Season 1 & 2 Discussion

[AngieBee1]

16 hours ago, SnarkShark said:

I hate how the character wears her hair though. Last season it was even worse.  To be fair, hair-up does seem to be a quirk of the actress off screen too.  Embracing the big forehead real estate rather than covering it. 

I don't understand why she straightens her hair. It makes it look too severe. She has naturally wavy/curly hair. 

Quote

She's an interesting contrast to her alleged inspiration, Keeley Hazell, who's very much a hair-down type.

Hair down - top off, Keeley LOL!  But I do love that Sudeikis is dating Hazell in real life. In the episode with the staged photos I was hoping for a Keeley/Ted relationship but in the same ep we got the hints of Keeley/Roy.

[Mrs. Stanwyck]

8 hours ago, Clare said:

I was surprised that Coach Beard voted thumbs down on Jamie being back on the team though.  Last year he gave Ted shit for not putting winning first. Seemed a little out of character.

I think he understands team chemistry.  As he said in this episode, he believes Jamie is the turd in the punchbowl.  If the team doesn't gel, it's hard to win.

[DearEvette]

22 hours ago, whiporee said:

Ted was right to bring back Jamie. He has an obligation to try to win, and if Richmond is to be promoted, a bunch of draws won't do it. 

While it fits with the show, Sam is out of line. He's a professional -- if you remember last year and the guy talking about his Lamborghini, he's a highly paid professional. He doesn't get to bitch about chemistry or being bullied or feeling bad when the team he's getting paid to play for is not winning. If Ted can get a talent the caliber of Jamie without a trade or buying them from another club, he'd be crazy not to do it. Higgins knows that because he's in the business of the sport, not just the games. 

This is technically true.  But that is not how the characters on this show have been established to be.

Ted should be about winning, but his stated philosophy is that is not what drives him.  That is why he refused to bench Roy last season against Beard and Nate's advice.  True to his nature, Ted's implied reason for rehiring Jamie has nothing to do with wanting to win or what's best for the team, he wants to give Jamie a father figure that isn't always criticizing him. 

Also Ted has fostered an open communication system where he told them that they could talk about anything at all.  He started it with the anonymous suggestion box. So I figured Sam felt he could speak to Ted because Ted allows it. 

[Dev F]

On 7/31/2021 at 5:40 PM, SnarkShark said:

Even the doctor's talk with Ted seems to feed into the idea that in universe, being too comfortable isn't necessarily a great thing.   So having Ted act so out of character is maybe supposed to be him falling for some claptrap that doesn't really align with who he is.

Is it claptrap? I think the ending stems from the fact that Ted realizes the doc is right -- his feel-good methods have resulted in the team very harmoniously treading water, and if he wants anything better out of them, he'll have to push them out of their comfort zone.

That's why the episode is titled "Lavender" -- it's all about the danger of making the locker room smell too soothing.

[Good Queen Jane]

My favorite line: Old people are so wise; they're like tall Yodas.

Doc's favorite book was kind of chilling to me. The Prince of Tides is a very dark book about a man which a very traumatic past secret and severe Daddy issues. Coupled with Ted's face when he talked about his own father  (and vague recollections about Ted's description on how he became expert at darts) makes me very worried about about what we will find out about Ted's past.

My heart still belongs to Coach Beard but Roy Fucking Kent is making me have second thoughts.

 

[Blintzie]

By far my favorite part of episode 2 was when Ted asked Coach Beard if the psychologist was getting closer and closer as she was watching the team practice, and each time they’d cut to her in the stands, she really was moved down a few rows! 

Well, that and Roy Fucking Kent. 🥰

Edited August 2, 2021 by Blintzie

[SnarkShark]

This is old, but I hadn't seen it yet. 

I love that Juno Temple's real accent is so plummy in comparison to the character.  Her hair is the same though.  That's clearly her imposing on the character rather than the reverse. 

 

[twoods]

Keely and Roy have the best and healthiest relationship on TV right now. They are just so stinking cute and healthy. Yay to nontoxic relationships!

I can’t with Ted. He should have told the team and Sam that he was bringing Jamie back, regardless of whether he will make the team better. Sam told him how terrible he felt around Jamie. Bad move, Ted. Time for some therapy with the doctor.

[Avabelle]

5 hours ago, twoods said:

Keely and Roy have the best and healthiest relationship on TV right now. They are just so stinking cute and healthy. Yay to nontoxic relationships!

I’m worried they’re not totally done with Jamie/Keeley though. 

