Wowsers. Titled “Mom City,” the penultimate episode of Ted Lasso offered up a bevy of maternal friction — in more ways than one.
A bulk of the episode revolves around the mystery of why Ted hates his mom so damn much. Is it because she isn’t really nailing that accent? Is it because Becky Ann Baker previously mommed for Freaks and Geeks and Girls, and Ted is jealous? Is it a third thing I’m pretending not to know as if I haven’t already watched the episode?
Yes. It’s that last one.
But what I want to focus on is the very special relationship between Jamie Tartt and his mother, whom he visits during “Mom City.” Returning to compete against his hometown team, Jamie is sunken. He’s lost his spark, and nobody can get him out of his emotional slump. That is until he visits his mom.
The relationship between Jamie and his mom is, how you say, close. This is very… VERY… emphasized.
Jamie’s mom receives a bit of immediate characterization thanks to her wardrobe. Her bra peeks out of her spaghetti-strap camisole in a way that says, “I know how to dance while smoking a cigarette and holding two beers.”
The first sign that things are… peculiar between Jamie and his mom is when he lifts her off the ground and spins her around in a great big hug. And then they just don’t let go.
They move to the living room and sit under a shrine to Jamie, while he nestles his head in her breasts and sucks on the end of a drawstring. I’ll just let Garth Marenghi say the rest.
The show acknowledges this by having Roy make a “Am I really fucking seeing this?” face. It’s great if you’re into Pink Flamingos and Boardwalk Empire.
Anyway, Jamie reveals to his mother that he has lost his motivation since his resentment to his father is no longer his primary driving force. In his words, he is experiencing a sort of impotence of the soul. Jamie’s mom calls him “my sexy little baby” and delivers a motivation speech, and he’s out the door.
At this point, Jamie is just one more motivational speech away from full self-actualization.
Now that we’ve had our fun, let’s get into the meat of Jamie’s reunion with his mom. This all goes back to season one, specifically the episode “Two Aces.” The team is united during a ritual ceremony that involves them each burning a treasured item in order to remove a curse. That sounds like some real Scooby Doo shit out of context, but whatever. Television is mostly about selling things and saving you from conversations with your family during dinner.
Here’s the moment when team rock star Jamie Tartt shows up to surprise the team with his own sacrifice.
Years later, this scene is recontextualized by the events of “Mom City.” We initially thought that Jamie called himself a “sexy little baby” because he was conceited. Now we see it is something he learned from his mum.
In the season one episode, Jamie says his dad would call him soft if he didn’t dominate. Now, in the final season, he has overcorrected and hidden his light under a bushel. The use of the term “soft” in season one corresponds with his description of the “impotence” he feels before the showdown with his hometown team.
Jamie had once hardened himself to the point where he lost sight of the way his mother showed him to be a good lad. Then he swung too far in the other direction and shrunk away from his potential. Now he seems to have reached the best version of himself. And even through all the constant debate about how Ted Lasso is wrapping up, this Jamie Tartt character arc has been something to watch.
