Rebecca Welton Doll Review

Spoilers for Game of Thrones and Ted Lasso ahead.

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I'm a huge fan of Ted Lasso. When I watched the first episode, I was genuinely baffled by Ted, he was so foreign to any character I'd seen on the screen. But Rebecca? We've all known a few of those in our day, someone okay with using others to achieve her goals. Her character arc was a lot of fun to watch, I enjoyed seeing her go from "that woman" to someone I actually cared about. Good writing.

Before Ted Lasso, I knew Hannah Waddingham as Septa Unella from Game of Thrones. The "Shame Nun." If you've seen the show, you know exactly who I'm talking about, and you know exactly why she terrified me. That woman radiated menace. So when she appeared on screen as this glamorous, sharp-tongued businesswoman in stilettos, I'll admit I needed a moment to adjust. That's range.

When Mattel announced the Ted Lasso collection, I knew Rebecca was one of the dolls I had to get. Not necessarily to keep as Rebecca, though her face may earn a repaint down the road, but because her outfit screamed Willow and Nomi to me. Those two would absolutely rock this look.

Her blouse is described as "champagne" and I disagree. There are hints of pink in it. It's more of a blush-champagne, if we're being accurate, and I think we should be. The trousers are tailored and black, but I feel like Mattel missed an opportunity here. Rebecca wore pencil skirts constantly on the show. She was always classy, always tasteful, and a fitted pencil skirt would have been more iconic to the character. But, we work with what we're given.

Let's get into it, shall we?

As per the usual method, shoes first.

I called it before I even opened the box: I wasn't going to care for them. They look good, I'll give them that. Classic black stiletto pumps that suit the character. But the heel bends with ease, and the moment you remove the plastic band holding them in place, they fall right off. This has been such a consistent issue with Mattel shoes that I'm starting to think they just don't prioritize footwear. Low score. Mattel, if you're reading this: stiffer heels. Please.

Next up, the earrings. They're gold, plastic, teardrop-shaped, and they look nice enough on the doll. Unfortunately, I was unable to pull them out as easily as I've done with earrings in the past and decided to leave them be for the time being. If you're planning to remove yours, proceed with caution. They seem to be hooked inside the head rather than simply pushed through.

She also comes with two not-quite-gold plastic bangle bracelets. They don't have the shine of the earrings. They look nice, but they don't stay on without the plastic band holding them in place. If you really want to use them, I'd suggest double-sided tape or the little plastic bands for those who don't mind a bit of extra detail work in their doll photos.

The handbag was a pleasant surprise. It's a thicker plastic than I was expecting, which makes it durable and, for those so inclined, re-paintable. It's a large, light-colored bag with alligator skin detailing and it does open, though it won't stay open on its own. I like this a lot. It feels like a quality accessory and it's one of those pieces that could work with a variety of outfits on other dolls. 

Now, the outfit. Mattel describes this look as Rebecca's "Biscuits with the Boss" outfit, which makes me smile. It's funny, but my hubby called the biscuit reveal before the show got around to it. He figured out that Ted was making them himself and told me so. Later he was pretty smug about it, too.

I really love the blouse. Whatever you want to call the color, champagne, blush, pink-adjacent, it's lovely. The fabric is soft, it drapes nicely, has a quality feel to it, and it picks up light nicely.  Every single one of these pictures, it just looks good.  More of this fabric, Mattel, two thumbs up.

What I particularly want to highlight are the closures: both the blouse and the trousers use snap fasteners. This is a step up from the usual velcro, which tends to collect lint and hair (dog hair, so. much. dog. hair), snag delicate fabrics, and lose its grip over time. This is the way.

The trousers aren't my favorite. The fabric is stiff and I wish it were softer so we'd get more of a natural drape. I understand why they chose it, stiffer fabric holds its shape better, and I get it. They'll be going on other dolls, I'm just not wild about the feel of them.

But what about the doll herself?

I really like her face, more than I thought I would. Even with factory paint, it has personality, which is nice to see. The sculpt is new, designed to capture Hannah Waddingham's likeness, and I wouldn't say it's a dead ringer, but it's a darn sight closer than what they did to Belle from Beauty and the Beast (no, I’m still not over it). For those keeping factory paint, this one has character.

I love the hair. It's blonde, it suits the character, and it looks great. That said, it's got a lot of product in it and I've decided not to mess with it for now. I'd rather leave it looking polished than risk damaging it with my clumsy attempts at restyling. If you're braver than I am, let me know how it goes.

Her body is the heroic build, shared by Queen Hippolyta, which is, in my opinion, more of an athletic build than a heroic one. For those excited about more muscular representation, there's a buff Barbie coming later this year that I'm practically giddy about.

She has a better range of motion on her joints than, say, a Fashionista, but not as much range as a Made to Move Barbie. The pose-ability is essentially the same as Hippolyta's. For those so inclined, she can mimic a spider-like pose, and I thought her role in Game of Thrones was scary enough without that image in my head!

This was a bit disappointing for me, because I was hoping she'd be more articulated, which would have made her a good body donor or option for a repaint without rebodying her. But, if you're not as fussy about articulation as I am, this body is perfectly serviceable.

Overall, I'm pleased with this purchase. The shoes are disappointing, but when are they not? The trouser fabric isn't my favorite, but the blouse is gorgeous, the snap fasteners are a welcome upgrade, the handbag is genuinely nice, and the face has more personality than I expected. She was worth it for the outfit alone, and Willow is already eyeing that blouse.

If you're a Ted Lasso fan, I think this doll captures Rebecca's energy nicely. If you're a customizer looking for parts, the face has real potential and the body is a decent athletic build. If you just want a chic outfit for your dolls, the blouse and handbag are the standouts.

One last thing. A note to Amazon: please do better with your packaging. It's a good thing I'm a ravenous de-boxer, because this box looked like it had been trampled on by a herd of wildebeest before it reached me. It was beyond salvageable. Someone who keeps their dolls boxed would have been justifiably pissed.

Anyway, here’s Willow in the outfit, she’s rockin’ it, knew she would.  The pants are a tight closure, but they do still fit:

Thanks for stopping by. If I missed anything or you've got questions, leave a comment below.