Ted Lasso showed up in the latter part of 2020, just when we needed him most. Not the hero we deserved, but the one we needed. The world was a pretty grim place but there was something calming and comforting in Jason Sudeikis’s portrayal of a down to earth, humble, kind, humorous football-turned-soccer coach. Apple TV gave us the first four episodes of the latest season to whet our appetites for more Ted, and I’m here to give you my thoughts. As usual, we’ll break it down by story, acting and overall.
Story 9/10
Of course, having seen only the first four episodes it’s hard to give a really detailed critique of how this season is. It may take some kind of crazy turn and bottom out… I doubt it, though.
Ted is dealing with his divorce, anxiety and he’s still trying to figure out Socceer. (C’mon, Ted. It’s been 3 years. You should know what off-side is by now.) He and Sassy are still enjoying one another’s company but she has no plans for anything more permanent than that as Ted is, to quote the lady “A mess!” Beard is still entangled with Jane. (It’s complicated.) Roy is still un-entangled with Keeley (Also complicated.) and Jamie is getting better at being a team player. That is until a new player emerges and is approached by Richmond owner, Rebecca. What will Zava bring to the table? More importantly… what will he bring to the football pitch?
Hot on the heels of Season 2’s end, Nate the Great is Head Coach at West Ham United and is still a miserable little twit. Mistreating his team and staff and generally making us hate him all the more… for the most part. There may be a character shift incoming but Rupert is still around doing his best to counterbalance this possible upward trend. In short: The Wonder Kid is still on my naughty list for now.
Having been promoted back into the premier league last season, Richmond must now hold on to their spot in the top division. Trent Crimm is there to document it all in detail – after having lost his job as a reporter, he’s now turned to writing a book about Richmond.
Acting 9/10
You really just can’t beat this cast. Jason Sudeikis’s portrayal of Ted hasn’t changed and nor should it.
Sarah Niles is back via Zoom (Or Facetime, maybe.) as Dr. Fieldstone and I don’t think she gets enough credit. Her tone and pacing is so measured and careful and it just makes every reaction she has to Ted’s antics funny. She’s the perfect straight-man to his wackiness and it’s never played out in any way other than subtle and natural and that’s a really great balance to strike. Like much of this show’s best humor, it stands out for being so relatable.
Brett Goldstein’s delivery as Roy is sounding a lot more natural, this season.
Overall 9/10
This season is shaping up to be really good. I’m looking forward to seeing where this story takes us; can Richmond hold on to its spot? Will Nate come back into the fold? Can Keely actually run her own company? All great questions I’m looking forward to seeing answered.
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