Unpacking Ted Lasso
Matt: [00:00:45] Welcome everybody to Write Out Loud, the podcast about writing, storytelling, authorship, and, , a little bit of everything else sometimes, I am, of course, Matt Kassem, and I am here with my lovely, excellent, awesome, amazing, Beautiful, talented,
Christina: ooh,
Precocious. I like that one. That's a new one. Yes. Yeah,
Matt: up. I gotta, I gotta have a little fun with it. We also have a very special guest with us back once again, and that is our friend, Sean dare. Hey, Sean.
Sean: Hello.
Matt: Welcome back.
Sean: called precocious.
Matt: Let, well, okay, here, ready? Rewind. We also have a very special guest with us today. Back again, Sean Dare, the precocious, amazing, excellent, and talented and witty author and writer, and just, all around excellent man.
Christina: that's a
Matt: Sean.
Sean: That's awesome.
Christina: Yes.
Sean: Hello everyone. I'm happy to be here.[00:01:45]
Matt: We're happy to have you. So Tina has said to both of us, uh, that she has a topic that she wants us to talk about. She wouldn't tell us what it is.
Christina: No,
yes,
Sean: is going to come as a surprise to everybody
Christina: it
Sean: Dina.
Matt: Yes.
Christina: but the reason that I put this on tape is the reaction. Are you ready for this, gentlemen?
Matt: Uh,
Christina: I have
Matt: yeah. Ooh,
Sean: Whoa.
Matt: that's exciting.
That it's about damn time as Lizzo would say.
Christina: Yes.
Matt: So.
Christina: Two have been after me for, uh, years. I can, I can, I think we can put that in the years column. Have I seen Ted Lasso? I want to talk about Ted Lasso. Oh my God, you'd love Ted. I mean, [00:02:45] I have heard. All there is to hear about Ted Lasso. this weekend I, I started Ted Lasso.
Matt: Nice.
Christina: Ted Lasso
Matt: And you made it through season one. That's good.
Christina: got through season one. I actually did season two. But it was getting pretty late and I felt like I was not. Paying attention
Matt: Okay. Fair enough? Mm-Hmm?
Christina: to because one of the things I was going to talk about tonight is How quick the storytelling is and I don't mean quick as in witty as in but quick as in They progress the story. We are not stumbling and Like prolonging like oh, we here's the first season It was also happy that I didn't have to watch too much of the show football.
Matt: Oh my gosh.
Christina: I'm not, [00:03:45] not, not a, not a huge fan. Although I do love Welcome to Wrexham. again, there's
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: The football playing in that. So I love the show.
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: acting. I love the actors who play the parts. More importantly, it is very, very well written and that is some of the highest praise that I can give it. Even better praise is, I wasn't doing something else. it.
Matt: That is, that is high phrase. . Mm-Hmm.
Christina: I did do myself a favor and I put on the subtitles simply because I didn't know if I would know the local colloquialism or some of the accents are very So, but I'm glad I did because there were some things that I, that would have, gone over. But the quick storytelling, what I'm talking about is a pace [00:04:45] the watcher can keep up with it. Doesn't get bored because we're too bogged down in things. And I feel like since it came out in 2020, I can say this without saying spoilers. I loved the fact that we kind of finished, finished. In that first arc, secret. Rebecca's secret of, I'm going to destroy this team and I'm bringing Ted in to do that. I loved the fact that she, and I'm putting this in air quotes because I don't mean it in the traditional sense, that she fell in love with Ted Lasso. I
Matt: Yes. Mm-Hmm?
Christina: she just was charmed by him and yes, had difficulty doing the things that she did.
She was still happy with it, but it wasn't until Keely, whom the way, On the outside, seems very flighty, very frou frou, yep, all,
Matt: Seems like it.
Christina: what.
Matt: It seems like it. [00:05:45] Mm-Hmm.
Christina: so smart. She is so smart. It was almost as if tagged Ted Lasso from the very beginning. She was the one who knew from the very beginning that he was something spectacular.
Everybody else, it took a while. Everybody else, it took a while. I love, the fact that Ted gave everyone books and then he gave Roy Kent a wrinkle in time.
Sean: Yep.
Christina: And then of
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: like, what is this? I fell in love with Roy watching
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: read to his niece. hook, line and sinker. I don't care how many F bombs come out of his mouth.
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: care how angry the dude is. He has a big,
Matt: Yes he does. Mm-Hmm?
Christina: for some reason Ted honed in on that. So, so [00:06:45] here's the other thing that I don't know if you'll remember, Sean,
Sean: Oh, I'll remember.
Christina: that you also said, I,
Sean: I won't remember this.
Christina: yeah, you will remember this. You said I was the female Ted Lasso as a book coach. I have to say that assessment is spot on because
Sean: And hopefully it's a
Christina: it
Matt: Yeah. Mm-Hmm?
Christina: is a compliment. It is a compliment because so on the outside, he's an aw shucks. On
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: he is a good hearted man,
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: deep, deep down, deep down, he is very, very intuitive.
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: He reads people very, very quickly,
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: and understands what his job is. As he [00:07:45] says, all I want to do is leave them better people, and. You have to be not just smart, but intuitive, intuitive.
