Issue #032: The Ted Lasso Effect
Some thoughts on season 2
According to Utah Jazz head coach, Quin Snyder, Ted Lasso should be “required watching.” Now, when he said that, he meant specifically that it should be required watching for all coaches. While I do agree with that statement, I also believe it should be required watching for all.
The second season just wrapped up on Friday and it was just as enjoyable as the first. What makes me love this show so much is how it makes you believe that you can be better. In the first season we get introduced to the character Ted Lasso, a successful football coach brought in to coach an English Premier League soccer team. He’s relentlessly positive and cheerful. He brings an enthusiastic energy into everything he does and everyone he meets. He genuinely cares about the people in his orbit and believes in what they are capable of, even when they don’t believe it themselves.
He’s not without his flaws though. He is a human being. He struggles with anxiety that can lead to panic attacks, something we get a much deeper look into in season 2. His positivity can be overwhelming and overbearing to some. He’s also not a very good soccer coach.
But that’s what makes his character so real. His relentless enthusiasm and positivity may only be capable of being matched by other fictional characters (Leslie Knope and Chris Traeger from Parks and Rec), but he’s still relatable. You can see yourself in his desire to be liked by everyone around him, or his insecurity around coaching a sport he knows nothing about, or his anxiety stemming from past issues with abandonment. If none of those work, you can probably relate to his endless puns and obscure pop culture references1.
Ted’s not perfect, despite the persona he frequently displays. He struggles, just as we all do. The second season gives us a much deeper look into the possibilities and limitations of Ted Lasso. As easily as he can inspire people to grow and change for the better, it can also have unintended consequences and cause people to lose what made them special or even lead to feelings of resentment, no matter how misguided those feelings may be.
Ted’s not a quitter though. He’s like Rick Astley, he’s never going to give you up. He’s never going to let you down. He’s never going to run around and desert you. Quick side bar, I can’t believe that the creators of this show Rick Rolled all of us in an extremely emotional episode that was taking place at a funeral, and made it work. This show never ceases to impress me.
After the first season aired, everyone praised the show. It earned tons of Emmy nominations and wins, deservedly so. It made the pressure to deliver an equal, if not better, second season that much greater. The show explored new characters, new relationships, and new themes. It went deeper with characters we already knew and loved. It pushed itself to be better than the first season. I’m not sure if it surpassed season one, but I’m also not sure that it didn’t. That’s what this show is all about, pushing to be better. Better coaches, better teammates, better people. There’s a quote from the first season from Ted about being curious. It’s actually from Walt Whitman, but I like hearing it in Ted’s accent, “be curious, not judgmental.”
Many people were quick to judge the second season and say it didn’t live up to the incredibly high bar set by season 1. They were quick to say the second season lacked certain elements needed to be a good season of television. I disagree with those people. I, for one, will never underestimate Ted Lasso. I’m extremely curious and excited to see where season three will go. I believe in this show and I believe it can get even better. Like Ted, I’m a rom-communist. I believe everything will work out in the end.
See you next week!
No? Maybe that’s just me.