S03:E09: La Locker Room Aux Folles

[Whimsy]

Quote

Colin and Isaac’s friendship is tested. Roy is asked to do a press conference.

Original airdate 5/10/23

[DEL901]

The music in The beginning made me think I’d accidentally turned on Schmiggadoon.   

Great episode.  Tight.  Focussed on the core.  Great Keeley and Rebecca.   Isaac has trouble dealing with Colin’s revelation, but as anticipated, he felt terrible that Colin didn’t trust him.   The scene with Isaac and Roy….they both made breakthroughs, with a few helpful words fr9m Will to help.   Colin and Isaac at the end.

Colin’s confession, Ted helping the team work through how to best respond to support their friend, Trent, Rebecca reaming out Roy for not doing the first press conference and, of course Roy’s actual press conference.  And Roy telling Isaac he has to figure out why he is really so angry because it wasn’t just what happened on the field… and it looked like he took his own words to heart   

I am sure there will be fall out next week from Nate backing out of boy’s night with Rupert….I’m guessing Rupe will make a move on Jade.  

[KittenPokerCheater]

Brilliant Episode.

loved that Roy Kent told a story just like Ted Lasso does.  Loved that part so much.  

loved Rebecca's scene with Roy.

And Roy's scene with Isaac.

loved the relationships in the locker room

and loved the scenes between Colin and Isaac.  Just fucking brilliant.

and Beard's guitar controversy with the press.

Just amazing acting by everyone across the board.

(Thank god jack is gone)

[Crs97]

Terrific episode!  Of course Nate is rude to the underling until he realizes it’s Jade.  Still don’t care about him; not cheering that he did the bare minimum.

The Richmond relationships were all awesome.  And yes I loved Roy’s press conference and his channeling Ted with the story telling.

[juno]

This was much better than last week. At least they decided to show them playing a game. While I enjoy this team playing they just showed the game to show the drama with Isaac and Colin. BTW the fines and suspension are going to be mighty large for going into the stands and confronting a fan. On this show maybe not so much. BTW x 2 with the winning at the beginning and this win streak they may be in the top 4 or even close to be in the top. I guess qualifying for the Champions League isn't talked about much but it is a tremendous accomplishment.

I really enjoyed some growth for Roy and really enjoy his scenes, he is a really good character and Goldstein has really given him depth.

I am really disappointment at a major turn of events this season... What the hell have they done to Ted? Aside from a few scenes on this episode and the crap with the ex-wife he is complete MIA from this show. I have no idea what the hell the showrunners are doing? If you cut the garbage with Nate (which I still refuse to watch) then you have a great show about Ted and the team. Why is time given every week to Nate and his development and his storylines, yet absolutely nothing to Ted?

That is just crushing this season for me.

[Girl in a Cardigan]

I'm pretty sure I have never laughed as hard at this show as I did when Roy chastised the team for not sticking up for him not having a hairy ass and Isaac agreeing with him. Even if this season isn't as even as the previous two, each episode has something like that brief moment that will absolutely break me open and I love it!

So Rupert met Jade and found her wanting. Luckily, Jade very clearly had his number from the jump (which I'm sure he ALSO didn't like). I was annoyed that Nate still seems to have that Bambi look about him with Rupert - like yes, he gave you this job and a car, but in the last nine episodes (which covers months and months), you REALLY haven't noticed how he treats people (never mind he MUST have seen it as the lowly kit man when Rupert owned Richmond). While I definitely thought Rupert was certainly just going to stand him up, him trying to hook Nate up with a "better" girlfriend was also par for the course. I'm glad Nate didn't go for it (though the long hug with Jade left me cold), but c'mon my dude. Like this is reminiscent of season 1 Nate, which would be a nice change from the guy who puts his players on a Dumb-Dumb Line and won't say hello in the morning - but WHY is he changing? I feel like I skipped an episode or something because we're getting the redemption without anything backing it up. I still sigh when I see the West Ham stadium. I know there's 3 episodes left and this is happening whether I care about it or not, but damn, I hate how they mishandled the whole thing.

