It’s been a slow build in Ted Lasso season 4 on Apple TV. The season premiere was all about catching up with where Ted (Jason Sudeikis) was in Kansas City and finding a reason for him to return to Richmond.
The second episode was about him putting his staff together, including his new assistant coach Alice Chilton (Tanya Reynolds) and getting his old assistant coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) back together. This week’s episode, “Richmond’s Got Talent,” is about putting together a team to compete on the field.
Matthijs visiting
A big theme for the week is a visit from Matthijs (Matteo van der Grijn), Rebecca’s (Hannah Waddingham) boyfriend. But it’s hard for them to connect and find any time alone. That starts at the outset, when they are trying to find a quiet moment in Rebecca’s office. But it isn’t long before Ted interrupts them. Before he can get out of the way, Keeley (Juno Temple) shows up. Finally, when Higgins (Jeremy Swift) joins the party, it’s clear the office isn’t a place for them to be alone.
So, Rebecca makes a dinner date with Matthijs. But things get hectic at work, and quickly she forgets him. So, he makes an early dinner engagement the next day. And, again, time gets away from Rebecca, and she misses it. So, he tries for a third day —t his time worried that the waiter will stop believing that she even exists. But Rebecca gets caught up wooing back a sponsor for the women’s team to be sure its dream doesn’t die before it gets going.
Matthijs is understanding, but Rebecca feels bad about it all. So, they make a lunch date the following day. Despite other interruptions, Rebecca makes it to the restaurant. But Matthijs isn’t there. He calls her to be sure she’s at the restaurant before arriving. It’s tough to make a relationship and a career work, but there’s hope that Rebecca can make it work with Matthijs, who seems to be the perfect man for her.
The return of Phoebe
One of the best parts of the prior three seasons was watching Roy (Bret Goldstein) interact with his niece Phoebe (Elodie Bloomfield). Their back-and-forth rapport is still golden. Roy is less of a focus this season, but we get Phoebe popping back up and pushing Roy in the right way. He’s also continuing to approach Keeley. There is still a spark there, and still great affection. Could Roy find his way back to Keeley?
As the day of the ladies’ first match arrives, the uniforms have been delayed. It’s shaping up to be a disaster. But Roy won’t let Keeley or this women’s team fail. So, he reaches out to Phoebe and her friends to show up on game day and style something for the women. It’s a unique approach and one that turns out to be a lot of fun.
Finding the team
We kick off the episode with a striker being pregnant. After their other striker tore an ACL the week prior, this leaves the team short-handed. As a joke, Coach Chilton suggests an open tryout. Ted is on board and gets it set up. But the talent pool that comes out isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Danny Rojas’ sister shows up, but she doesn’t know much about soccer.
There is one player that catches the team’s eye. Lizzie (Faye Marsay) is a center back, not a striker. But she knows the game and she knows how to get the players on the right page. That might owe to her being a mother with her child along for the tryout. She doesn’t expect much, but Ted asks her to join the team. The problem is, they still need a striker.
Coach Chilton has one idea — Gemma (Abbie Hern). Gemma is a law student and a former player for Chilton, but the history between the two makes it complicated. At first, Gemma appears to have no interest. But naturally, Ted is able to work some of that Lasso magic and charm. He gets her to join the team, and in their first match, it is Gemma that scores the game-winning goal. This could be the makings of a good team!
I love the charm and familiarity of Ted Lasso. I love the way this fourth season is starting something new but bringing in familiar characters and beats, even bringing them in new ways. The arc for Phoebe was a lot of fun. The same for Mae (Annette Badland), who was always in the background when supporting the men’s team but comes out in person for the ladies’ team. This team means something to the town and to Ted, and I’m enjoying the ride.
Ted Lasso streams Wednesdays on Apple TV. Check back next week as we recap all the action of season 4.
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