Ted Lasso - Season 3

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also was disappointed by the scene between Nate and his dad. In real life, cold and withholding parents don’t just all a sudden open up to you and tell you you’re a genius and that they know they were cold and withholding and they just want you to be happy. Rather, you have to learn to move forward without their approval and forgive them for being flawed, realizing it never was about you but about them.

I’m sorry for your experience, but it’s not everybody’s experience. The dad opened up and apologized. No, he didn’t cry or even hug Nate. And the scenes with them playing cards around the table show he’s trying.

It’s a start, and it’s also plausible, maybe because there were no dramatic tears or hugs. It’s also in keeping with the show’s theme of growth. Please don’t make everything about your own experiences.

I’m expressing my opinion of this show based on my experiences in life, which I’m pretty sure is what everyone else on here is doing. I have not done a study. But I would hypothesize that the percent of people whose parents suddenly opened up after 40+ years of cold and withholding behavior is…low. It did not feel like a character driven plot to me. It felt like a storyline driven plot. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also was disappointed by the scene between Nate and his dad. In real life, cold and withholding parents don’t just all a sudden open up to you and tell you you’re a genius and that they know they were cold and withholding and they just want you to be happy. Rather, you have to learn to move forward without their approval and forgive them for being flawed, realizing it never was about you but about them.

I’m sorry for your experience, but it’s not everybody’s experience. The dad opened up and apologized. No, he didn’t cry or even hug Nate. And the scenes with them playing cards around the table show he’s trying.

It’s a start, and it’s also plausible, maybe because there were no dramatic tears or hugs. It’s also in keeping with the show’s theme of growth. Please don’t make everything about your own experiences.

I’m expressing my opinion of this show based on my experiences in life, which I’m pretty sure is what everyone else on here is doing. I have not done a study. But I would hypothesize that the percent of people whose parents suddenly opened up after 40+ years of cold and withholding behavior is…low. It did not feel like a character driven plot to me. It felt like a storyline driven plot. YMMV.

Can't we have a single oasis where we don't have to listen to "my parents sucked so all parents suck especially if they're boomers?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am sensing I'm going to be annoyed with the end of the show because I feel that they are bringing all the storylines into a nice, tidy, mostly predictable little bow. It's too neat and feels like wish fulfillment/fan service instead of real storytelling.

I think it would be more interesting to watch Nate deal with realizing his dad is never going to validate or support him the way he'd like him to, and for Keeley accept the failure of her business (and her own role in it by choosing to get personally involved with her lone investor) without being rescued by her conveniently rich and totally supportive best friend. I'm okay with Roy and Keeley getting back together but it also serves to highlight how manufactured their split was in the first place.

The way these stories have gone make me worried about the others on the show. I will be annoyed if the whole thing winds up trite and tidy with everyone learning a pithy little lesson but also, ultimately, getting precisely what they always wanted in such a way that the lesson feels cheap and unearned and beside the point.

I found this episode kind of infuriating. If this whole thing ends with Ted re-uniting with his ex-wife and Nate returning to Richmond as a coach and the Greyhounds winning the league title and Rupert getting his comeuppance and Rebecca getting her perfect love... I'm not saying I don't want those characters to be happy, but I don't get what the point of telling this story is if you are going to make them happy in the most obvious ways with very little personal growth. The first couple seasons had real transformations for several characters. This one just feels like everyone getting what the want in the end. That's not how life works.

Except that all of these characters *have* had tremendous personal growth. Ted, especially, made a huge breakthrough with his therapist and by learning why Michelle left him. His constant optimism was just too much and she wanted him to be “real.” Nate, also, has had quite a journey to self-acceptance. Rebecca admitted in this last episode that she doesn’t care about beating Rupert anymore - she’s past that and has made her peace with him. Roy and Keely have both experienced personal growth of their own. I think it’s kind of odd that you don’t recognize any of this.

I agree with you. But maybe pp thinks it’s unearned growth? I think most of the characters earned their growth, except for maybe Keeley who suffered for all of maybe 2-3 days and then was rescued by her bff. The others I found plausible.

I don't think Nate has had a journey to self-acceptance, and certainly not an earned one. Basically Jade started dating him for no apparent reason. Then Nate quit his former dream job offscreen, spends a day or two depressed, and now is reconciled with his dad and happy?

Writers can do what they want but it does not feel like a real character development to me.

