In case you’re new to Medium Cool, BGinCHI is here once a week to offer a thread on culture, mainly film & books, with some TV thrown in. We’re here at 7 pm on Sunday nights.
On this week’s Medium Cool, let’s talk about the show everyone’s talking about: Ted Lasso.
If you haven’t watched it, you should. Bossy, I know, but it really is something special. It can be off-putting at first, as it seems like a formulaic gimmick, and pretty goofy. But this soon gives way to an exploration of a number of deep and abiding subjects: father-son relationships, mental health, community-building, the ways mental health impacts relationships, sports/trust/mentoring, and so much more. It’s a series that constantly surprised me in the ways it avoids cliché, and the courage it has in not succumbing to easy answers for hard questions.
Obviously this means SPOILERS, so be warned.
I’m curious to hear what you think about the show overall, but more so about particular characters, episodes, subplots, sub-themes, and any particulars you care to get into.
HumboldtBlue
The word that always comes to mind when I think back on the show is it’s very “kind.” The humor is sharp and clever, never raw, never ugly, there’s no gratuitous boobs or nudity (except one nude male butt), and I do believe Ted is the only major character who never curses — until episode 12, season 2.
Speaking of episode 12, season two, the rat bastards at Apple TV didn’t include that episode in the free weekly trial I signed up for in order to watch, and I’m still trying to get back to speaking words instead of angry grunting.
Random line — “Isaac’s mom has two left hands”.
BGinCHI
I haven’t read anyone talking about how Roy Kent is modeled on former Man United player/enforcer Roy Kean, though I honestly haven’t googled it. I’d like to read more interviews with Brett Goldstein (who plays Roy Kent). Seems like a really smart, interesting guy from what I know about him.
BGinCHI
@HumboldtBlue:
Totally agree.
In that vein, there’s a great piece on “caritas” as the main idea of the show by a couple medievalists (Matt Gabriele and David Perry).
HumboldtBlue
@BGinCHI:
Oh, Roy Keane is most definitely part of the inspiration for Roy Kent, it’s the locker room stuff — “I’ll start punching dicks” — and such. Keane literally did knock a teammate out, and he was always angry, so there’s definitely a little Keane in Kent.
Random line — “ain’t no policy like a hospital policy cuz a hospital policy don’t stop.”
pika
Love the show–it brought me to tears several times, including Ted’s first panic attack and when Roy hugs Jamie after Jamie’s father is…well, Jamie’s father.
Also great:
Higgins’s marriage!
Any scene with Sam, including the haircut scene!
Sam Richardson as Akufo!
Juno f*ing Temple.
Dr. Fieldstone, every scene
FelonyGovt
I love the women characters. Usually in a show about men’s sports, they are caricatures, but Rebecca and Keeley feel like real people and their friendship is just delightful. (I also love Rebecca’s friend, an occasional character, whose name escapes me at the moment- the one who calls Rebecca “stinky”. Oh, and also Harriet Walters as Rebecca’s mother.)
Joy in FL
I’ve watched all the episodes in both seasons.
Right now, I’m re-watching season 1. I had hoped to finish it before tonight’s discussion, but I’m only on episode 8.
I love how each character unfolds. Some ways are predictable, and some are not. Roy Kent’s relationship with his niece, Phoebe, for example. At first I found the character a little annoying and I didn’t care for the actress. It was a child, so I didn’t want to be judgmental, but I was a little sorry to see Phoebe becoming a more significant character.
But she has unfolded in ways that I find endearing and now I think she is a great asset to the plot as well as appealing in her own right. The discussion she and her uncle have about swearing was perfect IMO. If I were raising a child, I would type it and print it and keep it where I could find it at the right time.
BGinCHI
@HumboldtBlue: Acknowledged in the naming, for sure.
Speaking of, I can’t think of a more well-named character than Jamie Tartt. Perfect.
BGinCHI
@pika:
LOVE Sam Richardson.
Anyone watch “Detroiters”? We haven’t and I want to give it a try.
BGinCHI
@FelonyGovt:
Me too. It’s such excellent writing (and performances, obvs.).
And don’t forget Phoebe!
And her teacher (hubba hubba).
BGinCHI
@Joy in FL: Could not agree more. Was guessing a cliché, but like with so many other things in the show, they transcended it. Esp in the Xmas episode.
Too bad Biden outlawed Xmas episodes in America.
