#It's not a criticism to Ted Lasso the show or the character

[ragazzadellearance]

People criticising Midge for 5 years for being a bad mother because the show focused on her work life rather than her domestic life vs people never questioning Ted's parenting knowing he choose to live on a different continent than his son

[camgoloud]

one small detail that stood out to me about this latest episode that i haven’t seen anyone else talking about yet is that when the commentators are calling colin “inspiring” and the “man of the match,” they are celebrating him not for actually scoring the goals himself, but for providing the crucial assists to make both of them happen. and i really love that because for me it’s the absolute perfect wrap to his character arc across all three seasons!

like, we know that colin’s job on this team has never been to score goals. in fact i’m pretty sure we’ve never heard about a single goal that he has scored. colin is and always has been a team player, not a star—and we’ve seen that crop up over and over. notably, we’ve seen the fact that he’s not entirely at peace with that crop up over and over: see the way he was affected by nate’s entire holidy-inn-painting monologue, being benched to make room for zava, etc.—like, this is the thing he’s sensitive about! this is where all of his insecurities come from!

but at the SAME TIME it’s also tied very intimately with all his struggles re: hiding his sexuality— “colin’s a chameleon,” etc. it’s fascinating because there’s SO much tension there between colin 1. feeling bad about the fact that he never stands out on the pitch the way some of his teammates do, because of who he is on the team, and 2. feeling like he CAN’T stand out, ever, because of Who He Is As A Person. etc. it’s like. he’s filling this role in the background. he’s afraid he’s not doing it well enough. he’s afraid that what and who he is isn’t good enough and isn’t worthy of recognition. he wishes he were someone different. trying to be someone different in the locker room is clearly making him so unhappy and stressed out. it is All Connected and my thoughts have been doing laps around it at an ever-increasing rate since i watched episode 2.07 ‘headspace’ if not before!

and all of this is why it’s so incredible to me that in the end, colin’s big moment comes from making assists and not goals! because on the one hand i understand the fandom desire for the colin post-coming out glowup that we all knew was coming—to see him, like, ~prove everybody wrong about him~ and inspire people by suddenly becoming a standout player and scoring goals left and right, even though that never used to be his role on the team before. and don’t get me wrong, i was 100% on board that train, and would have loved it for him if that was how it went down in the end, also. i think he should get to score here and there! as a treat! especially now that richmond are playing total football and there’s been so much emphasis placed on how it’s not just jamie/dani/occasionally sam who are making all the goals anymore!

but i don’t know! especially after the events of the last few episodes, there’s something very special to me about getting to see a colin who, rather than becoming someone entirely new in the moments right after coming out, just feels free to become, and be at peace with, the best version of the same self he’s always been. he’s still a team player first and foremost, but now that he’s not as weighed down by the need to chameleon/hide/pretend to be someone he’s not, he’s so much better at it. and everyone sees this! he gets to be celebrated for his contributions within the role he’s always played! he (and everybody else!) finally recognizes the value that he adds to the team just by being himself—fully himself! it resolves all the tension and insecurity that we’ve seen him struggling with this whole time, on every level. and so this moment was genuinely the perfect ending for his journey in my opinion—i’m so so happy that we were tall enough to join him on the ride here, and so excited to see what he does going forward these last few episodes now that some of that pressure is off him <3

[time-is-restored]

fellas that last ted lasso episode. hmm.

listen i'll be real no matter what im gonna be out here gushing abt trent crimm cause he's my special little guy and im obsessed with him, but considering the Literal Paragraphs ive been writing abt all the shit i LIKED about the show, i didn't know how else to process these Less Good emotions than by blurting it all out over like two hours (instead of doing the dishes, lmao).

tldr; s3e2 was such an emotional high point for me, since i really felt like it had something concrete + specific to say about physical violence + social/emotional violence, and how they're BOTH highly valued as masculine ideals. but the episodes since then...

it kind of feels like im watching the result of a long and bloody fight between different writers? writers who, apparently, wanted Very different things from this last season, so now we're getting this. bizarro world mish-mash of two hypothetical shows, where tone + content + themes vary WILDLY and inconsistently from episode to episode - and even scene to scene!

[cw: discussions of sexism + racism, in a doylist context, also s3e5 spoilers]

specifically, i feel really disappointed and hurt that they went that direction with shandy's arc. i understand that we're only half way through the season, and obviously anything could happen between now and then but... really? like, is there some kind of budgeting issue here? we can't afford for there to be more than three (complex, not sexy lamps) women in any given episode? is that why the second jack appears, barbara loses any depth (what happened to that lovely moment of connection with the snow globes????????), and THEN the second SHANDY goes off her head it's. jack time? apparently???? like. this would feel a lot better as a viewer if at this point the show hadn't PRIMED me for jack doing something insanely stupid + cruel for no reason except 'haha Keeley Bad At Her Job'.

like. the first thing we see of shandy fine is her pride in keeley, and genuine appreciation of her hard work and skill. she's CLEARLY not stupid, otherwise why would the rest of her introductory scene be her helping keeley out with filmmaking advice (the extras thing) AND random, life experience shit (knowing how to deal with goat shit)?? she knows her way around a set, and she doesn't make any of the footballers feel judged, even when she's clearly thrown by the clips they're providing her.

so why in the space of like, barely a few weeks, does ALL of that get thrown out the window? 'condoms for balls'??? why are we supposed to just take for granted that she's stupid + overly ambitious (other than the Fucking Obvious!) when the show put NO effort into actually setting that up???? like, if her first scene was her monstrously fucking UP the shoot for keeley, and keeley hired her on pure sympathy then like. sure. whatever. no room for bleeding hearts in business. but that ALSO sucks as a story line for ted lasso, a show that (according to its OWN press releases!) is supposed to be about kindness and human connection and breaking cycles!

it just. it hurts? in a way where its like, i don't believe even a little bit that this was what the writers were aiming for with those scenes, and it frightens me that there could be such a wide gulf between intent and result. especially when bonding about The Shandy Incident is what got keeley and jack together (which i am trying... So hard to feel positive about, because explicitly confirming keeley's bisexuality is amazing, least of all bc it makes her jokes with rebecca feel a lot less mean-spirited on the writers' parts, retroactively)... like how am i supposed to be enjoying their moments together when i feel like the show's whole premise has been betrayed???

and really? the one moment nate gets to feel good in this WHOLE season, it's bc the server at the restaurant who previously could not care if he dropped dead right in front of him showed him some affection + validation?????

