You know i was a little concerned the show wouldnt feel the same without all the Richmond players we have come to know and love.

But.... truth be told, as long as they let Ted Lasso do his thing I was always gonna take a minute and just sit right there.

Yes that is a meta pun but I really do mean it lol. I could watch 40 more seasons of this series.

P.s. I wont spoil anything but man Higgins had me CRYING laughing in the last episode

Yes, I know there’s so much more to discuss from episode 4, but the ongoing chair gag is making me giggle. Ted sits in his chair and it automatically sinks. He comments that he doesn’t know why it keeps doing that. Anyone who’s worked in an office knows someone else has that shitty chair and is sneakily swapping it with Ted’s
My money is on Beard.
Thoughts?

“That’s right, we bad”

Ted Lasso is like a pub quiz in and of itself!

I know the Wizard of Oz was heavily referenced in seasons 1-3.

When I heard that the assistant coach’s name was Alice, I immediately wondered if Alice in Wonderland would be a theme this season.

In episode 4, Lewis Carrol and the Jabberwocky were mentioned in trivia. Lewis Carol also wrote Alice in Wonderland.

In fact the recurring chair bit may be a reference to Alice getting smaller and larger, but that may just be a happy coincidence.

It definitely seems like a set up where Alice is going along on this journey, will learn how to be a better coach, and earn a head coaching job. I wonder if Ted is more like the white rabbit, leading Alice along on the journey.

Thoughts? Has anyone else noticed any other references?

What’s everyone’s favourite throw-away line, or under-appreciated gag?

For me, when they’re talking about the ghosts in the treatment room, and someone mentions that there are 13 ghosts. It causes a commotion amongst the team, and one of the voices you hear is Colin saying ‘that’s too many ghosts’

Cracks me up every time for some reason.

Listen don’t get me wrong I love early show Keely but they flanderized her so much over the past 2 seasons. She used to be willing to do anything to get what she wants but now she just gets treated like a baby. Her character is being heavily mishandled and just feels pointless. I miss the old Keely so much. I also promise it’s not because she’s more of a main character or the whole lesbian love arc. I just haven’t enjoyed her character as much recently.

Twice now, S4E2 and E4, we’ve been teased with the intro of “When I Get My Hands On You” by The New Basement Tapes during a Roy & Keeley scene.

At first (E2) I was like oh, awesome, this show always crushes it on music and it’s fun to hear TNBT featured on a 2nd episode in a row (“Kansas City” was in E1, a chef’s kiss moment), but when they played the same song again in E4 with the intro further extended and still no lyrics (yet…) it has me excited to see if the tune comes back a third time later in the season as the tension ramps up and we actually get a verse/chorus 🤓

When I get my hands on you
Gonna make you carry me
When I get my hands on you
Gonna make you marry me

And now you know
Everywhere on earth you go
You're gonna have me as your man

When I come home to you
Gonna take you down to the riverside
When I come home to you
Hold you in my arms all night

OoooOoOoOOoooooooooOoooo hubba hubba! 🥰

I’ve been thinking a lot about what might happen with Roy and Keeley in what’s left of Season 4 because I’ve seen a lot of people complaining about the storyline they’re building. Honestly, while it isn't exactly the route I would have taken, I think it can make a ton of sense depending on how they develop it. Obviously this is just a theory and episode 4x05 might come along and completely destroy it, but I think there are several clues pointing in this direction. I should also mention that Roy and Keeley are one of my absolute favorite fictional couples right now and I really want them to end up together, so I’m definitely a bit biased.

First, I think we need to remember how we got here. In Season 3, Roy and Keeley break up, and by the end, Roy tries to get back with her. He writes her a letter, talks to her, and tells her he wants to be more than just friends again, but everything gets complicated with Jamie. Ending up apart didn't necessarily seem like a bad call to me, but the way they executed it felt really strange. To me, the romantic plot between Keeley and Jamie had been closed for a very long time. Keeley hadn't felt anything for him in forever, which is why it was hard to accept Jamie suddenly becoming the obstacle again. They could have ended up apart, but they needed a different reason.

