When the characters of Ted Lasso celebrate their victory at Goodison Park in a karaoke bar, Rebecca takes the stage, and the details in the scene were more perfectly fitting her character development than it seemed. Throughout Ted Lasso season 1, Rebecca is a sympathetic antagonist who is constantly teasing the storyline with a possible redemption, only to turn around and do something devious in her hurt. However, Ted Lasso season 1, episode 7, "Make Rebecca Great Again" is a pivotal point in her character arc, highlighting her friendship with Keeley and the fragility surrounding her divorce. When her childhood friend Flo is introduced, she reveals things about Rebecca’s pre-Rupert past that set her up for redemption.
One of the tidbits Flo shares about Rebecca, besides a "silly" nature and funny childhood nickname, is that Ted Lasso's Rebecca is an amazing singer who used to watch Frozen with Flo's daughter Nora. After describing the "real Rebecca" as "strong, but not cold," Flo has a frank conversation with Rebecca about her ownership in the relationship she had with Rupert before surprising her with the karaoke song. She challenges Rebecca to let go of her resentment, saying "I will always be your biggest defender, but you need to own up to the part you played." The resulting musical scene is indicative of Flo’s words getting through to Rebecca, who is finally in the mindset to accept her situation and move forward with her life. This mindset sets Rebecca up for her redemption two episodes later, when she is finally able to come clean and, despite Rupert's antagonizing, ask for Ted Lasso's forgiveness.
At the karaoke bar, Flo surprises Rebecca by signing her up to sing "Let It Go," which Rebecca dedicates to her goddaughter, Nora. The song’s symbolism is aimed at Rebecca’s situation, particularly when it's considered that Elsa was expected to be Frozen's possible villain before the movie's release revealed her to be fragile and sympathetic. When it’s combined with the scene in its entirety, the song ties her arc in with Ted’s in a brilliant way.
Rebecca's Song Sets Up Her Ted Lasso Season 2 Character Development
Ted, who's about to sign his divorce papers and has been in a bad mental state, has a panic attack during Rebecca’s song, transforming its theme from freedom to a loss of control. When Rebecca sings "Let It Go," she playfully interacts with Flo, acknowledging her shifting outlook to a more positive place. Ted, however, is sitting in the audience, becoming increasingly more uncomfortable and overwhelmed as the party happens around him. Though the show doesn’t explicitly say when Rebecca comes to find Ted, it is likely immediately after her song ends, since he has only just sat down outside when she walks up, which indicates that she noticed his behavior as well as his absence and took it upon herself to make sure he was ok. Rebecca’s need to make sure Ted is ok despite her desire to sabotage his team foreshadows their eventual friendship and the way they will each have the other’s back as the series continues.
Rebecca checking up on Ted outside the karaoke bar mirrors the way Ted came to find her after she left her charity auction when it was crashed by Rupert. After Ted's reassurance that Rebecca isn't alone in her struggle with Rupert, episode 7's karaoke scene brings that full circle as Rebecca embraces Flo's words about taking responsibility for her isolation. Singing a children's song about freedom and self-worth gives Rebecca that final push to allow herself to connect with people who love her, and she starts with making sure Ted is alright.
As the series continues, Rebecca becomes more childlike and happy, just the way Flo described her before the karaoke bar. Though "Let It Go" lyrically embraces the cold, it is the first scene that shows Rebecca getting back in touch with her warmer side. As season 3 approaches, it will be interesting to see Ted Lasso continues to develop Rebecca's character.