Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for Ted Lasso Season 3 Episode 10
The dream is over for Nate Shelley (Nick Mohammed) in Ted Lasso. In this week's episode of the Apple TV+ hit series, "International Break," the Wonder Kid is revealed to have abruptly left his dream job as West Ham manager in a shocking turn of events that happened off-screen, and left everybody (viewers included!) curious to know what really happened. When Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) asks her ex-husband and current West Ham owner Rupert (Anthony Head) what happened to Nate, he simply says: "Some people just aren't ready when they get their shot."
The whole episode was wholesome, as is often the case in Ted Lasso, but the common thread to all the different plots in "International Break" was personal growth and character development. We see it in Rebecca's passionate speech against the Akufo League, in Roy's (Brett Goldstein) realization that he needs to stop getting in his own way, and in Keeley's (Juno Temple) battle to keep her PR firm despite losing the funding she had. As for Nate, we see him in the aftermath of quitting his job as the manager of one of England's top clubs....but couldn't we have seen the actual moment, too?
Why Would Nate Leave West Ham?
Nate's arc as an antagonist to Ted (Jason Sudeikis) is one of the best parts of the entire series. We've seen him grow so much, both as a coach and as a person. He started off as the kit man for AFC Richmond, where he was constantly bullied by the players, especially Jamie (Phil Dunster), but, with Ted's arrival as coach of the team, the bullying ceased, and he was given more room to work and even to help with tactical insight before matches. It didn't take long for him to be promoted to assistant coach and be on the bench with Ted and Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt).
It was great seeing Nate begin to achieve his potential and give himself the credit he deserved for it. That's why his heel-turn at the end of Season 2 was so painful to watch — how could he? After everything that Ted has done for him? But it actually makes total sense, because, while Nate did learn about self-respect, he was still living in someone else's shadow. So he became mean to people around him, and social media did a lot in terms of inflating an ego that wasn't quite ready to deal with that much attention. Deep down, he still saw himself as the kit man, so, when he became a coach, he behaved like he always saw coaches behave. Every time he was called the "Wonder Kid" or "Nate the Great," he took it as validation of his own sense of infallibility.
So when someone like Rupert Mannion comes along and offers him the job as head coach of West Ham, one of the top clubs in the Premier League, of course, Nate is going to take it. It's the perfect opportunity to get back at the people who kept him down, and Rupert being ex-husband to AFC Richmond owner Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) just makes it all the more irresistible for him. And then Nate let himself be swayed by power. That's the problem with being an underdog: you either have enormous respect for your position and what it means for people like you, or you become dazzled by your own achievements when you overcome your challenges. No need to mention which was Nate, right?
The big surprise, then, is his being able to understand that, in fact, West Ham really isn't the place for him. Despite the glory, Nate kept being himself while coaching West Ham. He likes the same restaurants and keeps the same habits, nothing fancy. When Rupert invited him to go clubbing in Episode 9 of the current season, "La Locker Room aux Folles," and potentially cheat on his girlfriend Jade (Edyta Budnik), Nate realized that wasn't him. Rupert wanted him to become a worse version of himself, not the best.
Why Didn’t 'Ted Lasso' Season 3 Show Us the Moment Nate Left West Ham?
Nate standing up to Rupert and quitting one of the most coveted jobs in the League is a huge deal. So, if we saw him stand up to Ted at the end of Season 2, why didn't we see him doing the same thing now? Not only would that have been super satisfying, but it would also be a great way to show how to deal with a toxic workplace, right? We're witnessing the beginning of Nate's redemption arc, and his quitting is essential to that.
Only Ted Lasso isn't that kind of show, and, when it does a mic drop, it isn't supposed to be about satisfaction, but about respect. It doesn't matter if Nate went up to Rupert's Death Star throne room, gave a passionate speech, or simply yelled "I quit!" and left, what's important for us is knowing he did leave. For us, seeing Nate quit isn't as important as knowing he changed, and having him deal with that. This is shown extensively in "International Break," beginning with him staying in bed while Jade goes back to Poland for a bit. Then, he goes back to his parents' house in order to get some peace without reporters and paparazzi trying to get a glimpse of him.
The sequence of Nate back at his parents' is much more important to us than seeing him confront Rupert. It's by going back to his roots that Nate can reflect on his career, get in touch with who he really is besides football, and understand he still has some growing to do. The confrontation he has with his father (Peter Landi) is much more important, as it shows Nate's determination to be successful stems from the pressure he had to endure growing up. Hearing his father apologize to him and tell him he has always been a genius is much more meaningful to his development as a character than any confrontation with Rupert could ever be.
"International Break" is one of the many occasions in the show in which we get to focus solely on the characters, without having to keep up with matches or football itself. But it's special because of how it does this, especially with Nate. If anyone had been puzzled by his heel turn back in Season 2, things should start to make more sense now that he was able to come to terms with what he wants from himself. Let's leave Rupert alone in his empty throne room.