The prodigal son has returned to Richmond and that means trouble is afoot. After the cliff-hanger at the end of episode two where Jamie Tartt (played by Phil Dunster) returns to Richmond FC after being dumped by Manchester City, the tension rises between everyone at the club while Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh) fights back against the main sponsors for the club.
There are quite a few subplots that happen in the third episode of Ted Lasso’s second season yet they all come together in such a perfect way because they intertwine so well. The small segment we get with Ted’s doppelganger, Led Tasso, is hilarious and works so well with the story regarding Jamie.
Once again, Sudeikis kills it as Richmond’s coach, Ted Lasso. In this episode he plays the usual loveable and high-spirited manager but also the angry and unlikeable Led Tasso, his doppelganger. This sequence is one of the highlights in the episode and seeing him step out and play a somewhat different character (that’s obviously used for comedic effect) is hilarious and used for the perfect length of time.
However, the heart of this episode is Toheeb Jimoh as Sam Obisanya. After hearing that the main sponsor for Richmond is owned by a company that is destroying his home country Nigeria, he starts a protest which starts conflict between the team and the sponsors. How the show incorporates the message of corruption in the government into the show is used in a great and subtle way that is incredibly effective. Jimoh’s performance is outstanding and you can clearly see that Sam is torn between two worlds in this whole episode.
Jamie’s whole redemption is on full display here too. You can see his character really wants to make amends with the team after everything he did during the first series and that is where the tension between the entire team is in full effect. That bond between the club is being tested and Jamie wants to make amends for everything he did which is the message that is being banged on our heads in episode three.
The story still has that light and joyful energy that every other episode of this show has had. Even when it is dealing with heavy subjects, it always finds the right balance between shrugging them off and hammering them into the show. Not many TV shows do this yet Ted Lasso walks along a tight rope between the two and does it in an effective and brilliant way.
Ted Lasso series two episode three is the best one yet. It captures what makes this show so brilliant while delivering some excellent performances from the cast. It is the most emotional and powerful episode of the show to date while having some great comedy thrown in.
Ted Lasso Episode 3 of Season 2 is now available to watch on Apple TV+.
