Ted Lasso Season 1 finale recap: Can Richmond beat Manchester?

In Ted Lasso Episode 10, AFC Richmond finally faces off against Manchester City. Can the team win and avoid getting relegated?

Ted Lasso Episode 10 begins with a promotion: Nate is the newest assistant coach! His days of cleaning cleats are over. Other changes in the team’s power dynamics include Roy trying to hand in his Captain’s band. Ted doesn’t want to accept it, but if Roy is deadset on letting go, he’ll have to at least choose his successor. He picks Isaac.

Before the big game against Manchester City, the team watches an interview of Jamie Tartt arrogantly saying he was the most important player on the field for Richmond. Isaac threw a chair at the television screen, shattering it, and impressing Roy in the process.

“Never stop breaking TVs.”

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As the game draws nearer, Ted, Beard and Nate do their best to come up with a winning strategy. From someone who used to not care about winning, Ted has come a long way. He doesn’t even want to tie, he wants a solid win for his team so they can avoid being de-relegated. Surprisingly, it’s Rebecca who gives him the best advice.

“Every disadvantage has an advantage.”

Ted should use his lack of knowledge of English football to create chaos on the field, confusing Manchester. He and Beard start running through a bunch of trick plays with the team.

Ahead of the big match, Jamie watches a video of Ted praising him. He thinks his old coach is playing mind games with him. He even visits Keeley and comes face-to-face with her and Roy’s new relationship, just to ask her for advice. As she points out, not everyone is out to get him.

Ted Lasso Episode 10 recap: Roy makes his return to the field.

Once the game finally arrives, Keeley, Rebecca, Higgins and his entire brood arrive to watch the match. Rupert and Bex settle in at home. Keeley tells Rebecca that she never really cared about football before, but now with Roy on the field, she does.

The first half of the game ends in a 0-0 tie, but the second half is kickstarted by Roy coming off the bench. Motivated by his hatred for Jamie, he prevents him from making a few goals before wiping out with a knee injury.

But his performance captivates the crowd and they start to cheer for him from the stands. As he hobbles to the locker rooms, the commentators wonder if that might have been the last time anyone would see Roy lace-up. Keeley comforts him afterward.

Toward the end of the game, Crystal Palace wins their match 6-0, meaning Richmond only needs a tie to keep from being relegated. The team decides to try the “Lasso Special,” which consists of them breaking out into an American football formation to confuse the other team. It works and they manage to score a goal, making it 1-1.

Ted Lasso Episode 10 recap: Manchester City beats Richmond.

The crowd erupts into victory, thinking they’ve secured a tie and saved the team, but Jamie scores a goal by passing to his open teammate in the last seconds of the game. Manchester wins.

It’s a heartbreaking loss for Richmond. But Ted being Ted, he won’t say a bad word about Manchester. He even tries to congratulate Jamie privately but happens to catch the tail end of Jamie’s father berating him for passing and not snatching the winning goal himself.

Ted has Beard deliver a note to Jamie reading that says he’s proud of him for passing to his teammate and also contains a little plastic green army man.

And in the final moments of the season, Ted tries to hand in his resignation to Rebecca, but she doesn’t accept it. She wants them to come back stronger than ever next season and get the team promoted and finally win the whole thing.

Odds & Ends from Ted Lasso Episode 10

• ”For the love of Meghan Markle…”
• “It’s the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night when I rationalize being too tired to floss.”
• Loved Ted asking the referee to explain what being offside means.

What did you think about Ted Lasso Episode 10? Are you looking forward to Season 2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

All ten episodes of Ted Lasso Season 1 are now streaming on Apple TV Plus.