History Recap / TedLassoS2E06TheSignal

'''Air date:''' 27 August, 2021

This episode premiered on August 27, 2021.

!!This episode provides examples of:

* RealMenWearPink: The boys of Nelson Road wear pink boots when they need to.

Out on the pitch, Jamie's lack of aggression is causing problems for Richmond. The coaches agree that it's time to give Jamie "the signal": all four of them [[FlippingTheBird flipping him off]] in perfect unison. Jamie quickly begins trash-talking one of the Tottenham players, goading him into a penalty that earns Jamie a free kick, which Jamie uses to score the first point of the match. Watching Jamie act like his old self, Ted remembers [[Recap/TedLassoS1E10TheHopeThatKillsYou witnessing Jamie's abuse at his father's hands]] and his son Henry's admiration of Jamie, and has a panic attack. Mumbling an excuse about his stomach, Ted sprints off the field. Rebecca, concerned, tries to follow him, but Ted is nowhere to be found. The distraction of Ted leaving provides Spurs the opportunity to score. While Beard and Roy scramble for a strategy, Nate confidently takes charge, calling a risky play that allows Richmond to score a game-winning goal. In a post-game interview, Nate is complimented for his strategy. He tries to downplay the praise, saying that it's not like he's some kind of wunderkind... but he mispronounces it as "wonder kid," which the press quickly begins using as a nickname for him, much to his embarrassment.

* BatmanGambit: Part of the Richmond strategy is to lean into Jamie's natural assholery. Jamie provokes an opposing player, knowing he'll retaliate and earn Jamie a penalty kick...which Jamie manages to score with.

* HurtingHero: Ted runs off the pitch with a panic attack. Nate saves the day while Rebecca walks the club looking for Ted. Doc Sharon finds him in her (Higgins's) office ''hours'' later, and he asks for an appointment.

* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Roy fucks off rather than participate in the Diamond Dogs.

* RelationshipRevolvingDoor: Rebecca’s parents are revealed to be this. Her mother first left her father when she was at university and Rebecca was glad because she knew her mother deserved better. However, her parents got back together only for this to repeat multiple times over the years. The same happens at the end of the episode: Rebecca finds a note from her mother her saying that her father apologized and gave her a new Tesla, and that they’re together again.

* NakedFirstImpression: Rebecca's [[IncrediblyLamePun booty call]] is naked in her kitchen, and both her mother and her cleaner meet him like that.

While chatting with her anonymous Bantr match, Rebecca's morning after with a man she met on a different dating app is ruined by the unexpected arrival of her mother, Deborah, who has just left Rebecca's father. Beard is having his own romantic upheaval, as his on-again-off-again relationship with Jane is once again back on. Higgins expresses to Ted and Nate that he doesn't feel Beard and Jane's relationship is healthy, but Ted and Nate tell him you should never tell a friend that you don't approve of their relationship. Keeley and Ted go to lunch with Rebecca and Deborah, where Rebecca tells them that her parents have a habit of splitting up every few years only to get back together. During the quarterfinal match the next day, Rebecca, Higgins, and Keeley discuss Jane and Beard. Like Ted and Nate, Rebecca urges Higgins not to say anything. She reveals that the first time her mother left her father, she congratulated Deborah and told her she deserved better, which resulted in Deborah not speaking to her for nine months after she and Rebecca's father got back together. Higgins disagrees and expresses the belief that if you care about someone, you should keep trying to reach them in the hopes that one day you'll get through.

Higgins brings up his concerns to Beard, telling him that he's a great man and asking if Jane makes him greater. Beard is reluctant to listen to him, but the two nevertheless part on good terms even though Beard does not break up with Jane. Inspired by Higgins, Rebecca plans to once again try to talk to her mother about why she deserves better, but when she gets home, she discovers that Deborah has already gone back to Rebecca's father. Rebecca invites over Luca, the man she slept with the other night, not seeing a notification from her Bantr match suggesting that the two of them meet. Her Bantr match is revealed to be Sam. Dr. Sharon enters her office and is startled to see Ted on her couch. Ted, still suffering the aftereffects of his panic attack, tells her that he would like to make an appointment.

