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Review: Ted Lasso S04E02 "Curiouser and Curiouser!" - A Reassuring Return to the Pitch that Launches a New Era
August 13, 2026 - Lassoism.com Editor
But a budget isn't a real thing. It's just a made-up number. (Ted Lasso/Warner Media)
After the premiere’s Kansas-centric setup, this installment (written by Leann Bowen and directed by MJ Delaney) drops Ted firmly back in Richmond as head coach of AFC Richmond’s second-division women’s side, the Lady Greyhounds. It is still partly table-setting—introducing players, conflicts, and dynamics—but it recaptures the show's signature blend of optimism, workplace comedy, and emotional pull far more effectively than the opener.
Ted wakes in a sunny flat above the Crown & Anchor and heads to Nelson Road for his first days with the new team. Rebecca and Higgins confront a sobering viability report on the women’s side: low odds of financial success and the risk it could drag down the men’s team. They push forward anyway.
The episode’s sharpest tension arrives with Alice Chilton (Tanya Reynolds), the no-nonsense assistant coach who was passed over for the top job. She resigns on the spot, bluntly asking Rebecca whether any women were seriously considered. Rebecca’s honest "No" sends her into a spiral of overcompensation—empowerment speeches at press conferences, ordering "any Bell Hooks book," and constant reassurances that she has women’s best interests at heart. The gag lands as both funny and pointed, forcing the character (and the show) to wrestle with the optics of hiring a man to lead a women’s team.
Alice starts as a near-caricature of brusque toughness but gains depth quickly. Ted’s earnest approach—memorizing dossiers she prepared, staying late after a player injury, treating the squad as "our" team—chips away at her walls. By the end he appeals to her own history as a player sidelined by injuries and asks her to stay as assistant. She accepts. A subsequent crossed-wires conversation with Rebecca (who still thinks Alice is leaving and delivers a complicated mix of thanks and critique) leaves their dynamic interestingly unresolved.
Keeley tackles the inadequate women’s facilities head-on. After a big-budget request is denied, she claims the visitors’ locker room. Roy helps clear the booby traps he installed to unsettle opposing teams—including a trained rat named Jonathan—turning the space into a proper home for the Greyhounds. The players’ delighted reaction to the renovated digs provides one of the episode’s purest feel-good moments.
On the men’s side, Roy is now manager. Coach Beard is torn between loyalty to him and the pull of reuniting with Ted. After some awkward, formal interactions (and Keeley’s intervention), Roy invents an obscure regulatory breach and releases Beard, who joyfully rejoins Ted.
We also learn Jamie Tartt has left for Barcelona ("I think he’s gonna do bueno," Ted tells the press). New players get brief introductions: twin sisters Niamh and Siobhan, a couple from training camp, and goalkeeper "Boots," who refuses gloves so she can "feel everything." The ensemble is still sketch-like, but the groundwork is promising.
Jason Sudeikis remains the sunny center, but Tanya Reynolds is the standout. Her dry, sardonic delivery and gradual thaw make Alice a compelling foil and a character worth following. Hannah Waddingham sells Rebecca’s crisis of conscience without tipping into pure caricature. Brett Goldstein delivers deadpan comic gold (including a high-protein "biscuit" made with beef tallow), and Brendan Hunt’s Beard subplot, while broad, lands the reunion with genuine warmth.
The episode runs about 47 minutes and mixes the show’s classic heart-tugging beats with sharper institutional critique around women’s sports funding, facilities, and representation. Not every beat is equally sharp—some table-setting feels obligatory, and the locker-room fix resolves a bit too neatly—but the overall package is funny, warm, and more confident than the premiere.
True to form, the episode is packed with callbacks and cultural nods:
The title "Curiouser and Curiouser!" is a direct quote from Lewis Carroll’s "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland", and the character name Alice makes the connection explicit. It signals the sense of stepping into a new, slightly topsy-turvy chapter at Richmond.
Ted tells Alice, "Who says you can’t go home again?" — a clear reference to Thomas Wolfe’s novel "You Can’t Go Home Again".
Coach Beard is spotted with Audrey Niffenegger’s "The Time Traveler’s Wife", a possible nod to the still-mysterious "thing with Jane."
A reporter dressed like Paddington Bear (complete with what appears to be a marmalade sandwich) asks about Jamie Tartt; Roy had earlier referred to a journalist as "Paddington Bear."
A quick exchange on Batman: Alice Chilton calls him a fascist, with Ted noting every middle-aged man’s obsession with him, and the wearable tech.
Rebecca’s Bell Hooks book order is a direct feminist literature reference.
Soundtrack cues include Elton John’s "Honky Cat," Chicago’s "You’re the Inspiration," and Eurythmics’ "Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves," the last of which lands with particular thematic weight.
