Why Teda Lasso season 2 can't be missed

Initially, the project originated from NBC's comedy sketches: in 2013, the channel bought the rights to broadcast the English Premier League on football and tried to somehow attract the American audience to the not most popular sport in the country. So the image of coach Ted Lasso was born, played by the comedian Sudeikis. He allegedly worked with the youth teams in American football, and then went to England to prepare the Tottenham club for the championship.

Through funny situations in which Lasso fell, the audience was introduced to the rules of English football (in the USA it is called soccer). Suddenly, the audience fell in love with the cheerful coach, and in 2020 a full-fledged series was shot about him. Moreover, the author of the famous "Clinic" Bill Lawrence, together with Sudeikis himself, was responsible for its production.

As a result, the project won everyone over. It has become one of the most viewed Apple TV + premieres, receiving critical accolades, a Golden Globe and 13 nominations for the upcoming Emmy Awards (and all 20 with technical).

Of course, "Teda Lasso" was extended. But there could be fears that the sequel would not turn out so fresh and bright. However, now there is no doubt: the second season not only retained all the best, but also added to this even more touching moments, an unusual presentation form and fresh great jokes.

The perfect sequel

In the first season, Ted Lasso, along with his assistant - a bearded coach with the name Beard (Brendan Hunt) - went to England to coach Richmond. He was invited by the new owner of the club Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) with the sole purpose of destroying the already mediocre team that she received after her divorce from her husband. But the charm and cheerful character of Lasso conquered not only the always warring players, but also the owner herself. The coach managed to rally the scattered Richmond and make Rebecca fall in love with her charges.

It would seem that the finale of the first season resolved almost all conflicts. The woman's mischievous ex-husband stopped harassing her. The selfish Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) left the club, and his ex-girlfriend Keely (Juno Temple) found her happiness with the rude but caring Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein). Even janitor Nathan (Nick Mohammed) became an assistant coach. Alas, "Richmond" still flew out of the championship, but the always positive Lasso said that you just need to prepare for the next competition.

Usually, after a flashy first season (or the first part of a film), the authors have to invent some catchy and often implausible twist to make the sequel no less intense. But "Teda Lasso" was initially loved not for surprises, but for the story about human characters. The first season often looked almost fabulous, and its ending featured a typical "happily ever after." The sequel reminds that this story is still about reality. After all, it's hard to believe that all the problems ended at once.

Shot from the 2nd season of the TV series "Ted Lasso"

Even the first episode will begin with a moment that is both tough and comical, which will almost destroy the career of the talented Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernandez). And Ted Lasso will have a competitor in the trust of the players - sports psychologist Sharon (Sarah Niles).

It is not hard to guess that Keely's relationship with Roy will not develop easily due to the latter's isolation. Moreover, it is the girl's shoulders that will be responsible for helping him move on. And she will also be the main support for Rebecca in her romantic quest.

Moreover, the sequel will allow not only the main characters to reveal themselves, but also those who remained in the shadows for most of the first season. For example, several important scenes are dedicated to timid assistant Rebecca Higgins (Jeremy Swift) and his family. And the hero will finally cease to carry a purely comic function. Even Nathan will become a more controversial character: with a new position he will have more opportunities, but many of the problems of a modest person will also surface.

But the main advantage of the second season is the intertwining of all the storylines. Initially, the characters were separated from each other and intersected only within the framework of the work. Therefore, the history of each of them developed a little separately, only Lasso himself united everyone. Now the players and employees of Richmond have become a big family, and therefore the relationship is becoming more complicated.

This makes the show more cohesive. Instead of a scattered set of personal stories, they tell about the life of a friendly team. And each hero now develops precisely thanks to his environment.

Games with form and references

Despite its formal sporting background, Ted Lasso was not originally conceived as a soccer series. Roughly like the "Clinic" of the same author, it is not devoted to medicine.

In the second season, you shouldn't expect a detailed story about the games from him either. Matches here still flicker for a couple of minutes, and the action instantly switches to a discussion of the results, scenes in the locker room or the coach's reaction. But in the sequel, "Ted Lasso" finally acquires a completely universal form of presentation, which will delight not sports fans, but connoisseurs and fans of pop culture.

