AMSTERDAM: “Ted Lasso” was one of Apple TV’s most-popular shows during the worldwide lockdowns last year. The tale of an unfailingly optimistic and sweet American thrown into the high-pressure world of English football management and his grace under fire struck a chord with audiences around the world.
Now, Jason Sudeikis returns as the titular coach of Richmond FC in the show’s second season. This time around, Richmond are in the Championship (having been relegated last year), but at least Lasso now has the backing of the club’s owner, the ice-cold (now slightly thawed) Rebecca Welton, who initially hired Lasso (formerly a college-level American Football coach with no experience of managing a ‘soccer’ team) in the hope he would fail and wreck her ex-husband’s great love — Richmond FC. With Welton now his friend (along with pretty much everyone else he met) Lasso must now contend with newly hired sports psychologist Dr. Sharon Fieldstone who threatens the coach’s endless positivity by hinting that she may be better placed to help certain team members than he is. By the end of the three episodes we’ve seen so far, however, even she is showing signs of falling for Lasso’s undeniable charm.
he tale of an unfailingly optimistic and sweet American thrown into the high-pressure world of English football management and his grace under fire struck a chord with audiences around the world. (Supplied)
One other thing that unfortunately hasn’t changed is that the actual football depicted in the show remains hugely unrealistic. That’s a common problem with all sports-themed series or movies, of course; it’s hard to find actors who are also capable of performing like elite-level athletes, and thankfully it seems like the show’s makers have attempted to cut down on the painfully awkward sporting action in the second season.
But “Ted Lasso” isn’t really about the football. It’s about people and relationships. The joy of the program is that almost every character has a good heart that ultimately shines through. The odd-couple pairings (Lasso and Weston; Lasso and his head coach, the zen-like Coach Beard; the club’s bubbly PR woman Keeley and former captain Roy Keane Kent; and many more) and fish-out-of-water scenario (Lasso continues to struggle to come to terms with English culture) are all well-trodden comedic ground, but “Ted Lasso” — thanks largely to Sudeikis’ charisma — makes them worth revisiting.
It’s a gentle, low-key, feel-good show. And sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
