DISCLAIMER: This recap of Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 5, “Signs,” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Welcome back, Diamond Dogs! “Signs” boasts literal and figurative signs as the gang encounters personal setbacks off the pitch. In a surprising move, Zava retires while the Greyhounds continue their losing streak. You know what else retires? Ted’s BELIEVE sign.
It’s a bit slow-going in the first half, but “Signs” eventually takes off, delivering significant character development and meticulously charting each character’s respective endgame. I’m not entirely sure where the show is heading, but I appreciate the vagueness in that regard. I don’t need to know everything.
Rebecca’s episodic arc is heartbreaking. I hope she gets a chance to talk it out with Keeley next week. Something tells me she’ll continue to dig deep into Tish’s prediction, especially given all the signs she received in this episode. The Ted/Rebecca parallels are also in full force, as usual.
Ready to delve into “Signs”? Let’s get to it.
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We open with the Greyhounds losing another match after hitting a rough patch post-West Ham disaster. Sam (Toheeb Jimoh) looks dejected on the pitch. Dani (Cristo Fernández) and Isaac (Kola Bokinni) stew in their anger. Zava (Maximilian Osinski) appears to be lost in thought. Despite his best efforts, Richmond continues to lose after a surprising (and exhilarating) growth spurt.
Beard (Brendan Hunt) throws his hat on the ground before storming off, while Ted (Jason Sudeikis) is disappointed, and Roy (Brett Goldstein) goes into growly bear mode. Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), Keeley (Juno Temple) and Higgins (Jeremy Swift) also look dispirited amongst the booing crowd. The team is now in ninth place on the roster. Can Richmond bounce back?
Later, Higgins joins the coaches while they draft a game plan to tackle Manchester City. Rebecca storms into Beard’s and Ted’s office, the formidable, towering presence she is, and yells at Ted, demanding to know when the team will win again. Not to worry, boss — Ted plans to right this ship and steer it through the storm.
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Next, Rebecca finds the green matchbook from Sam’s restaurant (Ola’s) at a coffee shop. She flags down her waitress and asks the latter to pitch it for her. Then, Rebecca runs into John (Patrick Baladi), her one-time date from her Bantr days. He’s accompanied by his fiancée, Jessica (Victoria Elliott). John notes how Rebecca dumped him in that same coffee shop. Jessica jokingly thanks her for doing so. He regales Rebecca with a story about how he harassed Sir Anthony Hopkins for an “ussie” (this term was introduced in the pilot episode by Tommy).
Jessica refers to John as her “shite in nining armor.” That’s precisely what Tish recited when revealing who Rebecca would marry. The phrase throws Rebecca for a loop. Jessica chalks it up to a brain fart. Fun fact: John is wearing the scarf of Richmond’s next rival: Man City.
After her strange interaction with John and Jessica, Rebecca calls Keeley, who’s in a meeting with Barbara (Katy Wix) and Jack (Jodi Balfour). Keeley doesn’t see the call. Barbara pushes for the firm to branch out, customer-wise, thus presenting the need to hire more employees. However, Keeley wants to keep things small. She likes running a boutique firm, and Jack agrees. Shandy (Ambreen Razia) barges into Keeley’s office and claims she’s crafting her own dating app, “Star F*ckr.” Now, you, too, can f*ck the stars.
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Barbara believes it’s high time they let Shandy go. Jack offers advice regarding what to say when Keeley inevitably fires Shandy. I’m sensing sparks between these two. Ted Lasso is taking us in the love direction. Meanwhile, Isaac and Jamie (Phil Dunster) marvel at Nate’s (Nick Mohammed) new lady friend, Anastasia (Elee Nova), as the pair grace the cover of a tabloid mag. While the team gushes about her beauty, Zava claims he doesn’t see other women because he loves his wife. That also applies to “moving pictures” — he enjoys watching his wife. *Extreme Borat voice* My wife.
Next, Ted, Roy and Beard continue hammering away at their strategy for beating Man City. Trent (James Lance) chimes in with his opinion as Michelle texts Ted about Henry and a “bullying incident” at school. Beard’s ready to fly cross-country to defend Henry, while Roy dives into explicit detail about how you take down a bully. Mind you, this is a young child potentially picking on Henry, but Roy Kent goes big, or he goes home. There are no half-measures with him.