Oh, Isaac! Every time he gave Colin the cold shoulder or wouldn't even give him a fist bump, I kept saying to myself - do NOT like him be as homophobic as he's acting. Now, would that be realistic? Absolutely - but I don't want this show for accurate depictions of professional football. I want everyone to be friends and playing FIFA at the end. So Isaac majorly dropped the ball in the midst of his own shit and while Colin had every right to be mad or upset it, I'm happy they made up in their own way.

COLIN! I kinda hate that they robbed us of the actual moment, but I did enjoy the aftermath. Ted's story was just a touch too long and ridiculous, but I'm happy that Colin got the love and support from his fellow himbos that we knew he would. It was also great to watch Trent watch the whole thing.

(Also absolutely LOVE everything looking at Jamie as another potential gay footballer and his beautiful reaction [which was NOT a denial LOL!]. Thinking about Jamie from season 1 and loving his growth in that moment!)

The Roy and Rebecca showdown was a bit on the nose (and damn, that was some insubordination there, Roy! You USED to date her best friend which may have given you some privileges, but you do NOT any more at YOUR choice.), but needed to happen. We've got three episodes left and I really hope as Roy mentors Isaac and his anger that Roy will starting DOING THE WORK that needs to be done (which will also hopefully lead to a Roy and Keeley reunion).

Roy's press conference was gold and also a complete product of Ted's tutelage. That long storytelling at the press table was such a Ted move with some Roy spice and I'm here for it! Also love that he doesn't know anyone's name and he likes "New Trent" better than "Old Trent" with whom he shares an office.

Happy to have Keeley back at Nelson Road, even if she doesn't seem to be doing their PR (as it seems she would be busy with the Isaac vs fan situation if she was). So Jack has fucked off to Argentina instead of breaking up with Keeley - bye, bitch! I'm just sad that Keeley would even want her back after that all thing last week. C'mon Keeley Jones, Independent Woman - get your groove back already!

Probably not one I'll watch again, but I really like where we're going in these final three episodes - prove me right, show!

[Thalia]

This is my favorite episode thus far.  Amsterdam was very very good, but this one had a) buh bye to Jack; b) showed Keeley all over again how much Roy is worth fighting for (I hope);  c) had NO KJPR.  Nada, zippo, none, zilch.  This meant, of course,; d) all of Keeley's scenes were with those who love and care for her.  

But mostly, it showed again how Ted has transformed this team.  It took them a while to become a powerhouse team.  But all along, he has built the young men themselves into a True Team.  Season 1 Jamie would have definitely said something inappropriate if someone insinuated he might be gay.  Season 3 Jamie made a joke, but it was a sweet one, "I'm flattered."  

Roy is becoming a great coach and leader of men.  

As for Nate, I know many, including me, have said that his redemption is coming too easy.  But I have to admit that him seeing, for himself, how evil and selfish Rupert is and saying, that is not for me -- it made me happy.  I had assumed that Rupert was going to hit on Jade.  This was better, particularly I think for Nate's growth.  He now sees what True Betrayal looks like.  Ted is a thousand times infinity a better human than Rupert.  So what if he doesn't understand the off sides rule.  He knows how to treat others, and how to recognize the importance of loyalty and love. 

Edited May 10, 2023 by Thalia

[Girl in a Cardigan]

Okay, I know I just posted my long screed, but two things I forgot.

• I ADORE Will just popping up in the background of serious scenes and giving his two cents. Like if we had more time, I'd watch a whole episode of that.

 

• Ted during the parent-teacher conference is exactly why he and Michelle got divorced. Like, we all love his folksy charm and his long stories about Denver Bronco fans, but you're a Zoom call with a six-hour time difference for 20 minutes with your kid's teacher and you can't stop cracking Isaac Newton jokes? Michelle has to do all the asking about bringing up Henry's failing science grade and Ted's just doing a bit. C'mon man, for all of your manpain about your kid when he's around or not, step up and ask an intelligent question about your kid's schooling! Stop making your ex-wife be the adult in the room all the time! (It's like Sally Field and Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire - that's so exhausting!)