Matt: Yeah, what's remarkable about this show too is the fact that like when Jason Sudeikis wrote it initially, and his character in the past is a character that's not nice. He's very belligerent. He's very like, he's kind of Trumpy, Trumpy, like, just a blowhard. And when he was writing the show, it was right still when things were, boiling over and Trump was and whatever, but like, he was like watching it and watching the political.
arena and just decided we can't have more of this. Like I need, this needs to change, right? So he completely rewrote the personality for Ted Lasso and it just, it's, it's insane. I used to tell people you, you will like this show [00:08:45] because everybody in it is nice. Even the people that you are not supposed to like.
Are nice
Christina: yeah,
Matt: and it's,
Sean: would say that about Rupert?
Matt: yeah,
Sean: Wow.
Matt: he's devious and he's someone you're not supposed to like, but he's nice. Like he's never, he was never like outwardly aggressive or nasty or anything. Like he was just kind of a dick.
Sean: his true colors in Season 3 for a brief moment.
Christina: blah, blah, blah, blah,
Matt: Yeah. But she hasn't seen that yet.
Christina: yet.
Sean: I know, we're
Christina: No, no,
Sean: about that.
Matt: She hasn't seen it yet.
Sean: you, I will tell you that I think another character you're going to fall in love with is Trent Krim.
Christina: Oh, yeah, already, already there. Yeah.
Sean: Well, he blossoms in Season 2 and Season 3 and a remarkable set piece in the storytelling as you move forward.
I love his character.
Christina: Yeah,
Sean: of the terms that I've used to describe the [00:09:45] writing on Ted Lasso is tight. It, it is very little of the extraneous. It just hits on what's necessary and moves forward. But it doesn't do it in a way that makes you feel like it's moving too fast. Well, say that. I felt like it moved too fast the first watch through, but there's so much depth that on a second watch through, I caught so much more that If you're not seeing it the first time through, it feels like they're skipping over stuff, but they really weren't. so it's really tight and it's packed in tight, right? Like it's all of the emotional cues are there. They're just, they're in there very tightly next to each other. And you really got to watch the facial expressions and the acting and, and so on. And then the, the third thing I wanted to say about Ted Lasso is he is a man of conviction, This, this isn't just that he's intuitive, he also is a man of conviction. He [00:10:45] knows what his role in this world is, and he shall not deviate from it. And, uh, he may struggle in other areas of his life, which he'll get into in Season 2 in much more detail. but he knows that he was put on this earth to bring about the best in people and the area in which he's chosen to do that is in the area of sports, being a sports manager. And it overflows to the rest of the people in his orbit in a way that makes you like you were talking about how rebecca fell in love with Ted Lasso. You fall in love with how she has fallen in love with him. And it isn't, it isn't, it's very much platonic
Christina: Yeah.
Sean: not, there's no romance arc with those two. is strictly, they are really good work friends and friends outside of work. And they support each other through some very difficult times. And it is amazing to
Christina: [00:11:45] Yeah.
Matt: And can I say, thank God for that, that they didn't fall in love. Like, because it would have been so tropey, right? Like
Christina: Yeah.
Matt: there's the tension and will they, won't they, and do they find it's like, Oh, okay. It's been done a bajillion times. Like I like that it ended up the way that it is. I think you're going to get into a lot of different things over the next couple of seasons.
And I really. I really, really love the character development. Every single character, there isn't one character that doesn't have really great growth. Even some of the ancillary characters that you're like, ah, I don't even know if we're supposed to, get a lot out of them, but you do.
Christina: Yeah.
Matt: There's only, there's literally only one piece in this entire series.
Then I went, really?
Sean: Which
Matt: we'll see. Mm mm.
Sean: Oh,
Matt: Can't tell you.
Sean: it in Season 2 and you can't tell us yet?
Matt: Can't tell you.
Christina: yeah,
Sean: Okay,
Matt: Once you get through it all, we'll talk.
Christina: yeah, you, you, you two can talk off camera.
Matt: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Sean: Because there is There is one scene, [00:12:45] I think it's in season two, that also, if it's not, it's in season three, there was one that made me go, really?
And I'm curious if it's the same, uh, point. So,
Christina: Yeah.
Sean: but we
Christina: Yeah. Even. So, back
Sean: later.
Christina: what you were saying, Matt, about character growth. I actually think that you see it most in Jamie, because by the time,
Matt: Oh, just you wait.
Christina: and he's opening up that, card, with the little Army guy, know, you can see that he is. He has moved on from, well, you could see it when he kicked the ball to the other player, know, when he passed the ball, that was the one thing, Ted wanted him to do, to be able to do with, ease,
Matt: Mm hmm. Mm
Christina: it. Ted didn't want him just to do it for the sake of the game. Ted wanted to teach him [00:13:45] to do that because that's, again, I think Ted's role, like you said Sean is to do that for everyone, to make everyone the best that they can be. And it's not just for the sport of football.
It is in life. in, in everything that they do. and it'll be interesting to see in future, I hope that they do this. And if they didn't, they should have had me on as a writer. I really do hope that Ted's life Um, we get more glimpses into him and his growth
Matt: hmm.
Christina: if you are not doing the same thing for yourself that you're doing for everyone else, it's like there's, there's this meme and I hesitate in calling it a meme because it really, first time I [00:14:45] saw it, it really impacted me. It, it said, name everyone that you love. And where were you on the list?
Matt: Mm hmm.
