Ted Lasso worked its way into our hearts in the time when we all needed it the most: about halfway through the horrendous year that was 2020. The comedy series from Apple TV+ received a record-breaking 20 Emmy nominations for its 10-episode season, including the Outstanding Comedy Series. Ted Lasso resonated with audiences in a way that not many shows have managed to achieve, all with themes of positivity, forgiveness, and unity being at the forefront.
On Friday, Ted Lasso returned for its second season, and it couldn’t have been more anticipated. With Season One ending on a low yet hopeful note as AFC Richmond faced relegation, Ted Lasso still inspired hope in viewers for their beloved Greyhounds: that they’ll get promoted to the Premier League again and win the entire tournament.
Spoilers for Season 2 Episode 1, “Goodbye Earl,” ahead!
Season 2 opens with a scene we are familiar with: a last-minute game-changing moment. It all comes down to this. We see Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernández), the golden retriever-like character we fell in love with in Season 1, faced with a penalty goal. He’s set up. He’s ready to go. He approaches the shot. And he… kills a dog? Somehow, the team mascot escaped from its leash to chase after a bird and ultimately paid the price.
This shocking season opener is the catalyst for a whole string of events that our favorite Richmond crew will have to go through and, consequently, grow and learn from. We then see Ted (Jason Sudeikis) at a press conference following the game in which he mentions how well Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh) played and how he fills the Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) void as Roy is in retirement now. This is—hopefully—a nod to a fantastic Sam storyline this season, and I personally hope Sam gets the recognition he deserves. Ted is then asked about the dog Dani killed, Earl, and Ted tells another long-winded story, as expected, speaking from his heart like always, and truly manages to make a terrible PR situation feel under control.
We then see Dani Rojas struggling with this horrific event, even though it was by no fault of his own. It’s hilarious to see Dani in this “football is death” state because it is so starkly contrasted from the Dani Rojas we met in “Two Aces,” but heartbreaking at the same time. We also meet Jan Maas, a new Dutch player for AFC Richmond that seems at first to be a sort of Jaime Tartt parallel, based on his comments to Colin that Sam describes as not rude, just Dutch. I assume Jan Maas will be a source of conflict within the team as they struggle with a seemingly never-ending string of tied games. As Dani continues to struggle with what happened with Earl, not only mentally but physically, in his football abilities, Higgins (Jeremy Swift) recommends bringing in a sports psychiatrist, Dr. Sharon Fieldstone.
Dr. Fieldstone is not warm to Ted Lasso’s Midwestern charm and optimism. She promptly shuts down him calling her “Doc,” and does not even lend a smile to his nice to meet you dance, which was definitely one of the highlights of the episode. She seems cold and serious, not in a negative way like we all thought about Rebecca at the beginning of Season 1, but in a no-clownery way that will be a challenge for Ted to win over.
Meanwhile, in the B-plot of this episode, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) has started dating again. There are scenes of her and Keeley having “girl talk” and planning a double date so Keeley and Roy, who has taken up a football coaching gig for nine-year-old girls, can approve of this “John.” (*Ted voice* STAMOS?!) After their double date, Roy expresses his frustration with John just being “fine” for Rebecca. “You deserve someone who makes you feel like you’ve been struck by f—king lightning!” This really strikes a chord with Rebecca, and she ends up breaking up with John near the end of the episode. This breakthrough that she deserves the best person for her is something new to her, as she always felt overlooked with Rupert. This building of confidence is going to be a huge piece in her development this season.
I can already tell that a huge theme in this season is going to be identity. Beard states, “All people are different people” when trying to help Ted come to terms with his reservations about bringing in Dr. Fieldstone to help Dani.
Roy is clearly struggling with retirement. He has not been back to Nelson Road Stadium to see any of his old football mates; the only friends he really sees are his yoga mom friends that do not know who “Roy Kent” is. He is embarrassed by his retirement speech (which I hope we get to see later on in the season), and he does not want to take a pundit job with SkySports, even though everyone around him is telling him it is a good idea. This struggle is hopefully going to lead to some awesome character development for Roy as he struggles with his identity away from football.
Another storyline we see brewing in 2×01 is Nate finding his identity as a coach. He has this new confidence from being promoted and giving a pep talk in Season 1, but his comments in this episode seem rude and unfounded.
And as far as Ted’s identity as the manager, I think this will be one of the biggest struggles we see in the season. Ted will struggle with feeling needed in the same way he was in Season 1. He’s no longer Rebecca’s confidant, as she confides in Keeley. He’s not the reason that Dani is able to play again, but Dr. Fieldstone is. A few other players voluntarily go see Dr. Fieldstone and seek her expertise, which disappoints Ted in a way. He is no longer needed by his ex-wife. Roy not coming around feels to him like he no longer needs him. I think Ted finds a lot of purpose in being a partner, being helpful, being depended on. This is going to be a struggle for him as he deals with this part of his identity throughout the season.
The last scene of the episode kicks off with something that made season one so special, a genuine apology. Keeley apologizes to Roy by saying, “I used our fun night out together to try and change your mind about something you don’t want to do. That was tacky, and I’m really sorry for it.” What could easily be used as a point of contention for this relationship was dismissed with a genuine apology. Roy is then seen at yoga with his mom’s friends as they all gather around the television to watch the reality show: Lust Conquers All, and it’s revealed that the one, the only, Jaime Tartt, is a contestant. I cannot wait to see where that storyline goes and how Jaime fits into the lives of our AFC Richmond crew this season.
The Season 2 premiere felt like being reunited with your family. The humor felt true to the first season, and the plot devices that have been set up have me eager for the rest of the episodes to see how The Diamond Dogs and company handle these challenges they have already been presented with.
Ted Lasso is now streaming exclusively on Apple TV+.