Ted Lasso quotes famous songs and films every minute. Analysis of mistakes on the field, he draws through an analogy with romantic paintings, and in a tragic scene he recalls "Dumbo". The whole episode is tied to the song She's A Rainbow by The Rolling Stones. And even a chant in support of one of the players is performed on the Baby Shark tune, which will be hard to get out of your head. In terms of the number of mentions of popular names and titles, the series can compete almost with "Rick and Morty".

Added to this is experimentation with form, which brings Teda Lasso back to the original sketches. There are scenes from the reality show, and Roy Kent occasionally comments on the events in the framework of the news program. Moreover, the latter gives out almost the best jokes of the season: the hero is the only one who behaves sincerely and expresses himself in a completely non-television manner.

These experiments are most clearly reflected in the fourth episode. This is a typical Christmas episode, both in theme and in presentation. The plot splits into several lines, in each of which there is a place for a small miracle. The only subtlety: usually such stories are released just in time for the holiday, and as part of "Ted Lasso" it will be released in mid-August.

And the ending will not only give out another song performed by Weddingham (the actress has a really great voice - look how she sings an aria from the Cats), but also an incredibly cute and at the same time funny reference to "Love Actually".

Positive and touching themes

In the first season, "Teda Lasso" was often called the kindest series of recent years. The sequel repeatedly confirms this definition, because here negative characters finally disappear. And the heroes, even when they swear, in passing manage to say a couple of encouraging words to their interlocutor.

By the way, comical moments will often be built on this. The same Roy Kent will rather rudely express his opinion about her boyfriend to Rebecca. But if you think about it, it is his words that are the most life-affirming and pleasant thing that a lonely person can hear. For the rest, "Ted Lasso" continues to talk about simple topics: that you should not be ashamed of your feelings, that everyone needs a friend and support, that people are not really evil, they just sometimes get lost.

The most surprising thing is that for all the obviousness and even banality of these thoughts, the series does not look cloying. If you look closely, "Ted Lasso" is a real drama that speaks in simple terms about the important.

We can say that the first season was devoted to finding their place in life: Lasso and Rebecca learned to live after parting, Nathan realized his coaching ambitions, Roy tried to come to terms with the end of his career. The second, rather, is about internal fears. No wonder Sharon appears here, helping to deal with the problems. Although it is with her that the experiences of the coach himself are connected. Not only is Lasso worried about his authority, but as a typical older generation, he refuses to believe in the benefits of therapy.

Roy is afraid to show his feelings and even more so to start something new. Rebecca, who easily writes even the harshest business letters, hesitates to send a sincere confession to an anonymous interlocutor. A very short scene where she throws her phone after writing a message is the standard of good humor. For a couple of seconds, the heroine shows both fear and delight at her deed at the same time.

Add to this the ecology theme, presented very unobtrusively, unexpectedly revealed parental ambitions, and you get a combination of incredible positive and deep drama about all the important events of life.

And against this background, it is very easy to forget that initially this whole story is tied to the loneliness and tragedy of Ted Lasso himself. But the authors of the series will definitely remind you of this. And so that many are unlikely to be able to hold back their tears.

For the most part, the same can be said about the second season of "Teda Lasso" as about the first. This is a very simple story that shows that everyone deserves understanding, forgiveness and friendship. In addition, the authors do not overload the action with moralizing, but present the plot in the form of a comedy.

But that doesn't mean the show is too trivial. There are few such projects now, and against the background of gloomy events in the real world, it becomes a breath of fresh air and helps to believe in kindness. In fact, not Superman, but Ted Lasso is the hero that people need most. A man with an endless number of stories and jokes, the most delicious biscuits and the ability to defuse the atmosphere.

Therefore, a new meeting with the cheerful coach and his friends in the second season does not seem superfluous. On the contrary, after watching, you will immediately want to know even more about Ted Lasso. Fortunately, the third season has already been confirmed. But you have to wait.