[shapeshifter]

Definitely my favorite episode of the show ever.

 

53 minutes ago, Crs97 said:

I loved Roy’s press conference and his channeling Ted with the story telling.

Yes, Roy's parable was awesome. But it seemed like the writers just took a Ted story and had Roy tell it, rather than it being a Roy version of a Ted story. This only bothered me after I thought about it later. Still.

 

40 minutes ago, Thalia said:

I had assumed that Rupert was going to hit on Jade.  This was better

Rupert didn't hit on Jade because he could tell she would reject him. 
Is it wrong I hope Rupert died of a heart attack while being serviced by the two "models"?
I mean. That would probably still leave Nick Nate scrambling for another job.

Edited May 10, 2023 by shapeshifter

[anna0852]

9 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

 That would probably still leave Nick scrambling for another job.

Did you mean Nate?

I loved Rebecca speaking to Roy in his own language and reminding him that’s she’s the damn boss.

Brett just clinched himself another emmy between the press conference and the conversation with Isaac.

Loved the silent convo between Jamie and Sam over the captain armband. And Sam ending with a grin and the prick signal.

Whoever predicted Issac get red carded for defending Colin called it!

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by anna0852

[Emcber]

Far and away my favorite episode this season. The team dynamic, Rebecca being Rebecca again and Roy taking her advice. So great. Nate is meh and Ted still feels secondary, but I hope the show continues in this direction.

[reallyjustjen]

Wow—so many moments both big and small were packed into this episode.  

Jade seemed to have Rupert’s number immediately, and it seems Nate is starting to take off the blinders there as well.  

The team’s reaction to Colin was expected    but still nice to see.   Ted’s Broncos fan analogy was…clunky, but I appreciated his take that they “don’t not care”.  

Roy’s press conference was a total “student becomes the teacher” moment.   Loved how he called the Independent reporter new Trent.  
 

And the briefest shot of Keeley just after Roy finished speaking at the presser, spoke a thousand words. 

 

 

 

[Blakeston]

1 hour ago, Girl in a Cardigan said:

While I definitely thought Rupert was certainly just going to stand him up, him trying to hook Nate up with a "better" girlfriend was also par for the course. I'm glad Nate didn't go for it (though the long hug with Jade left me cold), but c'mon my dude.

I think Rupert was trying to get Nate to cheat. He wanted to know that he had more control over Nate than the new woman in his life.

[HelloooKitty]

Completely irrelevant of any plot points, but Hannah’s skin looked absolutely LUMINOUS, especially during her confrontation with Roy.  

[PurpleTentacle]

This was cute.

A bit sad that Colin won't come out fully and have both his lives merge, like he talked about in the Amsterdam episode, but baby steps.

Also great use of "I am what I am" at the end, even though nothing beats the Gloria Gaynor version.

Edited May 10, 2023 by PurpleTentacle

[PurpleTentacle]

Oh also nice that Jack seems to be out of the show for good. Not so nice that Keeley wasn't the one who ended it and instead even text-bombed her. After what Jack did, I would have thought the Keeley we've known from previous seasons would have had enough self respect to kick Jack to the curb herself.

2 hours ago, Girl in a Cardigan said:

I'm pretty sure I have never laughed as hard at this show as I did when Roy chastised the team for not sticking up for him not having a hairy ass and Isaac agreeing with him.

That must have been the most unrealistic part of the episode. Roy is a very hairy man. I'd bet my left nut that he has a hairy ass.

2 hours ago, Girl in a Cardigan said:

So Rupert met Jade and found her wanting. Luckily, Jade very clearly had his number from the jump (which I'm sure he ALSO didn't like). I was annoyed that Nate still seems to have that Bambi look about him with Rupert - like yes, he gave you this job and a car, but in the last nine episodes (which covers months and months), you REALLY haven't noticed how he treats people (never mind he MUST have seen it as the lowly kit man when Rupert owned Richmond). While I definitely thought Rupert was certainly just going to stand him up, him trying to hook Nate up with a "better" girlfriend was also par for the course. I'm glad Nate didn't go for it (though the long hug with Jade left me cold), but c'mon my dude. Like this is reminiscent of season 1 Nate, which would be a nice change from the guy who puts his players on a Dumb-Dumb Line and won't say hello in the morning - but WHY is he changing? I feel like I skipped an episode or something because we're getting the redemption without anything backing it up. I still sigh when I see the West Ham stadium. I know there's 3 episodes left and this is happening whether I care about it or not, but damn, I hate how they mishandled the whole thing.

