Will it surprise you to learn that “Sunflowers,” the sixth episode of Ted Lasso’s third and final season, takes its thematic thread from Chet Baker’s “Let’s Get Lost”? Probably not given that one of the many (oh so many!) subplots in this episode centers around a jazz club, a Chet Baker anecdote, and yes, even a rendition of that famed jazz classic. The song celebrates that fateful night you get lost and, of course, then find yourself (or yourselves, if you care to read the lyrics). And that’s exactly what the Ted Lasso creative team have crafted in this Amsterdam detour of an episode: Continuing a rather frustrating trope that’s afflicted almost every outing this season, the episode found all of its characters scattered around, being the main character in their own subplot, echoing one another’s desire to get lost and to ultimately find themselves.
Does that sound rather heavy-handed if not outright pedantic? Well, yes. But then Ted Lasso is arguably the most self-indulgent Emmy-winning comedy series in recent memory. Clocking in past the hour mark, “Sunflowers” captures both what makes the show great, yes—but also exactly why it’s struggling in this final season as it caters to its own worst instincts. What began as a true ensemble comedy has slowly morphed into a series of disconnected storylines that only intermittently intersect, and “Sunflowers” shows us why such an approach is producing diminishing returns. And so, since the show insists we follow disparate subplots, let us have the recap following suit:
I. Keeley & Jack, Aurora Borealis
Not much to say here other than I’m a bit miffed we didn’t get to see much of this romantic, outdoorsy adventure!
II. Richmond, Teamwork
With the whiff of a filler set piece, this subplot had all of Richmond’s players remembering that the best way to spend a curfew-free night in Amsterdam is to not go see tulips, not eat Dutch food, not attend a private party, and definitely not bear witness to a sex show and instead to have a pillow fight(?). Sure, they got to learn about enjoying their time together and to value play over fun, I guess, but other than giving each of the players chance to offer funny (and not so funny) one-liners, this was arguably the least entertaining Amsterdam foray.
III. Coach Beard, Piggy Stardust
Easily a call back to last season’s truly surreal “Beard After Hours” episode, we get here only the barest of glimpses at the night Coach Beard had after apparently not doing drugs in front of Ted when he arrives dressed up the next morning in an outfit that visually calls forth the kind of wordplay humor Richmond’s coaches love best.
IV. Roy & Jamie, The Bike Ride
Is Roy the most self-actualized and self-aware character in the Lassoverse? His ability to emotionally regulate when confronted with an epiphany about where his rage is coming from (trauma about his grandfather and bike riding) and to acknowledge such emotional baggage in the span of a minute was impressive.
But, really, this tidbit of a late night adventure was just an excuse to find Brett Goldstein having a ball with the brief “Roy learns to ride a bike.” No wonder it had to be sandwiched in between so many other storylines. This is a funny but one-note joke.
V. Leslie & Will, Le Jazz Hot
Leslie will never not surprise us. With every episode we keep learning that his inner life is much more robust than what his suit and tie demeanor would suggest and this journey to the world of Chet Baker was yet another example of that. Also, I was happy to see Will get some more airtime (and I’m left wondering what was that drink he ordered at the bar).
VI. Rebecca, “Gezelligheid”
I didn’t have “Rebecca gets to have her own mini-romcom in Amsterdam” in my Ted Lasso bingo card but, hey, I’ll give the show’s writers props for surprising me. Do I wish sometimes that Rebecca’s storylines didn’t always center on her romantic life? Sure. But if we’re going to keep pursuing variations on “Can she have it all?” I’m happy we at least got to witness her letting her hair down (literally!) and having a meet-cute in a canal with a very hunky Dutch man who’s a great cook and an all around gentleman. The entire scene, quite literally borrowed out of any one Harlequin novel, serves as a reminder that once Rebecca lets herself enjoy her life she finds the most peace (notice how her eerie calm demeanor all but surprises Ted and Coach Beard in that final singalong moment).
VII. Ted, Triangle Ted Talk
I audibly rolled my eyes (yes, audibly) when Ted noted at the start of the episode that soccer drives him nuts. His sentiment is at the center of why the premise of Ted Lasso is funny in the first place: imagine a clueless American football coach taking on a soccer team; hilarious, no? And yet, to hear him in year three still making these asides about the sport he’s dedicated (and uprooted) his life for feels…disingenuous?
Thankfully, “Sunflowers” serves as the wake-up call our Kansan coach needed. And yes, it required a “trip” of the placebo kind that guided him to a Van Gogh exhibit and later to the Windy City section of the amazingly named Yankee Doodle Burger Barn. It was there where, after being inspired by Vincent’s many failures and his commitment to nevertheless find beauty in the world, that he found the mental stamina (guided by the Bulls, a BBQ sauce, and a Ratatouille-like moment) to seemingly come up with “Total Football” on his own. Perhaps more to the point, Ted was able to spend time alone and really commit to wanting to coach soccer, to help his team in ways that go beyond pat platitudes. Sure, “Triangles TRY ANGLES” does feel like the ramblings of someone thinking they’re high, but at least the sentiment feels rooted in a desire to actually, you know, play soccer.
VIII. Colin & Trent, PRIK & Ache
Easily the most affecting of the Amsterdam night outs. I’ve been itching to find out what if anything Trent was going to do with the knowledge that Colin is living a closeted life. And I’m happy to report the series did not disappoint. Rather than offering up a self-serving gotcha journalistic moment or even a scandal-riddled plot, Ted Lasso went the classiest route possible, having two queer characters talk frankly about what it means to come out on their own terms, at their own time.
“My whole life is two lives, really.”
What a simple and heartbreaking line. Especially as it’s followed by Colin announcing his desire to live his two lives as one, a wish that feels both obvious and yet needlessly complicated. (Oh, I guess I buried the lede: he’s telling all of this to Trent Crimm, who shares his own coming out journey!)
This tender moment which, I’ll admit, I groaned at given the way Colin (in true “LGBTQ Representation Matters!” way) manages to ground his sexual identity in a romantically codified stricture—all he wants is a fella he can kiss like the guys do their gals!—nevertheless hit the mark in capturing why soccer players and other public figures struggle with bridging those public and private lives. I was particularly taken by Colin’s admission that even as he’s acknowledged his ache; he knows we shouldn’t expect all aches to be healed. Thankfully such a heart to heart was followed by a deliriously fun looking dance party!
Phew! See? Those are a lot of subplots to cram into one hour.
Can Colin, Ted, Rebecca, et al. carry the lessons they’ve learned in Amsterdam back to the U.K.? Will this mark the much-needed pivot Richmond so desperately needs? Will every little thing really be alright? And, more importantly, will this finally bring its characters back together for more cohesive storytelling? Here’s hoping.
Stray observations
- “Then I met the most lovely couple and they invited me for a threesome.” This has to be the throwaway line of the episode, right?
- BRB, booking a flight to Amsterdam to attend Thunderdong at PRIK.
- I’m sad, though not surprised, to find out that Yankee Doodle Burger Barn isn’t a real place, mostly because it’s absurd enough to feel real (and a perfect indictment of the way cultures are othered in such eateries).
- I’d feel sad for Dani for not getting to see a tulipán if I didn’t continually find myself frustrated at his one-note character.
- Okay, who owns a beautifully art decorated boat like that in Amsterdam I can AirBnB?