like, sure, i GUESS im happy that this random excuse for an arc has lead to a slightly more sympathetic female character existing at least in the PERIPHERY of the show's main storyline, except no im fucking not? i don't care about this fucking restaurant, and even though ive been DESPERATELY trying not to hate jade (even though the writers themselves can't seem to decide if she's Literally Racist or just a depressed service worker) NATE shouldn't care about jade! the ONLY way i can see this being an actually interesting arc for nathan is if its another exploration of his inability to leave behind the things + people that have hurt him, combined with years of conditioning where he's never allowed to express being annoyed/upset at anyone (which richmond!!! contributed to!!!!!! 'if you're mad, count to ten. if that doesn't work, count again'??? cool speedrun tips for resentment ted!). like, an arc where we see that distance away from richmond hasn't helped nate as much as it's removed some of the worst triggers, so a taste of athens ends up in the same awful pit of resentment + loathing as ted did. which nate clearly hates! he doesn't LIKE being that person! he apologised to a PAINTED DOLL of ted!!!! but when he doesn't have the framework or tools or SUPPORT to do anything else...

like. where is his team? obviously im not expecting the show to start being about a bunch of football players that AREN'T from richmond but? even just a small moment of appreciation? or hell! maybe they hate him! if we could see LITERALLY ANYTHING abt the sport which nathan has dedicated his life to, and how his Actual Coaching style is positively or negatively impacted by the lessons he learned at richmond? this is a show ABOUT football!!!!!

i just. a taste of athens? again? a-fucking-gain?????

and honestly, the worst part is that i REALLY liked the little monologue that nate got to give about how important the restaurant was to him! as much as it showed that nate is still just as passionate + earnestly defensive of the things he loves, it ALSO shows that he 1. spends that energy explaining his passion to people who don't deserve it/won't care, and 2. gets attached to things that really fucking hurt him! and like. i am on my hands and KNEES for that to be the 'point' of this arc but at this point i feel like that's me being naive! but if fucking JADE from fucking ATHENS is the civilising white gf who FINALLY talks nate down from him ~ ignorant, vengeful crusade ~ against the absolute ~ matyrs ~ of goodness at afc richmond, i just. like. what are we even DOING here gang?

i don't know. it hurts that sam's gone from being an almost principal character in s2 to only getting passing lines in s3. it hurts that rebecca's off in her own world, talking to strangers, having life-changing revelations on her own, surrounded by sets we're never going to see again, where every scene she DOES get to spend w one of the richmond members feels hasty and rushed, like the episode wants to get a few characters obligatory appearances out of the way asap. it hurts that all the chekov's guns around zava's arc (jamie's resentment, ted's lack of guidance, dani being 'demoted' + colin being benched) were apparently all just blanks, to be hastily plastered over with one big long speech about... ted wanting everyone to have higher self esteem, or something?

and listen, more the fool me if another episode comes out next week that i completely adore, and i spend like five days singing its praises. im mostly writing this so i can go INTO the next ep without feeling resentful + upset! i'll be STOKED if i was wrong and all of those little details ARE actually important, and these arcs have more to them than this! but for now im just sad and annoyed :(

[jopzer]

sorry i thought about what they did to roy kent in season three of ted lasso and now i have to lie down for a week

[gilmores-glorious-blog]

being in both the ted lasso fandom and the critical role fandom is wild sometimes because i just saw a post that started out “my guess is that trent is still arrested” and i was like. he’s what. before i remembered that there’s a different fandom with a very, very different trent.

[lunar-years]

Please don't apologize for having criticisms. It's a nice sentiment to let people enjoy things in their bubble but there's a line where that kind of thinking becomes a problem because people aren't seeing a variety of opinions and working out some more nuance in their feelings, like realising that oh maybe that isn't as great and here's why rather than echo chambering each other. That episode had a bunch of problems, please do not ever feel like you have to apologize for "negativity" when respectfully addressing them.

Thanks! In some ways I agree but I'm also fine knowing not everyone wants to watch the show the same way I do (which is to say, analyzing it to the death afterwards on my tumblr blog, lol). Sometimes you just want to watch a show and enjoy it for what it is and then talk about how much you enjoyed it with other enjoyers. i think that's valid, too! :)

[inkbotkowalski]

After pinpoint binging a meh 90s macho show - thank you, thank you, thank you, queer writers, for fighting for queer and female representation. It's such a stark contrast to today's TV shows... and probably a good reminder.

[devotioncrater]

The Tedependent Tinhat Thesis

Welcome! Welcome to The Tedependent Tinhat Thesis.

As of writing this, only Episode 1 of Season 3 has been released so far. If you feel the need to send me an anon about how Ted/Trent won’t happen, I implore you to remember when fandom culture used to encourage people to ship characters freely — even when those characters never interacted. This is all written in good fun, and to critically analyze Ted Lasso through a queer lens.

Disclaimer: This meta compiles various topics discussed by people in the Tedependent camp. I cannot take credit for everything. If anything, this is a love letter to them. 

To make this a bit easier to digest (and write), I’ve divided this meta into the following sections:

Queerness in the Media. Ted Lasso and His Subtextual Bisexuality. Trent Crimm, Independent. Tedependent Evidence. Rom-com Tropes and Structure. Narratives and Storytelling. Unexpected Ending.

So let’s begin on a base level of understanding about queerness in the media and how that history does and doesn’t tie into Ted Lasso.

Queerness in the Media

The presence of queer people in film has been a contentious topic since the enactment of the Hays Code in 1934. The Hays Code sanitized/censored what could be shown on-screen, and catered to an audience of white, straight men. This sanitization/censorship of media went hand in hand with the American societal shift into conservatism at the end of the Great Depression and WWI.

The Hays Code remained in effect until 1968, when the political landscape of America once again shifted — this time into a more progressive light. Until 1968, filmmakers and creatives within the industry sought out ways to bend and push the Code’s rules. The invention of television helped play a role in the dissolution of the Code, as did the growing number of foreign films which depicted things like queerness and women’s sexuality. 

Why is this relevant to Ted Lasso, a television show made in 2020?

30 years of conservative censorship and catering to straight, white men does a number on what people deem “acceptable” to show in film. This thinking extends into the world of television. The Hays Code was rooted in conservative ideology and created a system in Hollywood that prioritized white, straight men’s stories — to the point where there was little representation of anyone else. Its effects are still felt today, 55 years on from dissolution. There still is a terrible underrepresentation problem in Hollywood that runs from POC stories to women’s stories to queer stories. Even worse if any of those stories intersect with each other.

