By Jane Roberts

“Be a goldfish.” 

“Teamwork makes the team work.” Photo credit: Apple TV+.

Just when the United States was in the peak of COVID-19, and people all over the country were desperate for ways to spend their time indoors, Apple TV+ released a new series in August 2020 that perfectly fit the standard everyone was looking for: Ted Lasso. Following the life of an American football coach turned Premier League manager, this show delivers both pure joy and relatability that hit Americans deeply amidst dismal news of the pandemic.

In 2015, NBC secured broadcasting rights to the Premier League, contributing to a 20% increase in Americans’ soccer viewership. Even so, NBC executives realized the $250 million deal may not be worth it unless they promoted the Premier League more thoroughly, leading to the creation of Ted Lasso. In the almost three years the series has been released, it has been honored with an astounding 11 Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes, and even a People’s Choice Award. 

Since the original season was released in 2020, two more seasons have aired, with the most recent being released in March. In season one, a nasty divorce leaves Rebecca Welton, played by Hannah Waddingham, as the owner of fictional Premier League team AFC Richmond, and she hires the most inept coach possible in hopes he will take the team down with him, all just to spite her husband, the club’s former owner. However, Ted Lasso, portrayed near perfectly by Jason Sudeikis, defies all odds, despite his negligible knowledge of soccer in England, and his Southern charm leads Richmond to care about the importance of playing as a team, and not just their losing record.

Brendan Hunt, Jason Sudeikis, and Nick Mohammed. Photo credit: Apple TV+ Press.

Throughout the next two seasons, Lasso’s infectious personality and persistent positivity not only give his players a stronger mindset on the field, but also charm Rebecca into appreciating the club for what she’s made of it, aside from her husband Rupert’s success. The producers also delve into the coach’s mental health as he manages his own divorce and separation from his son in Kansas.

In the most recent third season, however, for which the final episode will air on Wed., May 31, the plot presents much more depth than the previous two. One of the club’s assistant coaches, Nathan Shelley, played by Nick Mohammed, tactlessly resigns to become the head coach at rival club West Ham United under Rebecca’s ex-husband, Rupert Mannion, played by Anthony Head. This causes much turmoil within the club and for Rebecca and Lasso, as Nate’s public condemnation of their club is broadcast across every media network. Richmond also brings on a top recruit named Zava, portrayed by Maximilian Osinski, who becomes their star player and overshadows many of the previous star contenders of the team, helping Richmond defy their poor projection for the season but simultaneously damaging the team dynamic. 

Maximilian Osinski as Zava in Season Three. Photo credit: Apple TV+ Press.

Ted Lasso’s unflagging joy and optimism throughout the team’s perpetual losses in each season are completely unfathomable to his players. For example, instead of initiating rigorous training when every sports journalist places AFC Richmond in the last spot on the Premier League rankings, he brings the team on a tour of London’s interconnected sewer system in an effort to teach them about unity. One of Lasso’s quotes from the first season wholly embodies his mindset: after a particularly disheartening loss, he tells his team, “You know who the happiest animal in the world is? A goldfish. Why? It’s got a ten-second memory. Be a goldfish.” 

Ted’s never-ending positivity—all while being berated by the club’s fans, dealing with his saddening divorce, and managing pressure to lead the team to victory—has played an immense role in bringing the series so much success. As written by The New York Times, “What you wouldn’t guess, and may be continually stunned by, is how determinedly cornball the show is. It’s as if Sudeikis et al. foresaw the chaos and terror of the summer of 2020 and wanted to prove that America could do something right.”

When my parents asked me to sit down and watch this soccer show with them two summers ago, I was skeptical, considering I had barely even heard of the Premier League, but it quickly became one of my favorite shows. Most of Lasso’s remarks seem absurd, but many viewers found that the goldfish mindset was more applicable than ever during the pandemic. 

The cast of Ted Lasso meeting President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden. Photo credit: The White House via flickr.

One TV critic from The Vulture, Roxana Hadadi, feels as though Ted Lasso has a “formlessness to its concluding go-round that mirrors the ‘Soccer is just 22 people jogging’ gibe, a sense that the show is running down time until its end.” However, I disagree; the show’s randomness is one of my favorite aspects of the plot, and I’ve yet to find another show to make me laugh out loud so often. 

Next year’s varsity soccer co-captain Andrew Ascoli (‘24), agreed: “I love how the new season is focused on West Ham, which is my favorite professional soccer team. The show is really funny, but there’s also a serious, emotional side to it. I started watching it in the summer of 2020, and it brought my family and I a lot of joy and was a great way for us to spend time together.”

Charlie Cheek (‘24), is also an avid Ted Lasso fan: “During quarantine, my dad’s British friend was staying with us, and even she loved the series, claiming it was pretty accurate to the Premier League in real life. All of his obscure and relatable references throughout the show make it really fun to watch.” Cheek enjoys the show, even though he isn’t a current soccer player.

Featured image: Chris Smith via Trusted Reviews.