Since adding Roy to the coaching staff, Richmond has been on a 4-game winning streak, which commentators term "the Roy Kent effect." However, the effect will soon be tested in an FA Cup quarterfinal against Tottenham Hotspur, a Premier League team far more talented than Richmond.

While chatting with her anonymous Bantr match, Rebecca's morning after with a man she met on a different dating app is ruined by the unexpected arrival of her mother, Deborah, who has just left Rebecca's father. Beard is having his own romantic upheaval, as his on-again-off-again relationship with Jane is once again back on. Higgins expresses to Ted and Nate that he doesn't feel Beard and Jane's relationship is healthy, but Ted and Nate tell him you should never tell a friend that you don't approve of their relationship.

During training, Roy proves to be a very insightful and helpful coach to every player but Jamie, who he ignores entirely. Jamie goes to the other coaching staff and asks them to tell Roy he needs to coach him, but Ted, Beard, and Nate all laugh at the idea of any of them telling Roy what to do. Ted tells Jamie that he and Roy need to sort this out themselves, and Keeley gives Jamie advice on how to deal with Roy. Ted is distressed by a phone call from his son Henry's school about Henry forgetting his lunch, which Ted is unable to help with due to being in another country.

Keeley and Ted go to lunch with Rebecca and Deborah, where they are enthralled by Deborah's story of why she decided to divorce her husband at her age. When Deborah leaves to take a phone call, however, Rebecca tells them to ignore everything she just said, as her parents have a habit of splitting up every few years only to get back together within a week. Ted says that maybe this time is different, but Rebecca dismisses the idea. Back at the office, Higgins overhears a Facetime call between Beard and Jane that showcases their unhealthy dynamic.

After training, Jamie confronts Roy about his refusal to coach him, with Ted mediating the conversation. Roy says that Jamie's problem is that Ted's attitude makeover has been ''too'' effective--Jamie's old [[JerkAss obnoxious]] [[ItsAllAboutMe behavior]] helped him score goals and get in the other teams' heads, and he loses that edge when he tries to be a team player. Roy tells Jamie that the coaches will give him a signal to let him know when he should start acting like a prick during a game.

During the quarterfinal against Tottenham, Jamie's lack of aggression is causing problems for Richmond. The coaches agree that it's time to give Jamie "the signal": all four of them [[FlippingTheBird flipping him off]] in perfect unison. Jamie quickly begins trash-talking one of the Tottenham players, goading him into a penalty that earns Jamie a free kick, which Jamie uses to score the first point of the match.

Up in the stands, Rebecca, Higgins, and Keeley discuss Jane and Beard. Like Ted and Nate, Rebecca urges Higgins not to say anything. She reveals that the first time her mother left her father, she congratulated Deborah and told her she deserved better, which resulted in Deborah not speaking to her for nine months after she and Rebecca's father got back together. Higgins disagrees and expresses the belief that if you care about someone, you should keep trying to reach them in the hopes that one day you'll get through.

With ten minutes remaining in the match, the score is still 1-0 in Richmond's favor. Watching Jamie act like his old self, Ted remembers [[Recap/TedLassoS1E10TheHopeThatKillsYou witnessing Jamie's abuse at his father's hands]] and his son Henry's admiration of Jamie, and has a panic attack. Mumbling an excuse about his stomach, Ted sprints off the field. Rebecca, concerned, leaves the stadium to try to find him.

The distraction of Ted leaving provides Spurs the opportunity to score. While Beard and Roy scramble for a strategy, Nate confidently takes charge, pulling Dani, Colin, and Richard off the pitch and sending out three defenders with orders to "park the bus," i.e., crowd the entire team around the net to prevent the other team from scoring. Although everyone else is skeptical of Nate's strategy, it pays off: Tottenham's desperation to get past Richmond's defense causes them to slip up, which Richmond are able to exploit in order to score a game-winning goal. The jubilant team bursts into the locker room, where Rebecca has just found Ted's abandoned jacket.

In a post-game interview, Nate is complimented for his strategy. He tries to downplay the praise, saying that it's not like he's some kind of wunderkind... but he mispronounces it as "wonder kid," which the press quickly begins using as a nickname for him, much to his embarrassment.