[questionfear]

On 7/30/2021 at 4:56 PM, MerBearStare said:

 

I laughed so loud when we saw that Keely was watching Roy's retirement speech. The second loudest laugh was Roy's "How the fuck does he know I love white orchids?" And Higgins' temporary offices get funnier and funnier. Though Nate was clearly unhappy about having to share his office. I would like to see Ted and Coach Beard address Nate's rudeness. I'm sure they will eventually, but it seems uncharacteristic that they haven't said anything about how he's treating the new kit man (can't remember his name).

 

 I 100% expected she was watching Jaime on his reality show-I was NOT expecting a sobbing Roy Kent!

On 7/30/2021 at 8:27 PM, Lokiberry said:

Batman won't, but Roy Kent will. 

And given how intense Roy Kent is at everything, he will not stop until he fucking wins dammit. 

[Girl in a Cardigan]

On 7/31/2021 at 11:54 AM, Kirbyrun said:

Forgive me if I’m being dense here, but why does everyone assume Ted didn’t tell the team he was bringing Jamie back? The reactions I saw on the pitch at the end seemed to be more dismay and reluctant resignation as opposed to outright shock. It seemed obvious to me (until I came here!) that everyone was given a heads-up and while not happy about it, no one is caught off-guard. 

What’d I miss???

I also got the "so we're really doing this?" vibe from Sam, not a "wait, WTF?!" during the last scene. As others pointed out, Jaime coming back to Richmond would be a big press deal, so it's not like he'd just show in the locker room (after everyone else) and no one would know.

But I'm very curious to see where this goes. Ted wants this for Jaime, but does Jaime really want to make amends and work WITH the team this time?

I was more thrown off by the snow. I don't know anything about soccer schedules, but it seemed odd that it would already be snowing in, presumably, the middle of the season, given the tie situation that Ted is trying to fix. From the trailers, it seems like we end (?) around Christmas, but I wasn't expecting winter so quickly.

[pezgirl7]

On 7/30/2021 at 8:49 PM, KittenPokerCheater said:

Jamie Tart reminded me a little of one of the Galleghar guys from Oasis with his swagger and sunglasses.

The only reason I knew his accent was a Manchester one was because I was huge Oasis fan back in the day. He definitely reminded me of Liam Gallagher at one point!

[Kiddvideo]

So finally broke down and got Apple+ yesterday, and now I’m all caught up. I’m excited to see Jamie back and hope he can spark some fire. I can handle the arrogance but not how he hurts others. And no one had better mess with Keely and Roy!

[Juneau Gal]

Sweet episode this week. Is it just me or has Ted become the least interesting person in the show? I get bored/lose interest when they focus on him. Now understand how his wife tired of him 😂.

[PWHCHCH]

Wasn't really a fan of this episode and it wasn't helped at all by that really annoying kid.

Do like Rebecca being a Boss Ass Bitch though.

[DearEvette]

"Jamie Tartt is a muppet.  And I hope he dies of the incurable condition of being a little bitch."

Man.  I love Roy. Fucking. Kent.    Not just his hysterical turn as a color commentator but his philosophy of parenting is great.  His relationship with Phoebe is perfect.

Getting back to Jamie,  I never thought I'd be uncomfortable with a penitent Jamie but I was was.  Luckily he is still a bit of an asshole.  And since this show isn't that show that holds onto bad feelings for too long it was nice to see how he got back with the team.

For all of the stupidity of Led Tasso, it was actually Sam and his story that managed to unite the team if it was for a loss finally.  The solidarity and that ending with Jamie and Sam giving each other a very sincere dap/hug was really nice. Also I think I detected a little glimmer of approval in Trent Crentham (The Independent)'s eye during the presser.

I did not like Nora.  She was too smartly arch.  Sometimes a pre-teen being clever and mouthy works but that balance has to be just right.   I don't think it worked here.  I was immediately turned off both the character and the actress' line delivery.  The only time I found myself liking Nora was during her fan-girling of Sam.  In that instance the actress nailed the giddy, unsure, and little embarrassed manner that a girl would have being in the presence of a sports idol and possibly mild crush.  I also liked that moment in her room when Rebecca invited her to go to boring work with her.  For a moment, Nora's slick personality melted away and she was just a warm person who proved Roy's point.  I really hope they tone the actress down.

I am not gonna lie, BANTR sounds like an interesting idea.  Kinda like 'Love Is Blind' reality show but  in dating app form.  What is the over under that two people we know are gonna connect on the app only to be surprised when they meet in person?

Fun fact: This episode was written by Ashley Nicole Black who writes for and stars in The Black Lady Sketch Show.  Also writes for the Amber Ruffin show.  She is nominated this year for both in the Emmy's so she is competing against herself.

