Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 9 Gives A Glimmer Of Hope For Nate's Redemption
Up until season 3, Ted Lasso's only nemesis was really ever himself and the fact that he would, quite regularly, get in his own way. But now, the Apple TV+ series has positioned our once-ball boy Nathan Shelley as the season's villain — and it seems as though he won't exactly last with that title.
In episode 9, Nick Mohammed's Nate — who has been working as a coach for West Ham under the tutelage of Rebecca's nasty ex-husband Rupert all season — was propositioned by his boss to join him for a "boy's night." Nate meets Rupert at a bar for the occasion ... and finds two beautiful women with him who have been invited to join them for the night. It's not totally unexpected. After all, Rebecca did call him out about cheating with his secretary a few episodes prior. But Nate's decision to abstain from the fun seems to prove there's hope for him yet.
Mohammed opened up about the decision on Twitter shortly after the episode dropped. "Quickest of reminders that #TedLasso is still a work of fiction! But to those demanding I justify Nate's arc," he wrote. "Has he done enough to redeem himself: no. Does him saying no to Rupert offer hope: yes. But I understand why so many of you are angry. I, personally, remain curious."
Nate's arc
That's the thing about Nate right now: I also, personally, remain curious about how his arc will shake down. He still has lessons to learn, sure, but there's still some time left to learn them. All in all, the character is clearly still harboring mixed feelings about the way his life has changed since leaving Richmond.
"As much as he's done what he's done, there has to be an element of regret," Mohammed previously told Collider about Nate in season 3. "I approached it with him not being too headstrong about what he'd done and trying to play each scene with something in the back of my mind that was maybe not the right thing. Certainly, the earlier episodes were just him not really knowing whether he'd made the right decision or not, and I tried to play it both ways."
As far as that "redemption arc" is concerned, it seems it's going to be a double-sided coin, with Nate not only finding a change within himself but also gaining acceptance and trust back from Ted and the Richmond crew he left behind. In fact, the only way Nate will probably fully accept himself is if he can make amends with Richmond on the whole.
"I think it also says as much about our capacity for forgiveness, as it does on the individual making the right or wrong decisions," Mohammed explained to the outlet. "Someone having a redemptive story is as much about someone allowing them to have that redemption and to accept it. The onus isn't always on the individual."
Ultimately, Nate's character development is at a pivotal point, and from here, he'll either build a legacy or stumble into a downfall—but knowing this show, it'll probably be the former.