Thanks for the recap. I fast forewarded through all the Nate scenes. I just can't with his storyline. Now I'm all caught up and don't actually have to subject myself to watching it on screen.

53 minutes ago, HelloooKitty said:

Completely irrelevant of any plot points, but Hannah’s skin looked absolutely LUMINOUS, especially during her confrontation with Roy.  

I was very impressed by dat ass when she stormed off to the confrontation... and I'm not even into women.

[Harvey]

Best part of the episode was Coach arguing with the reporters over music and then Rebecca trying to save the situation only to be asked about rock musicians 🤣

[Schweedie]

 

1 hour ago, PurpleTentacle said:

That must have been the most unrealistic part of the episode. Roy is a very hairy man.

Thanks for the recap. I fast forewarded through all the Nate scenes. I just can't with his storyline. Now I'm all caught up and don't actually have to subject myself to watching it on screen.

The bolded: hard agree, haha! The rest, same. Do not care.

Much, much better than last week. Was Isaac wrong to give Colin the cold shoulder for not having told him, yes, but I'm at least glad that was the reason and not the more depressing option. Billy Harris and Kola Bokinni were both brilliant throughout the whole episode. 

Keeley text-bombing Jack like that annoyed the heck out of me, though. Keeley Jones, the Independent Woman, should've (and would've, before this season) said "Don't let the door hit you on the way out" last week and never looked back.

I really liked Rebecca telling Roy off - he needed to hear it, and he needed to hear it straight like that, on the nose or not. "You'd rather eat a bowl of shit soup and then complain about the portions" is dead on for Roy. I feel like he really is taking some steps towards acknowledging his issues and how he uses anger to deal with them - admitting to Jamie in Amsterdam that he was taking his negative emotions out on him and apologising for being dick, saying to Isaac how he recognised that Isaac was angry about something else, and then the press conference. (And yeah, the press conference story was very much Ted influenced, which I love, but it still felt like a Roy story to me.) Baby steps, tiny and wobbly, but still steps.

Sam and Jamie teasing each other makes me so happy. They've come so far.

[Andre LaPlume]

Is Nate’s redemption going to be walking away from his dream job for his girlfriend?  If so it still ignores the fact that he was awful to Ted et al before Rupert offered him the job.  
 

And Jade seemingly not being impressed by Rupert is how she first acted toward Nate.    I don’t trust her either  
 

But the bottom line is I just don’t care.  I don’t know what they were trying to accomplish with the whole arc. 

[DEL901]

6 hours ago, Blakeston said:

I think Rupert was trying to get Nate to cheat. He wanted to know that he had more control over Nate than the new woman in his life.

 

33 minutes ago, Andre LaPlume said:

And Jade seemingly not being impressed by Rupert is how she first acted toward Nate.    I don’t trust her either  

Agree with both.  She seems a bit flattered when Rupert told Nate she was almost out of his league and he seemed very interested to find out where she worked.    Since the boys’ night didn’t work, I think he is going to show up at the restaurant. And I agree she isn’t to be trusted.  And I wonder how significant the whole accent discussion was….

Poor Bex.  She needs to dump Rupert and take him to the cleaners.

And had the same thoughts as the poster above about Ted making jokes on the Zoom call instead of using the time productively.   He is still fixing everyone but himself.  The team is a Team and Roy is growing into the coaching role.  But whatever redemption Nate gets, I can’t seem him working for Roy or vice versa, so I don’t think he will end up back in Richmond.   

[Crs97]

Nate’s problem isn’t Rupert.  We saw Nate’s true colors long before Rupert whispered in his ear.

