In August 2020, Apple TV+ released Ted Lasso. And with series two already out and thriving, there is no stopping this show.
It follows an American football coach as he is hired to coach a British ’soccer’ team. He knows little to nothing about British football, but with his positive attitude and a few (pretty good) dad jokes, he manages to find his way.
If you haven’t yet had the privilege of watching this show, here are some reasons why it is worth your while.
Its bingeability
Ted Lasso has recently released its second series. Series one has ten episodes and series two has twelve. Each episode averages at about 30 minutes, which is very watchable.
Each episode isn’t too long or short. You are constantly wanting to watch the next episode.
Depending on how good your binging skills are, this show could be boxed off within a couple of days.
Well-written, strong characters
There are several outstanding characters in this show. One of the stand out’s in this cast is Hannah Waddingham who plays the owner of the football club, Rebecca Welton. Rebecca’s bitter and sometimes stand-off-ish personality clashes with Ted’s permanent optimism and makes for a perfect friendship to blossom.
The footballers in the team all have their own personalities as well, so you can pick your favourite. Two of the more prominent team players are Jamie Tartt, the lead goal scorer with a bad attitude and Roy Kent, the stern-faced older player who won’t take any messing. Whilst both men have their faults, we see their vulnerabilities throughout the show and come to root for them both in different ways. Everyone in this show is knock-out.
Knee-slapping comedy
Whilst the show does touch on some important issues, at its heart, Ted Lasso is a feel-good show that never fails to put a smile on your face. There is not one episode that does not have a comedic element in it.
A lot of the belly laughs in this show come from the head man himself, Ted Lasso. His terminal delightfullness and can-do attitude comes with an array of hilarious one liners.
When asked if he believes in ghosts, Ted replies ‘I do. But more importantly, I think they need to believe in themselves.’ Truer words have never been spoken, Ted.
Tackling social issues with heart
*SERIES TWO SPOILERS*
This show does have you laughing a lot of the time, but it also taps into some stronger issues throughout the series. In series two, we see a whole episode dedicated to Coach Beard’s issues with alcoholism and drug use. There is also a running theme of life after divorce and how different people deal with this issue in their day-to-day life.
Series two also shone a big light on the underrepresented issue of men and their mental health. Ted begins having panic attacks and feels as though he cannot talk about that with anyone around him. As the show goes on, we see how he deals with this and it is amazing to see men’s mental health being given airtime.
Ted Lasso is not just a show about men and their sports, it also focuses on a very strong and loving relationship between Keeley Jones and Rebecca Welton. The scenes of these two ladies sat on a couch and dishing out advice (as well as a bit of gossip) is so refreshing to see.
Ted Lasso himself
Of course this show wouldn’t be what it is without its main man, Ted Lasso. Jason Sudeikis plays Ted so perfectly!
He portrays the annoyingly funny and upbeat coach with ease, making it impossible not to fall in love with him. Similarly, when Ted goes through hardships in his life, Sudeikis handles these scenes with heart and delicacy, which only intensifies the experience for the viewer.