The Winners

Winners of the Week: The Ted Lasso writing staff

Show: Ted Lasso

Episode: Episode 1, “Smells Like Mean Spirit” (3/15/2023)

Why Them?

Everyone's favorite goofball, Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis), returns for Season 3 of Apple TV+’s magnum opus. Ted Lasso is the gold standard for feel-good television and thanks to brilliant writing, has also developed an emotional core for the entire supporting cast. As many writers would concur, comedy is one of the most difficult genres of content to do well, and somehow Ted Lasso is able to balance humor and heart.

The season starts with Ted’s son Henry leaving Richmond after spending the summer with his dad. Former team captain, Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein, who is a writer on the show) is now the assistant coach of AFC Richmond. Heading into the new season, the team faces mockery as pundits predict they’ll finish dead last and likely face relegation again this season. This is no problem for the happy-go-lucky Ted Lasso, who decides to take the team on a field trip into the sewers beneath Richmond to boost morale. Few people can make a sewer metaphor inspiring, but Ted Lasso is one of those people:

Coach Lasso: “Take a look around, what are we surrounded by down here?”

Jaime: “Poopy.”

Coach Lasso: “Mhm, that’s right. But if you ask me we’re surrounded by a whole bunch of poopy up there as well, yeah?... See, right now, y’all’s brains are basically London in 1857, blocked up by other people's dookie. Y’all need to make an internal sewer system within yourselves and then connect to each other’s tunnels. Help each other keep that flow… So, if you’re ever having a crisis of confidence, borrow some from Jaime… If you’re feeling down, get some Dani in your life… All we gotta do is remember to stay connected to one another and let anything we don’t need flow right through.”

Ted's unorthodox approach helped the team to block out the haters and not be bothered by what the media and everyone on social media is saying about them. When Nate, AFC Richmond’s former assistant coach and current rival head coach, starts hurling insults at Ted and his team during a press conference, Ted takes his own advice to not be bothered by Nate’s comments. Something that makes Ted so endlessly likable is his “kill ‘em with kindness” attitude paired with genuine self-awareness that he displays in his own press conference:

“I thought what Nate said was hilarious. I mean he came and got us, but hey, that’s Nate the Great for you. But he’s the same way on the pitch. He’ll find the tiniest weakness in a team and he’ll attack it. That kid’s a junkyard dog and he’s real smart. West Ham is really lucky to have him. I wish Nate nothing but the best of luck. But I guess I am a little surprised that’s all he could come up with. I mean, especially against me. I mean not one joke about me being a dumb American? Come on.”

Off the field, Ted is still struggling with the internal battles of his divorce, missing spending time with his son, and doubting why he’s in Richmond at all. Through it all, he does his best to stay optimistic. One thing fans of the show appreciate is how each of the characters is emotionally evolving from season to season thanks to Ted’s infectious positivity. The clever, quick-witted writing is responsible for one of the most captivating shows on streaming right now.

Interested in watching Ted Lasso? Add it to your watchlist here!

Likewiser Reviews:

Watched this and literally finished it in 2 days. The writing, characters, and humor is awesome. I was literally laughing at every episode. Go watch it now! - @CupcakeTron

Don't be fooled—this is more than just a breezy feel-good show. Its themes of finding outlets for one's anger, grief, envy and frustrations are something everybody can relate to - @sarah_schoenhaar

Are you all caught up with Ted Lasso? Take a look at our list "19 Shows To Watch If You Love Ted Lasso" for more similar shows!

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