The Strings That Bind Us
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Episode 7
- "Dreams" by The Cranberries
- "Sometime in the Morning" by The Monkees
- "Rocks" by Primal Scream
- "Centerfield" by John Fogerty
- "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" by The Miracles
- "Alright" by Supergrass
| "The Strings That Bind Us" | |
|---|---|
| Ted Lasso episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 7 |
| Directed by | Matt Lipsey |
| Written by | Phoebe Walsh |
| Featured music |
|
| Cinematography by | David Rom |
| Editing by | A.J. Catoline |
| Original release date | April 26, 2023 |
| Running time | 57 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"The Strings That Bind Us" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso, based on the character played by Jason Sudeikis in a series of promos for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League. It is the 29th overall episode of the series and was written by producer Phoebe Walsh, and directed by supervising producer Matt Lipsey. It was released on Apple TV+ on April 26, 2023.
The series follows Ted Lasso, an American college football coach who is unexpectedly recruited to coach a fictional English Premier League soccer team, AFC Richmond, despite having no experience coaching soccer. The team's owner, Rebecca Welton, hires Lasso hoping he will fail as a means of exacting revenge on the team's previous owner, Rupert, her unfaithful ex-husband. The previous season saw Rebecca work with Ted in saving it, which culminated with their promotion to the Premier League. In the episode, AFC Richmond starts using the Total Football tactic, to mixed results. Meanwhile, Sam's father is visiting him, while Keeley discloses her relationship with Jack.
The episode received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances and the series' return to its training sequences, but criticized the episode's runtime, disjointed storylines and Keeley's and Nate's subplots.
Ted (Jason Sudeikis) gets Beard (Brendan Hunt) and Roy (Brett Goldstein) to explain their Total Football tactic to AFC Richmond.
Jack (Jodi Balfour) gives Keeley (Juno Temple) a first edition of Sense and Sensibility signed by Jane Austen. Barbara remarks on the impropriety of Keeley receiving such a valuable gift from her "boss". When Keeley expresses her concerns to Jack, Jack announces to the entire office that they are dating. The evening at a restaurant, Rebecca compares Jack's extravagant gifts with the "love-bombing" techniques Rupert used early in their relationship; on their second date Rupert bought her an expensive car. Keeley claims everything is fine but is then notified that Jack has paid for their meal.
Sam (Toheeb Jimoh) is delighted to hear that his father (Nonso Anozie) will be visiting. Before his arrival, he finds that Home Secretary Brinda Barot plans to bar refugees from entering Britain. Sam politely criticizes her decisions on Twitter, and Barot replies by telling him to "shut up and dribble", prompting Sam to refer to her as a "world-class bigot". Meanwhile, Nate (Nick Mohammed) wants to ask Jade (Edyta Budnik) out on a date but is worried that she could reject him. His mother and sister encourage him to ask her, so he makes a gift box for Jade. But he trips when crossing the street, and a car runs over the gift. Nate then simply asks her out, and she accepts.
To teach the team versatility, Ted makes the players swap positions during training; Jamie (Phil Dunster) is the only one to play his usual position. The tactic has mixed results, and Trent (James Lance) is unconvinced that it will pay off, but Ted maintains his optimism. The next day, they use a tactic devised by Roy to teach the team to pay attention to each other's positions on the pitch: the players are connected to each other with strings tied to their penises.
A day before their game against Arsenal, Sam finds that his restaurant has been vandalized by Barot's supporters. He has an emotional breakdown in the locker room, but his father, Ola, arrives and comforts him. Sam does not want to show Ola his wrecked restaurant, but Ola insists on seeing it after their game. On game day, the first half ends with a 3–0 lead for Arsenal, and the pundits are confused by Richmond's tactics. In the locker room, Jamie suggests to the team that instead of playing "to" him, they should play "through" him. During the second half, they score an elegant goal using the Total Football approach. While the game still ends in a 3–1 win for Arsenal, Richmond's reputation drastically improves. Trent observes that Ted's supportive coaching style over the past three seasons has been instrumental in teaching the team to trust and support each other.
Keeley tells Jack that she loves her but wants their relationship to be on equal terms; she later treats Jack to dinner at A Taste of Athens. Nate and Jade finally go on a date. Sam takes Ola to see his restaurant and finds that the team has been cleaning and repairing it. Sam decides to keep the broken mirrors, as a reminder that "everything does not have to be perfect." Ola, touched upon seeing that Sam named the restaurant after him, cooks dinner with Sam for the rest of the team.
Development
Production
The episode was directed by supervising producer Matt Lipsey and written by producer Phoebe Walsh. This was Lipsey's fifth directing credit, and Walsh's third writing credit.[1]