Ted Lasso Episode 8: “We’ll Never Have Paris” was one of the most subtly emotional installments of Season 3, and, frankly, the entire Apple TV series. Here’s a look at some of the harsh realities and crucial lessons that the characters were faced with, particularly surrounding their relationships and love life.
It’s no secret that the Ted Lasso series tangles with many of the most important aspects of daily life and relationships. In Season 3, it is often highlighted that no matter their success or position, every character is facing their own unique problems.
We’ve seen a major focus on relationships so far in Season 3, with many questions and theories about a possible Ted and Rebecca coupling and what that might mean for each of their characters, including their future positions at AFC Richmond.
Ted and Rebecca’s love life aren’t the only ones we learn about, however, as episode 8 highlighted, there are plenty of lingering emotions, love, and drama from other characters in this episode as well. Here’s a look at some of the key moments in Episode 8 and the lessons that Ted Lasso writers have cleverly woven into the story.
Keeley and Jack’s relationship trouble
One of the biggest events of Episode 8 was the major private photo and video leaks that were said to have happened. This apparently affected many celebrities and well-known figures in the show, including the fan-favorite character Keeley Jones.
The raunchy video of Keeley was uploaded for all to see, and episode 8 showcased how deeply this could affect the lives and relationships of a victim both professionally and personally. Beforehand, Keeley and Jack’s relationship was trending upward without any major issues, but the negative attention online coupled with the social pressure caused conflict between the two.
The clever writing of Ted Lasso Season 3 showcased the shifting reality of new romantic partners and the possibility of being completely in love with one another to feeling extremely incompatible and distant, as Keeley and Jack was before their breakup.
Ted Lasso’s uncomfortable family dynamic
We also saw more of the titular character’s family matters unfold in this week’s episode, as his son Henry, ex-wife Michelle, and Dr. Jacob all traveled across the pond, leaving Henry with Ted while the other two went off to Paris on a weekend trip. Of course, this raised some alarm bells for Ted who was forced to take giant leaps in accepting his current situation.
Much of the episode was centered on Ted coming to terms with this new romance between his ex-wife and counselor, he enlisted the help of the Diamond Dogs, and later, Rebecca, to talk through the issues and help him cope. The strong writing, as well as the fantastic performance from Jason Sudeikis, really drove across the feeling of despair in the character.
Plenty of valuable lessons from Ted’s unusual situation, such as the elegantly put, “find out before you flip out,” which can be broadened to simply not worrying over things that haven’t happened yet. We also got some gems and sage advice from the AFC Richmond owner Rebecca.
Rebecca’s relationship advice
Although she was not directly involved in any romantic drama, Rebecca was quietly the star of the episode. Her role as the resident relationship guru and saw imparting some of the best advice for each of the main characters to live by. It adds a new layer to the character of Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso Season 3.
Rebecca was one of the first people that Keeley turned to when her private video was leaked and, as seen in episode 7, she has also been helping Keeley navigate her relationship with Jack, avoiding falling in love too quickly and being blinded by the “lovebombing” and extravagant gifts. Her advice to Keeley of “let Jack redeem herself” after the apology script, was actually quite reasonable, although this didn’t pan out perfectly it is still advice that gave Keeley’s relationship the best chance.
Also, her advice to Ted was equally important. She encouraged him to forget about his ex-wife’s Paris trip and reminded him that it was important to accept and simply enjoy the current time he has with his son. This, along with Coach Beard bonding with Henry, was a perfect summation of the episode.