I randomly watched the new AppleTV+ show Ted Lasso starring Jason Sudekis and man - it's surprisingly good.

Now it is IS overly optimistic and cliched at some points (as many sports movies/TV shows are) but man I liked it. (I also find it hard to watch things that are not optimistic right now.)

Anyone else watching?

Article:
How on Earth Is ‘Ted Lasso’ Actually Good?
https://www.theringer.com/tv/2020/8/14/21367994/ted-lasso-apple-tv-jason-sudeikis

Very basic, easy-going stuff but that's sort of its appeal to me. Enough heavy shows around, and this just feels all fuzzy and warm lol. Its not so silly that it gets tiring, and its not so mushy that it gets dreary, its just... Chill, I guess. I like the characters and I like Jason Sudeikis and all the players, even the one star player's GF is cool to me

Not a must-watch by any means, but its a nice show to put on to wind down after the day while scrolling a lil bit on your phone or tablet

I signed up for an appleTV trial to watch this not knowing that it they're rolling it out weekly. I'm not even mad I'll have to pay for a month to finish the series. Plus, I finally got to saw the Quarantine episode of Mythic Quest which was fantastic and award-worthy.

But yeah, this is just a funny, sweet, smart show. Also, shout out for the representation in both cast and background casting.

This is one of the strongest pilot episodes/opening seasons of a comedy I can remember.

Watch this!

More heartwarming than laugh out loud funny, but I loved all the characters and the story played out in a more sensical way than the premise would suggest. A show based on a couple okay sketches seemed like a recipe for disaster, but they made it work.

I’m guessing if I was a futbol fan I’d be complaining about the lack of futbol though lol.

gonna be kinda weird using the character for their coverage in the future since theyll be essentially promoting a show from another network too.

There is a lot going on underneath the surface of this show.

Like this is what white folks should aspire for their brand of Americanism to look like. Optimistic, Smart, Friendly, Tolerant and Welcoming.



**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

it's good, though it didn't really grab me as much as most people in here, or friends who've recommended it.
It's enjoyable enough, it's sweet. everyone in it is good. I don't have anything negative to say about it.. just not extra drawn to it.

Like can a show be too happy. I know Christmas episodes are usually jolly but to see the Christmas episode in the summer being so freaking happy was nauseating.

It seems like the show is taking a darker turn which seems promising. I love the Black Psychartrist. I love her seeing through Ted Lasso using humor and chipperness to hide what he is going through.

Also love seeing the little guy Nathan turning into a creep bully. Its a realistic turn to see someone who started as the object os such much ridicule turning into a bully when he gets a little bit of power.

Looking for them to nail the last few episodes.



**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

Loved it

I didn’t really understand the S2 backlash.

Honestly it’s just a really good, easy watch with great characters. Even when it misses it’s still entertaining.

And season 2 didn't.

That's the difference to me.

Though eps are a little longer than they need to be, I've enjoyed this season thoroughly. Starting to see a lot of payoffs for a lot of the characters journey. The growth of Jaime and Roy has been great.

I think there is a bit of a blowback with the show being a bit too woke, but it really is supposed to be feel good tv.

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

I mean everyone, EVERYONE, is going to end at a high point - even Nate.

But I do enjoy it.

>I mean everyone, EVERYONE, is going to end at a high point -
>even Nate.
>
>But I do enjoy it.

*obvious spoilers*

- Episodes have largely been a slog.
- The comedy *really* ain't hitting for the most part.
- They nerfed Roy bigtime.
- The Zava thing was pointless.
- Everything going on with Keeley has been pretty mid, at best. Rebecca too, for that matter.
- Nate did a world-class heel turn and then is straight back to being a good guy. What was the point?
- The team's having after-school-special level discussions about photo leaks and shit. I guess it's not w/o some merit but it's *really* stale subject matter and just comes off cheesey af.
- The stuff w/ Ted's ex and their marriage counselor is pretty extreme, yet hasn't been unpacked with any real weight. That's pretty damn wild for a show that has put mental health and ethical behavior front and center for the entirety of its run.

I'm pretty sure I could keep going. But yeah. To me this feels like a show that became everyone's sentimental favorite, became successful, got creative carte blanche, and has become wildly indulgent ever since. It's pretty bad this year.

But the Jamie/Roy team-up has consistently delivered.

She treated him like shit for seasons, and we are supposed to be happy he finally bagged her? Don't like it.


