We’re back from the holidays, and the Greyhounds are back on the pitch. This week, Rebecca continues her Bantr journey, Nate goes through some assertion training, and Roy Kent gets roped into a Ted Lasso scheme.
Spoilers for ‘Ted Lasso’ episode 5 ahead!
Rebecca Is Still Searching for Love
Our favorite team owner is still on a quest for love … but things seem to be looking up. After some nudging from Keeley, Rebecca is all about Bantr but still keeping her other apps open on the side. A girl still needs all her options. However, whoever Rebecca has matched with on the anonymous app is hitting all the correct buttons. He’s quoted the great Austrian poet Rilke and is ready to dive into some deep conversation, skipping the tiresome small talk.
Interestingly enough, Rebecca is keeping her football club owning status a secret; is it a good or bad move? The jury is certainly still in session, but I think it’s a good call. Whoever is on the other end of that Bantr chat is going to be in for a fun surprise if they ever take this to the next level …
Isaac McAdoo is Back!
If we’ve noticed one thing, it’s that new team captain Isaac McAdoo has been a little bit off this season. At the beginning of this episode, he’s very clear in his disappointment with the team’s performance that week as they watch the tapes. Both Ted and Dr. Sharon notice, too. As always, Ted’s got the perfect plan, and it involves everyone’s favorite retiree, Roy Kent.
He’s Every-f*cking-where, Roy Kent!
So far this season, a now-retired Roy has been a little … wayward. He coached Phoebe’s soccer team, then let Keeley talk him into becoming a football pundit, but is all that really what Roy wants? According to him, it is. That is, until Ted needs some help.
Roy is, of course, hesitant about helping Ted in the first place, but it’s for Isaac, so he begrudgingly agrees as he realizes his sacred kebab place is no longer sacred now that Ted knows about it.
At the request of Ted, Roy helps Isaac get his mojo back by making him remember why he wanted to play football in the first place. “Go back out there and have some f*cking fun.” While Roy’s plan to jumpstart Isaac’s love of the game works wonders for the Greyhounds captain, it also seems to work some magic on Roy himself. However, that night when Ted pours his heart out to Roy, saying that he wants him to join the coaching staff, Roy refuses.
When Saturday rolls around, Roy is already fed up with his co-anchors before the show even gets going. He quits on the air, walking off with an emotional farewell to Jeff, and goes to where he knows he belongs — the AFC Richmond facilities.
Met with an eruption of cheers as he makes his way onto the field, Roy accepts the coaching job and stands alongside his Richmond team once again. But, one of the coaches doesn’t seem too pleased with the new addition …
Roy’s arc this season has been even better than I’d hoped. Between improving communication with Keeley and being an all-around badass uncle, I think it suffices to say Roy may have now found his post-football player calling. With him rejoining the Greyhounds, we know that some hilarity is set to ensue. However, will there be some bad blood between the newest coach and his former nemesis Jamie Tartt?
Nate Kicks Things up a Notch
Oh Nate, what is going on this year? Nate has straight-up not been having a good time lately, and this episode really centered around him and his struggles. So far, we’ve seen Nate be a little bit too hard on the new kit manager, Will, and this episode gave a little more insight into the reasoning behind that.
It’s Nate’s parents’ 35th wedding anniversary, and he wants to get them the window seat at a restaurant. However, the restaurant doesn’t take reservations for their sole window table. He asks Keeley to help him get famous (famous enough to be worthy of a window table reservation), but Keeley tells him that’s absolutely the last thing he wants. Is it though?
Keeley and Rebecca spin Nate into shape with a few practice runs, and damn it he does get his parents that window seat for their dinner. Way to go, Nate! As the anniversary night unfolds, we do see a little into Nate’s family life, and while his mother seems like a warm and welcoming person, his father is definitely a hard win. Is Nate’s quest for fame based on wanting to impress his father? The response after his father gives him the most minute nod of approval certainly makes it seem that way.
On Saturday, Nate shows up on game day in a brand new suit ready to wow whoever is looking on. He’s still carrying that confidence boost from anniversary night, too. But, when Roy walks onto the pitch and takes his place among the coaches, Nate looks almost threatened. Will Roy take away the thunder Nate had just begun to roll in?
Top Ted-isms of the Week
“I believe in communism … rom-communism, that is.”
“Fairytales do not start nor do they end in the dark forest, that son of a gun always shows up smack dab in the middle of the story.”
“I’m just dealin’ with the terror of knowing what this world’s about, you know?”
The next episode of Ted Lasso will premiere exclusively on Apple TV+ next Friday, August 27. Stay up-to-date with all of our Ted Lasso recaps here.
