TED LASSO SEASON 4 EPISODE 3 RECAP: Tryouts!

Ted Lasso Season 4 is off and running, and this week’s episode brings us open tryouts, misplaced uniforms, and the Richmond Women’s team against the world.

SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 3 AHEAD!

The episode starts with one of the Richmond teams players being told she is pregnant, leaving the team with no strikers and no idea how to move forward. Needing a quick fix Ted takes an off handed joke at pulling players off the street to heart and decides to open tryouts, which brings in two new players, Lizzie and Shannon neither of whom is a striker. There is hope as Danny Rojas’s sister comes for the tryouts. However, she has never played and the glimmer of hope fades out.

Meanwhile, the report about the Women’s Team not being a financially stable opportunity made its way to the press, who tried to ignore the press conference after the Men’s Team was done and, instead, told them to stay. Keeley takes to the podium and is blindsided, as neither Higgings nor Rebecca told her about the report, leading the team’s sponsor to consider pulling out. Their kits haven’t arrived in time for their friendly match, leaving Keeley desperate to find a solution. Ultimately, not all is lost as Alice’s former teammate, Gemma, who quit playing to pursue law school, happens to be a striker and ends up joining the team, scoring the Women’s Team’s goals and leading them to victory.

The Lasso Charm

As the season begins to take shape, I can truly love and appreciate the way the writers continually make callbacks to season 1, such as Shannon, who is someone Ted met then, now joining the team. This episode also features one heck of a deep pull with the search for a striker being referred to as finding a Susan Boyle, whom Ted has no idea who is. The gag continues as there are multiple mentions of Britain’s hero and Ted watching her audition footage. The creativity to not overdo a joke and instead find the sweet spots makes the humor land so well, as this season is beginning to feel like a return to season 1 and 2 form.

What makes these new challenges and struggles different is how they are highlighting the struggles Women’s sports face in the real world. The press doesn’t want to talk to them or write about them; the sponsors are hesitant; there is nobody in the crowd, and so much of this is a reality these leagues face every day. We’re beginning to learn the characters’ personalities and endear ourselves to them while still having the familiarity of our main cast, whom we have now spent 4 seasons with.

Final Thoughts:

Episode 3 may not blow anybody away, but there is a real message within this episode that is being brought to front and center. How can they get everyone bought in on this team and face adversity together? It’s what I love about the show and its ability to bring humor and comfort while tackling real issues. Time will tell for the Richmond Women’s Team, which has a long uphill battle but it’s a marathon and not a sprint.

Let us know how you feel about this episode and check out more reviews by Matt!