Ted Lasso suspends Alice in season 4 episode 5, and quietly admits the Nate arc was a mistake

Right, so Ted Lasso season 4 has been quietly going about its business on Apple TV, and honestly, it’s taking things in a slightly different direction compared to the earlier series. Still, I’m rather relieved they haven’t fallen into the same traps as before — you know, the sort of missteps that haunted past episodes and set social media alight. Sure, there are a few characters missing this season I’d have preferred to see drop by, but the show’s managed a few smart nods to those offscreen faces, which is decent work for a show often juggling half a dozen plotlines at once.

If you’ve stuck with Ted Lasso this far, you’ll be aware it’s had controversial story choices in the past. There’s one in particular that’s left a lot of fans — myself included — rather irked. We’ve reached the midpoint of season 4 now and for a while, it felt like the show was dangerously close to repeating its most infamous mistake. Thankfully, episode 5, titled ‘Riches of Embarrassment’, sets things straight.

‘Ted Lasso’ season 4 episode 5 marks a clear turning point in how the show handles lingering controversies from previous seasons.

The Alice Situation

This time, the focus is on Alice — who, until this week, looked set to follow a path last trodden by Nate and, honestly, that’s a direction nobody was keen on revisiting. Early hints cast Alice as the new Nate: first, they teased her as Roy’s stand-in for Ted, then made it clear she was actually picking up Nate’s baton. For a hot minute, it genuinely looked as though the writers were teeing up the exact same storyline — and we all know how divisive that became back in season 2.

But here’s where things start to shift. In episode 5, Ted clocks Alice’s abrupt behaviour with the players. Classic Lasso fashion: he tries smoothing things over with one of his metaphor-heavy anecdotes, which, no surprise, falls flat. Realising this isn’t working, Ted changes tack and actually suspends Alice temporarily, referencing his own earlier mistakes with Nate. The idea? He’s determined not to let Alice spiral in the same way — there’s a genuine sense he’s learned the brutal lessons of last time and isn’t going to let history repeat itself if he can help it.

Nate’s Infamous Arc (And Ted’s Lesson)

The shadow of Nate’s ‘villain’ arc from season 2 still hangs heavy. Honestly, it remains one of the most loathed stretches in the show’s run — five years on, and the abrupt shift in Nate’s character still feels jarring. Supposedly, his motivation was feeling underappreciated, despite being hyped up at every turn; Ted genuinely was the bloke’s biggest supporter. If you remember, Beard tried to talk sense into Nate after his own fallout with Ted, recounting his own errors and the value of a second chance.

What’s genuinely good about this season is seeing that growth front and centre in Ted’s management of Alice. He’s still leading with that same patience and empathy, but now with enough wisdom to know when it’s time to actually put his foot down. The show’s clearly trying to avoid a repeat performance — no one wants another rushed redemption arc just for the sake of raising stakes in the final act.

• Ted is making sure Alice doesn’t get the same treatment Nate did — early intervention, tough love, less sweeping under the rug.
• There’s hope Alice will steer clear of the melodrama that marred Nate’s journey and avoid needing a contrived comeback story.

Things may have changed around Richmond since season 3, but Ted himself remains committed to growth without losing his central ethos — not a bad trick after so much upheaval.