Fresh off its seven Primetime Emmys, Ted Lasso delivers an episode that will surely be a contender for next year’s ceremony. Ted Lasso 2×10, “No Weddings and a Funeral,” sits with Ted and Rebecca in their most vulnerable moments yet. Jane Becker wrote an episode that doesn’t shy away from the hard conversations. MJ Delaney directed it in such a way that makes us feel like we are in the room with the characters. It’s so well-done.
“No Weddings and a Funeral” teases romantic futures for plenty of its key players. Some of them take unexpected and necessary turns for the final two episodes. This episode is packed with memorable moments for our favorite Greyhounds. Overall, it presents a message everyone could use as a reminder — you can’t pour from an empty cup. You can’t love someone else until you love yourself. That is hard work, but it’s important.
Keeley, Roy, and till Death Do Them Part
If you needed more proof that Keeley and Roy are the grumpy/sunshine trope, then look no further than their opinions on death. Roy wants Keeley to avenge him, while Keeley wants Roy to eat the fruit from the tree her body nourishes. Their takes on how they want to be taken care of (or take care of others) are odd but totally in character. At first, it’s a bit jarring that Keeley takes Roy’s jokes so seriously, especially when she defies her rule of pretending to be sad for the sake of it at a funeral.
Then, the reality hits that this all comes back to honesty and vulnerability. Keeley is honest about her wishes after she passes, and her reason for wanting to be the soil of a fruit tree is generous, much like her heart. She gives Roy a chance to take back his answer or at least expand on it, and he doubles down on the humor. That’s an apparent coping mechanism for someone who wants to deflect from what they’re feeling. Of course, that reveals itself for Keeley through her interactions with Rebecca (and Sassy).
Eventually, the truth comes out for Roy, too. It’s nice to see that Ted Lasso remains interested in having Roy and Keeley interact like adults who value communication rather than fighting for the sake of it. That argument could have easily blown up into something to make the funeral more of a state than it already is. Instead, Keeley and Roy find their footing with each other when Roy admits to not handling death well ever since her grandfather passed — the same one who gave him blankey.
That moment of honesty becomes one of even greater vulnerability when Roy finally says those three words. He says that he loves Keeley. Though Keeley doesn’t say it back, it’s all in her eyes. “No Weddings and a Funeral” means there aren’t any wedding bells in this episode, but there don’t have to be to know that Roy and Keeley are forever. They’ll always come back to each other. Keeley will avenge Roy and make that bus driver’s life a living hell. Roy will most definitely help Keeley nourish a fruit tree, even if he can’t bring himself to eat said fruit.
Jamie and Opening Himself Up to Love
Ted Lasso wants us to believe that maybe Jamie could through a wrench into the good thing Keeley and Roy have going for them, but they’re not fooling me. I revisited the classic rom-com Four Weddings and a Funeral ahead of this episode’s because I knew it would come in handy. “No Weddings and a Funeral” takes inspiration from more than just the title of the Richard Curtis film. Jamie is the Fiona to Keeley’s Charles. Fiona was always in love with Charles, and he never saw her that way. They worked better as friends, but Fiona couldn’t move on until she told Charles the truth.
Jamie never asks Keeley to leave Roy. He can see how much they love each other the same way Fiona could with Charles and Carrie. Jamie doesn’t say he came back to Richmond “for” Keeley. Instead, Jamie says he came back “because of” Keeley. That word choice matters for where I believe this story is going. Jamie loves Keeley because she saw the good in him before Ted did and when his dad didn’t. He finally sees what Keeley tried to pull out of him by taking him to the theater and encouraging him to attend team-building exercises. That’s monumental.
It would have been cheap for Jamie to thank Keeley for being a stepping stone to his greatness. Because of Phil Dunster and Juno Temple‘s performances, it never comes across that way. Jamie’s love for Keeley feels long-lasting, opposed to a fleeting way to make her feel better for the time and energy she invested in him. Keeley once thanked Jamie for their relationship, and she meant it. It prepared her for a different phase in her life. This feels like that moment for Jamie.
This season does not need a love triangle, so this has to be a way to deepen Jamie’s friendship with Keely and set him in a new direction. Now that Jamie’s becoming the best version of himself, he can be a better partner to someone else. Hopefully, we’ll see more of Jamie being the best version of himself for himself before then. Jamie and Keeley were never on the same page during their relationship, but they did have impactful roles in each other’s lives. Ted Lasso reflects different types of love in plenty of relationships on this show. I would really love to see that explored more with Keely and Jamie and Roy be supportive of it.
Ted and Choosing Kindness
There’s a reason why Jason Sudeikis just won the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. His performance in “No Weddings and a Funeral” somehow outdoes everything that comes before it, making me wonder what could possibly come next. Regardless, Sudeikis puts Ted’s entire heart out in these scenes. It’s a testament to Sudeikis’ talent that those cutaways aren’t necessary to signal Ted’s anxiety.
Sharon picks up the bike that Ted bought her without hesitation when he calls. This is an excellent callback to “Headspace” because Sharon truly cares about Ted like she does all of her patients. She could have spoken to him over the phone, but she goes the extra mile by overcoming her fear to help him with his. Moreso, Sharon gives Ted permission to feel the feelings he keeps bottled up. She gives him permission to hate his father and love him, too. Ted’s feelings about his father are not right or wrong, they’re unique to him and his experience.
