Ted Lasso season 3 episode 1 recap & review: Smells Like Mean Spirit

Open Go TV / March 15, 2023 / Reviews

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In the first episode of Ted Lasso season 3, while Nate speaks up against AFC Richmond during a press conference, Ted gives his team a new lesson to overcome negativity. The episode is now streaming on Apple TV+.

Recap

Ted is at an airport when he receives a text from Michelle. The text says, “Have a safe flight! I love you.” It turns out that the message is for Henry, who is right by Ted’s side.

Ted feeds his son a few warm words, and in exchange, Henry gifts him a tiny Premier League trophy, wishing him good luck for the upcoming season.

Ted is still in touch with Sharon, who encourages him to move forward when he puts forth his feelings about still being the coach of AFC Richmond.

Many news outlets have published their rankings and predictions for the upcoming season. Most of them have placed AFC Richmond right at the end. Nobody likes to believe that they have a chance to win this season.

Rebecca is certainly mad about the news, but Ted is positive that they are going to prove them wrong. Rebecca is more frustrated by the fact that they have placed Rupert’s team, as in West Ham, fourth.

Ted turns down the option to update the roster by claiming that they are fine. This worries Rebecca, who thinks he is not exactly serious about this season.

The rankings also affect the morale of the team. Beard and Roy are strategizing how the team is going to work without Nate’s tactical mind. Back at West Ham, Nate arrives at his new office, and his habit of checking the Twitter updates about him hasn’t changed a bit.

Rebecca visits Keeley, who introduces everyone to her friend. While everything seems to be going great for Keeley, the moment she gets some alone time with Rebecca, she starts crying. She says she hasn’t had time for anything lately.

The two share each other’s pain. Rebecca discloses that her team’s position has her concerned. Keeley advises her to allow Ted to be Ted.

Meanwhile, Ted notices that his team is more distracted than ever on the field. Beard reveals that they know about the rankings. Upon learning that, Ted wonders if this is the time that he takes his team out on a trip to the outside.

Ted takes the team into a sewer. While getting down the sewer, Highway Maintenance guys nearby notice Roy Kent. They capture an image of the team as they enter the sewers.

Down in the sewers, Ted reveals why he has brought them here. Ted says their minds are filled with mess. They need to build internal sewage systems within themselves and connect with each other. After doing that, they should take the good aspects of one another whenever they are having a confidence crisis.

Amidst all of this, Nate trains his team unlike Ted; he is particularly harsh on the field. Rupert, though, has a lot of confidence in Nate.

At a press conference, Nate gets scared, but after remembering his past at AFC Richmond and his father, he musters up the courage to talk openly. If that’s not enough, he completely roasts his former team, AFC Richmond.

During the press conference, AFC Richmond’s picture of entering the sewers goes viral, and Nate takes shots at that picture as well. Rebecca watches this conference live and feels desperate to strike back.

Ted and his team learn about this news after returning to their locker room. The team isn’t demotivated by it. They like to think of this as something that they should flow out of their connected sewage systems.

Ted is happy that his team understood what he meant to say. Rebecca, on the other hand, demands the fighter Ted; she hopes to see him fighting during their press conference.

When Ted’s turn comes at the press conference, he deflects from speaking against Nate. Instead, he takes more jokes upon himself and urges the reporters to join, making them happy in the process.

Rebecca sees this in awe. She receives a text from Keeley, who had told her to allow Ted to be Ted. Nate watches this press conference live at his office too and is genuinely frustrated.

Nate receives a text from his mother, who says his father is upset because he swore at the conference. Rupert’s assistant lightens his mood by giving him a gift from Rupert: a new car.

Keeley and Roy attempt to tell Phoebe about their breakup. Keeley promises that they will always be friends. They say they are busier than ever, and that has affected their relationship.

Phoebe handles their breakup upfront, but in Roy’s car, she lets him know that they are making a grave mistake by breaking up.

At night, Ted talks to Henry on a video call after learning that he has safely landed. They talk about Nate and how Ted and Nate can still be friends. Ted notices Henry’s new toy, which has been given to him by Michelle’s friend.

Review

Ted Lasso season 3 opens up to fresh air as it always has. With Nate gone, everything does feel a bit empty, but at the same time, it’s all still positive.
The episode attempts to portray how different Ted and Nate have been with their approach toward their teams or any situation. This creates tension that will be built in the next few episodes.
Nick Mohammed is doing a great job as Nate. The way he makes comments against Ted and AFC Richmond will have the viewers hate him. Still, there are times one can notice that the old Nate is still hiding underneath all of this. That Nate may return one day.
Lastly, the show makes sense of Ted’s unconventional techniques to boost his team’s morale. It does feel like it’s something silly, but the outcome leaves an impact on the viewers.