Even Ted Lasso's Nick Mohammed Questioned The Reunion Between Nate And His Dad

For most of its three-season run, "Ted Lasso" walked a fine line. It had the crowd-pleasing cheer of the type of sitcom that offers easy solutions and happy endings, yet it was also capable of a much more subtle take on its central topics than its "kill them with kindness" premise would indicate. The series was especially willing to get deep on the topic of parent-child relationships, thoroughly exploring (yet never fully solving) the disconnect between several characters — including Jamie (Phil Dunster), Ted (Jason Sudeikis), Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), and Nate (Nick Mohammed) — and their present or absent fathers.

By its final episode, "Ted Lasso" hadn't healed all these families, but had provided a starting point for each character to better understand their own trauma and decide how much to engage with their respective family members going forward. One of the most pat conclusions seemed to come with Nate, the kit man turned manager who went through a few metamorphoses in season 3 before finally ending up back at AFC Richmond. He also ended up, to some extent, back in the good graces of his domineering father Lloyd (Peter Landi).

The third season finale ended with a glimpse of Nate and his family at A Taste of Athens, his favorite restaurant. The moment came not long after Nate and his dad finally laid their feelings on the table, with Nate admitting his dad's high expectations and strict attitude scared him when he was younger, and his father admitting he "didn't know how to parent a genius." In an interview with Deadline, Mohammed was asked about what some fans saw as an oversimplified solution to a relationship that's been strained for years. It turns out, he kind of agrees.

"Everyone's entitled to their interpretation of it, even I questioned it," Nick Mohammed said, referencing the scene in episode 10 "International Break" where the pair begin to open up the lines of communication. "When I read that speech that his dad gave, I said to Jason [Sudeikis], 'Nate has put up with 30-plus years, of never being good enough. It can't just be that.'" According to the actor, Sudeikis reassured him that this scene wasn't meant to magically solve the pair's problems. In fact, Nate actually ended up having an even bigger father-son moment with Ted in the finale. Mohammed continued:

"That's why there are no tears on Nate's part and he doesn't hug his dad. His dad doesn't hug him. That's all saved for Ted in episode 12 ['So Long, Farewell'] and it was deliberate because it just represents the start of the healing process. It was not, 'Oh, right. They're fixed.'"

Mohammed pointed to Nate's final montage moment as another bit of the show that might have given an oversimplified impression of the pair's relationship. "There's even, in the montage sequence of [episode 12], they've moved on and now Nate is sitting with his family, and they're in their seat at the restaurant, which is the one he used to try to get to impress his dad," Mohammed said. "I think I agree that some people probably did see it like that."

Personally, though, he said he imagines the pair "will always have issues because of the trauma" of their past dysfunction. Rather, the restaurant scene and the reconciliation speech hint at something the show has always foregrounded: optimism.

"I was keen that the apology wasn't just enough, and then that's it," Nick Mohammed shared. "But it has to represent hope, which I think it does. And that's really important because that's dramatically a strong part of the show." It's true that "Ted Lasso" doesn't exactly end with every character forgiving their absent or abusive fathers but instead shows each one making a gesture towards something that might be healing for themselves.

For Nate, that might mean going out to dinner with his family and, perhaps, not feeling quite as wounded or anxious as he usually does. For Jamie, it meant visiting his dad in rehab. For Ted, it meant going home to be with his son, filling the void in his childhood that Ted's own dad couldn't fill for him. I appreciate that Mohammed both concedes that Nate's storyline might not have come through loud and clear, and points out exactly why it made sense within the larger series.

If you are one of the fans he mentioned who wasn't thrilled by the way the Shelley family drama wrapped up, there's good news: the actor already seems to be teasing a continuation of Nate's story on Twitter, where he shared a photo from the finale along with a zipped-lips emoji. Get your appetites ready, folks — this might not have been the last we saw of A Taste of Athens.

All three seasons of "Ted Lasso" are now available on Apple TV+.