{"id":10662,"date":"2021-08-24T08:23:48","date_gmt":"2021-08-24T12:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/?p=10662"},"modified":"2024-08-28T14:06:05","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T18:06:05","slug":"you-had-me-at-coach-ted-lasso-s2e5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/2021\/08\/24\/you-had-me-at-coach-ted-lasso-s2e5\/","title":{"rendered":"“You had me at ‘Coach'”: Ted Lasso, S2,E5"},"content":{"rendered":"

I took a little heat from a few friends during our Kansas City trip for why the hell I\u2019m not doing breakdowns of Ted Lasso<\/em> as I did for ER<\/em> back in the day. Sadly those ER<\/em> breakdowns were all in my pre-blog life, and lost forever when I left my former employer in 2004. I wonder if they\u2019re still stored on some old backup in their servers somewhere\u2026<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve never thought of going all-in on a show like that again. Not for Ed<\/em> or Scrubs<\/em> or The Office<\/em> or Parks & Rec<\/em> or The Americans<\/em> or The Good Place<\/em>, the shows I\u2019ve been most obsessed with in their moment since my ER<\/em> days. And since I both started Ted Lasso<\/em> about a month after it debuted, and was never sure which of my friends were also watching it, I never considered it, either.<\/p>\n

Cal me me peer-pressured, because here goes: my first Ted Lasso<\/em> breakdown! I\u2019ll admit I feel real pressure to live up to the legend of my ER<\/em> breakdowns. And to try to remember how I structured them. So this may be a work in progress until I find my rhythm again.<\/p>\n

Four storylines this week:
\n1 – Nate trying to build up some confidence
\n2A – Ted trying to instill confidence in Isaac
\n2B – And doing so by attempting to lure Roy into coaching
\n3 – Rebecca continuing her search for love<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with Nate. I have not loved Nate this year. That\u2019s because he lost much of the cluelessness that made him so adorable last year. A few times that\u2019s been replaced by shrillness. I enjoyed watching him learn how to translate his confidence from the coaching room to real life, so, at least in this situation, he wasn\u2019t treated like a fucking doormat. I doubt whether that has any long-term consequences, though.<\/p>\n

I was a little frustrated by how Ted\u2019s part began. Reviewing tape of a loss in the locker room and he\u2019s sharing his idea of Rom-communism, where everything will just work out in the end.<\/p>\n

I know Ted is not your typical coach, but what kind of leader has that attitude? It\u2019s one thing to accept bad results, bad luck, and even shit play by looking on the bright side and believing better days are ahead. But to just say it doesn\u2019t matter because things will work out? I was not a fan in the macro sense.<\/p>\n

Ahhh, but in the context of this episode, it ends up working quite nicely. All the little callbacks to classic \u201990s rom-coms were very nice. It\u2019s one of those things that could very easily go awry in the hands of weaker writers. But this crew always manages to pull it off. They won me over in the last ten minutes after a few rough moments early.<\/p>\n

I very much enjoyed every moment of Roy\u2019s screen time. Which is like the \u201cDuh\u201d-est thing I\u2019ve ever written. Roy Kent is fucking gold. I\u2019m a little sad that we won\u2019t see him doing analysis in the studio anymore, because that stuff was legendary. But I also see how it likely wasn\u2019t sustainable. He needed more to do than sit in a studio saying hilarious things. Adding him to the coaching staff both continues the surprising transformation of this character and opens up all kind of wonderful opportunities for plot developments.<\/p>\n

One of the many things that is great about this show is how you see genuine moments of emotion from nearly every character. We saw it from Roy this week when it hit him in the studio how much he misses being part of a team. Those emotional moments are the realist thing on the show, and even more that the general sense of positivity, I think they are what make viewers build such a strong connection to the program.<\/p>\n

As for Rebecca, I read a summary of the Christmas episode from a week ago that pointed out how Rebecca picking up Ted to share in her gift-giving trip was a wonderful moment because you could see the real affection they have for each other, but there was nothing sexual about it. I thought that was a nice observation. And I thought it was an interesting choice to avoid the Will They or Won\u2019t They angle. A choice maybe only Ted Lasso<\/em> would make.<\/p>\n

Ahhhh, but this week, did you notice? Did you see that early in the show there was a transition from Ted on his phone to Rebecca on hers on her dating app? And later, it goes the opposite way, Rebecca messaging from her owner\u2019s box jumping to Ted walking into the locker room, looking at his phone and smiling? Just a coincidence, right? Just a little moment to throw us off, right? Or were those clues about where we are headed?<\/p>\n

Other assorted thoughts:
\nIt wasn\u2019t just this week, but there are a ton of 1990s pop culture references in the show. Obviously that\u2019s because that\u2019s when Jason Sudeikis\/Ted Lasso grew up. But I sometimes wonder if soccer players from Europe and Africa who were born in the late \u201890s would really get Ted\u2019s references.<\/p>\n

