Well, I was kinda right about what would occur in this week’s Ted Lasso with regard to Anthony Head*, but was very wrong about just who is buying up shares – although I genuinely don’t think the “Zelda is making a play for Richmond” reveal is an earned twist at all. Outside of that bit – which I suspect is going to be the thread that sets us up for whatever cliffhanger or resolution comes about in next week’s season finale (which hasn’t been released yet for critics, so I’m just as in the dark as you are) – there was once again a lot to like about this episode. Because, for the third week in a row, the focus of the episode was on the team and not on everything else happening in the lives of our returning characters. Oh, and we got a lovely Keeley and Roy arc – which is what we could have been having since the jump this season had the show not wasted so much time on the stupid Ten Date Requirement.
*Head passed away this past June and filming on this season wrapped early this year, so it was conceivable that he could have been tapped for a cameo. Instead, we learned that Rupert wants nothing to do with Rebecca or Richmond. And we finally got the end title card memorializing this wonderful actor.
Let’s dive into what did work before getting into the Zelda of it all. First and foremost, I’m thrilled to see that the strides Alice made last episode have carried over into this one. She’s more sure of herself. She’s less likely to spout off and be contrarian. And when she does have corrections to make, she offers them along with some encouragement. Seeing how she is starting to work with Shannon rather than write her off – and that this support helps Shannon to gain the confidence to step up when she’s asked – shows us that Alice is getting close to being ready to actually be the coach of the Lady Greyhounds. The team clearly respects her. She listens, teaches, and still keeps her edge. And yes, there’s still some self-doubt – like when Gemma re-injures herself and Alice initially blames herself to letting Gemma play (even though it was never really her call) – but she’s able to work through it and be someone her star player trusts enough to listen to. Seeing Gemma willingly take Alice’s advice to sit the second half was as good of a sign as any that Alice is well on her way to becoming the type of coach this team needs. And she has even adopted a bit of Ted’s swagger with the whole “I’m a great dancer” bit.
Then there’s the Keeley and Roy arc. Do I think the show needs to give them a baby? No. I’m very much in the camp that adding children to rocky or at risk relationships is a cheap way to create tension. But it might be a reason for Roy to step away from the men’s team for a while – we hear in passing that his idiot agent still hasn’t worked out the details for his new contract – so that Ted can slot back in with Beard. What that would mean for the structure of season five – should there be one, and I suspect there will be unless those involved want to walk away – is anyone’s guess. Do we stay with the women’s team and only have Ted and Beard pop in occasionally? Or do we split the focus? Logistically, it would be hard to get the remaining men’s team actors back together (and the resulting supporting cast would be massive and likely financially unsustainable), so I suspect the focus would stay with the women. But we’ll see – because there might not even be a team left in the end of this season.
And that brings us to the “Zelda is the on trying to buy up shares” arc. Which I suspect will tie directly into the emotional gut-punch at the end of the episode, with the death of Mae. So, Zelda is trying to shore up a majority of the shares in AFC Richmond, come hell or high water, and we’ve had absolutely no indication of this up until this point. Which is strange. Either Zelda is that shrewd of a businesswoman – which is possible, she has quite the empire – or the show just never bothered to show us (something it did often in season three, where much of the character work happened off camera). I honestly wish it was anyone other than her because I was enjoying her zany balance to Rebecca’s up-tightness. There’s been a lot of discussion regarding how many shares Rebecca has and how anyone could buy more – especially since she is the majority shareholder from everything we’ve learned about her. But the death of Mae complicates the goal of buying a majority for Zelda. Mae’s shares will pass on to someone – the question of just who she willed them to, I suspect, is going to come into play in the finale. Is it Ted? Back to Rebecca? Those three idiots at the pub who share a single share? You don’t kill off Mae – one of the show’s most beloved characters – if it’s not going to have an impact on the main arc of your finale.
I just wish, like so many of the other arcs in the back half of the season, that we’d had more lead-up time to this one. The season wasted so much time refusing to let us get to know this new team. It wouldn’t let Alice start working on her road to becoming a coach. We didn’t get a whiff of the share-buying scheme until it was too late to really get a handle on just what was happening and the logistics of it all. And the loss of Mae will be a devastating blow to the characters on the show. At least she went out doing what she loved – watching Richmond football. And watching as the younger generation lived out her dream on the pitch.
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