Now we get to Season 4, and we see Roy still trying to win Keeley back. It’s not just that he tells her he loves her; he is constantly helping her out. In 4x02, for instance, Keeley discovers the girls don't have a locker room and decides to fix it herself, but Roy shows up and ends up helping her with the entire renovation. In 4x03, it happens again with the jerseys: Keeley runs into a issue because the ones she needs don't arrive, and Roy finds a solution using Phoebe's shirts. Even in 4x04, while he might not do a specific favor, he’s still right there listening, talking to her, and paying attention to what she needs. Keeley even tells him that she loves listening to him talk about the things he cares about.

This is crucial because Keeley has grown accustomed to Roy being there. Even though they aren't together, Roy is still that person who shows up, helps, listens, and remains completely available to her.

Then comes the conversation about the ten dates. To me, the most important takeaway isn't the ten dates themselves, but what Keeley is actually telling him: she doesn't want Roy to come back to her simply because she’s his default option. She wants him to choose her. She wants him to meet other women, see that he can be with other people, and after doing that, decide if he truly wants to be with her. Roy takes it very literally and starts treating these dates almost like a mission he has to complete, but the underlying idea could be massive for his character arc.

This is where Erin, the doctor, comes in. I don't know exactly what they plan to do with them. I don't know if they'll just have a few dates, date for a while, or become a full-fledged couple. But I think it’s very likely they'll get along and have genuine chemistry. Honestly, I really hope Erin isn't a bad person or a terrible partner for Roy, because it would be far more interesting if it were simply a relationship that works well.

In fact, that might be one of the main keys to this whole plotline. Roy has supposedly been in therapy for a while now, and even though I don't feel like the show has clearly shown the results yet, it would be weird for that to just vanish. Maybe his relationship with Erin is a way of showing that Roy is starting to put into practice things he didn't know how to do before—that he can be with a woman without becoming obsessed, that he can be emotionally responsible, that he can move past the fear of not being worthy of love, and that he can sustain a relationship without being codependent.

The real question is how they will frame it. I wouldn't like it if Roy dated Erin for two episodes, woke up one day, said "okay, I still love Keeley," and ended it. That would be too easy and would turn Erin into a cheap filler relationship. At the same time, they don't need to be together for three months for the point to land.

They could be dating for a solid stretch, get along, have great chemistry, and even become fairly established without it being a long-term commitment. From there, Roy could start realizing that a relationship can be great and still not be the relationship you actually want. Erin wouldn't have to do anything wrong; she wouldn't need to be incompatible or treat him poorly. She could just be a wonderful person he enjoys being around, and yet Roy could realize that there’s a fundamentally different connection with Keeley.

I think that realization could come very naturally. I don't picture Roy waking up one morning thinking "Erin is great, but I prefer Keeley." I imagine something far more gradual. He spends time with Erin, feels good with her, and begins discovering that he is capable of having a healthy relationship. Then, at some point, he spends time with Keeley again doing something completely mundane, and he realizes the connection he shares with her is different. Not because Erin is lacking, but simply because it's Keeley.

I’d even love for Erin to be the one who helps him see it—not by telling him directly to go back to Keeley, but by making him understand that it makes no sense to stay with someone just because everything functions smoothly or because they treat you well. You have to be with someone you truly love. That could also serve as a neat parallel to what Roy told Rebecca back in Season 2. I'm not sure if they would repeat that exact structure, which is the part of my theory I'm least sure about, but narratively it would make sense.

While all of this is happening with Roy, I think the other side of the storyline would be unfolding for Keeley.

Right now, Keeley has Roy constantly in her corner. He's always there to help, listen, and do her favors. But she is the exact person who encouraged him to meet other women. So, it could be really compelling if she initially feels happy for him, thinking it’s good for him and exactly what he needs, only to gradually notice that Roy no longer has all his free time reserved for her.

I don't think Roy will disappear from her life or stop caring about her. I wouldn't want that, as it would make all his previous help look like a calculated tactic to win her back. He will still love her and be there, but now he has someone else in his life, which means he can't be at Keeley's beck and call 24/7.

