On the surface, it may not seem that Apple TV+’s breakaway hit comedy Ted Lasso has anything in common with Peter Jackson’s big budget epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy. After all, a Kansan coach with irrepressible optimism is a far cry from a hobbit battling Orcs and other monsters to save Middle-earth. But when we dig a little deeper, there are parallels.
Both Ted Lasso and Frodo Baggins are on their own epic journey. And both series focus on friendship and teamwork in the face of enormous obstacles. Ultimately, both stories offer a similar message: it’s not the destination that matters, but who travels the journey beside you. And for a variety of folks, both Ted Lasso and LOTR offer an escape from the stress and worries of real life. So many of us have revisited LOTR since the pandemic began, and Ted Lasso was widely hailed as last year’s feel-good antidote to the relentlessly depressing news cycle.
So when The Revisionaries author A.R. Moxon (@juliusgoat) tweeted a thread where they cast Ted Lasso characters as LOTR characters, naturally we were intrigued. What followed was a spot-on parallel between the AFC Richmond family and the Fellowship of the Ring.
"Gandalf Greyhame, a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor, Mithrandir among the Elves, Tharkûn to the Dwarves; Olórin I was in my youth in the West that is forgotten, in the South Incánus; The Independent. A question: is it secret? Is it safe?" pic.twitter.com/BYQpTZczs0
— A.R. Moxon (@JuliusGoat) August 29, 2021
"Bor-O-Mir, do do, do do do
Bor-O-Mir, do do, do do do." pic.twitter.com/FULg4AWeRw— A.R. Moxon (@JuliusGoat) August 29, 2021
Galadriel. Typecasting, really, but come on. pic.twitter.com/7y80iNuLFY
— A.R. Moxon (@JuliusGoat) August 29, 2021
Pippin
"Pipe weed is life! The Shire is life! Second breakfasts is life!" pic.twitter.com/9ObugnLexm
— A.R. Moxon (@JuliusGoat) August 29, 2021
"I can't carry it for you, Mister Frodo, but I can carry you." pic.twitter.com/v5CaCThUis
— A.R. Moxon (@JuliusGoat) August 29, 2021
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve, or wait, no, that's four halves, isn't it, oh *gagging sound* oh bother."
"Anyway, why shouldn't I? Why shouldn't I keep it? It's MY desk." pic.twitter.com/zFnNMUxT3m
— A.R. Moxon (@JuliusGoat) August 29, 2021
"There is no strength left in the world of Men, Gandalf. They're scattered, divided, leaderless." pic.twitter.com/nxiSfFSLBA
— A.R. Moxon (@JuliusGoat) August 29, 2021
“I am Saruman the Wise, Saruman the Ring-maker, Saruman of Many Colours! I gave you the chance of aiding me willingly. But you… have elected… the way of… pain! And honestly, dear, I think appearing in public with that hat is very brave—good for you.” pic.twitter.com/YsD8dI11o6
— A.R. Moxon (@JuliusGoat) August 29, 2021
Honestly, this thread is perfection, and a welcome break from the current Ted Lasso discourse consuming the internet whole. Sidebar: is the Lasso discourse the Balrog or is it Smaug?
Twitter (and the internet to a larger degree) is clearly the One Ring itself: full of promise and wonder that renders one invisible (or anonymous on the internet). And while it holds great power, if one wears the ring they become covetous, cruel, and a shadow of their former selves. There is excitement to be had in the ring, but wear it too long and you may find yourself turning into a troll (internet or otherwise).
Many fans quickly weighed in on the thread with their own picks and additions (the shortbread biscuits are lembas!), and recasting certain roles. For me, I see Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) as more of an Arwen than a Merry, but I’m not mad about it. And I do think that Nate (Nick Mohammad) as Gollum/Sméagol is apt given his behavior this season.
Elrond.
Shows up once in a while, thinks he’s still in charge. Acts like he did everyone a favor. Plans to fuck off to Wales or some shit. It’s all his fault originally. pic.twitter.com/O04yAGawGI
— Jon Virtes (@JonVirtes) August 29, 2021
You, taking the one ring to mount doom? Mate, you are a legend for doing something so stupid. I mean, it’s mental. They’re gonna fucking murder you. pic.twitter.com/GNPdXSqV4j
— Pohl Longsine (@pohl) August 29, 2021
What do you think of the casting choices? Is there anyone you would recast or replace? Let us know in the comments!
(image: Apple TV+/New Line Cinema)
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