Ted Lasso is not just good: It's important for bringing much-needed energy to a cruel 2020

Vanity Fair

"In the final month of this terrible year, I’m here to celebrate the achievements of a white man who is manifestly unqualified for his job," says Maureen Ryan. "No, I did not expect to end up here. But then—and I am the first person to point this out—2020 has been incredibly weird and tough. The man in question is a mustachio’ed gent named Ted Lasso, and while he may have his share of flaws and blind spots, which he would freely admit, I am here to tell you that Ted Lasso the show is just f*cking delightful. It’s not only an entertaining antidote to craptacular 2020, it also provides the kind of energy and ideas we should absolutely bring into 2021." Ryan adds that "in the grand tradition of Friday Night Lights, it’s a stealth show that seems like it’s about sports while it’s actually about situations that are much richer, weirder and more important. Both shows subtly highlight the importance of compassion, humility, enlightened discipline and common decency; both shows are about how difficult and cathartic change can be. You could easily build a highlight reel of characters from both shows calling each other on the carpet for their mistakes, and comforting each other when things go wrong, on and off the field. I thought about all the times FNL made me cry when Ted Lasso made me tear up toward the end of the season, because it’s 2020, and—did I mention?—it’s been a hard damn year." What makes Ted Lasso particularly special is it's a show about noticing, says Ryan. "If Ted were not self-aware—and if he did not have a keenly attuned perception of other people’s emotional states—he would probably be unbearable," says Ryan. But as a man going through some difficult things in his personal life, he not only has therapy jargon at the ready, he notices when other people are struggling. He may careen into Rebecca’s office without always noticing how his brimming energy unnerves her, but day after day, he sees how she’s using anger to keep pain and humiliation at bay....If nothing else, Ted Lasso the guy, as well as Ted Lasso the show, never expect or require women to carry and process the emotional baggage of men who refuse to clean up their own messes." ALSO: Former FBI director James Comey recommends watching Ted Lasso "if you are a leader or might want to be one."