Has there ever been a greater collective need for the ethos of our beloved Ted Lasso? It’s probably why the Apple TV+ show about the unwaveringly optimistic football (the European kind) coach played by Jason Sudeikis became an unexpected sensation after debuting last August. As we all stood witness to mass death, the persistent reminder of our destabilized planet, and a relentless cascade of upheavals; the aphorism-laden, midwestern drawl of the mustachioed Coach Lasso seemed to act as a balm.
Last fall, Sudeikis (somewhat unexpectedly) took home a Best Actor Golden Globe for his work on the show, which surely helped boost viewership, but it's likely the improbable pureness of his character that turned the comedy into a sleeper pandemic-hit. The idea of "feel-good" TV isn't new. Sitcoms, of course, are largely built on that notion, and some even mirror Ted Lasso’s central thematic tenets of human decency and teamwork (i.e. Parks and Recreation). Even so, right now, Ted's unassailable tenderness seems to click with audiences in a unique way — which is why Ted Lasso Season 2 has arrived at just the right time.