DP. Jade started dating Nate because he asked her to go on a date - and she had been sizing him up every time he came into the restaurant. She saw a polite man who brought his parents there to celebrate their anniversary. And she saw a rude, self-centered model ditch him during a date, which made her sympathize with him. I also wouldn't say that he's now "happy," but he has had some time to think about what matters to him and what kind of person he wants to be. In fact, Nate has had so much character development that it is beyond puzzling you can't see it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are we going to get more backstory re why Nate left? Or what happened to Rupert's assistant (are they connected)?

I'd like to know this too - I'd LOVE to see the scene in which he tells Rupert he's leaving. And hopefully, why.

[Anonymous]

The scene I think I most want to see is Nate finally apologizing to Ted and to the team. I feel so sorry for him right now, but I do think that's a pivotal part of the story. He said some awful things to Ted and no doubt has been feeling horribly guilty about it.

Oh, and I also want to see the Dutch man and his daughter come find Rebecca.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also was disappointed by the scene between Nate and his dad. In real life, cold and withholding parents don’t just all a sudden open up to you and tell you you’re a genius and that they know they were cold and withholding and they just want you to be happy. Rather, you have to learn to move forward without their approval and forgive them for being flawed, realizing it never was about you but about them.

I’m sorry for your experience, but it’s not everybody’s experience. The dad opened up and apologized. No, he didn’t cry or even hug Nate. And the scenes with them playing cards around the table show he’s trying.

It’s a start, and it’s also plausible, maybe because there were no dramatic tears or hugs. It’s also in keeping with the show’s theme of growth. Please don’t make everything about your own experiences.

I’m expressing my opinion of this show based on my experiences in life, which I’m pretty sure is what everyone else on here is doing. I have not done a study. But I would hypothesize that the percent of people whose parents suddenly opened up after 40+ years of cold and withholding behavior is…low. It did not feel like a character driven plot to me. It felt like a storyline driven plot. YMMV.

Can't we have a single oasis where we don't have to listen to "my parents sucked so all parents suck especially if they're boomers?"

I never even said my parents sucked. I just said I didn’t buy that scene. And why does my opinion on one plot point affect you so much? There are a ton of plot points this season that are being wrapped up in too neat of a bow and seemed rushed or forced. That was one of them. At least we saw Jamie slowly evolve into a decent human.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also was disappointed by the scene between Nate and his dad. In real life, cold and withholding parents don’t just all a sudden open up to you and tell you you’re a genius and that they know they were cold and withholding and they just want you to be happy. Rather, you have to learn to move forward without their approval and forgive them for being flawed, realizing it never was about you but about them.

I agree with this, and I’ve liked the Nate storyline this season and feel his own personal growth was demonstrated and earned.

But by showing his dad suddenly giving him the validation and approval he’s craved his whole life, simply because Nate moped around their house for a few days and then picked up his violin, felt inauthentic to me. I might feel differently if we’d seen his dad softening or trying at any point in the past.

Plus I just think it’s a more interesting story if Nate doesn’t get that validation, but instead has to figure out how to deal with his self-worth issues without it. I felt the same way about the Keeley storyline— she suffers this major blow with Jack dumping her and pulling funding, but then one episode later she gets back together with Roy and Rebecca offers to fund her business. That’s nice fan service if you love the characters, but it’s boring story telling. “This character has a huge problem but then 20 minutes later we fixed it with a rich, supportive friend and her wonderful ex boyfriend showing up at her house.” Yawn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The violin scene was beautiful. You could tell he knew his way around a violin. Lovely touch.

I felt sorry for the violin that was being stored in the attic. My attic is so hot that I don't think an instrument would survive being stored there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The violin scene was beautiful. You could tell he knew his way around a violin. Lovely touch.

I felt sorry for the violin that was being stored in the attic. My attic is so hot that I don't think an instrument would survive being stored there.

Ok. I think you’re taking this show just a tad too seriously.

[Anonymous]

Are we going to get more backstory re why Nate left?

Thank you! I thought we had skipped an episode when that was revealed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The violin scene was beautiful. You could tell he knew his way around a violin. Lovely touch.

I felt sorry for the violin that was being stored in the attic. My attic is so hot that I don't think an instrument would survive being stored there.

Ok. I think you’re taking this show just a tad too seriously.

