S03.E12: So Long, Farewell

[Quilt Fairy]

8 hours ago, Good Queen Jane said:

Then Isaac seeing the greyhound mascot (look out, little doggie!)

The mascot had a doggie-sized safety helmet on!

[tljgator]

Guess I was the only one who wondered if all the future stuff was a dream since Ted wakes up on the plane as it's landing just as that flash-forward wraps up? (If it's not a dream, why are we back in current time after seeing all the future things? Just weird.)...

Anyway, I thought it was enjoyable enough, even if much of it was rushed or misplaced. They worked hard to please most everyone (except shippers of many varieties, lol) and it made me more smiley and happily nostalgic than mad, so I'll take it.

 

[Eureka]

8 hours ago, luna1122again said:

I never ever got a romantic vibe from Rebecca and Ted, not for a second, so I don't even understand how people are so upset or feel betrayed. But the heart wants what it wants, I guess. 

Yeah, I’m glad they didn’t go there.

Edited June 1, 2023 by Eureka

[Eureka]

31 minutes ago, tljgator said:

Guess I was the only one who wondered if all the future stuff was a dream since Ted wakes up on the plane as it's landing just as that flash-forward wraps up? (If it's not a dream, why are we back in current time after seeing all the future things? Just weird.)...

Anyway, I thought it was enjoyable enough, even if much of it was rushed or misplaced. They worked hard to please most everyone (except shippers of many varieties, lol) and it made me more smiley and happily nostalgic than mad, so I'll take it.

 

I thought it too as first. I said to my husband “are they pulling a Dallas?” And then my college aged kids had to ask me what that meant, lol.

[Girl in a Cardigan]

1 hour ago, tljgator said:

Guess I was the only one who wondered if all the future stuff was a dream since Ted wakes up on the plane as it's landing just as that flash-forward wraps up? (If it's not a dream, why are we back in current time after seeing all the future things? Just weird.)...

I definitely thought it might have been a dream as well since we flash right back to the plane and Ted getting home. But someone on Tumblr pointed out that Ted can't dream about people he never met (like Rebecca's Dutch guy, etc), so perhaps it is a flashforward in the midst of Ted's present?

[QQQQ]

Jason Sudeikis just seemed checked out in the finale. If this had been the only episode I'd watched (which wouldn't make sense, I know), I'd think Coach Ted Lasso really didn't care one way or the other about leaving. It wasn't even a sense of he's putting on a brave face. It was just... an emptiness.

[Crs97]

13 hours ago, Zaffy said:

Was I the only one that when Rupert was walking wearing that black trenchcoat I  expected to listen the Darth Vader theme?

I sang it here.

[Phebemarie]

Just now, QQQQ said:

Jason Sudeikis just seemed checked out in the finale. If this had been the only episode I'd watched (which wouldn't make sense, I know), I'd think Coach Ted Lasso really didn't care one way or the other about leaving. It wasn't even a sense of he's putting on a brave face. It was just... an emptiness.

If you compare the original celebratory dance in the pilot with the one after the big win, it is noticeably less enthusiastic.  

[Capricasix]

4 minutes ago, Crs97 said:

I sang it here.

So did my husband 😄

[MerBearHou]

2 minutes ago, QQQQ said:

Jason Sudeikis just seemed checked out in the finale. If this had been the only episode I'd watched (which wouldn't make sense, I know), I'd think Coach Ted Lasso really didn't care one way or the other about leaving. It wasn't even a sense of he's putting on a brave face. It was just... an emptiness.

That’s much of what bothered me about the finale.  Jason seemed so constipated emotionally.  I wanted something, anything, to make me feel like Ted was sad to leave.  His stoicism, especially with Rebecca, was just cold and almost robotic.  It’s definitely the writing, but I wonder if it’s also Jason.  Quippy and super nice, but also a bit detached.  I was amused by some parts of the finale and absolutely loved the scene with Sam pulling out a bit of the Believe sign and then the others did too.  Couldn’t care less about Nate — sorry, the season did not do its job making me welcome him back whatsoever.  I have a little resentment actually about how much time (IMO) was spent on ruining Keeley, the Nate storyline, Ted deciding in the end to go backwards, and the waste of time on Jack and KJPR.  I just don’t get it.  The first 2 seasons, especially the first, were magical to me.  

[Toonces464]

I loved everything up until the last five minutes. I thought that since they never confirmed this was officially the end, there would be something to leave the door open a crack, like everyone showing up at Henry's soccer game. I was disappointed there was nothing unexpected, no little flash to wow me.

But the more I think about it, the more I think they did leave the door cracked. Ted's line about not being sure he made the right decision, right before Beard got off the plane. They've left the door open for Ted to regret his decision, the team not to do well, and Ted to eventually decide to visit/come home to Richmond. Or not. But I do see a window for the show to continue on.

I also hated no resolution to Roy and Keeley, but again, there's hopefully more to come. 

I love Ted, but I love everyone else too, and would be very happy to watch more of the rest of them.

[Juneau Gal]

I liked the finale; it was mostly heartfelt. Unfortunately, it highlighted the bad storytelling and missed opportunities in the other episodes this season. I actually was kinda enraged when I thought about it after the finale. What the fuck was the point of Zava, Shandy, Jack and all the time wasted on those characters?! 
Ted Lasso was best when it was written with a lot of heart and that was missing this season. Yep, in its best episodes the heart made things unrealistic and tipping towards fantasy, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care that the football wasn’t actually like real football. Could not have cared less. Ted Lasso was a balm for the soul, a lifesaver during the crazy, hideousness of the pandemic and politics. It was an escape and its characters became very welcome in my home. For that I will always be grateful to the show runners. It is just so sad and disappointing that they couldn’t keep it together for the final season; that they lost heart. 

