TV Review: Ted Lasso, Series 2

Series 2 of Ted Lasso continues its delightfully warm-hearted storytelling with the usual bittersweet kick to keep it from getting too cloying

“This is what a fish pie can do to a team”

As an unexpected delight, the first series of Ted Lasso was an absolute boon in lockdown and having won all sorts of awards, its second series continues its rich vein of form. AFC Richmond may have been relegated to the the Championship but this is still Premier League stuff as we follow the trials and tribulations of the ever-perky Lasso as he balances football club and life management for all around him. 

One of the big changes for this series is the introduction of Sarah Niles’ therapist and the series-long arc that is Lasso’s own mental health. It’s a well-plotted and well-thought-out strand that Niles and Jason Sudeikis excel in, never downplaying the seriousness of the topic but always maintaining a levity that feels appropriate for the show.

The ongoing adorableness of Brett Goldstein and Juno Temple continues to delight with one of the best onscreen couples around as Roy and Keeley, and Hannah Waddingham’s Rebecca gets to stretch her acting muscle a little with a truly moving episode that involves the marvellous Harriet Walter as her mum – you will never hear Rick Astley the same way again.

And as there always has to be a wrinkle in the machine, especially as a third series looks set to be a given, the slow-burning slide of a certain character towards the dark side makes dramatic sense, even if it does prove a little heartbreaking. An absolute delight of a show that has lost none of what made it work so well.   

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