Pp is right though. A violin can’t last 10-15 years inside someone’s house without being played, let alone in someone’s attic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t stand Nate. He reminds me of every entitled male that thinks of himself as a nice guy who is mistreated and unappreciated by the world and walks around with a massive pissy chip on his shoulder and doesn’t recognize that it’s his own pissy passive aggressive attitude that turns everyone off—not that “nice guys finish last.”

But that's the point - he IS recognizing that. He is growing and becoming better.

Not sure why he thought so highly of himself in the first place. He was promoted from a water boy, essentially. He should have been grateful and put in his dues before thinking he was some sort of "wunderkind" that deserved to coach a team.

He obviously doesn't think highly of himself -- almost all of Nate's problems are a direct result of low self esteem.

Also, wouldn't serving as a water boy and then an assistant coach constitute "paying your dues"? I mean, Ted did neither and he's now the head coach of a Premiere League team despite still having a fairly minimal grasp of the game of soccer. So the "pay your dues" insult feels particularly misplaced in this context -- Nate knows more about soccer and has spent more time in low level roles on soccer teams than Ted has.

And yeah, it was the press who called him a wunderkind, and continues to do so, and the nickname was assigned not because he thinks highly of himself, but because he consistently coaches winning teams. He first got the nickname when he filled in for Ted and successfully got a win, and now he's been extremely successful at Westham (aren't they in 1st place? that's not easy) since becoming head coach there.

The irony here is that Nate actually should thing highly of himself and have a lot of faith in his abilities, but he continues to struggle with his self worth despite all this evidence of his well-earned success.

No, Nate was being interviewed and said "It's not like I am some kind of a 'wonder kid' and the reporter said, "do you mean 'wunderkind'? He was the one who started that...

Even you agree he didn't appropriate wonder kid/wunderkind for himself, though. Why are we still arguing about this?

It matters to the story. Yes, he was promoting himself to the press after calling one play. He goes on to fixate on the press and social media attention and repetition of the phrase and then becomes resentful that he is not receiving enough credit for his talents. This is a meaningful pivot point in Nate's story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t stand Nate. He reminds me of every entitled male that thinks of himself as a nice guy who is mistreated and unappreciated by the world and walks around with a massive pissy chip on his shoulder and doesn’t recognize that it’s his own pissy passive aggressive attitude that turns everyone off—not that “nice guys finish last.”

But that's the point - he IS recognizing that. He is growing and becoming better.

Not sure why he thought so highly of himself in the first place. He was promoted from a water boy, essentially. He should have been grateful and put in his dues before thinking he was some sort of "wunderkind" that deserved to coach a team.

He obviously doesn't think highly of himself -- almost all of Nate's problems are a direct result of low self esteem.

Also, wouldn't serving as a water boy and then an assistant coach constitute "paying your dues"? I mean, Ted did neither and he's now the head coach of a Premiere League team despite still having a fairly minimal grasp of the game of soccer. So the "pay your dues" insult feels particularly misplaced in this context -- Nate knows more about soccer and has spent more time in low level roles on soccer teams than Ted has.

And yeah, it was the press who called him a wunderkind, and continues to do so, and the nickname was assigned not because he thinks highly of himself, but because he consistently coaches winning teams. He first got the nickname when he filled in for Ted and successfully got a win, and now he's been extremely successful at Westham (aren't they in 1st place? that's not easy) since becoming head coach there.

The irony here is that Nate actually should thing highly of himself and have a lot of faith in his abilities, but he continues to struggle with his self worth despite all this evidence of his well-earned success.

No, Nate was being interviewed and said "It's not like I am some kind of a 'wonder kid' and the reporter said, "do you mean 'wunderkind'? He was the one who started that...

Even you agree he didn't appropriate wonder kid/wunderkind for himself, though. Why are we still arguing about this?

It matters to the story. Yes, he was promoting himself to the press after calling one play. He goes on to fixate on the press and social media attention and repetition of the phrase and then becomes resentful that he is not receiving enough credit for his talents. This is a meaningful pivot point in Nate's story.

Alternatively, the press lavishes him with attention in that moment and his initial reaction is to be self-effacing. But as that season progresses, he feels pushed aside by Ted in favor of Roy and continues to feel rejected/invalidated by his dad, and starts turning to the press attention and media mentions, and then later the attention of Rupert, to make himself feel better. He doesn't start calling himself "Wonder Kid" or promoting himself with the media until the end of that season when he leaves Richmond and joined Rupert's team.

