Ted Lasso Season 2 Scores Big

Ted Lasso season 2 has all the things we love: Ted’s quips, good-natured camaraderie, and Roy Kent saying “fuck” a lot. Season 2 leans into the best jokes and moments from season 1 without feeling repetitive or being afraid to add new flair. When a show’s first season is as good as Ted Lasso’s was, you tend to feel protective of it – like an older sister worrying about her younger brother’s new girlfriend. But Ted Lasso hasn’t gone astray with his season 2; he’s found his stride.

Let me set the opening scene for you: Richmond’s been relegated to the Championship League. They’ve suffered through seven consecutive draws. The word “tie” might as well be a curse word to Ted by now. Actually “Ted’s Ties” would be a great name for a Lasso-themed tie brand, but I’m getting off track! So, Richmond is all tied up. We’re also introduced to their mascot – a greyhound named Earl.

A hush falls over the stadium as Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernández) readies himself for a penalty kick. Dani bends it like Beckham (I’m American and this is the only terminology I know – go with it!) and slams a beautiful ball towards the net.

The goalie dives in the opposite direction; it’s gonna go in! But… Richmond’s doggie mascot gets in the way. And Earl meets his tragic end with a soccer ball to the face. Goodbye Earl.

In the aftermath, Keeley (Juno Temple) scrambles to do some Twitter PR when she discovers that they made Michael Jordan cry.

Ted delivers an impromptu eulogy during the post-game press conference that nearly makes Trent Crimm (James Lance) of The Independent shed a tear. Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) gives a generous donation to Richmond’s largest dog shelter to make up for the mishap – Barkingham Palace. But the person who’s taking Earl’s loss the hardest is, of course, Dani Rojas. Because even though football is life(!), sometimes football is also death. A dark cloud is hanging over Dani Rojas. Or maybe it’s a bark cloud. (I’ll see myself out.)

It’s also during this press conference that we learn Roy is no longer with the team, which is expected, but sad. Don’t worry though, it’s okay because Keeley and Roy are still going strong. And she’s got his back. Roy and Keeley are basically the best couple since Jim and Pam, which is an easy bar for Keeley because Pam was kinda the worst (I said what I said!). Not to be dramatic, but if Keeley and Roy ever break up, I will literally burn London to the ground.

Ted’s been on Keeley’s case because he misses his old buddy Roy (Brett Goldstein), who refuses to attend games or support Richmond because he’s “busy.” And by “busy” he means coaching Phoebe’s soccer team. The reason we love Roy Kent is because he’s the kind of guy who calls a group of 8-year-olds “little pricks.” God bless him.

But Keeley is worried because Roy is avoiding his friends and turning down pundit gigs. It feels like Roy’s lost his direction, but, as Roy so eloquently puts it, punditry is, “A shit job for shit people. I’d rather shit out my own mouth than do that fucking shit.” Again – God bless him.

In addition to being Roy’s main squeeze, Keeley is also Rebecca’s new romance guru. Keeley and Rebecca are BFFs, so of course Rebecca’s going to pull Keeley into the fold when she’s texting her new beau – John Wingsnight – and wondering how to respond.

But Keeley isn’t the only one giving Rebecca dating tips. Rebecca’s even talking to Ted about her blossoming love life, which leads to one of Ted’s best one-liners from the premiere: “Rule #1: Even though it’s called girl talk, sometimes it needs to be more like, ‘Girl, listen.’” Ted. Gets. It. Also, I desperately want to have a wine night with Ted Lasso. And Roy Kent.

But Ted’s got bigger problems than Rebecca’s romantic woes. Dani Rojas has lost his mojo. He’s wracked with dog-murderer guilt and now can’t kick a ball to save his life. Or a dog’s life, for that matter. The Diamond Dogs (our favorite crew) meet to discuss. Here’s another great Ted one-liner: “I shouldn’t bring an umbrella to a brainstorm.”

It’s during this brainstorm that Coach Beard reveals he believes that Dani has “the yips,” which is where an athlete can no longer perform the basic fundamentals of their sport. Ted is aghast! Apparently saying “the yips” in a locker room is akin to yelling “Macbeth!” in a theater. But Beard’s not wrong, so the Diamond Dogs suggest bringing in a therapist in to help Dani through it. Ted’s not super keen on the idea but agrees to it in the end. Anything for the team.

Meanwhile, Roy and Keeley go on a double date with Rebecca and her beau. As you might imagine, Roy’s not exactly the biggest fan of double dating. And he’s not super keen on Rebecca’s beau, either. He thinks the guy is just “fine” and Rebecca deserves more than that.

His exact words are: “You deserve someone who makes you feel like you’ve struck by fucking lightning. Don’t you dare settle for fine. Not that it’s any of my business.” After that, Rebecca can’t shake the idea that this new dude’s just not for her. So, she breaks up with whatshisface.

Back at the stadium, Dani meets with Doctor Sharon (Sarah Niles) and it turns out that therapy is just the fix Dani needed to get his groove back.

Football is life again! And the rest of the players want a piece of that therapy action, too. When Ted goes to thank Doctor Sharon, there’s a line of players out the door waiting for a session. Despite Ted’s hesitation, therapy is a hit with the team. She might seem cold on the surface, but there’s something about Doctor Sharon that Ted’s boys seem to love; Ted’s just not quite sure what.

Roy Kent has his own version of therapy: wine night with his yoga moms. And we finally get to see it! Turns out that Roy is a BIG fan of “Lust Conquers All,” which is the Lasso version of Love Island. Roy’s positively gleeful when he picks up his wine glass and sits down to watch with the moms.

And here’s where things get interesting: Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) is one of the contestants this season! And he’s just as Tartt-y as we’ve come to know and love. Jamie considers himself a “top sexual scorer.”

I, for one, cannot wait to see how Jamie fares on “Lust Conquers All.” Or what becomes of Rebecca’s love life. And Ted’s, for that matter. Is Sharon the Therapist his new love interest? Not sure how I feel about that relationship. But I AM sure how I feel about Roy and Keeley’s. Inject more of their mature, quippy, well-rounded love fest straight into my veins please. Goodbye Earl, and hello season 2!

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