It’s more telling of what Ted did with that event, how he transformed something so tragic into something that nourishes other people. Ted tells Sharon, “And I knew right then and there that I was never gonna let anyone get by me without understanding they might be hurting inside.” The way in which Sudeikis points at Ted’s chest at the moment is all the proof we need to know that Ted, too, is hurting. Ted’s own mental health got lost in his goals to make other people feel seen, heard, and loved.
Flashbacks for the sake of showing us the tragedy are unnecessary because Ted’s words tell the story with enough detail. Sudeikis’s performance is enough. It’s through Ted’s words that we can understand his affinity for not quitting, his desire to take care of people, and his mission to make sure everyone knows they aren’t alone. Ted was alone when he found his father. Ted may be late to Paul’s funeral (like Charles is notoriously late to everything in the film), but he shows up for Rebecca.
Because of the work that he does with Sharon, Ted can recall a good memory with Paul, one that Rebecca forgot. Am I a little peeved that Ted, Rebecca, and her parents went to some sort of karaoke bar and it didn’t appear on Ted Lasso? YES. Most importantly, I’m glad that Ted can help someone after helping himself. It’s critical that Ted can’t show up for Rebecca until he shows up for himself. It’s refreshing that Ted Lasso never frames that as selfish but necessary.
Rebecca and Choosing Herself
Hannah Waddingham delivers an outstanding performance in this episode that will definitely earn her another Emmy nomination. Waddingham plays Rebecca’s hatred for her father in such a reserved way. When she speaks, you can feel it all pouring out of her as if a valve has been released. It’s simply wonderful to have Waddingham act opposite Harriet Walter in this scene because Rebecca is met with such optimism. That clash of coping mechanisms is riveting to watch.
The way in which MJ Delaney and the editing team parallel the experiences of Rebecca and Ted by cutting between their stories is breathtaking. It shows that no matter how different their experiences are, there are still similarities. Rebecca and Ted’s perception of their fathers vastly changed on the same day. Their experiences took them down different roads that led them to here and now. There is one distinct difference (beyond the obvious ones) that I can’t stop thinking about.
Rebecca wasn’t alone when she found her father cheating on her mother. Ted was and that leads him to make sure no one else he knows and loves is sad and alone if he can help it. That’s why it’s touching that even though Ted shows up late, it’s just on time for Rebecca. Ted Lasso maybe never make it overtly romantic, but Ted and Rebecca are soulmates. I won’t be taking arguments at this time.
At the beginning of the episode, Deborah says “old Rebecca” loved Rick Astley’s music. Before Deborah, Sassy was the only person who references “old Rebecca.” There’s an underlying thread that Rebecca used to let herself revel in joy more than she would ever allow now. Her singing “Never Gonna Give You Up” at the funeral suggests that she sees the merit of choosing joy — at least for her mom at that moment.
Rebecca has joy briefly with Sam, but that relationship is destined to end. “No Weddings and a Funeral” doesn’t delve into the most obvious issues of the relationship. It has an opportunity to do so when Nora finds out about Aunt Stinky and Sam, but it never pushes Rebecca in that way. Instead, Ted Lasso reframes it as a decision to benefit Rebecca instead of one that acknowledges those red flags. It could have been both.
Regardless, we see characters like Ted and the Richmond players visit Dr. Fieldstone, but Rebecca avoids that conversation as much as she does Ted. Until now. Hopefully. After all this time so far this season, it is rewarding to see Rebecca try to find her way back to happiness by choosing herself.
Other Winning Moments:
- I could write an essay about the way the women in Rebecca’s life show up for in this episode.
- I love any and all Cindy Clawford shout outs.
- Keeley’s jewelry never misses.
- “Whoever figured that out clearly weighed someone, murdered them, then weighed them again. You live, you die, you’re done. Goodnight.” – Roy Kent
- Isaac making everyone go to the funeral and being sure to point out the correct way to dress is so funny.
- The callback to Jamie’s affinity for not wearing shirts to formal events is my favorite.
- All the pink in Rebecca’s room
- Roy kissing Rebecca on the cheek
- Did I read into the suits the Richmond players wear to the funeral because they’re all unique? YES.
- Ted asking Sharon for a hug! What a moment!
- Higgins being the first one off the Richmond bus
- Jamie helping Dani through the pain of breaking in dress shoes
- Keeley freaking out when she sees Sassy
- “Right. Having a daughter erases all the shitty things you’ve to women in your lifetime.” – Sassy to Rupert
- Nate wearing the suit that Ted bought him
- Beard facetiming Jane during the service but stopping before Rebecca’s eulogy. He’s respectful!
- Another book to add to our reading list: Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
- The oegan playing along to “Never Gonna Give You Up”
- Beard saying he’s going to go talk about 1966 with a stranger named Billy
- Dani in Rebecca’s slippers
- Someone get Rupert away from Nate right this very second!
What did you think of Ted Lasso 2×10, No Weddings, and a Funeral?” Let us know in the comments below!
New episodes of Ted Lasso stream Fridays on Apple TV+!
