This Guest Recommendation is from HeatherT. HeatherT is a lawyer in Minneapolis who lives by a lake (really) with two cats. She loves cooking, reading, watching great shows and writing about them. She would like to enjoy gardening, but that’s more aspirational than real.
…
On paper, Ted Lasso on Apple+ did not sound like anything I would be interested in: a second-tier college (American) football coach from Kansas goes to London to coach a professional (English) football team. I expected a formulaic, fish-out-of-water story of a plucky underdog sports team that turns it around and wins it all. As a sports-hating cynic, that did not appeal to me in the slightest.
Happily, Ted Lasso is not that. Within the first minutes of the first episode, the club owner – Rebecca (played by Hannah Waddingham, who is amazing) — fires the old coach in a scene that makes it clear that this show is not going to be following any fucking formula. Rebecca hires Ted Lasso to coach based solely on the basis of a viral internet video, and Ted — along with his friend and assistant, Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) — flies to England to coach a Premier League team in a game that Ted knows nothing about.
[caption id="attachment_100505" align="aligncenter" width="498"]
Trent Crimm, The Independent[/caption]
And the thing is, it IS a joke. Rebecca got the football team in a bitter divorce from her cheating ex-husband, and since the team is the only thing her ex cares about, it is her intention to run the team into the ground. Hiring Ted is the first step in her plan.
What she does not expect is that Ted (Jason Sudekis, sporting quite the mustache) is an eternal optimist and something of a genius in motivating people. Irrepressible, charming, insightful, earnest, relentless – it is impossible to dislike the guy, no matter how hard Rebecca (and the team) try to resist.
This is a show about a male sports team so it could have been a sausage fest, but the writers wisely put two women in leading roles. Team owner Rebecca is smart, tough and prickly, but she is wounded from years of marriage to a horrible man and season one is very much about Rebecca’s journey.
Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) is a model and influencer who is dating one of the players. In any other show she might have been a throwaway character, but here she is elevated. Keeley is not all sassy exterior (although she is pretty damn sassy) – she calls people on their shit, befriends Rebecca, and holds her own both as a business woman and in her relationships. Although Ted is the title character, much of the action and emotional honesty of the show revolve around Rebecca and Keeley. This show is intensely character driven, and these women stay in the foreground, second only to Ted.
Ted himself is dealing with difficulty in his personal life, and he’s not perfect. But he owns his faults, apologizes when he’s done wrong, and he tries to do better. In fact, one of the things that make this show such a delight is that (most of) the characters are grown up. When they do wrong, they fix it. It might take longer for some, but this is about people who try to be their best selves and support one another — other than Rebecca’s ex, he’s really awful. It is a delight to see well-meaning but imperfect people make mistakes and then make amends. This show provides a roadmap for healthy adulting.
It is difficult to convey how funny it is – I thought about using quotes, but the humor relies on context and great delivery. The writing is snappy and sharp and witty. It is the kind of show that one can watch over and over again and appreciate more each time. It is not for kids – the language is salty, the references and situations are adult. T
his show surprised me. Not only did it turn out to be a nuanced character-driven show rather than a cookie-cutter sports dramedy, it was much smarter (and funnier) than I expected. It always chooses hope, kindness and sincerity without devolving into sappiness. Much of the plot relies on people (eventually) being honest with other people, but the hardest work for the characters is being honest with themselves. When I watch this, it makes me want to be a better person, all while it delivers jaw-droppingly funny lines.
It won a Peabody, and the Peabody committee put it so well:
For offering the perfect counter to the enduring prevalence of toxic masculinity, both on-screen and off, in a moment when the nation truly needs inspiring models of kindness, Ted Lasso wins a Peabody.
Season Two premieres on July 23. Season one is available now, and both are exclusive to Apple+ in the US.
Ed. note: I signed up for a free trial to watch this show to see if I liked it before committing to the subscription.
I kept seeing gifs of this show but never watched it because I was afraid it was going to be the kind where Ted is a fish out of water & embarrasses himself but muddles though, and I just don’t like shows where I feel second hand embarrassment. But last month my already unwell senior dog Jack took a turn for the worse and I stayed up with him and watched the show and god, it was everything I needed and got me through because unfortunately at 6am, it was clear Jack had reached the end of his journey and by 7 we were at the vets to let him go.
And I’ll always be grateful to this show that it helped create an air of peace & chuckling as he slept beside me and wound down.
So now my free subscription is up & I have to pay for it now because I want to see how the story continues!
I want to watch this show so badly, I feel like it has just the vibe I need right now, but I’m trying to have a clear time in my calendar so I can just do a free trial subscription and binge watch it. And somehow that free time never arrives. . .
OK, this feels like it will be my jam and I need to eventually make its acquaintance, thank you for the reviewing it HeatherT!
I just started watching this show yesterday & now I’m telling everybody to watch!
(We got a bundle deal with news+, music, more cloud storage, arcade, and possibly things I can’t remember???)
