‘Ted Lasso’ Recap: ‘Signs’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 305 of ‘Ted Lasso’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One particular phrase that comes up often when dark or tough times arrive in our lives… is… ‘when it rains, it pours’ and it makes sense as to why. Because ugly days really do seem to come in gusts, and they feel akin to forces of nature, and we have plenty of personal and external stories to back up a maelstrom of melancholy. Since some of us have dealt with or heard about multiple family members passing away in a very short period of time. Or there’s experiences and stories revolving around a series of bad moments that break a person emotionally because of how difficult and brutal they turn out to be, and this phrase and this notion holds so much weight, that it is important we point out that we apply it to every ugly stretch in our lives… and we shouldn’t.
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Because while those types of scenarios do indeed happen and are absolutely related to the chaos that is fate… a lot of the stuff that happens in between, is our own fault. For we have a tendency to get into the mindset that the sky is falling, and that there is nothing that we can do but ride the storm. But there is in fact, plenty we can do, because we also sometimes… propagate the problem by thinking in that manner. So perhaps pulling up our bootstraps and confronting the problem at hand can do wonders for us, as can changing our mindset, since that can contribute to a great deal of where our path goes and what that looks like is top of mind today, since it served as the focus of the next episode of Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. A feat that ‘Signs’ accomplished, by plunging us into a world where everyone was struggling with tough times.

Rebecca for instance, was haunted by what the psychic told her and what her fate might look like, and it was interfering with her daily duties and that prompted her… to confront her concerns and disprove the psychic to clear her head and focus, and her journey was perhaps the most straightforward regarding this. Since she went for it and got the answers she needed and lamented, since the search confirmed that she was in fact… unable to have to have children. Which rightfully rattled her since everyone ponders upon their future as a parent. But her decisions here, made it clear, that sometimes the only way out is to stand tall and confront what eats at us and her journey was only the beginning in this tale.

Since surprisingly Nate’s journey in this story took the time to point out that being negative all the time can lead to difficult moments in life, the kind that force us… to take a step back and gain perspective as to who we are and what we do. Which Nate did here by way of a rotten date and a better evening with his favorite hostess, Jade. All of which set the stage for some inner reflection for Nate, the kind that might finally help him figure out what kind of man and manager he actually needs to be instead of wants to be in order to please the always annoying Rupert, and it was healthy to see someone that can be considered as the heavy, work that out and express the importance of self-reflection and its benefits and how negative thinking does create our own little personal hell. But of course, with so much going on this season, there was more to explore regarding this concept.

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For Keeley’s journey here spoke volumes to how our own actions propagate our problems now and again and that the only way to be rid of them, is to handle them. An exploration brought forth by Shandy no less. Since she uh… decided to be her own boss on KJPR’s payroll and in doing so, started to lose the company, clients. Which meant, that Keeley was left with no choice but to handle business accordingly and she finally and mercifully, fired Shandy. A move that of course brought backlash. But more importantly, she did the right thing, handled a problem she created and found peace for it and… a romantic fling. Since she and Jack spent some time together here and came to learn they shared a magnetic attraction. A bonus lesson, that speaks to how sometimes in matters of heartbreak, shooting for the stars and just following our heart in the moment, can help that ache or find us who we’ve been longing for.
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However, amidst all of that… AFC Richmond was dealing with its own problems. For the loss to West Ham put the team in a downward spiral, one so rough that Higgins brought up the possibility of a managerial change. A move that shocked Rebecca… but things were indeed that bad. For the team couldn’t find the goal, and they were playing awful through and through and even Zava was no longer contributing as he once was. Not to mention, Ted felt lost. Because there were more problems at home with his son, due to a bullying incident that Henry instigated, and Ted’s worries about being a good father put him in a dark place, and to top it all off, eventually Zava just decided he no longer wanted to play the game and just retired before an important match against Man City and left his team high and dry.

Which meant that AFC Richmond was in a tailspin, and it seemed as though the old saying was true. But it wasn’t. For this was where the story hammered home how we get in our way mentally during tough times and how a changing of mindsets might be the key. Because this whole team saw themselves as cursed failures somehow and the coaches had lost confidence. But since Ted found his center and realized that he was on a negative path of thinking that was influencing others and his fate… he was able to snap out of that mindset… and snap others out of it as well. Courtesy of a rousing speech that prompted the team to forget about Zava, forget about their troubles and focus on the next play and the next moment, changing mindsets, resetting this team, and perhaps finally putting an end to the dark times that so many have been suffering from for a few weeks now. 

All of which, made for a brilliant episode. One that taught us a great deal about our minds and our thought patterns and what really keeps tough times persisting and that led to some beautiful moments, some fascinating commentary, and another story that we could not get enough of. Because these characters mean the world to us, and we want nothing more than to see them succeed in life and find the peace and joy they desire and deserve, and this is a big step forward toward that and clearly, some big changes are on the horizon for the team and the people that support them. Since the heavy still has a heart and Keeley is on a powerful journey of self-discovery and Ted… is slowly finding a new voice and a new direction, and that will make the wait for next week’s tale quite difficult, since we are eager to see where this season is headed with the darkness beginning to lift. Until next time.  

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