‘Ted Lasso’ Recap: ‘Mom City’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 311 of ‘Ted Lasso’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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We are taught from a very early age that second chances are rare in this life, and understandably so. Because our lives are indeed made up of singular moments and a bevy of singular choices. Choices that sometimes take us down a path we cannot return from, and those moments do indeed slip away. So, we learn that lesson… to make the best choices possible so we experience no regrets and take advantage of everything that life has to offer and so we never wonder what could have been. But alas, this is another one of life’s little lessons that we treat in a very black and white manner. Because yes, while there are relationships that will slip through our hands and moments and opportunities that will never come again… there are a lot of opportunities for second chances in this life. 
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For instance, the universe loves to have us reunite with lost loves or people that we thought we would never have a chance with romantically, giving us a second chance to see where that might properly go now that we are armed with the knowledge there was something there. And one door closing in our career field isn’t the end all, be all finale. Because sometimes, that opens up a different opportunity in that field for us to take part in, giving us that second chance we’ve waited for, with new knowledge in hand to help us handle things differently. Because in the end, the universe isn’t always out to teach us the harshest of lessons and feed upon our failures. We’re here to learn and grow, and while we will fail hard, we really do get a lot of second chances in life, and some of them are very subtle or unique in nature, as evidenced by this week’s episode of Ted Lasso on Apple TV+.

Because ‘Mom City’ allowed for some second chances to come into play for several characters. Take for example, Jamie Tartt. Who last season, flamed out at Man City, and that brought him back to Richmond and allowed for him to be humbled and learn and grow and well… that was who AFC Richmond was playing this week and that terrified Jamie. Because this was the place… where he failed. Not to mention, there was a chance his abusive dad was going to be there. So, he was nervous and holding to the belief that he had blown his opportunity to play good soccer upon that storied pitch and enjoy love from the fans in that city. But a visit to his mother when they arrived there, alongside some support for Roy and Keeley and some stunning words from Coach Lasso… allowed for Jamie to have the second chance to be a superstar in Man City. For he won over the crowd, he won the game in a thrilling manner and let go of his pain, and even impressed his dad from afar.

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Not to mention, a second chance was in the cards for Nate in this tale as well. Because the team was asking him to return. For the players really wanted him back and even Ted was willing to forgive and forget and move on. The only person that wasn’t was Coach Beard, but more on that in a moment. Because Nate rebuffed any requests to return, all in the hopes of staying at his favorite restaurant as a waiter to atone for his sins, and well… Jade knew this wasn’t where he belonged and that he would need a nudge to get back where he did. So, she arranged for him to be fired so he could go back to AFC Richmond and make amends and thanks to Ted’s powerful words to Coach Beard, forgiveness and a second chance was granted to Nate in the most powerful way imaginable. Through some honesty from Coach Beard and through that forgiveness and really, Nate’s journey informed us that sometimes… our second chances come from those we love and from those who understand we make mistakes.
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But of course, the centerpiece of this lesson revolved around Coach Lasso himself. Because his mother came to London to visit and be the mom, we expected her to be, a spitting psychological image of her son. But there was a sense of resentment from Ted regarding her, the kind that was easily inferred to be related to the death of his father and his upbringing and how… it was clearly never discussed in their home. Since mom was all about good vibes and nudging and the soft guilt trips that only a mom can perform. Which gave Ted a chance to finally lay the hammer down regarding his feelings and give him and his mother a second chance at a healthy relationship that was grounded in communication and perhaps… a second chance at having the family life Ted has always wanted. Since that honesty seemingly helped Ted reach quite the epiphany at the end of this tale. 

One that we aren’t going to speculate upon or think deeper about, since this series will address it during next week’s finale. So instead, it is best we celebrate one moving tale. One that really spoke to how frequently second chances surround us and how easily we can obtain them with a little open-minded thinking, nudging or outright honesty and that made for one beautiful tale. The kind that also touched upon the power of generational trauma and how parents impart their sins upon their children, because that too… can create mistakes in life that leave us wanting desperately for a second chance, and well… all of those elements once again speak to a show that understands the human condition well, and will explore topics that no other show will, and it will be fascinating to see what lessons await us when the season three finale gets underway, next week. Until then.  

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