Before we dive into the topic of queer-coding in television, we need to understand the history of queer signaling. Queer signaling emerged so that queer people could identify themselves to other queer people without outing themselves to danger. It is by nature subtle to ensure safety within a homophobic society. Men wearing green carnations on their lapels, women giving other women violets, and the use of lavender are all queer signals that were used back in the day. Fashion choices are another signal (the old hanky code), as are certain phrases (“Are you a friend of Dorothy?”).

When you leave things to be subtle, it allows for people on the outside to interpret the information in a way that is easiest for them to digest. That has ramifications on queer history to be erased or explained away or rewritten to better push a heterosexual "default". You see it time and time again when historians call women who lived together for decades "good friends" or when historians laugh at the possibility of someone like Abe Lincoln being queer. There's this homophobic undercurrent of: How can this beloved, well-known person be queer? Why would you even imply something like that?

The same thing happens to queer characters on-screen. Queerness in television, specifically, has a history of being coded. Queer-coded characters are characters who are not explicitly queer — sometimes even are mentioned as straight —, but through their mannerisms and traits can be perceived as queer to the audience. Well known queer signals help aid in queer-coding. Harmful stereotypes also are utilizied to code a character. Therefore it is important to discern the intent and the use of these signals and/or stereotypes. 

(Please note: Queer-coding is different than Queer-baiting. To code a character as queer is inherently neutral, while to bait a character as queer is almost always negative.)

The ambiguity of coding allows for the show/studio to not have to present overt representation at the risk of alienating its audience. Hello, Hays Code.

Queer-coding is a reflection on society's stance on queer people at the time the character is written. In the 1980’s, when the AIDS Crisis was labeled a “Gay Cancer”, Disney films queer-coded their villains (notable ones include Ursula and Scar). In the 1990’s, Chandler Bing in Friends became a queer-coded character, but instead of villainizing him, it served to ridicule him. Even jumping forward to today, characters (such as Deborah in Hacks) still remain coded despite other characters within the same show being explicitly queer. 

And while the queer-coded characters of today are not targets of outright villainization, there lies an undercurrent rationalization to their subtextual queerness. For example, characters like Wednesday and Enid Sinclair from Wednesday are explained away as: “Well they’re just friends”. 

Characters like Ted in Ted Lasso can be explained away as: “Well he isn’t toxically masculine”.

Ted Lasso and His Subtextual Bisexuality

Ted? A queer-coded character? Afraid so, bucko. 

He isn’t the only one in the show, either. Keeley, Colin, and Trent are also queer-coded for their own reasons. Colin most notably for his Grindr comment; Keeley most notably for her various sapphic comments. Trent…we will get to later on. 

(It is worth noting that as of writing this, there are still no explicitly confirmed queer characters in the show. Although the case can be made that Keeley is confirmed bisexual already).

Focusing back on Ted, there is a good amount of evidence for bisexuality that can admittingly be explained away. People can point out that he’s secure in his heterosexuality, that he isn’t toxically masculine, that that is just how his character is. And yes, those viewpoints are all true and well and good, but I want to pose a question: 

Why are we so adamant that Ted Lasso isn’t queer?

Explaining away a queer-coded character’s subtextual queerness is perhaps the easiest route fans can take. Whether there is (implicit) homophobia attached or simply because of the fan’s strict adherence to what’s been canonically established so far, quite a few people’s knee-jerk reaction to reading a theory their beloved main character could be queer is: “Nope! No way, José!” 

Let’s challenge that reaction for a second. Let’s put down the explanations. Let’s take a look into what, exactly, I am talking about when I say that Ted can be read as a bisexual man.

“Rugby. What a game. It’s like if American football and sumo wrestling gave birth to a baby with huge muscular thighs all caked in mud.” — Season 3, Episode 1.

This is a peek into how Ted views the sport of Rugby, and it sure is telling to what he pays attention to. It’s also said in the context of asking if Sharon is seeing anyone. The phrase “huge muscular thighs all caked in mud” draws up quite the image, which when paired up with the direct conversation context, lends itself into an erotic visual. Rugby is known to be a homoerotic sport, too. 

(Please note: The “baby" in this sentence is Rugby personified to help segue the listener from imagining the sport as an abstract to imagining the sport as tangible. “It’s like if ___ and ___ gave birth to a baby” is a common figure of speech used to mean the combination of two things. The focus in this sentence is not the baby, but rather the muscular thighs.)

Ted could have said anything else about Rugby. But he didn’t. The first association he has with the sport is “muscular thighs caked in mud”. Why is that?

“Guys have underestimated me my entire life. And for years, I never understood why. It used to really bother me. But then one day, I was driving my little boy to school, and I saw this quote by Walt Whitman, and it was painted on the wall there. It said, ‘Be curious, not judgmental.’ I like that.” — Season 1, Episode 8

Walt Whitman was an openly gay poet in the 1800’s. His famous body of work Leaves of Grass has clear homoeroticism within it. The quote Ted references, though, isn’t a Whitman quote. But Ted believes it to be. “Be curious, not judgmental” is an aspired quote that reminds us to be more open-minded. 

Added layer: Not understanding why peers underestimate you or treat you different is a common experience in the queer community.

“That’s funny, when it comes to small talk I often ask myself what would Dolly Parton do? Start with the 9 to 5 and end with God Only Knows” — Official Twitter. Sept 28, 2021

“And next week is, if I remember correctly, Shania Twain.” — Season 2, Episode 1

Dolly Parton and Shania Twain are gay icons, especially to country folk.

“Shoot, I know I got goosebumps. I remember being a little kid, sitting in front of the television and watching Queen perform right over there during Live Aid.” — Season 2, Episode 8

Queen is not only an iconic band, but interwoven with queer culture. Freddie Mercury was bisexual.

“Last time I saw equipment this impressive, I was about 20 minutes into Boogie Nights.” — Official Twitter. Aug 30, 2022.

Boogie Nights is a 1997 film about a man becoming an adult-film sensation in the 1970’s. Twenty minutes in, there is a scene referencing the main character’s dick.

Boogie Nights also draws heavily from the disco genre for it’s soundtrack. Disco is a staple in queer culture as it allowed people freedom to express their identities in the nightlife scene. It didn’t matter who danced with who in the clubs.

“I feel like you two [Beard and Nate] are about to do some improv comedy or tell me that you’re dating each other. Either one’s cool with me. ‘Cause your suggestion is: ally.” — Season 1, Episode 9

Ted is supportive of queer relationships. An ally, as he says. But maybe he isn’t just an ally.