Edited August 6, 2021 by DearEvette

[KittenPokerCheater]

I loved this episode.

But Jamie Tart's headband has *got* to go.

#BossAssBitch

[howiveaddict]

7 hours ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

I loved this episode.

But Jamie Tart's headband has *got* to go.

#BossAssBitch

I know.  Plastic headbands can hurt.

[SnarkShark]

Led Tasso was totally moronic.  I have no idea why I found it amusing.  But I did. 

I loved the rest of the show though.  Except for Chris Kamara.  If you've ever seen Ninja Warrior UK, he's an annoying dolt. Even a few seconds of him here is annoying. 

 

The Dubai Air sponsorship for the team always slightly bothered me.  Even outside of the context of Sam's story with a Nigerian connection. It's a fictional mashup of the real Fly Dubai and Emirates Airlines.  I don't know of any specific problems with those airlines, but Dubai itself is a hellhole, a posh playground for the uber-wealthy built on what's basically modern day slave labor. 

 

[AngieBee1]

Led Tasso was just a harder edged version of the first appearance of Ted in the NBC Premier Sports League interstitials. I was really surprised how lighter Ted was when she show came out

[slasherboy]

Does Phoebe live with Uncle Roy Fucking Kent? 

Love Sam.

No more Nora.

[Juneau Gal]

1 hour ago, slasherboy said:

Does Phoebe live with Uncle Roy Fucking Kent? 

Love Sam.

No more Nora.

I don't believe Phoebe lives with Roy, he's just a very doting uncle.

[twoods]

I don’t know how this show could make a loss into something heartwarming and wonderful. Hoping we get to see them win a little this season, especially now that they are likely losing their sponsor.

 I didn’t mind Nora and liked her spunk. 

[Catfi9ht]

I really like Sharon. She's practical, down to earth, and can read people incredibly well. I've liked every scene she's in so far.

I'm surprised that Coach Beard was smiling and proud of the Led Tasso stunt considering he was against the idea. He continues to be a mystery to me, but my goodness does that actor maximize his screen time amazingly well.

This show has gotten its groove back and I'm definitely happy about that.

[Kirbyrun]

2 hours ago, Catfi9ht said:

This show has gotten its groove back and I'm definitely happy about that.

I saw on Twitter that Brendan Hunt said they wrote this season imagining that, like Season 1, the first three episodes would be released at once. So it makes sense that we'd have this sense of "Oh, yeah, now it's working!" at the end of episode 3, since they clearly meant these three to set up the season.

[whiporee]

That was the first episode I didn’t like. The naïveté of everyone is just too much.  

Sams making a drastic, direct accusation against his native government. That may not go well for his family living there. His contract probably has clauses prohibiting him from speaking out against the team’s sponsors. It makes for neato TV for him to protest and for Rebecca to blow off her biggest sponsor, but there are ramifications for things like that, especially when it appears that Richmond is her only real asset. Dropping out of the Premiership probably cost her team 50 million pounds. it’s not realistic for her just to blow that off. It's also worth noting that the lowest payroll for a premiership team is about 65 million pounds -- there are 23 players on a roster, so that's about 3 million pounds on average. I'm sure Sam is sending some of that money home -- his father's mean text to him seemed rather unwarranted, too. Not suggesting that athletes just stay quiet, but they ought to be aware of ramifications, too.

On the other hand, teams and players have contracts. Jamie, being a superstar, would not have just been cut loose from Man City. Rebecca can't just cut Sam because someone asked her to. Owners of these teams are, for the most part, billionaires -- they don't shoot darts at the local pub. I think this show would have been much better suited for it to be a smaller, lower revenue club. Sort of like a minor league baseball team -- not quite Brockmire, but closer to it than a Premiership team. 

Bill Lawrence’s writers’ room does this sometimes. They have ideas but are unwilling to do the storytelling work to justify it. Dr. Cox’s frequent alcoholic benders, Jules’s father’s Alzheimer’s, now this global issue. As a Floridian, I never got past them showing wetsuits, mountains and surfable waves on Florida's west coast. It's never been a writer's room that pays much attention to either continuity or details. They throw down big ideas without really understanding them and then just trot away. They can be so good at some moments, but it almost feels like when they try to get bigger, they flub it. 

Edited August 10, 2021 by whiporee

[WorldWarIV]

I'm really not feeling this season so far, and it breaks my heart. There's no tension at all.

In the first season, Rebecca was actively working against Ted, and as soon as she stopped, Rupert took her place. Fans were against Ted, journalists were against Ted, the players were against Ted, everyone was against Ted. Jamie was poisoning the locker room, Nate was being bullied, Ted was going through a divorce, Rebecca was treating Higgins like dirt, Jamie and Roy hated each other.

