https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6GILlr1Ljw
Plot: Jason Sudeikis is Ted Lasso, an American football coach hired to manage a British soccer team—despite having no experience. But what he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for with optimism, underdog determination…and biscuits.
Review: When it comes to projects by former Saturday Night Live cast members, I tend to be overly cautious. For every hit, there are many, many bombs. While Jason Sudeikis has proven himself to be a solid big-screen performer, adapting a series of commercials into a series seemed like an iffy proposition. I did not watch Ted Lasso when the first season premiered, but once it started gaining buzz (and awards), I checked it out. Turns out, Sudeikis’ character is a breath of fresh air in a series that is as inspirational as it is hilarious. Populated by a talented cast, the second season of the AppleTV+ original doesn’t upend the formula but rather continues to develop the characters through a season of great stories.
Season one of Ted Lasso ended with AFC Richmond falling short of their goal and Ted (Jason Sudeikis) tendering his resignation. Owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) rejected it and they vowed to do better next season. The premiere episode picks up months later with the team already in the midst of their new season. Some roles have changed, especially for Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) and Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), but what has not changed is Coach Lasso’s trademark positivity. Without delving into the surprising open minutes of the premiere, I can say that each subsequent episode continues to build the stories for the entire ensemble who all get multiple opportunities to shine.
Ted Lasso plays very much like a soccer version of baseball classic Major League. The characters range from the sincere Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh), bumbling Director of Operations Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift), model turned marketing strategist Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) amongst many more. Where season one truly focused on Ted becoming Coach Lasso and banding the Richmond players together, this next chapter further gels the squad while focusing on many day-to-day issues that jeopardize the team’s success. Over the first six episodes made available for this review, there are a limited amount of scenes set during actual matches, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of football.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyGyNrjvr3Q
The biggest difference this season compared to season one is that the conflicts are more unifying rather than divisive. Everyone seemed to be at odds in the first season and now there is a Richmond pride as they aim to win. It was a smart decision by the writers to allow some time to pass between the two runs of episodes. Some may feel that they missed something as I know when the premiere started, I thought I had played the wrong episode. But, just like the first season, once you give it some time, it feels like you are revisiting rather than restarting.
A lot of criticism towards Ted Lasso centered on the fact that it was not as funny as it should have been. I agree that some of the laughs were superficial in the first season but that is no longer a problem. The pacing is better and the stories fit the characters with the fourth episode, a Christmas-themed tale, one of the funniest half hours I have seen all year. This series also cannot help but put a smile on your face. The biggest shortcoming could be that there is no longer a clear antagonist other than having a losing season. It may feel a bit underwhelming for some viewers who hope for more inter-character conflict, but I found it nice and light viewing that still managed to keep me engaged.
Ted Lasso won over fans and critics because it offers a hopeful and positive story about overcoming obstacles while still managing to include an aspirational tale about underdogs. This new season will keep those fans happy while including far funnier scenes than we had the first season. I doubt anyone will find anything to complain about with the new season of Ted Lasso even if it doesn’t really do anything that we have not seen before. But, Jason Sudeikis and his team do it well. I watched this season with a smile on my face the entire time. Many comedic series try too hard to make you laugh and end up disappointing. Ted Lasso tries and succeeds by turning this from a fish out of water story into a true underdog sports tale that anyone can get behind.
Ted Lasso season two premieres July 23rd on AppleTV+.
