Ted Lasso Season Two Theme and Recap

themes and favorites

If the throughline of season one is Accountability (sub-theme: Ted’s Ruinous Empathy), season two is all about Boundaries. The Ted we meet in season one is All Love, No Boundaries. We all know people like that–they can be charming and wonderful but ultimately exhausting for others and/or themselves.

I shared in my previous post that his instant forgiveness of Rebecca rang a bit hollow to me, and thought at the time that if he could learn a little self-differentiation, his leadership would be unstoppable. As of the end of season two, he’s not there yet, but he’s growing for sure. I’m still agnostic about whether Nate will get a redemption arc, but I hope whatever happens, it’s actually an arc, rather than another insta-forgiveness. Remember my favorite definition of boundaries, courtesy of Prentiss Hemphill by way of Brene Brown: the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously. 

In season one, Keeley and Higgins are the avatars for Accountability. In season two, it’s Dr. Sharon Fieldstone who helps the theme of Boundaries to blossom: balking at the overly familiar nickname “Doc,” at least initially; declining the gift of biscuits because she doesn’t react well to sugar; scolding him for bursting through the door without knocking, lest he interrupt a session with a client; calling her and Ted colleagues at the hospital, which they are. 

Sharon gets knocked by some for being joyless and even judgy in comparison to the rest of the gang. While I agree that it took some time for the character to find her footing, a couple things to keep in mind:

• In an early scene, she says she’s twice as good at her job as Ted is at his, and makes other references to her competence and even brilliance. My mind went instantly to the quote attributed to Charlotte Whitton, “Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.” And Sharon is a Black woman, so the quote is doubly true. I give her all kinds of grace and props for how she carries herself.  

• In the scene where we meet her (the guys are playing ball and goofing around in the office), my sense is that she sizes up the scene immediately, basically diagnosing Ted within minutes. Not only does Ted’s usual tricks not work on her, I think they only reinforce her certainty that he has something he’s hiding and compensating for. I was reminded of Oliver Babish’s deadpan line from The West Wing, another favorite show: “In my entire life I've never found anything charming.” She sees through it all, precisely because she’s such a good therapist. 

Anyway, here’s my episode-by-episode reactions to season two. I find this season much deeper and more interesting than season one, but less bingeably rewatchable as a result. It’s the dark forest, after all; some of the scenes are tough. 

Season Two Reactions

Episode 1, Goodbye Earl

The weakest episode in the season. Love Dani Rojas being front and center though, and there will be a nice callback in the finale. But there’s more interesting stuff to ponder so let’s move on. 

Episode 2, Lavender 

Here’s a prime example of Poor Boundaries Ted. He reassures Sam that Jamie wouldn’t be coming back to the team, then does an about face without even giving the team a heads up? However, you do see a progression between end of season one and here: in season one we have that confrontation with Beard in which Beard says that winning does matter–these aren’t kids, they’re professionals. In this episode we see Ted wanting to have a positive influence on Jamie, and/but the team’s performance matters too.

Episode 3, Do the Rightest Thing

The first great episode of the season. I wish the negative consequences of Sam’s protest had continued beyond this episode, but it’s also nice to live in Lasso-world, where Sam doesn’t get treated like Colin Kaepernick. 

Jamie is the first white team member to join the protest. Remember this old video about the first follower and how vital that person is? Perfect example.   

Only sour note: Led Tasso. I skip that scene every time. 

Episode 4, Carol of the Bells

I Love This Episode. It’s now a Christmas holiday tradition. Like a warm hug. It’s also one of the reasons I think/hope Ted will stay in England: to be with “the family we make along the way.”

Episode 5, Rainbow

Not only is this a perfect episode of television, but I put the last few minutes (Roy’s run to the stadium) on the short list of all-time best scenes on a TV show, period. 

Discuss: is rom-communism an example of toxic positivity? The team is really struggling, and the speech is high on platitudes and low on useful content. On the other hand, “do your thing with zero expectations and let go of outcome” is solid life wisdom, so… [shrug]

Stealth MVP: Jeff Stelling, the host of the sports program. His reactions are priceless.

Don’t miss that there are *three* power poses in the episode, not two. There’s Rebecca’s big and fierce one, there’s Nate’s attempt at a power move that devolves into self-loathing (sad and gross), and there’s Roy’s, which we see from behind when he steps onto the pitch as coach and draws himself up to full height. Brilliance. Brett Goldstein you are a f***ing legend.

And the best GIF of this season comes from this ep:

Season 6, The Signal

Lovely moment in this episode, when Rebecca goes to check on Ted after his panic attack. She misses her team winning the FA Cup game and doesn’t even seem to care. I love their friendship–hard disagree with those who say they should end up together though.