And now everybody loves everybody. There are no stakes. Why aren't the fans and journalists pissed that the team was relegated? Isn't that humiliating? Why aren't we seeing Ted and the team desperately trying to rack up some wins so they can go back to the premier league instead of smiling when they tie or lose a game? Why doesn't the team have any money problems? Didn't they lose sponsors when they were relegated? Surely it's less prestigious to be in the league below? Is the attendance as big as it was before?

Ted has no friends, no hobbies, no life. Where is his son? Does he date? Does he ever go out with coach Beard for a fun night off? Does he do any sight seeing at all in this new country he barely knows? Ted barely feels like a real person at the moment.

But maybe the biggest crime of this new season is the following one: not enough Roy Kent.

Edited August 9, 2021 by WorldWarIV

[meep.meep]

Didn't they steal the "doggie dog" thing from Modern Family?  Makes a lot more sense for a non-English speaker to mangle an idiom than for a Brit to do so.

[Good Queen Jane]

11 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

Didn't they steal the "doggie dog" thing from Modern Family?  Makes a lot more sense for a non-English speaker to mangle an idiom than for a Brit to do so.

I think you're in the wrong Apple TV show. That was in Schmigadoon.

[meep.meep]

You're right!  My righteous anger is misdirected.  Maybe I need another biscuit.

[Jeddah]

4 hours ago, meep.meep said:

You're right!  My righteous anger is misdirected.  Maybe I need another biscuit.

But now you’ve made me hope for a crossover, or at least a musical episode of Ted Lasso.

[xaxat]

Add me to the list of people who had a problem with Sam's plot. IRL the exploitation of Nigeria by oil companies is a long running tragedy. No amount of "Ted Lasso-ing" is going to have any effect on it. It took me right out of the episode. This show is not about real life, and Nigeria most definitely is. 

 

 

 

 

[littlepaw]

I agree; it took me a few episodes to get into this show in the first season, but by third episode I was absolutely in love. This season....meh...maybe it'll pick up. IDK. Not feeling the precocious teenager at all. Was kind of bummed out with the dog scene in episode one (which pretty much happened right off the bat). Nate is being kind of a dick now that he got promoted, will that be addressed? I keep thinking that this "Rebecca looking for love" storyline is going to end up with Ted & her together. They're about the same age, they understand the other's struggles. Hopefully if and when that happens, I'll be invested in the outcome (in general). 

[xaxat]

 

[MargeGunderson]

I do love Trent Crimm, The Independent’s flowing locks.

[juno]

On 8/8/2021 at 9:49 PM, whiporee said:

It makes for neato TV for him to protest and for Rebecca to blow off her biggest sponsor, but there are ramifications for things like that, especially when it appears that Richmond is her only real asset.

As someone that watches the Premier League that this is based off of, I was blown away by how clueless this act was on the show. Teams make from 2 million Euros to 64 million from shirt sponsoship. The lower teams make the 2 million amount. They were relegated and not sure they will be even making the low amount.

This stupid act would not only lose the sponsor and the 2 mill but also probably guarantee no other sponsor will step up. Imagine Man United players covering up the Chevrolet sponsorship.

Also to really nit pick but transfers are only allowed during certain periods of the year, never during the season. Jamie would have to be purchased by the team he is going to and I am assuming he is on contract to Man City, and no player on City can be afforded by a team in the Championship division. He would have to sit on the bench until the transfer period opened up and even then he would have to be bought out.

This show is starting to lose me because it is more interested in the storylines than having even a small step in reality.

[twoods]

I thought that Man City didn’t renew Jamie’s contract because we saw the clip of the manager played to a blindsided Jamie. 
 

I don’t mind that there isn’t conflict so far because it’s establishing a new season, but I’m sure losing their sponsor is going to be a big deal for the club.

[juno]

59 minutes ago, twoods said:

I thought that Man City didn’t renew Jamie’s contract because we saw the clip of the manager played to a blindsided Jamie. 
 

I don’t mind that there isn’t conflict so far because it’s establishing a new season, but I’m sure losing their sponsor is going to be a big deal for the club.

Good point, if that is true he could of joined the team on a free transfer. It just seemed a bit weird being in the first quarter of the season.

[MerBearStare]

I don't normally watch celebrity interviews because I find them awkward, but this interview from a few weeks ago is so fucking funny. I was cracking up the whole time. You can also hear the crew cracking up too.

