FINALLY! The week we’ve all been waiting for: conflict! Romance! Emotion! More daddy issues! The people asked, and Lasso answered.
The opening scene this week isn’t funny. After spending the morning complaining about Ted’s resistance to what sounds like her own therapist, poor, sweet Dr. Fieldstone gets in a bicycle accident. Which raises the question - how high does the chain of therapists go? She ends up in the hospital with a concussion and some minor injuries, and to her horror, Ted shows up to take her home. She’s mad at Ted for refusing to open up. He’s deflecting with bad jokes. Is it harsh to say I don’t even think Ted is in the top five funniest characters in this show anymore? Beard, Roy, Phoebe, Danny Rojas, Colin. Anyways, Dr. Fieldstone is homebound in recovery for the remainder of the episode.
We’re nearing in on the semifinal match against Manchester City, the team that Jaime left to pursue his Love Island knockoff show at the beginning of the season and was rejected by when he tried to return. Tensions are high! At the beginning of the episode, Sam gets a call from his father wherein he learns that the Nigerian oil company has ceased drilling - in large part due to Sam having called them out earlier in the season. Remember that? Thank god we have some resolution to that storyline! His dad tells Sam he loves him and is proud of him. Jaime overhears. Uh oh! Jaime has notorious daddy issues. I bet he’s jealous! He checks his phone to see a text from his father requesting (to put it nicely) tickets for him and his mates to the Richmond/Man City game. Jaime apprehensively asks Higgins for a few seats, and we can hear the resentment in his voice when he explains he doesn’t care where the seats are as long as they’re there. Higgins tells him it is O.K. to have daddy issues, but he can still love his dad (key here is can, but does not HAVE to).
Back to sweet Sam! And to the cliffhanger from two weeks ago, we have yet to resolve! He texts his Bantr crush (it’s Becca!!! Remember?!?!?) and tells her she should join him at some restaurant (you guys cannot possibly expect me to remember such minuscule details. I am only a girl) that night. Becca accepts, due mainly to Keeley’s insistence - thanks girlboss! Sam gets a haircut from beautiful Isaac in a delightful cutaway scene! He looks so handsome!
Roy takes Phoebe home from school early after she gets in trouble for swearing. The teacher boldly insinuates this is due to Roy’s influence. Roy expresses his guilt to Phoebe, who assures him that he actually is a GREAT uncle, and she inherits his good qualities more than his bad ones. She promises to stop swearing. I would die for her! A theme for the episode emerges - we can choose to forgive someone's poor traits and love them for their positive ones. Someone tell Jaime!
Now, Sam and Becca meet at dinner. At first, they think it is a coincidence. Who can blame them? But they eventually realize what has happened, and Becca reluctantly agrees to stay and have a “friendly” dinner with Sam, who is 21. She calls herself a pedophile but then proceeds to kiss him anyways at the end of the night. Then she tells him they can never do that again. I am conflicted. Were the genders reversed, we would certainly find this disgusting! I am on a plane right now so I can’t look online to see if anyone else agrees with me, but I have to imagine the thought has been raised elsewhere. (Edit: it has/has not.)
Quick check in to announce that Marcus Mumford is still in charge of the soundtrack to this show, and every episode still has a playlist that I personally would have curated as a sophomore in high school. Boo, Marcus! Get less racist bandmates!
It’s gameday, and Jaime’s dad shows up wearing Jaime’s old Man City jersey. Richmond gets blown out 5-0 in what is about 45 seconds of game footage. I am sometimes confused about the actual soccer aspect of this show because for a while the insinuation was that with Danny Rojas and Jaime Tartt as forwards the team would score non-stop, and this hasn’t seemed to happen. I guess this is necessary to carry on the story, but I do sometimes want to actually watch soccer. Sue me.
After the game, Jaime’s dad comes into the locker room to shit on Jaime and his teammates, which is bold, to say the least. Jaime finally stands up for himself - he punches his dad in the face, and Beard escorts him out. The team sits in silence until Roy storms across the room and embraces Jaime - and let me tell you, I LOST it. My eyes were sweating! You can choose your own family, Jaime! Your TEAM loves you!
Ted has a panic attack and leaves the room. He calls Dr. Fieldstone and tells her that he, too, has daddy issues. His father killed himself when Ted was a teenager. I think at this point there is some resolution that Ted and Dr. Fieldstone will have a substantive talk next week, which is relieving. I can literally feel the weight in Ted’s chest every episode. Beard meets Ted outside and tells him he needs to take a walk. Next week’s episode description, for those who missed it, insinuates that we will be following Beard on his walk. I look forward to that.
The episode ends with Becca asking Sam where he lives, only for her to try to head over and find that Sam is already on her front step. He comes inside. They kiss some more. Twitter, where are my opinions at?!?
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