When you're done with season two, Tep, actor Nick Mohammed put up a thought-provoking tweet about Nathan, but don't read it before you've seen the season.

Ted Lasso season two finale spoilers (the tweet ->) [link]

It's pretty evident that working on the show means a lot to the cast and crew, which makes me love it more.

When you're done with season two, Tep, actor Nick Mohammed put up a thought-provoking tweet about Nathan, but don't read it before you've seen the season.

[Note: I have not read the tweet.] I can see that Nate feels like Ted isn't giving him as much attention as in S1 (actually, "feels like" probably isn't right; Ted *isn't* giving Nate as much attention in S2, but shit, Ted is Going Through It in S2 [although Nate doesn't seem to realize that]), and so that was going to push Nate's buttons hard. It's noteworthy to me that, in the locker room scene where Jamie punches his dad, after Jamie's dad is thrown out, Nate has the exact same expression on his face that Jamie does, because they have a similar background of shitty goddamn fathers causing them trauma.

I also think after a lot of the team bullied Nate in S1 until Roy got them to stop, in S2, Nate still reacts to things like he's being bullied (like the "Wonder Kid" jersey -- that was clearly not an attempt to humiliate Nate, but he read it that way, because he's still the guy who got bullied in S1), and that is also going to lead him to do shitty things once he has a modicum of power and notoriety.

I'm not excusing it, because god DAMN is Nate shitty, but there's a lot of complicated stuff going on that's pushing his buttons and he has no guidance on how to react to it. (He never had therapy with Dr. Sharon, right?)

No, Nate never had therapy, and holy shit does that man NEED it. I still love him, but I don't trust him anymore. But his arc is so fucking believable, and his motivations are believable (if completely out of whack), and UGH. Nick Mohammed does such a great job with Nate. And I noticed everything he pointed out in the Twitter thread as they were happening, thinking "this is going to come back". And it did.

My theories after Ep11 were mostly proved true in Ep12. I knew what Rupert's plan was (not in the specifics, but come on, there was only one way to go with that). Ted's entire world is fucking falling apart, but because he has such a hard time asking for help, no one can help prop him up (although Doctor Sharon is doing a great job helping him). Keeley is going to become a star in her own right, but the differences between her and Roy are going to magnify, and it's going to take work (that I believe they're both willing and able to put in) for them to stay together. Sam is going to become even more awesome and connected and dear earth I love him so much.

I just. I so love this show because it's Such. Good. Storytelling. Everything is crafted, everything has a place. The writers have such love and compassion for their characters and their world and the care shows. Stars, does it show.

We just finished S1 and as much as I dearly love the show I worry about S2. Not for me, but for DH. He takes the show too personally. As a coach with massive (unwarranted) feelings of inadequacy as a father, he will take it hard. He is such a sensitive boo!! But now that he watched the first season in about 4 days he is super hooked.

I don't know when I have watched a show which created this level of character development in such a short time. Heavy-duty stuff there.

I'm not excusing it, because god DAMN is Nate shitty, but there's a lot of complicated stuff going on that's pushing his buttons and he has no guidance on how to react to it. (He never had therapy with Dr. Sharon, right?)

Yes there are so many complicated things going on with Nate, and right, he never had therapy with Dr. Sharon (which to me has seemed an intentional thing on the part of the writers, not just a "We can't have the show turn into everyone's therapy sessions" plotting practicality).

No, Nate never had therapy, and holy shit does that man NEED it. I still love him, but I don't trust him anymore. But his arc is so fucking believable, and his motivations are believable (if completely out of whack), and UGH. Nick Mohammed does such a great job with Nate. And I noticed everything he pointed out in the Twitter thread as they were happening, thinking "this is going to come back". And it did.

I expect he will get the great big redemption arc in season three and I'm here for it, because I think it will be complex, and it won't just be Nate who has to "grow and learn."

juliana, I'm just nodding along with your whole post.

I don't know when I have watched a show which created this level of character development in such a short time. Heavy-duty stuff there.

I didn't watch season one until well after it was released. After my DH watched it, he evangelized it to me hard, and he knows what I like, so I gave it a shot. I feel the same way.

Okay, I have both watched the S2 finale and read Nick Mohammed's tweet.

I want to start with this: there should be more discussion about Trent Crimm's hair. It is PERFECT.

But his arc is so fucking believable, and his motivations are believable (if completely out of whack), and UGH. Nick Mohammed does such a great job with Nate.

First, YES, Nick Mohammed is fantastic as Nate. Second, yeah, his arc and motivations are 100% believable. He was starving for attention and approval, and he got it in S1 from Ted, who filled the role of a decent father for Nate. And then in S2, Nate only got needier and bumped up against 2 unfortunate truths: (1) it's not on Ted to meet all of Nate's emotional needs, and (2) this isn't an issue between Nate and Ted; it's an issue between Nate and Nate. He needs to talk to Dr. Sharon.

Randomly -- I love the 3 guys at the pub. They're like the Gas 'N Sip guys from Say Anything.

I cannot believe that the Trent Crimm The Independent actor doesn't have his current look as his IMDB headshot.

I figured out that Nate was in real, irreversible trouble during the episode with his parents. He took in what Rebecca was saying, but the way it manifested was just ugly.

Randomly -- I love the 3 guys at the pub. They're like the Gas 'N Sip guys from Say Anything.

Oh you're right, Teppy. They are! I love the three guys at the pub, too.

Reportedly, the writers had the whole 10-episode second season plotted out, when Apple said, "Actually, we want to buy 12," so they wrote the two stand-alones. For me, S02.E09 really undercut the momentum that had been building, but my favorite part of it was getting to see more of Baz, Jeremy, and Paul.

I guess S02.E09 was an homage to * Scorsese's After Hours (1985), which I've never seen. Since I didn't get the references to that film, and since most of the season showed how toxic Jane/Beard is, "Beard After Hours" just irritated me. I wish it had been placed as a P.S. to the season, like "Restless." *

I get why they didn't tack the other stand-alone, S02.E04 onto the end, despite its being * a Christmas episode. It would have undermined the Keeley/Roy cliffhanger, or they would have had to use an entirely different plot, but the Keeley/Roy/Phoebe plot was so adorable, I didn't mind getting it out of season. And it was good to be shown (rather than have Sassy tell us, again), that Rebecca-free-of-Rupert is a decent person. *

I figured out that Nate was in real, irreversible trouble during the episode with his parents. He took in what Rebecca was saying, but the way it manifested was just ugly.

They've done a lovely job of building Nate's arc. When rewatching here and there, I keep finding revealing moments.

askye,

Yes. Episode 7

I don't know when I have watched a show which created this level of character development in such a short time. Heavy-duty stuff there.

SO MUCH STUFF. It's the second episode where Ted gives Sam a toy soldier and he gives it back, due to US imperialism.