HumboldtBlue
@pika:
You ain’t never lied. If you can’t love Kelley Jones, you have no fucking heart, and season 2 got real really quick when Dr. Fieldstone arrived. Watching the relationship develop between her and Ted was an absolute joy, and I was bawling like a baby while Ted talked about his dad.
Interesting that the one guy who doesn’t have to see Doc is
Roy, we watch Roy deal with his issues openly in his own inimitable way.
Also interesting that the one guy who most desperately needs to see the Doc — Nate — never does so, and we see him unraveling early in season one. Watch him after he gets promoted. He treats Will like shit he tries to be hardass Johnny to the players, and it’s the first time we see the self-hate when looking in the mirror.
FelonyGovt
What do we all think about Nate’s turn toward evil?
HumboldtBlue
@BGinCHI:
Jamie Tartt is absolutely perfectly named, also, I think Keeley and Roy are gonna split and Roy’s gonna hook up with the Irish teacher (what a soft, lovely brogue) and Keeley’s gonna become a workaholic.
Joy in FL
@BGinCHI: I normally do not like Xmas episodes, but that one was really good. That’s when I started being glad to see Phoebe every time her character was included the story.
I loved how Roy and Keely supported her and gave her space to work out the problem herself at the level she could. It was another model for being a caring parent.
cope
My wife and I enjoyed both seasons. Well written, well acted and filled with places and situations not common in my experience of watching teevee. Also, I feel so naughty listening to salty, adult language.
I appreciated the change in tone from season one to season two and can brag that I reckoned Nate would turn down a nastier path. The Rebecca/Sam thing (“Cheers” shoutout?) seemed odd but strangely fitting and we look forward to the next (last?) season.
Having lettered in soccer in college, however, and coached at the high school level for 28 years, plus having followed EPL soccer pretty seriously since it became accessible on US teevee, I am willing to activate my willing suspension of disbelief to fully enjoy the show.
Mike in NC
We looked forward to Fridays for the latest episode of Ted Lasso on Apple TV. A great ensemble cast.
Another show we love is What We Do In The Shadows, about a dysfunctional clan of vampires living on Staten Island. It’s on FX.
Hightown returns tonight on Starz. A decent drama about off-season Provincetown, MA, where there are a bunch of drug-dealing lowlifes running around. I thought it was made up, but my brother in Boston says the Cape Cod area is kind of sketchy in winter.
Squid Game is OK (Netflix). They did an amusing spoof of it on SNL last night.
HumboldtBlue
@FelonyGovt:
That was my first comment on the family thread (cuz I have a clan of smart, extraordinary women in my immediate family) about how smartly and how real the women were written and acted. They also carry the show.
Random line — “I’m being super mature you big dumb hairy baby twat”
BGinCHI
@HumboldtBlue:
Yes, great points. Especially on the opposite directions of Nate & Roy.
Roy moves from antagonistic to kind (or kinder) and more helpful (a coach).
While Nate becomes more of a bully with a little recognition, unable to work through his daddy issues. Notably, instead of actually coaching, he just becomes enamored of his own “ideas” and wants to be a boss.
An interesting critique both of human psychology and the business of sports here.
I really, really love how Roy confronts his issues openly, as when he doesn’t knock Jamie’s teeth out but instead forgives him (FUUUUCK).
BGinCHI
@HumboldtBlue:
If so, they’ll only do it as a plot device before they get back together.
Joy in FL
When I was re-watching Season 1, I thought about how so many events and characters work out difficult and/or painful things and do not conceal how they feel and even share it. This struck me about the male characters especially. I wonder if that is encouraging to men in a culture where repressing emotions (especially ones seen as weakness) is normal and expected. It seems like the characters are showing alternates to patriarchal ways of handling disappointment and anger and sadness.
BGinCHI
@Joy in FL:
We’ve watching both seasons two times through, and I agree that this is what really stands out.
I’d call it “the avoidance of melodrama.”
Mike in NC
We also binged Schitt’s Creek and were sorry to see it go.
HumboldtBlue
The music, the music is outstanding.
Celeste still haunts me with this — Strange
We get some Oasis, some Stones, and this absolute gem of a song — Rex Orange County / Loving is Easy.
And I’m leaving out two dozen others.
Joy in FL
@FelonyGovt: I think I am biased toward Nate in that I want him to be on the side of wholeness and goodness when the series concludes.
