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Review: Ted Lasso S04E03 "Richmond's Got Talent" - Looking for a Diamond in the Rough
August 20, 2026 - Lassoism.com Editor
That's because you were a lazy cow. (Ted Lasso/Warner Media)
Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 3 – "Richmond's Got Talent" (aired August 19, 2026; directed by MJ Delaney, written by Sasha Garron) is a solid, feel-good installment that finally puts the Lady Greyhounds on the pitch while leaning hard into the show's signature underdog optimism, open-tryout chaos, and heartwarming resolutions.
Spoiler warning: Full episode details follow.
The episode opens with crisis: the Lady Greyhounds' remaining striker learns she is pregnant (one was already out with an ACL injury from earlier), prompting Alice Chilton's exasperated "a f**king disaster." Ted and Beard jump on Alice's sarcastic suggestion of open tryouts, citing hidden-talent stories from "Good Will Hunting" and "Billy Elliott". Alice counters with Susan Boyle (only Beard gets the reference at first).
Meanwhile, a shareholders' meeting exposes skepticism and sexism about the women's team as a potential financial drag on the men's side (still pushing for Champions League relevance). The circulating "Higgins Report" and sponsor Pinter & Sons' hesitation add pressure. Rebecca delivers a passionate pitch about normalizing women's professional sports and giving the next generation (including boys) better examples. Keeley grapples with delayed kits and public pushback; Roy eventually helps by having Phoebe and her friends create makeshift Richmond jerseys and hands Keeley a pink binder containing a one-page report that simply reads "F**k 'em."
Tryouts are mostly comedic failures. Standouts include single mother Lizzie (Faye Marsay), who brings her young son due to childcare issues and shows natural leadership as a center back, and Shannon (Shannon Hayes), a returning local from earlier seasons whom Ted champions despite Alice and Beard's doubts about her readiness. Dani Rojas's sister Maria shows up with sunny energy but zero football ability ("Life is so much more than football"), prompting Ted's line about the apple falling far from the tree (and Alice's even sharper follow-up).
Alice recruits former teammate Gemma Jay (Abbie Hern), a talented striker turned law student with unresolved bad blood between them. After seeing Chloe Kelly's Euro 2022 final winner, Gemma joins while continuing her studies. In the first friendly against Hayes & Yeading (with homemade kits that draw mockery), the team holds defensively until Gemma is subbed on and scores the late winner. Alice remains critical afterward, setting up future tension. Side plots include Rebecca finally getting a date with Matthijs (after earlier interruptions, including Ted bouncing off her locked office door) and Henry starting school in London, with Michelle also present at the match.
The episode ends on Susan Boyle music over the credits, reinforcing the "unlikely talent" theme that drives the title and much of the hour.
This is the strongest episode of Season 4 so far for centering the new women's team and giving them personal stakes rather than treating them as background. Lizzie and Gemma arrive as promising additions—Marsay brings grounded authority and warmth as the single-mom defender, while Hern injects needed edge and complexity via the Alice friction. Shannon's inclusion rewards longtime viewers, and the homemade-kit sequence (with Phoebe's "Both teams are Richmond" reminder) delivers classic "Ted Lasso" communal charm.
Humor lands in the tryouts, Ted's relentless positivity clashing with Alice's realism, Roy's gruff support, and small gags (a shareholder dressed like Marty McFly; the waitstaff mistaking Rebecca for a hired companion on her date). Real-world flavor helps: guest appearances by footballer Jill Scott (as herself, color commentator, with shithousery and a Ray Hudson-esque flair) and Rebecca Lowe, plus the Chloe Kelly Euro 2022 reference that reportedly helped inspire the season's women's-team focus.
Critics note the predictability and occasional preachiness—problems resolve a bit too neatly and on schedule, and the sexism from shareholders can feel broad—but the episode still has heart in the right place and invests in the players' journeys. It balances the show's best traits (belief, found family, underdog sports magic) without fully escaping the formulaic comforts of later seasons. Overall it rates as a B/B+ hour that builds momentum for the Lady Greyhounds while keeping the ensemble spinning.
Shannon: Returning cameo from early seasons as the local Richmond girl/neighbor who interacted with Ted; Ted overrides the other coaches to bring her on.
Maria Rojas: Explicit Dani Rojas callback; she lacks the "football is life" gene entirely.
Susan Boyle / Britain's Got Talent parallel: The episode title, multiple references (including Ted watching her audition and tearing up), and end-credits needle drop of "I Dreamed a Dream." Beard knows her; Ted needs the explanation.
Music: "The March" from "Stripes" (Elmer Bernstein) during tryouts; also reported uses of Queen Latifah's "Ladies First," a "A Chorus Line" number for the lineup, and Susan Boyle for end credits.
Euro 2022: Chloe Kelly's winner is the decisive social-media push for Gemma; Jill Scott (who played in that final) appears as commentator.
More: Phoebe's unity line; Roy's binder gift; Ted interrupting Rebecca/Matthijs; Henry and Michelle at the match (raising questions about their status); one shareholder's Marty McFly look. Faye Marsay ("Game of Thrones" Waif, "Andor") and Abbie Hern make strong debuts. Runtime is approximately 46 minutes; early IMDb user score hovered around 8.0.