Christina: I was like, dude, I wasn't even on the list. I wasn't even thinking me. So,
Sean: tell ya, I feel, I feel a bit handicapped talking about only Season 1 because there is so much character growth that happens on a bunch of fronts in Seasons 2 and 3 that I'm like, I can't say anything because I know,
Christina: Well, maybe once I finish, once I finish all three, we'll have you back on. We'll, we'll discuss,
Sean: little
Christina: I'll have, notes and all the good stuff.
Sean: to I wanted to drop a fun fact out there for you guys. The guy who plays Roy Kent was actually, he was, he's one of the
Christina: Yeah.
Sean: and he auditioned for that role and got it. He was like, I think I'd be a good fit for this. And he auditioned and he didn't really want to, he kind of got talked into it and they're like, I think you'd be perfect. But him in normal life is not that [00:15:45] growly,
Matt: Yeah.
Sean: know, F bomb dropping, screaming guy. he's playing a character and he plays it really well.
Matt: Mm hmm.
Sean: And. Uh, but like he's, he talks about how he's just this quiet, guy that likes to sit in the corner and read books and write, write stuff all the time, AKA like me. And and yet still when he, when it's time for him to go on stage and perform, he brings it and he, and he brings it really, really well. So
Christina: Yeah.
Sean: I don't know if
Listening
Christina: There's,
Sean: it's,
Christina: there,
Sean: different light to his performance.
Matt: It does.
Christina: was actually an article that I read, that sticks in my mind because both Hannah Waddington, Rebecca, and Brett Goldstein, I think is his
Matt: Yeah.
Christina: Roy Kent. The night after they both won their Emmys, were on the beach in LA and he was supposed to fly back. and she made a remark to him, why do you have to go back? What's, what's the, let's, let's bask in this. And it struck [00:16:45] me because the cast seems to really, Enjoy each other. Like it's not one of those casts that, goes home and doesn't want to talk to those people ever again. But also that most of the cast are writers.
Matt: Mm hmm.
Christina: Coach
Matt: was the only, only actress who was actually handpicked for the role.
Christina: who was
Matt: Everybody else had to audition. Keely, the, the actress who plays Keely. Keely. She was the only one that was like, uh, handpicked, but she's awesome.
Christina: Yeah.
Sean: She plays in another great, uh, series, it's a more of a miniseries type of thing called The Offer, about the making of the original Godfather movie, which was almost more interesting to me than the actual Godfather movie.
Christina: Yeah. Yeah.
Sean: it is fantastic, and she plays a pivotal role in that, and she does a nice job.
Christina: Yeah.
Sean: good job. When I saw her, I was like, wow, that feels like casting got a little lazy. And then as [00:17:45] the episodes unfolded, I'm like, okay, nevermind. I was, I was
Matt: Yeah,
Sean: great.
Matt: he's very good.
Christina: I
Matt: To, Tina's point though, as far as, uh, the cast really enjoying each other. Like if you watch Rebecca one or good God, Hannah Waddingham's, uh, Christmas special, they're all of the cast is they're part of it.
Christina: Yeah.
Matt: And it's just so fun. Like even either, there's bits in there too.
Christina: And I think the reason why I bring that up is because I think it made it easier to write, act,
Matt: Mm hmm.
Christina: all of those things and stay in that positive lane. I mean, how difficult to be Ted Lasso if you are like the world's most pessimistic, I don't even know. Just. I just can't imagine doing this type of show and doing it so well, knowing it was written by Jason Sudeikis and so Coach Beard, I don't know what the [00:18:45] guy, the actor's name is, he's also
Matt: Brendan Hunt.
Christina: on that pilot episode and yeah, I actually did look up the writing credits and half of them are in the show itself.
So that interesting too, because I think they write, the characters so well, like, you were talking before the, the story arcs, you can see that the tightness. In that story arc, in the character arcs was surprised at the end of the first episode that we find out that, Ted is the one baking the biscuits, but they haven't answered me yet about where did he get this recipe that this British woman loves his biscuits more than she loves the British biscuits?
Matt: Mm hmm.
Christina: what I want to know.
Matt: Well, also, fun fact, in the first season, they were terrible. [00:19:45] Like, she, she had to do some amazing acting. She's like, they were awful. They were god awful. And she's like, and I had to just make, make like, they were the most amazing things ever. She goes, we improved the recipe over the, over the seasons.
Uh, to the point where they actually were quite delicious, but she's like, if they were terrible,
Christina: Yeah. Yeah.
Matt: so it's, it's, it's cool. I, I can't say enough good things about the show. I love it's so quotable. Like there's so many different quotes that come up. Yeah. Was all it,
Sean: You'll get to
Matt: also very evergreen, like there's nothing in it that really dates the show, right?
You don't see moments where they flash to a pandemic or you don't see moments where it just references things that are kind of like, it's, it's a very evergreen show, which I, I quite like.
Sean: there's only one, and I think it was in Season 1 where they mention the Wrexham team,
Matt: Hmm.
Sean: the, Higgins mentions it as, whenever he's talking to, uh, Rebecca,
Matt: Hmm.
Sean: that's in Season 1 or not, I can't [00:20:45] remember.