I thought what he accused Ted of was not wrong, even though Ted had good intentions. Nate is immature, of course, and can’t handle the attention and praise and responsibility maturely, so when he slips out of the spotlight because of the natural changes in life (or a TV plot), he is truly hurt. He has to inflict hurt back. I hope he doesn’t become a Rupert. (And it is weird seeing Rupert Giles, Buffy’s Watcher, being such an evil character. I think Anthony Head is having a good time with this role.)
/
HumboldtBlue
Couple of other notes.
A “Rupert” in the British Army is an officer who is pretty much an upper-class twat so I think the character’s name is apt.
Jamie Tartt is very loosely based– mostly by physical appearance — on footballer Jack Grealish, who as a young, rich immature man has made his share of missteps.
There is also a strong Jurgen Klopp feel to the show, a football manager known for his engaging personality, his open and honest countenance, his humility and kindness and willingness to build the entire team — staff, tea ladies, owners, janitors — and his man management which is very much of the kind mentor who will go Led Tasso every now and then if needed.
Klopp is also on record stating how much he loves the show, so there’s that.
Random line — Roy Kent during training — “Whistle! Whistle!”
Leto
@BGinCHI: I’ve seen a few interviews of his where he’s spoken about who he took inspiration from on his character. Not sure if you know, but he hosts a podcast that would be right up your alley. Films To Be Buried With with Brett Goldstein. There’s 174 episodes and he interviews some pretty amazing people and he asks excellent questions.
The wife and I absolutely love the show. We were discussing it today and part of the reason we like it so much is because of all the years we lived in England, so it’s a bit like returning home. There’s little distinctly British things they do/say that just make us laugh. Sharp writing and great actors. What more could you ask for?
Our favorite line is Beard and Ted explaining Chuck E. Cheese to the doc: “Y’all might call it something different here. Like, uh, Charles Edgar Cheeserton III or something, right?”
Hahahahahhahahaha
Craig
S1 ep7 is one of the best things I’ve seen on TV. It just effortlessly rolls along, Ted having to deal with his divorce papers, flirting with Sassy Smurf, Keeley’s real love/admiration of Rebecca, Roy’s triumph on the field, Keeley’s karaoke ad leading to Rebecca absolutely killing it singing that Frozen song(with Roy singing along), Ted’s devastating panic attack, and Rebecca coming to his rescue. All that barreling along to a fantastic montage to that Celeste song, Sassy’s look and the closing hotel door. I must say I half expected Rebecca to be there when Ted opens the door, but the writers are a lot smarter than me.
HumboldtBlue
@BGinCHI:
That caritas piece is great and I get it all. That reminder of the end of season one brings me back to Klopp, that’s how Klopp talks after a tough loss and as a manager he’s a man who has seen a lot of tough losses. Until he won the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool in 2019 he was 0-4 in major tournament finals and when he talked about it you could see the pain but he also was always looking forward.
“Tonight we go home sad, Tomorrow we wake up and we go again.”
HumboldtBlue
@Craig:
(with Roy singing along)
That was totally ad-libbed and not planned, the camera just happened to catch him singing along, and they kept it in because it worked with the story arc between him and Phoebe.
Craig
@HumboldtBlue: that’s awesome
Leto
@FelonyGovt: I think it goes to show what most of season 2 was about: father/daughter-son relationships. With Nate, unfortunately he’s had a toxic father who basically always shits on everything he does. Doesn’t matter what, he shits on it. As Joy in FL was saying, he doesn’t know how to deal with the fame/responsibility so he’s emulating his dad. Which, we as the viewer know, is bad. I don’t think he wants to, but again it’s the influence of his father coming through. Ted/Rebecca are dealing with the issue in a more healthy way (working it out with the doc), but Nate isn’t there yet.
Benw
It’s such a lovely show in that no one (with the exception of Rebecca’s ex) is a really bad person. One thing that’s great about Ted himself is the quiet expectation of decency – real decency, not faux politeness.
Craig
I love the female characters on the show. Rebecca and Keeley obviously, but the rest are great. Rebecca’s mom is fantastic, she deserves an Emmy. I love that Bex is played by real life Page 3 girl/Influencer Keeley Hazell. I really like the Doc’s development.
HumboldtBlue
@Benw:
There is a spli-second scene that melts me every time and it happens in a flash but it says all there is to say about Ted.
