Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 2, “Curiouser and Curiouser” Spoilers Ahead
Last week’s premiere might’ve been titled “Home,” but now, back in London, it finally feels like it. Things might look different, but the comforting feeling is unmistakable. Written by Leann Bowen and directed by MJ Delaney, everything about “Curiouser and Curiouser” feels like a classic Ted Lasso episode. From the new introductions to the familiar faces, it’s got everything.
It might feel odd not to see the AFC Richmond boys when we’ve gotten so used to them, but right off the bat, the Lady Greyhounds are compelling. Led by Tanya Reynolds’ Coach Chilton, who’s just quit—or so we think—their potential immediately flickers to life. We also get to catch up with Brett Goldstein’s Roy Kent and Brendan Hunt’s Coach Beard, all while the puzzle pieces start clicking into place as an episode that reiterates the importance of curiosity over judgment.
Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 2 Officially Introduces the Lady Greyhounds
Well, it introduces most of them, at least. We’ve still yet to meet Abbie Hern’s Gemma and Faye Marsay’s Lizzie, but we’ve got some of the major key players like Katie Quinn aka Boots (Jude Mack); twins Niamh (Aisling Sharkey) and Siobhan (Rex Hayes); a couple, Maddie and Margy, and more players whose names we’ll get later. And right off the bat, things aren’t easy, but interestingly, while Ted might be here to lead the team, it’s Coach Chilton who’s stealing the show. (And my heart!)
She might be stoic, but the deliberate conversations centering around her demeanor contrast with who she is on the inside and also point out the dualities in how we treat men versus women. This is clearly going to be a topic we’ll discuss a lot in the coming weeks because why is it that men like Roy Kent are appreciated for his grumpiness, yet a woman is automatically labeled as a “b!tch.”
Nothing is more obvious right from the start than the fact that Coach Chilton cares about the team and wants to protect them. From the second she stops Ted from stepping into the locker room before she’s confirmed they’re decent to how she reacts to Josie’s injury, it’s unmistakable that her heart’s in the right place. And casting Tanya Reynolds is one of the best things the show could’ve done because the subtlety with which she delivers every single one of her reactions is no small feat. She’s exceptional at emoting with her eyes because every time you look at her, there’s a story there.
And if there’s one thing Ted’s best at, it’s his means of learning someone’s story. There are a few moments in Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 2, “Curiouser and Curiouser” that trigger the waterworks, and Ted recounting Alice’s story is one of those moments. Of course, she would’ve formerly been a player whose dreams were crushed because of injuries. Of course, she wouldn’t be able to leave the game behind because she loves it and the people too much. The parallels to Roy and his journey are genuinely so important to me, and it’s probably why it’s so easy to care for her, too. Knowing this series, the layers we’ll get to uncover will be everything.
Ultimately, that quiet moment in their office is a lovely beat to remind viewers why this show’s so special and why we missed it so much in the past three years. The inherent reminder that everyone’s story deserves a chance to be told is also what speaks to the point of why it’s significant to feature a women’s team this time around. The neglect, gender disparities, and sexism are without question a vast issue in sports, and you don’t even have to be a fan to know this. This fact is precisely what validates why we need this new chapter and how important it can be, even if it’s fiction.
In the same way that the AFC Richmond boys made me cry way too much throughout the first three seasons, I imagine it’ll also be the case with the Lady Greyhounds. It’s already so frustrating to watch Ted sit through a press conference where everyone’s asking about the men’s team instead of the women’s. It’s intriguing to see that while a lot has changed, so much is still the same, with the show effectively touching on real world matters through metaphors that stick. (Coach Chilton doesn’t like riddles, but knowing Ted, surely she’ll get the hang of it someday.)
A New Locker Room – A New Beginning
Few things make my heart squeeze the way that everyone lights up when Keeley Jones enters a room. The joy and light we see on their faces when Keeley is around is so precious that having her fight for this locker room and for us to see their reaction is a top-tier Ted Lasso scene. Plus, there’s something so sweet about seeing Ted walk through the old one, see the taped-up BELIEVE sign, and reunite with Roy there, all while, at the end of the episode, we get to see the new one.
There’s so much to appreciate about the team’s wholesome reaction and how it’s something they should’ve had long before this. A sports series will spend quite a bit of time in locker rooms, so the construction and introduction to our new one feels significant. It’s lovely that it’s actually made into a spectacle that we get to experience right alongside the team because it takes us on the journey with them.
Ted and Beard Reunite
Somehow, Beard has gotten weirder, and you know what? Good for him. I’d also malfunction without my best friend in the same country as me. But the hilarious back and forth between him and Ted isn’t something I’d ever thought we’d see because I imagined they would’ve kept in touch more. Curiosity piqued, it begs the questions: did Jane not let him? What exactly happened with Jane? Why is his beard so long? Just…why?
Still, the long lost besties coaching together again is what delivers the necessary dose of hijinks that makes Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 2, “Curiouser and Curiouser” the complete puzzle piece it is.
Rebecca’s Feminist Journey Delivers an Interesting Parallel
Rebecca Welton questioning whether she’s a feminist or not wasn’t on my bingo card. The narrative provides some interesting comedic beats, delivered perfectly by Hannah Waddingham, but I’m curious about the reasoning behind it. We are, after all, talking about the woman who’s starting a women’s team. Maybe it’s to bring conversations about bell hooks into the equation, which I’m all for.
