View source for Mom City

{{Infobox television episode
| series       = [[Ted Lasso]]
| season       = 3
| episode      = 11
| release_date = {{Start date|2023|5|24}}
| length       = 69 minutes
| director     = [[Declan Lowney]]
| writer       =
| story        = {{Plainlist|
* [[Brendan Hunt]]
* [[Jason Sudeikis]]
}}
| teleplay     = Joe Kelly
| music        = {{Plainlist|
* "[[Fat Bottomed Girls]]" by [[Queen (band)|Queen]]
* "[[Fought & Lost]]" by [[Sam Ryder]] feat. [[Brian May]]
* "[[Home (The Wiz song)|Home]]" by [[Brandi Carlile]]
}}
| photographer = Vanessa Whyte
| editor       = {{Plainlist|
* A.J. Catoline
* Alex Szabo
}}
| guests       = * [[Annette Badland]] as Mae
* Adam Colborne as Baz
* Bronson Webb as Jeremy
* Kevin Garry as Paul
* [[Katy Wix]] as Barbara
* Edyta Budnik as Jade
* [[Kieran O'Brien]] as James Tartt
* [[Leanne Best]] as Georgie Tartt
* [[Becky Ann Baker]] as Dottie Lasso
* [[Pep Guardiola]] as himself
| prev         = [[International Break (Ted Lasso)|International Break]]
| next         = [[So Long, Farewell (Ted Lasso)|So Long, Farewell]]
}}
"'''Mom City'''" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the American [[Sports film|sports]] [[Comedy drama|comedy-drama]] television series ''[[Ted Lasso]]'', based on the character played by [[Jason Sudeikis]] in a series of [[promo (media)|promo]]s for [[NBC Sports]]' [[Premier League on NBC|coverage]] of England's [[Premier League]]. It is the 33rd overall episode of the series and was written by series co-creator Joe Kelly from a story by co-creators and main stars [[Brendan Hunt]] and [[Jason Sudeikis]], and directed by [[Declan Lowney]]. It was released on [[Apple TV+]] on May 24, 2023.
The series follows Ted Lasso, an American [[college football]] coach who is unexpectedly recruited to coach a fictional English [[Premier League]] soccer team, AFC Richmond, despite having no experience coaching [[Association football|soccer]]. The team's owner, Rebecca Welton, hires Lasso hoping he will fail as a means of exacting revenge on the team's previous owner, Rupert, her unfaithful ex-husband. The previous season saw Rebecca work with Ted in saving it, which culminated with their promotion to the Premier League. In the episode, AFC Richmond is nearing the end of the season and prepares to face [[Manchester City F.C.]], while Jamie experiences pressure.
The episode received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances and emotional tone. The resolution of Nate's arc, however, divided critics; many felt it was genuine, while others deemed it rushed and unconvincing. Additionally, at the [[75th Primetime Emmy Awards]], [[Phil Dunster]] and [[Becky Ann Baker]] each received a nomination for their performances in the episode, the former for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Supporting Actor in Comedy Series]], while the latter for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series]].
==Plot==
Ted ([[Jason Sudeikis]]) receives an unexpected visit from his mother, Dottie ([[Becky Ann Baker]]). Although Ted is uncomfortable with her presence, Dottie charms the AFC Richmond players and Ted's other friends.
Nate ([[Nick Mohammed]]) is now working with Jade (Edyta Budnik) at Taste of Athens. Isaac ([[Kola Bokinni]]), Colin ([[Billy Harris (actor)|Billy Harris]]) and Will (Charlie Hiscock) ask him to return to coaching at Richmond. Nate declines when he learns Ted was not part of the decision to ask him back. When Higgins ([[Jeremy Swift]]) mentions the possibility to the coaches, Roy is for it, but Beard ([[Brendan Hunt]]) voices his opposition. Later, Jade blackmails their boss into firing Nate to motivate him to return to football.
Richmond has been having a 15-game winning streak, and a victory in their upcoming match against [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] will put them in contention to win the [[Premier League]]. Despite his success with Richmond, Jamie ([[Phil Dunster]]), who once played for City, has been experiencing depression. After the team arrive in Manchester, Jamie visits his mother Georgie ([[Leanne Best]]). He confides in her that he feels nervous about the negative reception he faces from City fans—including his abusive father, James ([[Kieran O'Brien]]). Georgie consoles him, telling him he has nothing to prove to James.
