Nate Shelley had to earn his way back on the team
There is an excellent chance that you felt the same way me and Beard felt about Nate at the end of the last season of Ted Lasso.
Nate the “Wonder Kid” Shelley, drunk on his own fame, jogging into the locker room, throwing a tantrum against the team that made him who he is, only to run off and join our biggest enemy in a television betrayal was absolutely unforgivable.
Except, this is Ted Lasso, a show that has told us since day one, that forgiving someone is taking back your power.
But not this little s*** Nate. Right? Not him.
I thought this way, and maybe you did too. Coach Beard called Nate “Judas” and was actually the viewers in this instance. Someone had to hold Nate accountable for us. He doesn’t get to come back that easily.
We had to be reminded by Ted that we all have our weak moments. This led Beard to reflect on his own mistakes, and ultimately to him delaying karaoke to go and forgive Nate in person.
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Then the mysterious Beard, during the second to last episode of the series, told us that Ted forgiving him ultimately lead to his own redemption. Drugs. Theft. The actual harming of people. Worse than anything Nate had done.
Then we had the tense talk between the two. And when it was over, I believe most of us were ready for Nate to come back.
There are times of weakness for all of us. And it wasn’t like Nate didn’t have his struggles coming back. He fell into a depression only his parents could pull him out of. He lost his popularity, becoming just another waiter in a restaurant. He went back to the locker room and fulfilled his old equipment manager duties. He paid the price for his jealousy.
And now we head into the series finale of Ted Lasso, whole, and ready for whatever the ending brings us.
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