Ted Lasso puts its signature folksy spin on the Mean Girls formula

Here’s a quick (non-pub) quiz for you: Are cliques considered inherently negative because pop culture tends to portray them as such? I’m talking the Plastics, the Heathers, the Chanels, you name it (as this Ted Lasso episode does, too, by name-dropping Mean Girls, Heathers, and even The Lost Boys). These tight-knit crews are usually framed as women who tend to act superior to people not in their crew, and pick on or shut down outsiders who don’t conform to their made-up rules. These specific examples are from young adult stories, but if Ted Lasso‘s latest episode wants to say anything, it’s that teen girls and professional athletes are somehow similar (because they’re driven by ego and how other perceive them), at least according to AFC Richmond’s former psychologist, who helpfully states that cliques can be a way for people to build a community in a stressful environment. 

After establishing that the Lady Greyhounds have formed three distinct cliques—the logical midfielders, the protective but anxious defenders, the exciting but selfish attackers—the show approaches this in, what else, the Lasso Way. That is, it’s all handled in an appropriately “aw shucks!” manner within a still-too-long 45-minute episode. We’re introduced to these cabals just as swiftly as they’re broken up by Ted, Beard, Alice, and a stint behind bars. The whole thing feels sweet, sure, but rushed, because Ted Lasso still hasn’t gone deep with any of its new players—at least not like they did with Jamie Tartt or Roy Kent in season one. We don’t exactly know why these mini teams were formed in the first place, how they managed to function well on the field despite it, and what their beef truly was (except for some lame jabs exchanged during Ted’s speech). 

If we haven’t seen these women play or fight properly—barring one dust-up that Ted and Beard barge in to interrupt after covering their eyes—how are we to care about the method in which their differences are resolved? Luckily, Ted Lasso can apply one of its greatest strengths here: performers whose charm can overcome any hamfisted script. Jason Sudeikis and Tanya Reynolds sell the hell out of Ted and Alice’s budding banter, and even Brendan Hunt has mercifully toned down Beard’s weirdness a little bit. Meanwhile, the Lady Greyhounds are making the most of their weirdly limited screentime. So when the episode ends with all of them chanting together as they walk out of jail, it is effective—and for now, I’ll take that as a win. 

“Greyhounds’ Day Off” treads familiar ground with the whole clique thing and the back-and-forth between Roy and Keeley. Look, Juno Temple and Brett Goldstein ooze chemistry, it’s undeniable, but I’m over the show finding ridiculous ways to keep them apart. Roy going on multiple dates in one night is a step back for his character (is he really that stupid to schedule them all in the same place?) and doesn’t make broader sense because this isn’t Roy and Keeley from season one anymore. They’ve figured out how to best communicate and deal with their insecurities. Enough time has passed in their world (and definitely in ours) since their breakup. They don’t need to be kept apart just for the sake of dragging their love story out. I feel like poor Higgins: trapped between the pair, unable to escape their loop even if he so badly wants to! 

At least this episode brings back Dr. Sharon Fieldstone (Sarah Niles) and journalist Trent Crimm (James Lance). Their conversation is our entrypoint into “Greyhounds’ Day Off”s big themes of unity and sportsmanship. She talks on his podcast about her new book, in which she writes that true locker room culture is when coaches can foster trust off the field as well. Ted and Beard currently face this problem because they rightfully can’t just stroll into the Lady Greyhounds’ spacious new locker rooms, lest theyinvade the privacy of any player strolling around naked. Alice, the wise buffer, helps as best she can, but there’s no other way for Ted and Beard to remain privy to their players’ needs, moods, and relationships. 

There’s no technical solution to this problem, of course. It’s why Ted and Beard aren’t aware that their players aren’t getting along until Alice points it out. They’ve split themselves up based on their skillsets, but it hasn’t gotten bad in a “One of them is turning out to be Regina George” way. At least not yet. And before this spirals out of anyone’s control, Ted decides to give the female athletes a common goal and enemy so they can direct their energy toward it instead of going at each other. He hopes they learn to mingle, so Ted skips training and forces all of them to compete at The Crown And The Anchor’s recently revived pub trivia night. It’s a trick that works well in his favor, even if it gets them locked up for a little while. But it’s a small price for Ted to pay.