During the match, Manchester City fans heckle Jamie. Despite this, he [[assist (association football)|assist]]s Colin in scoring a goal. Late in the game, he injures his ankle preventing a City goal. Rather than replacing him, Ted waits for Jamie to recover, forcing Richmond to play with just 10 players. Ted's suggestion that Jamie forgive his father motivates Jamie to return to the game. He scores a goal in the final minutes, clinching Richmond's 2-0 victory and earning the applause of the local audience, including James, who is watching the game from a rehab facility.
Back in London, Ted asks Beard to give Nate a second chance. Beard visits Nate, who is in the process of writing an apology letter to Ted, and reveals his history with Ted. They became friends on their college football team, but Beard later went to prison for stealing [[Methamphetamine|meth]]. After his release, Beard looked up Ted who took him in, but Beard stole Ted's car. Ted saved him from returning to prison by telling the police that he had loaned him the car. As Ted forgave him and gave him a second chance, Beard forgives Nate and offers him his job back.
Ted confronts his mother over her not seeking emotional support for herself or Ted after his father's suicide. Dottie apologizes, tells him she didn't know what else to do and that she came to tell him that his son misses him. Meanwhile, Rebecca ([[Hannah Waddingham]]) is visited by Bex ([[Keeley Hazell]]) and Rupert's assistant Ms. Kakes, asking for advice. The next morning, Ted tells Rebecca he has his own "truth bomb" to reveal.
==Development==
===Production===
The episode was directed by [[Declan Lowney]] and written by series co-creator Joe Kelly from a story by co-creators and main stars [[Brendan Hunt]] and [[Jason Sudeikis]]. This was Lowney's seventh directing credit, Kelly's ninth writing credit, Hunt's seventh writing credit, and Sudeikis' seventh writing credit.<ref>{{Cite web|title=''Ted Lasso'' - WGA Directory|url=https://directories.wga.org/project/1190886/ted-lasso/|access-date=May 24, 2023|website=[[Writers Guild of America West]]}}</ref>
===Casting===
The episode featured an appearance by [[Pep Guardiola]], [[Manchester City F.C.]]'s real-life coach, playing himself.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/24/ted-lasso-season-3-pep-guardiola-cameo-shocks-viewers-18836723/|title=Ted Lasso fans stunned over shocking Pep Guardiola cameo: ‘I screamed’|last=Akinwumi|first=Stella|accessdate=May 24, 2023|date=May 24, 2023|work=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]}}</ref>
==Reception==
=== Critical response ===
"Mom City" received generally positive reviews from critics. The [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reported an 88% approval rating for the episode, based on eight reviews.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ted Lasso: Season 3, Episode 11 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/ted_lasso/s03/e11 |access-date=September 26, 2023 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref>
Manuel Betancourt of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' gave the episode a "B" and wrote, "'Mom City' has bits and pieces of a killer ''Ted Lasso'' episode. But it has just as many of its many foibles. As a penultimate episode, it works perfectly to begin tying up many of its season-long (if not outright series-long) arcs all the while setting up what may be on the horizon in next week's finale episode." Betancourt also noted several references to ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz|The Wizard of Oz]]'' in the episode, suggesting they allude to Ted's desire to return home.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/ted-lasso-review-season-3-episode-11-mom-city-1850468007|title=''Ted Lasso'' recap: "Mom City" has bits and pieces of a killer Lasso episode|last=Betancourt|first=Manuel|accessdate=May 24, 2023|date=May 24, 2023|work=[[The A.V. Club]]}}</ref>
Rick Porter of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' was not convinced of Nate's arc, but praised Beard's conversation, "an effective enough speech to patch over some of the missing pieces in Nate's arc."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/ted-lasso-season-3-episode-11-ted-jamie-man-city-1235499241/|title=‘Ted Lasso’ Confronts Parental Issues in ‘Mom City’|last=Porter|first=Rick|accessdate=May 24, 2023|date=May 24, 2023|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>