He repeatedly calls members of the Diamond Dogs pet names/terms of endearment. “Sweetie” “Baby” “Honey”, the list goes on. When this began in Season 1, Episode 6, Beard found it out of character for Ted to do so. (Nate asking him if Ted’s alright and Beard laughing, “No!”). What makes me pause on this is that the origin of Ted’s terms of endearment stem from Michelle leaving him. Ted’s looking for emotional comfort or familiarity in other men that he can no longer give to or receive from his ex-wife.

Other straight men in the show (like Roy) don’t engage in this behavior.

Ted also really enjoys musical theatre. He references musicals a lot. I mention this information now because it is important later.

There are more examples in the show, but I hope I’ve laid out enough to get you to at least see the repeated mentions of queer culture. They’re spinkled in, sure, but they are there. And they’re given in a way that gives an impression that maybe, maybe Ted isn’t as straight as we’re led to believe.

Keep in mind that sexuality is fluid, bisexuality exists, and characters evolve over the course of their stories. Is it really so out there to imagine Ted developing into his own?

Let’s move on to Trent.

Trent Crimm, Independent

We do not know much of Trent’s backstory. Yet. James Lance has said in interviews that Jason Sudeikis brought it up to him early on. Interesting, as Trent hadn’t yet become a series regular. Was there always a plan in store for his character?

Well what do we know of Trent? From other character’s reactions and comments about him, we know he is someone who writes scathing exposés as a journalist. We know he’s highly obervant, blunt, and at times aloof. He takes his job seriously and he loves the sport of football. A “tough cookie” as Ted put it. People listen to what he writes about, as Rebecca mentions in Season 1 Episode 3. He’s established in his profession.

We also come to discover that he’s grown dissatisfied with his career. He’s “looking for something deeper”. He goes from disliking Ted (“Is this a fucking joke?”) to burning his source out of personal respect for Ted (“My source was Nate”). This shift in character is pretty drastic, though believable if you pay attention to how he acts in the press room and the questions he asks throughout Seasons 1 & 2.

He has a je ne sais quoi about him that queer fans of Ted Lasso have picked up on. Perhaps it’s the way he dresses, his hair, or his overall vibe. Perhaps it’s the way he looks at Ted like he’s endlessly fascinated by him. Trent Crimm, Independent inexplicably reads as gay.

Tedependent Evidence and Speculation

Keeping everything we’ve established so far in mind, let’s go through some of their scenes together. Keyword: some. This meta is long enough as is.

Lasting First Impressions

In the Pilot episode, one of the first things Ted says to Trent is, “I like your glasses.”  To which Trent takes them off, looks at them, and replies, “Oh, thank you.” And then it becomes a recurring move he does nearly every time he talks to Ted.

In Season 1 Episode 3, Trent greets Ted, “Hello Coach Ted Lasso from America.” to which Ted replies, “Hello Trent Crimm from the Independent.” And then that becomes a recurring joke between them.

Speaking of Season 1 Episode 3, if you jump to 18:29, you’ll catch Trent giving Ted a full body check as Ted finishes getting ready. 

Bring It On!

“Make like Dunst and Union and Bring It On, baby!” Ted says to Trent in Season 2, Episode 3.

The 2000 film Bring It On! includes a storyline about a gay cheerleader who is comfortable in his sexuality. The movie addresses issues of racism, appropriation, and systemic inequality. It’s become a beloved cult classic.

It is also the first time Ted uses a term of endearment on Trent. He doesn’t do that to any of the other journalists, indicating that they’re on personal friendly terms. Most of their interactions seem to happen off-screen. Ted baked birthday biscuits (and decorated them) for Trent’s daughter. Trent and Ted may have swapped phone numbers somewhere along the way too, seeing as Trent’s able to text him about Nate later on in the season.

The Tie Between Oklahoma! and Casablanca

When Ted references Oklahoma! in Season 1, Episode 5, it’s to specify that the musical is ruined for him due to it becoming a safeword in his marriage with Michelle. The direct quote is:

“So if either of us says ‘Oklahoma,’ the other one has to tell the God’s honest truth… Did ruin the musical for me though. So now every time I hear, ‘Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,’ or, uh… what… ‘Surrey with the Fringe on Top,’…”

“Surrey with the Fringe on Top” makes an appearance in the 1989 rom-com film When Harry Met Sally. Harry and Sally sing it together impromptu on a karaoke machine in an electronics store. Sally’s profession in the film is in journalism.

What else is referenced in When Harry Met Sally…? So glad you asked. Casablanca is referenced in the film a couple times. In the beginning and in the middle. It serves the narrative purpose to indicate how Harry and Sally’s outlook on love has developed over the years.

Casablanca is a hallmark of the romance genre. And it’s also been referenced in Ted Lasso. In Season 2 Episode 7, when Trent leaves his date to go over to talk to Ted, he says, “Of all the pub joints!”

The Casablanca quote is: “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.” It is said by Rick about meeting Ilsa again.

Season 3 Episode 8 is allegedly titled “We’ll Never Have Paris”, which is a subversion of the Casablanca quote “We’ll always have Paris”. 

Now for the absolutely insane bonkers speculation. That quote is said in the final scene of the film right after Ilsa asks Rick, “What about us?”. Rick isn’t getting on the plane with her, they’re separating, this is the end of their story. “We’ll always have Paris” is a reassurance that they’ll always be together in their memories. 

So if “We’ll always have Paris” is a signifier to the end of a romance, it is possible that “We’ll Never Have Paris” is a signifier to the start of a romance. And who else in Ted Lasso has referenced Casablanca? No one. The only reference in the entire show so far has been said by Trent to Ted.

Twelfth Night

Want to get even more insane in the membrane? Of course you do.

Before Trent walks over to where Ted sits at the bar, Mae makes a reference to the Shakespearan play Twelfth Night. Her direct quote is: “If music be the food of love, play on. Give me excess of it.” 

To which Ted replies: “If that's your fancy way of asking if I want another one, you guessed right.”

Sidebar here — because I love connecting the dots even if it turns out I haven’t connected jackshit — Ted’s reply could be a double entendre. He doesn’t say “if I want another drink”, he says “if I want another one”. Another one of what? It’s clear in the context of the bar it’s another one (beer), but it could also foreshadow to mean another one (love). The latter makes sense when combined with Mae’s reference.

Because Twelfth Night is a love story. It’s a romantic comedy. It’s a queer romantic comedy.

So Mae makes a cryptic reference — unprompted — to the opening of a queer love story, and then immediately afterwards we get Trent greeting Ted with a reference to another famous love story. 

Remember how Trent did a full body check on Ted in Season 1 Episode 3? Well now it’s Ted’s turn. He does a full body check on Trent around the 31:50 mark in this episode. And he seems genuinely happy to see Trent until Trent puts his journalist cap on. 

