‘Ted Lasso’ Recap: ‘The Strings That Bind Us’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 307 of ‘Ted Lasso’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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There was a time, when sports stories all followed certain formulas to tell their tales, and never once deviated from them. Simply because those formulas… the kind that feature an underdog eager to have their day in the sun, or a wash-out eager to finish what they started, or someone at the end of their career that’s hungry to have it all… are designed to deeply inspire us. Since an underdog story reminds us to always go for it no matter the odds, and to indeed finish what we start or that it is not too late to chase our dreams, and well… how could a story possibly deviate from such tried-and-true concepts that do indeed leave people feeling better about their day? Well as it turns out… there are several reasons as to why. Such as the fact… that those concepts don’t reach everyone, and some folks don’t relate to sports stories at all since it isn’t their bag in the slightest. Which is why, the genre is finally evolving, and the show that is leading the way in making sports stories accessible to the masses and is finding new ways to inspire them, remains Ted Lasso on Apple TV+.
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For this series has made it clear that the best way to captivate an audience and ignite inspiration within them, is to create a realistic world revolving around the struggles we face with sports surrounding that. Wherein people handle big things in very real ways and never was that more evident than during this week’s episode. For ‘The Strings That Bind Us’ was a story that took its time to look at so many uniquely relatable concepts. Such as the importance of boundaries in love, and the need to be honest with the one that has captivated our heart. So that our relationship is healthy and built on the right foundation, and that is something that people want to be inspired about, since we struggle with such matters. A feat the story accomplished by having Keeley set those very boundaries with Jack, who was love bombing and through Nate who finally was honest with Jade about his feelings and their connection and received something positive in return in doing so.

All of which made it clear the importance of those elements in love and likely inspired someone in need, and the story didn’t end there with inspiration. Since it also took the time to address, how tough it is for BIPOC individuals in the world right now. Because everywhere we turn, someone in power or in influence is spouting racist nonsense and they’re empowering other morons that share their closed world view to cause harm and how does a BIPOC individual reconcile that? Well, that was answered by Sam in this tale, who took the time to push back against a government official that was pushing back on immigration in the U.K., and he paid the price for speaking the truth about hate, since his wondrous restaurant was vandalized in the name of closed-minded bullshit. But the arrival of his father, and the support of his teammates made it clear that the good in this world outweighs the bad and often trumps it, and that looking to the light and the embracing the good can help in the interim while the bigger fight continues. Which was a powerful and inspirational message to send out in these troubling times, and that is definitely a real-world scenario that so many can sadly, relate to. 

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Yet, there were still more inspiring and realistic life lessons to be found in this tale, and that was handled by the team. For the time had come for Ted to instill his version of Total Football at Richmond and well… that didn’t go well. Because the team was not conditioned for it, not ready for it and the concepts did not stick. Which are elements that outright go against what sports stories stand for. Since unity and execution and growth are often what we see in sequences such as this. But instead, it was just failure and struggle, and some funny shenanigans along the way. Since Coach Kent did think of a twisted way to ensure unity and synergy, by tying the men together at the phallus with string. Which also went about as well as one might expect, since one wrong tug sent both teammates to the ground. But despite everyone’s best and twisted efforts to make this work, it just didn’t and that showed on the field when they took on Arsenal.  
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Because the failures rolled along, and the team was scattered to the winds, and it took… them hitting their lowest, for Jamie Tartt to figure out what really needed to happen on the pitch for this team to be successful. And just like that, the whole thing came together, and well… while they didn’t get the win, the message inherent was clear. In that, there is no quick rush to the finish line in sports, or in life. We have to stumble, we have to fall, and we have to embrace the chaos before everything comes together, and we will not see the results right away nor will success come in the form of a championship or a personal award. We’ll just see it, feel it, know it and be comfortable with the fact that we achieved wonders and that we have what we want, and that’s what went down here and that… is the most inspiring lesson of all. Since this sequence informed us, to stay the course, trust the process and keep putting in the work and we will indeed achieve what we want, and that… is a damn fine message to find in a sports story… one that does things differently because it stumbled upon something.

In that, the core reason why people go to watch sports stories in the theaters or on a streamer, is to find inspiration to solve the very problems they’re facing in life. For sports offers a purity of sorts, a black and white understanding of our problems and the world. But the creative brain trust here, asked a harder question. Such as… what if… the show looked at the world and the concerns of others through the colorful chaos that actually happens in the world and make it accessible to all… and this is the end result. A story that captivates, that is beloved and truly does inspire us on a fundamental level by indeed squaring up against stuff we can all relate to in some form or fashion and seeing that on display in such a pure manner here, was brilliant to say the least and made for a powerful story. One that once again reminded us why this show is the champion of sports shows and of course, leaves us eager for more. Because we want to be inspired by these characters and their journeys and we of course… want to see them learn and grow as we hope to, because seeing people progress… is about as inspiring as it gets. Until next time.      

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