Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 8, “Follow the Anger” Spoilers Ahead
There’s a very specific form of magic that Ted Lasso taps into when it allows its characters to be truly vulnerable. It’s this same magic I fell in love with when I first watched the show, and it’s why I have the words “onward; forward” tattooed on my forearm. It’s the kind of magic that I still don’t have the right words for, but the way it heals something in me every time is indescribable. And after last week’s “Yes & Baby,” this week’s gem feels like the perfect follow-up. Brilliantly co-written by Jamie Lee and Brett Goldstein, with gorgeous directing from Erica Dunton, “Follow the Anger” sparkles like colorful Post-it notes scattered around a bright sign.
There’s a lovely montage, big wins, small significant moments, a Higgins-specific mystery, and so much to appreciate about every minute of it that it makes me giddy.
Roy and Keeley Are Finally Back Together in Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 8!
One word: finally. At last, all is well in the world again because Roy and Keeley are finally back together, and my heart is so very full as a result. It bears noting that the fact that Goldstein wrote this episode makes their reunion even more glorious because we all know he loves the couple as much as the fans do.
More importantly, it’s all the little moments that we see with Roy and Keeley before they get back together that deliver a perfectly penned string of events that shows us why they’re meant to be. Ending with a big love declaration is much needed because Roy’s always so good at them, but even if we hadn’t gotten it, we would’ve had unmistakable proof that they’re better together than apart. We’ve already had substantial beats in the past to prove that when everything around them is falling apart, they’re at least going through it with the person who not only knows them best, but the one who can make every nuisance fun. And Roy Kent isn’t a man who typically has fun, which is why he needs his sunshine. He needs her light. And she needs his unyielding, unwavering love. The episode does such an effective job of reminding us why they’re so good together that it feels like we’re right back to the beginning in the loveliest way.
There’s a warmth about them as a couple that’s always been so transcendent, and you feel it throughout this episode, even as everything’s falling apart. It flickers to life right as the “When I Get My Hands On You” needle drop elevates the tension in the tube by simultaneously easing his claustrophobia. The way that the needle drop also magnetizes them to each other makes for such a gorgeous scene that I could write essays on it. (And I will!)
And then, of course, there’s the grand speech, delivered with so much emotion from Goldstein, it’s exceptional. But it’s also hugely important because no, he shouldn’t take her off the pedestal, but he also has to remember that he deserves to be up there with her. He deserves to share the spotlight and stand in her glow. He deserves good things because he is good enough and he is worthy. Just as he is for everything he’s achieved in football.
When I think about my comfort Ted Lasso episode, it’s always “Rainbow” that comes to mind. The way that it feels like a hopeful new beginning in all the best ways still floors me to this day, and so much of “Follow the Anger” has the same heart. Only Goldstein can pack a treasure trove of emotions and gratitude into the words, “but I f–king loved it.” And that line delivery parallels so beautifully with his decision to pursue coaching in “Rainbow” because it’s that stunning reminder of just how much the game’s meant to him. How the people it’s brought into his life have added colors to what would’ve otherwise been blacks and dark heather charcoals. It’s the way that he proudly lets other people in his path glow that serves as his greatest strength, and the way it’s encapsulated in this intimate moment is so breathtaking it brings his journey full circle.
I’ll have so much more to say about this scene in a breakdown soon because if I try to write it all in this review, we’d have a mountain of words. So, stay tuned.
Coach Chilton’s Layers Are Everything
From the moment Ted Lasso Season 4 began, it was obvious that Alice Chilton would be one of the best new characters, and that much remains true eight episodes in. She’s everything, and so are her layers. And while she isn’t exactly having a panic attack, Ted finding her sobbing and sitting beside her to silently breathe with her is the most comforting callback to Rebecca showing up for him in “Make Rebecca Great Again.” That was one of the first scenes in Ted Lasso that actively made me sob, and the same thing happened this week.
Because really, nothing’s been more obvious since day one quite like the fact that Alice not only loves the sport, but she loves the team. Her means of communicating just look a bit different than others, and it’s once again such a riveting parallel to Roy’s means of coaching, too. How both of them are foils of each other because they loved something far more than it loved them in return. But you don’t always have to leave the sport behind for good, and it’s incredible that we not only see that with Alice, but we get two different conversations this week that pinpoint exactly where her heart lies and how big it is. How impactful she is, even if she’s not the one scoring any goals. How she rose from the ashes of an injury and could maybe even be a little more free now.
And what’s also so compelling about Alice is that she bottles so much because it’s hard to be vulnerable when you don’t know how the people in front of you will receive your pain. My heart shattered at the number of times she apologized for crying in front of Ted, when he’s the last person who’d ever judge her. But that’s what it’s like to be a woman, isn’t it? Or, really, any human. For some godforsaken reason, likely because “big kids don’t cry” instilled one of the most toxic beliefs in us, we consistently feel like crying is a weakness. But Ted says it best and plainly, “there is crying in football.” And that’s exactly why so many of us fell in love with this show because it made us feel safe enough to let it out and feel things.
