Ted Lasso’s sophomore season is over, and it deserves a standing ovation.
Credit Jason Sudeikis, the writers, and the actors for challenging themselves. They could have easily stuck to the feel-good comedy formula that worked so well in Season 1 and resulted in multiple Emmy awards. Instead, Ted Lasso veered slightly to include more character development, more drama, more emotion. Some things worked. Some did not. But overall, Ted Lasso hit all the right notes again.
What can we look forward to in Season 3? Here are a few suggestions:
Can we get Ted some loving?
The sad, lonely man in his apartment scenes are getting tougher to stomach. C’mon. Ted is a single, charming, funny, and famous American in London. He deserves companionship.
In Season 1, he was going through a divorce. Totally get and respect that. In Season 2, he had mental health issues he needed to address. Absolutely understand. Now he’s ready. Nothing should stop him from getting his groove back.
https://youtu.be/swoLqwR9zxA
The most obvious love connection is with Sassy since she and Ted and had a one-night stand in Season 1. We were optimistic that they would rekindle their spark in Season 2, but there was less Ted in Ted Lasso this year and the two interacted sporadically.
Ted and Sassy have a natural chemistry and enjoy each other’s company. Wouldn’t it be great to explore their potential for a long-term relationship? Of course, things could get complicated since Sassy is the best friend of his boss, Rebecca. Still, let’s make Ted and Sassy an item.
More on the redemption of Jamie Tartt
Jamie’s evolution has been the opposite of Nate’s. He was the Grinch whose small heart grew three sizes in Season 2. Gone is the bullying narcissist. Now he’s the slightly less egotistical teammate (“God bless me, everyone”) who is trying to be a better version of himself. That’s an especially challenging transition when you see his horrible father. Other than Ted, Jamie benefited the most from his sessions with Dr. Sharon.
Jamie is at the heart of some of Season 2’s best scenes: the hug between him and Roy, his explanation to Roy about trust, and his confession to Keeley at the funeral. Jamie is still searching for answers. Wouldn’t it be great to watch him discover those answers?
Jamie getting back together again with Keeley doesn’t seem right, at least not on a permanent basis. Neither does him salvaging his relationship with his dad. But we could see him develop into being an even stronger leader and more likable character.
Bring back Nora
We all had the same reaction when Rebecca’s goddaughter made an appearance in Episode 3, “Do the Right-est Thing“: Who is that?
Nora had the most stunning debut on the show. She did more than hold her own. She was such a revelation that we all went to Google to find out about the teen actress who played her. Surprisingly, this was Kiki May’s first credited acting role. We look forward to seeing her in the future.
https://twitter.com/2xAught7/status/1442130315430883332
Nora is playfully smart and has an interesting relationship with her godmother. She motivated Rebecca to be assertive. She needs more screen time. If Ted and Sassy become a thing, Nora’s reaction to her mom hooking up with the AFC Richmond coach will be interesting. Please make this happen.
We also want to know how Nora will feel about Rebecca potentially dating Sam who is Nora’s favorite player. Perhaps Nora will help Rebecca sort out her feelings for Sam and convince her to give the relationship a chance.
How about exploring another player?
Sam was the breakout star of Season 2. He proved to be a character of great depth, integrity as well as a promising romantic lead. This made us hungry to learn about the rest of the players.
They got a Dutch player with the Dutchest name ever. Jan Maas. 🤣Leuk!! 🧡 #TedLasso pic.twitter.com/QS2Tbqg5Ra
— Monika 💙long-suffering Chelsea fan💙 (@monika_313) July 23, 2021
Tell us more about Jan Maas, AFC Richmond’s international man of mystery. He first appeared in the Season 2 opener, and yet we know little about him other than his bluntness. Jan is honest, to a fault. To the point where it’s great comic relief. His gems include, “I didn’t make any mistakes. Only you played poorly.” To which Sam responds, “Hey, guys, Jan Maas is not being rude. He’s just being Dutch.”
According to an article from the BBC, the Dutch are known for their directness. Eleonore Breukel, who specializes in intercultural communications, wrote: “Others may think that we don’t have empathy. And maybe that is so because we think truthfulness goes before empathy.”
For that reason alone, Jan is an untapped resource. More Maas!
No more standalone episodes, please
Mom! There's two white people at the door… and they're smiling. #S02E04 #TedLasso pic.twitter.com/bDPuIU4yya
— Ted Lasso Lassoism (@TedLassoism) August 13, 2021
In Season 2, we had the Christmas one (“Carol of the Bells“) and Coach Beard’s night out (“Beard After Hours“). The holiday episode had hilarious moments. But the other, which featured 40 minutes of Beard going solo, was weird. Regardless of how you felt about either, they never fit within the narrative.
There were reasons for this. Season 2 was originally supposed to be 10 shows but was increased to 12. Season 3 will also be 12 episodes, but at least Apple TV+ asked ahead of time. That should make for smoother storytelling.
Season 3 is tentatively scheduled for next summer. Can’t wait.