Matt: Might be,
Sean: I remember, I'm gonna, I'm gonna preface this with a, just a quick story, as I'm wont to do. I was watching a YouTube video where they, uh, this guy is, the YouTube channel is called Answers with Joe, he was showing a clip from an 80s McDonald's commercial where With Jason Alexander dancing in the streets, proclaiming the joys of the new McDLT.
If you remember the McDLT, it was the hot side hot and the cold side cold. And I'll let it go from there. You can look it up. But there and, and after the commercial clip that he shows, he kind of stops. He's just staring at the camera and he's like. Everyone's so happy. Why was everybody so happy? what were they happy about? it reminded me of my childhood in the eighties and I felt like the eighties was a very joyous time. Now, nostalgia is a tricky thing. Your childhood can seem like a golden age to anybody. But I, I feel like lately we've [00:21:45] in, in our creation of projects, uh, across the board, TV and movies and, and writing. We've kind of fallen into this, like, we need to be gritty and real, and there needs to be a harsh light thrown on the, the good and the bad of society, but especially the bad, and, and the overwhelming sensation I got from watching Ted Lasso was joy. There is just this strong sense of joy that can be attained if you have the right attitude in life and that attitude can spread to the people in your orbit and they can spread it from there. And it gave me hope. So I guess
Christina: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Sean: there can be hope in this very bleak, Seeming existence that we have in our media consumption. And I don't know if the media consumption is a representation of what's going on in the real world [00:22:45] or not.
I'm not going to try and draw any parallels. I'm just saying that, when you watch television and you watch movies and you read books, it just feels like we've lost joy this show showcased it and put it front and center and valued it. And enriched it and spread it. And it just made me so happy.
I felt, I felt a, a balloon of happiness swelling inside me as I would watch the show, as the episodes would roll on that I did not want to go away. And I knew it inevitably would whenever I got to the end of the show. So I was so disappointed that it ended, but, uh, I'm not going to give any spoilers, but I will say that the ending, you can tell that the writers wrote this show to be three seasons. They had a story to tell. They told the story, they told it incredibly well, and. Despite a tremendous amount of pressure from the studio and from Apple, they have said [00:23:45] no so far to doing any more. And that takes a tremendous resolve. I'm proud of them for that, but I also kind of hate them a little bit
Christina: Well,
Sean: joy back.
Christina: I
Matt: yeah.
Christina: if If they were smart, and I believe that this is exactly what they did they learned from Lost. TV show Lost was only supposed to be three or four seasons, and ABC absolutely 100 percent pressured them into creating more story, it didn't work. It didn't work. Uh, those first at least two seasons were so incredible. And they would still hold up today. So yeah, so I, I am with you. I don't know where it's going to end and I'm sure I'll be sad that it ended. Schitt's Creek, I feel the same about that. I think it ended too soon, but, they told their story and they didn't, they didn't Feel that they [00:24:45] could add to it.
And to on the joy. I have a few things that give me that kind of joy. Schitt's Creek was one of them. am not the type that is going to laugh out loud. I'll chuckle. That in Schitt's Creek, Ted last one, Schitt's Creek. I was laughing out laughing out loud. so, I can't wait. see what, the next two seasons are going to bring. but I agree with you on that, the joy. Now, as far as books, you and I have discussed Sean, so we're not going to get into any sort of discussion here is we don't have enough time. but I get a lot of joy from reading romance and that's one of the reasons why I do read it. Specifically, once again, we're going to mention Ruby Dixon and her ice planet barbarians. They just made me happy. They just made me [00:25:45] happy. And they even had the character growth. It is, let me say right here, Planet Barbarians is the Ted Lasso of alien
Matt: No.
Christina: No and what I mean,
Sean: Rome.
Matt: All right. Okay. Hmm. Mm
Sean: the
Christina: yeah, yeah, yeah.
Sean: It's like speed, but it's in a
Christina: Yeah,
Sean: It's
Christina: no,
Sean: but it's on a boat. I would
Christina: what I mean by that is it has that marker of joy, but it has the depth. It has the heart. It has the substance and the writing chops. So I'm not comparing stories. What I'm comparing is, the writing the quality of writing and the amount of joy. That you got from it. And in fact, I would actually say I binge watched season one, like I binge watched the Ice Planet Barbarians.
I went from one to the next cause I couldn't stop. stop. [00:26:45] I had to stop. But, uh, yeah.
Sean: like to draw attention to one more piece, uh, in this show that was a powerful moment for me. Too often in today's society, uh, revenge. Retribution. These are traits that are prized, and they're especially prized in storytelling. They're, they make for a compelling story, how this person is gonna do some intricate revenge on their enemy. Ted Lasso forgave.
Christina: Yeah.
Sean: not revenge. He did not have any retribution. He just,
Christina: He didn't even really,
Sean: of thought about it for a second, and he
Christina: yeah.
Sean: forgive ya.
Matt: hmm.
Christina: He didn't, he didn't even really go to that depth of let me walk out of here. Like, Roy Kent. Kent gave us the walkouts.
Matt: Yep. Mm hmm. Mm hmm.
Christina: growth, change. Ted [00:27:45] was like, you know what, what, how, how does this harm me?
Sean: and uh, that's a theme that recurs a couple of times
Christina: Yeah,
Sean: two and three. I'm not going to give away any spoilers But to see forgiveness portrayed from a man who is strong in his convictions, likable, uh, has a power in his orbit that other people can't help but feel and react to, This isn't, this wasn't some ineffectual man forgiving because he has no other option.