It made us understand that weakness isn’t the act of feeling our emotions, but it’s the belief that we have to carry our crosses alone. It’s more than okay to be sad. It’s okay to be angry. It’s okay to feel, and Tanya Reynolds is sensational throughout the episode as we watch Alice physically wrestle with all the emotions waiting to burst out of her while she tries to conceal them. The way she looks so small for a beat while sitting next to Ted, then so warmly assertive when she’s beside Gemma as she’s trying to be her strength through the injury. It’s a season best performance, and it’s wild to think that we’ve got two more episodes left to go because if nothing else, Ted Lasso knows how to give us emotional penultimates and finales. And I, for one, didn’t have any tissues prepped for this episode.
In addition, while I loved seeing Alice hang up the BELIEVE sign as the women added Post-it notes during the montage, my heart grew three sizes to see Ted add his piece of it, too. Because at the end of the day, his impact continues to matter tremendously, and it’s so easy to appreciate that this is where his greatest joy lies. His ability to make people feel safe with their emotions is no small feat, and the fact that Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 8, “Follow the Anger,” brings this to the forefront makes the arc the most exceptional one we’ve had so far.
Lady Greyhounds Come Together For Gemma
That said, what’s also so easy to appreciate is that Alice not only talks to Gemma herself, but the heart-to-heart that she has with Rebecca is everything to remind us of why we’re here in the first place. While under different circumstances, Rebecca as a character knows what it’s like to be forgotten—to feel as though you’re disposable. So Alice telling her that they all need to step up to remind Gemma that she won’t be forgotten is everything, but not just for the sake of the sport. In every area. Because that feeling of being forgotten or wondering if you’ll be replaced isn’t something anyone should go through, and yet too many people experience it daily. Too many of us go through heavy periods where we tether ourselves to our jobs, and one small change has a colossal impact on making us feel like we’re no longer worthy.
So for Gemma to understand that she isn’t replaceable, she’s deeply loved, and she deserves to fight is a beautiful, breathtaking thing. And the last time I cried this hard during Ted Lasso was in my first viewing of “The Hope That Kills You.” Because a moment like this is the very reminder that these characters aren’t sad and alone. Her injury doesn’t just impact her, but it hurts them all, and not because they can’t win or play without her, but because they love her. They’re a team with her. They’re her people now. She deserves to be on the pitch where she’s the most free and seeing Alice be the one to push for this while Rebecca joins with a new gift basket that’s personalized is a beautiful, beautiful thing. It’s something I might not have the right words for right now because its significance feels bigger than an episode I can sit with for a few days. It feels like something I’ll keep coming back to.
Someone’s Selling Richmond Shares – My Bet Is on Zelda
There’s a lot at stake right now with people selling their Richmond stakes, and all my bets are on Zelda. No part of me trusts this woman, and the pessimism she continues to spew makes it ten times worse. She’s someone who’d indeed follow her anger, but it also makes sense that Higgins and Rebecca would immediately assume it’s Rupert.
While we don’t have confirmation of whether the late Anthony Head filmed before his heartbreaking passing earlier this year, I’m curious how the show’s going to bring this narrative to a close by the finale. It’s hard to imagine that Zelda would stick around longer than a few episodes, so I imagine that the truth has to be revealed at some point.
“Follow the Anger” is the kind of near-perfect episode that makes Ted Lasso the gem it is. Everything about it works, feels right, and shines in a way that only this show could.
Ted Talks and Further Thoughts
- Something about the name Gemma Jay is so cool.
- I love Keeley’s pink to Roy’s black outfits. Perfection in every way. ALSO THE SHOE!!!
- Zelda kills my vibe so hard.
- BEARD, TAKE OFF THESE CONTACTS
- She’s like a B A R B I E
- That car is ridiculous, Roy
- OMG ALICE 😭
- There is crying in football!!! (And in writing! And in everything! More people should cry! Cathartically!)
- I really thought Ted was gonna write “believe and cry,” which is basically my motto.
- I agree, the tube is the best public transport
- “She needs to know she isn’t disappearing in real time” is one of the most harrowing lines I’ve ever heard. It’s so deeply relatable.
- COLIN IS AT WREXHAM!!!?!?!?!?!
- Mae’s got secrets, and I adore her.
- IT’S ZELDA, ISN’T IT
- “Don’t quit just becuase you’re scared” is also so beautiful.
- He’s still gonna give us speech.
- “But I f—king loved it” encapsulates so much.
- HE FEELS LIKE A LEGEND WHEN HE MAKES HER SMILE!!!
- “There’s no one else I’d rather be wrong with than you.” I love it so much here.
- “It doesn’t matter what the MRI says. I’m not quitting football.” THAT’S OUR GIRL!
- I also love that Keeley is the one who called Erin. This is such a sweet full circle moment.
- Rebecca stalking everyone’s social media is kinda iconic.
Now streaming on Apple TV: What are your thoughts on Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 8, “Follow the Anger?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Apple TV