Later, Rebecca examines the Ola’s matchbook while munching on her biscuits. Higgins approaches her with a pressing matter. He claims they might need to explore the management aspect of the team if the players aren’t the problem. Rebecca realizes he’s talking about firing Ted. She won’t even entertain the idea. Then, the pair get on the subject of psychics. Higgins is a big fan. Initially, we know Rebecca started as a skeptic, but she’s ostensibly morphing (slowly) into a believer.
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Then, Ms. Kakes (Rosie Lou) gives Nate a message from Anastasia. He didn’t provide Anastasia his number after their date at Bones & Honey. Nate calls his mom and practices what he’ll say to Anastasia over the phone while she gives him notes. It’s utterly adorable. See? Our sweet Nate is still in there. Meanwhile, Rebecca and Ted pass each other in the hallway.
Notice how she calls him “Coach,” and he refers to her as “Rebecca” — something neither of them ever does. Ted uses the word “psychic” when asking if she feels bad for yelling at him earlier. She counters by claiming she shouldn’t have “bullied” him. Naturally, both are alarmed by the other rattling off the aforementioned trigger words related to their respective situations.
Next, Keeley fires Shandy, applying Jack’s “compliment sandwich” approach. Shandy launches into Drama Queen mode and makes a scene in front of the office. She oscillates between wanting to burn down Keeley’s firm and begging Keeley not to fire her. It’s a mess. Shandy even tries to poach Barbara for her imaginary rival firm. At the same time, Rebecca visits Dr. Wagner at a fertility clinic. Before her appointment with the doctor, Rebecca attempts to fill out emergency contact documents. She can’t figure out an answer for her contact. Why not Keeley?
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Dr. Wagner (Julian Forsyth) finds her in the waiting room and claims she doesn’t have to fill out anything. During their chat, Wagner suggests they run tests to determine if Rebecca can have children. He thinks it’s a possibility despite her age. It appears she’s adhering to Tish’s prediction. The Greyhounds train in the gym, preparing for the upcoming Man City match. Some players are Negative Nancies and don’t believe they can win. As the team captain, Isaac delivers a speech to boost morale, with Jamie following hot on his heels.
However, Zava steals their thunder, motivating Dani and the others to unleash their match-playing beasts. At home, Michelle (Andrea Anders) video calls Ted and clarifies something: Henry wasn’t getting bullied; he was the bully. I love the detail of Ted initially reaching for water to drink and then switching over to wine when he discovers that Jack, Michelle’s boyfriend, took Henry to the park.
The following day, Keeley asks Jack and Barbara if they want to attend the Richmond vs. Man City match. Barbara passes when she learns it won’t be as violent as the Richmond vs. West Ham event. Katy Wix is such a fun addition to this cast. I’m familiar with her stellar comedic chops from Stath Lets Flats; she fits in well here. Jack takes Keeley up on her offer. However, before they depart, they smell something genuinely foul. They find an adorable lamb in the boardroom with a note from Shandy. She was serious about making Keeley’s life miserable. The lamb has been defecating all over the place.
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Then, Nate takes Anastasia to his favorite Greek restaurant. Jade (Edyta Budnik), our favorite stoic hostess, is there to seat them at the table. So far, Anastasia’s not a fan. None of the food is Instagram-worthy. Before the match, we learn Zava is MIA. Rebecca receives a text from Dr. Wagner, informing her he has the test results. However, he’ll call her after the match. That’s not anxiety-inducing or anything. Higgins tells her about the Zava-shaped problem they have. Our team contacted Zava’s agent, manager, publicist, etc., to no avail. Nobody knows where he is. They even reached out to his avocado whisperer. For now, Colin (Billy Harris) is in Zava’s position.
Keeley and Jack meet with the lamb wrangler from a few episodes ago. Keeley asks him not to give Shandy an animal when she asks for one. After scooping up all the lamb poo, Keeley and Jack decide to miss the match for vodka and a chat in the former’s office. Hmm. Nate tries to persuade Anastasia that the food is edible. When he sees Jade’s irritated expression while she serves them, Nate enthusiastically tells Anastasia about the “divine” baklava, making Jade smile. Anastasia is a brat. She fakes an excuse about her friend being sick, only to hop in the back of said friend’s car and speed away in front of Nate. Awful.