This show is fantastic. We’ve watched the entire season six times (it’s only 5 hours). The only problem with it is that I’m scared season two can’t possibly live up to the balance and perfection of season one.
We literally started watching this last night! DH & I had avoided it due to having seen some of the Ted Lasso spots during NBC sports broadcasts. It has so much heart and thoughtfulness.
@HeatherT, thanks for your review. I’d seen many mentions of this show but had no clue as to the content; I’m now feeling informed!
@Caro, farewell to Jack, and my sympathies to you.
My mom was signed up to Apple TV, and dad heard about this show. After we set Apple TV Plus on our fire stick, dad and I proceeded to watch seven of the 10 episodes in season one that night. Mom and dad finished it without me though. Lol. I could have sworn I mentioned it on this website, but I don’t think I did. I just kept telling people, including my best friend, about it.
Everything you said here I endorse 1000%. I wasn’t going to watch it because: sports. But then a lot of people whose opinions I respect said it was the best show on TV. It won a damn Peabody! I started watching, and he had me at shortbread. The friendship between women, the response to toxic masculinity, Ted’s flaws, it’s all amazing.
I can’t wait for Season 2, and now I’m off to bake shortbread (not as good as Ted’s, I’m sure, but we try…and he’d appreciate that.)
Both of my sisters have implored me to watch Ted Lasso. I was well on my way to doing just that, then I read the awesome profile of Jason Sudeikis in GQ (from a shared link) and then I read this review. Now I am in.
Ted Lasso is one of the best series I’ve ever watched. The characters could have been one dimensional but they aren’t. Each character brings something to the show and I love how it’s not just about Ted. Even Rebecca’s ex is an a$$hat but he’s still memorable. The scenes with Keeley and Rebecca are my favourite. Or is is scenes with Rebecca and Higgins or Ted and Nate and Coach Beard? Doesn’t matter. Love all of it!
I love this show so very much! Thank you for the review HeatherT-I agree with everything you wrote. It IS hard to describe how funny it is, how warm and heartfelt but you did a great job!
Caro, sending you hugs as you send Jack on his journey. I lost a litter of rescue Corso pups awhile back (a virulent strain of parvo that took 6 of the 8 in 4 days) – my sister came down to help me care for them and intro’d me to Grace & Frankie over that blistering July weekend – it was really helpful to disengage for a couple of hours. Glad ‘Ted Lasso’ was able to help you.
xoxo
SO. TOTALLY. AGREE.
I had no desire to watch this show based on its subject matter but when I heard it described on a writing podcast as an example of writing a character that is very difficult to make work, I decided to give it a try. Then proceeded to binge the whole first season (something I rarely do). Then proceeded to re-watch it with any family member or friend who I could talk into it. (I never re-watch TV). Now I can’t wait for the next season!!!
I came to Ted Lasso pretty late. But I had heard about it. Finally started watching it and found myself bingeing the whole thing. I kept meaning to stop but at the end I just kept saying ‘Just one more’ til I was at the finale.
It is one of my favorite tropes — the outsider who comes in and shakes things up. They cause people to change (for the better often) and it is usually because of the power of their personality.
It is also a masterclass is character progression. The characters you meet in the first episode are not their same selves at the end and a lot of it is because of Ted.
And finally, this show is a perfect example of showing not telling. At the start they tell us that his teams love Ted. But the last episode we have been taken on a journey and understand why his teams love him.
I can’t wait for season two.
I saw the first 3 episodes for free on a fight as part of the entertainment offering. They certainly knew what they were doing because I am now ordering Apple tv just for this show. It is a gem.
You’ve talked me into it! Really sounds like a show I will enjoy. Thank you.
Speaking of sports movies that work even if you are not a sports fan, my husband and I watched The Crew, on Netflix, I think. It’s about race car drivers. It’s not as brilliant as this review and comments say Ted Lasso is, but it’s sweet and funny, and while it had some familiar setups, it surprised me a few times. Plus it has some strong female characters and diversity in the cast.
I read to “ex-wife gets team in divorce, decides to run it into ground” and thought it would merely be a U.K. version of “Major League,” but based on the rest of the description I’m guessing not quite.
@VioletBick: What makes this different (Because I had the same concern) is that “Major League” was riddled with toxic masculinity. The team rallies around a poster of the team owner as stripper, where they remove a piece of her clothing for every win. The men bond together over fighting the (female) owner, not over being their best selves as human beings. “Ted Lasso” is very, very different for all the reasons outlined here and the character development of Rebecca, the owner, is breathtaking.
Y’all. It’s just as funny the second time around, if not more so. This could be because I picked up on more of the jokes and pop culture references.
And as if I needed a reason, we began watching it again, because a friend of ours was visiting and wanted to see it.
I stayed up way past my bedtime on Friday and watched them all. There was a level of Joy that I wasn’t fully prepared for. This show has a cast that par none! I’m still trying to get my head around Anthony Stewart Head as a total villain, but it says so much that he can fall into that role so well.