[pennben]

2 hours ago, tljgator said:

Guess I was the only one who wondered if all the future stuff was a dream since Ted wakes up on the plane as it's landing just as that flash-forward wraps up? (If it's not a dream, why are we back in current time after seeing all the future things? Just weird

Not the only one. After peeling eyes open to watch last night, I went back to final sequence.

Of note, to maybe just me, Rebecca running into  to Hot Boat Guy’s daughter & meet ‘cute’, if you will, was the only montage scene to happen before Ted took the snow globe out & shook it. It felt real time. 
I think they’ve left themselves lots of room, but that to me is meant to be cannon. Beyond that, it wasn’t really until Beard’s wedding that visually everything changed. Of course they can do what they want if they reboot, but these are the cues I saw on rewatch. 

Edited June 1, 2023 by pennben

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Haven't read through the thread yet, so apologies if repeat things ..........

This could be a fairly unpopular opinion, but man that was disappointing.  Glad I didn't stay up to watch and forced to be a half-asleep zombie all day today. 

What the hell?  Not one big curve ball in that finale among most the predictions and predictable endings.  Not one.

• Nate is not only back but helps decide the game, which they won.  Check.
• Roy is named new manager.  Check
• Beard stays for Jane and to keep coaching at Richmond.  Check.
• Nate still on the staff.  Check.
• Rebecca ends up with boat guy who somehow turns out to be a pilot (did we already know that from Sunflowers?).  Check.
• Keeley chose neither of Roy or Jamie.  Check.
• Colin kissed his fella on the pitch after the game.  Check.
• Despite tiniest of hints that Ted was the very least waffling slightly on his decision to go home, nope.  Still left as fully expected.  Check.

As soon as I saw Ted walk out with bed head in to Rebecca's kitchen at the beginning, I immediately knew they didn't sleep together.  This show loved laughing at the obvious tropes, ala Ted mentioning the "rom-com trope" of Rebecca showing up at the airport as he was leaving. 

As an aside, stuck for a while with that image of Brendan Hunt's lower half in my head.  Cheeky bay-beh!

Didn't see Dr. Jake at the soccer match in the last seconds, sitting with Michelle.  So are viewers being left the leeway to fanwank that Ted and Michelle reconciled and got back together?  Because fuck that!  Of all the things presented or left to interpret, that is the last thing I refuse to accept.

 

Decent parts to it and I guess you can't say they didn't really leave too many loose ends left twisting in the wind, but just disappointing that everything pretty much went by rote.  Nothing happened that was the least bit surprising, but some of it was also quite unsatisfying.

 

Loved the first two seasons, but this last one was very hit or miss.

[monagatuna]

I just want to note that every episode (as far as I noticed), Rebecca has been wearing jewelry by Shaun Leane. I saw her hook earrings early on in this season and had to look them up. The designer is really pricey, but their creations are AMAZING. I did buy one pair of earrings from them, but if I keep looking at their collections I will be bankrupt and divorced within a year. 

I really loved the final episode. I get people's gripes with this season--Jack, Nate's pathetic redemption, Rupert's lack of comeuppance--but I think the finale wrapped up the series nicely. The shippers make me eyeroll--Ted and Rebecca never had any chemistry, and their relationship was friendly at most. Roy and Keely? Really? So fucking toxic. And just because they hooked up a few episodes ago doesn't mean they need to have a love connection. Sometimes sex is just for fun. And Roy is such a mess. (I won't comment on her and Jamie, though--he's adorable and I love his arc, but they were never going to end up together). I was happy to see him in therapy, though. I like Keely on her own. I like Rebecca on her own (the Dutch guy meet-cute was adorable but I liked that it was non-committal).

I only started paying attention to this series this season--my wife would watch it while I was out doing whatever and was gracious enough to fill me in when I'd ask questions about some of the inside jokes--so now I'll have to go back and watch the first few seasons with some attention. I'm a little sad that I'm going to have to start hating Jamie, though, but I'll appreciate his redemption more for it.

[angora]

21 hours ago, Girl in a Cardigan said:

Nate coming back as a kitman was NOT what I was expecting, but I'm happy to have him reprise that role for one game before becoming a coach. So many callbacks in the Judge McAdoo scene that I can't list them all, but trust me, I was squealing! And special shoutout to my love, Jamie Tartt for his 180 by putting EXTRA money in the box instead of being too good for the collection box when we met him.

I wasn't expecting that either, and I liked that choice. 1) It showed Nate being comfortable with a humbler position, and 2) it showed that the team didn't ask Nate to come back because they *needed* him. They'd just seen him going through a rough time (especially since the media stories suggested he'd been fired from West Ham,) and decided to reach out to him for his sake, not theirs. And the moment with Jamie and the collection box was one of my favorite callbacks in the finale.

12 hours ago, mrc12671 said:

I did wanna shout out Higgins because he got the "perfect" line for the end of the Diamond Dogs meeting and I love in the final montage how everyone gathered again at his home, so much so that the party went out into the street.  I've just always loved that quirky, low-key character and loved how the finale did right by him.

When my mom and I were discussing the finale, I said that Higgins doesn't have the biggest role in the series, but he makes every scene he's in better. Loved his advice during the Diamond Dog scene.

8 hours ago, Trillium said:

Watched it on my lunch. No it’s wasn’t HIMYM awful, but the Roy and Keeley stuff was close. Like what the fuck show? It really didn’t fit with the first two seasons. While Roy talking to Dr Sharon is absolutely something I wanted to see…that should have happened in episode 5 or something. Not at the end. And we never got anything much from Keeley’s feelings on it. It was just not a well done “I choose me” ending that I can’t imagine this is where they intended it to go all along. It seemed like at the end of last season there were a lot of people who suddenly hated Keeley and Roy and the writers thought that was the prevailing opinion, but didn’t want to completely undo everything so they went with this nonsense of a story.