Later, Richmond loses to Man City, as to be expected. Rebecca gets a phone call from Dr. Wagner. The staging and execution are reminiscent of the pilot episode, wherein Ted talks to Michelle. You only hear Rebecca’s side of the conversation. The Ted/Rebecca mirroring never gets old. Unfortunately, Rebecca discovers she can’t have children. She tries to call Keeley, who doesn’t answer — again. Something tells me the missed phone calls will be explored in next week’s episode.
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Next, Keeley and Jack chat about the latter dating a clown. Keeley starts to talk about her last relationship, which Jack assumes was with Jamie. However, Keeley refers to Roy even though she refrains from saying his name. She states that the breakup wound is still fresh. Despite that, she wants to move forward. Their conversation culminates in a kiss as Keeley makes the first move. Jack reciprocates, and the pair makeout. It’s getting hot in here, y’all.
Then, Jade brings Nate a plate of baklava for two. After revealing his date split, Nate invites Jade to eat the baklava with him. She accepts the offer, and the pair share a laugh. I know we’re supposed to hate Nate, but I can’t. This is too cute, even though Jade didn’t pay him any mind until he became a football manager. Ted finally chats with Henry (Gus Turner), who reveals he made a grave mistake. He regrets not following his dad’s advice regarding anger management. Henry delivered an emphatic apology rap to the class to compensate for his actions. He’s a little Ted in the making. Before and after his chat with Henry, Ted feels the symptoms of an anxiety attack creep in. However, post-Henry call, Ted places a hand on his chest and practices breathing, which calms him down—the growth.
The team learns about Zava retiring from football. Who could’ve guessed the match he played at the beginning of the episode would be his last? Everyone is devastated, although perhaps no more so than Dani. After his chat with Henry, Ted delivers one of his signature motivational speeches to the crew. Side note: I love the message on the dry-erase board — “City gonna City … but every dog has its day!” Ted believes Zava leaving is a good thing. They can’t have someone play with them who doesn’t want to be there.
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When Ted encourages the group to believe in themselves, the BELIEVE sign behind him splits in half. It’s a sign. Of course, the players interpret it as a portent of impending doom; Ted reassures them it’s anything but. He pulls down the sign and starts ripping it into pieces as the team watches, aghast. How can BELIEVE’s biggest cheerleader turn his back on it? Ted claims he’s tired of messing around with stuff that doesn’t matter. He even says the “s” word.
Ted tells the group he wants to “mess with” the belief that he matters regardless of achievement. A montage plays out featuring Nate and Jade laughing over baklava. The belief that everyone deserves love, as Keeley and Jack get it on in the latter’s office. Then, the montage shifts to Roy, who looks dispirited. Even the scene transitions are intentional in this show. Rebecca sits in her car while holding the Ola’s matchbook as Ted talks about believing in hope. Interestingly, the Season 1 finale is titled “The Hope That Kills You.”
After delivering what’s unarguably one of his best speeches, Ted dismisses the team. Before departing, Jamie confirms he’s still meeting with Roy at 4 am for their training sessions. Naturally, Roy’s hellbent on getting Jaime in tip-top shape. The final shot lingers on the ripped BELIEVE sign. It’s the end of an era.
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“Signs” showcases Ted’s immense growth, and it’s especially prominent when he alleviates his anxiety before talking to the team. Thanks to his sessions with Dr. Sharon, he has the tools to keep that anxiety at bay. Additionally, Ted doing away with the BELIEVE sign is a massive marker of development for him. He’s learned that belief doesn’t come from a piece of paper but from inside himself.
Keeley’s and Jack’s union is unsurprising but fun. I’m glad we’re getting Bi Keeley on Ted Lasso. My only gripe is that it’s similar to Rebecca’s and Sam’s relationship: Jack is Keeley’s boss, just as Rebecca is Sam’s. While their steamy night is consensual, there’s still the power element at play. Something tells me it’s also a path back to Roy, making Jack feel like more of a plot device than a genuine girlfriend for Keeley. Who knows? The writers might throw us for a loop and keep Keeley and Jack together. If it works, it works.
Does this open the door for Roy to find Phoebe’s teacher? Perhaps temporarily. I’d rather see character growth outside of the confines of romance, though, for both Keeley and Roy.
Overall, “Signs” is a solid outing that digs deep into our characters and advances their development. It’s not super action-packed, but specific plot points like Zava’s departure paint a picture of what’s to come. Now, everyone has to believe they can succeed.
Ted Lasso drops new episodes every Wednesday on Apple TV+.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
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