Trigger warning: This article discusses a storyline revolving around a past suicide.
Ted Lasso season 2 reveals that Ted (Jason Sudeikis) and Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) are much more alike than first thought. The two characters have showcased countless differences in the past, even acting as opposing forces in season 1, with Ted trying to do right by AFC Richmond and Rebecca trying to destroy it. His tirelessly mirthful persona has often been juxtaposed with her more serious, all business demeanor. At first glance, it would be easy to mislabel them as polar opposites.
season 2, episode 10, "No Weddings and a Funeral," however, highlights how the two are actually quite similar. In overlapping scenes, Ted reveals to Dr. Sharon (Sarah Niles) that he was home when his father took his own life, and Rebecca confesses to her mother (Harriet Walter) that she once walked in on her father with another woman. Both instances even occurred on the same day, Friday the 13th in 1991, and they both led to the characters resenting their fathers.
While other instances have shown that Ted and Rebecca have some things in common, this revelation is by far the most telling because it explains that many of their internal conflicts stem from similar sources. It makes it possible for audiences to understand how their comparable paternal disappointments have brought out their character traits and contributes to one of Ted Lasso's central themes. The reveal also sets Ted Lasso and Rebecca up to be the perfect sources of for one another.
This moment goes a long way to explain Rebecca's behavior in season 1. Many viewers were quick to judge her poor treatment of Ted and others without realizing that she wasn't just reacting to her ex-husband's philandering, but also to a traumatic experience involving her father's adultery. Ted, likewise, faces initial judgement by the AFC Richmond crew for his chattiness and ardently cheerful nature. No one stops to consider that his over-the-top positivity might be a reaction to some previous trauma. The revelations remind audiences that both characters were initially misjudged, and recalls one of the show's primary themes, to be curious, not judgmental.
The realization also sets up the characters to be an ideal system for each other in season 2. Viewers have seen this somewhat already such as in the Christmas episode when Rebecca anticipates Ted's need for company and . The reveal that their traumas are so similar further s their ability to understand one another and be empathetic towards each other. In this episode, Ted is able to overcome his issues and make an appearance at the funeral to comfort the woman who has so often consoled him in season 2. Both characters have a litany of friends at their backs, but their similar pasts mean that they can understand each other's situation better than anyone else.
Some even think that the show might be building towards a romance between Ted and Rebecca by the end of Ted Lasso season 2. They have reconciled their differences and grown quite close, but some viewers believe that a romance would cheapen their well-developed friendship. Whatever happens with the characters going forward in Ted Lasso, they will almost certainly continue to use their similarities to one another.