Can you watch Ted Lasso if you don’t know anything about football?
*Content warnings* Strong language, homophobic slurs, panic attacks, violence.
What is Ted Lasso about?
Following her divorce from AFC Richmond owner Rupert Mannion, Rebecca Welton takes up the mantle as unlikely owner of this (fictional) football club. Embittered by her cheating ex, she vows to run his club - the only thing he really cares about - into the ground.
Enter Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis), the inexperienced American football coach Rebecca hires in the hopes that he’ll unwittingly assist her in her cunning mission. In this fish-out-of-water story, Ted applies his relentless optimism, big white American grin and generosity, to a sport that he loves - even if it doesn’t love him back.
Despite his profound lack of experience with English football, Ted puts his all into bringing AFC Richmond from mid-table mediocrity to glory alongside his best friend Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt.) Separated from his wife and child by a literal ocean, Ted throws himself into his work, trying his hardest to make AFC Richmond the best team it can be.
Over the course of 10 episodes, he upsets almost every football fan in the town of Richmond, earns himself the imaginative nickname ‘Wanker’, and reveals the gooey, emotional centre inside the hard shells of the AFC Richmond team.
The script is what really carries this show, a lot of the comedy hinging on Ted’s ignorance of British football and culture (if there even is such a thing as British culture.) This makes for a funny contrast to the quintessentially British lack of faith that the rest of the team have in Ted, and the aggressive insults that are relentlessly hurled at him by the football-loving public.
At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking that Ted Lasso is another piece of media about a straight, white man having a go at something he’s never done before, comfortable in his mediocrity and completely allowed to fail. While a lot of sports-related media celebrates traditional - and yes, frequently toxic - masculinity, Ted Lasso is a story about a man whose femininity gives him the edge in a male-dominated field.
A far cry from the frowning, red-faced managers that English football clubs are known for, Ted is comfortably in touch with his feminine side and genuinely wants to connect emotionally with his players.
This attitude is refreshing to see against the backdrop of such an aggressive sport, and manifests itself in some sweet and entertaining ways. He wants a friendship with his boss Rebecca, so he brings her biscuits every morning. His go-to references include Beyonce and Michelle Obama, and his desire for everyone (including ghosts) to believe in themselves fuels his every decision.
Along with a one-liner-packed script, the nuanced characters are what makes the show stand out, from vengeful Rebecca to her stuttering sidekick ‘Higgins’ (Jeremy Swift.) Ted spends a lot of time trying to get through to self-obsessed striker Jamie (Phil Dunster) who flaunts his muscular machismo around the locker room and dominates the football pitch, overshadowing the other players.
This is combined with Ted’s efforts to gain the respect of the team captain and veteran footballer Roy Kent, who softens over the course of the series, played with a hard-faced deadpan by Brett Goldstein.
In a show full of nuanced characters, Roy Kent and Jamie Tartt represent two of the biggest stereotypes about English footballers. Roy is a no-nonsense, aggressive and closed-off team captain, who resents Jamie for his flashy machismo. Meanwhile, Jamie is - to put it mildly - not very intelligent, and hides his insecurity under layers of aggression.
The show celebrates characters coming out of their shells and unlocking their potential. Juno Temple plays Jamie Tartt’s girlfriend Keeley, whose smarts and tenacity go largely unappreciated by her self-obsessed boyfriend, until she is hired to take charge of brand deals for AFC Richmond’s players.
Meanwhile, Ted gradually builds up the confidence of ‘kit boy’ Nate (Nick Mohammed) whose secret passion for football could just save the team.
If, like me, you have less than zero interest in football - American or English - you might hesitate before choosing to watch Ted Lasso. But rest assured, Ted Lasso is not really about football.
Even though the show does feature a football match or two, you’ll be so invested in the lives of the players by that point, you’ll find yourself actually caring about the outcome. Yes, that’s right, you might actually care about the outcome of a football match - albeit fictional.
Between moments of genuine emotion, bonding of unlikely characters, wins and losses, you’ll find glints of true comedic genius carried by a brilliant cast.
Is Ted Lasso worth watching?
Ted Lasso makes Apple TV stand out amongst other streaming TV services, but it’s one of only a few offerings on the platform. I would say on the strength of Ted Lasso alone, it’s worth paying the £5.99 fee for one month.
If you’ve recently bought an Apple device, you’ll have a year’s worth of streaming included, so you can enjoy Ted’s Lasso’s unique, mustachioed charm completely free of charge.
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Written by Alex Scarlett
