Season 4, Episode 2 of Apple TV+'s "Ted Lasso," titled "Curiouser and Curiouser!," delivered a wealth of references and Easter eggs for viewers to discover. The episode saw Ted Lasso return to London, reuniting with old friends and meeting the new women's team, the Lady Greyhounds.
Paddington Bear and "The Graduate"
A notable moment involved Ted's interaction with a reporter named Pat. Pat's attire—a red bucket hat and an emergency marmalade sandwich—mirrored the iconic children's character Paddington Bear, leading Ted to refer to him as "Paddington fucking Bear." The actor playing Pat, Sullivan Beau Brown, shared his excitement about appearing in the show on Instagram.
In a scene at the Crown & Anchor pub, Beard and Ted's reunion was likened to "star-crossed lovers." When Mae serves Ted a pint of milk from "Mr. Gladstone," it serves as a direct reference to the 1967 film "The Graduate," where Mr. Gladstone is an alias used by Benjamin Braddock.
Sports and Character Nods
The episode continued the show's tradition of embedding deeper significance into character names. Speculation arose that a new male player named Williamson, wearing number six, could be a nod to English footballer Leah Williamson, whose jersey number is six. Williamson and her Arsenal teammates were consulted by the show's writers for storylines involving women's soccer. Another name, Nortman, might reference Kara Nortman, co-founder of Angel City Football Club.
The episode's title itself, "Curiouser and Curiouser!," is a direct quote from "Alice in Wonderland," and the introduction of a new character named Alice Chilton further leaned into this parallel.
Throwbacks and Musical Moments
"Ted Lasso" Season 4, Episode 2 featured numerous callbacks to previous seasons. Ted's morning routine of pouring cereal in London echoed the opening of Season 1, Episode 2. He also continued his "Biscuits with the Boss" tradition, bringing Rebecca a "Brisket with the Boss" treat. The episode also confirmed Roy Kent's lactose intolerance, a detail first revealed in Season 2 when he confessed to eating so much ice cream that he pooped his pants on the bus.
Both Rebecca and Ted were shown comically running into walls, reminiscent of Nate's attempt to hide in an elevator in Season 3. The unveiling of the women's new locker room, complete with eight showers, harkened back to the end of Season 1, Episode 2, when Roy learned Ted had improved the men's locker room shower water pressure.
Beard's Kansas City Sines Original baseball cap, seen in the pub scene, is a personal reference to a childhood friend of Jason Sudeikis. The show also highlighted a needle drop, "When I Get My Hands On You" by The New Basement Tapes, which played during a locker room scene involving Roy and Keeley.