[7.5/10] Only three episodes in, and the basic move for Ted Lasso is already established. Somebody sets out to destroy Ted, or undermine him, or just get under his skin, and he’s just too sunny and achingly earnest to do anything but win them over. I’m not complaining. It works on me! Ted is a cartoon character, but Jason Sudekis’ winning performance makes him feel just real enough to believe in. Which is, perhaps, what equally grumpy writers like Trent Crimm eventually see in the man as well.
So he wins people over. Trent sets out to write a hit piece, but sees how earnest Ted is in befriending someone prickly like Trent, but also in being genuinely kind and supportive of people, and caring more about making his players the best people they can be than winning games. Roy Kent sets out to push back on Ted’s lack of coaching and unwillingness to step in and stop Jamie’s harassment of Nate, but his literary gifts and willingness to engage with schoolchildren and sincerity about wanting Roy to be the protagonist of A Wrinkle in Time convince Roy to step up and be a leader to stop the bad behavior itself.
Hell, it’s not limited to Ted. Rebecca has no qualms about using Keeley to destroy her coach and star player at the same time. But Keeley is so genuinely grateful to Rebecca for killing the paparazzi piece she surreptitiously spurred in the first place, and so very much on Rebecca’s side, both for her unfair treatment in the press during the divorce and her bosom in a privacy-breaking photo, that Rebecca can’t help but be a little charmed herself.
It’s a nice thing. The gags aren’t overwhelming. (Though I did laugh like a hell at “Do you remember your divorce?”) But there’s smiles all around, and the show really leans into the god character stuff. Everything from Ted using one of Nate’s plays without hesitation, to Coach Beard giving Nate the “high praise” of calling him a “good kid” is scientifically proven get a smile out of you. The show works its magic on the audience the same way Ted does on everyone around him: through sheer chipper earnest. Even crusty old reviewers like me are not immune to such an attack.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2022-05-13T23:45:27Z
[7.5/10] Only three episodes in, and the basic move for Ted Lasso is already established. Somebody sets out to destroy Ted, or undermine him, or just get under his skin, and he’s just too sunny and achingly earnest to do anything but win them over. I’m not complaining. It works on me! Ted is a cartoon character, but Jason Sudekis’ winning performance makes him feel just real enough to believe in. Which is, perhaps, what equally grumpy writers like Trent Crimm eventually see in the man as well.
So he wins people over. Trent sets out to write a hit piece, but sees how earnest Ted is in befriending someone prickly like Trent, but also in being genuinely kind and supportive of people, and caring more about making his players the best people they can be than winning games. Roy Kent sets out to push back on Ted’s lack of coaching and unwillingness to step in and stop Jamie’s harassment of Nate, but his literary gifts and willingness to engage with schoolchildren and sincerity about wanting Roy to be the protagonist of A Wrinkle in Time convince Roy to step up and be a leader to stop the bad behavior itself.
Hell, it’s not limited to Ted. Rebecca has no qualms about using Keeley to destroy her coach and star player at the same time. But Keeley is so genuinely grateful to Rebecca for killing the paparazzi piece she surreptitiously spurred in the first place, and so very much on Rebecca’s side, both for her unfair treatment in the press during the divorce and her bosom in a privacy-breaking photo, that Rebecca can’t help but be a little charmed herself.
It’s a nice thing. The gags aren’t overwhelming. (Though I did laugh like a hell at “Do you remember your divorce?”) But there’s smiles all around, and the show really leans into the god character stuff. Everything from Ted using one of Nate’s plays without hesitation, to Coach Beard giving Nate the “high praise” of calling him a “good kid” is scientifically proven get a smile out of you. The show works its magic on the audience the same way Ted does on everyone around him: through sheer chipper earnest. Even crusty old reviewers like me are not immune to such an attack.