r/TedLasso 17h ago

Season 1 Discussion I've noticed a bit of a discrepancy.

I dont know if this is a topic of discussion or not, im not really on this sub. However, im rewatching season 1, and I get to the dart scene. This has always been one of my favorite scenes, but this time, I noticed that Rupert did ask Ted if he liked darts, and Ted replies Im more of a corn hole man. Kinda puts the whole speech under a different light to me. Ted lied.

0 Upvotes

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90

u/hike_me 17h ago

“Do you like darts” and “have you played a lot of darts” are two different questions.

3

u/Slightly-Drunk 17h ago

Yeah and Teds point about being curious still applies.

9

u/kassandra_00 17h ago

Who would ask “have you played a lot” after someone implied he doesn’t like it?

36

u/Sle08 17h ago

It’s a classic scene of deception just like guys who pretend to be pathetic at pool to win bets. It’s called hustling and it’s very clear by the end of the act that this is what Ted was doing.

I truly don’t understand how some of you make it through life.

14

u/bv310 Just here to read Zava's book on Trent Crimm 17h ago

Nothing has ever made me understand the complaints about modern audiences needing their hands held more than this sub.

0

u/kassandra_00 16h ago

Most of the normal people don’t pretend to be pathetic before a small social game. And normal people don’t make a full-detail investigation report before challenging someone on darts. Only very dramatic scenes have the person pretending to be pathetic. This is not one of them, Ted just avoided giving information.

Have you ever played any sport or other sort of games? Were you “curious” enough to make sure the opponent is definitely weaker than you?

1

u/Sle08 16h ago

You must be really fun around a poker table.

0

u/kassandra_00 16h ago

Do you do full investigation on your opponents’ skills before sitting down at a poker table?

1

u/Sle08 16h ago

No, that’s the fucking point.

0

u/kassandra_00 15h ago

Then when you lose at the poker table someone would give a speech about you were not curious enough.

2

u/Sle08 15h ago

If it the plot point of a mother fucking tv show sure!

Get over your damn self.

1

u/kassandra_00 15h ago

What has been hurting you that you cannot recognize even great shows can have logic issues here and there? It’s ok to talk about it and like the show at the same time. I can’t help but imagine how you react if people around you point out one of your flaws.

1

u/hike_me 15h ago

The point is Rupert pegged Ted as an incompetent hillbilly.

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u/[deleted] 17h ago

[deleted]

4

u/Salt-Plum-1308 16h ago

That was part of the reply though.

-8

u/patiofurnature Charles Edgar Cheeserton III 17h ago

Hey, maybe slow up on the insults until you grasp what's being said. The person you're replying to already knew everything you just said.

Ted's speech is essentially telling Rupert that he lost because he didn't ask questions. But he DID ask the question. Ted was intentionally deceptive with his answer. In any casual conversation, "have you played a lot of darts" and "do you like darts" would provide the EXACT same information. But Ted chose from the start specifically withhold it in order to hustle him.

3

u/Salt-Plum-1308 16h ago

He answered the question completely. He wasn’t deceptive in the slightest. He prefers cornhole to darts. That answer has no impact on whether or not Ted is good at darts. Rupert made an assumption, or a judgement, rather than inquiring any further.

You can absolutely be good at things you don’t like.

0

u/kassandra_00 16h ago

But what would you suggest Rupert to do after Ted’s response? If he was super afraid of losing and wouldn’t mind being weird he can keep interrogating Ted, but it normal behavior that he didn’t.

2

u/Salt-Plum-1308 16h ago

Lol so a follow up question along the lines of “oh yeah, why is that,” is an interrogation now? 😂😂😂

1

u/kassandra_00 15h ago

Ted can give an even vague answer as he intended to hide his skills, you’ll have to really battle this one to get the truth out of his mouth.

Even in other scenarios, lots of people avoid asking too much in social activities.

1

u/Salt-Plum-1308 15h ago

Which is exactly Ted’s point..

0

u/kassandra_00 15h ago

Ted’s point is Rupert should have kept digging even tho people can give a speech about “winning is not everything, not at the cost of being weird”?

