Ted Lasso: Believe!!!!!!!

[Asa]

Support, mental health, community, and men's relationships (teammates, friendships, romance, fathers) are huge themes in Ted Lasso, which is why I made a thread about the show here. It's really worth watching, even if you don't like football. (Team sports make my eyes glaze over. I cannot pay attention to them, but I "can't help but root for" AFC Richmond.) It's funny, clever, and there are constant callbacks, outside references, and other hidden gems, so it is part heavy lifting and part lighthearted fun. It's also helpful and funny that Ted doesn't know zip about football, either.

Spoiler: Brief descriptions of main characters

Ted - Optimist to the core, with hidden issues. Fantastic leader in a non-obvious way.
Beard - Introspective, witty, a thinker with a fun-seeking, dopamine-seeking edge.
Jamie - Incredible talent but egotistical to a fault.
Roy - Serious, wise, conditioned to live in a tough world, won't let his guard down. Favorite word is fuck.
Sam - Bright-eyed and talented young man with a great father-figure, a little naive. Learns the hard way.
Rebecca - Thinks hurting the world will cure her pain. Fun beneath the lioness exterior.
Keeley - Peppy, girly, and social. Discovering who she is and what she needs.
Higgins - Awkward (loveably dorky) and kind family man with a good heart and a hidden cool side.
Nate - insecure, shy, awkward, and rejection-sensitive, with hidden talent and hidden dreams.
Trent - Clever and perceptive journalist with morals and great hair.
Dani - Naturally caffeinated ball of sunshine with a surprising dark side.
Mcadoo - Tough, loyal, protective, with a hidden soft side.
Zoreaux - Upbeat, fun, proud of his heritage, but has trouble finding his identity.
Colin - Overcompensates for hidden vulnerabilities, insecure, warm, puts the team first. Has a sports car; can't drive.
Doctor Sharon - Competent, calm, perceptive, badass, empathetic.
Will - Kind, goofy, innocent (secretly not innocent), Yoda in training.
Jan - He's not rude; he's Dutch.
Bumbercatch - Peer-voted as the fittest on the team. Anti-establishment, good-humored. Deserved more screen time.
Richard - Proud to be French and popular with the ladies, but he's quietly nuanced and can set his ego aside for the team.
Rupert - Possibly Darth Vader. Selfish, low-morals arse. Obviously, the villain.

 

[Asa]

I hope that either all of us or none of us are judged by the actions of our weakest moments, but rather by the strength we show when and if we're ever given a second chance.

Posting this in honor of remembering people at their best.

 

[Asa]

 

[Asa]

Well... wow.... This is also good.

 

[Asa]

 

[Asa]

The Diamond Dogs get together to support each other and offer advice. I've seen people (IRL) say they need the Diamond Dogs, and other fans reach out. I've also seen men admit they started therapy after watching Ted Lasso.


In the end, that's what impresses me the most about Ted Lasso. The show is a mixture of funny and heartfelt, while striving to create better people and healthy relationships. It inspires people to choose the Lasso way.

 

[Asa]

 

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[Asa]

 

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[Asa]

 

[Asa]

Cristo Fernandez (Dani Rojas) starts for El Paso.

 

[President of Canada]

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I've been needing something new to watch soooooo badly, and I think this might have done it for me. All I need to know is that there is a sweet soul who likes to give away joy for free, and I'm there.

 

[Asa]

I've been needing something new to watch soooooo badly, and I think this might have done it for me. All I need to know is that there is a sweet soul who likes to give away joy for free, and I'm there.

Dani’s is so sweet… and sometimes spooky.

 

[President of Canada]

Dani’s is so sweet… and sometimes spooky.

Sweet and spooky is one of my favorite combinations! The spookier the better, really.

 

[Asa]

I’m really sorry to say he shows up in Season 2. If you like a combo of wholesome, goofy, sweet, hilarious, deep, supportive and caring with a mix of weird art, movie, and literature references in a sports show, I think you’ll have fun waiting for Dani Rojas to show up.

 

[President of Canada]

I’m really sorry to say he shows up in Season 2. If you like a combo of wholesome, goofy, sweet, hilarious, deep, supportive and caring with a mix of weird art, movie, and literature references in a sports show, I think you’ll have fun waiting for Dani Rojas to show up.

Season 2? That's nothing lol. You make it sound as if I have to wait until season 16. Binge-watching and grinding through 8 seasons of a show in one fell swoop is one of my favorite hobbies. Season 2 isn't a wait, I'll be there by Saturday or Sunday.

It has to "grab" me though, otherwise I get 15 minutes in, and my mind wanders to greener pastures.

 

[Asa]

A big theme in Ted Lasso is forgiveness. By the time we get to season three, a few huge examples of forgiveness are revealed.
Most of the time, I agree with Ted that forgiving the person and giving them a second chance is fair, but not always.

Ted tells one character that forgiving doesn't always mean letting that person in and letting them continue to harm you. Sometimes it means making peace with who they are for your own sake and moving forward.

Yet, when Ted forgives, he grants the forgiven full access, leaving himself wide open to new attacks.

My question is: When is it wise and kind to forgive and grant full access, and when is it foolish and self-sabotage?

This is a question Ted never addresses. We never see forgiveness backfire on the show.

 

[Asa]

Season 4 begins in one week.


I have mixed feelings about the new cast. The cast of Ted Lasso is what made the show work. It wasn't just about Ted/Jason Sudeikis. So, we're going into this without some of the major players who made that show what it was.

-- Roy Kent is in the new show, but wasn't at the premiere event.

I'm also curious about how a show that was primarily about men's mental health, growth, and relationships (which is why it became so popular) will leave behind such important themes to focus on a mostly-female cast.

I thought the weakest part of S3 was Keeley's story. The new characters were annoying, and I hated how Keeley made such huge mistakes as if none of the themes of growth in the show applied ot her.

On the other hand, I'm really excited to see the women's team and a new women's cast and see what that's like! Ted Lasso has always had a pro-woman attitude and showed nuance with the supporting characters. The writing is so clever, and with such a big cast, I hope they can recapture the dynamics that made the AFC Richmond team what it was.