Theme check: Higgins’s struggle with whether to talk to Beard about his and Jane’s relationship. Our season one denizen of honesty and accountability, struggling with where the boundaries of good friendship are. 

Hot take: Phil Dunster was absolutely robbed of an Emmy nomination this season, and here’s where we start to see his full brilliance. 

Finally, “Poor little cake! Soggy bottom! Poor little cake! Soggy bottom!” [chef’s kiss]

Season 7, Headspace

Sam and the team huddling around his phone, watching the three dots. I loooooove the way the boys support each other. The haircut is in a future episode but it’s also an all-timer. 

Ted goes to therapy. Jason Sudeikis and Sarah Niles are stellar in this episode. Theme check: Ted’s idea that Sharon doesn’t really care about him because she’s being paid. Yes, someone with a poor sense of boundaries could very well see professionalism and compassion as mutually exclusive. 

Tepid take, because everyone agrees: Nick Mohammed deserved the heck out of his Emmy nomination.

Rebecca and Higgins jazz scatting. Keeley and Roy, relationship goals.

Season 8, Man City 

A close second behind Rainbow. The Roy and Jamie embrace… who’s cutting onions again?

Theme check! Nate is demanding to know where Ted is during his “emergency,” while Beard and Roy respect Ted’s privacy. Healthy people respect healthy boundaries. 

Gah, the little touches on this show. Jamie’s father is listed in his phone as “Dad” (with air quotes).

Warm take: Are Roy and Phoebe the best love story in the show?

Episode 9, Beard after Hours

Ah, the controversial episode. I think it’s very well done, and I’m sure I’d be rewarded in the rewatching of it, but it’s so tonally different, I don’t reach for it. I do think Beard and Jane are a fascinating couple. Their relationship is not healthy. But in answer to Higgins’s question, “Does she make you a better man?” I think the answer is no… but I’m not sure she makes him a worse man either. He seems a willing participant in their toxic, boundary-less (!) pairing. They strike me as a great example of that classic quote from Moonstruck: ​“L​ove don't make things nice - it ruins everything… We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and die.” 

Episode 10, No Weddings and a Funeral

Tied with Man City for second best episode. I will admit, I love Sassy as Rebecca’s ride-or-die. Everyone needs a Samwise Gamgee, and everyone needs a Sassy. 

Hated the uptight vicar. Come on! Grief is complicated, and as a pastor I’m gonna let you be what you need to be on the day of your loved one’s funeral. 

Many of us were bracing for some fallout between Rebecca and her goddaughter when Rebecca starts sleeping with Sam, Nora’s crush. I love that they didn’t go with that lazy storyline. She’s 13, for Pete’s sake, not a romantic rival! I love the character of Nora in general. Let me put in a plug for Shrinking, by some of the creators of Ted Lasso, which also has a well fleshed out teenager in it. (I’m only a couple episodes in but it is SO good.)

The dress shoes storyline is darling:

Dani: I hate dress shoes so much, Jamie.
Jamie: I know, muchacho. 'Cause remember, they ain't made for people like us. They're made for sheep. They're made for Muggles. They're made for twats.
Dani: When I get home, I will set them on fire, and their memory will burn in hell.
Jamie: Jesus, Dani.
Dani: Jesús has no place in the conversation of these damn shoes.

Credit to Phil Dunster for selling Jamie’s profession of love to Keeley so well–otherwise that is complete cringe.

Episode 11, Midnight Train to Royston and Episode 12, Inverting the Pyramid of Success

Putting these two together because I haven’t revisited them that much. For those of us who’ve grown to love these characters as if they’re real people, the last two episodes are a tough watch. The creators have called season two the Empire Strikes Back season–remember how bleak things are at the end of that movie and you understand the work they have to do.

Some wonderful highlights though. Ted and Sharon’s scenes are absolutely first rate. Love this pair and how they’ve helped one another grow. 

Ted makes a mildly racist comment to Edwin Akufo and immediately apologizes and they move on. This is how you handle slipups, by the way. Tears and profuse apologies make it all about you and your feelings as opposed to the victim.

The Edwin arc is weird. I really liked him in episode 11, but what a strange choice to give him such a tantrum in episode 12, though the actor crushes it. It’s a nice illustration of Sam’s emotional maturity though–he just stands and watches, bemused, as this spoiled billionaire makes a fool of himself. (Sam’s maturity is what keeps the Sambecca storyline from being complete cringe. That and their great chemistry as actors.)

Final theme check: when Michelle texts Ted to check in on him, he starts to ask her where she’s been, then catches himself. He’s learning boundaries! And yay for the new Richmond greyhound mascot, wearing a helmet this time. A wonderful callback to episode one and also a parable about boundaries and taking care of oneself. We live and learn, and when we know better, we do better. Football is life, get out on the pitch… but protect your tender places too.

Thoughts on season two?

~

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