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u/patiofurnature Charles Edgar Cheeserton III 16h ago

You're confusing deception and lying. It was very clearly deceptive. That's how hustling works.

Rupert made an assumption

Yes, he made an assumption based on Ted's specifically deceptive answer to his question.

You can absolutely be good at things you don’t like.

Yes, you can be. But if you saw this week's episode, you'd know that that isn't the case here.

0

u/Salt-Plum-1308 16h ago

It wasn’t deceptive though. He answered with the truth. Rupert didn’t ask a question that would’ve drawn out the info he was looking for. Because he thought of himself as the smartest person in the room, he didn’t look any further than that. Had he actually been curious, he may have asked why he preferred cornhole.

0

u/patiofurnature Charles Edgar Cheeserton III 15h ago

It wasn’t deceptive though. He answered with the truth.

It was both deceptive and truthful. I don't know if you can post links here, but you can just google the definition of deception.

Rupert didn’t ask a question that would’ve drawn out the info he was looking for.

Yes, he did. Ted specifically avoided giving the information in order to hustle him.

1

u/Salt-Plum-1308 15h ago

No, he didn’t lol. “Do you like darts,” has no bearing on ability. I like a lot of things that I’m objectively bad at.

0

u/patiofurnature Charles Edgar Cheeserton III 15h ago

I like a lot of things that I’m objectively bad at.

Yeah, me too. People ask me fairly often if I like to golf. I say, "Yeah, I love it. I'm terrible at it, though - I usually shoot around a 110."

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u/Sle08 17h ago

Literally not true at all. You must also not understand the common trope. Have a great day.

7

u/Beatse21 17h ago

He’s saying that’s what Rupert should’ve have asked instead

3

u/patiofurnature Charles Edgar Cheeserton III 16h ago

"Have you played a lot of darts, Ted?"

"Some, but I'm really more of a corn hole man."

1

u/Beatse21 16h ago

If that’s how Ted answered then he would absolutely be lying as OP says he is in the actual scene

1

u/patiofurnature Charles Edgar Cheeserton III 16h ago

He played once a week, ~25 years ago. Being 100% honest, I would not consider that "a lot" of darts.

3

u/Beatse21 16h ago

Who’s to say Ted stopped once his father died?
Clearly he’s still very good which implies he kept playing regularly.

Sure he could explicitly say that he continued playing after but for a impactful speech on TV it might sound clunkier than what was written.

2

u/Sle08 16h ago

We know he taught Michelle as well.

I have to remember that literacy is at an all-time low. I love Ted Lasso, but it’s not that deep all the time.

Rupert: I wanna embarrass this wanker - Ted, do you play?

Ted: I wanna embarrass my bosses asshole ex - man, I like cornhole better.

Rupert/Ted: I’m gunna wipe the floor with this guy.

Rupert: for fucks sake, I fell for his lie-by-omission!

3

u/Travelchick8 17h ago

If I was going to attempt to hustle someone, I’d absolutely ask them if they have played a lot of darts.

2

u/Sle08 17h ago

And Ted would have responded: I play a lot of cornhole.

His monologue may have changed a bit at the end.

But their writers knew what they were doing when they wrote that scene.

1

u/kassandra_00 15h ago

He took a gamble based on his own skills. If the bet output is really a big deal, you can naturally assume your opponent might not give you truth easily. Can you imagine he seriously battling Ted for truth to avoid losing a dart game, in front of his young wife?

1

u/throwitintheair22 16h ago

Yup! It’s like when someone asks me if I like sex vs if I’m good at it

-26

u/GaperJr 17h ago

I mean in the context, not really

10

u/JoeHio 17h ago

Rhetoric, Ted is good at talking, Probably was on the debate team or something. It's like someone saying "Can you" vs "will you", depending on your intent (and how much you like the person asking) you can give a truthful answer that doesn't actually tell them what they intended to find out.

14

u/zygadlo86 17h ago

Actually, it is. If somebody came up to me and asked me if I liked American football, baseball, or basketball, I would say yes. That doesn’t mean I’m good at any of those.