This would've been so much better. I was reeling last week at the reveal that Keeley and Roy *hadn't* actually gotten back together, what??? Their relationship was so great. It's bad enough that the show broke them up practically for nothing, but I just don't see the point of not bringing them back together before the end. Roy and Jamie getting into a fight over Keeley made me groan--my least favorite part of the episode.

Overall, though, I loved it. Call me easy, but my heart was just so full watching this finale. I liked that most of the callbacks really weren't higlighted or made into a Weighty Moment. They were just woven into the fabric of the episode from start to finish.

Gonna go for bullet points to avoid write a 2000-word essay.

• Roy asked to be a Diamond Dog! Even though the Roy-Jamie fight was stupid and made me mad, the Diamond Dog scene was excellent. All the guys had good insights, and Roy's begrudging "ruff ruff" killed me. And I like that Roy asked if anyone else wanted to go after him.
• I've had issues with some of the places the writing has gone for Nate, but Nick Mohammed is so damn good. I loved his wordless reactions when Rupert came onto the pitch.
• I thought Nate's apology to Ted felt sincere, although I wish it hadn't been so specifically focused on the Believe sign. (Though it made me wonder--I can't recall, does Nate even know that Ted's aware he's the one who leaked the panic attacks to the press?)
• Dr. Jake being such an ass during the game, which clearly meant the world to Henry, was clearly in character. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Dr. Jake! I'm glad Michelle presumably broke things off with him, don't necessarily need her and Ted getting back together.
• The team's musical number was enjoyable for me, but I *loved* all of team--plus Trent and the fans!--going absolutely bonkers when Ted said he loved it. So sweet!
• Lots of great team moments here. I loved Isaac holding court over the unpaid fines (complete with Sam reading them from a scroll!), of course the Believe scene, and everyone crying over Beard's video (Roy, fighting through tears: "You smashed it!")
• I loved Rebecca deciding to sell the 49% to the fans. The pub crew was so proud of their one share! And I'm really glad that she realized AFC Richmond was her family. Ted was the spark that helped her open her heart to all these lovable weirdos, but she finally recoginzed that she could continue on after he left.
• Wrap-up montages might be cliche, but it still made me happy. KBPR! AFC Richmond women's team! Party at Higgins' house! Roy in therapy! The Richmond Way! Heartwarming and lovely.

Okay, show, you got me. There were parts of the season, including this episode, that fell flat or rang false for me, but I still love you and your big goofy rom-communist heart. Thanks for the laughs, the tears, and the football.

[Dobian]

A great end to an uneven season and a fitting finale.  Hit all the right beats.  Lots and lots of happy, touching, sad, and endearing moments.  And The Sound of Music bit.  The Believe sign bit.  Beard was terrific.  Even the Nate apology scene was moving.  Rebecca and Ted were great together.  Roy and Jamie make great bros.  And selling half of the team to the fans.  Kind of like the Green Bay Packers.  The ending was what I expected.  Ted goes home to his family after learning a lot about life across the pond.  Dr. Lecher was nowhere to be seen at the end, suggesting that Michelle ditched him and might be reconciling with Ted.

This show really should have been four seasons.  Season 3 was too rushed.  They bring in Zava, and then you blink, and he's gone.  The team tanks, then Ted has an epiphone, and they turn it around.  Then they go on a sixteen-game win streak.  Huh?  They start the season 3-0-1 or something before going on something like a seven-game losing streak.  Then win sixteen in a row over the space of about three episodes?  Jack and Shandy were unnecessary distractions.  They would have been fine if this wasn't the last season.  Because this was, it forced a too-quick and very unsatisfying conclusion to the Keeley-Roy-Jamie love triangle.  Nate's redemption arc was similarly rushed.  He should have spent the whole season as the West Ham coach and coached against Ted in that final game, then redemption in a fourth season.  It should have been Nate that Rupert shoved to the ground in that game.  That's why this didn't feel like a final season.  But somebody decided after writing half of the episodes to make it the final season.

I'll miss Ted Lasso.  A good but flawed show.  A little too feel-good sometimes when funny would be better.  But always a welcome diversion that would make me smile.

Edited June 1, 2023 by Dobian

[Schweedie]

4 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

If you compare the original celebratory dance in the pilot with the one after the big win, it is noticeably less enthusiastic.  

I noticed that, too, and it made me sad.

[Trillium]

8 hours ago, monagatuna said:

Roy and Keely? Really? So fucking toxic. And just because they hooked up a few episodes ago doesn't mean they need to have a love connection.

Since you didn’t really watch the first two seasons I can see why you’d think that. 
 

The reason people are mad is the first two seasons they were the least toxic couple. They would have an issue but they would be accountable and talk it out. They were supportive and just lovely together. For reasons I don’t understand, because it didn’t make the story stronger, the decided to just say fuck that. And there wasn’t really a discussion about it other than Roy was messed up. We never heard Keeley’s feelings about it and they majorly regressed both characters this season. It was a frustrating and bizzare ending to what was a very good relationship in prior seasons. People wanted that back and that didn’t happen. I could live with it had there been a good reason for it and there wasn’t. And apparently from interviews that was the point I guess. That great relationships implode and no one knows why. Maybe that happens IRL but IMO it didn’t work here. Especially for a show that’s all about rom-communism. 

[BUGGAL]

Quote

  13 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

If you compare the original celebratory dance in the pilot with the one after the big win, it is noticeably less enthusiastic.  

8 hours ago, Schweedie said:

I noticed that, too, and it made me sad.

I'd chalk that up more to the difference between being,42 and 47 rather than any character choice.

 

Edited June 1, 2023 by BUGGAL

[Pixie Styx]

11 hours ago, tljgator said:

Guess I was the only one who wondered if all the future stuff was a dream since Ted wakes up on the plane as it's landing just as that flash-forward wraps up? (If it's not a dream, why are we back in current time after seeing all the future things? Just weird.)...

Same here. I assumed the snow globe was a reference to the finale of St. Elsewhere, which famously suggested the entire show was a product of Tommy Westphall's imagination.

