As if there were ever any doubt, the third and possibly final season of Ted Lasso is managing to expertly bring home its story and character arcs, complete with a big heap of redemption and growth for all those involved.
While the show has leaned more into its dramatic rather than comedic elements as time has gone on (although each episode still has a ton of laugh-out-loud moments and great wordplay), there’s no doubt that the real journey the series takes viewers on isn’t one related to soccer, but personal development. And, in the most recent episode, “International Break”, we saw multiple threads begin to be tied up in satisfying ways that also stay true to the show and its characters.
In such a lighthearted, good-natured series, villains were always going to be more subtle than Disney-like, but that hasn’t stopped Nathan (Nick Mohammed) and Rupert (Anthony Head) from being mostly despised by the fan base for their actions towards our various protagonists. Yet, season 3, episode 10 was all about seeing the humanity in people, including the disliked pair (which is a consistent theme throughout the show), and seemed intent on reminding us that we were all innocent kids once — even billionaire football club owners and turncoat managers.
Nathan quitting the West Ham job after Rupert encouraged him to cheat on his girlfriend, combined with his return to his childhood home and a frank, but tear-jerking conversation with his father, was more than enough to bring plenty of fans back onside to the character’s team. Plus, a very sweet apology to a fan-favorite helped speed along the forgiveness train.
Rupert’s redemption was a lot bumpier than Nate’s in this episode, and unlike his former employee, he wasn’t absolved of his bad guy status. Such was the brilliance of his baby steps toward change, though, that fans were surprised at how the show had managed to make them feel for the slimy antagonist.
Elsewhere, Roy (Brett Goldstein) was finally able to see how badly he’d messed it up with Keeley (Juno Temple), and was not only able to swallow his pride and speak to her, but also do it while wearing an incredibly un-Roy-like tie-dye outfit, designed by his niece. Keeley, on the other hand, was able to ask Rebecca for help in restarting her business after her semi-abusive ex Jack pulled funding on it.
However, the character who saw the biggest step in character growth in this episode was Rebecca. She was able to finally conquer her fears of feeling out of place (thanks to a well-timed text from Keeley), and take control of a situation in which she was surrounded by a group of powerful men. Her stirring speech about the importance of soccer, and how deeply it’s woven into the fabric of so many people’s lives, was a series highlight.
The various throwbacks to childhood were also a nod to how the series has always said it would pan out. Aside from the father theme, Ted Lasso has always been hot on mental health, and a lot of that is related to childhood trauma and how we relate to the world as kids. Rebecca seeing herself as a child, and then later all the strong, powerful men she was surrounded by as little boys, was a stark reminder that there is innocence and good in everyone.
While all of this was expertly done, none of it should be a surprise to watchers of the show. Ted Lasso has always been about empathy, growth, and positivity, so it makes sense that the characters we’ve come to know and love should get their flowers, or be redeemed after showing contrition. In many ways, “International Break” felt like a finale because of how much was tied up, but thankfully for us fans, there are still two episodes of the Apple TV show left. It might be perfectly predictable, but Ted Lasso never wanted to be anything more than it said it was, and it’s definitely succeeded at that and more.