It wasn't forgiving because was weak. He took a stronger road.
Christina: yeah.
Sean: And, and it showed that he took a stronger road, and it showed Not only how strong you have to be to be able to forgive, but how powerful forgiveness can be. at healing yourself,
Matt: [00:28:45] Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Mm
Sean: I cannot think of a time where forgiveness was showcased in such a positive light with such a powerful character in such a great way. And the message was an incredibly powerful one. And I think it's one that needs to take a little dose of in our society today. I feel like we all struggle a little bit with, there are people that have wronged us, there are people that we may not even know that we hate a little, right? From maybe from the news or in our lives, our bosses or something like that.
And everybody's going through something,
Christina: Yeah. I think.
Sean: that forgiveness piece is a powerful, a powerful sentiment from that
Christina: Yeah.
Sean: I think about that to, to, to use the phrase that I've heard so often, that scene lives rent free
Christina: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. [00:29:45] I, I was equally affected by his ability to let go of his wife because so clearly from the beginning, know, he wanted to save his marriage. was. That's all he wanted, he'd struggled to to her, but she was busy or, whatever. but the ability for him to see much he didn't see her and see what she was going through. And in one second, he's looking at her and she's looking out that window and then he knows. He knows what he's got to do and I think that was actually, so incredibly hard for him to do and for him to follow through with it. And yeah, he had a lot of [00:30:45] hesitation with, the signing of the divorce papers and everything. the ability to let someone go,
Sean: that I felt was the triumph of his love for her, his, over his love of being in love with
Christina: right.
Matt: hmm.
Sean: right? Like, like he knew what was best for her. And even though it hurt him to do it. And as you'll find out in season two, it really hurt him to do it.
Christina: Yeah.
Sean: Uh, even though it hurt him to do it, uh, it was what she needed and he was willing to give it to her, which also speaks to his core character. bring out the best in the people around me and with her, my presence does not do that.
Christina: Yeah.
Sean: And the best that I can bring out from her is to, to remove myself from her. That's not the case with his son.
Christina: Obviously. Yeah. Yeah.
Sean: brings out the best in his
Christina: Yeah.
Matt: It's, it's ironic too, that he, we've talked about him being such an insightful character and such a, uh, I mean, yeah, just insightful, intuitive, [00:31:45] person, right. That he's able to see these things about people, but that he wasn't able to see that, uh, about his wife until it got to that point.
So it's almost this, this juxtaposition that he's a much more complex character than you Ever imagined.
Christina: Yeah.
Matt: So it's, it's really kind of neat to see that
Christina: Yeah. Well, and I think also, for, this is something that Sean and I have talked about. I think I've mentioned it on the podcast before. There are surface readers and there are in depth readers, the same as for viewing. And what Ted Lasso is able to accomplish is both at the same time. People that just want the fun and the joy and the, and then they can walk away. People that want something more, there's a lot more depth than just, I've, I already know, I already know I need to watch season one again. In fact, I really wanted to watch at least the first episode again before [00:32:45] this, but my day got away from me. Because I know that there is more and. The thing is, is that I remember so you two probably haven't seen the original Sex and the City, there is one particular episode.
Sean: Have
Christina: okay. Uh, I think it's, I'm pretty sure it's in the first season and towards the end where Carrie is on a, uh, pay phone because she doesn't have a cell phone. And she's saying into the pay phone uh, I, I really need you. Can, can we meet in our spot? And the whole time you're thinking it's big, it's big. She's going to meet big. not, she rounds the corner and there is Miranda sitting there. And that's the moment, that sex in the city is not about the boyfriends. It's a, it's
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: friendships. With Ted Lasso, you learn the same thing when Hannah Wannington is up
Matt: [00:33:45] Waddingham.
Christina: singing, let it go, let it go. And. Ted leaves and of course, he's, he's upset. You, you actually don't realize the depths until he's outside. And then she's right there. And I kept thinking, how did she get there so quickly? She had to have seen him leave the room and she must have gone directly after him because she
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: there. and in that moment, that's when you know that this show is more than just your average. There's, there's a lot more in fact, that scene in itself, I mean, it's just an incredibly active, incredibly active.
So no doubt about that. the way it was written so subtle, so nuanced
Sean: [00:34:45] Yeah.
Christina: that like, just, and in, and in fact, it doesn't follow like, the, the, uh, God, what is that thing called the rick rack? No, it's, I don't know. What is that little buggy thing? you
Matt: Mm-Hmm. The rickshaw. Mm-Hmm.
Christina: Thank you.
Matt: Mm-Hmm. . Mm-Hmm.
Christina: think it's actually, Ted, that kind of jokes and says, let's go rent one. And she's like, no. And her and Keely are in it later. I mean, the, like that whole, cool. scene is just absolutely incredible. And it stays with you. And all of his aw shucks, comes down to those Moments that, and I, and I hope they get into it in the next two seasons.
You guys kind of alluded to it that, it, it, things are deeper with him than they appear on the surface. And the thing is, is that even people that have joy every single day. The lesson with Ted Lasso that I [00:35:45] think that might be missed is that he chooses joy.