Indeed, I'd venture to say, based on that and the Wizard of Oz references, that the entire show was a dream. Ted hasn't been away for three years -- he gets out of the car with one suitcase and is returning home after a shorter trip, still married to Michelle. (If you need in-show theories, he went to interview for the Richmond job but turned it down.)

Having experienced in his dream what it would be like to let things go and deal with his demons, he'll use that in his life in Kansas going forward.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

I just felt like watching most of that series finale, especially the final montages, it felt way too much like someone on the writing/production staff owns a time machine. 

They jumped into it and went forward to last week - between eps 11 & 12 - and gathered all the fan wishes and predictions from here, Reddit & the internet and went back to the writing room for the series finale with said info and they mish-mashed it into that uber-predictable ending for just about every last person who had any significance in the series.

Aside from Keeley not ending up with Roy (or even Jamie) and Nate getting his very best ending, pretty much every fan wish I seen the most supported is almost exactly what happened.

Boring.  Predictable and boring.  I know some will likely vehemently disagree with that take, but it felt like they made this episode with a checklist in hand.  Ticking all the boxes as they went along, no matter how organically smooth or not it made of the process.

Edited June 1, 2023 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[ML89]

35 minutes ago, Pixie Styx said:

Same here. I assumed the snow globe was a reference to the finale of St. Elsewhere, which famously suggested the entire show was a product of Tommy Westphall's imagination.

Indeed, I'd venture to say, based on that and the Wizard of Oz references, that the entire show was a dream. Ted hasn't been away for three years -- he gets out of the car with one suitcase and is returning home after a shorter trip, still married to Michelle. (If you need in-show theories, he went to interview for the Richmond job but turned it down.)

Having experienced in his dream what it would be like to let things go and deal with his demons, he'll use that in his life in Kansas going forward.

I also thought that future could be a dream - nice St Elsewhere catch. That could be too.

My reference was Local Hero, except that ending is more ambiguous.

[shapeshifter]

4 Kleenex finale for me.*  

I thought it was the most excellent finale I can recall, in spite of the season being the weakest of the series and weaker than many other shows’ seasons, mostly due to Keeley's Jack relationship going off on a tangent.

 

19 hours ago, tljgator said:

Guess I was the only one who wondered if all the future stuff was a dream since Ted wakes up on the plane as it's landing just as that flash-forward wraps up?

While I too saw that the finale might have all been a dream, and even planned that way from the beginning given the Kansas origin, and:

7 hours ago, Pixie Styx said:

Same here. I assumed the snow globe was a reference to the finale of St. Elsewhere, which famously suggested the entire show was a product of Tommy Westphall's imagination.

Indeed, I'd venture to say, based on that and the Wizard of Oz references, that the entire show was a dream. Ted hasn't been away for three years -- he gets out of the car with one suitcase and is returning home after a shorter trip, still married to Michelle. (If you need in-show theories, he went to interview for the Richmond job but turned it down.)

Having experienced in his dream what it would be like to let things go and deal with his demons, he'll use that in his life in Kansas going forward.

— still, the series also works as a real-life morality play. 
So maybe the "it was all a dream" has a deeper meaning? 
There were a whole lot of life lessons packed into the show.
I can't imagine rewatching, but perhaps some college students will write dissertations about it.

So, bravo on the finale.

*Due to family "fun," didn’t watch until Thursday morning.

Edited June 1, 2023 by shapeshifter

[lasu]

I overall loved this show, but there were some things I ended up very puzzled over:

• Beard marrying his abusive girlfriend.  He was in an abusive relationship, and they tried to make it cute.  No.
• Michelle realizing her boyfriend was a dweeb because of his immatureness during the final game.  No.  The problem was that he was an unethical predator, not that he was a doofus.  While I hated the therapist character, I doubt he would have been so emotionally blind in that room.  And they still never labeled this as the abusive relationship it ALSO was.
• The whole Danny turns insane storyline.  I suppose it was just to get the Zorro payoff, but it wasn't worth it.  Yet another abusive relationship - Danny, from what it sounds like, purposely hit him in the face and broke his nose, causing him real trauma.  You can't make up for that with a mask.  It's like breaking my legs and getting me bejeweled crutches.  I would have preferred you not cause me to need crutches in the first place. It ruined Danny's character for me. 
• Roy being a manipulative fuck towards Jaime to get him to lay off Keeley.  That was AWFUL.  I've loved Roy, so much, but between that, asking Keeley who the video was for, and then making sure Jaime knew he had recently slept with Keeley, he was awful.  And again, the show didn't even acknowledge that Roy playing on Jaime's need for his approval as being problematic.
• Jaime telling Roy the video was his.  Jaime had done so well through out the whole storyline - it really showed his growth.  But then they had him backslide to get back at Roy.  Not a fan of that writing choice.
• No resolution to the love triangle.  If they weren't going to have Roy and Keeley get back together, they should have had a break up that made sense.  When the boys showed up saying she "could" choose, I was 100% hoping for a Reverse Kelly Taylor and she choose BOTH.  I would have been thrilled with a throuple, but I would have also been ok if she had been more clear she was moving on from both of them.
• Jason's acting choice during the musical scene.  I adored the number, but he looked so uncomfortable.  Like he was having to watch his friend's kids do a play.
• Having Rupert have a humanizing moment just before his ultimate takedown. I didn't feel gratified during the WANKER moment - I just felt sad.  Not like he didn't earn it, just that... I don't know - it's a show about compassion.  And they JUST gave me a tiny sliver of reason to feel compassion for Rupert.  It even flickered on Rebecca's face - I honestly thought she was going to go and have A Moving Talk with him, but instead, that was just the end of him.
• On the same note, I thought when he came striding (and limping??) on and off the field, Nate would somehow do something.  Don't ask me what, just not the staring as Rupert went by each time.  It was odd.

