REVIEW: ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3, Episode 5 — “Signs”

Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 5, “Signs,” the series shows hints of strain as it takes on too many storylines at once. There are, as always, highlights but they’re bogged down with lesser plots being given more time in the spotlight. The strongest elements remain anything that has to do with the team itself which is why it remains frustrating that the writers are so determined to give us moments outside of the locker room or off the field. There were times when Ted (Jason Sudeikis) and Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) were the most interesting characters on the series, especially back in season one when they shared more time and their hangups were fresh, but the team itself has been so enriched that to distract too much from them is a disservice to the wonderful ensemble they have. 

Rebecca’s storyline is the one that irks the most. There is nothing wrong with storylines about women wanting to have children, and there’s a level of potency here because it deals with a single woman in her 40s who is worried if she can conceive. The problem is that since season two, Rebecca’s storylines have either been tied to her love life, with season two seeing the character interacting with her phone more than actual scene partners or now a want to have children plus a vehement need to win for the sake of beating Rupert (Anthony Head.) Waddingham is an extraordinary talent with a superb sense of physicality and control over her facial features, which sell us more on her sadness than anything on the page. 

There were elements of her storyline in “Signs” where the gravity of her situation rooted itself in deep loneliness that was enormously effective, especially when she goes to fill out an emergency contact and doesn’t know who to name or tries to call Keeley (Juno Temple) only for her call to be ignored. It never amounts to anything more than a fleeting, dismissive storyline, as if the writers were at a loss for what to do with her. 

Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 5 is best when it starts to suggest something viewers have been picking up on longer than the characters themselves: Ted’s a bad coach. It’s been a long time coming that, eventually, someone in the actual show was going to need to acknowledge it. It’s brought up twice in the episode by different characters and while Ted gives a speech at the end of the episode that attempts to absolve him of his ineffectiveness as a coach, the series would be smart to pull that thread and see what story opportunities lay beyond it. 

Keeley and Jack (Jodi Balfour) are another nice surprises, though again, it might’ve been nice for one of the female characters not to be entangled in any form of romantic plot. That said, the two have excellent chemistry, hinted at in episode four through a brief meeting and eye contact, making the payoff all the more effective. With the sendoff of Shandy (Ambreen Razia), Keeley’s storyline is righted, though with the brevity of Shandy’s stay, it all comes across as inconsequential. Surely there was another way to show the growing pains of Keeley running her own business than a character whose personality veered on cartoonish in comparison to the others.  

Of all the ups and downs, though, Nathan’s (Nick Mohammed) potential redemption being built off his interactions with women leaves the worst taste. He’s lobbed certain cruelties in the past to the likes of Keeley when he tried to kiss her and has worn an air of incel that is too noticeable to ignore, especially as he makes nice with the waitress at his favorite restaurant after being abandoned mid-date. There was never a real question on if Nathan would be written a redemption arc, but to pull it off, there needs to be greater room for introspection from the character rather than just written scenes where he proves he’s capable of basic human decency. The show is desperate to hold tight to the overall positivity and optimism that’s made it so beloved, but to take any shortcuts in Nathan’s storyline, in particular, would be disingenuous. 

An often rushed and irksome watch, Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 5 is far from the series’ best. With too many plots and characters fighting for space and narratives being dropped after only a few episodes, the show will need some course correction in next week’s episode to get the show back on track. 

Ted Lasso Season 3 is out now on Apple TV+.