"Richmond's Got Talent" does exactly what a mid-early-season "Ted Lasso" episode should: introduce new blood, score some easy emotional wins, and leave just enough interpersonal friction (Alice/Gemma, external skepticism) for later payoffs. It's comforting, occasionally on-the-nose, and still hard to root against.
Our Score: 8/10
Spoiler warning: Full episode details follow.
The episode opens with crisis: the Lady Greyhounds' remaining striker learns she is pregnant (one was already out with an ACL injury from earlier), prompting Alice Chilton's exasperated "a f**king disaster." Ted and Beard jump on Alice's sarcastic suggestion of open tryouts, citing hidden-talent stories from "Good Will Hunting" and "Billy Elliott". Alice counters with Susan Boyle (only Beard gets the reference at first).
Meanwhile, a shareholders' meeting exposes skepticism and sexism about the women's team as a potential financial drag on the men's side (still pushing for Champions League relevance). The circulating "Higgins Report" and sponsor Pinter & Sons' hesitation add pressure. Rebecca delivers a passionate pitch about normalizing women's professional sports and giving the next generation (including boys) better examples. Keeley grapples with delayed kits and public pushback; Roy eventually helps by having Phoebe and her friends create makeshift Richmond jerseys and hands Keeley a pink binder containing a one-page report that simply reads "F**k 'em."
Tryouts are mostly comedic failures. Standouts include single mother Lizzie (Faye Marsay), who brings her young son due to childcare issues and shows natural leadership as a center back, and Shannon (Shannon Hayes), a returning local from earlier seasons whom Ted champions despite Alice and Beard's doubts about her readiness. Dani Rojas's sister Maria shows up with sunny energy but zero football ability ("Life is so much more than football"), prompting Ted's line about the apple falling far from the tree (and Alice's even sharper follow-up).
Alice recruits former teammate Gemma Jay (Abbie Hern), a talented striker turned law student with unresolved bad blood between them. After seeing Chloe Kelly's Euro 2022 final winner, Gemma joins while continuing her studies. In the first friendly against Hayes & Yeading (with homemade kits that draw mockery), the team holds defensively until Gemma is subbed on and scores the late winner. Alice remains critical afterward, setting up future tension. Side plots include Rebecca finally getting a date with Matthijs (after earlier interruptions, including Ted bouncing off her locked office door) and Henry starting school in London, with Michelle also present at the match.
The episode ends on Susan Boyle music over the credits, reinforcing the "unlikely talent" theme that drives the title and much of the hour.
This is the strongest episode of Season 4 so far for centering the new women's team and giving them personal stakes rather than treating them as background. Lizzie and Gemma arrive as promising additions—Marsay brings grounded authority and warmth as the single-mom defender, while Hern injects needed edge and complexity via the Alice friction. Shannon's inclusion rewards longtime viewers, and the homemade-kit sequence (with Phoebe's "Both teams are Richmond" reminder) delivers classic "Ted Lasso" communal charm.
Humor lands in the tryouts, Ted's relentless positivity clashing with Alice's realism, Roy's gruff support, and small gags (a shareholder dressed like Marty McFly; the waitstaff mistaking Rebecca for a hired companion on her date). Real-world flavor helps: guest appearances by footballer Jill Scott (as herself, color commentator, with shithousery and a Ray Hudson-esque flair) and Rebecca Lowe, plus the Chloe Kelly Euro 2022 reference that reportedly helped inspire the season's women's-team focus.
Critics note the predictability and occasional preachiness—problems resolve a bit too neatly and on schedule, and the sexism from shareholders can feel broad—but the episode still has heart in the right place and invests in the players' journeys. It balances the show's best traits (belief, found family, underdog sports magic) without fully escaping the formulaic comforts of later seasons. Overall it rates as a B/B+ hour that builds momentum for the Lady Greyhounds while keeping the ensemble spinning.
Callbacks, Trivia & Notes
Shannon: Returning cameo from early seasons as the local Richmond girl/neighbor who interacted with Ted; Ted overrides the other coaches to bring her on.
Maria Rojas: Explicit Dani Rojas callback; she lacks the "football is life" gene entirely.
Susan Boyle / Britain's Got Talent parallel: The episode title, multiple references (including Ted watching her audition and tearing up), and end-credits needle drop of "I Dreamed a Dream." Beard knows her; Ted needs the explanation.
Music: "The March" from "Stripes" (Elmer Bernstein) during tryouts; also reported uses of Queen Latifah's "Ladies First," a "A Chorus Line" number for the lineup, and Susan Boyle for end credits.
Euro 2022: Chloe Kelly's winner is the decisive social-media push for Gemma; Jill Scott (who played in that final) appears as commentator.
More: Phoebe's unity line; Roy's binder gift; Ted interrupting Rebecca/Matthijs; Henry and Michelle at the match (raising questions about their status); one shareholder's Marty McFly look. Faye Marsay ("Game of Thrones" Waif, "Andor") and Abbie Hern make strong debuts. Runtime is approximately 46 minutes; early IMDb user score hovered around 8.0.
"Richmond's Got Talent" does exactly what a mid-early-season "Ted Lasso" episode should: introduce new blood, score some easy emotional wins, and leave just enough interpersonal friction (Alice/Gemma, external skepticism) for later payoffs. It's comforting, occasionally on-the-nose, and still hard to root against.
Our Score: 8/10