Ted Lasso: A Beloved Story of Optimism and Friendship
Ted Lasso is a story of an American college Football coach named Ted Lasso who takes the charge of an English soccer team named AFC Richmond with zero knowledge and experience of soccer. Through optimism and sweetness Nicky bends the thinking of the people around him while forces within the club plot against him.
Optimism, Team-work, Cultural differences, and Friendship is the center themes of this TV series. The humor is witty and intermingles well with serious emotions and attempts to represent sportsmanship and friendship between the characters of different ages and backgrounds.
Jason Sudeikis does a great job portraying Ted Lasso and adds so much personality to this character. Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein give impressive performances making the main characters genuine and complex portraying the themes of both change and overcoming adversity throughout the show.
The showrunners Declan Lowney and MJ Delaney manage to maintain a balance between comedy and drama, and also provide food for thought while watching the show. They manage to navigate through the twists and turns of character portrayal with ease – feelings can be amusing or serious.
The show itself has a very friendly and welcoming theme that is perfectly accompanied by perfect music for comedic yet serious scenes. It complements the mood without dominating the events seen on screen.
The look of the series is rich with the spirit of soccer and the color of the English countryside, and the well-seasoned darkness and camerawork bring out the positive and positive feel of the series perfectly.
The use of production design adds a lived-in feel to the world of the English Premier League which stands in stark contrast to Ted’s home country of America. Thanks to excellent storytelling, the set pieces are realistic in displaying the dynamics of the team and the changes in morale.
SFX are relatively low; when used they add something important to a comedy or emotional scene at specific times ensuring the usage of practical effects.
In essence, editing is well done and does not hinder the smooth flow of the story. The use of flash-backs and sub-plots is well orchestrated and the pace and rhythm of the series is kept intact.
There is a good mix of humour and action drama as seen in the series. It makes sure that character development does not overpower plot progression and vice versa.
Ted Lasso’s dialogue is both cheeky and touching—fitting of the show. While it has incorporated witty, intelligent humor and genuine expression of emotions into the fabric of the show to a great extent, it still provides the show with a sweepingly positive ambiance.
The show often dodges certain thematic premises and activities, and reverts to cheesy and more obvious ending lines. Some of these side plots, might have been better further elaborated. Still, none of these negatives can reduce the show’s adorable factor.
Ted Lasso is one of the most uplifting shows you are likely to watch. It is funny and has a powerful message of people being nice to one another at its end. It awes an audience by presenting believable characters who experience, overcome and evolve as individuals and communities.
