Geekscape TV Reviews — ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 2 Premiere: Goodbye Earl!
Ted Lasso is back!
Ted Lasso returned to Apple TV+ for its second season on Friday, July 23rd. Returning to the streaming service, the first season of Ted Lasso has raked up quite a few accolades — it’s the record holder with 20 Emmy nominations for a Comedy in its freshman year. Hannah Waddingham, who plays Rebecca Welton, earned a Critic’s Choice Award as well an Emmy Nomination for her work in the first season. Jason Sudeikis, who plays Ted Lasso, won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. The cast and crew won a Peabody Award “for offering the perfect counter to the enduring prevalence of toxic masculinity, both on-screen and off, in a moment when the nation truly needs inspiring models of kindness.”
Fair warning: If you have yet to watch any of Ted Lasso, I would suggest doing so before reading. There are minor spoilers.
The first season of Ted Lasso introduces audiences to Coach Lasso, who moves to London to coach Football (also known as Soccer in the States) with absolutely no clue how the game works. Rebecca brought Ted Lasso to London for her own mission. When we first meet Rebecca, she fires the current Football manager and, on his way, out he asks Higgins, played by Jeremy Swift, “What do you think is worse? Finding out your husband was cheating on you? Or that you were the last to know?” She later tells Higgins, after Ted gets through the Press Conference relatively unscathed, that she brought Ted to London to help bring down the club, which was the only thing her now ex-husband ever cared about.
Rebecca has her own journey. As does Ted. In the end of the first season when the truth comes out, he forgives Rebecca for sabotaging him every step of the way. “Divorce is hard,” he says. “It doesn’t matter if you’re doing the leaving, or if you’re the one who is being left.” Up until that point, the only person who had left the team was Jaime Tartt (played by Phil Dunster), at Rebecca’s doing, to further drive the team into the ground. She had been teetering on being a team player and still finding ways to bury the team into the ground, not caring who was affected. That is until her ex-husband Rupert tells her that his new and much younger girlfriend/fiancee is pregnant. (Side note: the six thousand emotions that Hannah Waddingham had over her face in that one scene is masterful and heartbreaking.) Roy Kent, played by Brett Goldstein, who is also a writer on the show, had a seemingly career ending injury that had him limping off the pitch.
Season 2 picks up (light spoilers ahead) a few months after the end of Season 1. It was established that the injury Roy sustained did prompt Roy to retire. The team has had 7 ties, and Dani Rojas,kicks the ball so hard, that they had to say goodbye to the team mascot – Earl. Devastated with the events, Dani goes into depression, or the “Yips”. Which brings in Dr. Sharon Fieldstone, played by Sarah Niles. Dr. Fieldstone is a Sports psychologist who tells Ted, “Well, as good as you are at your job, I’m twice as good as mine.” Which is a line that shocks everyone into saying, “Welcome.” And in similar fashion to Trent Crimm, the Independent, a reporter who has wormed his way into fans and Ted’s heart, who said the same about Ted, I can’t help but root for her.
Roy, now no longer a player of AFC Richmond has turned to coaching his niece Phoebe’s team. He also has his Yoga Lady friends, who have absolutely no idea what he does or who he is and he is quite fine with that. He tells this to Keeley, played by Juno Temple, who is also there to ask him to go out on a double date with Rebecca and a man Rebecca has been talking to.
At the dinner, Rebecca’s date John, asks Roy questions about being retired, reminiscing about his favorite team being either Manchester City or Manchester United. Rebecca, rather pleased that she herself was on the date, was surprised when Roy bluntly said that John was just fine. That she didn’t deserve fine. She deserved someone who makes her feel like she was struck by lightning. Let me tell you, if this is the kind of gruff but loveable advice Roy Kent gives – I would listen to it on a run, every day.
Goodbye Earl ends with Ted apprehensive about therapy. He tells Beard as such. His players are eagerly waiting for a meeting with the Doctor, which seems to make Ted uncomfortable. Whether Ted will warm up to the Doctor, only time will tell.
Episode 2 streams July 30th on Apple TV+.
Have you seen the first episode? Sound off in the comments below and we can have a proper chat about it.