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: He isn't joyful. He chooses joy. He chooses
Sean: Yeah,
Christina: the happy. He may feel, those moments of panic and, depths of despair. My marriage is falling apart. I'm at coaching,
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: is really football here. But he chooses the joy
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Sean: a wonderful job of explaining where his excessive optimism comes from in the later seasons.
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Sean: And I don't
Christina: yet.
Sean: that. Yes, he chooses it, but I don't know that it was always a conscious choice for him.
Matt: Mm-Hmm
Sean: Based on, based on the information you're about ready to
Christina: Yeah, no. And it never is be very clear about that. If you see [00:36:45] someone like a Ted Lasso who is constantly going to the joy, it isn't because it's natural. They had to work at it.
Sean: Yeah.
Christina: even, even with me, I'm, am optimistic. I find the sunny side, but I have to choose it. I have to, know, after the day I had, I vented to Matt before we, started to record but I'm past it.
Matt: mm-Hmm.
Christina: I am past it.
Sean: would. I know we're running over and I just want to point out one other scene that really sticks with me and lives rent free in my head that I think is another great message that we can all take away from the first season of Ted Lasso. Ted is brought in by Rebecca to meet the Milk Sisters and Rupert shows up and they get into the dart game,
Matt: Yes. [00:37:45] Mm-Hmm.
Sean: he mentions the quote from Walt Whitman, curious, not judgmental. And he goes on to basically white knight Rebecca and kick Rupert,
Matt: It
Sean: which is a fantastic
Matt: is
Christina: Is.
Sean: I, that be curious and not judgmental is something that, it's a mantra that I'd kind of lived by without having a name for it or any way to reference it. I always try to understand what's going on instead of judging. I haven't always been good at that. There've been times in my life where I've been pretty hurt and I was pretty judgmental, but, uh, this show renewed my interest in that approach to life. And, uh, that, that thought process, that kind of way of, of, of experiencing the world around you, I think is something that we could all as a, as a population, just take away and, and let's try and incorporate that.
I think that's a beautiful message. So I just wanted
Christina: Yeah.
Matt: I love it. Mm-Hmm?
Christina: And
Sean: there's a lot of really great stuff in the [00:38:45] show, but that
Christina: yeah,
Sean: those two
Christina: that,
Sean: forgiveness and that were the two that really stick
Christina: that scene
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: my favorite scene of the first season. mean, yeah,
Sean: it was a good
Christina: it's great when you see Rebecca come down and, him everything that's going on. it's great when they have their little moments like Keely, does she throw a dart at Rebecca when, Rebecca's talking about whether or not she's going to tell Ted.
It's great. Keely says, it's not the Ted will forgive you. It's me. I won't forgive you. And
Matt: Yep.
Christina: man, that just honed right in to Rebecca where it's like, uh, Oh,
Matt: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: and their friendship to me, this, this was actually something, know, some of the other things. knew about, I knew about Roy Kent, being the way he was.
I knew Ted being the way he was and Rebecca, I had no idea that [00:39:45] Keely and Rebecca were gonna have this, girlfriend, friendship. I mean, it just, right away, I mean, I knew, I knew that the seasons ended with them being friends, but I didn't know that it was going to happen so quickly. And so thoroughly,
Matt: Yeah.
Christina: I said, Keeley to me is that one that went under the radar.
Matt: Mm hmm.
Christina: I'm, I would actually have to look it up to see if she, I know she was nominated. For Emmys. I don't know if she won any, but to me, man, she should have won one because and maybe they don't consider that the acting, maybe they'd consider that the writing because the way she was written is just, she's flying under the radar, but man, she is sharp cookie, sharp cookie.
So, yeah, no, I
Matt: Yeah.
Christina: I loved the interaction between her and Rebecca and the fact that Keely [00:40:45] sweeped, swooped in exactly when Rebecca needed. on her side.
Matt: Yeah. And then you guys have talked about your, your favorite scenes. I think one of mine that sticks out of my head is when Keely shows up intense kind of, standing outside the locker room, but outside area and, and she's like, do you want to be a panda? Do you want to be a lion? Right. And then they have their little conversation about it, but then Jamie comes out and he's like, he's like, Jamie, you want to be a panda or a lion?
And he's like. Why would I want to be anybody but me? And he's like, I don't think you know how mentally healthy that really is.
Christina: Yes, yes, yes,
Matt: Like it was, it was just great.
Sean: That was
Christina: But,
Sean: Yeah.
Christina: why did Ted choose the panda?
Matt: That's his,
Sean: Ted's a peacemaker.
Matt: he's just the kind, gentle, like he's chosen that side of life.
Sean: and from the, and it fits his character, but on top of that [00:41:45] it gives Rebecca the chance to go WHAT?! No, you need to be a lion. Which was a really great scene where she, she's like, she's completely disinterested in walking away and she hears that and she's like, I can't let that go.
Christina: Yeah.
Sean: does a 180 and comes right back and she's in her face
Christina: I
Matt: I mean, there's, there's,
Christina: why he chose the panda.
Matt: yeah, I think there's.
Sean: because he's a peacemaker.
Christina: There is
Matt: Also commentary.
Christina: besides the writing, Oh, we gotta write it this way so that Rebecca can react. I get all that.
Sean: a director's
Christina: No, I, if
Matt: no, no, not at all.
Christina: get to meet Jason Sudeikis, all I'm gonna say is, why did Ted choose the panda?
