‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4, Episode 2: 5 Things You May Have Missed, From Paddington Bear To ‘The Graduate’ References And More

Ted Lasso Season 4’s Kansas City-set premiere reminded us there’s no place like home. But Season 4, Episode 2 reminded us there’s no place like Richmond, either.

Spoilers for Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 2 ahead.

After Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), Keeley (Juno Temple), and Higgins (Jeremy Swift) traveled to Ted’s (Jason Sudeikis) turf to see convince him coach the new women’s team, Episode 2 saw his triumphant return to London where he not only reunited with old friends like Roy (Brett Goldstein) and Beard (Brendan Hunt), but met Coach Alice Chilton (Tanya Reynolds) and the rest of the Lady Greyhounds.

Since Ted Lasso is such a thoughtfully crafted love letter to fans, each week until Season 4’s October 7 finale, Decider will be taking a closer look at each episode and highlighting five moments that deserve to be put under the microscope. Whether they’re blink-and-miss-it details, brilliant Easter eggs, or major scenes that need to be talked through in greater depth, we’re here to obsess over, hypothesize, and dissect the series alongside you. We’re also shouting out a standout needle drop each episode, since the show’s soundtrack absolutely slaps.

From Paddington Bear and The Graduate references to a subtle music moment and more, here are five things you may have missed in Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 2, “Curiouser and Curiouser!”

1. Paddington F***ing Bear!

   When Ted finally lays eyes on the one, the only Roy Kent mid-press conference, the men’s coach frustratedly quiets reporters and reluctantly calls on one, saying, “You. Paddington fucking Bear.” We don’t see who asked the question, but when Ted hosts his own presser later in the episode, he calls on a new reporter named Pat. Before Pat asks about Jamie Tartt, Ted even takes a moment to say he loves his hat! ICYMI, Pat’s wearing a red bucket hat, a blue shirt with brown buttons, and he’s eating an emergency marmalade sandwich. In other words, he looks just like Paddington fucking Bear!

   Pat is played by Sullivan Beau Brown, an actor, comedian, and writer who folks may recognize from No Rolls Barred or the WrestleTalk podcast. “Managed to land a small role in Ted Lasso Season 4 on @appletv ! Loads of fun, the cast and crew were so lovely, and it’s great because Ted Lasso is one of my favourite shows as well!” Sullivan wrote on Instagram. A wise bear, indeed.

2. What’s In A Name?

   As we said in our Season 4 premiere Easter egg breakdown, eagle-eyed Ted Lasso fans have always known that names featured within the series frequently hold deeper significance to friends, family members, and mentors. So naturally, we’ll have to do a deep dive on players’ names in the new women’s locker room and updated men’s locker room to see if there are any new connections. We know Jamie Tartt left to play for Barcelona, and at first glance, the men’s locker room reveals other fan-favorite players like Sam Obisanya and Colin Hughes left AFC Richmond, as well. Meanwhile, players like Rojas, Montclair, McAdoo, and more stayed.

   One of the most noteworthy names added in the men’s locker room is Williamson, #6. Fans are convinced the new player is a nod to pro English footballer Leah Williamson, whose Arsenal jersey number is six, and who Sudeikis and Hunt consulted when writing Season 4’s women’s sports storylines. The last name Nortman could also reference Kara Nortman, co-founder of National Women’s Soccer League Angel City Football Club. Have you spotted any other parallels?

   It’s also worth shouting out that Episode 2’s title “Curiouser and Curiouser!” is an Alice in Wonderland reference. And who do we meet this week? Alice Chilton! (Some fans even wonder if Alice Chilton is a nod to musician Alex Chilton, though we haven’t confirmed.) Could we see more Alice in Wonderland parallels as Season 4 unfolds? Stay tuned!

3. The Graduate Reference

   A fan-favorite Episode 2 scene shows Beard and Ted reuniting at the Crown & Anchor pub and acting like star-crossed lovers. While many noted that Beard’s shaggy appearance was giving Forest Gump and the scene had big Nora Ephron vibes, when Mae slaps a pint of milk down in front of Ted and says it’s from “Mr. Gladstone,” that’s a clear reference to the 1967 classic, The Graduate. Mr. Gladstone is the alias that Dustin Hoffman’s character Benjamin Braddock used when checking into the hotel for clandestine meetings. So the reference was perfect for Beard, who dramatically wanted to keep his reunion with Ted on the down-low.

4. The Return Of Beard’s KC Sines Original Hat

   Ted Lasso fans may already know this Easter egg from seasons past, but since I wasn’t writing these articles then, let me also take a moment to call out Beard’s KC Sines Original baseball cap in that pub scene — one of many clever Kansas City references included by Sudeikis.

   In this case, the hat is a nod to Sudeikis’ real-life Kansas City pal Chris Sines. “I’ve known Chris since fifth grade. We played high school basketball together. We played college basketball together,” Sudeikis told Kansas City Star. “He was the guy who’d drive me to Pitt State for tacos. He’d fly, I’d buy, as my dad would say.” You can take Ted Lasso out of Kansas City, but you can’t take Kansas City out of Ted Lasso!

5. All The Callbacks (Blink-182 Voice)

   Since Season 4, Episode 2 features sooooo many callbacks to past seasons, we figured we’d list a bunch rather than only shouting out a select few. We start strong with Ted rising out of bed and pouring his cereal in London, a throwback to Season 1, Episode 2’s opener. When he leaves his new digs, Mr. Mann (Tom Cotcher) is there calling him a wanker again. Ted continues to uphold his Biscuits with the Boss tradition, busting out the tiny pink boxes to bring Rebecca an exclusive Brisket with the Boss treat.

   In addition to making Rebecca horrible healthy biscuits as coach of the men’s team, we learn that Roy Kent is wreaking havoc on the club’s budget with his need for alternative milk. It’s a small detail, but back in Season 2, Episode 4, Roy confessed to Phoebe that he once ate so much ice cream at a birthday party that he pooped his pants on the bus, because he’s no good with dairy. Lactose-intolerant Roy is canon!

   In two separate Season 4, Episode 2 scenes, both Rebecca and Ted hilariously face walls, a move that was reminiscent of Nate trying to hide from Ted in the corner of an elevator back in Season 3. And of course, Ted makes his first big impression on the team and shows he’s invested in them when he unveils their new locker room. As the girls marvel over its improvements, which include eight showers (!), it harkens back to the end of Season 1, Episode 2 when Roy learns Ted fixed the water pressure in the men’s locker room showers. Surely there are many other callbacks and clever details we couldn’t fit, so feel free to shout out your favorites in the comments below!

Season 4, Episode 2‘s Winning Needle Drop: “When I Get My Hands On You” by The New Basement Tapes

Don’t get mad at me! I know “You’re the Inspiration” by Chicago was an absolutely iconic scene-setter, like Beard, but my heart lies with another. ICYMI, I went long about why “When I Get My Hands On You” by The New Basement Tapes — the song that was playing during the hot as hell locker room scene between Roy and Keeley — essentially confirms RoyKeeley endgame. So be sure to give it a read, and after last week’s “Kansas City” shoutout, join me in listening to The New Basement Tapes on a loop until Episode 3.

Be sure to catch up on our Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 1 Easter eggs article while you wait for the next new episode.

Stay tuned for more Ted Lasso Season 4 coverage from Decider.