‘Ted Lasso’ Recap: ‘Lavender’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 202 of ‘Ted Lasso’.

Second chances are genuinely rare in life, and it makes sense as to why. After all, we live in a culture where mistakes aren't tolerated in the slightest, and the greater the error, the greater the chance that we can't recover from them. Second chances are also rare because we tend to not forgive wanton disrespect that is directed at us because we know our worth, understand our boundaries, and we collectively know that when someone feels the need to cross that line, that we are better off without them in our lives. Those key elements make "the second chance" almost impossible to earn. But second chances can happen, provided, of course, that the person wanting redemption is genuine in their quest to attain it --and if those wronged are willing to grant it-- and it just so happens that earning second chances is explored in great detail in the next episode of Ted Lasso.

The episode ‘Lavender’ starts it's exploration of second chances by reuniting us with Mister Jamie Tartt. Jamie, if you recall in the last episode, was living it up on reality television as a heartthrob on a dating show, and well, when we catch up with Jamie here, things aren't going all that well for him. Not only does Jamie get kicked off the show post haste, but because he took the time to skip out on the new soccer season to do this show, repercussions came into play. Manchester City cut Jamie without giving him a second thought, and that left Jamie beside himself. Now Jamie was without the sport he loves and without much of a future, really, and that motivated him to look inward and ponder his actions and their consequences for perhaps the first time ever. That self-awareness and desire to set things right served as the first lesson for the audience regarding this week's redemption theme.

Jamie's actions took the time to teach us that we can't move forward without understanding where we've been, and once Jamie hit that particular point, he made an attempt to earn his second chance by apologizing to Ted, Keeley, and everyone that he wronged during his time at AFC Richmond. Jamie did this, in part, because he wanted a second chance at football, and he firmly believed that this was the club to do it with— not only because the team was struggling, but also because he was genuinely remorseful and ready to change his behavior and attitude to garner an opportunity to play the sport he loves. Ted, faced with the prospect of having an ace on his team once again, and seeing that Jamie had indeed reformed himself, understood that putting others ahead of himself in this sport was the key to genuine success and that actions have consequences, combined with his kind heart and good nature, motivated Ted to give Jamie a second chance at last.

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Ted's decision might not go over well with the team because Sam Obisanya, who was quickly becoming the face of the franchise, objected to Jamie's return—to the point where he even had a powerful heart-to-heart conversation with Coach Lasso. Jamie was, in fact, terrible to Sam during their time together on the team and being free of that kind of bullying and being able to grow as a player without Jamie's shadow was important to Sam. Sam's objections here, and Ted's eventual decision to not abide by them, speaks volumes to how difficult a second chance can be to earn. Sam's concerns speak to how hard it is to forgive and trust again when we've been wronged, and that our reasons for being wary are likely justified because the person we cut out and refused to trust again crossed all kinds of lines at some point. It will be quite interesting to see where this twist takes us —and kudos to the series for adding this particularly realistic complication into the overall story— because it offers a genuine sense of realism and something more for Jamie to overcome.

Yet, while it was fascinating to explore the nature of the second chance, this episode had other elements it was eager to examine, such as following up on Roy Kent's new life without football. When we left Roy in the last episode, he was still trying to figure out what comes next for him now that he's left the sport. Keeley was able to recognize that while Roy's body had clearly told him the time had come to stop playing, his mind was still with football through and through. This is why Keely suggested that Roy take a job with Sky Sports and play the role of the pundit— so he could offer up his vast knowledge to the masses and be around the sport. It turns out that Keely's suggestion was worthwhile after all, for Roy found new life by being able to talk about soccer as only he can. Seeing the joy in his eyes and the gratitude that he has for Keeley really did allow for a feel-good segment to come to life— one that was supremely hopeful in nature because it reminds us that life goes on and offers us new opportunities when we reach a new chapter that might scare us, and that when you're surrounded by people that genuinely love and support you, you can achieve anything.
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In the end, this was another flawless episode from a downright flawless series. This episode did everything right storytelling wise: It offered up a compelling exploration on a topic that we don't think about that often but it is supremely important to everyday life, especially for those of us with unfinished business in our hearts. Additionally, it let the characters grow in dynamic and powerful ways because there was a time where self-awareness and understanding just didn't seem to be in the cards for Jamie Tartt. But most important of all, this episode set the stage for some fascinating moments down the line. There is going to be some measure of conflict around Jamie's return, whether Coach Lasso likes it or not, and it will be up to Ted to own this bold decision and figure out how to use it to unify a team that's desperate to find success. Until next time!    ​

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