TED LASSO Review: ‘Diamond Dogs’

Hello, TED LASSO fans!

Do you think I could make an appointment with the Diamond Dogs to go over my personal life? I mean this sincerely…round these guys up for advice-giving & confidence boosting! I’m in!

As an English major, I’m also loving all of the literary references thrown in. From “A Wrinkle in Time” to Walt Whitman in this episode, the show continues to assume intelligence from the audience in that way. So, congrats to those of us in the cross section of lit majors who stan British accents, fans of comedy, and lovers of great character development!

The theme of this episode is that to win in life, you must be true to yourself and be willing to take a chance, whether in romance, friendship, or work. It moved storylines forward for many characters, and I felt personally inspired along the way. Can’t ask for much more in a 30-minute episode.

The Plot:

This episode takes place the very next morning from the previous episode. Rebecca and Ted deal with the ‘morning-after’ with their respective partners (leading to Ted being silent for a 5-hour bus ride, to Coach Beard’s concern), and Keeley seeks Roy out for a coffee chat (and is turned down).

Ted consults his leadership team: Coach Beard, Nate, and Higgins. He’s feeling uncertain…after all, he had a panic attack, a one-night stand with a woman he’d just met, and oh yeah…got divorced in between the two. The guys tell him to not worry, to cut himself some slack. Ted feels better and declares a new name for the group. They toss around a few (and bonus points for Nate puking when “Proud Boys” was brought up) and settle on Diamond Dogs! Hooooowwwwwwwllllllll!

In an effort to thank Rebecca, Ted tells her he owes her one. She takes him up on it, as she has a meeting with The Milk Sisters, who have a minority share of the team. Ted has milk puns galore, but when they get to the meet up at the local pub, they find out Rupert has bought out the sisters via Bex, his girlfriend/new fiancée. Fans will remember her from the gala episode as Jamie’s second date to the event. Rupert plans to make Rebecca’s life miserable in the stadium owners’ box and with the media, and Ted stands up for her. Rupert challenges him to a game of darts for £10,000. Ted declines and offers another wager. If Rupert wins, he can pick the starting line-up for the last two matches of the season. If Ted wins, Rupert will stay out of it all.

Instead of a constant will they/won’t they, Roy and Keeley talk through their situation in a healthy (and cute) way. They are caught by a paparazzo, and Keeley confronts Rebecca about paying to have photos of her and Ted taken to ruin him.

The Players:

This episode focused a lot on Ted, his personal situation, and his continued navigation through the ‘off-the-field’ power plays part of a Premier football club. Still, it was great to see Keeley talk with some of the guys about products or causes they’d like to represent or be promoted with. For those playing along at home, it’s Air Jordans (Colin), Environmental, anti-pollution campaigns AND Air Jordans (Sam), Rolos (Isaac), and joy (Dani). Keeley has her work cut out for her.

We saw these players all address Roy as “captain” in non-sarcastic ways, reinforcing his position as leader of the team.

The Purpose:

It’s a show about an underdog sports team—which means it’s always fun when the underestimated “little guy” wins over the big bad. But even through it all, we can each take a lesson on being more authentic. Ted uses his “aw shucks” persona to get one over Rupert in the game of darts, but it’s also to make a point—those who lack curiosity and are judgmental make critical mistakes in life due to pride or lack of listening. As Ted won the darts challenge, he was vulnerable but confident, and he proved his point.

I really like that the show didn’t make Roy an underdog in his pursuit of Keeley. It would have been easy for him to pine away for a long time and feel unworthy. Here we see him declare one-night stands and lessons learned, and maybe he should have been more upfront about his plan with her, but his inner confidence is good. Likewise, Keeley has the same balance of confidence and vulnerability—willingness to speak up for what she wants (including acceptance of her past) and expects in a relationship. Over the course of the season, from the parking lot conversations, to the gala, to the treadmill, and the press conference room here, it’s been a very charming and relatable approach to a will they/won’t they.

We talked last week about how Rebecca is coming to a crossroads in her ability to stay bitter against the charm and success of the football team and its coach. While she rides high on the glee of Rupert’s darts demise, Higgins tells her she has to get over it. She rightfully challenges him on his loyalty to her—where was this nobility when he was covering for Rupert’s many affairs? Higgins admits he was wrong but encourages her to move on. She isn’t having it, and he quits. This, combined with Keeley’s confrontation, will no doubt require Rebecca to pick a side: she can positively move forward with the team’s goals or remain stubborn to her initial plan of ruining what Rupert loves at all costs. Time (and two more episodes in season 1) will tell.

I’m looking forward to it. Thanks for the love here and on Twitter for our coverage of the show; it’s great to know that there are fans around the world.

RELATED:

• TED LASSO Review: ‘Make Rebecca Great Again’
• TED LASSO: What to Know (and Why) to Watch

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