Matt: Yeah. But again, I think it fits their characters. I think also with Rebecca, like there, there's a bit of commentary on women in positions of power and in
Christina: yeah,
Matt: leadership, right? Like she says, no, you have to be a lion because she has to be, she cannot be a Panda, right? She [00:42:45] cannot afford to be a Panda, unfortunately.
Christina: hmm.
Matt: it's, it's kind of like thrown out there as a throwaway line. But it makes sense why she reacts that way. Right. And like, he's sort of like, I can be a panda. It doesn't matter. Like I'm, I'm, that's my, Sean said, that's my, that's who I am at my core. Right. I'm a very, I'm a peacemaker.
Sean: She also was on her revenge story at
Matt: Hmm. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Mm
Sean: arc for that first season is, I need to bring revenge and retribution on Rupert. And the way in which she wants to do it is to destroy that team that he loves. only at the very end when Ted forgives her, does she realize how stupid she's being? And also when, uh, Higgins, uh, Oh, just stop it. Right. No fuck off and all that. And, and tells her off and shows her that this is a flawed course that she's on. There is, there's inklings of what the show could have done with that
Christina: [00:43:45] Yes.
Sean: story, and instead they turned a corner and went a very intentional yet positive direction, and I think that was a good, a good way to show that Ted is the kind of guy that will forgive and be cuddly and try and keep peace because it's important. And, uh, At that point in Rebecca's life, she was like, I need to attack, and I need to hurt, and I need to maim
Christina: Yes.
Sean: as much as I can, and I don't care what collateral damage there is, which was her entire
Matt: Mm hmm.
Sean: through the bulk of season one,
Christina: Yeah.
Matt: she figured out too, that Rupert didn't actually care about it. Like she also kind of figured out, okay, this isn't actually gonna hurt him either. So I'm just spinning my wheels for no reason. So there's a couple of things.
Sean: popularity and hurting other people. That's what Rupert enjoys.
Matt: There's a couple of things as we wrap this up. I want to do one is give me your favorite quote from season one. So think about it for a second and then we'll go to, we'll start with Tina.
Christina: No, don't start with me because [00:44:45] I just watched it for the very first time.
Matt: Well, it's, that's why I started with you. It's precious.
Christina: It's not, it's not necessarily, there's, I mean, there's so much. Go to somebody else first. I gotta think.
Sean: Well, I got mine
Matt: All right.
Sean: because I already know what it is. And it's, it's one I already said, and that is the be curious, not judgmental. I, I love it and I love how Ted loves it. he's like, I really liked that, stuck with him. And it is a mantra that I repeat to myself often whenever I'm behind an idiot at the grocery store, or I'm in traffic, or I am dealing with numerous other frustrations that humanity brings to my doorstep I need to find a way to deal with in a healthy way. so it's, it's my favorite for sure. an easy one for me to answer. I'm sorry. Do you
Matt: That's good.
Sean: you want to answer it next matter? Do you want to put a hand it off to Tina and see if she's
Christina: No,
Matt: I mean,
Christina: answer. I've got my answer.
Matt: [00:45:45] right, good, good.
Christina: it is actually more a scene that ends on a line and I'm not going to get it right. So I'm going to paraphrase, but it is Trent Krim his article. And
Sean: Beautiful
Christina: the reading of the article and it ends with, but you can't help but root for him because that's exactly what it is.
Sean: Think, you know how you said that Keeley saw through him right at the
Christina: Yeah.
Sean: I think Trent saw, he may not have been able to fully digest it and encapsulate it in the beginning, but he saw something in Ted that he knew was there. and that gets
Christina: Well,
Sean: later on, right? I mean, I'm not
Christina: Yeah. Just,
Sean: just
Christina: just the fact that Trent saw him eating the hottest food known to man make this guy who drove the car, think about that
Sean: [00:46:45] from the
Christina: from the airport, drove the car. This isn't somebody that Ted needs to impress. This isn't somebody that is going to make or break Ted's career. This is just somebody whom Ted has empathy for. And knows that him just putting the food into his mouth is going to make this guy happy. Is going to make this guy proud of who he is and how his father is going to see him, with that food.
Sean: I think that that is one of the, the core, uh, pieces that gets repeated often is people feel lucky to be in Ted's orbit. Beard feels lucky to be in his orbit. There are a bunch of people that were very uncomfortable with feeling that positivity on a daily basis. They get angry or jealous or whatever, but they eventually realize how wonderful it is to be in his orbit and come
Christina: Yeah.
Sean: [00:47:45] You'll see that in the show and I think Trent Krim recognized that being in Ted's orbit is a wonderful place to be based on that dinner. And that guy, he was in Ted's orbit for two maybe? Because he drove him from the airport over to Tower Bridge and then to, to the stadium and that was it.
That was his whole involvement
Christina: Yeah.
Sean: And yet, He was in his orbit enough that he got to feel what it's like to be in Ted's orbit and, and experience that joy and that, thoughtfulness that he brings to the
Christina: Yes.
Sean: So, yeah.
Christina: And all I have to say, give me just one second, Matt, and then I want your quote. But I'm stuck here and I, I have to say, I want to live in Ted's. London apartment, have the coffee shop just two doors down and be able to walk to work. That's
Matt: I,
Christina: I want. That's the orbit that I want to be in[00:48:45]
Matt: that would be,
Sean: All right, that's it. We're all moving
Matt: that would be fabulous.