This happiness is also short-lived if we jump forward to Season 2 Episode 12. When Trent texts Ted initially, Ted smiles at his phone. The smile goes away as soon as Trent sends him the article he wrote.

Burning A Source

Trent burned his source for Ted. This serious, established journalist burned his source.

The Carpark

“Hey! There he is. I was worried about you. I thought you might’ve been in a bike accident or something.”

“Actually, I don’t know how to ride a bicycle.”

“Really? That surprises me.”

“Why? Cause of the hair and the whole vibe?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

— Season 2, Episode 12

Let’s break this down. 

Remember how I said certain phrases are used as queer signaling? Bicycle is one of them. Bi-cycle used to be slang for bisexual (an example of this in pop culture is Queen’s song “Bicycle Race”). Trent saying he doesn’t know how to ride a bicycle could be a double entendre, with the hidden meaning that he isn’t bisexual. He then goes on to ask Ted about “the hair and the whole vibe”, which could be another double entendre. This time with the hidden meaning to ask if Ted’s got a gaydar. The pause at the end of his question and the way he asks it is equally important. He’s testing the waters with Ted. 

And Ted passes the test with, “Yeah, I guess so.”

They are also in a carpark, which is a callback and parallel to not just Ted and Michelle, but also to Roy and Keeley. 

This entire scene is coded and contains heavy foreshadowing. There’s a lot to unpack. From Trent’s choice of words to locking himself out of his car to Ted saying, “Do what The Man says and try to follow your bliss.”

Speaking of Ted, this is the last scene we see of him in Season 2.

Rom-com Tropes and Structure

So how does that evidence fit in with the story structure? We all know Ted Lasso is a rom-com. So let’s dissect the genre’s tropes and how its typically set-up.

Perhaps one of the most common rom-com tropes is the journalist falling in love (sometimes with who they’re writing about). Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, He’s Just Not That Into You, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, etc. This profession is popular.

There are also the friends of the romantic leads who help guide them. Diamond Dogs, anyone? 

The anatomy of a rom-com is typically done in three acts.

ACT ONE: Meet-Cute

Every rom-com has a meet-cute. It’s integral to the structure. And oftentimes — if the rom-com includes someone who is a journalist — that meet-cute happens in the workplace. During this act, the two characters get to know one another and start to fall in love.

ACT TWO: Lose

This stage typically happens two-thirds of the way through. There’s a dissolution of some sort. One character betrays another or they argue or something gets in between them. Either way, one of them leaves.

ACT THREE: Declaration

Whoever left realizes “Wait a minute…I’m in love.” and then the rest of the film leads up to an iconic declaration of love. The characters reconcile and it’s — generally speaking — a happy ending.

It would make sense for Ted Lasso — which references rom-coms and rom-communism out the wazoo — to incorporate this structure. And I think that it already has somewhat in regards to Ted and Trent’s storyline, if you view each act as a corresponding season.

Narratives and Storytelling

Before we saw Ted’s panic attacks and now chronic depression, we got inklings of it. The writers consistently sprinkle foreshadowing into every major plot point in Ted Lasso. The situations in the show feel plausible and real because they’re given the space and the time to breathe, grow, and develop. Pacing is integral to this.

For a show to be so progressive yet not have an explicitly queer character seems strange to me. It feels off. We are given hints, though, which lead me to believe that sexuality will be a major plot point in Season 3. For it being the last season, it’s not going to be enough to potentially only have Colin be the One Gay in the entire cast of characters. That would feel uncharacteristically dismissive from the writers on a show about inclusion and found family.

It would also completely throw out a chance to further enrich the story and deepen the characters. Think about the wasted comedic potential of Trent becoming an accidental gay mentor to Colin. Or the wasted dramatic potential of the Richmond team banding together against homophobia. Or, I don’t know, the wasted dramedy in Ted talking to the Diamond Dogs about how he’s realizing he’s got feelings for men, and there’s a moment where they’re like, “No shit.”

Beyond foreshadowing, another common style the Ted Lasso writers love to utilize is the red herring. A red herring is a misleading bit of information used to distract the audience from the relevant information. We saw it in Season 2 between Ted and Rebecca and Sam. Some people didn’t connect the dots between Sam’s Bantr storyline and Rebecca’s Bantr storyline because Ted — the red herring in this example — was shown also texting on his phone. Editing played a part in this too, as some shots cut to Ted directly after Rebecca had a Bantr Moment.

I honestly think we’re going to get a subversion of this in Season 3. Only this time Rebecca will be the red herring to distract from Ted and Trent. Here’s why:

There are multiple parallels between scenes where Ted interacts with Rebecca and with Trent. This gifset captures those parallels. He gets through both of their barriers (hopping over Rebecca’s “fence” and softening Trent’s “tough cookie” exterior). It’s the Lasso Effect, baby!

What’s more, a larger portion of the audience watching Ted Lasso are primed to expect Ted and Rebecca as endgame. It’s what happens in shows between two main characters of the opposite gender, right? They get together, live happily ever after. Especially if they’re good friends. 

Anyone expecting the Ted and Rebecca ending will probably disregard anything developing between Ted and Trent even if its right in front of them. Because historically two men don’t end up together on-screen. Especially not in a show as big as Ted Lasso.

But what if a queer endgame is what Jason Sudeikis means when he says in interviews that the ending is not what we’ll expect?

Unexpected Ending

Before we look at the ending, we must look at the beginning.

The first shot of the season is of Ted’s depressed face in an airport. Since Ted Lasso has so far began and ended each season with a juxtaposition shot, it would make sense for the last shot in Season 3 to be of Ted’s happy face. Whether or not that’s in an airport remains to be seen.

The teaser trailer for this season dropped on Valentine’s Day, which was our first look into Season 3. Season 3 ends on May 31, 2023, one day before June. Or, in other words, one day before Pride Month. The combination here of Valentine’s Day and Pride Month lends itself to an interesting choice.

The official Season 3 playlist dropped on Apple Music. So far all the song’s have been in order, and as there are 56 songs on the playlist, I’m inclined to believe that it’s the entire season. 

“Wigwam” by Bob Dylan is the first song of the season. It’s got a melancholic, drifting feel to it, with no real lyrics. If it still stands that the songs are in order, then the last song on the show is “I Am What I Am” by Donald Pippin & George Hearn from the 1983 Broadway musical La Cage aux Folles. It’s got a purposeful, proud feel to it, with meaningful lyrics.