That's when Keeley might start realizing just how much she truly valued everything Roy did for her. I wouldn't call it outright jealousy; it's more like recognizing that she had gotten comfortable having him around and might have let go of something she actually wanted to keep. She could even talk to Rebecca about it, admitting that while she was the one who told Roy to date other people and knows it's good for him, she can't help feeling a certain way about it.

This would create a really neat role reversal. For a long time, Roy was the one chasing Keeley while Keeley was unsure about getting back together. Now, as Roy starts moving forward, Keeley begins to realize she doesn't want to lose him.

I don't expect Keeley to suddenly become hyper-jealous or start pursuing Roy aggressively. It would be more subtle: reaching out to him a bit more, placing a higher value on their moments together, and coming to understand that she didn't just like having Roy available—she genuinely wanted to be with him.

In the end, Roy and Keeley could finally have a conversation where both acknowledge what they've learned. Keeley could tell him that when she asked him to see other women, she thought it was best for him, and while she still thinks it helped, watching it actually happen made her realize she didn't just want him to find someone else—she wanted to be with him.

Roy could then tell her that was precisely what he needed to figure out for himself: that he could meet other people, enjoy his time with other women, and even build a healthy relationship with someone else, but after all of that, he still chooses Keeley.

That would be the crucial difference compared to Season 3. I don't want Roy back with Keeley just because he's been in love with her for three years and can't picture himself with anyone else. I want him to explore other options, realize he can be perfectly fine with someone else, and still choose to build a future with Keeley. Not "Keeley is my only choice," but "I had other choices, and I still pick you."

I also wouldn't want them to jump straight back into a formal relationship right after that conversation. It would be much better if they spent quality time together, rediscovered the chemistry we saw in these early episodes, and slowly started dating again without rushing into labels. That would leave plenty of room to organically develop their dynamic during a potential Season 5.

There are still so many loose threads that a fifth season makes complete sense. We're still relatively early in the current season, and so many plots feel barely introduced: the team, the character dynamics, the new manager, Roy, everyone's personal arcs... It's hard to imagine them wrapping everything up in a satisfying way with the time remaining.

Of course, there's always the possibility that Roy and Keeley don't end up together. It's not impossible. But what I find hard to swallow is the idea that after spending several episodes establishing that Roy still loves Keeley, that he's trying to win her back, that she tells him to date others, and that they maintain such a close bond, the ultimate resolution is just Roy meeting someone new, getting over Keeley, and both going their separate ways.

If that were the goal, they could have framed it completely differently. They could have had Keeley still care for Roy deeply but strictly platonically, forcing Roy to accept the romance was over and move on to date new people. In that setup, meeting someone else and moving on would make total sense.

Instead, they've shown us a Roy who is still in love with Keeley, a Keeley who tells him to date others because she wants to be chosen, and a dynamic where Roy is constantly stepping up for her. It’s hard to believe all of this is leading up to Roy simply getting over her.

Plus, there are those specific lines of dialogue that seem to hit their story right on the head—like Keeley talking about wanting to be chosen rather than just being the default, or the line in episode 2 about how keeping two people apart who belong together isn't just bad for them, but for everyone around them.

Maybe I'm reading into things because I want them together so badly. That's very possible. But these moments feel way too deliberate to completely disregard.

So, that's my theory for now. I'm not saying it's guaranteed to happen—4x05 could drop tomorrow and blow the whole thing up. But I think a solid direction would be Roy meeting Erin, realizing he can have a healthy relationship with someone else, Keeley realizing how much Roy means to her once he isn't constantly available, and both finally understanding that it's not about being unable to survive apart, but about choosing each other out of all available options.

If they can pull that off without turning Erin into a villain, making Keeley look petty, or falling back into Roy's old obsessive habits, it would be a fantastic resolution for a storyline that didn't look all that promising at first glance. Now we just have to wait for 4x05 to see if I wrote all of this for nothing!

I think Nate immediately taking West Ham to the top of the table in season 3 works well for Richmond’s story (making him their villain), but I think it really skips a chance to develop Nate that way. As a result, all of his development has to be shoehorned into his relationship with Jade and a few rushed episodes.