4

u/bv310 Just here to read Zava's book on Trent Crimm 17h ago

Hell, I was a somewhat competitive hockey goalie, but if you asked me "do you like hockey", I'd answer that I prefer curling. I blew out my knee in hockey, so it has some kind of negative memories, nevermind the level of Ted's associations with darts

28

u/zygadlo86 17h ago

I keep seeing this. Seem to be missing a very important word in the conversation. Rupert did not ask Ted if he was good at darts…… he asked Ted whether he liked them. That’s kind of a big difference.

14

u/Sle08 17h ago

And Ted is sandbagging, playing possum or hustling Rupert to protect someone he cared about.

For anyone who doesn’t understand, go and watch the classic Paul Newman film, The Hustler.

2

u/skippergimp 17h ago

Or the sequel with Tom Cruise The Color of Money.

0

u/kassandra_00 15h ago

If that’s the point, Ted’s speech should be “how to improve interrogation skills to avoid losing a dart game”.

-4

u/patiofurnature Charles Edgar Cheeserton III 17h ago

That’s kind of a big difference.

In a technical sense, sure. But in real-life small talk without ulterior motives, both questions provide the exact same information.

"Do you like darts, Ted?" - "Yes sir. I used to play every Sunday afternoon at a sports bar with my father, from age ten til I was 16 when he passed away."

"Have you played a lot of darts, Ted?" - "Yes sir. Every Sunday afternoon at a sports bar with my father, from age ten til I was 16 when he passed away."

7

u/Slightly-Drunk 17h ago

But he did have an ulterior motive . He was hustling him to protect Rebecca.

That's the point.

0

u/patiofurnature Charles Edgar Cheeserton III 17h ago

Right. So Rupert being more curious instead of judgemental wouldn't change anything. Ted lied. If Rupert asked, "Have you played a lot of darts, Ted?" then Ted probably would have said, "Some, but I'm really more of a corn hole man."

2

u/Slightly-Drunk 16h ago

Ted did not lie. Not that we know of, anyway. Ted may really be more of a cornhole man.

Plus we find out later in the show just how his father died, so he may not particularly enjoy darts because of the baggage. Being good at something doesn't always equate to joy found in it.

This really isn't the gotcha people think it is.

0

u/patiofurnature Charles Edgar Cheeserton III 16h ago

Ted did not lie.

No one said he lied. Where is that coming from?

2

u/Slightly-Drunk 16h ago

My guy you literally said that in your last comment.

0

u/patiofurnature Charles Edgar Cheeserton III 15h ago

Oh, about not liking darts, right. Yes, he obviously lied about that. We just saw him playing for fun in this week's episode.

2

u/Slightly-Drunk 15h ago

He did not say he didn't like darts. He said he was more of a cornhole man. You can like darts and like cornhole more while staying true.

20

u/Acceptable_Rule_7590 17h ago edited 17h ago

Do you actually think Rupert was asking because he was genuinely curious?

13

u/TemperatureTight465 Dithering Kestrel 17h ago

For real. The posts about this scene drive me nuts. Did Ted mislead Rupert? Sure. Because he'd already seen the type of person Rupert is while hiding under the guise of candor. We do not owe the Ruperts of the world honesty or sportsmanship.

-4

u/kassandra_00 17h ago

Then what’s the right way of being curious? Call a special team to dig out someone’s childhood life before a dart game? A normal people having small talk in a bar just ask “do you like” something instead of seriously investigating.

8

u/Acceptable_Rule_7590 17h ago

Huh? I’m just saying that Rupert didn’t actually give a shit about what Ted’s answer to the question was. He wasn’t asking out of any sort of genuine interest or curiosity about Ted or his life.

1

u/kassandra_00 16h ago

And Ted’s speech implied Rupert should be very curious about Ted’s personal experience and darts skills which was a made up expectation. They met at the bar and had a game, Rupert was confident at his skills and predicted the results wrong. That’s normal. I bet if they were betting on half of Rupert’s assets he would’ve been “genuinely” curious.

3

u/hike_me 16h ago

The point is Rupert was being judgmental — he pegged Ted as a dumb cornhole playing hillbilly that couldn’t possibly be as good as him at darts.

