performed, and then scene after scene just felt awkward and overlong. 

I didn't like the Roy & Keeley breakup, and disliked their conversation with Phoebe. It all felt a little desperately twee, and I cannot believe Roy and Keeley were not on the same page about what just happened -- are they "on a break" or did they break up?" There's a pretty big difference there.

And no way Phoebe was so sanguine about their breakup -- Keeley has become like family to her. Phoebe seriously has NO reaction at all? Nope. I don't believe it. I kept expecting her to tear up after the official conversation was over. Just something that would be a real, human reaction of sadness. Instead it felt forced -- like it's supposed to make us more okay with it ("Look how okay Phoebe is with the breakup!").

I still care about the Nate we met in season 1, but I hate a bully more than anything, and watching him be so incredibly cruel to the people around him, and even belittle the reporters, just makes me want his failure for West Ham to be slow, public, and painful. And I cannot describe how much I hate the spitting. I mean, it's just so gross to me.

As a longtime publicist, I'm also not buying Keeley -- who, remember, was profiled in Vanity Fricking Fair as being a rising PR star -- as suddenly having no basic knowledge of how to run her business. She's shown herself to be bright about branding, sponsorship, client relations, etc. So I just didn't buy any of it -- I did not buy that Keeley would hire THOSE dour unenthusiastic people, that this was HER drab colorless office, and that she would be so dumb about what a CFO actually is, etc. I also didn't understand why she was written to have no reasonable response for why she was buying flowers for the office (good for morale, presents a certain appearance for clients). 

And while I'm ragging on things, I'm officially kind of done with Ted not understanding the basics of the sport he's coaching. I don't buy it, it's not charming anymore, and I don't believe he would be THAT public about it at this point, either. And while he's always been a "winning  isn't the only thing" person, I dislike this episode's presentation that he's not even that interested in all that silly winning stuff, period. I mean, he IS a coach, right? Good lord.

I didn't think it was terrible. There were still lots of moments of charm and humor. 

But I was definitely a little alarmed and disappointed. Something was just off this entire episode. Maybe it's just season-startup roughness and things will smooth out. I hope so.

On 3/15/2023 at 1:40 PM, 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 100% agree with this.

On 3/18/2023 at 2:06 PM, Captain Carrot said:

I really hope we get more of Nate's father this season. Most of what we know of their relationship is through Nate, and his view of Ted's actions in S2 show how reliable Nate is in these matters. Now I don't think his father is a warm and fuzzy guy, but what did we see so far.

1) Not wanting his son to whistle for him like you would a dog.

2) Telling his son not to let his ego get out of control. (This seemed like a problem with the father at the time, but maybe he knows his son well enough to know how the attention would affect Nate).

3) Not liking Nate's behavior in the press conference. (Nate was acting pretty shitty, so it makes sense that the father wouldn't be a fan of that behavior).

I cannot agree with this read on Nate's father at all. Nate's dad is a terrible, cruel bully who is overwhelmingly, largely responsible for who Nate has become. We have seen plenty of pretty straightforward scenes that weren't from Nate's POV that clearly showed his father to be this way.

Nate's Dad isn't trying to kindly remind him not to let Nate get his ego out of control -- he has never wanted Nate to have an ego at all. Never praised him, never had a kind word that we've seen, never acknowledged his successes, and when he got his big moment in the paper, last season, he simply made a face and an unkind passive-aggressive remark (something to the tune of Nate's "ego" there too, if I remember). Nate's mother meanwhile has seemed superficially kind to Nate, but she also passively supports and enables Nate's father's cruelty and says nothing to stop it.

Nate's father also didn't appear to be angry at Nate's overall "behavior" (that he was a rude, cruel, ungrateful asshole at the conference), but rather just basically disapproving that he cursed (using the word "shit"), so once again missing the forest for the trees.

On 3/21/2023 at 6:19 AM, MicheleinPhilly said:

I wish they hadn't taken the "Keeley is in charge and is now a basket case" route. Yes, starting a new business is a huge time commitment and is very stressful but they've always presented her as being pretty bad ass in her own right. I suspect some of it has to do with sadness over Roy but there is absolutely NO WAY she doesn't know what CFO stands for. 

I think this bothered me the most. It's lazy writing, and it is unfair to who we've seen Keeley grow into as a character. Just a massive step back, and very disappointing.

On 3/21/2023 at 9:47 AM, Mrs. Stanwyck said:

Regarding Nate - who is very hard to have any positive feelings about - I actually hope his redemption doesn't come from failure.  I think it would be interesting for him to achieve his definition of success and still be unhappy because he still doesn't have the respect of his father and because he has absolutely no one in his life to celebrate the success with.  I would like for him to choose to make amends rather than being forced to because he failed.

I would love for Nate's story to be this complicated, and not to be centered around him learning from pain and failure, but rather from the realization that success means nothing if you attain it through cruelty and betrayal. 

Edited March 27, 2023 by paramitch