Remember how I said that Ted is a huge musical theatre nerd? La Cage aux Folles is an insane pick — in the best way — to end the show. It’s cultural impact was huge when it came out, as it was the first hit Broadway show that centered on a gay couple, Albin and Georges. “I Am What I Am” quickly became a gay anthem. I can’t give notable lyrics because the entire song is a love letter to being out and proud of who you are. It’s also worth noting that Albin and Georges are fathers to a son.

But why would they pick this particular song from this particular musical? Why choose a gay anthem? 

I cannot say for certain that Ted and Trent will end up together by the end of Season 3. All I can say is that it would make sense if they do. From the set-up to the Rom-com tropes to the unexpected ending. And if it doesn’t, if all this ends up being wrong, that’s okay too. 

Still, though, I can’t help but root for them.

[bibliolatress]

in light of all the great discussion of colin using sexism as a shield against homophobia, i just want to put it out there that my dream scenario for this show is for them to tie his (+ isaac’s) storyline back into nate’s.

like one of the points that gets raised against the dislike of nate’s character is that he’s not the only one who’s hurt people and it’s like yeah! that’s true! if we’re looking at everything we’ve seen so far, the way isaac and colin’s bullying of him was handled was “well you know that they’re ultimately good people so they don’t have to really confront their actions or nate’s feelings, it’s fine”. and it’s not fair to then turn around and demand that nate suffer or grovel to ted and will.

but it would be so, so satisfying if ted “accountability matters” lasso had colin realize that part of the reason he was scared to come out and isaac the reason that his friend couldn’t confide in him is because of this environment that punishes people who deviate from “the norm” that they both had an active hand in perpetuating. and having them realize this leading to an apology to Nate which in turn is the thing that leads to Nate to make atonement for his own cruelties and his own role in passing his pain on to other people

one of legitimate criticisms of this season is how isolated everyone’s storylines are and i really hope that the show reverses course on this in the last batch of episodes by resolving these arcs in a way that ties these characters back together

[ericdeggans]

My List of the Best TV in 2023: An Abundance of Quality Even in Adversity

What’s the surest proof that there truly is too much television available these days?

The fact that, even though 2023 featured historic performers and writers strikes in Hollywood which crippled film and TV production for months, there was still enough great series and projects to fill an entire notebook page.

Way too many, in fact, for me to cover in my small part of NPR’s awesome annual listing of the best TV and film of the year, compiled among six different critics. It’s one reason the strikes went on so long in the first place – for fans of great TV, it didn’t really seem like much changed, as streaming services kept dropping cool stuff, thanks to their long production lead times.

Ironically, viewers may notice the strikes’ impact more next year – in part, because a lot of cool TV shows left us in 2023 (pour one out for Barry, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Crown, Reservation Dogs, Succession, and, possibly, Ted Lasso) and also because the streamers will spend some time rebuilding lineups which got depleted.

Here, where I have a lot more room is my highly subjective and surprisingly long list of the Best TV of 2024:

TOP PICK - Succession – A show which perfectly captured how the dysfunctions of wealthy families can impact the world delivered a note-perfect finale that surprised – though I did predict Tom would win out – and yet felt completely inevitable. All while the world was second-guessing and writing their own endings. Masterful.

The Last of Us – Who knew reinventing the zombie apocalypse story was simple as coming up with a new cause – fungus, eww! – and the willingness to hand big chunks of the story over to compelling, fully drawn supporting characters. Doesn’t hurt to have ultimate zaddy Pedro Pascal and precocious acting genius Bella Ramsey on the case, either.

The Bear - Speaking of compelling supporting characters…this show’s second season sparkled by giving the other employees in Carmy’s greasy spoon-becoming-a-great-restaurant lots of narrative room. But it took flight with unexpected, brilliant cameos from Jon Bernthal, Olivia Colman, Oliver Platt, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, and the legendary Jamie Lee Curtis.

Reservation Dogs – Proof of the amazing, authentic, original stories which come from letting indigenous people tells their own stories, smashing together a crushing realism with the sense that a jarring visit from the spirit world is always around the next corner.

Fargo – Not sure I love the ultimate message on the healing power of suburban, white, upper middle class Midwestern family life (or what happens to the one major Black character). But crackling performances from Juno Temple, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Jason leigh and Dave Foley make this year’s installment the best version in many years.

Shrinking – An emotional and truly funny comedy that reminds us how hilarious Harrison Ford and Jessica Williams can be while not making us spend too much time on Jason Segel’s angsty privileged white guy shtick.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The TV series which scored the most by taking the boldest swings, leaning into Trek’s original heritage as an adventure-of-the-week which told the most ambitious stories on the small screen.

(The dancing, dubstepping, boy band-style Klingons on Strange New Worlds powered my favorite TV scene of the year.)

Star Trek: Picard – Yeah, I put TWO Trek series here, because everyone else in critic-land seems to be sleeping on the fact that they made more than one excellent season of a new Trek series filled with nods to what came before, including this show, which reunited the Next Generation cast in a storyline basically about old people saving the universe from young, clueless, mind-controlled pawns.

Barry – Wasn’t thrilled about how grim this series’ finale eventually became. But respected the fact that co-creator/star Bill Hader never shied away from the fact that the show was going to be his laboratory for all the directing and storytelling tricks he ever wanted to try, and a dark comedy about a hitman-turned-actor has to be seriously dark to mean something.

Beef – A road rage incident becomes a crackling, entertaining look at everything from Asian family culture to Elon Musk-level mogul dysfunction while also proving my girl Ali Wong can act her ass off.

Still: A Michael J. Fox Story – While other celebrities are executive producing documentaries to show how legendarily cool they are, Fox helped create an up close look at his struggle with Parkinson’s disease which show how hard it is to put on socks and take a walk on a new York street without crashing to the ground right in front of a concerned fan.

Only Murders in the Building – A comedy about over-privileged crime podcasters in an Upper West side apartment building should not stay entertaining over three seasons. But this show pulls it off, tossing in against-the-grain cameos by Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep that provide the best icing on a very fine cake.

Slow Horses – This show about a department filled with failed British intelligence agents not only subverts the spy genre, it subverts the satires which originally subverted classic spy dramas, like Get Smart. Topped by mesmerizing performances from Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas, I would have subtitled this one, Get Smarter.

Happy Valley - This series about an experienced, ball-busting divorced single mom of a police sergeant in a mid-size town in Britain notched an underappreciated series finale featuring the amazing Sarah Lancashire as Catharine Cawood, finally confronting the man she blamed for her daughter’s suicide and her grandson’s emotional turmoil.

