It isn’t a huge surprise that there is some backlash to the hit Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso’s second season and the changes that have come with it. The critical acclaim the first season got took many by surprise, and it was only through word of mouth that I even decided to give it a chance in the first place. I ended up loving it, but due to my hesitance, I got to binge-watch it—to get the whole Ted Lasso meal in one bite.
Now, like many, I am watching it weekly, and the one glaring flaw of this season is the lack of an antagonist.
**Mild Ted Lasso season 2 spoilers ahead.**
Does this mean that the series is now terrible? No. It’s only been five episodes, and while the Christmas episode was sweeter than a sugar pie in the supermarket, that is par for the course when it comes to Ted Lasso. The issue is that no one has stepped up to take Rebecca’s place as the antagonist. Everyone believes in Ted and trusts his methods. So far, everything that could have been controversial in season 2 has been smoothed over very quickly:
A new therapist arrives, which makes Ted feel insecure. She ends up being awesome, and while Ted is still reluctant to talk to her, nothing thus far.
Sam takes a stand against the team’s main sponsor and ends up losing them for the team. Ted isn’t mad. Rebecca isn’t mad. Sam doesn’t have to deal with any ramifications.
Bringing back Jamie Tartt seems to be something that would cause a rift between Sam and Ted, but nothing comes of that, either.
Nate has been a huge dickhead the entire season, but no one has actively called him out on his behavior.
At this point in the first season of Ted Lasso, our beloved coach had to deal with Rebecca, winning over the team, dealing with the conflict between Jamie and Roy, and his wife and son arriving from America only to put the final finisher in their marriage.
Season two will have twelve episodes rather than ten, which means they have time to really allow us to sit in these good times before the other shoe drops. And I have no doubt it will drop. But right now, it can seem a bit tedious, not because anything about this current season is “bad,” but because television without an overarching conflict can be dull.
We want to see characters evolve and move to face new challenges, not stay in the same place. Just like with the draws, it is time for Ted Lasso to focus on winning again. It has set the foundation and lined up the shot. Now we just need Dani to kick the ball and take the win.
Also, I am one of the few people out there who is apparently rooting hard for Rebecca and Ted, but I am hoping they were texting each other on that dating site.
(image: Apple TV+)
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