The Ted Lasso Relationship Guide Intro

We live in a media saturated world. But every now and again, a film or television show is able to break through the noise and make us take notice. In the summer of 2020, a commercial turned television show premiered in Apple TV+ and it took the world by storm. 

But unlike so many of the prestige dramas and even comedies that center around toxic main characters, this show caught the attention of many because it centered on kindness. 

The show, of course, is “Ted Lasso.”

I have been taken with this show since I first watched it in the fall of 2020. I was late to the game, but I have been an avid fan since then. There is so much to love about it. I love the corny jokes. I love the use of call-back comedy. I love the “salty language.” I love every time they let Hannah Waddingham sing. 

But what I love the most is the way that the show examines interpersonal relationships by creating so many positive examples, which make the negative examples stand out as especially bad. This is an impressive feat, since most of the negative relationships shows in “Ted Lasso” are fairly commonplace in other media. 

Of course we have seen fights between couples, but they feel shocking in this show because most of the romantic relationships are warm and loving. Of course there have always been fathers and sons with fraught relationships, but they feel worse here because of the many positive examples. Of course there have been harsh and abusive coaches, but here, even small slights feel worse because the norm is a caring and supportive environment. Of course friendships experience difficult patches, but here we see heartfelt apologies and efforts at rebuilding trust. 

It’s not a show that shies away from conflict, but that conflict is always shown in the context of kindness. This helps amplify the ugliness without needing to escalate the conflict into something outrageous that is harder for the audience to relate to. And it allows viewers to see more clearly pitfalls in their own relationships that may need examination, while also offering some small guides on how to repair them.

I have been wanting to do a deep dive into the relationships of “Ted Lasso” for a long time. As we prepare for the third and likely final season of the show, I thought this would be a good time to get started. Obviously, I reserve the right to amend opinions on early episodes as we see how the show wraps up some of these stories, but based on what we have and what I learn from various experts on relationships and conflict, I’m excited to break down some favorite scenes and examine them. 

I’ll be looking at four main categories: Parent/Child Relationships, Romantic Relationships, Friendships, and Coach/Mentor Relationships. 

I hope that as we look at what this show does so well, we can improve the relationships we have in our own lives. Because if it works on television, surely it works in the real, right? 

Actually, this time, I think it might.