Anyway, I see your gripes. I can see how some people won't be along for the ride. But dude above who called it therapeutic, that's how I see it. Ya got to be there for the sentimentality of it all.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

What he was pretending to be or who he thought he had to be to be liked or successful. I thought that was clear to everyone?

He was completely invisible to her until her boss pointed out he was a big deal.

He was never rude to her or unkind, he just came off as weak and unimportant.

>What he was pretending to be or who he thought he had to be
>to be liked or successful. I thought that was clear to
>everyone?


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

Then they talked when his date split and made an actual human connection that they mutually decided to cultivate. Like a real relationship between normal people.

This show is almost never subtle, but maybe it's still worth saying that there's no need to mash the "good guy" and "bad guy" buttons with these particular stakes.

There really was no reason for her to treat him the way she did initially. She wasn't very nice to him.

And not to be extra with it, because this was honestly my reaction and my wife's reaction, we just saw a white restaurant staff member treating a brown person like he was invisible for no reason.


It's kind of interesting because it's surprising to me that Heinz or anyone else could see it another way.

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

What do you want to happen based on their original, not-okay interaction? For her to experience some kind of comeuppance? For him to triumph over vindictive restaurant hostesses everywhere?

The "other way" people are seeing it is that two characters took the time to actually get to know one another and have both become happier and better people for it. There's no antagonist in this subplot. Nate and Jade have only gained something from the full arc of this interaction, not lost or suffered. This feels pretty faithful to the central message of the show.

so I am not looking for a fall or anything like that.

I was disappointed that he would want to get with her in the first place but it does kind of make sense that he would want her like a trophy like the other trappings of success he has been pursuing that didn't make him happy.

I thought it was headed in the direction that she would disappoint him or prove to be as shallow as she has been shown to be so far but in the latest episode I saw, E9, it looks like they are trying to make her out to be a good influence on Nate and part of his redemption arc...which doesn't make sense to me because she's said like 10 words and she was introduced as a not great person in his life.

At the very least, she is a poorly drawn character.

A more well written description of what I am saying.

https://decider.com/2023/05/10/ted-lasso-what-is-going-on-with-jade-and-nate/



**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

How many passes get made at her daily? He's just a super shy guy, not a great looker, and a little stalker-ish. She's a pretty blond who works in the service industry - she was guarded.

I think seeing him a lot *AND* seeing him on the date with the model made her pay attention. And the day Nate handled that, plus seeing him with his parents earlier, and just being around him more might have made her pay attention more.

I don't think she was at all impressed that her boss was fawning over Nate - she doesn't seem that impressed with her boss either.

All that-- and he stepped up and actually asked her out, not just ate there a bunch and was a shy weirdo.

(And football manager who has dated models might perk any woman's interest more than a dateless equipment manager would.)


Oh, AND she's not a character who they barely fleshed out. It's weak writing maybe - I didn't see her as a 'bad person' who became wowed with Nates fame.

You guys can be fans of Jade (I finally looked up her name). I just don't see it. I am not saying she is bad person. I just don't think there is much there. I don't think they've given us very much to like about her.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

>Oh, AND she's not a character who they barely fleshed out.

And meant:

Oh, AND she's not a character who they fleshed out. (I think I wrote "She's a character they barely fleshed out" and then changed it and messed it up.)

Sorry, she's kind of an empty character to me - or has been until now.

We can definitely agree on that. I think in her emptiness, we poured two totally different things into her character.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

>- Episodes have largely been a slog.

i like the 45 min length. a lot of whats going on would get squeezed in a snappier format imo. 60min and above tho has dragged sometimes

>- They nerfed Roy bigtime.

ive quite enjoyed Roy's evolution as a human being

>- The Zava thing was pointless.

i think that is the point tbh

>- Everything going on with Keeley has been pretty mid, at
>best. Rebecca too, for that matter.

agreed on the keeley bits until the last few eps. the bit where jamie knocks on her door was pretty great tho.

and Rebecca is just in a good place I think. her major knots have been untied for the most part.

>- Nate did a world-class heel turn and then is straight back
>to being a good guy. What was the point?

he was never really that heel tho. hes kind of a mirror universe Ted.

>- The team's having after-school-special level discussions
>about photo leaks and shit. I guess it's not w/o some merit
>but it's *really* stale subject matter and just comes off
>cheesey af.

i took that episode to be about how things are only serious when they affect people close to you, and the flawed way of thinking that idea represents. might have been a clumsy way to go about it but i was willing to give them a lot of leeway there.

