“Small-time football coach Ted Lasso is hired to coach a professional soccer team in England, despite having no experience coaching soccer.”
The Good
Full disclosure, most of the feedback will fall into this category because the Apple TV+ original comedy series Ted Lasso is hilarious and extremely well done. It is no surprise that Jason Sudeikis is phenomenal in this role, considering the character was created for him. The supporting cast was great as well, and the chemistry between Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt pretty much made the show for me.
I was also genuinely impressed by Juno Temple who played a prominent role in the show. Jeremy Swift, Nick Mohammed, Brett Goldstein, and Phil Dunster, are also fantastic. The show is paced well and never feels boring - I even found myself rewinding a number of scenes to re-watch which speaks volumes about the writing. The idea of this genuinely kind American football coach fumbling around in England as a soccer coach with zero knowledge of the sport is just great.
Ted Lasso is a comedy first and foremost, but what makes it more than just another 30-minute show with cheap laughs is the fact that it has a ton of heart. This show is as much about belly laughs as it is backstory and character development, and it all works so damn well. You will find yourself rooting for everyone to succeed and will even feel a bit sad when they don’t. I was so immersed I felt like I was right there with the characters which is not easy to do with a 30-minute show like this.
The Bad
Well this is awkward, I got nothin’ - maybe the fact that the season had to eventually end counts? But it has been confirmed that it will return for a 2nd season, so yeah. Nothing negative to report.
The Verdict
Ted Lasso is a MUST-WATCH series, I don’t know how I can make that any clearer. And for anyone who knows me personally, I am a huge football fan and the first person to take a shot at soccer as a sport. This show is so good it almost convinced me to start watching soccer - ALMOST. Just watch the first episode and you will be hooked.
TED TAKES RATING - 9/10
Ted Lasso (12 episodes) is now streaming on Apple TV+. Check out the official trailer below.