Ted Lasso – Season 3 Episode 9 “La Locker Room Aux Folles” Recap & Review

Colin and Isaac Have It Out

Episode 9 of Ted Lasso season 3 begins with the Richmond team having an absolute ball while practising. Even Roy is forced to admit that changing strategies was a good call. However, not everything is peachy keen as Isaac seems to be ignoring Colin. He flat-out refuses when Colin asks him to have a chat over a beer.

Keeley shows Rebecca a long string of unanswered texts she sent Jack and the latter sympathises. Ted shows up with biscuits as per usual and then asks Rebecca if he can skip the press conference due to a parent-teacher meeting with Henry’s teacher. They realise Roy can do the conference instead so Rebecca and Keeley break the news to him.

At the West Ham office, Jade gives Nathan a surprise visit. Rupert steps in and introductions are made but of course, accompanied by a snide remark about how she’s probably too good for Nate.

Leslie goes up to Rebecca and asks her what happened with the press conference. She goes downstairs to find a full-blown argument between the reporters and Coach Beard about Jimmy Page and Joe Walsh. Naturally, she steps in and handles it as best she can but immediately afterwards finds Roy and yells at him to see her in her office. He reluctantly follows.

Colin’s attempts at reaching out to Isaac haven’t succeeded so he goes to Trent for advice. Trent suggests he give Isaac some time.

In her office, Rebecca confronts Roy about his nonchalant attitude about everything and, basically, tells him to pull it together.

Rupert steps into Nathan’s office to check in but the latter is as prepared as ever for their upcoming match. While conversing, Rupert mentions Jade but misremembers her name and calls her Kate.

On the day of the match, Rupert tells Nate to come out with him for a ‘guys’ night’. West Ham play Southampton while Richmond face Brighton on the same day. Jack messages Keeley that she’s in Argentina and will be there for the next few months, confirming to Keeley that this isn’t a break but rather a breakup.

The match doesn’t begin well for Richmond as Isaac is distracted and Brighton get a goal in. A fan from the stands keeps shouting out curses at the team and at halftime, when he uses a queer slur, Isaac loses his cool. He barges into the stands and fights the fan, landing himself a red card.

Inside the locker room, Ted asks Isaac what happened. When the situation is explained, everyone tells Isaac to ignore what the fan said but he bursts out that nobody should have to deal with stuff like this, and walks out of the room. Roy follows him, counselling Isaac, saying he knows the real source of his anger is something else and he needs to go deal with that.

The rest of the teammates assume that Isaac is the one that’s gay and that’s why he reacted the way he did. The discussion prompts Colin to stand up and come out to all of them. Everyone accepts him for who he is right off the bat.

When one of the players claim they don’t care what his orientation is, Ted steps in and says they do care. They care and they will support him as much as can be. Later, Colin admits to Trent that this went well, better than he thought. They go back to the match without Isaac but Colin assists two wonderful goals and Richmond win!

West Ham, too, win their match. Jade congratulates Nathan on text as he prepares to go out with Rupert. He meets him at a club where Rupert immediately introduces him to two women, emphasising his idea of ‘guys’ night’. Something shifts in Nathan and he tells Rupert he has to leave. He goes over to Jade’s apartment instead and greets her with a hug.

While another press conference looms, Roy steps up and takes it instead of Ted. He answers questions about Isaac’s behaviour, admitting that it was wrong but leaving enough room for understanding that footballers are also people. And nobody knows what they go through. Rebecca, who watches the whole thing, nods at him in satisfaction.

Isaac finally goes up to Colin’s place and asks him why he felt like Isaac couldn’t know the truth. Colin says it was more about his own fear than about Isaac. He invites Isaac in and they talk about it further while playing a football video game — sex positions, showering with the guys, and who’s the most attractive on the team (it’s Bumberbatch).

The Episode Review

This episode was almost entirely focused on Colin and I’m not sure it was the best idea. While I appreciate the importance the series is trying to give the subject of queer people and queer lives, the storyline felt a bit elongated. And it wasn’t particularly different from a standard coming out story on TV.

In fact, this episode had not one but two average plot lines — Rebecca’s telling off of Roy was so on the nose and even felt a bit random.

That’s not to say the episode was bad. There were some interesting quips and comic scenes, particularly the one with Beard’s passionate argument with the reporters about the guitarists. But when the standard Ted Lasso episode becomes known for subverting tropes and finding ingenious ways of propagating kindness, a standard episode does feel like a loss.