I was surprised at first by the team members going to see Nate, but that's the Ted Lasso influence. Colin was accepted by the team when he thought he wouldn't be, so he's paying it forward. Isaac learned forgiveness with Colin, so he was there too. (I forget who else went - will have to watch again.) It was nice that they did it on their own without needing a speech from Ted, which he seems to have deliberately avoided since Nate parted ways with West Ham (and bungled a bit last ep, anyway, re: Colin).
It does seem that Nate has changed. He's humble. He knows that the whole situation is his fault (and is writing a 60-page letter to Ted... who doesn't need it but will appreciate him for it anyway). Ted also didn't need to give Beard a speech, even after the Judas comment; showing him the security footage was enough. Whatever Nate was doing (???), he wanted to do it and slip out, pay the debt without acknowledgement, like he did w/Will, and went to great lengths to accomplish that. I'm sure it still took a lot for Beard to go and forgive Nate, but it was genuine - and then the hug, oh my. Of course Ted was right: Hurt people hurt people, and you don't forgive for the other person, you forgive for you. I loved the expression on Jamie's face when that clicked for him. (Of course, forgiveness can help the other person, too.)
Speaking of clicking... Ted finally did after a big release. Maybe he and Nate have that in common: both finally told their parent what they needed to say, and then both gained clarity. The "danger" for Nate was in looking like he wanted to hide at the restaurant, feeling unforgivable even with making amends. Being forgiven by Beard was another big release point for him. He still has more apologies to make, but he has changed. (No flying off the handle at Jade or the restaurant owner, just acknowledgement. That's big.)
Ted not being able to accept love or allow himself to love... I mean, can you imagine? You've lost your father - which is horrible in its own right, let alone the manner of it - your mom won't talk to you, and the message that goes right inside and sticks is that it's not OK to feel. Period. So you learn to cover with jokes and folksiness - with the occasional panic attack thrown in - and either lose or risk losing the people who mean the most to you, including your son. (BTW, Dottie (?) has her own folksy thing going on as avoidance, not to mention passive aggressiveness.) The thing is, Ted really is such a loving and generous person who helps make everyone around him better. He just hasn't been able to help himself. So now he's had his release, his realizations, and his "clicking in" moment, and he can move forward. --For a second, when I saw the flowers in his apartment and the candles, I was afraid that Michelle had come to England too, and Ted's mom had set up something. I was glad Michelle wasn't even mentioned. It was about mother and son, and father and son. And yeah, Ted's going home.
Other thoughts - surprised that Roy and Keely were supposedly only being friends, and Keely's hesitation when Roy said he didn't want only that (before they were interrupted). We're missing a conversation there.
Mae's poem about how parents mess you up because they were messed up was on point - except, someone has to break the cycle.
I'm glad Jamie is finding his way again after a brief stumble. Not unrealistic - you're so used to being angry, holding onto it, and it being such a big thing in your life, that when it's gone, you can feel a bit lost. Who are you now, without that? Reaching out to his dad (who didn't look angry, watching the game - likely doing some work himself in rehab), is a hopeful sign. It would be nice if Jamie, Roy, and Keely all end up close, and even better if Jamie meets someone new who is really good for him. (I'm assuming R&K will resolve whatever obstacle remains.)
Loved Dani turning and saying hello to Roy & Keely and that it was good to see them together again. Also, his smile at Van Damme, (who is still freaked out), and how nice he was w/Ted's mom. (Dani doesn't disappoint! Heh.)
Rebecca and Sam's glance? Hmmm. Bex and Rupert's former assistant going to see Rebecca? Yeah, that's going to yield something big.
Next week is going to be so emotional.
(I do acknowledge how uneven this season has been, but I prefer to hold what's good now because overall, I think there's a lot that's important here, especially about forgiveness when something or someone seems unforgivable (and self-forgiveness, too), not to mention letting go of things and becoming a better, kinder version of yourself. (--Odd reference, but it reminded me in essence of a Doctor Who episode with a great speech by Peter Capaldi that includes forgiveness.)
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