Ted Lasso returns July 23 on Apple TV+.
By Ariba Bhuvad
Raise your hand up high if you are as big of a fan of Ted Lasso as I am. I can’t see you all, but I know if I could, your hands would be reaching as far up to the sky as they could. There’s so much I have to say about Ted Lasso, but I can’t always find the right words for it.
This series caught us all by surprise when it first premiered in August 2020, pulling us into the world of English soccer. But a show about just soccer it is not. In fact, Ted Lasso surpasses all expectations with its witty and comedic banter that is infused with the central storyline of Jason Sudeikis’ character stepping into a world he knew nothing about.
Season one left off with Lasso’s AFC Richmond soccer team being demoted to a lesser soccer league. At the start of the second season, the team is working hard to break out of the rut they’re stuck in and rise up the chains of this very complicated hierarchical structure in soccer. Leading the charge is Ted Lasso and his merry band of managers and coaches, hoping to take this team to the status it so deserves.
In the second season, the feel-good vibe of Ted Lasso is still very much there but there is a much heavier emotional component this time around. We’re not just talking about soccer and the team anymore, but something deeper and more visceral–mental health. I can’t give much away, but the addition of one new character really shakes things up for the team, but mainly Ted who has been through the wringer since arriving in England.
But in the thick of all the hardship, a lot of the secondary characters get a much-needed boost in season two, including Hannah Waddingham’s Rebecca and Toheeb Jimoh’s Sam. They’re both marvelous in the spotlight, and their individual character developments are such a treat to watch as they unfold. Jimoh has a particularly interesting arc this time around as Sam, and you’ll see him face roadblocks that amplify the stakes of his spot on the team.
The warm and fuzzy feels of Ted Lasso are still very much there in the first six episodes given to critics to review. Sudeikis continues to carry the torch of lightheartedness, inspiration, and quite possibly the best television coach we’ve ever known (sorry Coach Taylor). Soccer is besides the point in Ted Lasso’s second season, because when all is said and done, it’s a human story about trials and tribulations, winning and losing, and just the woes of life that tear us down only to bring us back up.
Strap in for an emotional ride as you get ready to watch the second season. It does not disappoint, and somehow surpasses the expectations we managed to create after season one. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll find yourself wondering–can I be on this team too?
I give Ted Lasso Season 2 an A.
TV and City 