TED LASSO (Season 2) -- A Crowd-Pleasing Continuation to the Wonderful Comedy Series

Review by Sean Boelman

Brendan Hunt, Jason Sudeikis and Nick Mohammed in “Ted Lasso” season two, premiering Friday, July 23 on Apple TV+.

A television show based on a character created for a series of commercial spots shouldn’t have been good, but the Jason Sudekis-starring comedy Ted Lasso captured the world by storm. This second season doubles down on both the humor and the endearing moments to deliver a very consistent continuation of the beloved series.

The new episodes follow football coach Ted Lasso as he coaches AFC Richmond after they were relegated after the end of their last season. However, the focus here is much less on Lasso becoming a better coach, as it had been initially, and more on the dynamic between the players, coaching staff, and other people in their lives.

This series has always felt very stuffed for a half-hour comedy, and that becomes even more the case in this second season which increases the amount of investment we have in the side characters. However, the series manages to juggle all of these different moving parts with ease, creating an even greater emotional impact.

One of the best things about this new season is that it really explores some of the players on the team with a bit more depth. A lot of the fan-favorite characters from the series get much more to do here than they did before, and the result is something that is definitely more complex, and somehow also even more crowd-pleasing.

Brett Goldstein in “Ted Lasso” season two, premiering Friday, July 23 on Apple TV+.

Of course, the ensemble is one of the best in any comedy series on air right now. Jason Sudekis is just as funny as he was before as the eponymous coach, but he doubles down on the endearing moments this time around. Brett Goldstein also gets even more of a chance to shine in these new episodes.

Part of what made the first season so successful is that it dealt with some deeper themes in a way that feels both earnest and heartfelt. Although this season doesn’t seem to be as hard-hitting, it is far from trite, especially when it comes to Roy Kent’s storyline, which explores how he copes with retirement.

The series is also as impressive as before on a technical level. The football scenes are impressively-shot, creating a good amount of excitement. Like a lot of comedy series, this isn’t the most stylish in its presentation, but it’s competent all-around and has a strong grasp of comedic timing.

This new season of Ted Lasso offers more of the same great blend of comedy and drama that fans loved about the series. It’s a perfect expansion of all the great seeds planted in the first ten episodes.

Ted Lasso streams on Apple TV+ beginning July 23, with subsequent episodes streaming Fridays. Eight out of twelve episodes reviewed. 

Rating: 4.5/5