 

[Juneau Gal]

I don’t even know what they were thinking running a Christmas episode in August. Fanciful, sappy fantasy plays during the holidays, not so much August 13th. But, maybe that’s just me. 
I’ve tried to overlook some deficits this season to make myself believe it is just as great as last, but……….

One positive, as always, Roy Fucking Kent. 

[SHD]

26 minutes ago, Juneau Gal said:

I don’t even know what they were thinking running a Christmas episode in August. Fanciful, sappy fantasy plays during the holidays, not so much August 13th. But, maybe that’s just me. 

It’s not just you. 

[Kiddvideo]

Rebecca was so thoughtful to get Ted out of his own head, and I'm glad he accepted her help even if he didn't realize at first what she was doing. And the Higgenses? I think they players coming over meant more to Leslie than they realized -- they've accepted him.

Keely, Roy, and Phoebe are adorable. That ginger "Usies" kid is everywhere, and I loved sight gag of everyone waiting Christmas dinner on them.

[NeenerNeener]

I kind of liked watching a Christmas episode on a hot morning in August. And it was so cute I may watch it again in December...maybe even make it a Christmas tradition like Charlie Brown, Rudolph and White Christmas.

[Catfi9ht]

I was rewatching Key and Peele episodes on DVD and came across Coach Beard in this gem of a skit.

He's positively creepy in it.

[KittenPokerCheater]

I.
Loved.
This.
Episode.

(even if it is August).

 

[AngieBee1]

I liked this episode a lot. It would have been cooler if they followed the British TV series method of having a standalone Christmas special and tacked it on at the end of the season, but we get what we get. 

Paste Magazine is not a fan of this episodes, nor S2.  But my thoughts about sophomore slumps is that when someone is creating a series they've put a lot of time into it - years in some instances - so they've had the time to work on the stories and characterizations in their heads. They've likely already has the show bible committed to memory, just ready to work on it with the writing staff.  But once that season ends, they have to rush to crank out stories for a second series and they're on a deadline they're trying to make things fresh while still staying within the characterization.  It's a tough balancing act. 

Excerpt from Paste's article. 

Quote

Watch enough TV, and you will run across plenty of shows you once enjoyed that stuck around too long, fell into various narrative potholes or simply got lazy, and turned bad. It’s the name of the game, and if you’re lucky, with perspective, the descent into mediocrity and worse won’t diminish the parts you loved. It’s a common experience; it’s to be expected. And yet here I sit, in 2021, absolutely astounded at the sheer speed with which Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso managed to transform itself from a remarkable comedy that walked the line of sincerity and wholesomeness with acrobatic dexterity, somehow reeling in and capturing even cynics like me, into something so insanely treacly and insipid that, if one were being harsh, one would say had slipped into the bowels of a dark realm called cornball schlock.

https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/apple-tv-plus/ted-lasso-season-2-episodes-4-christmas-review/

[SeanC]

Are we sure Phoebe's parents actually exist?

[bugsmum]

I loved this episode.  The Love, Actually stuff was hilarious.  Jamie's "God bless me everyone" was hilarious.  The balance between the funny and Ted's first Christmas divorced was really good.  Loved Higgins hosting the team.  And of course - Roy Kent.  He can do no wrong.

[Abra]

I had a moment at the end of the episode where the sheer good nature of everything brought me out of the show for a moment, and I quickly realized I just didn't care. I love this show and how good the people are. Paste magazine can fuck off.

The only thing I didn't like about this episode is the kid who plays Ted's son. What a horrific actor, even for a child. I would be perfectly content if the show just had Ted talk about him without having to ever see him again.

[SnarkShark]

This episode went WAY too far into feel goody. The reason Season one worked was because it felt a lot more organic.  Season two largely has felt manipulative.

I don't disagree with the idea of a Christmas episode.  But a lot should have been left out.

The Roy effing Kent/Keeley/niece plot was largely good.  But I would have trimmed it by about 50%.  Certainly the Bob Dylan sign crap at the end of the plot was bullcrap.  Unneeded.  If they insisted on forgiveness being the whole point of the plot, it could have been done more succinctly. 

The team mostly showing up at Higgins house was okay, up until that cringe ending.  The message about the family you make was fine. 

The Ted/Rebecca plot was pure crap.  They've made the point enough times now that Rebecca is a better person than as originally presented. Now they're overdoing it.  It's becoming shit because they're overdoing it. 

I would have excised that ENTIRE plot, had a lonely Ted show up at Higgins party mid-episode, like everyone else, then ended with Rebecca cutting short being at Elton John's to show up at the very end.  Without the elaborate ending outside. 

Edited August 14, 2021 by SnarkShark