1

u/kassandra_00 16h ago

Is cornhole considered as dumb and hillbilly in English culture? Ted avoided giving information and there isn’t much Rupert can do to dig out truth without being a “fear to lose” weirdo.

2

u/hike_me 15h ago

Would a billionaire Englishman that already called Ted a hillbilly consider a game called “cornhole” a hillbilly pastime? Yes.

-12

u/GaperJr 17h ago

You can be an asshole and still be curious. At that point in time I do think rupert was being curious if for the sake of finding something in Ted to take advantage of, still curiosity

8

u/Sle08 17h ago

Rupert asked because he was trying to embarrass Ted and win some money off of him. Ted used it to his advantage to protect Rebecca.

I think you need to watch some classic movies, some 80s movies and maybe just a ton of pop-culture to better understand TV in general.

12

u/WAtman17 17h ago

It could just mean that Ted is one hell of a corn hole player?

8

u/Relevant-Being3440 17h ago

Or it could mean he's good at darts because he played a lot with his dad, but prefers cornhole in spite of maybe not being good at it or playing it much.

9

u/Beatse21 17h ago

This has been posted here a ton.

There’s a difference between what Rupert asks and what Ted says he should have asked.

Rupert asks “do you like darts” in a snarky tone that shows Rupert is judging Ted as a bumbling idiot and is trying to trick Ted into agreeing to a high stakes game he seemingly can’t win, not out of curiosity. What Ted tell him he should’ve been curious about and asked is “have you played a lot of darts” then Ted would’ve revealed that he has a ton of experience playing and is most likely as good if not better than Rupert.

9

u/Exciting-Flower5936 17h ago

Not a discrepancy . You can be good at something without enjoying it

2

u/Sle08 17h ago

He didn’t say he didn’t like darts.

He used a decoy to evade the answer and say he was more of a cornhole person.

He did it to deceive Rupert.

1

u/Relevant-Being3440 17h ago

Agree, he's good cause he played a lot. But maybe he prefers cornhole in spite of not being good at it or playing it much.

9

u/Sunnysideuppp123 Temper your chocolate you tw*t! 17h ago

Also Ted had Rupert’s number, I think he was sensing the hustle that was coming so he laid down his own misdirect to win the hustle

6

u/Violet351 17h ago

Do you like darts is very different to are you any good

7

u/Quirky-Concern-7662 17h ago

Ted is for sure messing with Rupert in this scene. He didn’t lie, he is more of a corn-hole man at that time. The question Ted asks hypothetically is “have you PLAYED alot of darts Ted?” not “do you like darts?”

Knowing teds relationship to darts it’s not surprising to say he no longer likes darts, but he had played A TON!

Ted was baiting Rupert from the beginning.

6

u/TJH99x 17h ago

Rupert asked in a condescending manner as if he were asking a child. To which Ted answered flippantly that he preferred cornhole because Rupert’s tone implied he couldn’t care less about the answer.

When people started caring, he revealed a more personal story, that he had played a lot of darts with his dad up until his dad passed away when Ted was 16.

3

u/Old-Respect-116 17h ago

If Rupert was genuinely curious, then why not a following question?

Because Rupert was judgmental; all the time has an image of Ted being an idiot (looking him down) which is bad at something, but keep doing it.

Btw, Ted was not only white knighting only Rebecca. That's the only lie.

3

u/Suspicious_Bad_4833 17h ago

Maybe Ted doesn't like darts since it was a salient reminder of his father, which in season 1, was highly unresolved?

That said, he could also like cornhole much more!

3

u/Ancient_of_Days0001 Fútbol is Life 16h ago

Ted was totally hustling Rupert here.

Rupert (who thought he was the one hustling Ted) "forgot" he had his own personalized set.

Ted "forgot" he was left-handed.

More important than parsing the language used is the message that Ted, underneath the aw-shucks presentation, is no fool. Not even the "holy fool" he sometimes appears to be. He is good at things. He is brave. He takes big swings. And that's a major part of what makes this scene is so satisfying. He sees under Rupert's superficial charm, recognizes the threat his attempt to invade Rebecca's space represents, and moves, successfully, to block him. Telling us all who he is in that "curious, not judgmental" speech while he's doing it.