Remember when he was seen riding on the back of the lawnmower?
An episode two or later he arrives at work, says hi to someone then looks out at the pitch, sees the pitchman on his mower and asks for a beep.
He gets his beep, and the smile he flashes as he acknowledges the beep is the most sincere and sweetest of the series. Just a fleeting moment, easy to miss, but there was real joy expressed in that flashing second.
BGinCHI
@Leto: WHOA, thanks! I did not know about the podcast and will give it an ear.
That Chuck E. Cheese line had me rolling.
Craig
Favorite random line: Oh right, I’m the one with the accent.
Central Planning
I think Nate is turning into his dad.
Also, Brett was on Seth Meyers last week (two weeks ago) and Jason, Brendan, and one other guy were on the next night. Both shows were great.
Brett also did a really short 12-episode thing on youtube – a spoof of Love Island called Lone Island. It was pretty funny.
BGinCHI
@HumboldtBlue:
As a big Liverpool supporter, I’ve been thinking about this as well. Clearly Klopp was on their radar, and he must feel good seeing himself reflected there.
FelonyGovt
I enjoy the dynamic in the bar. Annette Badlands as Mae is amazing, and the fans are a riot.
BGinCHI
@Benw:
Which reminds me of what Sassy says to Rupert at the funeral: “I look forward to your death every single day.”
She destroys him and it is a delight.
FelonyGovt
@BGinCHI: With a big smile!
Leto
Ashley Nicole Black On What Drew Her To ‘Ted Lasso’
Avalune and I first saw Ashley Nicole Black on HBO’s, “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (so incredibly funny), so when we saw her name popping up as an executive producer/writer, we were particularly jazzed because she’s incredible.
A Shout-Out to Coach Beard and Brendan Hunt, the Quiet Hero of Ted Lasso
This interview is a bit older, but it’s Ashley discussing Brendan Hunt’s character of Coach Beard.
HumboldtBlue
The funeral episode is the best of the series.
The Beard episode was a complete waste of an episode.
Random lines — Jamie: “I don’t really know how to talk to you.”
Beard: “Then it’s working.”
BGinCHI
@Leto: Thanks for these!
BGinCHI
@HumboldtBlue: The dancing and hula hoop at the end redeems it.
Craig
@FelonyGovt: Mae rules. That scene in the pub where Ted shreds Rupert at darts is beautiful.
Leto
@BGinCHI: I love the fact that Brett almost turned down the role because at the time he had some standup gigs booked and he didn’t want to let down the like 40 people who would show up to his shows. Funny little story.
BGinCHI
While not the longest thread we’ve had, I really appreciate the insights here.
I think this is a show that’s going to stick in the culture a bit deeper than a lot of others. It feels like the show we need right now with so much hatred and stupidity and meanness dominating our civil life. It’s a reminder that you can be in pain, and angry, and hurt, but that you don’t have to do it back to others. You can do something about it and achieve some happiness, even if hard won.
Benw
@HumboldtBlue: that’s a great one. I love all the quiet moments where Ted just acknowledges someone. It’s feels revolutionary, but should be so easy!
Another Scott
@BGinCHI: +1
Thanks for this. I hope to see the show sometime, but we’re not interested in signing up for a streaming service. It looks like it might eventually be on Google Play and the like for rental.
Cheers,
Scott.
GregMulka
“Better manners when I’m holding a dart.”
Favorite line from season one.
Everything Sassy says to Rupert at the funeral.
If you go back and watch you can see Nate showing signs of his turn to he dark side in season one. Also, the worse he gets the more gray his hair gets.
Benw
@BGinCHI: every takedown of Rupert is a delight. Ted not being above hustling Rupert in darts was fantastic!
Leto
@pika: @HumboldtBlue: @BGinCHI: Ok, so this is me turning into a running ad (fanboi) for Ashley Nicole Black, but a big part of Sam and Dr. Fieldstone’s development is her work: Ashley Nicole Black Radiates Joy in the Writer’s Room of ‘Ted Lasso’
I’m really enjoying Dr. Fieldstone and how she’s integrating into the family. Definitively strong in her opinions, but also starting to form relationships/attachments to the team. Also she rides a Brompton (the folding bike) and that’s one of the most British things ever.
HumboldtBlue
@BGinCHI:
Almost, I’ll give you the three stooges getting a limo, however.