BS High – A great documentary often tells a story which keeps going deeper and better, like a descent into a spellbinding madness. This film achieved that by giving center stage to master manipulator/football coach Roy Johnson, who got ESPN to air a game featuring his Bishop Sycamore High School team; the film contends their crushing loss eventually exposed that the school didn’t really exist.

I’m a Virgo – Creator and activist Boots Riley made an urban parable where Black excellence became superpowers and the world’s exploitive class came for a 13-foot-tall Black teen played by the always compelling Jharrel Jerome. Always inspiring to see how Boots turns mainstream media’s tropes and expectations against itself.

[bewilclerment]

ted lasso getting criticized for not having gay characters its first two seasons then BOOM three consecutive queer confirmations. this show is so real

[legless-fish-on-rollerskates]

I think one of the big problems* in Ted Lasso is that Ted doesn't always understand/realize that his experiences aren't universal.

(*by problem I do not mean a criticism of the show or the writing, I mean it's a realistic character trait that causes well-meaning mistakes and conflict that makes the story richer)

Ted's a great guy with a lot of genuine empathy. He wants to help people because he cares about them (and because he has trauma-related guilt about not being able to help his dad). But he hasn't quite figured out yet that What Ted Needs is not always what everyone else needs.

Ted's arc in 3x11 was SO important to me. We know he represses a lot of stuff, especially about his dad. Ted Lasso, supreme overlord of pretending he is fine, saying "fuck you" to his mother, saying "you know what? no, I'm not fine," saying specifically "you fucked me up and yeah actually I do blame you," allowing himself to be angry? He's likely only recently even acknowledged to himself that he's mad at his mom, possibly even for the first time within the episode. This scene was vital for his growth. Ted needed to express and own that anger so that then he could let go of it and move forward. It's become a defining character trait that Ted Lasso forgives everyone except Ted Lasso. Forgiving his mother allows him to start down the path of forgiving himself, which is one of the things he needs the most.

This was necessary for Ted. Crucially, Jamie is not Ted.

Ted's relationship to his mom is not the same as Jamie's relationship to his dad. A parent who screws up and damages their child because they're a flawed human being who doesn't have all the answers is not the same as a parent who physically, verbally, emotionally, and sexually abuses their child in an intentionally malicious way for years. The advice Ted needed is not the same as the advice Jamie needs.

And Ted doesn't realize this, which I actually think is pretty in-character! He means well, he wants to help, he tells Jamie to forgive his dad because Ted forgiving his mom helped him and he's not the best at separating his needs from the needs of the people around him. He sees himself in Jamie, relates to him because they both have complex relationships with their fathers, and even though he knows that their situations are different he doesn't always realize he's treating them like they're the same. So in Ted's mind, the best way he can help Jamie is by giving him the advice Ted would have appreciated himself. And in this context, this is wrong!

Anyway, Ted is not a magical genie who always does the right thing, and I think this is interesting to look at from a character perspective because it's less frustrating than assuming the writers are just telling everyone to forgive abusers

[queerly-autistic]

I just submitted my feedback to Apple TV and Amazon Prime, and am happy for people to use what I wrote as framework for their own if it's helpful. I tried to hit a number of talking points, which might be useful if coming up with your own:

third season 'and beyond' (as David specifically said)

representation and diversity

the show's success by a number of metrics

large passionate fanbase (and examples of this)

personalising it for the streamer in question (why OFMD would fit well on that platform specifically)

international appeal (specifically highlighting that I'm from the UK)

Here's what I submitted:

Apple TV Support Form I'd like Apple TV to consider picking up Our Flag Means Death, which is currently looking for a new home for its third season and beyond. It's not only fabulously diverse, with important queer representation that any network would be proud of, but it's also critically acclaimed - twice GLAAD nominated -, was consistently the top show on HBO Max, and has a large passionate fanbase willing to follow wherever it goes (nearing 75,000 on a petition to renew the show; £10,000 raised in forty minutes to fund a billboard in Times Square). Apple's shows are given space to breathe and truly inhabit their unique identities, such as the wonderful Ted Lasso, and I think this heartfelt queer pirate romcom would fit in perfectly. As a UK customer, I would subscribe to Apple TV if you picked up this show.

(note: there is a character limit here, which my message only just managed to fit in) Amazon Prime Feedback Form: I'd like Amazon to consider picking up hit show Our Flag Means Death, which is currently looking for a new home for its third season and beyond. The show is not only fabulously diverse, with important queer representation that any network would be proud of, but it is also critically acclaimed - two times GLAAD nominated -, was consistently the top show on HBO Max's streaming service, and has a large passionate fanbase willing to follow wherever it goes (nearing 75,000 on a petition to renew the show; £10,000 raised in forty minutes to fund a billboard in Times Square). Amazon Prime has recently displayed a real commitment to queer representation, with beloved titles such as Good Omens and Red, White and Royal Blue not only having massive success but being given the space and support by Prime to develop their own unique creative voice, and I think this heartfelt queer pirate romcom would fit in perfectly amongst Prime's other titles. The show is also highly merchandisable, and many fans would jump at the chance to purchase any Our Flag Means Death related merchandise (as I have previously done with Good Omens). The show also has international appeal: as a customer in the UK, I would also absolutely invest in a higher tier of subscription to support Prime should you pick up Our Flag Means Death, and know many people across the US, Australia and Europe who would do the same. Thank you for your time, and I hope you will consider picking up this incredible show for its third season and beyond.

I hope that this is helpful! Let's all go get our damned men back!

[time-is-restored]

more whinging bc i got negative hours of sleep last night and i need to stay awake somehow lol

cw: discussions of misogyny + abuse

god the more i think abt it the more exhausted i get by the gender politics of ted lasso.

like god i do genuinely think that rebecca's arc in s1 is one of the best depictions of a mean + cruel woman ive ever seen on TV specifically bc it manages to thread the needle so well? like they never tilt her balance too much and doom her to being either totally fucked up + evil OR totally soft and sweet and harmless. and ted's 'divorce makes u crazy' response to her apology STILL makes me crazy wrt the sheer. understanding and empathy there, and she's just. given so much more depth than ive come to expect, especially for an ensemble cast sitcom w a (then) p short run time.

but my fucking god. we literally don't learn a fucking thing about michelle. im pretty sure the one (1) concrete thing we know about her comes in the fucking finale, and it's that she's a teacher for... something. the two most important people in ted's life and we don't know anything abt them! they're literally just empty symbols representing the importance of Family™, and that vacancy does nothing but weigh ted's storyline down!

