TED LASSO: “BELIEVE”
Kevin Thant ‘27 & Meghan Tate Zee ‘27
In a world where TV shows represent intense drama, shouting, and a myriad of swear words, one show chooses to stand out. “Ted Lasso” abandons convention and goes against the realism and emotions that dramas usually represent. The show, originating from an NBC TV skit, gained popularity during the pandemic as a light of positivity at the time.
The show follows a successful American football coach, Ted Lasso, who moved to England to coach an entirely different sport, British football. Over the course of the show, Lasso takes the failing soccer club “Richmond” and turns it into a top contender of the Premier League, England’s premier soccer club. Expertly portrayed by Jason Sudeikis, Lasso navigates through day-to-day life with jokes that either everyone gets or obscure American references no British person will ever understand. We are drawn to his overflowing optimism and his strength in the face of adversity. The show writers seem to despise him as they put him through the hatred of a whole town of mad English soccer fans, who are some of the craziest people, a boss who is trying to sabotage his every move, and a team who has no respect for their new coach. But Lasso never gets angry or quits, and he does all this while maintaining one of the brightest smiles on his face, all while going through a heartbreaking divorce of his own.
Backing Ted Lasso is a colorful cast of characters.
Roy Kent: Former player-turned-coach Roy Kent is the epitome of your stereotypical Brit. A bulldog-like grumpy contrast to Lasso, Kent was the backbone of the team as a player and came back as a coach. A fan favorite, Kent provides realism to the show, his gruffness perfectly complements Lasso’s extremely positive coaching style and shows viewers that the whole world isn’t rainbows and unicorns. Through Roy and Ted working together we see that even the two most different people can work together.
Nathan Shelly: At the beginning of the series, Nathan Shelly is a kit man for the team. He is constantly bullied and demeaned by people in his life. As the seasons pass, Shelly moves higher in the ranks and becomes the head coach of a top premier league team. His personality transforms from lovable and kind to ruthful and betraying, he goes from the underdog to the big dog; this change in character is beautifully shown through his physical change of hair turning gray and dressing more and more like a sophisticated businessman with a stick up his… butt. At the end of the recent season, he returns to being a kit man and working with Ted Lasso, showing that it’s never too late to redeem yourself and return to the community in which you belong.
Jamie Tartt: Tartt starts off the show being a loan transfer to Richmond from Manchester City. He’s the top player on Richmond- and he knows it. None of his teammates like him; he’s cocky, selfish, and worst of all, a ball hog! However, throughout the season, with the influence of Lasso and other characters such as Kent, he begins to collaborate with his team and transforms into a lovable character. Tartt’s story is parallel to Shelly’s: It’s never too late to become who you truly aspire to be, and if you’re not happy with your current self, have the strength to change for the better.
All in all, we give Ted Lasso five stars for two reasons. One: the artfully crafted quality of the TV show. And two: the themes it brings to our lives as humans operating in a complicated society. From the soccer players, we learn about collaboration, redemption, internal strength, and humility. From Coach Lasso himself, we gain knowledge on hope and positivity for success. Throughout the seasons, Lasso has constantly brought up the theme of belief in oneself: “I think it’s the lack of hope that comes and gets you. … See, I believe in hope. I believe in belief.” (Ted Lasso, Season 1, Episode 10)
So, Exonians, when you’re struggling through life at Exeter, whether it’s a U.S. History essay, 40X math test, or even waiting in the dreadful lines of Elm, remember Ted Lasso and what he stands for. Believe in your peers, and most importantly, believe in yourself.
