Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 12 Review: A Standard Yet Satisfying Wrap Up
- Everyone's stories wrap up in satisfying ways
- The episode is fairly standard series finale stuff
"Ted Lasso" has always been a show about the power of being nice. Season 3 hasn't needed to prove this the way the first two seasons did, so it's been a bit more adrift. But when it comes to the season (series?) finale, we get exactly what we're expecting: A story about Ted (Jason Sudeikis) flying home to be with his little boy (Gus Turner). There are other tales here too, of course, but the show is called "Ted Lasso" for a reason, and Ted has decided to leave the team. While the possibility of the show continuing without Ted (perhaps under a different title) is there, this seems to be the end of "Ted Lasso" as we know it. Is it a good departure? Yes, "So Long, Farewell" does satisfy — even if it doesn't manage to surprise.
This installment starts out in Rebecca's (Hannah Waddingham) house, where she's watching the latest soccer commentary on TV. Ted comes in, and they appear to avoid talking about the sex they had last night. Then Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) and his girlfriend (Phoebe Walsh) come in wearing, er, interesting clothes, which makes it clear that the three of them were just crashing there, due to a gas leak in their apartments. This sets the tone for funny bits to follow — Isaac (Kola Bokinni) playing judge to the team on fines, Rebecca having lunch at the pub with her mother (Harriet Walter) and being confronted by the team's three most die-hard fans (Adam Colborne, Bronson Webb, and Kevin "KG" Garry), Coach Beard faking appendicitis to get off a plane — but mostly, this is a standard series finale. Everyone gets where they need to go for this season and beyond — nothing more, nothing less.
Rebecca's question
While Ted's fate is not in question, Rebecca's is a bit more up in the air. She could sell a stake in the team for a whole bunch of money and keep her job, or she could sell the whole thing and do anything else. Rebecca seems to want to sell the team, especially if Ted is leaving. She even meets with her mom to ask her about it. While Rebecca takes some time to figure it out, she eventually makes the decision that's right for her. She's great in all of these scenes, especially when she reveals her decision to Ted at the airport before he flies away. She may be wishy-washy throughout most of the episode, but when she makes a decision, she goes for it, and all of Richmond goes for it with her.
Rebecca may be one of the characters who's grown the most. Although she starts the series by hiring Ted so she can break her ex-husband Rupert's (Anthony Head) heart, she gets on board with Ted's philosophy and decides she wants the team to win after all. Now, after three seasons, she doesn't care about Rupert, but does really care about the team, and is all the better for it. This finale does a wonderful job of capping off and showcasing this massive growth.
The cherry on top is Rupert, who, in contrast, is in a bad way. He's getting another divorce and, because of someone behind the scenes, everyone knows he's been cheating. He's determined to win this match so he can get a reprieve, and even gives his coach (Bill Fellows) a dressing-down on the field. Through it all, Rebecca manages to be cordial to Rupert, showing how much she's grown. Not only that: As she's leaving the airport, she helps a little girl who happens to have an attractive father. It looks like Rebecca will get her happily ever after, and it couldn't be more richly deserved.
Trent, Roy and Jamie, Nate, and the rest
Trent Crimm (James Lance) is ready for Ted and Beard to read his book. While Beard has comments and critiques to spare, Ted barely says a word. He doesn't even laugh until page 46, and then just barely. In the end, Ted's one comment is that the title, "The Lasso Way," should be more inclusive, because it was never about him. The conclusion of this storyline is another way the show demonstrates that this is a series finale. The book is a success, but more importantly, the title is changed to reflect the entire team. While one person may have started the team's changes, everyone carried and sustained them to fruition.
Appropriately, other stories shine in this episode. In particular, Roy (Brett Goldstein) and Jamie (Phil Dunster) finally have it out over Keeley (Juno Temple). After getting into a fight, they do the only thing they can: See Keeley, who tells them she's not interested in either of them. Honestly Roy and Jamie's friendship has become more important than a girl, and although there may be other fights like this, it's good that they have each other's backs. This is an excellent place to leave their bond.
Nate (Nick Mohammed) is also back as part of the team, and even though he isn't as high up as he was before, he's grateful for his position. After a season full of Nate stories, it's nice to see him back in the fold. While Nate only has a supporting role in this episode, he's now solidly part of Richmond and seems happy about it. This makes his journey complete — at least for now.
That leaves the soccer match for the title in the middle of the episode, and needless to say, it's a doozy. This match keeps the suspense factor high. Not only does West Ham, the team Richmond's playing, score two goals before half-time, Richmond does all sorts of stuff that keeps us guessing. While I can't say what happens, Colin (Billy Harris) kisses his fellow on the field at the end. Colin isn't a big part of this episode's story, but it's still nice to see him enjoy this small moment.
Once Ted is on the plane to America and Beard has gotten off the plane to stay with Ted's blessing, things are pretty much wrapped up. All that's left is Ted's joyful homecoming. The season ends on a close-up of Ted's face as he coaches his son's soccer team. It's far from coaching Richmond, but Ted is smiling, showing he's exactly where he wants to be. It's hard to argue with this finale, as a result. It's not excellent, but it wraps up everyone's storylines in the best way possible.
All three seasons of "Ted Lasso" are streaming on Apple TV+.