I'm actually fine with Nate.  I don't think he is redeemed, nor do I think she show expects us to think he is.  I think he's on a PATH of redemption.  Other shows would have had him as the new coach.  Last we saw him he was the assistant kit man.  (Correction - assistant TO the kit man!)

Another thing I really liked that I barely caught - when Rebecca came to the airport, Ted something like it was a rom-com meet-cute, and I thought, "what?  No, do you now know what a meet-cute is?"  Only to have it end up being a meet-cute with the Dutch guy.  That was well played.

I really enjoyed this show as a whole.  I enjoyed the finale quite a bit overall - I laughed and teared up both.  But a lot of the things I listed above - I feel like there was a lot of abuse in this show that was never labeled as abuse and that's a big deal to me.

[tennisgurl]

I cant lie, I was on the verge of tears throughout the whole episode, but what really got me was when the whole team putting together the Believe sign all together. I especially love the call backs and meaningfulness of many of where many of the players took out their parts of the sign out of. Sam had his behind his picture of the Nigerian national team, Colin had it in his shin guards, Isaac had it in his captain armband, and Jamie had it in his copy of The Beautiful and the Damned that Ted gave him to read way back at the start of the series. I think it was a perfect way to show how much Ted has positively affected the people around him and how much everyone has grown. Ted might be leaving Richmond, but his legacy lives on. 

[kwnyc]

One delicious callback I noticed was that when McAdoo was set to take the penalty shot, Leslie moved his body protectively in front of his wife. Leslie still hasn't gotten over that McAdoo shattered the window of his office and made him spill tea all over himself.

[iMonrey]

I mostly liked the finale, although I thought the "So long, farewell" musical number was a real jump the shark moment. They could have pulled off something similar but that particular song/performance felt wildly out of place for the team to choose.

My main grievance, I guess, is the note Ted left on the manuscript, suggesting a name change because "it was never about him." I know that was meant to be very meta, in that the show in general was never "really" about Ted, but those he affected around him. Well - that may well have been Jason Sudeikis's take on the story, but that certainly wasn't the case in the first two seasons. For most of this season I felt like Ted was just a minor supporting character, and the stars were Rebecca, Nate, Roy and Keeley. It was just odd.

Quote

it's painfully obvious that Sudeikis was in over his head as show runner and Bill Lawrence was the one responsible for most of the magic. 

They clearly had different visions for the show. And that's fine, but as Judge Judy always says, "Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining." Don't tell me Season 3 was the same as the first two seasons. It reminds me of Bill Hader insisting Barry was never meant to be a comedy. Well, then why did you make the first two seasons so funny? Likewise, if Ted Lasso was never meant to be about Ted, then why were the first two seasons about Ted?

Quote

I never ever got a romantic vibe from Rebecca and Ted, not for a second, so I don't even understand how people are so upset or feel betrayed. But the heart wants what it wants, I guess.

I never wanted them paired romantically either, but I did feel like the finale was practically trolling the Ted/Rebecca shippers. The opening with them waking up in the same house was just a tease. The heartfelt conversation they had in the stadium where she begs him to stay. Her showing up at the airport. I half expected her to get on the plane. They really kept baiting the audience with it.

I think there needed to be a scene with Ted seriously considering Rebecca's offer, at least discussing it with Michelle and Henry and deciding whether or not it was a good move. Aside from Henry, there didn't seem to be anything in the States waiting for Ted, whereas everything he loved was right there at Richmond. It's kind of like the show decided very early on it would end with Ted going home but by the time they got there it really didn't make a lot of sense.

[Schweedie]

3 hours ago, BUGGAL said:

I'd chalk that up more to the difference between being,42 and 47 rather than any character choice.

Could be, of course, but I felt the same way about much of Sudeikis' acting in this episode. Ted just seemed off. Whether that was a character choice or Sudeikis just being tapped out himself, Ted's spark just wasn't quite there.

56 minutes ago, lasu said:

 

• Roy being a manipulative fuck towards Jaime to get him to lay off Keeley.  That was AWFUL.  I've loved Roy, so much, but between that, asking Keeley who the video was for, and then making sure Jaime knew he had recently slept with Keeley, he was awful.  And again, the show didn't even acknowledge that Roy playing on Jaime's need for his approval as being problematic.
• Jaime telling Roy the video was his.  Jaime had done so well through out the whole storyline - it really showed his growth.  But then they had him backslide to get back at Roy.  Not a fan of that writing choice.

A day later, this is still the thing that bothers me the most. Roy is a lot of things, but he's not manipulative. Like you say, Roy KNOWS his approval and friendship is important to Jamie and he outright used that, planned on using that from the moment he asked Jamie to hang out. It's ugly and I hate it - I would've felt better about it if he/the show had acknowledged afterwards how fucked up and manipulative that was and apologised, but nope. I keep thinking of when Brett Goldstein was on a talk show and said that from a writer's perspective he could get a bit protective of Roy as a character, and sometimes in the writer's room when someone suggested something he'd go "Roy wouldn't fucking say that". And yet somehow, he let them have Roy do this shit.

And then Jamie responds in turn, which, okay, he's probably taken aback by this when he was just expecting a friendly hangout and they were just having a nice moment, but still, the guy who went and apologised to Keeley so genuinely about that video wouldn't use it to get back at Roy.

I know growth and progress isn't linear and Roy and Jamie seem to be back on good terms after Keeley kicks them out, but it's not just regression here, it's being completely out of character.

14 minutes ago, kwnyc said:

One delicious callback I noticed was that when McAdoo was set to take the penalty shot, Leslie moved his body protectively in front of his wife. Leslie still hasn't gotten over that McAdoo shattered the window of his office and made him spill tea all over himself.

I didn't notice that! That's a good one. I remember thinking when that window moment happened that they should figure out a way to harness a shot that powerful, but I didn't see the ball going through the net coming. 