Loved Will’s joining Roy and Isaac’s conversation.  Not the first time he wasn’t noticed, but now he is confident enough to speak up.  His smile said it all.

 

[EtheltoTillie]

Rupert is a scary manipulative creep. We heard how he wore down Rebecca by lovebombing.  He was trying to lay the groundwork for something with Jade.  It makes me uncomfortable just to watch it. 

[EtheltoTillie]

I feel I have to add to my remarks about Rupert.  He is that type of evil person whose every waking moment is dedicated to being manipulative in every single interaction.  It's so diseased.  He does it as second nature, without thinking. 

Edited May 10, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[Schweedie]

Oh, I also loved how the pub lads were pretty casual about the guy in the stands only "probably" deserving it, until May said he was a dick to her niece once. Not Claire!

[Lady Calypso]

This was a great episode. Lots of little great moments spread throughout the episode.

I did really enjoy Nate's plot. Even though I do know that Nate's issues stem far before Rupert, I think the difference is that Nate's had some great role models over at Richmond to try to keep him grounded, and Rupert only enables the problem. With Nate starting to realize on his own that he doesn't want to be like Rupert, and with him having some wins to show that he's quite capable of being better, I hope his next step is recognizing that his behaviour is unacceptable.

I really like Jade this episode. I think she really won me over, and here's why. I do think some of her behaviour was similar to how she initially treated Nate, but I think it's because she saw through his bullshit, just like she sees straight through Rupert. In both cases, she barely knew either man but saw that they were not being genuine. But here, she treated Rupert slightly different than she treated Nate. It seemed like, here, she did see through Rupert completely and was not impressed, but she was clearly faking it FOR Nate. She had a couple of fake smiles, and she seemed to try to be cordial because of Nate and how she saw that he looked up to him. So, even Jade is showing a little growth. 

And Nate seeing through Rupert's cheating and deciding to go back to Jade was a good step in the right direction. I don't love Nate's arc, but this episode showed him in a more positive light with him recognizing things himself instead of being told these things. But he really needs to address how he lashes out through his words when he's not in a good position. His redemption is getting there, but there IS that self reflection that is currently missing that pulls him back from a full redemption. Hopefully, that's coming.

The Colin/Isaac plot made me sad because of Isaac ignoring Colin for the entire episode, but I really liked Trent's explanation to Colin ("Just give him time. Some people need it."). I was relieved when Isaac had that violent reaction to the homophobic fan because it showed that he was absolutely going to be on Colin's side, he just needed time like Trent said. And I'm glad it ended with the two talking things out. I liked Isaac's question about what he personally did to make it so that Colin couldn't tell him, and I equally loved Colin's answer ("I was 99% certain you'd support me, but the 1% you wouldn't scared the shit out of me.")

And I loved the team's response to Colin coming out, even Ted's clunky speech (thank goodness Colin called out the comparison). 

Rebecca has been a delight, especially since Amsterdam. You can physically see the change as she becomes more of a mentor and guidance with different characters these last few episodes. I loved her standing up to Roy and Roy taking her words to heart. Roy is also another one who has shown a lot of change. Imagine even early season 3 Roy pulling a Lasso and answering a question with a personal story. 

Also, a little tiny moment I absolutely loved: Sam/Jamie silently fighting for the temporary captain's band and Sam giving Jamie the middle finger because he had it first. But THEN, coupled with Sam trying to lead the team to the second half and Jamie jumping in to support Sam. Amazing that these two seem really close after season 1.

[Zaffy]

And that was the best episode of the season (so far) and one of the best of the series.
Almost made it worth enduring the 8 previous episodes that were really "meh".

Rupert is such a creepy manipulative control freak, worst kind of people..
I wonder if Nate's story is a redemption one or a punishing one for evil Rupert. A combination would be perfect.

Oh, and damn you Rebecca, for making me endure 2 hours of awful music last night just because you were presenting Eurovision. That was really tough.

[Andre LaPlume]

Nate’s punishment for his actions - being stuck with Rupert.    I love it.   
 