"Curiouser and Curiouser!" successfully re-establishes "Ted Lasso" on familiar ground while planting the seeds for richer exploration of gender, institutional support for women’s sports, and whether the "Lasso Way" can translate to a new team and new colleagues. Alice is a strong addition, the core cast still clicks, and the episode balances laughs with genuine stakes. It is not perfect—some arcs resolve quickly and the new players need more time to breathe—but it is a solid, engaging step forward that leaves viewers properly invested in what comes next.
Our Rating: 8/10
The Setup and Core Conflicts
Ted wakes in a sunny flat above the Crown & Anchor and heads to Nelson Road for his first days with the new team. Rebecca and Higgins confront a sobering viability report on the women’s side: low odds of financial success and the risk it could drag down the men’s team. They push forward anyway.
The episode’s sharpest tension arrives with Alice Chilton (Tanya Reynolds), the no-nonsense assistant coach who was passed over for the top job. She resigns on the spot, bluntly asking Rebecca whether any women were seriously considered. Rebecca’s honest "No" sends her into a spiral of overcompensation—empowerment speeches at press conferences, ordering "any Bell Hooks book," and constant reassurances that she has women’s best interests at heart. The gag lands as both funny and pointed, forcing the character (and the show) to wrestle with the optics of hiring a man to lead a women’s team.
Alice starts as a near-caricature of brusque toughness but gains depth quickly. Ted’s earnest approach—memorizing dossiers she prepared, staying late after a player injury, treating the squad as "our" team—chips away at her walls. By the end he appeals to her own history as a player sidelined by injuries and asks her to stay as assistant. She accepts. A subsequent crossed-wires conversation with Rebecca (who still thinks Alice is leaving and delivers a complicated mix of thanks and critique) leaves their dynamic interestingly unresolved.
Keeley tackles the inadequate women’s facilities head-on. After a big-budget request is denied, she claims the visitors’ locker room. Roy helps clear the booby traps he installed to unsettle opposing teams—including a trained rat named Jonathan—turning the space into a proper home for the Greyhounds. The players’ delighted reaction to the renovated digs provides one of the episode’s purest feel-good moments.
On the men’s side, Roy is now manager. Coach Beard is torn between loyalty to him and the pull of reuniting with Ted. After some awkward, formal interactions (and Keeley’s intervention), Roy invents an obscure regulatory breach and releases Beard, who joyfully rejoins Ted.
We also learn Jamie Tartt has left for Barcelona ("I think he’s gonna do bueno," Ted tells the press). New players get brief introductions: twin sisters Niamh and Siobhan, a couple from training camp, and goalkeeper "Boots," who refuses gloves so she can "feel everything." The ensemble is still sketch-like, but the groundwork is promising.
Performances and Tone
Jason Sudeikis remains the sunny center, but Tanya Reynolds is the standout. Her dry, sardonic delivery and gradual thaw make Alice a compelling foil and a character worth following. Hannah Waddingham sells Rebecca’s crisis of conscience without tipping into pure caricature. Brett Goldstein delivers deadpan comic gold (including a high-protein "biscuit" made with beef tallow), and Brendan Hunt’s Beard subplot, while broad, lands the reunion with genuine warmth.
The episode runs about 47 minutes and mixes the show’s classic heart-tugging beats with sharper institutional critique around women’s sports funding, facilities, and representation. Not every beat is equally sharp—some table-setting feels obligatory, and the locker-room fix resolves a bit too neatly—but the overall package is funny, warm, and more confident than the premiere.
Easter Eggs and References
True to form, the episode is packed with callbacks and cultural nods:
The title "Curiouser and Curiouser!" is a direct quote from Lewis Carroll’s "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland", and the character name Alice makes the connection explicit. It signals the sense of stepping into a new, slightly topsy-turvy chapter at Richmond.
Ted tells Alice, "Who says you can’t go home again?" — a clear reference to Thomas Wolfe’s novel "You Can’t Go Home Again".
Coach Beard is spotted with Audrey Niffenegger’s "The Time Traveler’s Wife", a possible nod to the still-mysterious "thing with Jane."
A reporter dressed like Paddington Bear (complete with what appears to be a marmalade sandwich) asks about Jamie Tartt; Roy had earlier referred to a journalist as "Paddington Bear."
A quick exchange on Batman: Alice Chilton calls him a fascist, with Ted noting every middle-aged man’s obsession with him, and the wearable tech.
Rebecca’s Bell Hooks book order is a direct feminist literature reference.
Soundtrack cues include Elton John’s "Honky Cat," Chicago’s "You’re the Inspiration," and Eurythmics’ "Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves," the last of which lands with particular thematic weight.
Final Thoughts
"Curiouser and Curiouser!" successfully re-establishes "Ted Lasso" on familiar ground while planting the seeds for richer exploration of gender, institutional support for women’s sports, and whether the "Lasso Way" can translate to a new team and new colleagues. Alice is a strong addition, the core cast still clicks, and the episode balances laughs with genuine stakes. It is not perfect—some arcs resolve quickly and the new players need more time to breathe—but it is a solid, engaging step forward that leaves viewers properly invested in what comes next.
Our Rating: 8/10