[mledawn]

I definitely spent the last minutes of the episode crying thanks to the Cat Stevens tune, but overall was satisfied. Better than I had hoped but not jaw droppingly amazing. Which is fine.

Some thoughts…

Roy singing along to “So Long, Farewell” was great.

Keeley walking into the clubhouse to The Stone Roses’ “Waterfall” was a lovely soundtrack, as was the cover (by whom?) of The Cure’s “In Between Days” as the Richmond game started.

Ted’s ”You stay put Trenthouse Magazine” to Trent when he went to leave Ted’s office made me laugh.

Rebecca’s bad date being the one who got beaned in the face was perfect and then Barbara being excited about blood at the game…chef’s kiss. 

The crowd jeering after Rupert shoves the West Ham coach,  “Hey ref, there’s three balls on the field” and the ref restarting the game with, “George, put them away” (and the coach does tuck them in his shorts).

So happy to see Dr Sharon rooting along!

In the end, the Nate resolution was fine but I still am not a fan of the storyline execution. No fault to Nick as he did a fantastic job with his role.

Going to miss this show but happy enough with the ending.

Edit re: Linekar - I just saw him doing a sort of chat show and he talked about the time he shit himself on the field while playing for England vs Ireland in an International match. It is hilarious (obviously) but to see him pop up in the intro set me off laughing.

 

Edited June 1, 2023 by mledawn
Adding v important Gary Linekar info

[Lady Calypso]

17 minutes ago, Schweedie said:

A day later, this is still the thing that bothers me the most. Roy is a lot of things, but he's not manipulative. Like you say, Roy KNOWS his approval and friendship is important to Jamie and he outright used that, planned on using that from the moment he asked Jamie to hang out. It's ugly and I hate it - I would've felt better about it if he/the show had acknowledged afterwards how fucked up and manipulative that was and apologised, but nope. I keep thinking of when Brett Goldstein was on a talk show and said that from a writer's perspective he could get a bit protective of Roy as a character, and sometimes in the writer's room when someone suggested something he'd go "Roy wouldn't fucking say that". And yet somehow, he let them have Roy do this shit.

And then Jamie responds in turn, which, okay, he's probably taken aback by this when he was just expecting a friendly hangout and they were just having a nice moment, but still, the guy who went and apologised to Keeley so genuinely about that video wouldn't use it to get back at Roy.

I know growth and progress isn't linear and Roy and Jamie seem to be back on good terms after Keeley kicks them out, but it's not just regression here, it's being completely out of character.

I agree with this. There was NO need to insert this Roy vs Jamie plot for the finale, not even for Roy going to the Diamond Dogs for advice. Even if Roy admits it was a setback, it made both of them look terrible.

This and Beard marrying Jane were two major dampers on the finale.

[Jeddah]

17 hours ago, lasu said:

As an NCSU fan, I've loved the Valvano poster in Ted's office since episode one!!

Sorry, absolutely couldn't resist, I'm just being cheeky, I promise. And I'll fully admit I was hoping they would have Ted run around the field trying to find someone to hug, a la Valvano after the '83 championship. Even though I'm a State fan, I do have a ton of respect for Smith unlike some *other* former head couches 'round here. 

Same to you! I have nothing but respect for Valvano! You’re right that should have had Ted run around like that!

[MicheleinPhilly]

I've had a lot of issues with this season overall but I thought the finale was just terrific. A great send-off for one of my favorite shows in recent memory. 

I don't care who got together with whom and who didn't. This show was never a romantic comedy. It was a story about broken people fixing themselves and fixing each other. 

I'll forever be grateful to have had this through the last 3, tremendously awful years. It was such a bright light. 

[ML89]

17 hours ago, Quickbeam said:

I’ve now watched this twice….Jane looked pregnant at the Stonehenge wedding. That didn’t seem necessary or advance the story at all. I liked the football scenes…the rest was just ok. 

The wedding officiant said something about her having one of "God's own creatures" or something like that - definitely pregnant.

[kwnyc]

I realize that the wedding scene would have been better if TED had been the officiant. Who wouldn't want Ted to celebrate their wedding? And as weird and toxic as Beard and Jane are together, it's their choice to be together. Beard is a very strange man and would probably be bored in a more traditional relationship.

(Also loved the bit at the very beginning where Jane was wearing one of Rebecca's blazers as a dress!)

[Mrs. Stanwyck]

Quote

Didn’t love that Nate never really had to deal with the consequences of his actions.

I was okay with it because he was willing to live with the consequences of his actions.  He didn't expect or ask to go back to Richmond.  He was perfectly aware that he was the one who messed up and that he didn't deserve to go back there after the way he behaved.  He was back through the grace of others and he was truly humble in his return as "assistant to the kit man".

Can't find the quote but someone mentioned that most pilots don't take their kids to work so it was unlikely that he would have his daughter there.  As the child of a retired flight attendant, I know for a fact that a lot of times employees wear their uniforms when travelling for personal reasons.  Being in uniform allows you to ride the jump seat which increases your ability to get on planes when travelling space available.    

I'm good with the ending.  The vagueness of some of it allows you to choose your ending.  If you wanted Ted to get back with Michelle, you can assume they did.  If you didn't want Ted to do that, you can assume they are just co-parenting.  I am choosing to believe Roy works through his issues with Dr. Sharon and he and Keely eventually get back together.  I will miss these people!

[dovegrey]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I think there needed to be a scene with Ted seriously considering Rebecca's offer, at least discussing it with Michelle and Henry and deciding whether or not it was a good move. Aside from Henry, there didn't seem to be anything in the States waiting for Ted, whereas everything he loved was right there at Richmond. It's kind of like the show decided very early on it would end with Ted going home but by the time they got there it really didn't make a lot of sense.