But it seems a little dark for this show 

[Insert Username]

Finding out that Jade is Eastern European explains so much about how she approaches everything. I thought she was but it's nice to have it confirmed. She reminds me so much of my mother's cousins - brusk to point of rudeness (if you don't know them), suspicious of people until they know them, and don't suffer fools at all. I can't believe I am saying this, but she will be good for Nate.

Hannah Waddingham is a goddess...that is all.

ETA: It's weird that we never see Nate interact with his assistant coaches

Edited May 10, 2023 by Insert Username

[DEL901]

25 minutes ago, Insert Username said:

ETA: It's weird that we never see Nate interact with his assistant coaches

Something is definitely happening at work….that guy asked if he wanted to join them for drinks.  

[kwnyc]

I think we're heading into the final act: Ted is getting ready to take his leave, and we're seeing how he's changed the people he came to work with. 

Roy is definitely becoming the leader who will step into Ted's shoes. The press conference (when he finally showed up) was masterful, and he's allowing himself to show pleasure in his accomplishments. (Loved Beard fainting when Roy said something nice to the team.)

HAIRY ASS!

Coach Beard is still a goddam weirdo who probably wouldn't be able to get  job anywhere else. (Joe Walsh better than Jimmy Page? COME ON!) And Rebecca is right about "the guy from Cream" (Eric Clapton, even if he is a racist anti-vaxxer).

Will Kitman is kind of a smart guy, and he feels comfortable contributing.

Rebecca is coming into her own full Boss Bitch. 

Keely's back to spending more time at Richmond (we don't know the status of her business, but if Jack had shut it down, I'm sure we would have heard about it). 

Jamie is still enough of a prick to be interesting, but has enough self-awareness to laugh at himself.

Interesting that Isaac picked Sam to be captain when he wasn't there. It makes sense, but Sam is one of the youngest players...I guess it shows how they all respect Sam.

And the Isaac/Colin scene at the end was sweet. I find it had to believe that Isaac is REALLY that clueless about gay people, but his making the effort was beautiful.

I also wish we'd seen Colin coming out to the team...but I'm okay that we didn't. Also: Are you comparing being gay to being a Denver Broncos fan? What's a Denver Bronco?

Side note: Ted must be loving the last couple of seasons for Kansas City in the NFL, and I'll be he LOVES Mahomes.

Still don't care about Nate.

Edited May 10, 2023 by kwnyc

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

12 minutes ago, kwnyc said:

And the Isaac/Colin scene at the end was sweet. I find it had to believe that Isaac is REALLY that clueless about gay people, but his making the effort was beautiful.

I also wish we'd seen Colin coming out to the team...but I'm okay that we didn't. Also: Are you comparing being gay to being a Denver Broncos fan? What's a Denver Bronco?

Thinking of the few Broncos fans I know, I found much more amusement in that than I should have.

[iMonrey]

Quote

If you cut the garbage with Nate (which I still refuse to watch) then you have a great show about Ted and the team. Why is time given every week to Nate and his development and his storylines, yet absolutely nothing to Ted?

I honestly don't get this either. I don't see where this is going or why I should care. Is Nate going to take over for Ted if/when Ted ends up going back to the states? Like Richmond is just going to welcome Nate back with open arms because he's "changed?" I don't buy it. I don't care how much time the show spends trying to "redeem" Nate, they really ruined him and for me there's no coming back from that. All this stuff with him and Jade is pointless to me, it doesn't prove anything or fix anything as far as I'm concerned and it's a big fat waste of time.

Quote

Also: Are you comparing being gay to being a Denver Broncos fan? What's a Denver Bronco?

I can buy that Jamie doesn't follow American football but he surely knows what Denver is and what Kansas City is, he should be able to put 2 and 2 together. He's not that dense.

[reallyjustjen]

Highly recommend watching a second time to catch all the small and/or subtle moments it’s easy to miss on the first watch.   Beard’s dramatic faint when Roy paid the team a compliment, the way Keeley and Rebecca were bopping their heads in unison as Ted sang his awful song in Rebecca’s office, the look between Nate and Rupert when Rupert helped himself to the (symbolic?) baklava, the hilarious randomness of the commentators during the game, Ted’s indirect “that’s what she said” when Higgins said the size of the press crowd was big after their win. 