Nice touch to begin an episode built upon The Rolling Stones\u2019 \u201cShe\u2019s A Rainbow\u201d with Frankie Avalon\u2019s \u201cSwingin\u2019 On A Rainbow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hannah Waddingham is one of the most striking women I\u2019ve seen in my life. It\u2019s like she was cut out of marble in ancient Rome or Greece. Honestly, I have trouble focusing on what people are saying any time she is on screen.<\/p>\n

As Keely and Rebecca were discussing Bantr in the hallway, Isaac snuck out with his free coffee maker, his arms wrapped around it in a big, sad hug. Just another sign that he needed some help.<\/p>\n

The only KC reference I caught was Rockhurst University grad George Wendt\u2019s picture on the wall at the kebob place.<\/p>\n

Did you read how Roy signed his picture? \u201cYum. Roy Kent.\u201d Love it.<\/p>\n

I believe I wrapped up my ER<\/em> breakdowns with some of my favorite lines of each week. There are soooo many great lines in Ted Lasso<\/em> each week that I\u2019m going to have to do some serious editing to keep from sharing too many. Here are this week\u2019s top lines:<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I gave you an indoor whistle.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Nate\u2019s look of utter confusion was hilarious. And props to Ted for realizing a replacement was necessary.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother says I was born caffeinated.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Dani Rojas!<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you\u2019d look well-fit with pigtails.\u201c
\n\u201cI do!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I love Keely\u2019s sexual admiration for Rebecca. Speaking of\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cFuck, you\u2019re amazing. Let\u2019s invade France.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cOy, this is Isaac. These are all the other fucks. You\u2019re with them.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Roy\u2019s absolute disdain for social niceties will never not be funny.<\/p>\n

\u201dI brought you here to remind you that football is a fucking game that you used to play as a fucking kid. \u2019Cause it was fun even when you were getting your fucking legs broken or your fucking feelings hurt. So fuck your feelings, fuck your overthinking, fuck all that bullshit, go back out there and have some fucking fun.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I coached soccer for three years with a friend. His daughter anchored our back line; L was our scoring machine up front. We agreed we really should have used this speech at halftime the year we lost our playoff semifinal 1\u20130.<\/p>\n

\u201dSo you\u2019re feeling under pressure?”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I do enjoy how Doctor Sharon just casually goes along with Ted\u2019s little games. She acts put-out, but she\u2019s always right there with him.<\/p>\n

\u201dHe\u2019s 17. He\u2019ll probably have chips for dinner and a wank before bed.\u201c
\n\u201dApologies for the language.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I\u2019m going to miss Jeff Stelling apologizing for Roy\u2019s language.<\/p>\n