And then this season, it becomes clear that a lot of that bravado is a performance he puts on to keep the attention and support of Rupert, who likes when Nate is brash and arrogant. Rupert goes to great lengths to groom Nate into a reflection of himself, buying him a car and encouraging trash talk at pressers. Nate wants to please Rupert because at that point his sense of self-worth is dependent on Rupert's approval, which is replacing the approval he has not gotten from his dad and that he feels Ted dangled and then removed (that's his interpretation, and not one I agree with, but I can see why he might feel that way from the inside).

Nate is one of the few characters this season for whom we've actually gotten good context for his shifts in behavior, IMO. I don't feel that way about Keely, Roy, Rebecca, or Ted. But I do feel that way about Nate and Jaime, who I think have the two best storylines of the season for this reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The violin scene was beautiful. You could tell he knew his way around a violin. Lovely touch.

I felt sorry for the violin that was being stored in the attic. My attic is so hot that I don't think an instrument would survive being stored there.

Ok. I think you’re taking this show just a tad too seriously.

Pp is right though. A violin can’t last 10-15 years inside someone’s house without being played, let alone in someone’s attic.

This.Is.Fiction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t stand Nate. He reminds me of every entitled male that thinks of himself as a nice guy who is mistreated and unappreciated by the world and walks around with a massive pissy chip on his shoulder and doesn’t recognize that it’s his own pissy passive aggressive attitude that turns everyone off—not that “nice guys finish last.”

But that's the point - he IS recognizing that. He is growing and becoming better.

Not sure why he thought so highly of himself in the first place. He was promoted from a water boy, essentially. He should have been grateful and put in his dues before thinking he was some sort of "wunderkind" that deserved to coach a team.

He obviously doesn't think highly of himself -- almost all of Nate's problems are a direct result of low self esteem.

Also, wouldn't serving as a water boy and then an assistant coach constitute "paying your dues"? I mean, Ted did neither and he's now the head coach of a Premiere League team despite still having a fairly minimal grasp of the game of soccer. So the "pay your dues" insult feels particularly misplaced in this context -- Nate knows more about soccer and has spent more time in low level roles on soccer teams than Ted has.

And yeah, it was the press who called him a wunderkind, and continues to do so, and the nickname was assigned not because he thinks highly of himself, but because he consistently coaches winning teams. He first got the nickname when he filled in for Ted and successfully got a win, and now he's been extremely successful at Westham (aren't they in 1st place? that's not easy) since becoming head coach there.

The irony here is that Nate actually should thing highly of himself and have a lot of faith in his abilities, but he continues to struggle with his self worth despite all this evidence of his well-earned success.

No, Nate was being interviewed and said "It's not like I am some kind of a 'wonder kid' and the reporter said, "do you mean 'wunderkind'? He was the one who started that...

Even you agree he didn't appropriate wonder kid/wunderkind for himself, though. Why are we still arguing about this?

It matters to the story. Yes, he was promoting himself to the press after calling one play. He goes on to fixate on the press and social media attention and repetition of the phrase and then becomes resentful that he is not receiving enough credit for his talents. This is a meaningful pivot point in Nate's story.

Alternatively, the press lavishes him with attention in that moment and his initial reaction is to be self-effacing. But as that season progresses, he feels pushed aside by Ted in favor of Roy and continues to feel rejected/invalidated by his dad, and starts turning to the press attention and media mentions, and then later the attention of Rupert, to make himself feel better. He doesn't start calling himself "Wonder Kid" or promoting himself with the media until the end of that season when he leaves Richmond and joined Rupert's team.

And then this season, it becomes clear that a lot of that bravado is a performance he puts on to keep the attention and support of Rupert, who likes when Nate is brash and arrogant. Rupert goes to great lengths to groom Nate into a reflection of himself, buying him a car and encouraging trash talk at pressers. Nate wants to please Rupert because at that point his sense of self-worth is dependent on Rupert's approval, which is replacing the approval he has not gotten from his dad and that he feels Ted dangled and then removed (that's his interpretation, and not one I agree with, but I can see why he might feel that way from the inside).

Nate is one of the few characters this season for whom we've actually gotten good context for his shifts in behavior, IMO. I don't feel that way about Keely, Roy, Rebecca, or Ted. But I do feel that way about Nate and Jaime, who I think have the two best storylines of the season for this reason.

DP. Agree. Nate's is one of the clearest paths of growth/redemption in this show.