Sean: all moving to England.
Christina: Okay. Matt, what's your quote?
Matt: So my quote is based on some of the conversations we've had in past episodes, but so it fits in really well. Uh, taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse, isn't it? If you're comfortable while you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong.
Sean: Hmm,
Christina: Yes.
Matt: I like that. I like that idea of you've got to be uncomfortable and we've had the conversation, recently.
Christina: Yeah. Get out of your
Matt: All right. So to wrap it up, we've got one, just kind of fun, fun thing, nothing to draw any conclusions from, but just want to, do a little. So you just watched season one of Ted Lasso. Let's do a little trivia. See how much you really know about Ted Lasso season one.
Christina: don't.
Matt: Ready?
Sean: Wait, are we both answering
Matt: huh.
Christina: No. That's not fair. How
Matt: Oh,
Christina: fair?
Matt: it's doesn't have to be fair.
It's just fun.
Sean: wait, so who's,
Matt: Listen,
Sean: Just
Matt: there's no [00:49:45] winners or losers. Yeah. You both.
Christina: fair.
Sean: us.
Matt: Yeah. You both do it.
Sean: Let me go pull up my, uh, let
Matt: Oh, no, no,
Sean: up on my second screen
Christina: No. No cliff
Matt: no, no, no resources. Okay. Here we go. Question one, before taking over at AFC Richmond, Ted Lasso previously coached American football at which American university? Oklahoma State, Wichita State, or Kansas State?
Sean: Should I buzz
Christina: Wichita.
Matt: can just say,
Sean: Kansas? Kansas State.
Matt: it's Wichita.
Sean: Hmm.
Matt: right.
Sean: Excellent.
Matt: number two, what type of dog is on the AFC Richmond crest? Is it a greyhound, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, or a lurcher?
Sean: Greyhound.
Matt: Nicely done. Uh, Ted Lasso suffered a panic attack as Rebecca sang a karaoke version of which song following Richmond's big wind over Aberton? Sweet Caroline, Do You Want to Build a Snowman, or Sweet Home Alabama?
Sean: [00:50:45] Do you want to build a snowman?
Christina: It wasn't Do You Want to Build a
Matt: That was,
Christina: It was Let It
Matt: Well, it was let it go, but yeah, yeah, that
Christina: are
Matt: that's wrong.
Christina: songs.
Matt: They are, I guess you're right. You are correct. Jamie Tartt hails from which English city, Newcastle, Liverpool, or Manchester?
Christina: Oh, Manchester.
Sean: I'm going to go with Manchester as well. I don't think he has a Liverpoolian
Matt: are correct. It's Manchester.
Christina: Liverpool, wasn't he?
Matt: Maybe.
Christina: Roy Kent.
Matt: I don't remember.
Sean: also from London area.
Matt: I thought, yeah, I'm not sure.
Sean: Liverpool's from the north.
Matt: Mid,
Sean: doesn't have the accent.
Matt: mid season signee, Danny Rojas hails from which country? Brazil, Mexico, or Chile.
Christina: Mexico.
Matt: Mexico. Yeah.
Christina: I love
Matt: Yes.
Christina: Football
Matt: Football is live. Talk about joy. AFC Richmond used which premier league ground as their stadium? Stanford [00:51:45] bridge, Selhurst park, or Craven cottage.
Sean: have
Christina: The first one.
Matt: It was Selhurst park.
Sean: Which option was that?
Matt: Number two. Yeah. I'm going to skip this one. Let's just go to
Sean: Can't skip questions?
Matt: the Ted and Ted Lasso short for what name Thaddeus Fred or Theodore
Sean: Theodore?
Christina: I'd say Thaddeus.
Matt: it is Theodore.
Christina: Theater. I wanted to be different.
Matt: All right. Well, very good. So that brings us,
Sean: Is that
Matt: that's it. That is it. We've, uh, we've had a little fun with it. We've talked about season one Ted Lasso, uh, in, in great detail. And we've got a lot of really good points and things to sort of. Consider, right. As you think about writing your own novel or book or, whatever this might be for you think about, as Tina talks about the surface readers versus the in depth readers, the surface viewers, [00:52:45] the in depth viewers.
Like if you're able to do both of those things equally, well, you've got a lot of audience out there waiting for you. So tell us what your favorite part was. What did you take away from this? We'd love to hear about it. So head over to the website, write out loud pod. com, hit that, leave us a voicemail button and, uh, tell us what you think.
All right.
Sean: And watch Ted Lasso.
Matt: And if you haven't watched it last, so what are you waiting for? Do you, do you not like joy? Do you hate joy?
Sean: If you don't have Apple TV, just buy an iPhone. They give you like three months
Matt: Three months. Uh, as I've been telling,
Christina: it. Yes,
Matt: I've been telling Christina, the cost of Apple TV plus is worth every single penny.
Christina: my list. Hopefully I can
Matt: So,
Christina: it all in three months.
Matt: well, there we go. All right. Well, thank you very, very, very much, Sean, for joining us. We appreciate you as always. And
Sean: for having me.
Matt: Tina, as always [00:53:45] lovely, magical, wonderful spending time with you and you listening, thanks so much for tuning in. Appreciate it. Bye.
Christina: Bye!