>- The stuff w/ Ted's ex and their marriage counselor is pretty
>extreme, yet hasn't been unpacked with any real weight. That's
>pretty damn wild for a show that has put mental health and
>ethical behavior front and center for the entirety of its
>run.

now this is pretty wild lol. that dude wouldve lost his license for that in most states, and Ted's wife is coming across like a major asshole. i havent watched ep 10 yet but those circumstances are pretty jarring to have them put front and center then just pushed aside

>I'm pretty sure I could keep going. But yeah. To me this feels
>like a show that became everyone's sentimental favorite,
>became successful, got creative carte blanche, and has become
>wildly indulgent ever since. It's pretty bad this year.

Maybe its because we already know this is the last season but ive had the opposite experience. I like that this season is the Teddest Ted to ever Ted.

>>- They nerfed Roy bigtime.
>
>ive quite enjoyed Roy's evolution as a human being

yes, cuz every single person on the show, has had some shit they needed to unpack and deal with. they are all on a growth journey...including Roy.
>
>>- The Zava thing was pointless.
>
>i think that is the point tbh

yes, and no. it did show that having a big star doesn't fix a team or guarantee consistent wins but it also served as a catalyst for Jamie to want to get better at football. It's the whole reason he and Roy started their 4am training and started to become closer to each other. it was a very important plot device.

>>- Nate did a world-class heel turn and then is straight back
>>to being a good guy. What was the point?
>
>he was never really that heel tho. hes kind of a mirror
>universe Ted.

exactly. he was TRYING to be a heel but couldn't quick master it cuz its not who he is or who he truly wants to be in his heart of hearts.


>>- The team's having after-school-special level discussions
>>about photo leaks and shit. I guess it's not w/o some merit
>>but it's *really* stale subject matter and just comes off
>>cheesey af.
>
>i took that episode to be about how things are only serious
>when they affect people close to you, and the flawed way of
>thinking that idea represents. might have been a clumsy way
>to go about it but i was willing to give them a lot of leeway
>there.

exactly. and i'm not sure how you've gotten this far in this show if something being cheesy bothers you. Every time they talk about romcoms its cheesy. Ted's jokes are cheesy. the entire premise of the show is cheesy. the show is basically How to Be a Good Person, in 4 seasons.
>
>>- The stuff w/ Ted's ex and their marriage counselor is
>pretty
>>extreme, yet hasn't been unpacked with any real weight.
>That's
>>pretty damn wild for a show that has put mental health and
>>ethical behavior front and center for the entirety of its
>>run.
>
>now this is pretty wild lol. that dude wouldve lost his
>license for that in most states, and Ted's wife is coming
>across like a major asshole. i havent watched ep 10 yet but
>those circumstances are pretty jarring to have them put front
>and center then just pushed aside

i agree with this...i was disappointed that Ted never talked to Dr. Sharon about it.

>>I'm pretty sure I could keep going. But yeah. To me this
>feels
>>like a show that became everyone's sentimental favorite,
>>became successful, got creative carte blanche, and has
>become
>>wildly indulgent ever since. It's pretty bad this year.

how do you know that haven't had creative carte blanche from the beginning? I'm not sure how you get the idea that anything has changed just because you don't like the story arcs. like why is that the assumption?

d


"i do more for both our communities than you'll ever know." - Heinz
"But rest assured, in my luxurious house built on the backs of people darker than me, I am sipping fine scotch and scoffing at how stupid you are." - bshelly

>how do you know that haven't had creative carte blanche from
>the beginning? I'm not sure how you get the idea that anything
>has changed just because you don't like the story arcs. like
>why is that the assumption?

Let's just keep it simple - how would you account for *drastically* longer runtimes from this season to now? That is literally Apple TV saying: "OK, we're gonna let you go longer"

Does that answer your assumption about my assumptions?

>
>>- Episodes have largely been a slog.
>
>i like the 45 min length. a lot of whats going on would get
>squeezed in a snappier format imo. 60min and above tho has
>dragged sometimes

45-ish is far, far more bearable than flirting with/exceeding an hour.

>>- The Zava thing was pointless.
>
>i think that is the point tbh

Sure, but can't this point be made more efficiently? There was little being done while he was on screen that was actually funny/impactful. I honestly dgaf about a few poorly-done Zlatan references.

>>- Everything going on with Keeley has been pretty mid, at
>>best. Rebecca too, for that matter.
>
>agreed on the keeley bits until the last few eps. the bit
>where jamie knocks on her door was pretty great tho.
>
>and Rebecca is just in a good place I think. her major knots
>have been untied for the most part.

The stuff w/ Jack didn't lead to much.

