After the last episode of Ted Lasso, I talked about how Ted was visibly spiraling and no one seemed to care enough to ask him what was up. With this week’s episode (season 3, episode 4, “Big Week), it seems that is still mainly the case. However, there is one character telling Ted like it is, and it is, surprisingly, Sassy. Well, it isn’t that surprising given how Sassy is always one to speak her mind, but the frankness with which she tells Ted that he’s a mess is something that no one else is willing to do.
Sassy and Ted have a “friends with benefits” situation. It’s something they even make fun of in this episode, but when Ted is getting in his own head about his ex-wife finding a new boyfriend, he asks Sassy, after a sleepover, whether or not she’d be into the idea of them actually dating each other. And Sassy, to her credit, laughs at Ted and the idea of it, because really, he is a mess who needs to work on himself before getting into a relationship and putting that on a woman.
And she’s the only one who is telling it like it is with Ted. He’s been around all his friends and none of them have been willing to ask him what is going on or talk to him about his problems, and it takes Sassy making fun of her own messy self to put into perspective where Ted is in his growth. While I don’t love that Ted’s friends continue to just … be none the wiser about his struggle, I do like that this episode ushers in some change in Ted’s approach to his wellbeing.
Because Sassy loves to talk to her bestie Rebecca and now, at least, Ted has people to turn to.
At least he now has Rebecca
One of the better parts of the episode is when Ted asks Rebecca if he’s a mess. She tells him the same thing as Sassy, yes, but that’s why they get along. And it is one of the more frank conversations that Ted has with anyone about it. The boys don’t really help, either, because that honestly isn’t a conversation they’re going to be good at regardless, but what is really fascinating about the entire series is just how Ted sort of has to prod people around him to get any sort of response.
It leads to a great moment at the end of the episode between Ted and Michelle. He recognizes that their relationship is over but that doesn’t change what her dating their therapist has done to him, and he’s honest about it—something that Ted rarely has been, because he’s too afraid of inconveniencing anyone. Luckily, we’re seeing some growth, and I hope that Sassy’s revelation to Ted makes it so he’ll start working on being more open with his friends and talking about where he is mentally.
At least, if he doesn’t have his fellow coaches, he has Sassy and Rebecca telling him like it is.
(featured image: Apple TV+)