But interestingly, it’s the ending that works best for me because it serves as a riveting parallel to “All Apologies.” Rebecca making her way down to a coach’s office near the locker room to tell them about how they’ve set her on a journey of self-discovery? I think I’ve seen this film before. Though, really, the women should’ve also hugged. Maybe we’ll get there by the end of the season? It makes me so eager to see where the dynamic between her and Alice can go in the future.
Are Roy and Keeley Back Together Yet?
Going forward in all my Season 4 reviews, I will be ending them with the most prominent question we’re all asking: are Roy and Keeley back together yet? No. But they’re sharing screen time at least, and I’ve never felt more alive.
There’s still so much delicious tension between them, and it’s gratifying to know that both Goldstein and Juno Temple are all for the two of them getting back together the same way fans are. Because really, scenes like this are so exciting as a result. Not to mention, it wholeheartedly feels like we’re back when there are incredible metaphors like “Keeping two people apart isn’t just bad for them but for everybody” that seem to be about one thing—Ted and Beard in this case—but are also a cheeky hint at another: Roy and Keeley, without question. Their relationship has always been one of the sweetest and most exciting parts of Ted Lasso, so to see them share a screen again with subtle flirting is everything for me to hold on to the hope necessary that their second chance romance is imminent. And when it does happen, this buildup is going to be part of its magic.
The two of them haven’t been alone together in a while, so it’s interesting to see how much of that will change now and what it’ll look like. The fact that it doesn’t feel like they’ve missed a beat and their dynamic is still so similar is a testament to the performances, but it’s also gorgeous proof of why they should be together.
In a nutshell, everything about this episode delivers something exceptional.
Ted Talks and Further Thoughts
- Ted’s new apartment is such a vibe! And I love that it’s above the Crown and Anchor.
- Construction on his old street is such an interesting analogy! It’s like we’re reworking the old stuff a little, and I’m here for it.
- “Tell me you didn’t write a novel in your downtime.” I did, though.
- We’ve only had Coach Chilton for a few seconds, but I’d already go to war for her.
- “Did you consider any woman?” “No.” Ooh, that’s interesting.
- “Implication is everything!” I could say so many things about how true this is in girlhood.
- The thought of barbecue in the morning is so gross to me.
- Caroline is also a gem! And we’ve only had her for five seconds.
- ROY KENT!!!!
- THE BELIEVE SIGN!!!
- Awwwww men hugging. I will never not love this show and how it handles male relationships.
- “She said really twice?” I’m howling.
- “Most people think she’s rude as sh!t. I think she’s hilarious.” See, Roy gets me. Coach Chilton is everything.
- Why is Beard the way that he is?
- These posters of the AFC Richmond boys. I’m crying.
- Who is the woman in the picture with Alice? Will we get to meet her???!! I need to know everything.
- The reaction of the women to Keeley mirrors the joy in the men’s, and it’s so comforting. 🥹
- Rebecca is hilarious trying to make sure people know that she’s a feminist.
- “Manager who happens to be a man.” Hannah Waddingham’s delivery of this line is hilarious?!!
- Okay, but where are the Greyhounds physically??? Someone explain this like I’m 5. Do they come in on certain days? Is this how soccer works?
- PADDINGTON MAN
- Jamie Tartt is playing for Barcelona !!!!!
- I have so many questions about Beard reading The Time Traveler’s Wife while watching a livestream of Ted’s press conference.
- “No I don’t want to use Amazon. What kind of a business model is this?” I love everything about this line!!
- OMG ROY WAS BAKING BISCUITS. This is so personal to me because I still think about whether or not he actually knows how to make scones or if the comment to Jamie in Season 1 was a throwaway line.
- “A budget being a made-up number” is basically girl math.
- THE PUB BOYS !!!
- I am once again asking why Beard is the way that he is.
- I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS BEARD AND TED CONVERSATION 😂
- These green pants are stunning on Rebecca!
- I’m obsessed with Batman, babe. Let’s not insult Bruce Wayne.
- I want to be as brave as Boots. I do.
- Roy helping out Keeley again? We’re so close to being back.
- THE TENSION!!
- The gentleness in the way Alice talks to the players. My heart is so full.
- Roy lifting that bench Keeley was sitting on is so hot?!!!!
- “Keeping two people apart isn’t just bad for them but for everybody.” Me about Roy and Keeley. Always.
- AI negativity is something I’m here for.
- Why would you want to eat less cheese???!! Good to know moms on this show continue to be so odd.
- THE LOCKER ROOM DEBUT OH, I’M EMO.
- We’re so back, baby!
- Tanya Reynolds is such a sensational actress!!!
- “Ain’t no way that’s the end of her story.” It’s her beginning, and I’m sobbing.
- I LOVE ALICE SO MUCH.
- Alice’s face looking at Beard is me, tbh.
- “Strong women stand up for themselves and stronger women stand up for others.” That’s it—that’s Season 4 in a nutshell.
- This lavender suit is perfection. I wish I were taller so I could have Rebecca’s entire wardrobe.
Now streaming on Apple TV: What are your thoughts on Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 2, “Curiouser and Curiouser?” Let us know in the comments below.
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