>>- Nate did a world-class heel turn and then is straight back
>>to being a good guy. What was the point?
>
>he was never really that heel tho. hes kind of a mirror
>universe Ted.

Sure but I would argue there was a lot of narrative verve there, and they just didn't have the interest/ambition to actually do *something* with it. Which I feel is supported all the more by having his big confrontation with Rupert NOT EVEN HAPPEN ON CAMERA WTF MAN. Show vs tell, and all that.

>>- The stuff w/ Ted's ex and their marriage counselor is
>pretty
>>extreme, yet hasn't been unpacked with any real weight.
>That's
>>pretty damn wild for a show that has put mental health and
>>ethical behavior front and center for the entirety of its
>>run.
>
>now this is pretty wild lol. that dude wouldve lost his
>license for that in most states, and Ted's wife is coming
>across like a major asshole. i havent watched ep 10 yet but
>those circumstances are pretty jarring to have them put front
>and center then just pushed aside

They really dropped that shit with little more than Hey Jude. That is just shit writing.

>>I'm pretty sure I could keep going. But yeah. To me this
>feels
>>like a show that became everyone's sentimental favorite,
>>became successful, got creative carte blanche, and has
>become
>>wildly indulgent ever since. It's pretty bad this year.
>
>Maybe its because we already know this is the last season but
>ive had the opposite experience. I like that this season is
>the Teddest Ted to ever Ted.

I love the show but now that the plane is landed this season was just a mess for me. Doesn't mean they didn't bottle lightning for a little bit there, shit just got really sloppy and unwieldy to me.

>>
>>>- Episodes have largely been a slog.
>>
>>i like the 45 min length. a lot of whats going on would get
>>squeezed in a snappier format imo. 60min and above tho has
>>dragged sometimes
>
>45-ish is far, far more bearable than flirting with/exceeding
>an hour.
>
>>>- The Zava thing was pointless.
>>
>>i think that is the point tbh
>
>Sure, but can't this point be made more efficiently? There was
>little being done while he was on screen that was actually
>funny/impactful. I honestly dgaf about a few poorly-done
>Zlatan references.
>
>>>- Everything going on with Keeley has been pretty mid, at
>>>best. Rebecca too, for that matter.
>>
>>agreed on the keeley bits until the last few eps. the bit
>>where jamie knocks on her door was pretty great tho.
>>
>>and Rebecca is just in a good place I think. her major
>knots
>>have been untied for the most part.
>
>The stuff w/ Jack didn't lead to much.
>
>>>- Nate did a world-class heel turn and then is straight
>back
>>>to being a good guy. What was the point?
>>
>>he was never really that heel tho. hes kind of a mirror
>>universe Ted.
>
>Sure but I would argue there was a lot of narrative verve
>there, and they just didn't have the interest/ambition to
>actually do *something* with it. Which I feel is supported all
>the more by having his big confrontation with Rupert NOT EVEN
>HAPPEN ON CAMERA WTF MAN. Show vs tell, and all that.
>
>>>- The stuff w/ Ted's ex and their marriage counselor is
>>pretty
>>>extreme, yet hasn't been unpacked with any real weight.
>>That's
>>>pretty damn wild for a show that has put mental health and
>>>ethical behavior front and center for the entirety of its
>>>run.
>>
>>now this is pretty wild lol. that dude wouldve lost his
>>license for that in most states, and Ted's wife is coming
>>across like a major asshole. i havent watched ep 10 yet but
>>those circumstances are pretty jarring to have them put
>front
>>and center then just pushed aside
>
>They really dropped that shit with little more than Hey Jude.
>That is just shit writing.
>
>>>I'm pretty sure I could keep going. But yeah. To me this
>>feels
>>>like a show that became everyone's sentimental favorite,
>>>became successful, got creative carte blanche, and has
>>become
>>>wildly indulgent ever since. It's pretty bad this year.
>>
>>Maybe its because we already know this is the last season
>but
>>ive had the opposite experience. I like that this season is
>>the Teddest Ted to ever Ted.
>
>I love the show but now that the plane is landed this season
>was just a mess for me. Doesn't mean they didn't bottle
>lightning for a little bit there, shit just got really sloppy
>and unwieldy to me.
>

Show was still a success overall and I would recommend it to just about anyone. The magic was gone for me this time around.

And it's a feel good - everything is in it's right place ending.

I'm not mad.

Only loose end I dont think they cleared up was whether Ted and his ex try again. She and the kid seemed over her sleezy doctor lol

had me cutting onions
damn