What Does ‘Oklahoma’ Mean in Ted Lasso?

Ted Lasso is in its third season, and the characters have to face problems detrimental to their everyday lives. Ted Lasso finally faced the mental issues and problems weighing on him through the series, and Rebecca finally stood up to Rupert and his abuse. Ted and Rebecca’s relationship was always interesting to the fans, and since the first season, Ted slowly but surely broke down her walls and became her confidant. From bringing biscuits every morning to mentions of marriage problems, Ted and Rebecca had a callback in the recent episode, mentioning “Oklahoma.” Was it a reference to the American state, a musical, or is it something else?

“Oklahoma” is a word Ted used during his marriage counseling sessions with Michelle in the first season. If one of them says the word “Oklahoma,” the other needs to tell, in Ted’s words, “God’s honest truth.” In one conversation with Rebecca, Ted mentions marriage problems to the owner and uses the word “Oklahoma” to make her tell him the truth. In the most recent episode, Ted is struggling with everything that has been going on, and when Rebecca realizes he is lying, saying he is okay, she uses the phrase “Oklahoma” for Ted to tell the truth. Moreover, “Oklahoma” refers to the musical from 1931, which revolves around a farm girl who two men fight over – potentially referring to Dr. Jacob and Ted Lasso “fighting” over Michelle.

We will discuss this topic more by mentioning what Oklahoma means, what it refers to, and what it means for Rebecca and Ted in the series. If you are interested, stay with us until the end.

The word “Oklahoma” is a so-called trigger word for Ted Lasso, and a reference to the famous musical

In the first season, Ted Lasso, the coach of Richmond, was on a mission to make Rebecca more relaxed and open with other people. The woman was still deeply struggling with the divorce from Rupert, and her only goal was to destroy the club, and the first step was to hire Ted Lasso, who didn’t know anything about football.

Ted eventually succeeded in helping Rebecca, mostly by baking her biscuits and talking to her in her office. One conversation in the office revealed that Ted and Michelle were struggling in their marriage and that “Oklahoma” was a signal word that triggered others, to tell the truth during therapy.

The word has been used in conversations with Rebecca twice in the series, which we will discuss later. Of course, nothing is accidental in Ted Lasso, and the word “Oklahoma” references the famous musical, which follows a farm girl whose love and attention are sought out by two men. The men from different backgrounds fight over one girl, referring to Dr. Jacob and Ted Lasso “fighting” for Michelle and their family – at least, that is possible.

Nevertheless, a recent episode showed Ted finally admitting his problems and progressing with Michelle and their relationship. However, in the series, we see the word “Oklahoma” used twice in the conversation between Ted and Rebecca. What does the word mean for these two jaded people? Let’s find out.

What does “Oklahoma” mean for Rebecca Welton and Ted Lasso?

One of the best parts of the Ted Lasso series is the subtle meanings and the fact everything is done with purpose. If Ted Lasso showrunners make Roy Kent mentions Princess Diaries, you know that the certified grump watches the teenage comedy movie and absolutely loves it.

Small references and mentions of famous Broadway and theater plays from the characters mean that they watch and definitely are “geeks” in their hearts. The main character of the series Ted Lasso is the embodiment of a puppy – a loving, kind man full of optimism that very few people can waver.

However, since season two, we realized that Ted is far from being okay, and the problems in marriage combined with trauma from childhood are still very visible in his everyday life. Ted will sacrifice his well-being to support others because there was no one to support him in his youth.

Panic attacks almost ruined Ted’s career as a manager, especially after Trent Crimm aired the article about his problems during the Richmond games. Still, even that didn’t stop the manager from referencing famous musicals, movies, and his home state Kansas.

We can all agree that Ted works well with his puns and cultural references, and sometimes, people are put off by the quirkiness of Richmond’s manager. When Rebecca Welton hired Ted Lasso to manage her team, Richmond, she had one thing on her mind – to destroy the club her ex-husband loved.

From the first interaction with Ted, Rebecca was put off by his optimism, and childlike glee, which were full of bad puns and cultural references. She didn’t want an American goof to steer her away from her ultimate goal, but Ted tried to break down Rebecca’s walls.

He realizes from the first episode that Rebecca is deeply hurt by the divorce and everything that happened with Rupert. Ted saw how Rupert would subtly deal blows to Rebecca and try to kick her down even more, but with his support and kindness, the eager American wanted to make Rebecca happy.

Ted broke Rebecca’s walls, and the two became friends. There are many great scenes between Rebecca and Ted, but one in season one shows how much they trust each other. In Rebecca’s office, Ted mentions how he can’t wait for his family to visit him but admits that he and Michelle have problems in their marriage.

Despite Rebecca telling him he doesn’t have to talk about his problems, Ted insists and tells her that their therapist (Dr. Jacob) gave them the code word “Oklahoma,” so if either of them says the word, they’ll need to say the truth and nothing else.

Ted continues by saying that the word ruined famous musical Oklahoma and that whenever he hears it, it reminds him of his wife telling him his constant enthusiasm is overbearing. Rebecca replies that he is telling her his problems because she opened up to him about her ex-husband. Ted being Ted tells her that Rebecca is secretly enjoying their conversation, to which she says yes. However, Ted follows up with the word “Oklahoma,” which makes Rebecca change her answer to no.

Since then, Rebecca’s problems with Rupert and Ted’s own problems got in the way of their scenes being more frequent in the Ted Lasso series, but the most recent episode, titled “Big Week,” sees Rebecca and Ted talking like they used to.

Before the game against West Ham, Rebecca arrives at Ted’s office, asking him if he is okay, for which he throws a counter question if he is truly a mess. Rebecca says yes, especially since she is a mess, and Sassy knew what she was talking about when she told Ted that.

Rebecca asks Ted again if he is okay, to which he replies he is, but Rebecca throws the word “Oklahoma,” which makes Ted change the statement by saying one of his famous puns: “I’m a work in progmess.”

This scene made us miss Rebecca and Ted’s conversations in her office, which are strangely deep, endearing, and absolutely hilarious. Some fans hope for something more between Rebecca and Ted, and I just want two friends to interact as they did in the first season. The scene continues in more wholesome ways, which only confirms that Rebecca and Ted are one of the best dynamics on the show and that Ted Lasso’s showrunners love callbacks to previous seasons.