Ted Lasso Season 3 Gives Nate a Sudden and Surprising Twist

The Season 2 finale of Ted Lasso set up a major rivalry between Richmond and West Ham, as an angry Nate left his home team to go coach for Rupert’s newly-purchased club. Earlier in Season 3, the teams came face-to-face, with Richmond’s anger towards Nate causing them to lose in embarrassing fashion. Now, the team and Nate are both on better paths, which you’d think would set up an exciting meeting between the two clubs in the second half of the season. At the very beginning of the latest episode, however, Ted Lasso delivers a surprising twist that cuts that storyline off at the knees.

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of Ted Lasso! Continue reading at your own risk…

Everyone has known that Nate would need to distance himself from the manipulative Rupert in order to find himself once again. It seemed like he was on his way towards doing just that in the ninth episode of the season, turning down Rupert at a club when the owner brought a couple of women to party. As it turns out, that simple act was enough to completely end Nate’s working relationship with Rupert and West Ham United.

The 10th episode of Ted Lasso Season 3, “International Break,” begins with the news that Nate Shelley and West Ham have parted ways. Despite being one of the best teams in the entire Premier League, and one of the hottest coaches in the sport, “The Wonder Kid” is suddenly without a job. 

That report comes out of nowhere, considering Nate’s success and the fact that fans had just seen him and Rupert together at the end of the last episode. Yes, Nate walked away from his owner at the club, but that’s couldn’t have led to his dismissal as manager.

Clarity arrives later in the episode, when Nate reveals that he actually quit his job. The earlier report on TV makes it seem like Nate was let go, with commentators and Richmond personnel all debating about what could’ve led to Nate’s firing. As it turns out, Nate simply felt wrong working for Rupert, even though managing a Premier League club has been his dream for quite a while.

This makes Nate’s redemption arc a little easier, as he no longer has Rupert in his ear, but it could also take away from his story with Richmond. The two sides can make up, but they won’t be able to hash it out on the pitch again, giving Richmond a chance to overcome what they see as their biggest competitive hurdle.

What did you think about Nate’s sudden change of heart? What do you think it means for the rest of Ted Lasso Season 3? Let us know in the comments!