With the latest entry in the show, it’s time to look into the Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 5 Review. Ted Lasso is an original Apple TV+ series developed by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt and Joe Kelly. The series stars Sudeikis as Lasso, Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard, Hannah Waddhingham as Rebecca Welton, Jeremy Swift as Leslie Higgins, Phil Dunster as Jamie Tartt, Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent, Nick Mohammed as Nathan Shelley, Juno Temple as Keeley Jones, and Anthony Head as Rupert Mannion, with Jodi Balfour having entered as Jack Danvers, alongside others.
Premiering on April 12, 2023, Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 5, titled ‘Signs’ has a runtime of 49 minutes with a synopsis that reads, “With their season in a tailspin, Richmond try to right the ship against the mighty Manchester City. Off the pitch, everyone faces their own setbacks.”
-Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 5 Review Contains Spoilers-
Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 5: What Happens?
With nearly every message hinted at by Trish, the Psychic, finding its place in Rebecca’s life, she can’t help but be swayed by her curiosity about psychics. The green matchbook keeps pulling her back to itself, with the true meaning of it being in her possession still just as blurry. She also tries her luck with the last mention of her becoming a mother by consulting her old acquaintance, Dr Wagner.
Meanwhile, Jack and Keeley warm up to each other, and it’s the most we’ve seen the latter smile at her desk in so long. Her issues with Shandy still need to be resolved, as she even plots to cook up a new app of her design. Jack guides Keeley on how to professionally and politely fire Shandy, and she eventually acts on it when the firm takes a new blow due to Shandy’s misjudgments.
Richmond continues with its affiliation to losses, while Ted is further struck harder by the news about a bullying situation with his son, Henry. However, his eventual conversation with Michelle reveals that he was not bullied but rather the one who bullied another kid. Completely distraught over this new development, Ted struggles with a new challenge on the personal front. On the professional side of things, the situation dips further south as Zava announces his retirement from the sport, the news that severely hampers the team’s morale.
On the other hand, Nathan and Anastasia head out for their first date at the former’s favourite diner. However, the humble setting of the location doesn’t appeal to his date, who later bails on him. Jade, the common and usually indifferent acquaintance in Nate’s life, watches it all happen and accompanies him for a hearty meal of baklava as they finally bring their unusual mix of chemistry to fruition.
Rebecca awaits her medical test results while Richmond faces another defeat from Manchester City. As she reaches out to Keeley, her friend is spending time with Jack, who helps her clean up the mess left behind by Shandy. During this interaction, the two exchange their history of woeful relationships (especially in Keeley’s case, who chooses not to speak about Roy, as “it still hurts”), and it all turns around as most of us had anticipated last week, with the show granting us a sapphic victory.
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Ultimately, Ted is overcome with another panic attack as he goes over Henry’s case. Just in time, his son confesses that he’s right the wrong by apologising to the other kid and admits that he should’ve just handled his aggressive outburst the way Ted had taught him by counting it out and relaxing himself.
After this talk over the phone, Ted is somewhat relieved, and his panic attack passes over as he heads out to address the team after their loss. Just as they’re discussing Zava leaving the team, the falling’ Believe’ sign incites an outburst of gasps in the locker room as the superstitious hold of ‘signs’ takes over.
Ted finally speaks his mind and tears the yellow banner to shreds, confirming that they never needed Zava or any magical boon to help them succeed because they always had what they truly needed – the original Richmond squad – people who actually care about the team’s welfare. Ted’s speech about Belief and its interpretations replaces the ‘Believe’ sign, as the former can never be ripped apart.
Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 5 Review: Discussion
The change-up from the first season, as presented through the characters and Richmond’s growth through the shift in meaning for the ‘Believe’ sign, is the start of something new; good new. When Ted needed to bring the team together in hopes of wanting them to believe in something more than their egos, he put up that big yellow banner for all of them to share something in common. Now that they’re past that phase and have united as one, for better or worse (the latter being on the winning side more till now), they don’t need that piece of paper anymore. They need each other.
The yellow banner’s transformation from embodying a larger-than-life meaning to being reduced back to its original and literal identity, i.e. “just a sign”, marks the beginning of a new chapter, not just in the Richmond book, but also Ted’s life. From clearing the air out with Michelle to calming himself down after the Henry situation, Ted has come a long way in this journey of making peace with his innermost feelings. It further highlights the paramount reason we all fell in love with this character – he was never meant to be a bright and rambunctious caricature but more so an average human being struggling with his thoughts and inner conflict.
The torn yellow sign still pasted on the wall reminds us of Ted’s fractured psyche and how his relationship with Michelle, Henry and even Nathan, had taken a toll on his mental health. However, he was still clinging to the bare minimum to keep himself in check, even if so barely. His actions of completely ripping the sign apart during the final moments signify that he’s ready to move on from this feeling of being stuck in one place, which was extended to what seemed like Richmond’s never-ending losing streak. His address to the team like that is a sign of the tide turning over for him and the team.
There have been a lot of speculations about whether Ted will move back to Kansas and reunite with his family at the end of the season or that his endgame is tied to Rebecca’s story. With the series’ pace moving forward, both of these ideas seem plausible at the present moment.
With ample subtle hints for either of the situations being laid across the episodes, the show’s writers have concocted a perplexing mix of events that is equally angsty as it is heartwarming. While I don’t root for Ted to get back together with Michelle, I can’t wait to see how it’ll all unfold.
Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 5: Favourite Moments
- McAdoo mentioning that Nate’s transformation is going to be on the inside during one of Richmond’s locker room talks.
- Higgins comforting Rebecca: “And psychics, even if some of them are charlatans, they can help us see something in ourselves that we can’t quite see ourselves.”
- Keeley firing Shandy.
- Rebecca and Ted’s exchange in the halls. Her calling him “Coach” and him calling her “Rebecca”, and their whole ‘psychic-bullying’ confusion.
- Ted’s realistic and grounded talk with Henry, and calming himself down thereafter.
- Keeley and Jack! (Even though Keeley-Roy feels still hurt)
- Saving the best for the last – Ted’s final speech. Him admitting they didn’t need Zava, tearing up the ‘Believe’ sign and making way for a new chapter of the ‘Lasso Way’.
- Zava retiring and Richmond going back to its original squad roots.
Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 5 is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Also read: All of our Ted Lasso Season 3 Reviews