Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 5 recap: Rainbow

Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 5, “Rainbow,” is a beautiful homage to rom-coms, or “rom-communism,” as Ted phrases it. We get a potentially significant hint toward Rebecca’s Bantr match, Roy realizes his true passion, and Nate learns to be more assertive.

To start, Ted and co. realize that something is amiss with new team captain Isaac. He’s still too much in his own head to take control of the team in the same way Roy did. While Dr. Sharon offers to speak with Isaac, Ted has another idea in mind.

Normally when a player is off his game, Ted would send him to consult with the captain first. Since Isaac is the captain and talking to himself would threaten to break the space-time continuum, Ted comes up with an alternative: Roy Kent.

Roy agrees to help by inviting Isaac to his old stomping grounds. While the flats nearby are where Roy grew up, the field in front is where he “lived.” Playing the game for nothing more than pure fun was like therapy for young Roy, and he helps Isaac see that the point of playing, even professionally, is to capture that spirit.

Seeing this, Ted encourages Roy to become a coach for AFC Richmond, with several romantic comedy tropes. “I’m just a boy standing in front of a man, asking him to coach.” Roy remains adamant that he likes his new job as a sports pundit and doesn’t want to return to the team.

The next day, while chatting with his fellow Sky News hosts about AFC Richmond’s latest game, Roy realizes he was wrong and quits on-air. In an epic rom-com montage, Roy rushes out, flags a taxi, and makes it to the pitch just before the game starts. Ted tries to say something, but all Roy says is, “You had me at Coach.”

Since Roy’s retirement, Ted Lasso has been building momentum to his epic return to AFC Richmond. They nailed it with this emotional, hilarious, joyous sequence that epitomizes everything that makes this show so fantastic. The cherry on top is the song “She’s My Rainbow” by The Rolling Stones, scoring the montage, especially as Higgins revealed earlier in the episode that the song is his and his wife’s tune.

Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 5 recap: Keeley & Rebecca help Nate be more assertive

To celebrate his parent’s 35th wedding anniversary, Nate tries to do something nice by booking a window table at their favorite local Greek restaurant. He immediately hits a roadblock with the rude hostess that tells him they don’t reserve the window table and gives him something of the runaround when he tries to make his reservation.

Nate turns to Keeley and Rebecca for advice on making it happen, as he wants to impress his father by getting the best table in the house. They give him a quick rundown on asserting himself, with Rebecca offering a specific method where she makes herself “big” before walking into a room.

That entails standing on her tiptoes, reaching her arms out above her and channeling her confidence. It’s enough to impress both Nate and Keeley, especially Keeley. “F**k you’re amazing, let’s invade France.”

Using their advice, Nate returns to the restaurant with his parents and convinces the hostess to seat them by the window. He also asks for her number, to which she says no. But hey, you can’t win every battle!

Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 5 recap: Who is Rebecca’s Bantr match?

Rebecca is still flirting with her anonymous Bantr match and admits to the person on the other end of her phone that she’s looking for love. Later, he asks her about her love of football, and Rebecca teases that it’s “too personal” of a topic, obviously not wanting to reveal she owns AFC Richmond as that would give away her identity.

Well, in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, Ted happens to smile at his phone in a cutaway that strongly implies Ted is Rebecca’s Bantr match! Is Ted Lasso going there? Will we see Ted and Rebecca go on a date!?

New episodes of Ted Lasso Season 2 air Fridays on Apple TV+.