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

The smile Rebecca had as Roy was leaving her office, after she yelled at him to 'grow up & stop letting life pass by because of insecurities' ...

Rebecca's 'scheming' to get Roy to wake up and go after Keeley, to get back with her, was about a subtle as a brick to the face on that one.

[Blakeston]

The coming-out story was cute, but very predictable (even for this show). A bunch of us figured out last week that Isaac's issue would turn out to be "why didn't you tell me?" rather than anti-LGBT hatred. And of course the team ended up being supportive. Not showing Colin actually coming out was an....odd choice.

The one thing that I really appreciated, and struck me as unique, was Ted's "we don't not care" speech, which was great. "I don't care one way or another if someone is gay" would be seen as a very supporting thing to say back in the '90s. But nowadays?

But I think a lot more people understand now that if someone doesn't give a second thought to sexual orientation or gender identity, that means they're very lucky. People who grow up queer don't have that luxury. And if you're not queer, you should care that your friends don't get to take certain rights for granted the way that you do.

 

[DEL901]

30 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I honestly don't get this either. I don't see where this is going or why I should care. Is Nate going to take over for Ted if/when Ted ends up going back to the states? Like Richmond is just going to welcome Nate back with open arms because he's "changed?" I don't buy it. I don't care how much time the show spends trying to "redeem" Nate, they really ruined him and for me there's no coming back from that. All this stuff with him and Jade is pointless to me, it doesn't prove anything or fix anything as far as I'm concerned and it's a big fat waste of time.

I can buy that Jamie doesn't follow American football but he surely knows what Denver is and what Kansas City is, he should be able to put 2 and 2 together. He's not that dense.

I originally thought Nate might return, but now with Roy growing as a coach….I can’t see them working together, or especially one in the subordinate position to the other.  
 

 

[Words]

2 hours ago, Insert Username said:

Finding out that Jade is Eastern European explains so much about how she approaches everything. I thought she was but it's nice to have it confirmed. She reminds me so much of my mother's cousins - brusk to point of rudeness (if you don't know them), suspicious of people until they know them, and don't suffer fools at all. I can't believe I am saying this, but she will be good for Nate.

Not necessarily the best demeanor for a restaurant hostess though.

[Schweedie]

29 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

The coming-out story was cute, but very predictable (even for this show). A bunch of us figured out last week that Isaac's issue would turn out to be "why didn't you tell me?" rather than anti-LGBT hatred. And of course the team ended up being supportive. Not showing Colin actually coming out was an....odd choice.

The one thing that I really appreciated, and struck me as unique, was Ted's "we don't not care" speech, which was great. "I don't care one way or another if someone is gay" would be seen as a very supporting thing to say back in the '90s. But nowadays?

But I think a lot more people understand now that if someone doesn't give a second thought to sexual orientation or gender identity, that means they're very lucky. People who grow up queer don't have that luxury. And if you're not queer, you should care that your friends don't get to take certain rights for granted the way that you do.

 

Re: the bolded, I kind of thought it made sense. Partly because Colin's already out to the audience - we don't need to actually hear him say it, the important part of the story was how the team reacted after he did. But mostly I thought it made sense because of what Colin said to Trent in the Amsterdam episode - he doesn't want to be a spokesperson. I feel like letting him tell the team off-screen was a nod to that.

I thought Ted's story was a bit unnecessarily long, but yeah, I also really appreciate him emphasising how they don't *not* care. "We don't care" is what homophobic people would say before adding "but we don't need it shoved in our face" when Colin finally does kiss his fella in front of everyone after a win (which I really, really hope he gets to do before the show ends).

[bosawks]

47 minutes ago, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

Rebecca's 'scheming' to get Roy to wake up and go after Keeley, to get back with her, was about a subtle as a brick to the face on that one.

Attempting subtlety on Roy Kent seems like an invitation to an aneurysm.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

I'm not quite sure on how to read the manipulation Rupert was trying to pull with Nate when he invited him out to 'guy's night out ... including two women'.

