‘Ted Lasso’s Biggest Rewrite Yet Is an Official Turning Point for Season 4

Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Ted Lasso Season 4.

The “Believe” sign in AFC Richmond’s locker room is arguably Ted Lasso‘s most iconic symbol and is ever-present in fan memorabilia, from T-shirts to decorations, and even tattoos. Now, Season 4 has given it an upgrade. In the show’s latest episode, Ted’s (Jason Sudeikis) new “Believe” sign is added to the women’s locker room and faces instant backlash from the Lady Greyhounds — until coach Alice Chilton (Tanya Reynolds) makes a simple yet powerful gesture to change it.

‘Ted Lasso’s “Believe” Sign Change Has a Deeper Meaning

The Lady Greyhounds’ main argument against having a “Believe” sign in their locker room is that, as Margy (Mercedes Assad) puts it best, they already believe in themselves. They’re all dedicated to second-division women’s football mostly for the love of the game, and “believing” lifts none of the weight of being underpaid while still having to shoulder greater burdens than the overwhelming majority of male players. In that sense, it feels almost patronizing to tell a woman to “believe” under these circumstances.

The moment also doubles as an instant reality check for Ted. In previous seasons, he applied this philosophy to male players who were essentially rejects and needed only to believe in themselves to start winning. In women’s football, however, “believing” only gets you so far. In Episode 3, “Richmond’s Got Talent,” Keeley (Juno Temple) tells Roy (Brett Goldstein) ahead of the Lady Greyhounds’ first-ever match that “women don’t get friendlies; we either succeed, or we fail,” which perfectly illustrates the situation.

So far, Ted Lasso Season 4 has nailed its portrayal of this sad reality. Both individually and as a team, women are under a lot more pressure and scrutiny than men. Female teams often have only a fraction of their male counterparts’ budget and are still seen as a huge financial risk, as proven by Higgins’ (Jeremy Swift) report in Episode 3. So, they play not only against adversaries, but also against everyone else’s expectations, meaning that, for the Lady Greyhounds, “believing” isn’t enough.

‘Ted Lasso’s “Believe” Sign Moment Gives Alice a Bigger Role

Image via Apple TV

As “Yes & Baby” shows, the Lady Greyhounds have had everything but results, both on and off the pitch. Each member of the team has her own problems, but Alice is among those who have it the hardest. Working with Ted and Beard (Brendan Hunt) — two men coaching a women’s team — affected her self-esteem at first, but putting up the “Believe (and Win)” sign is her first concrete step toward getting it back in a positive way.

Season 4 has already established Alice as a counterpoint to Nate Shelley (Nick Mohammed), and Ted is aware of her potential. She believes in her coaching abilities more than anyone else does, but, unlike Nate, Alice understands her need for self-improvement and has been taking concrete steps toward it. That’s what Ted and Beard’s “yes, and…” advice is all about: opening the door for more practical opportunities for those around her, like giving Shannon (Shannon Hayes) a chance during training, and real change for herself. In that sense, Ted Lasso‘s “Believe (and Win)” sign perfectly captures how much Alice has already improved. The team’s acceptance of this message might seem trivial at first, especially as they start chanting it in the locker room shortly after, but it’s really Alice’s first real message to the players, as well as her first real win.

‘Ted Lasso’s New “Believe” Sign Represents a Turning Point for Season 4

Ted Lasso Season 4 has already emphasized the differences between men’s and women’s football, from the very visual language established for the women’s team — the color schemes in both their jerseys and their “Believe” sign are inverted compared to the men’s — to the conditions they have to work under — they didn’t have their own locker room, didn’t have official uniforms for their first-ever match, don’t usually play at Nelson Road, etc.

There is one thing both teams need, though, and that’s a sense of unity and purpose. The original “Believe” sign gave the men just that, and now, the “Believe (and Win)” sign gives it to the women, too. Before that, they divided themselves into cliques, struggled to develop their pitch dynamics, and started getting disillusioned by this week’s episode. When Lizzie’s (Faye Marsay) kid finally reads the Post-It, it’s the realization the team needed while representing a bigger turning point for the Lady Greyhounds going forward, just as it did for the men’s team.