Higgins brings up his concerns to Beard, telling him that he's a great man and asking if Jane makes him greater. Beard is reluctant to listen to him, but the two nevertheless part on good terms. Jane arrives to pick up Beard and the two leave together.

The team asks Dr. Sharon to have a celebratory drink with them. She agrees to join them for one drink after she gets a few things done in her office.

On her way home, Rebecca calls Ted, who doesn't pick up. She leaves him a voicemail asking if he's okay and admitting that she could use one of his pep talks, as, inspired by Higgins, she plans to once again try to talk to her mother about why she deserves better. When she gets home, however, she discovers that she's too late; Deborah has left a note saying that Rebecca's father has apologized and bought her a new Tesla, and they are back together. Rebecca invites over Luca, the man she slept with the other night. She drops her phone on her bed and goes to take a shower, not seeing that she has received another message from her Bantr match, who suggests that the two of them meet. Her Bantr match is revealed to be Sam.

Sharon enters her office and is startled to see Ted on her couch. Ted, still suffering the aftereffects of his panic attack, tells her that he would like to make an appointment.

After training, Jamie confronts Roy about his refusal to coach him, with Ted mediating the conversation. Roy says that Jamie's problem is that Ted's attitude makeover has been ''too'' effective--Jamie's old [[JerkAss obnoxious]] [[ItsAllAboutMe behavior]] helped him score goals and get in the other teams' heads, and he loses that edge when he tries to be a team player. Roy says that the coaches will give Jamie a signal when it's time for him to start acting like a prick during a game.

The distraction of Ted leaving provides Spurs the opportunity to score. While Beard and Roy scramble for a strategy, Nate confidently takes charge, pulling Dani, Colin, and Richard off the pitch and sending out three defenders with orders to "park the bus," i.e., crowd the entire team around the bus to prevent the other team from scoring. Although everyone else is skeptical of Nate's strategy, it pays off: Tottenham's desperation to get past Richmond's defense causes them to slip up, which Richmond are able to exploit in order to score a game-winning goal. The jubilant team bursts into the locker room, where Rebecca has just found Ted's abandoned jacket.

During training, Roy proves to be a very insightful and helpful coach to every player but Jamie, who he ignores entirely. Jamie goes to the other coaching staff and asks them to tell Roy he needs to coach him, but Ted, Beard, and Nate all laugh at the idea of any of them telling Roy what to do. Ted tells Jamie that he and Roy need to sort this out themselves, and Keeley suggests that Jamie try agreeing with everything Roy says in order to "take the anger wind out of his brat sails." Ted is distressed by a phone call from his son Henry's school about Henry forgetting his lunch, which Ted is unable to help with due to being in another country.

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With Roy Kent on the coaching staff, AFC Richmond is on a hot streak. Coach Beard is back with Jane, which worries Higgins, who is advised by Ted and Nate against telling him. Jamie is upset that Roy refuses to give him coaching advice; Roy relents and tells Jamie he needs to occasionally manifest his brash and aggressive personality on the pitch. Rebecca, seeing men from another dating site while continuing to flirt with her mysterious Bantr match, gets a visit from her mother, who has just left her father. At lunch with her mother, Rebecca tells Ted and Keeley that her parents separate every few years, only to quickly reconcile. While in a close game against Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-final of the FA Cup, all four coaches give Jamie the signal to play selfishly, raising their middle finger at him, leading to a goal from Jamie. Ted has a panic attack and leaves the field. With Richmond in disarray, Spurs score. Without Ted, Nate steps in and calls a triple substitution that leads to a game-winning score for Richmond. Rebecca looks for Ted in the locker room but cannot find him. Rebecca's Bantr match is revealed to be Sam. Higgins tells Beard his concerns; Beard is appreciative, but still leaves with Jane. As Dr. Sharon goes to her office, she finds Ted waiting and he asks for help.

* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: As Ted leaves the field during a critical match against the superior club, Tottenham. The action then follows Rebecca looking for Ted. [[spoiler:You can hear the progress of the game in the background as [=TVs=] and radios play the announcer commentary, until Rebecca is surprised by the team entering the locker room in jubilant victory]].