Thinking back, that scene between Rebecca and her mom in the church is one of the most powerful I’ve seen in quite a while. Extraordinary intersection of women’s lives and how they dealt with their lives and issues, and how they still do.
Also, Ted meeting Nora is one of the most charming of the series as well.
Craig
@HumboldtBlue: agreed, Rebecca’s mum is brilliant in that scene, it’s so heavy and beautiful.
HumboldtBlue
@Craig:
I’m not sure if it’s that same episode, but at one point you see Rebecca sending a text message on Bantr and when the scene cuts it’s to Ted walking in the hallway looking at his phone.
They tried to tease us with the potential of that relationship. I know it’s most likely not going to happen, but watching Ted and Rebecca together, you can’t help but think they are made for each other.
HumboldtBlue
@Leto:
That line jumped out at me as well, and I immediately recognized the reference.
Cuz I’m smart, not, like dumb.
Craig
@HumboldtBlue: I think that’s the same episode. They were very coy with that tease. They keep Rebecca and the male Server out of the same frame, and cut out of that shot ambiguously, so it could be Rebecca at Ted’s door.
Craig
I really liked the Xmas episode. Phoebe and the boy taunting her getting on the same page. Inside the Higgins clan. Rebecca taking Ted around to drop presents to poor kids and that she’s been doing it for years is another peek into her decency. One of the things I dug about S1 was little flashes of decency from her, or sympathy for her-darts game- and yet you remember she’s a monster asshole who’s trying to destroy these people, Ted, The Team, the fans all to get some revenge on her ex husband.
Benw
@BGinCHI: this post is greatly appreciated! Ted Lasso feels a bit like we took the lessons about kindness, sharing, and fairness we teach young children, and actually applied them to grown ups.
BGinCHI
@Another Scott: FWIW, I think I pay $5 a month for Apple+, which would be worth a one-month go and both seasons of TL. Plus For All Mankind, which is really, really good.
Argiope
@Benw: I agree. Lots of non-toxic masculinity and humor that punches up, not down, demonstrating that kindness can still be dramatic and not boring. Diamond Dogs moments are some of the most fun.
Woodrow/asim
Shows like Ted Lasso and The Good Place (which I also high;y recommend if you like Lasso!) remind me a lot of why Star Trek, warts and all, really matters — both for myself personally, and for the larger culture they are a part of.
All 3 shows are really not about their apparent main subject, but use it as a smokescreen to talk about the human condition in ways that make it clear we’ve got real issues — but if we get our act together, we can overcome. And it’s in the recognition, thru humor and drama, of those conditions that we find a possible path forward, in these shows’ storytelling.
Anyway…it’s been a long day in a long month for me, so I’m actually in-bed. Thanks for posting this; I find this show fascinating (pun intended) and the comments lovely. Thanks gang!
HumboldtBlue
@BGinCHI:
If it’s not already apparent, I’ve been waiting for this thread all week since it was announced. My cat didn’t watch much of the series and doesn’t really like to talk about it.
Woodrow/asim
I came into For… really skeptical; frankly, Moore has done both amazing and horrible work with female characters, and having 3 men create a show promoted to be about women was not a great look. Season 2 won me and my Partner over; it’s easily Moore’s best work as a showrunner, that season — and coming from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, that’s saying a lot!
Especially that Season 2 closer. That was an astonishing bit of emotionally-demanding viewing that was anchored on a remarkably deep understanding of Ronald Reagan’s character and motivations.
Leto
@BGinCHI: Add to that “Foundation” (shaping up to be much better than the novel), “The Morning Show” (season 2 kicked off about three weeks ago, “Physical”, and like 1-2 more I know I’m forgetting.
Central Planning
@BGinCHI: You could squeeze MythicQuest into that month too
Craig
@BGinCHI: thanks for this post, I love the show for its unrelenting positivity, and the idea that kindness and decency in the face of cruelty or tragedy is good for us all.
cope
Another off-beat show about somebody out of their element is “Resident Alien” on SYFY. An interplanetary alien sent to destroy humanity crashes before completing his mission. The first season ran early this year and the second is slated to begin early next year.
The ways humans change his perspective and how he changes theirs is done with a lot of humor just as in “Ted Lasso”. I recommend it.
Leto
@cope: that’s another really good show. Can’t wait for it’s return.
