‘Ted Lasso’ S2, Ep1 – ‘Goodbye Earl’ Review: “An Intriguing Season Premiere”

Ernesto Valenzuela Posted On July 25, 2021

Ted Lasso wastes no time in picking up where it left off after the season 1 finale. Richmond is unfortunately now relegated to the lower division league. Ted (Jason Sudeikis) and company attempt to pick up the pieces. Ted Lasso‘s fantastic first season followed up by an engaging season 2 premiere. In addition to setting up new characters and intriguing character arcs, Season 2 of Ted Lasso seems to be heading in a very different direction.

After the unprecedented success of the first season of Ted Lasso, one would think that they would keep the formula and continue doing what made the show successful. However, the creative team behind the series choose not to stay comfortable. From the opening minutes of the show’s second season, we see our characters in an uncomfortable position. After seven straight games ending in ties and one last one that ends in unfortunate tragedy, it seems like Ted and the players at Richmond are at their wit’s end.

It’s in this situation that the need for a team psychologist arises. Henceforth also an opportunity to discover a new side to Ted Lasso. Ted’s almost all positive all the time personality is one that definitely needed peeling back to discover what lies underneath the bubbly exterior. The writing team behind season 2 definitely chose the most interesting route with the team psychologist. Sarah Niles as Dr. Sharon is already an enigmatic yet engrossing new addition to the cast. Her back and forth with Sudeikis as Lasso makes for interesting chemistry. If anything, this premiere is exciting for the development of their relationship. More importantly, it reveals a layered nuanced part of Ted Lasso hinted at in the previous season.

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The football team also has its share of development. Cristo Fernández as Dani Rojas is the main focus of the episode. Dani’s struggle in this episode is reminiscent of the struggle of the team as a whole. However, where Lasso is more reluctant to open up, Dani’s admission of his struggles helps the team as a whole. His character arc in this episode makes for the heart of the story, and perhaps an omen of where the season could be headed for the rest of our characters.

The return of Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) is a welcome one. This time around, Waddingham’s portrayal of Rebecca makes for a new complete departure from the first season. Originally serving as something of opposition to Lasso, this time around she serves more support than ever before. She and Ted’s established rapport is a joy to watch. Moreover, she and Keeley (Juno Temple) continue to be a joy to watch together as well. Rebecca is as much the heart of the show as Ted is.

Favorites like Roy Kent also get their time to shine in the episode, though not much is implied given their future in the season. It still gives viewers something to look forward to in the later episodes. Overall, this season premiere does a good job at juggling its wide array of characters while maintaining a constant theme.

Overall, the first episode of Ted Lasso‘s new season is a strong one. The premise not only has an intriguing arc that correlates to many if not all the main characters, but also seems to set the stage for the larger arcs for the rest of the season. More importantly, this premiere shows that Ted Lasso can be just as charming the second time around, even with all the nuance and drama added in. – Ernesto Valenzuela