‘Ted Lasso’: 8 Romantic Comedy References Made in ‘Rainbow’
Spoiler Alert
[WARNING: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 5, “Rainbow.”]
Everyone’s favorite football coach Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) is declaring he’s a believing in “rom-communism,” an idea that no matter what lighthearted struggles we face there’s the possibility to be happy.
We’d expect nothing less from the optimistic individual, especially as he worms his way into Roy Kent’s (Brett Goldstein) coaching heart in this installment. Throughout the episode, consistent rom-com references are made, and in this instance, the love story is between Roy and football, which he isn’t able to fulfill with his new position as a commentator at Sky.
Below, we’re breaking down all of the references and rom-com tropes the episode touches on.
Ted Lasso, Season 2, New Episodes, Fridays, Apple TV+
Ted's Speech
Ted gives his team a pep talk in the episode’s opening moments, telling them about “rom-communism,” the term sparks a debate over who their favorite rom-com stars are. Among the name-drops are the likes of Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, Matthew McConaughey, Kate Beckinsale, Kate Hudson, Kate Winslet, Renee Zellweger, and Jennifer Lopez.
Kebab Shop
Ted first approaches Roy at a kebab shop asking the former player for some help with AFC Richmond’s team captain Isaac (Kola Bokinni). Having lost the spark on the field, Ted’s hoping that some guidance from Roy can encourage him to do better. Needless to say, Roy’s not thrilled about getting tied up in AFC Richmond’s clutches, but it’s the setting which really calls back to rom-coms. The kebab shop is reminiscent of the restaurant Rachel Leigh Cook‘s character Laney worked in for the film She’s All That.
Nate's Lessons
Taking a page from Pretty Woman, Nate’s (Nick Mohammed) storyline in the episode revolves around him getting a table at a restaurant that he’s been denied. It isn’t dissimilar to the moment when Julia Roberts’ Vivian is turned away from a shop because of the way she’s dressed in the 1990 film. Just like Vivian, Nate has some help honing his skills before giving it a second try thanks to Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) and Keeley (Juno Temple).
Every Line in the Book
After Roy helps Ted with Isaac at one of his old stomping grounds, the former player asks if this is a trap. Ted claims it isn’t but admits it might be before spouting off variations of famous lines from films like Notting Hill, When Harry Met Sally, Jerry Maguire, and The Princess Bride. As soon as words like, “I’m just a boy, standing in front of…” begin to exit Ted, Roy is ready to bolt.
An AFC Richmond Romance
In a moment plucked from the film When Harry Met Sally, the camera focuses on a couple in the stands of AFC Richmond’s latest game. Breaking the fourth wall entirely, the pair recount their love story dating back to the first time they met.
It's Not You, It's Me
Roy has one of those true, “it’s not you, it’s me” moments when he realizes he’s mean to be on the field with his former teammates. After seeing the impact he made on Isaac, he’s ready to make the leap and exits from the Sky Sports table dramatically in an effort to make it to the pitch before game time.
Taxis
The taxi ride is a rom-com trope of old, but one film that comes to mind in this instance is Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. In the movie, Renee Zellweger’s titular character rushes after Colin Firth‘s Mark Darcy, hailing a taxi and engages in some silly back-and-forth with her driver before being dropped off. Despite making it to her destination, unlike Roy, things don’t go as planned for her either when a big truck drives by, splashing her in waves of puddle water. The mishap could be compared to Roy’s knee giving way on his journey to the stadium.
Jerry Maguire for the Win
Once Roy manages to get onto the pitch with Ted, Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt), and Nate, most of them embrace the former player. But before too much can be said, Roy delivers his own rom-com variation of Jerry Maguire‘s “you had me at hello” by saying, “you had me at coach.”
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