FelonyGovt
@Leto: We started watching Acapulco on Apple TV. Kind of stupid, but not quite as stupid as you would expect, kind of light and charming.
BGinCHI
@Craig: Yes! Agree.
If Seinfeld was “a show about nothing,” Ted Lasso is a show about something we need.
Benw
@Woodrow/asim: that’s a great idea, linking Ted Lasso and The Good Place (a fucking amazing show) to original Star Trek. All three shows are about being the best of ourselves. Have a great sleep
Leto
@FelonyGovt: It’s on the list of things to watch, but man is that list ever growing!
cope
@BGinCHI: I’m not so sure this series will move our national empathy needle much, unfortunately. I think a lot of fans who have come to the show were probably predisposed to receiving Ted’s message but it’s certainly a pretty good thing that the show has gained traction.
Benw
@Argiope: Yes, the Diamond Dogs are the best! In a normal show they would be the dorks or losers, but they always have a wonderful perspective, everyone matters with them :)
HumboldtBlue
Nate says to Ted all the things he wants to say to his father.
Best of Roy Kent
Ted in everyone’s favorite comeuppance scene at the dart board.
Ted talks soccer with Jose Mourinho (rather successful football coach)
HumboldtBlue
@Benw:
Did someone mention Diamond Dogs?
Chief Oshkosh
The seminal scene of the series for me is the one where Rebecca, after a long build-up (wonderfully written and acted), finally confesses to Ted that it’s all been a horrid ploy to destroy the team. That long pause before Ted starts his forgiveness soliloquy, and then his pitch-perfect, plain plains way of just saying: “I forgive you” really summed up the concept, writing, and acting up to that point in the series.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@HumboldtBlue:
Yeah, a lot of potential there but I don’t think they nailed it. A tough episode to do when a big part of the character’s appeal is the mystery, the unexplained contradictions half-revealed. But the show has earned a lot of leeway with me.
Definitely needs more Mae, and the Dutch player, “He’s not rude, he’s just Dutch
ETA : Random line: When Ted tells Rebecca he tried to give her biscuits to the Doc, but the Doc doesn’t eat sugar. “Oh god, what an asshole!”
And I try (no really, I do try) to avoid sugar.
HumboldtBlue
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Agreed on all points. I really liked the Dutch angle as well.
Fuck it, I’m gonna watch the whole damn thing again.
Craig
I really liked the way they use the army men that Ted’s son sent to protect him while far from home. Ted standing up the army man when he signs his divorce papers, and especially the S1 Finale where Ted sends Jamie a note congratulating him on finally making that extra pass and encloses an army man in the envelope.
Benw
@Chief Oshkosh: Yes! I love how that scene demands honesty. Both from Rebecca and Ted about how their flaws led them to where they are. Hannah Waddingham absolutely destroys it.
soapdish
@Craig: Came here to mention Roy singing along with Rebecca’s karaoke. That was a super subtle thing that totally brought a smile to my face.
HumboldtBlue
I like the one big chunk of shredded wheat.
Also, I’m gonna learn how to do the cool “Higgins’ look” for when I see youse in the hallway.
Leto
@HumboldtBlue: that’s a pretty fair representation of UK shredded wheat
Is that when I need a ticket and I come visit you in the broom closet? That “Higgins’ look”?
Craig
@Leto: yup. I grew up with that stuff. Cracked me up seeing in the show.
HumboldtBlue
@Leto:
Arrrggghhh, I got it wrong, it’s the “Higgins nod.” The broom closet is always open, just close the door when you leave.
ChiJDDoug
@BGinCHI:
Agree, it’s a very thoughtful piece.
Leto
@HumboldtBlue: it was honestly funny seeing him pop up all over the place with his ever shifting office. Hopefully he gets his place back in s3.
MuckJagger
At first I wasn’t sure what to make of Ted Lasso — I read so many “Twitter raves” about the first season it’s what prompted me to purchase Apple TV. It was funny, but it also seemed like they were rehashing “Major League” with the evil bimbo woman owner. Once Rebecca confessed her misdeeds to Ted that’s what really made me a fan. IMODO, it’s easily the best workplace comedy since Cheers — but “Mythic Quest” ain’t too far behind.
The number of characters who have “daddy issues” seems bordering on the excessive, though — Ted, obviously, and at least Rebecca, Nate, and Jamie as well. Not sure I’m missing anyone.
