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Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for the Season 3 finale of Ted LassoTed Lasso is no stranger to redemption arcs. In fact, the show flawlessly pulled off several. From Jamie Tartt’s (Phil Dunster) slow growth into a decent human to Rebecca Welton’s (Hannah Waddingham) change in heart after attempting to destroy Richmond, the show demonstrates that everyone deserves a second chance. Yet not all are executed quite perfectly. Season 3 of Ted Lasso was cluttered with so many storylines, forcing them to skip over important parts of the story. Specifically, Nate Shelley’s (Nick Mohammed) plotline skipped a few impactful moments, giving it a major plot hole that could have easily been avoided.
While Nate’s redemption fits well with the show’s themes, it moves too quickly to fit in every important piece of the story. Allowing him to remain an antagonist for much of Season 3 meant that the team’s decision to forgive Nate, which was central to the plot, didn’t get the moment it deserved. As Nate rejoins the team, his mistakes, which everyone took personally, were whipped away. Despite the focus on second chances, the fact that there was no bitterness toward Nate seems out of place, not because the team is incapable of forgiving him, but because that important moment never appeared on-screen. Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) taught them well, but when did they learn to forgive so instantly?
How Did Nate Become ‘Ted Lasso’s Villain?
Originally, Nate seemed as innocent as any character, yet a fast-growing ego changed his character quickly. At the end of Season 2, Nate left Richmond to coach for West Ham, joining Rupert Mannion (Anthony Head). The issue was never that he took another job or even that it was with Rebecca’s ex-husband. The fact is that this position was a better opportunity for him, and under normal circumstances, Ted would be happy for him. However, Nate left after releasing private information about Ted’s panic attacks to the press and destroying the “Believe” sign in the locker room during a fit. He also publicly insulted Ted at every opportunity, much to Rupert’s delight.
Still, Ted attempts to be the bigger man and forgive him, being nothing but friendly despite Nate’s attitude. But the team is less understanding. For the first two seasons, Nate was one of them, celebrating by their side, and had firmly become a member of their team, yet he betrayed all of them, not just Ted. Season 3 skips the moment when Nate quit his job with Rupert, which could have helped Nate realize his mistake, but worse than that, the team’s decision to forgive him never made it onscreen. Unlike Ted, the team expressed their anger toward Nate, and the fact that it evaporated offscreen feels unrealistic.
‘Ted Lasso’ Showed the Team’s Anger With Nate
Season 3, Episode 4, “Big Week,” didn’t shy away from the team’s anger. It actually embraced it. When Trent Crimm (James Lance), Beard (Brendan Hunt), and Roy (Brett Goldstein) uncover the video of Nate ripping the “Believe” sign, they show it to the entire team as a motivator, but it quickly turns ugly. They return to the pitch and play the rest of the game with a violent desire for revenge. The unsportsmanlike match ends in a loss for Richmond, and Ted expresses his disapproval, but the team’s anger is left unresolved and isn’t addressed again.
Richmond isn’t new to forgiveness, but when Jamie returned, they were slow to accept him. Over their time together, Jamie has proven himself, and the team has clearly forgiven him for his past behavior, but that trust took time. Nate’s redemption arc doesn’t have that luxury. Though Nate apologizes to Ted, the team doesn’t get the same moment with him despite Nate’s actions hurting them as well. At the end of the season, they willingly accept Nate back as if nothing happened, but completely ignoring the anger they so clearly felt earlier in the season makes the entire situation feel a bit odd. Knowing that all of Richmond has embraced Ted’s teachings is good, but it’s a sudden change that deserved to be explored.
How Did ‘Ted Lasso’ Resolve Nate’s Redemption?
After Nate quits his job, the team acts fast. Will (Charlie Hiscock), Colin (Billy Harris), and Isaac (Kola Bokinni) show up at the restaurant where Nate is working, reaching out to him first. They invite him back, planning to talk to Ted if Nate agrees, claiming that the team unanimously voted to forgive him, but that’s the only moment shown of the team reconciliation with Nate. Later Ted and Roy quickly agree to let Nate come back, with Beard being the only one to hesitate. But Ted shows Beard the full video of Nate ripping the “Believe” sign, demonstrating that Nate was at a low point.
Somewhat begrudgingly, Beard invites Nate back, admitting to having needed Ted’s unconditional forgiveness in the past. It’s a nice story, but the quick nature makes it unrealistic. After so much anger directed at Nate, how would the entire team let go without a moment’s thought? Nate went from working for the enemy to back on the team instantly, with only Beard hesitating. As a rivalry that drove Season 3, the team’s reaction to Nate needed a more concrete moment to complete the redemption arc.
How Should ‘Ted Lasso’ Have Handled the Moment?
Development is good, and the team has come a long way, but the vote to forgive Nate should have appeared on-screen with some debate before they unanimously decided to invite him back. With more hesitation and a resolution to the anger from earlier in the season, Nate’s redemption arc could have avoided this plot hole and emphasized the growth of every member of Richmond’s team. For a rivalry that was set up throughout the series, the entire arc moved too fast, forcing important moments to happen off-screen. Season 3 skipping the moment Nate quits Rupert’s team wasn’t great, but the fact that the team’s vote on whether or not to forgive him didn’t appear was a huge mistake for Nate’s arc and the team’s personal growth. Ted Lasso was close to another flawless redemption arc with Nate but didn’t quite make it.
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