‘Ted Lasso’: 8 Inspiring Moments to Get You Through Life’s Tough Times
One of the reasons Ted Lasso is so undeniably good is its wealth of wisdom often sourced from the titular character himself.
Already in its second season, the series sees Ted (Jason Sudeikis) continue to drop little truth bombs left and right which neither the audience nor AFC Richmond’s players are always ready to hear. Nonetheless, Ted’s heartwarming perspective is the core of what makes this series great.
Below, we’re rounding up some of his best pieces of advice and life lessons that stay with viewers long after the final whistle is blown.
Ted Lasso, Season 2, New Episodes, Fridays, Apple TV+
Ted's Wise Darts
Ted (Jason Sudeikis) memorably overtakes Rebecca’s (Hannah Waddingham) ex Rupert (Anthony Head) during a game of darts, teaching the overconfident man a serious lesson in humility. “Guys have underestimated me my entire life,” Ted admits to the former AFC Richmond owner. Eventually, Ted says he saw a quote from Walt Whitman that changed his perspective. “It said, ‘be curious, not judgemental.’ I like that.” He goes on to reveal that none of the people who belittled him ever looked at the world that way. “If they were curious,” Ted says of people, “they would ask questions. Questions like, ‘have you played a lot of darts, Ted?'” It’s a question that Rupert should have asked before taking secret dart master Ted.
Believe
The whole show centers on Ted’s mantra of “Believe.” Scrawled across a sign he hangs over his office door, Ted constantly pushes his team members to believe in themselves and each other. That idea extends beyond the playing field as well and has become synonymous with the TV coach. “I believe in believe,” he informs viewers in Season 1.
Be a Goldfish
Ted has plenty of positive coaching moments, but one of his best pieces of advice is relayed to Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh). When AFC Richmond ends up losing against Manchester City in the Season 1 finale, Ted acknowledges that it’s a tough loss and it’s okay to be sad, but he prompts Sam, asking for the player to remind the team of those wise words. “Sam, what do you think we should all do once we get done being sad and angry about this situation?” The player responds, “I think we should all be a goldfish.” In Ted’s definition, being a goldfish means forgetting the things you can’t change so you can move forward in life. What’s not to admire about that?
In It to Win It
Despite being relegated at the end of Season 1, Ted’s willingness to put the team ahead of himself by resigning is a noble gesture. Thankfully, Rebecca doesn’t allow it. She mentions that he’ll have to stick around and help AFC Richmond get promoted and his response is golden. “Next year, we get ourselves a promotion, which looks good on any resume, then we come back to this league and do something that no one believes we could ever do. Win the whole f**kin’ thing.”
Forgiveness Is Divine
After hiring Ted with the goal of having him fail, Rebecca admits to her wrongdoing. The admission includes candid feelings about her ex Rupert and the pain she wanted to cause him by hiring Ted. Instead of being upset, Ted chooses to forgive. “I forgive you,” he says and when she asks why he’d do that, Ted adds: “Divorce is hard. It doesn’t matter if you’re the one leaving or you’re the one who got left. It makes folks do crazy things.” If that’s not enough to melt the hardest of hearts, he goes on to say, “I think that if you care about someone and you’ve got a little love in your heart, there ain’t nothing you can’t get through together.”
Making the Extra Pass
Even after Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) is returned to Manchester City before Season 1’s end, Ted can’t help but congratulate his former player following his win against AFC Richmond. Sending a note to Jamie via Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt), Ted writes, “way to make that extra pass,” acknowledging the footballer’s growth as a team player. It proves that no matter what team Jamie plays for, Ted’s always on rooting for him.
Differences
Ted grows concerned over the presence of sports psychologist Dr. Sharon Fieldstone (Sarah Niles) in the Season 2 premiere. His concerns stem from his own experiences with psychologists in the past, particularly relating to his strained marriage with Michelle (Andrea Anders), that’s when Coach Beard turns Ted’s own wise words on the man himself. He tells Ted: “All people are different people,” suggesting that the worries are probably unnecessary because Sharon is her own person.
Father Figures
In Season 2, Jamie comes to Ted in hopes of finding a spot back on AFC Richmond. Sitting at the local pub, Ted wonders why Jamie squandered his gig with Machester City to which the player reveals his motivation was the abusive behavior of his father. While Ted witnessed some of this abuse in the Season 1 finale, he tries to spin a crappy situation into something positive. “Sometimes having a tough dad is exactly what drives certain fellas to become great at what they do,” the coach tells Jamie. Could Jamie be great? We’re sure Ted believes so.
