“Ted Lasso” Season Review by David Isaac : Pop Culture Leftovers

“Ted Lasso” Season Review by David Isaac

October 6, 2020 6:50 pm |

I was scrolling through Facebook one day and I noticed a post from my friend Paul Hart. He was touting this show on Apple TV called Ted Lasso and I paid it no mind at first. Not because I don’t value his opinion. Quite the opposite actually. We don’t agree on everything, I can absolutely crush his soul by bringing up our complete and utter disagreement on Bill and Ted Face the Music. Being that we are currently in the midst of a pandemic and there is not much in production there is only so much to watch and I found myself one morning with a free moment to sit down and watch some something quick in between the honey do list of chores I had for the day. The problem is there was not anything on live tv I wanted to watch and I had nothing recorded, so I said to myself, ‘I have this free year to Apple TV and I have only really watched a few of things on it, all of which I absolutely loved, The Morning Show, For All Mankind, and Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet.” I decided to check out this Ted Lasso, it was about half an hour and just long enough until I had to do the next thing around the house.

Fast forward to 3 hours later. I had watched every released episode and was frantically messaging Paul talking about how shocked I was and how good of a show it is. We talked theories and moments and characters and story. You named it we talked about it.
Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) is the story of a division 2 American football coach from Kansas City who has just won the Division 2 championship and has been hired by Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) who has taken over the Premier League Football (soccer for us Americans) club the AFC Richmond, in a divorce settlement from her adulterous husband. Unbeknownst to Ted, it is her intention to relegate the team down to the Championship League just to spite her husband. If this sounds vaguely like the plot to Major League, you would be correct.

Needless to say this show started off really cliche and I was starting to have my doubts. Ted is introduced to us on the flight over from America with his assistant coach, Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) and Coach Beard is studying the game and appears to be the brains of the operation while Ted comes of as almost dull, kind of stupid at first. At this point my chores are on schedule to be done, except you come to realize that Ted is not stupid, or slow or dull, but super optimistic and just views the world a bit differently then most people. I am not one for liking overly optimistic things, movies and people come to mind right off, but if something is charming and authentic, that carries a lot of weight with me. Ted Lasso is completely authentic and has so much charm that you become completely invested in everything that is going on.

Throughout the season you find yourself being completely sucked into this world and wanting certain characters to change for the better or change motives and in some cases they do and it makes you feel warm and fuzzy, like being wrapped in an ultra soft blanket while Rebecca sings “Let It Go” (surprisingly wonderful voice that you don’t see coming until late in the season) to you while you are settling down to go to sleep. And while some of it seems predictable, none if it is cheesy and feels right for the story and characters.

This show is helped along by a wonderful cast that just feel right for a show like this. The kit man (equipment manager for us Americans) is Nate (Nick Mohammed) a shy but devoted guy who is picked on by the team but instantly accepted by Ted and Coach Beard. Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) is the foul mouthed veteran captain of the team and most likely on his last few seasons. Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) is the young hot shot player that has an ego big enough to fill several locker rooms. Keeley (Juno Temple) is a model in her early 30’s that is dating Jamie Tartt. Higgins (Jeremy Swift) is Rebecca’s unwilling accomplice in the ploy to destroy the team.

While the characters that are introduced to us feel cliche, there are far more to them than you realize. For example, Ted, while being super upbeat, you find out is having a rough go of it in his marriage and is in the process of separating with his wife who is just not happy in their marriage anymore and you see and feel the pain through Sudeikis’ performance. Rebecca could very much come off as the Megan Phelps character in Major League but you see the different sides of her personality and how she interacts with different people in the show and she becomes one of the more relatable characters in the whole show. There’s a scene I talk about a little later in the review with her and Ted in the pub where you see every possible emotions a person could have in the span of 10 minutes.

Ted Lasso is written by the stars of the show, Jason Sudeikis (also a creator), Brendan Hunt, and Brett Goldstein as well as Bill Lawrence (creator), Phoebe Walsh and Joe Kelly and several other who helped out here and there. This was originally the brain child of Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence and Brendan Hunt as a commercial to highlight the Premier League being aired on NBC and it’s affiliates. The commercials themselves were funny but Ted came off as far more of an asshole in the commercials than he does in the show. They give all the characters in the show such depth and relatability that even though you think you have some idea of who these character are, they all have great arcs and incredible development and take you on a journey that you don’t expect and yet it is a touch oddly predictable, and you just don’t give a shit. There’s a scene in episode 6 where Ted tells a story while playing a game of darts that will have you tear up unless you are heartless monster, but shows the depth that Ted has that people have no idea about. It also has corny jokes that make you laugh, puns that are so stupid but fit so perfectly and most importantly it is written with heart. Not to mention that nothing in the show is unused, from a street musician to the fizzy water. It is crafted with such love and affection that it is one of the most well blended shows I have ever seen in my 45 years on this earth.

At time of this writing I have watch the whole season a total of 3 times and can not wait to watch it again and again until season 2 comes out. I believe in Ted Lasso and I hope you do too. I’m craving more Ted Lasso like Rebecca craves biscuits.