‘Ted Lasso’ Stars Hint at What That Green Matchbook Means for Sam & Rebecca
Spoiler Alert
Be a Goldfish, Sam
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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Ted Lasso Season 3, Episode 3, “4-5-1.”]
Ted Lasso‘s third season continues to deliver some interesting twists and turns beyond its biggest surprise yet, which is the addition of star player Zava (Maximilian Osinski). Episode 3, “4-5-1,” may have seen the player sign on and join AFC Richmond, but one of the team’s most beloved players, Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh) got to shine off the field with the opening of his restaurant, Ola’s.
“This season we get to see Sam off the pitch a bit more and a lot of that takes place in the restaurant and that restaurant kind of embodies his relationship with the U.K. and also his relationship with back home,” Jimoh tells TV Insider. “That restaurant is him.” It’s early out of the gates for the restaurant’s run, with Sam’s teammates and pals taking part in a soft opening before Ola’s accepts business from the public.
Through this venture, Jimoh says, you’ll see “the successes and downfalls of the restaurant,” with Sam having to deal with some “trials and tribulations.” Even still, the actor notes that when it comes to the business, “that place becomes a really safe space for him, like a home base representative of laying roots down in the U.K.”
(Credit: Apple TV+)
“There’s a lot to come with the restaurant. It’s a really important and significant place for him,” Jimoh says plainly. Could that significance have something to do with his relationship with Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham)? Fans got a hint that it may not be over for the duo after Rebecca’s visit with her mother’s psychic.
Although she’s dismissive at first, certain comments made during the reading suggested that Rebecca would find love and be a mother, with a “green matchbook” playing a role. When Sam hands Rebecca a green matchbook in his restaurant, she’s nearly spooked, but could it mean what we think it means? Or is it merely a redirect?
Jimoh promises that their bond will be addressed as the season continues. “Their relationship transcends title or roles,” according to the star. “It’s two people who really care about each other, and of course their relationship will be stained with the romance that they had in Season 2.” And although the actor says they’ll continue to “root for each other and look out for each other,” he wouldn’t share whether that’s from a platonic or romantic standpoint.
“So whatever their relationship, that is the core of it,” Jimoh says, adding, “I hope SamBecca fans can root for that just as much as they root for the full-on relationship or the full-on friendship.”
When we asked Waddingham if we should take any stock in Rebecca’s psychic reading, she kept mum, offering a playful, “I don’t know,” followed by laughs.
One thing’s for certain, we’re rooting for these two, whether together or apart.
Ted Lasso, Season 3, Wednesdays, Apple TV+
