REVIEW: Ted Lasso: The Richmond Way
Apple+ debuted in November 2019 but needed a hit show to become synonymous with the streaming service, and they had to wait until August 14, 2020, when Ted Lasso arrived. The series features a fresh take on a character created by Jason Sudeikis for NBC Sports’ 2013 coverage of the Premier League. His then-girlfriend Olivia Wilde suggested two years later that he do more with the character, but it took until 2019 before a series was green-lit.
Long before I subscribed, everyone was buzzing about the show—about how original it was, how charming and funny it was, and how brilliant the cast was. When we finally added it to our programming mix, it was the first show my wife and I watched. We binged our way through the three seasons in a matter of weeks and were delighted. For a change, everyone was uniform in their beliefs and all correct.
Warner Home Entertainment released Ted Lasso: The Richmond Way, a Blu-ray set of the complete 34-episode series, last week, so you don’t need to subscribe to enjoy it.
The fish out of water concept carried the first season as Ted and his partner Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) were hired by Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) to come run AFC Richmond, which she won in a divorce settlement from her husband Rupert Mannion (Anthony Stewart Head). She wanted to ruin the team to spite her ex, but within weeks, she changed her mind as Lasso’s methods turned the team into competitors.
Lasso’s approach was a gosh, darn it approach, rarely raising his voice and never really cursing, but offering bromides and homilies to one and all. He listened to everyone from team president Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift) to kit man Nathan “Nate” Shelley (Nick Mohammed), hiring the latter as a coach.
His rag-tag football team (soccer to you, Yanks) was filled with the arrogant, the wanna-be’s, the egotists, and those who just wanted to play. All felt betrayed by Lasso’s hiring so it took time, but one by one, he won them over and the joy of the show is watching how they all fall under his spell, becoming better people for the effort.
What’s impressive in watching the series straight through, as opposed to being doled out from 2020 to 2023 is to see how rich the entire cast is, with brilliant casting all the way through. We cheer as aging veteran Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) accepts his body can’t keep up and moves to become a coach and wonderful uncle to Phoebe (Elodie Blomfield) while his girlfriend Keely Jones (Juno Temple) blossoms as a marketing guru, running her own firm. Across the seasons, everyone gets a moment to shine and a story arc to pursue. Still, some of the best moments are when the cast come together, such as season two’s “Carol of the Bells” (written to fill in when the season was expanded from 10 to 12 episodes).
One of the joys of streaming, more so than cable, is that run times are whatever is needed. Episodes can go from 29 to 78 minutes, usually in the 30-40 minute range. Stories can breathe, and characters can be fleshed out, giving the performers a chance to shine. It is filled with wonderful actors given strong material to work with, so it can range from the silly howling of the Diamond Dogs to Lasso’s struggles with panic attacks.
While the series focuses on football, it addresses far more universal themes about love and loss, what it means to be a competitor, and the sacrifices one makes for family.
The 1080p transfer is excellent, and the Blu-ray set comes complete with a “Believe” mini-poster. The set lacks any Special Features, which is a shame.