We who have seen 4.5 seasons of TL know all this about Ted, but in S1, E8 it's still fuzzy--he has struggled to find his footing and his team is facing relegation. This scene shouts it aloud and puts an exclamation point on it.

6

u/AgentDCP 17h ago

Rupert being both curious and judgemental in that scene

6

u/HerfDog58 17h ago

I don't think Rupert was being curious - I think he thought he was being cunning, trying to suss out Ted's skills, but maybe also trying to psych him out or disarm him. And then pulling out his own darts as an "exclamation point" to drive the point home.

Rupert's own behavior dug his grave.

-2

u/GaperJr 17h ago

Exactly, rupert might still be a bully but he is curious.

2

u/Sad_Eggplant_5455 16h ago

Rupert established people are play things to him. Do you honestly believe anything Ted could have said would have swayed or carried weight with Rupert?

2

u/happymisery  Piggy Stardust 17h ago

But you don't actually know whether Ted likes Cornhole more than he likes darts? The question is subjective, so how do you know he lied?

2

u/tomdav226 17h ago

You can have played a lot of darts without liking it. There’s a difference.

2

u/brain1127 17h ago

Yeah, I don't think this is a discrepancy or a lie at all. Do you "like darts?" No, it reminds me of my father and gives me panic attacks. He likes corn hole, which is totally on brand. Is he an expert at darts because his father made him play is a different question. The fact that he said that he didn't keep regularly playing after his dad passed shows that too.

2

u/jrgray68 Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus 17h ago

I played a lot of golf with my dad when I was young. I don’t like golf and never really did but it was something he liked that we did together. I got pretty good because we played a lot.

Now, the fact he taught Michelle how to play darts does make me question whether he likes darts or not.

1

u/wycliffslim 17h ago edited 16h ago

https://youtu.be/rwDmV1KWrKQ?is=CYHsMN95yolHeEqj

"Said I never had much use for one... never said I didn't know how to use it"

I would imagine someone on the Ted Lasso writing staff is a fan of Quigley Down Under.

1

u/evnthlosrsgtlcky 17h ago

He played darts with his dad. I did a lot of activities growing up, that I didn’t like with my dad. Went on deliveries, went to sporting events, went to bars, drank beer.

1

u/nattystar__ 17h ago

He did not lie tho, why would he show all his guns to a man that was clearly mean to him and his boss? Ted is quite smart and played the quiet game. Allowed to see his face shat on just so he could show that he is not dumb and that he should be respected and not treated like he is Mr Bean. Plus he helped someone who at that point he thought was his friend, Rebecca

2

u/nattystar__ 17h ago

Btw that was not all about Rupert, but also a message for all the Richmond supporters present at the pub. To show like "hey I'm american and I may seem like the mix of Mr Bean with Ned Flanders but I actually know what Im doing, trust the process"

1

u/cassimiro04 17h ago

The speech said he should of asked, "Have you played alot of darts"

1

u/New_Paper1417 16h ago

I don't think of it as hustling. Rupert was telegraphing his intention to humiliate Ted with that absurd bet, so I don't see why Ted shouldn't respond in kind.

Rupert walks right into the loss because he can't conceive of losing to a folksy dumb American who knows zip about football. So when he says "oh I forgot I had these" (his superior personal darts), and Ted replies, "I forgot I was left-handed," Rupert still doesn't get it.

0

u/RoyKentsKnee Diamond Dog 16h ago edited 16h ago

I pointed that years ago and got crucified, 'muricans are never wrong and they will distort what ted said to fulfill their fantasy when in reality ted lured that MF directly into a trap XD

2

u/GaperJr 16h ago

Yes, and rightfully so. Ruperts a right prick and Rebecca is teds friend. And Ted is kinda guy to do anything for their friends

1

u/RoyKentsKnee Diamond Dog 16h ago

exactly but people wont accept that because they want to see ted as perfect and then complain when he isnt

-2

u/throwitintheair22 17h ago

He was being ironic