I think being a soccer fan has somewhat hurt my enjoyment of this season. I get that it’s a character driven show but the storylines seem to increasingly be about everything but the game. You can count the number of scenes involving matches or real training on a single hand (one of which was about killing a dog) so the “win the final match for promotion” scenario they’ve set up isn’t going have nearly the impact it would had they spent even a little bit of time showing the team’s/Ted’s professional journey over the last 9 months.
This show is like Friday Night Lights. It's about a football team, but not really about the game itself. I'm with you that I'd like to see more soccer being played during scenes, but the show is still great.
I was briefly annoyed by the idea of a RB scoring a hat-trick. also when they talked about the false 9 when they play 2 strikers. but that's just stuff that you can't worry about in a show like this.
So the EPL jumped on the Lasso train https://www.imore.com/apple-tv-show-ted-lasso-signs-ps500000-deal-premier-league
Sports are repetitive and mostly uneventful. They don’t make for good movie or tv scenes except in small doses.
Counter point: when they do soccer stuff it generally isn’t that realistic so it takes some of the enjoyment away for me. Like this transfer saga is happening before the final match in the season, outside of the transfer windows.
I get that and agree with you both for the most part. I guess my issue is that ultimately the premise of the show is about an unheralded coach trying to learn the game and develop a largely underdog squad and it’d be nice if the show detailed that a little more and didn’t gloss over it off screen
There's a 0% chance my wife would watch this show if it focused heavily on soccer. She loves it. It's a great show and not a niche show. That would change if it focused on the play.
Devil's advocate but I am sure contact gets made outside of the transfer window, especially if it is consented by all parties. If he actually was transferred outside of the window then I would agree.
They don’t need the realism or action sequences. They got your eyeballs and your attention and sub fees without all of that. What I could always use more of is the training coach sideline lineup where they exchange jokes.
For the record I’m not suggesting that the show “focus heavily” on match action. I just think the show could have done a better job highlighting the team’s season & Ted’s/player development (for example Sam’s growth from a struggling player without a position into the hat trick hero wanted by the new billionaire owner) which would have made the loss to City & whatever happens in the final match more impactful. There was more screen time devoted to Roy’s niece’s oral hygiene than on the field.
If you don’t understand how the transfer window works you may not be the best arbiter for what’s “realistic”
Ah yes, clubs love knowingly letting their players get wined and dined by mysterious owners of unnamed clubs the week of the biggest match of their season. Happens a ton in the Championship. and no player screams headliner of a game changing African club more than a fullback from the Championship (Dubai air scandal or not). I’m not expecting it to be perfectly realistic or anything but we don’t have to pretend it was either.
You know, I have a lot of respect for Trent Crimm (The Independent) to tell Ted about Nate. Not a typical bloodthirsty journalist at heart, despite the initial misgivings from Season 1. Here is a nice photo of the actor off set.
this probably got mentioned and I missed it, but Trent did ask Ted for an official comment about leaving the field when he saw him sitting at the bar. I assume Nate had already gone to him at that point so this was before anything happened with Rupert.
I think it happened after Nate got rejected by Keeley. He did that spit on the glass thing he does to pump himself up for a big move.
the way Trent asked him for a comment it just struck me as him knowing something. he knew he was lying and was trying to throw him a lifeline to get ahead of the story. I could be wrong, I just remember thinking at the time of that scene that Trent knew it wasn't food poisoning, just didn't know how.
I think that was more Trent being a good reporter and realizing that a coach leaving with 10 seconds to go in a match with little to no comment was a bigger deal than having the runs.
Yeah I think hes probably naturally suspicious and that was very odd and Ted was strange when asked about it. Nate got hyped by Keeley saying we are different and need to take charge and go for it big or something. Think thats when he called Trent. Don't think Trent is holding on to that story for months.
Did Trent at the bar happen before or after Ted told Nate? Thought it was before that for some reason.
Yes, goddam it! When that text message flashed on the screen, I paused it and said to my wife, "wtf, no real journalist would EVER do that". I don't have any problem if they get soccer shit wrong, but c'mon.
The entire premise is the show is about an absurdly unrealistic scenario so at that point you just kind of go with whatever. It does seems like a completely unnecessary thing to have Crimm tell him the source, though, on top of it being super unrealistic. It wouldn't have taken Ted long to figure out it was Nate, anyway, and I think would have been a more interesting way to go about it in the finale.
It would have taken two seconds to figure it out. Beard would never, Roy doesn’t care enough to tell anyone, Rebecca/Keeley loves Ted and doc is bound. Only would leave Nate.
Finally starting season 2.... In the recap they play a song called Here We Go by a band called WILD. Great band. Saw them a few years ago opening for the National Parks. If you like the song, would recommend checking them out if given the chance.
Really wondering how this empire strikes back season ends Guessing it's not going to be a feel good season ending episode
4 eps in and I'm actually very disappointed. Not enough football which was a huge, enormous part of the show's charm. Did they change writers for season 2?
They want to keep Trent likeable I suppose. His episode in S1 is what flipped the switch to the series for most people.
Topics that need to be addressed in the finale... - What does Ted (and everyone else) do with Nate? - Does Richmond win and get promoted? - What is the Keeley/Roy situation after last week's weirdness, and how does Roy deal with Jamie? - Is Sam staying/what the deal with him and Rebecca? Those seem like the big 4, at least. I would think at least one or two of those end positively, with a chance for 3 or 4 followed by a twist at the end. If we end the season with Rebecca/Sam together and Roy/Keeley broken up, I'm going to be sad.