Warning: Contains spoilers for Ted Lasso season 2, episode 6.
Ted Lasso has revealed the identity of Rebecca’s Bantr match, as well as the meaning of his screenname – “LDN152.” For several episodes, the AFC Richmond owner was seen exchanging flirtatious texts with mystery man on the anonymous dating app, who many fans previously believed to be none other than Ted Lasso himself. But in Ted Lasso season 2, episode 6, “The Signal,” it’s revealed that the suitor is actually Sam Obisanya.
Sam’s curious username on Bantr, LDN152, is a classic romantic comedy reference that fans of the genre may have recognized immediately. The Show has been playing with romantic comedy tropes a lot lately, with loads of rom-com references in Ted Lasso season 2, episode 5 invoking films like Pretty Woman, She’s All That, and Four Weddings and a Funeral. But what does LDN152 actually mean?
Fans of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan – of which Ted Lasso himself appears to be one – will know that the screenname is a reference to the 1998 romcom classic You’ve Got Mail. In the film, Hanks’ Joe Fox character uses the screenname “NY152” to chat with Ryan’s Kathleen Kelly via AOL Instant Messenger. The “LDN” in Sam’s username references his own home of London, as opposed to Joe’s New York. Rebecca’s username, “Bossgirl,” is also a reference to Kathleen’s online persona of “Shopgirl” – both referencing their respective professions in vague ways.
Now that the identity if LDN152 has been revealed, Ted Lasso season 2 could be setting up some more You’ve Got Mail parallels. In the film, Joe and Kathleen set up an in-person meetup, but Joe bails after discovering Shopgirl’s true identity, as the two are rivals professionally. With Sam suggesting a real-life date to Rebecca via Bantr at the end of “The Signal,” the two characters could be headed for another very You’ve Got Mail moment in the near future.
Will Sam and Rebecca wind up together like Joe and Kathleen? That remains to be seen. There’s a lot that could keeping them apart right now, like the fact that Rebecca is Sam’s employer and the major age gap between them. But the whole story of You’ve Got Mail is about two people who’s circumstances and life roles completely clash finding a connection based solely on their personalities. That’s Sam and Rebecca’s situation as well, and while that doesn’t guarantee that they’ll actually date, it does set up some interesting possibilities for the rest of Ted Lasso season 2.