Even though Apple TV only has a limited number of shows, I’m finding I’m liking it (at least at the present time) more than Netflix or Amazon
I never realized until recently that it was Hannah Waddingham who played Septa Unella in “Game of Thrones” That’s a backstory I would have paid money to see.
Craig
@MuckJagger: whoa. Septa Unella! Wow.
HumboldtBlue
Roy Kent in four words: “it hurt my feeling.”
What a perfect line.
TheOtherHank
Late to the party, but my take on the show is that everyone who is shitty gets a shot at redemption. If they want it. Nate, so far, doesn’t want it. No one can give you redemption, you have to earn it.
BGinCHI
@HumboldtBlue:
Got it from Denzel.
BGinCHI
@TheOtherHank:
Futbol is Life. And….
Edmund Dantes
@HumboldtBlue: it and the Christmas special are the two that apple forced them into when they expanded the season. Those are what they came up with on the fly.
HumboldtBlue
@Edmund Dantes:
Huh, that makes sense. Xmas episode worked out.
Beard needed a trim.
David C
I paid for a year of Apple TV ($50 gift card for a year) when my free pandemic iPad trial ran out. Nick Mohammed tweeted a list of slights Nate has experienced; up there is Roy’s dismissal when Nate confessed to kissing Keeley. His problem is that he lets these fester – all while Dr. Fieldstone was available to help. I think Rupert will end up screwing Nate over, but Nate will have problems because he doesn’t know that being the head guy means taking the blame as well as the praise. His players will not go for being blamed.
Two scenes I rewatch: Dart Board and Kent’s return to coaching. “You had me at Coach.” The touch of Higgins and his (real life ) wife gets me every time, and the way the scene was built up from a ring tone is charming. More Higgins: the unexpected crowd for their Christmas dinner. Ted got the team to gel, to Believe, and start acting like a team, and they just enjoyed spending time together.
Getting ready to start blubbering through a Season 2 rewatch. Currently watching The Morning Show, wondering when the whole shebang will be overcome by Covid. Will catch For All Mankind and Foundation.
Rachel Bakes
@Chief Oshkosh: Rebecca’s apology but every other apology too. Keeley to Roy at gala and again when she slept with Jamie later in season 1, and others I can’t remember. Apologies are sincere and meant by speaker and legitimately heard by the receiver. Gives them more strength than “ok” typical to most of us.
narya
Couldn’t join in last night, but came by today to read the thread. I’ve ended up liking this WAY more than I thought I would. About to start watching Season 2. The darts game is also one of my favorites.
Kim
@HumboldtBlue: ” I think Keeley and Roy are gonna split and Roy’s gonna hook up with the Irish teacher (what a soft, lovely brogue) and Keeley’s gonna become a workaholic.” -NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
PST
@narya: I’m with you: sorry that I missed this last night and unable to refrain from a comment. Maybe I’m the only person who liked the Beard episode, but I thought the series needed a completely different interlude. I used to enjoy the way that would happen on Bojack Horseman, like with the underwater episode. This was Beard’s Ulysses.
cope
@PST: I also liked it. It was certainly the most unpredictable of the episodes this time out. I read afterwards that Scorsese’s movie “After Hours” was invoked by Coach Beard’s nocturnal journey. I have also read that this episode and the delightful Christmas episode were sort of add-ons after the 10 season first season was belatedly expanded to 12 episodes for its sophomore outing. That would explain the discontinuity of these two episodes.
laura
Last one to the thread and I’m surprised no one has commented on the women’s utter lack of competition with each other. I really enjoy the ease that Rebecca, Keeley and Saskia have with each other. I love this show so much and that includes the Beard episode – sequined pants and hoolahooping at the rave. But most of, each and every actor has a fleshed out character with nuance and tenderness and really, cant we all use more tenderness and nuance?
Leslie
Another late comment. I love pretty much everything about this show, especially how it models healthy masculinity. I do hope Nate gets a redemption/healing arc before it ends, but maybe he’ll stand as the counterexample. So many beautiful moments. I’m rewatching the whole thing, currently midway through season 1. I agree about Anthony Head (who in real life is much more of a Ted Lasso type) having fun with Rupert.
I couldn’t get into The Good Place, but maybe I should give it another chance. Thanks for the reminder about Resident Alien; I seem to remember that I tried to watch it but couldn’t get SyFy (no cable, just streaming). Will have to check out For All Mankind.