Keith Phipps of ''[[New York (magazine)|Vulture]]'' gave the episode a 3 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Beard's learned the importance of forgiveness firsthand and offers it to Nate, who accepts it, and a job. One gentle head-butt later, they're friends again. And with that, ''Ted Lasso'' is positioned to bring the season (both the football season and this season of television) to an end."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/ted-lasso-season-3-episode-11-recap-mom-city.html|title=''Ted Lasso'' Recap: Jamie's Crying|last=Phipps|first=Keith|accessdate=May 24, 2023|date=May 24, 2023|work=[[New York (magazine)|Vulture]]}}</ref> Paul Dailly of ''TV Fanatic'' gave the episode a perfect 5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "It's no secret that I've struggled with the longer episodes this season, but 'Mom City' didn't waste a single minute. It was a perfect episode of TV and might be my favorite episode of the series."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvfanatic.com/2023/05/ted-lasso-season-3-episode-11-review-mom-city/|title=Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 11 Review: Mom City|last=Dailly|first=Paul|accessdate=May 24, 2023|date=May 24, 2023|work=TV Fanatic}}</ref>
Christopher Orr of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote, "When 'Man City' came out last season, it was the longest ''Lasso'' episode to date, at 45 minutes. 'Mom City' puts that number to shame, clocking in at one hour and nine minutes (the show's latest longest run time). Yet in contrast to several episodes this season, the extended length is spent not hopping among unrelated subplots but developing a relatively uniform theme."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/arts/television/ted-lasso-season-3-episode-11-recap.html|title=‘Ted Lasso,’ Season 3, Episode 11 Recap: Home|last=Orr|first=Christopher|accessdate=May 24, 2023|date=May 24, 2023|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Fletcher Peters of ''[[The Daily Beast]]'' wrote, "'Mom City' feels like far from the second-to-last episode of a beloved show, devoid of any grand gestures or character departures. In fact, it's quite the opposite: This episode proves that ''Ted Lasso'' can and should carry on without Ted. It's just the beginning for Roy, Nate (though the writers have a lot to work on with him), Rebecca, and Jamie in a post-Ted landscape."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/ted-lasso-recap-is-the-show-really-going-to-end-after-season-3|title=Is ‘Ted Lasso’ Really Gearing Up For Its Last Episode Ever?|last=Peters|first=Fletcher|accessdate=May 24, 2023|date=May 24, 2023|work=[[The Daily Beast]]}}</ref> Meghan O'Keefe of ''[[New York Post#Decider|Decider]]'' wrote, "The divinely kind ''Ted Lasso'' might have the grace to forgive Nate his sins, but ''Ted Lasso'' didn't quite do enough to redeem him in the eyes of us crabby viewers at home."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://decider.com/2023/05/24/ted-lasso-season-3-nate-redemption-arc/|title=How ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3 Fumbled Nate’s Redemption Arc|last=O'Keefe|first=Meghan|accessdate=May 24, 2023|date=May 24, 2023|work=[[New York Post#Decider|Decider]]}}</ref>
=== Accolades ===
"Mom City" was chosen by Dunster to support his [[75th Primetime Emmy Awards|2023 Emmy]] nomination for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Davidson |first1=Denton |last2=Beachum |first2=Chris |date=July 27, 2022 |title=Phil Dunster ('Ted Lasso'): Emmys 2023 episode submission revealed |url=https://www.goldderby.com/article/2023/phil-dunster-ted-lasso-emmys-2023-episode-submission/ |accessdate=September 26, 2023 |work=[[Gold Derby]]}}</ref> In addition, [[Becky Ann Baker]] was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dixon |first=Marcus James |date=July 15, 2023 |title=2023 Emmys: Best Comedy Guest Actress episode submissions for all 6 nominees |work=[[Gold Derby]] |url=https://www.goldderby.com/article/2023/2023-emmys-best-comedy-guest-actress-episode-submissions/}}</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb episode|23743566|Mom City}}
{{Ted Lasso}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mom City}}
[[Category:Ted Lasso episodes]]
[[Category:2023 American television episodes]]
[[Category:Television episodes written by Jason Sudeikis]]