Was it that he wanted Nate to do so much better than Jade (very similar situation to buying the new car) or was he espousing his 'new day, new lay' views about how he sees women & what he feels is deserved by him because of his money?

Either way, Rupert is one big walking pile of shit.

Edited May 10, 2023 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[anna0852]

1 hour ago, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

Rebecca's 'scheming' to get Roy to wake up and go after Keeley, to get back with her, was about a subtle as a brick to the face on that one.

Roy wouldn’t understand subtle. He communicates via brick to the face.

[DEL901]

Just now, anna0852 said:

Roy wouldn’t understand subtle. He communicates via brick to the face.

He can make connections though.  Last season when he didn’t realize he was smothering Keeley and this episode where he thought he was enlightening Isaac, but made a personal realization.  

[Trillium]

The AV Club review classified Jack’s departure as “Poochie died on the way back to his home planet” and I 100% endorse that reference.

[AD55]

15 minutes ago, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

I'm not quite sure on how to read the manipulation Rupert was trying to pull with Nate when he invited him out to 'guy's night out ... including two women'.

Was it that he wanted Nate to do so much better than Jade (very similar situation to buying the new car) or was he espousing his 'new day, new lay' views about how he sees women & what he feels is deserved by him because of his money?

Either way, Rupert is one big walking pile of shit.

Rupert always has an agenda. Any gesture--the car, setting Nate up with other women--is intended to further that. I think he invited Nate out because undermining Nate's relationships is a way of making Nate "Rupert's man." It's an assertion of ownership and an undermining of Nate's autonomy. I also think it's a form of blackmail. If his minions are as corrupt as he is, they are more manipulatable. Rupert knows why Nate left the bar, and he will punish him for it.

[Seelouis]

Just because a sock is dirty doesn’t mean it shouldn’t have a friend. Never change, Dani Rojas. 

[Penman61]

13 hours ago, PurpleTentacle said:

That must have been the most unrealistic part of the episode. Roy is a very hairy man. I'd bet my left nut that he has a hairy ass.

Eyebrow density is almost always a harbinger. His ass is 100% hairy.

[Night Cheese]

2 hours ago, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

The smile Rebecca had as Roy was leaving her office, after she yelled at him to 'grow up & stop letting life pass by because of insecurities' ...

Rebecca's 'scheming' to get Roy to wake up and go after Keeley, to get back with her, was about a subtle as a brick to the face on that one.

Absolutely, and I loved every minute of it! Roy has a lot of maturing and growing to do, and it's lovely to see Rebecca support him in getting to where he needs to be for a long and successful relationship with Keeley.

[shapeshifter]

17 hours ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

Beard's guitar controversy with the press.

3 hours ago, kwnyc said:

And Rebecca is right about "the guy from Cream" (Eric Clapton, even if he is a racist anti-vaxxer).

I was really hoping Rebecca was going to say Jimi Hendrix, so when she said "the guy from Cream" I was hoping she'd still say Hendrix because he did sort of jam with Cream once, and now I know too much about Eric Clapton.

 

[sharifa70]

10 hours ago, Harvey said:

Best part of the episode was Coach arguing with the reporters over music and then Rebecca trying to save the situation only to be asked about rock musicians 🤣

Higgins mocking her for her response of “that guy from Cream” killed me. 😂😂😂😂

 

[AD55]

18 hours ago, juno said:

This was much better than last week. At least they decided to show them playing a game. While I enjoy this team playing they just showed the game to show the drama with Isaac and Colin. BTW the fines and suspension are going to be mighty large for going into the stands and confronting a fan. On this show maybe not so much. BTW x 2 with the winning at the beginning and this win streak they may be in the top 4 or even close to be in the top. I guess qualifying for the Champions League isn't talked about much but it is a tremendous accomplishment.

I have SO missed seeing the team play. I didn't mind that this game focused on the situation with Isaac and Colin, as the show has traditionally used the games to move the plot forward and show the dynamics between the players and coaches. Now that we're seeing Roy come into his own as a coach, I would love to see him taking the lead on the pitch.