\u201dGeorge, didn\u2019t you lose your license drink driving?\u201c
\n\u201dThat was an allergic reaction to my medication!\u201c
\n\u201dIs that the same medication that made you piss your pants?”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Roy Kent! Roy Kent! He\u2019s here, he\u2019s there, he\u2019s every-fucking-where!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I took a little heat from a few friends during our Kansas City trip for why the hell I\u2019m not doing breakdowns of Ted Lasso as I did for ER back in the day. Sadly those ER breakdowns were all in my pre-blog life, and lost forever when I left my former employer in 2004. I wonder if they\u2019re still stored on some old backup in their servers somewhere\u2026 I\u2019ve never thought of going all-in on a show like that again. Not for Ed or Scrubs or The Office or Parks & Rec or The Americans or The Good Place, the shows I\u2019ve been most obsessed with in their moment since my ER days. And since I both started Ted Lasso about a month after it debuted, and was never sure which of my friends were also watching it, I never considered it, either. Cal me me peer-pressured, because here goes: my first Ted Lasso breakdown! I\u2019ll admit I feel real pressure to live up to the legend of my ER breakdowns. And to try to remember how I structured them. So this may be a work in progress until I find my rhythm again. Four storylines this week: 1 – Nate trying to build up some confidence 2A – Ted trying to instill confidence in Isaac 2B – And doing so by attempting to lure Roy into coaching 3 – Rebecca continuing her search for love Let\u2019s start with Nate. I have not loved Nate this year. That\u2019s because he lost much of the cluelessness that made him so adorable last year. A few times that\u2019s been replaced by shrillness. I enjoyed watching him learn how to translate his confidence from the coaching room to real life, so, at least in this situation, he wasn\u2019t treated like a fucking doormat. I doubt whether that has any long-term consequences, though. I was a little frustrated by how Ted\u2019s part began. Reviewing tape of a loss in the locker room and he\u2019s sharing his idea of Rom-communism, where everything will just work out in the end. I know Ted is not your typical coach, but what kind of leader has that attitude? It\u2019s one thing to accept bad results, bad luck, and even shit play by looking on the bright side and believing better days are ahead. But to just say it doesn\u2019t matter because things will work out? I was not a fan in the macro sense. Ahhh, but in the context of this episode, it ends up working quite nicely. All the little callbacks to classic \u201990s rom-coms were very nice. It\u2019s one of those things that could very easily go awry in the hands of weaker writers. But this crew always manages to pull it off. They won me over in the last ten minutes after a few rough moments early. I very much enjoyed every moment of Roy\u2019s screen time. Which is like the \u201cDuh\u201d-est thing I\u2019ve ever written. Roy Kent is fucking gold. I\u2019m a little sad that we won\u2019t see him doing analysis in the studio anymore, because that stuff was legendary. But I also see how it likely wasn\u2019t sustainable. He needed more to do than sit in a studio saying hilarious things. Adding him to the coaching staff both continues the surprising transformation of this character and opens up all kind of wonderful opportunities for plot developments. One of the many things that is great about this show is how you see genuine moments of emotion from nearly every character. We saw it from Roy this week when it hit him in the studio how much he misses being part of a team. Those emotional moments are the realist thing on the show, and even more that the general sense of positivity, I think they are what make viewers build such a strong connection to the program. As for Rebecca, I read a summary of the Christmas episode from a week ago that pointed out how Rebecca picking up Ted to share in her gift-giving trip was a wonderful moment because you could see the real affection they have for each other, but there was nothing sexual about it. I thought that was a nice observation. And I thought it was an interesting choice to avoid the Will They or Won\u2019t They angle. A choice maybe only Ted Lasso would make. Ahhhh, but this week, did you notice? Did you see that early in the show there was a transition from Ted on his phone to Rebecca on hers on her dating app? And later, it goes the opposite way, Rebecca messaging from her owner\u2019s box jumping to Ted walking into the locker room, looking at his phone and smiling? Just a coincidence, right? Just a little moment to throw us off, right? Or were those clues about where we are headed? Other assorted thoughts: It wasn\u2019t just this week, but there are a ton of 1990s pop culture references in the show. Obviously that\u2019s because that\u2019s when Jason Sudeikis\/Ted Lasso grew up. But I sometimes wonder if soccer players from Europe and Africa who were born in the late \u201890s would really get Ted\u2019s references. Nice touch to begin an episode built upon The Rolling Stones\u2019 \u201cShe\u2019s A Rainbow\u201d with Frankie Avalon\u2019s \u201cSwingin\u2019 On A Rainbow.\u201d Hannah Waddingham is one of the most striking women I\u2019ve seen in my life. It\u2019s like she was cut out of marble in ancient Rome or Greece. Honestly, I have trouble focusing on what people are saying any time she is on screen. As Keely and Rebecca were discussing Bantr in the hallway, Isaac snuck out with his free coffee maker, his arms wrapped around it in a big, sad hug. Just another sign that he needed some help. The only KC reference I caught was Rockhurst University grad George Wendt\u2019s picture on the wall at the kebob place. Did you read how Roy signed his picture? \u201cYum. Roy Kent.\u201d Love it. I believe I wrapped up my ER breakdowns with some of my favorite lines of each week. There are soooo many great lines in Ted Lasso each week that I\u2019m going to have to do some serious editing to keep from sharing too many. Here are this week\u2019s top lines: \u201cNo, I gave you an indoor whistle.” Nate\u2019s look of utter confusion was hilarious. And props to Ted for realizing a replacement was necessary. \u201cMy mother says I was born caffeinated.” Dani Rojas! \u201cOh, you\u2019d look well-fit with pigtails.\u201c \u201cI do!\u201d I love Keely\u2019s sexual admiration for Rebecca. Speaking of\u2026 \u201cFuck, you\u2019re amazing. Let\u2019s invade France.” \u201cOy, this is Isaac. These are all the other fucks. You\u2019re with them.” Roy\u2019s absolute disdain for social niceties will never not be funny. \u201dI brought you here to remind you that football is a fucking game that you used to play as a fucking kid. \u2019Cause it was fun even when you were getting your fucking legs broken or your fucking feelings hurt. So fuck your feelings, fuck your overthinking, fuck all that bullshit, go back out there and have some fucking fun.” I coached soccer for three years with a friend. His daughter anchored our back line; L was our scoring machine up front. We agreed we really should have used this speech at halftime the year we lost our playoff semifinal 1\u20130. \u201dSo you\u2019re feeling under pressure?” I do enjoy how Doctor Sharon just casually goes along with Ted\u2019s little games. She acts put-out, but she\u2019s always right there with him. \u201dHe\u2019s 17. He\u2019ll probably have chips for dinner and a wank before bed.\u201c \u201dApologies for the language.\u201d I\u2019m going to miss Jeff Stelling apologizing for Roy\u2019s language. \u201dGeorge, didn\u2019t you lose your license drink driving?\u201c \u201dThat was an allergic reaction to my medication!\u201c \u201dIs that the same medication that made you piss your pants?” Roy Kent! Roy Kent! He\u2019s here, he\u2019s there, he\u2019s every-fucking-where!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[27,120,28],"class_list":["post-10662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-media","tag-ted-lasso","tag-tv"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10662"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10662\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10667,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10662\/revisions\/10667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}