Ted Lasso – My personal review
Well, I finally watched Ted Lasso! Yes, I know, I’m a little late to the game (pun intended) but I will say, I loved it!! I’m already set to start rewatching it on my upcoming trip!
I’ve seen and heard a lot of different reviews about this show. Everything from it’s “fine” to “it changed my life!”. I mean, I wouldn’t go that far but it was highly enjoyable! It will definitely be added to my “rewatch” list!
First, this show is about a fictional British football (soccer) club the Richmond FC. The actual football leagues, standings and such are all real, but only a couple of the clubs mentioned in the show actually exist. Ted Lasso (played by the very funny Jason Sudeikis) is an American from Kansas who is hired to coach the struggling football club even though he has never coached football before. I will admit it took me a couple of episodes to get past Ted’s accent, it is deeply American south! Most of the actors have accents, as it does take place in England, so be prepared to not understand everything!
In the entertainment world, the “fish out of water” storyline is a bit overdone, but in this show, it is well developed without being corny.
Finally, some interesting characters!
The characters are interesting and fun, with many of them being very different from what we have seen in the past, especially in a sitcom. The women in the show are strong, supportive, smart and brave without losing any of their own individuality or appeal. The men are funny, supportive and engaging without tearing each other down. In fact, they actively support and uplift each other and help each other grow.
The writing is *chefs kiss*! Without dumbing it down to the audience, the writers managed to create funny dialogue, true feelings, and amazing character growth. One notably absent television trope is the “there is a major misunderstanding but we aren’t going to talk about it” storyline. Do misunderstandings happen? Of course, but the characters are refreshingly open to talk and, more importantly, to forgive.
Even the background and supporting characters are interesting and definitely add to the progression of the story rather than just being there as a filler.
And they managed to convey a solid male/female friendship without having them end up together, very refreshing! Just friends supporting each other.
Rarely is there a show where you genuinely want all characters to be happy and succeed.
Let’s Go Richmond!
Thankfully, you don’t need to know a lot, or anything, about football to enjoy this show. I think not knowing can help you relate to Ted and his struggles as he adapts to his new role.
With any luck, the show will come back for another season or two (as rumoured) and we will get to see more adventures with AFC Richmond!
