TED LASSO: What to Know (and Why) to Watch

Hello all! It’s been a few years since I stretched my recapping muscles for GMMR, and I’ve missed it! For me, writing about TV is all about being inspired by a show and enjoying the discourse among fans.

Imagine my surprise when the writing & analysis muse hit full force while watching the Jason Sudeikis-led TED LASSO on Apple TV+ this summer. I think the show is worth talking about! In addition to episode recaps, I wanted to provide a quick primer for anyone considering an season 1 binge to catch up.

Five Quick Reasons to Watch!

• There’s a lot of love to go around. There is romantic love (and a good brewing ‘ship), but also an abundance of brotherly love & friendship, the loyal & passionate affection between a town and its team, and the work-place respectful love that grows as a team comes together
• The female characters aren’t at odds. I hope season 2 delivers more female main characters, but it’s great to see women getting along, in business & in their personal lives
• Jason Sudeikis is funny. Actually, many in the cast are very funny, but it’s the star who carries the heaviest weight. His ability to deliver physical comedy and verbal wordplay makes me laugh. Sometimes it’s overboard, but that’s not a crime in my book in these times
• Each character has room to grow. While each episode has its own plot, the characters’ through-lines mature in thoughtful ways as the season progresses. There is heartache and redemption, and celebration, and so on.
• It’s already been renewed for a Season 2. It’s hard to emotionally invest in a one-and-done show sometimes. And while an early S2 renewal likely means some storylines will be stretched into next season, it’s safe to binge away knowing there will be more to come!

What to Know!

The Plot: Rebecca, a newly divorced football club team owner, in an effort to get some revenge on her ex, decides to tank the success of the team. She hires Ted Lasso, an American football coach, to come over to England, fully expecting him to fail & her plan to succeed. Ted’s unconventional coaching style (including giving each player a book to read and relying on the kit-man to create plays) starts paying off. To Rebecca’s dissatisfaction, the team’s morale and winning record both improve.

The Players: Ted and his trusty assistant, Coach Beard, are responsible for the success of the club, but they feel an obligation to grow the young men into good people as well. There are stereotypical characters amongst the team: the grumpy veteran who needs to step up as a captain, the show-boating young phenom whose ego is planted in a desire to prove himself, a couple of international transplants, and a few others for comic relief. As mentioned above, the writing and acting of each character’s
motives & growth moves the locker room from cliché to compelling each week.

The Purpose: While I wouldn’t want to put words into the creators’ mouths, I believe they’ve set out to deliver a thoughtful, character-driven television program meant to be enjoyed. It’s not complicated. Good art can make us laugh, cry, and think. I’m reminded of the Jim Valvano quote, “To me there are three things everyone should do every day. Number one is laugh. Number two is think — spend some time time in thought. Number three, you should have your emotions move you to tears. If you laugh, think and cry, that’s a heck of a day.” While each episode doesn’t necessarily move me toward all three, S1 has made me laugh, cry, and think about my own experience. That’s a heck of an outcome.

See you on Friday with our first episode recap!

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