On my end, I've never gotten the sense that Ted bonded with London or its culture. He certainly loved the team and Richmond staff, but the show often went out of its way to show Ted being miserable, across all the seasons, when he wasn't at work or doing work stuff. He wasn't shown to develop meaningful friendships outside of work (and I would include the pub as being work-adjacent). He didn't appear to come to like the food (or tea) (or water) (which can seem small and silly but can be the biggest drivers of homesickness, and, for Ted, was illustrated rather well, IMO, when he found the US-themed restaurant - I felt homesick). He wasn't shown to have non-football interests or hobbies. He wasn't even shown to have a real interest in football, to be honest. When he was at home in his flat, he was almost always shown to be alone and aimless. Besides work relationships, there didn't seem to be anything in the UK for Ted. Meanwhile, other characters were given plenty of non-Richmond interests and adventures, and I interpreted that to be intentional, and I always saw Ted as generally miserable and hollow. Will that change in the US? Maybe not, but it seems like he's worked on himself enough to be a father to his son, without uprooting his son's entire life for a job. But I love that this silly feel-good dramedy can generate so many different perspectives and introspections. :)

[braziliangirl]

1 hour ago, dovegrey said:

On my end, I've never gotten the sense that Ted bonded with London or its culture. He certainly loved the team and Richmond staff, but the show often went out of its way to show Ted being miserable, across all the seasons, when he wasn't at work or doing work stuff. He wasn't shown to develop meaningful friendships outside of work (and I would include the pub as being work-adjacent). He didn't appear to come to like the food (or tea) (or water) (which can seem small and silly but can be the biggest drivers of homesickness, and, for Ted, was illustrated rather well, IMO, when he found the US-themed restaurant - I felt homesick). He wasn't shown to have non-football interests or hobbies. He wasn't even shown to have a real interest in football, to be honest. When he was at home in his flat, he was almost always shown to be alone and aimless. Besides work relationships, there didn't seem to be anything in the UK for Ted. Meanwhile, other characters were given plenty of non-Richmond interests and adventures, and I interpreted that to be intentional, and I always saw Ted as generally miserable and hollow. Will that change in the US? Maybe not, but it seems like he's worked on himself enough to be a father to his son, without uprooting his son's entire life for a job. But I love that this silly feel-good dramedy can generate so many different perspectives and introspections. :)

That's how i saw it too.

I agree that jason's acting was more subdued in this episode (and, mostly, in the season). But what I took is that in season 1 Ted appeared extremely happy to almost everyone but was deeply conflicted inside of himself. His sadness didn't appear to the other characters in general. His panic attacks were also about that.

Season 3 Ted can be sad and angry. Happy too. To me it felt like he was less of a caricature and more truer to what he was experiencing: happy but also bittersweet. But the show let a lot things open...so I don't know. Maybe I'm overreaching.

Edited June 1, 2023 by braziliangirl

[Ilovepie]

2 hours ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

I've had a lot of issues with this season overall but I thought the finale was just terrific. A great send-off for one of my favorite shows in recent memory. 

I don't care who got together with whom and who didn't. This show was never a romantic comedy. It was a story about broken people fixing themselves and fixing each other. 

I'll forever be grateful to have had this through the last 3, tremendously awful years. It was such a bright light. 

Summed it up perfectly. I loved it. This show is a lovely gift. I will miss these characters so much, but what a sweet ending.

Leslie summed the whole show up: Ask for help and try to be better, and that is what all of the main characters represent, including Ted.

[tennisgurl]

Looking at the episode, the season, and the whole show, I have had my issues with this season but overall I loved it just like I loved the show overall. I mostly loved the finale, even if there were a few things I would have changed:

The Roy/Keeley/Jamie stuff seemed pointless, and even worse it set Roy and Jamie back a few steps after they have made so much process. At least they realized quickly that they were being stupid and Keeley shut the door in their faces, then just went back to normal. I think its weird that we never got resolution for who Keeley ends up with, I was sure that she had gotten back together with Roy, but then they decided they weren't together for some reason. If I had one big issue with the season at large it was how they handled Keeley, her breakup with Roy was stupid and her story with her own office kept her too far away from the rest of the characters and just meandered around. 

I've just come to terms with Nate becoming a good guy again even if I wish that it had gone a different way. It feels like we never really dug into his issues fully and he never got close to making amends for what he did. He at least apologized to Ted at last, even if I still don't buy that everyone would be so quick to forgive him. 

So did the flashforwards actually happen? I was happy with most of them but I cant imagine Beard getting married without Ted as best man. 

Overall though, we had more good than we had bad:

Loved all of the callbacks, Ted doing the running man, Jamie doing Ted's "gimmie the ball" play he talked about back in the first season, Zava sending the team a giant avocado, Ted running into the same guy at the airport that he met in the pilot, it really felt like we came full circle. 

I cant help but notice that Dr. Jerkoff Jacob wasn't around in the last few scenes with Michelle and Henry and that the two of them were getting pretty annoyed with him as he was being a dick during the big game. I don't know if I want Michelle and Ted to get back together, but I definitely want her to dump Dr. Jacob.

Colin finally got to kiss his fella on the field with everyone else! 

Beard has triple citizenship, including at Vatican City! And he threw water on himself and did a Wicked Witch of the West death, just in time for Ted to go home to Kansas!

Its such a romcom ending for Rebecca to run into the Flying Dutchman, I love it. I was so hoping that they would end up finding each other again somehow so I was not disappointed. I know that Ted/Rebecca has a lot of fans but I never got the romantic vibe between them.

[Mindthinkr]

I have mixed feelings; especially after reading all of your posts. I cried at parts in the last episode. Not because they made me sad or overly happy. Somehow so much just seemed satisfying. I said so much. Not everything. 

[Ilovepie]

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

Beard has triple citizenship, including at Vatican City! And he threw water on himself and did a Wicked Witch of the West death, just in time for Ted to go home to Kansas!

It's a country Beh-Bay!!!

