Written by John Edward Betancourt
Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 302 of ‘Ted Lasso’. To revisit the Season Three Premiere, click here.
If there is perhaps one central theme present within the framework of the wondrous Apple TV+ series, Ted Lasso, it would have to be… growth. Because over the course of the past three seasons, we have seen everyone in this series grow beyond the person we met in the series premiere. Because this is also a series about life and in life we grow and change as situations present themselves to us, the only question is… do we grow in a healthy manner or a negative manner? And that is why this show has resonated so well with audiences. Because positive growth has been the name of the game for this series, for everyone has used Ted’s cheerful outlook as a springboard to change for the better and become more… and that brings us joy and hope… and that particular aspect of this series is top of mind today, because it presented another critical set of lessons regarding positive growth in its next episode. For ‘(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea’ is a story that examined how we grow in a positive manner when new challenges present themselves in the new chapters of our lives, and the first real storyline of note involving this particular quest involved Keeley. Because despite being the top boss of KJPR, she was consistently running into roadblocks from her investor representative. The kind that involved rules and regulations and really didn’t embody the spirit of KJPR, which was innovation and risk and everything in between. Which is why Keeley was keen to ignore those rules and do whatever needed to be done to keep the real spirit of the company alive. Even going so far as to hire an old friend to help with innovation. Which of course, led to more conflict instead of growth and well, that prompted Keeley to teach the first critical lesson of the evening. For she confronted the investor rep and pointed out what the company stood for, who was the boss and why innovation was critical to this ‘investment’. To remind all of us, that sometimes when we enter a new chapter in our lives, we must confront that which can make us complacent and stunt the journey of growth we are already on, and it was wonderful to be reminded of that lesson and see Keeley hold onto it. However, there was another storyline involving growth, and that revolved around a surprise at AFC Richmond Headquarters. For Trent Crimm (formerly of The Independent) wanted to become part of the club as an observer. For he planned to write a book about the upcoming season and the club and while no one was keen on this idea but Ted, the person that truly took deep issue with it was Roy Kent. Because something about having Crimm present in day-to-day operations, rubbed him the wrong way and being the leader that he is, he demanded that no one speak to someone that he believed would greatly harm the team. Which made little sense since Trent had made it clear that he was more ally than anything else, and he was so shocked by this pushback on Roy’s part… that he even tried to make peace on his own, to no avail, and well… there were no signs that any of this was going to end anytime soon.
Which proved to be problematic during the team’s first game since this order stymied free thought and input from the team when they needed fresh ideas to get goals on the board. That of course prompted Ted to request that Roy quell this… and well… that’s when we learned the origin of this feud and where the next lesson came into play. In that, Crimm once said some hard things about a young Roy Kent’s play. The kind of stuff that got into Roy’s head and haunted him, and that led to the bad blood here because Roy believed that Trent was nothing more than a man that wished to use words to harm. But an apology from Trent and the understanding that both men were in different places now, ended the silent treatment and helped the team to start off their time in the Premier League in a positive manner. But what mattered more, is that Roy’s journey, spoke to how sometimes growth in those new chapters in our lives, involves letting the past go.
As for the final lesson of the episode, well that came via Rebecca. Because the whole soccer world was abuzz over the fact that the world famous Zava had left his current club and was looking for a new one, and of course… that likely meant that Rupert was going to land him and make all the other clubs look the fool, and while at the Chelsea game… she watched her former idiot husband attempt to do just that and well, that awakened something within Rebecca. For she suddenly realized, that unless she did something, anything, to make Rupert look the fool… he would forever have power over her and others and be the egomaniac he has always been. Which is why… she confronted Zava after he spoke with Rupert and called him out for taking the easy way out and chasing the money instead of genuine glory and by appealing to a player’s ego, she did the impossible, and made Zava realize… he should be on the side of the underdog, and he announced his intention to sign with Richmond. Which is a sequence that taught us… that sometimes… punching a bully in the mouth isn’t always possible, nor is there always an easy path to defeating them and their machinations. So instead, we must find new ways to outmaneuver them and wound them… for our own sanity… but also to grow. To be free of the fear they engender within us, and Rebecca did just that and landed quite the player and well… all of these elements made for another wonderful tale from this wonderful series. One that offered up some beautiful life lessons and as always, made us smile, and in the process… turned AFC Richmond into a true contender and now that we’ve reached the end of this wondrous story, we can now turn our attention to what this club is going to look like with a superstar on its roster and the other lessons that this incredible journey is going to send our way. Until next time.
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