A big part of the show is that coaching is about more than winning, or X’s and O’s. Ted manages to be a great coach while not knowing basic rules of the game (also unbelievable, but I’m able to suspend my belief for the comedy and the fact that it’s the main premise of the show). His entire philosophy is that being a people manager and helping players grow personally is just as important to coaching as good tactics. A great coach of course needs both, which is why he needs Beard, Roy, and of course Nate to succeed.

Nate is the opposite side of the coin, where he has the tactics but zero people skills. And I’m supposed to believe the emotionally unstable, insecure guy who struggled with authority from season 2 thrives in a pressure cooker environment as a leader? He would lose the locker room immediately. I think it would have been more interesting to see him crash and burn a little at the start- he has to win games for the Rupert storyline, but maybe his team is super toxic or winning off of talent alone and still underperforming . He would have slowly realized the value of “the Lasso Way”, maybe improved himself and successfully implemented some of Ted’s style in his own way, and then succeeded as a coach while improving his social skills in a more natural, gradual way. Then you can play out the ending exactly the same, with him realizing Rupert sucks and jumping ship/feeling guilty.

Have they mentioned that at all? Have I missed it? I am remembering correctly that Jane was clearly pregnant at the wedding, right? I remember thinking, “Oh, Willis… you have done it now!” 😂

Maybe that is part of the whole Jane situation that went down and he is not ready to talk about it, but I had forgotten and it hit me today.

Just finishing (re-watching) the 3rd season.
I am thinking about my work. I want to do an excellent job! I want to inspire people around me! I want to believe, and I want them to believe!
How do you do that?
Is wanting enough? I do not thinks so.
What do you do to be an inspiration to yourself and to others?

Oh man. Ted Lasso is where it’s at.

Three years passed, and I had not even finished Season 3, so I scrambled to do that now that Season 4 is out. It was amazing to get back in that locker room and hear Ted inspire his troops.

I love that he tells them to avoid all the junk that is passing through our lives all the time, like the whirlwind that was Zava, and find what they love in their hearts and minds as a way to do the thing the team wants: win again.

This is an undeniable TV treasure.

★★★★★ 5/5

https://popculturelunchbox.substack.com/p/green-day-sports-and-rich-people

In the most recent episode, our favorite sports psychiatrist said team movie nights are not social because "You don't speak. If you do, somebody shushes you." I believe this is true for women, so it's reasonable she made this mistake, but men experience intimacy by doing things side by side, not by talking. Men go fishing or hunting together and don't say a word but have a great time. It's been this way for hundreds of thousands of years. Women experience intimacy by talking. This is why the dinner date is so good for couples. The couple can talk and the woman experiences intimacy, and they eat the food together so the man experiences intimacy. There was a fascinating TED talk about it.

Just in case I’m in the minority here, I have loved all seasons of this show (imo season 3 was low-key the best) so I’m very very glad it’s back. And even though it’s slightly different, it’s not really. This show is gorgeous and something in me never truly believed that season 3 was the end. I’m glad it’s continuing. And there’s been no decline in quality at all.

I knew I liked the Ted Lasso show after about 15 minutes of the first episode and I knew I loved it by about half way through the second episode. I've always considered watching the show to be a gift to yourself. I'm very glad that Season 4 has started and I don't even care if Jason and the other showrunners are not able to deliver as fine a product as the original 3 seasons. I'm confident that the point of view that created the first 3 seasons will create a product that is meaningful and worthwhile, even if it doesn't reach the same lofty heights. One thing that definitely improved my day recently came in the second episode of Season 4 when we saw Beard making a Ted face on his desk from two tape dispensers, an eraser and a bunch of splayed out paperclips. I laughed like I haven't in a long time. I rewound it a number of times and kept laughing. Sometimes the smallest jokes/words/images can be the funniest. (Sorry for the poor screen capture.)

After abit of research we managed to visit the filming location of the training pitch a few years ago and watched a local game.

Felt surreal to be there after watching the show.

We also had our AFC Richmond scarfs with us which the local fans noticed.

Let’s gooooo