Ted Lasso

Summary

A second division American football coach with zero knowledge of football/soccer becomes the manager of a fictional premier league side in an elaborate plot by the new owner to torture her ex-husband. Unfortunately for her plan, he’s just so dang likeable.

Themes

  • Accountability
  • Love & Forgiveness
  • The meaning of success

Review

Things I loved...

  • Jason Sudeikis does an amazing job, making what could be a sickly sweet and cheesy character feel more genuine and heartfelt than I’d thought.
  • It’s all a bit over the top on the cliches and characters but makes it work in its own wee world and doesn’t rely solely on that fish-out-of-water comedy.
  • SPOILERS I like that they actually went there and relegated the team. Unexpected and sets up a more interesting scenario for future stories. /SPOILERS
  • It’s not all about Lasso. Truth be told, I actually would have liked to have learned more about Lasso as he could turn into a more complex character but it was nice seeing a wider cast all get highlights across the episodes.
  • Keely is a nice character who I’d like to see get even more depth rather than playing support most of the time.

Things I didn't...

  • There is a strong theme of accountability and forgiveness running through the show, which is cool if none too subtle (but the show is hardly trying to be so that doesn’t bother me). However, a crucial component of those themes to me is consequences. That’s what makes accountability and forgiveness difficult, challenging, and therefore interesting. However, it feels like because consequences wouldn’t fit the heartwarming feeling, they are entirely forgotten. Every time a conflict with meaningful impact is set up, it ends up being brushed away within 5 minutes. SPOILERS For example: Rebecca sets up Ted and intentionally tries to dunk an entire team. Love the dynamic! Lasso pulls a surprise and forgives her as soon as she comes clean? Okay, great! I honestly liked that. But that doesn’t change the real life impact. A whole team is relegated, jeopardising contracts, salaries, support, etc. Nothing has actually changed. Rebecca does nothing to try and repair the damage SHE PURPOSELY INFLICTED. No one else whose lives were toyed with find out. She says sorry to Ted and that's it. But let’s just brush that all under the table because she said sorry so it’s all grand now. /SPOILERS
  • I was a little bit surprised by the Roy Keane stand-in. I enjoyed the storyline but it felt kinda strange when the character is so obviously based off a real-life person.
  • SPOILER The one night stand episode felt… odd? Especially for Lasso’s character and the way it was brushed over. /SPOILER
  • Full disclaimer, I’m a football (soccer) fan. I had to work hard not to think too much about the concept because if I did, the assumptions underlying the story started feeling just a tad arrogant? I think the point is that Lasso is just so great with people he makes it work. It’s sweet but underlying that, it started feeling a bit weird when someone with absolutely zero knowledge of a sport starts coaching in the highest professional level of said sport and is okay because you know, he coached second division of American football. I try to overlook it because that’s clearly not the point of the show but by the end it started giving me vibes of an arrogant (or oblivious) American-centric perspective.
  • Speaking of which, that American football imitation set piece… I died a little inside.