Name: Ted Lasso season 3 episode 5
Director: Matt Lipsey
Released: 2023-04-12T06:30:00

In the fifth episode of Ted Lasso season 3, one of the members of AFC Richmond goes missing while Rebecca tests the psychic’s predictions and Keeley fires Shandy. The episode is now streaming on Apple TV+.

Recap

AFC Richmond hasn’t recovered since losing to Nate’s West Ham. They have now fallen down the ranks despite having a player like Zava on their team.

Rebecca is mad at Ted and the coaches. He assures her that they are coming up with a way to solve this situation of theirs. Rebecca is also concerned about the predictions of the psychic she met that are now coming true.

At a restaurant, one of her dates from the past shows up with his fiancee, who refers to her soon-to-husband with a title that the psychic predicted, giving those claims another push.

At Keeley’s, Keeley, Barbara, and Jack discuss the growth of the company, and Jack agrees with the points mentioned by Keeley. They also discuss how disappointed Shandy is with the previous feedback. Jack likes to think that they should fire Shandy and suggests to Keeley a way to do so without breaking Shandy’s heart.

As Shandy continues to mess things up, Keeley is left with no choice but to fire her. Shandy doesn’t take the news well. She begs Keeley to let her stay. After realizing that they won’t keep her, Shandy leaves in fury, blurting out abuses at everyone.

During the discussions for their next strategy, Ted receives a message from Michelle saying that Henry is involved in a bullying incident.

Meanwhile, Leslie pitches Rebecca about changing the managerial position. Rebecca deviates from the topic and asks if he believes in psychics. Later on, she visits Dr. Wagner and agrees to go through some tests to see if she can have children at this age.

Back home, Michelle video calls Ted and reveals that Henry wasn’t bullied; he was the bully. On the day of AFC Richmond vs. Manchester City, Zava goes missing. A day before, he was all about motivating his team, and now he is nowhere to be seen.

Keeley and Jack, on the other hand, face the wrath of Shandy, who has left a sheep in Keeley’s office that has filled the place with feces. They both find this funny.

After giving the sheep back to its owner, the two sit down for a drink. Their day ends with Keeley making a move on Jack, who proceeds to make out with her.

With Zava missing, AFC Richmond loses miserably against Manchester City, scoring zero goals. After the game, Leslie sends Rebecca the news, which claims that Zava might be retiring.

Rebecca also receives a call from Dr. Wagner. He tells her about the results of her tests, which makes her call Keeley first, who is busy with Jack.

Ted almost faces another panic attack before Henry calls. Henry says he is sorry about what happened and likes to think that he should have followed Ted’s advice: if you are angry, count to ten. If that doesn’t work, do it again. Henry has also made things up with the kid he bullied by performing an apology rap in front of the whole class.

Leslie lets the team know that the rumors of Zava retiring might be true. Moments later, the team is notified about Zava’s new video, in which he confirms the news.

Ted motivates the team by assuring them that they don’t need Zava; they just need to believe. The Believe signs drop down again. The team calls it a bad omen. Ted further tears the sign and lets the team know that belief doesn’t happen just by hanging up a sign; it should come from the heart.

Amidst all of this, Nate takes Anastasia on a date to his favorite restaurant, which doesn’t go well. She abandons him in the middle to hang out with her friends. Jade then gives a lonely Nate some company.

Review

The fifth episode of Ted Lasso season 3 is all about pushing the envelope. Ted seems to be finally getting control over his panic attacks, and the psychic’s predictions for Rebecca might come true.
Clearly, the characters are past ‘believing’ and it’s all about making your goals come true. The removal of the ‘Believe’ sign is all about that. They all have moved on, and the sixth episode will be a new start for AFC Richmond.
The show also throws a few unexpected turns, like Henry being the bully and Keeley being the first to make a move on Jack after the lengthy sexual tension between them.
The third season also continues to struggle with some of its predictable jokes. A pattern can be noticed here that doesn’t make the jokes land the way they should.