Episode 2 is considerably stronger, recapturing the feel-good vibes that defined Season 1. Following Ted’s return to Richmond, the installment chronicles his first week back at Nelson Road, where viewers are reunited with men’s team manager Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein, who slips back into the gruff role as though he never left) and Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt, who makes a meal of the screen time he’s given as Beard grapples with Ted’s return and, later, the repercussions of marrying Jane Payne), both making their Season 4 debuts after missing the premiere.
We do get updates on where some of the former men’s team players wound up — if they even left at all. Interestingly, one original character who became increasingly divisive over the show’s initial three-season run isn’t mentioned once in Episodes 1-4, and is only indirectly referenced in Episode 5 — but ultimately, this is no longer their story. That becomes evident the moment the show introduces new women’s assistant coach Alice Chilton (played by Hannah Waddingham’s former “Sex Education” co-star Tanya Reynolds), who injects a wholly unique energy into the ensemble and instantly becomes someone you want to know more about. And while Ted’s latest mission to win over a skeptical colleague follows a well-worn formula, Reynolds brings enough stoic charm and vulnerability to the role to make it feel fresh. Reynolds also plays spectacularly off Waddingham, particularly as Alice sends Rebecca spiraling into a crisis of conscience over whether she made the right call putting a man in charge of the fledgling women’s team, forcing her to confront what that decision says about her relationship with feminism.
Much like Season 1 did with the original Greyhounds, Season 4 wisely resists trying to flesh out its entire roster at once. Instead, three members of the Lady Greyhounds emerge as immediate standouts. Boots, played by Jude Mack (“I Hate Suzie”), is first among them: a goalkeeper who refuses to wear gloves because she wants to feel everything. Though she initially comes across as an oddball, Episode 4 — which sees the team compete in a pub trivia night at the Crown & Anchor — hints at a rich backstory that the show will hopefully mine in subsequent episodes. Center back Lizzie, played by Faye Marsay (“Andor”), is immediately established as the team’s voice of reason, bringing with her a maternal instinct that extends well beyond the adorable son who accompanies her to open tryouts. Then there’s Gemma, played by Abbie Hern (“My Lady Jane”), a striker whose history with assistant coach Alice quickly produces plenty of friction, even if the show has yet to fully explore where that relationship is headed.
Keeley, who is somehow still running her public relations firm with Barbara off screen while also serving as CMO of the women’s team, emerges as perhaps the Lady Greyhounds’ biggest cheerleader. Temple, in turn, is given significantly stronger material than she had in Season 3, as the show prioritizes Keeley’s career over her romantic life. Even so, with Phil Dunster’s Jamie Tartt out of the picture, the show once again leans into the chemistry between Temple and Goldstein. Unfortunately, one of Season 4’s few weak spots is its apparent determination to play the long game with Keeley and Roy, forcing Roy, in particular, to behave more immaturely than feels true to the character. Goldstein remains one of the show’s greatest assets, but Roy’s Episode 4 storyline veers a little too far into sitcom territory, undercutting some of the emotional maturity the character spent three seasons earning.
Keeley’s most important love story, however, remains her friendship with Rebecca, and there are growing pains in their partnership as Keeley’s impulsiveness rubs up against Rebecca’s hard-earned instincts. Rebecca, meanwhile, keeps Keeley in the dark about certain business matters perhaps longer than she should, but the writers wisely resist manufacturing conflict for conflict’s sake, instead bringing in the great Tracey Ullman as something of a chaos agent in Episode 4. Waddingham, meanwhile, delivers her finest work in Episode 5, as Rebecca’s long-distance relationship with Matthijs, the Dutch pilot she met in Amsterdam, is challenged in an unexpected way. It’s a reminder of just how deftly Waddingham balances the show’s emotional sincerity with its broadest comedy.