Let me just start off saying that I had some real doubts about Ted Lasso. As much as I like Jason Sudeikis, the premise of this show just seemed a little lame. A football coach with a slight southern accent gets chosen to coach an English Primier League football team. He’s clearly out of his depth, and I was nervous that the show would solely rely on those out of the loop jokes. Well, joke’s on me. This show was an actual delight to watch and I already can’t wait for the second season (it was renewed five days after its initial release)!
Based off an NBC commercial from about seven years ago, this show takes Sudeikis’ fictional coach, Ted Lasso, and expands upon the premise that he’s an American football coach thrown into coaching English football. After watching the commercial slots for the first time, it’s clear that some tweaks were made to the Lasso character. Where back then his ignorance was portrayed with a bit of arrogance, this time around, Lasso’s lack of knowledge still has him being unfalteringly optimistic.
Optimism is the key word to describe Lasso’s character, and it’s incredibly infectious. And yes, while the show is generally upbeat, there are still plenty of dramatic turns and events. Joining Lasso on this journey is a man of few words, Coach Beard. While he may not speak a lot, everything he does say and every look he gives is impactful. I’m happy that the show doesn’t just throw Lasso to the wolves by himself, and Beard is shown to be a great friend time and time again throughout the course of the season.
Now onto the Brits. Owner of AFC Richmond is recently divorced Rebecca Wilton, who hired Ted in order to destroy the club her cheating ex-husband loves so much. While she keeps at it for most of the season, Lasso’s charm eventually breaks through. Her assistant, Higgins, is also delightfully funny as he’s not totally on board with her sabotaging of Lasso. On the opposite end of the spectrum, kit man for the team, Nate, is automatically on Ted and Coach Beard’s side because they actually treat him with respect. Nate has some spectacularly unintentional ripping one liners and you will enjoy every single on of them.
Finally, onto the team. It’s a large group of guys, but most of the time is spent with young superstar, Jamie Tartt. I’ve never encountered anyone as self-absorbed as he is, but Phil Dunster plays him perfectly. Also on the team is the aging Roy Kent, who years back actually won a title. He’s so grumpy and angry that you sort of just want to hug him. Other players who a decent amount of time is spent with are Sam and Dani, the latter of whom constantly chants his name and “football is life!” Aside from the players, a great deal of time is spent with Jamie’s girlfriend, Keeley. She’s easy to get along with and manages to strike a real connection with both Ted and Rebecca.
There is not a single episode in the entire season that I wouldn’t watch again, and I call that a huge win for a freshman comedy. Especially on Apple +, which seems to slowly be building its catalog. Although, at this rate, I’ve really enjoyed every show I’ve watched, so they’re doing something right! If you are looking for something to lift your spirits and make you laugh during the end of this awful year, then you should definitely watch Ted Lasso. Also, just like Ted, I know jack shit about soccer, so if I can follow, so can you.