But OMG I did not make that wizard the oz reference and that's hilarious! Between The Darkness tank/thong at the beginning and getting married in the crazy pants from the Beard After Hours episode he was spectacular this episode.

[Trillium]

On Reddit Brendan did a AMA. Nothing too shocking but does clear up a few points. It is interesting and with the read.
 

They legit do not know if they will continue in some way. But for now they are taking a break for a while. It may be permanent, it may not.

When asked why Roy and Jamie seemed to regress and fight about Keeley…he says a few things about it but his first point is “men are dumb” Fair enough! 
 

 

Edited June 1, 2023 by Trillium

[debraran]

19 hours ago, QQQQ said:

Jason Sudeikis just seemed checked out in the finale. If this had been the only episode I'd watched (which wouldn't make sense, I know), I'd think Coach Ted Lasso really didn't care one way or the other about leaving. It wasn't even a sense of he's putting on a brave face. It was just... an emptiness.

I thought it was just me, was that him "removed"? Even with Nate, Beard, etc. he hardly showed any emotion. I doubt it was the actor just tired but I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought that. I thought with Rebecca, he let her talk and stayed quiet because his mind was made up but, yes very distant at certain times. (not game)

[Capricasix]

3 hours ago, kwnyc said:

Also loved the bit at the very beginning where Jane was wearing one of Rebecca's blazers as a dress!

As a fellow short girl, I totally got that 😄

[Athena]

 

On 5/31/2023 at 10:41 AM, Good Queen Jane said:

To me, the finale was perfect. So many great moments, so many call backs, so many plotlines resolved. But the best part was when all the players pulled out the pieces of the Believe sign they had been carrying around and put it back together. Unrealistic as hell, but let's face it, the whole show was unrealistic. The main reason I loved this show was that it showed a gentler, happier, quirkier existence than could ever really exist.

While not perfect compared to say "The Good Place", I agree with you that this show's gentleness and quirkyness is why I love it. Someone said before that the show is a fairy tale and I agree that it's more fantasy than real life. In fact, most sitcoms have these elements. Romcoms especially have this magical realism aspect and this season leaned much harder into that. I really like this show and while I found S3 the most flawed, I liked a lot of what didn't work for others including Nate and Jade. I think both those actors did the best with what they were given.

 

23 hours ago, QQQQ said:

Jason Sudeikis just seemed checked out in the finale. If this had been the only episode I'd watched (which wouldn't make sense, I know), I'd think Coach Ted Lasso really didn't care one way or the other about leaving. It wasn't even a sense of he's putting on a brave face. It was just... an emptiness.

This brings me to my main quibble for the finale because he was flat in this episode. Sudeikis showed he could be involved and into it like the the end of the last episode. He was only vulnerable with his mother and Michelle this season. In the past, he was able to be that way a bit with Rebecca and Dr Sharon. He doesn't need to be having panic attacks to talk to people emotionally.

I do agree that Ted never seemed truly at home in the UK and his personal journey was to get help with therapy (like Roy at the end) and be a more committed father. Henry is getting to the age that Ted was when he lost his dad and it was important for Ted be there for Henry.

Still, he seemed so aloof and a bit too removed from everything and everyone.

I also did not find any romantic chemistry between Rebecca and Ted. I really didn't want them together since I'm all for platonic work and friendships. However, shipping is personal and you like what you like so I feel them because the writers did troll them this finale.

[shapeshifter]

41 minutes ago, Trillium said:

On Reddit Brendan did a AMA. Nothing too shocking but does clear up a few points. It is interesting and with the read . . .
https://www.reddit.com/r/TedLasso/comments/13xllge/im_brendan_hunt_cocreator_of_ted_lasso_and_coach/?utm_source=embedv2&utm_medium=post_embed&utm_content=post_title&embed_host_url=https://forums.primetimer.com/index.php

 

Thanks for posting this, @Trillium!
Brendan Hunt did at least confirm that the wedding was not a dream, so I guess my (and others') theory that most of the show was a dream (like the snow globe at the ending of St. Elsewhere and like Dorothy going back to Kansas after the land of Oz) is not what they were going for:

• "In the final episode of season 3, is the Beard & Jane wedding a dream sequence of Ted’s? Or is it real?" (link to this Reddit post)
  • "Real" (link to reply by RealCoachBeard)

And, when asked:

• Did you see Ted's ending as ambiguous or unambiguous? (link to this Reddit post)

  • Unambiguous (link to reply by RealCoachBeard)

 But, hey, a viewer can "dream."😉

And, just for fun:

• "How did Beard get a Vatican citizenship??" (link to this Reddit post)
  • "God’s will" (link to reply by RealCoachBeard)

Also, Brendan Hunt partially addresses the controversy surrounding Michelle's therapist here.

[Capricasix]

2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Flying Dutchman

That is f*cking brilliant 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

25 minutes ago, Athena said:

Still, he seemed so aloof and a bit too removed from everything and everyone.

I also did not find any romantic chemistry between Rebecca and Ted and I really didn't want them together since I'm all for platonic work and friendships. However, shipping is personal and you like what you like so I feel them because the writers did troll them this finale.

100% this.

It almost felt like the writing & production crew were making it personal how hard they trolled the Tedbecca stans.  Between the opening scene (before Beard & Jane joined them), Rebecca's pretty much outright begging him to stay like two or three times, the 'rom-communism' trope of their last shared scene at the airport.  Plus adding in all the easy-to-misinterpret hints and 'clues' to a possible Ted/Rebecca endgame through out this last season - as well as the infamous "Ted & Rebecca are texting each other on Bantr!" fake out from S2 - and its not hard to understand why the hardcore Tedbecca fans are unhappy.

It honestly was kinda cruel, the fake outs. ' Lucy always pulling the football away at the last second on Charlie Brown' kinda trolling.

[DEL901]

From a q&a with Brendan Hunt linked in the media thread….omg, omg.  I didn’t even realize this.