[Ted Lasso Season 2 Episode 3 spoilers ahead.] AFC Richmond star, Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh) gets a feature storyline in the third episode of Ted Lasso Season 2 and it is one that seemingly impacts the team after he decides to take a stand against a big company. The AFC Richmond player protests against Dubai Air for being owned by Cerithium Oil — a company responsible for the damage in his home country of Nigeria following multiple oil spills.
Sam first learns about this from his father after showing his new ad campaign with Dubai Air. When Sam’s father shows what Cerithium Oil has done, Sam tells Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) and Keeley (Juno Temple) that he no longer wants to be part of the campaign. Rebecca then calls the CEO of Cerithium Oil to tell him about the situation. The CEO, Richard Cole tells Rebecca to “get rid” of Sam, leading her to make a tough decision.
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After talking to her goddaughter Nora (Sassy’s daughter who is also Rebecca’s best friend), Rebecca tells Richard that she will not cut Sam, who decided to double down on his protest. In AFC Richmond’s next match, Sam tapes over the Dubai Air logo on his jersey. He explains the reason to his teammates, leading them to do the same thing. As the team came onto the pitch, the fans got quiet once they saw what they have done.
After the match, Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) was asked about the protest and said he knew nothing about it. Sam then talked to reporters and explained why he taped over Dubai Air’s sponsored logo on their jerseys, subsequently accusing the Nigerian government of corruption of turning a blind eye on the situation in Nigeria.
When Sam returns to the locker room, he sees the team celebrating for breaking the eight-match tie streak (they lost the match, though) and for what Sam did in order to protect his home. One of the things that stood out during the scene was Sam and Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) embracing as the two have had their differences.
“Oh, I love it. I love it,” Jimoh told PopCulture when asked about Sam’s journey from Season 1 to Season 2. “I’m over the moon and I’m super grateful to the creative team. All the people who make Ted Lasso happen for trusting me and trusting Cristo [Fernandez] with a little bit more to do nd some really tough responsibilities to carry some very important, politically charged messages. And so, yeah, as an actor, I’m great. I feel super fulfilled as an artist right now.”
Season 2 of Ted Lasso is currently streaming on Apple TV+, and a new episode will air each week. All episodes of Season 1 are also currently streaming and PopCulture readers can get a free three-month trial subscription here.