like, i liked michelle's episode/storyline in s1, bc the blinding novelty of a woman instigating a divorce not being the Actual Devil, as well as a just. generally very empathetic + nuanced take on how divorce shakes out between two ppl who really care for each other, was so 'WAIT TV CAN DO THIS??' that i felt satisfied with that being Her Arc™. divorce happens, life happens, people fall out of love, and it hurts but its ultimately okay. the show, at the time, was ultimately abt a football club and how caring abt that football club helped everyone around it.

but then the show sticks around, and her continued absence just... raises a lot of questions? how did the conversation abt ted going overseas happen? what conversations did they have abt henry? how long term was it intended to be? did money really not factor into it all? like it's one thing for a character's backstory to be vague when it's not really the focus of attention (s1 was ultimately rebecca's story before anyone else's), but when it's the load bearing stone of their '''''''arc''''''' in s3...????

like. god. and then it fucking infects every other woman on the show!

sassy + nora? well sure we'll give you a softball - you can have one (1) scene where a woman is able to resolutely and firmly reject a man asking her out without immediately being seen as cruel or gameplayey (not that the audience will see it that way! she's already a lecherous temptress for them!), but neither of them will ever be able to speak to rebecca onscreen again, even after the heart-wrenching scenes in s1 CLEARLY establishing them as a beating heart of rebecca's arc.

shandy? nope, don't even think abt her motivations/drives, just forget her. simi? LMAOOO imagine a black woman getting a personality beyond righteous anger. jack? three-four episodes, and we learn so little abt her that her conflict with keeley - which SHOULD'VE have been a huge emotional beat - just feels like a kick in the teeth (and while, yes, i absolutely agree that in a real world context, jack's rejection of keeley would be largely motivated by class, in Ted Lasso Land™ rebecca is just as rich - if not richer? - and we're never once encouraged to interrogate her priorities).

barbara's the one that really makes me miserable, bc i feel like on a show with less run time, she could've played REALLY well. she's a great contrast to keeley, has an amazing delivery, and the scene where keeley + her first discuss the snowglobes shows that she has the potential for some really moving vulnerability + pathos. but instead they give SO many of keeley's scenes to characters who ultimately get written out, so when barbara stays it's like... okay? sure? like, i was so stoked that barbara survived the Mass Exodus of side characters that i didn't wanna look the gift horse in the mouth but... wasn't the last thing we saw of her and keeley's relationship like. general resentment + distrust abt the shandy debacle? when did that improve? how???

i don't think i'll ever have enough mental real estate to explain how disappointed keeley + rebecca's 'arcs' in s3 made me, and at least there's the saving grace that. virtually no one other than jamie got a coherent arc this season, so at least it was on some levels an egalitarian screw up. but fuck dude. keeley was just forced to react to bad things that were happening to her, and we got to see her do her job (which, unbelievably, does actually involve things other than being an awkward manager!) precisely one (1) time.

i even like rebecca's arc on paper - i think it's really cool to see a character backslide so intensely in terms of obsessing over and struggling to come to terms w a past relationship, especially an abusive one, bc like. yeah! that shit sticks with you for longer than a season! and beyond that, seeing her regain her sense of self and what SHE actually gives a shit about was oftentimes just as sweet as s1. but her scenes were poorly connected, and she had to carry WAY too much of a burden as the Resident Speech Giver for any of her internal characterisation to make sense. like, sorry, but it's kind of hard to believe a character's Going Through It™ when they have to spent near 100% of their screen time giving Take It From Me, Kid, speeches. and then she's not even given a real opportunity TO fuck up + sabotage her relationships, even when she starts getting really weird w ted! it's all just so meaningless and like nothing that she does is ever going to matter. she never speaks to zava again, we don't get to see her interact w bex or kate, her pleas to ted get COMPLETELY shut down...

but the thing that REALLY makes me sick is this complete lack of interiority absolutely butchers the characters of jade + jane, who are otherwise RIFE with potential. like, jade is a completely unflinching, unapologetic asshole to nate + his family, and that's never interrogated. even in Sitcom Land™, it's more than reasonable to view jade's actions as racist, especially when she doesn't give the same treatment to others (at least not as i recall? honestly i usually watch the taste of athens scenes while peeking out behind my hands, so i could 100% be wrong here). and yet, suddenly, and completely inexplicably, she's charmed by nate. she wants to give him the time of day. she finds him attractive, and wants to date him, and generally take control of his life and force him into a decision that is literally the exact opposite of what he expressed wanting to do. except even that LAST thing isn't allowed to be interrogated, bc god FORBID a woman is enough of a fully realised creation to actually be culpable of the terrible shit they do!

and fucking jane??? beard's so head-over-heels for this woman that the emotional abuse + extremely controlling tendencies don't even make him bat an eye, and we don't get to know anything about her? she's literally just the suggestion of an alluring woman! good at sex! good at chess! fuck you if you wanna know more, even though the show ENDLESSLY hits you over the head with how painful their relationship is for beard - beard who is given virtually no other storyline. like, i literally can't read brendan's refusal to label jane as abusive as anything other than like. that bio-essentialism shit where ppl 'women are better than men <3' so hard that they end up genuinely and wholeheartedly arguing that someone's sex defines their morals - or worse, that their sex is a deciding factor in determining whether someone's actions are good or bad. not context, but a legitimate 'add points if woman, take away points if man' variable.

like that's so feminism 101 it's legitimately almost worse than nothing. that's like getting as far as 'hey so you know how we're all inundated with both implicit + explicit messaging abt what is Valued and Good for women vs men to-' before shoving ur earplugs in and going 'if you are oppressed by society we'll automatically stamp a 'good person' label on ur head and now we don't have to think abt any of our biases + internalised beliefs ever again <333'. the most useless and fucking pointless stand against the patriarchy ever, especially coming from the same show that ENDLESSLY slots characters into the 'loving gf/wife' archetype and then give them Literally Nothing Else. my comrades you have literally just done madonna/whore 2: oops all madonnas! this is not liberation!!!! this is a miserable cage!!!!!!!!!

im just. higgins' wife. mae. trent's daughter and anonymous 'her'. the women at the hotel and the restaurants and the firm and the fucking physios, fuck - dani's gfs! who are they? what do they want? where do they go when the camera stops rolling? can anyone hear me?? hello??? hello???? brendan hunt i am OUTSIDE YOUR HOUUUUUUSE

[mrgaretcarter]

This is going to be long and sort of a bummer, so if you’re enjoying this season of Ted Lasso and are satisfied with Ted and Rebecca’s individual and joint storylines don’t let me ruin it, just scroll past.

Right out the gate I’ll say, this references up to 3x09, maybe the last 3 eps will turn everything around and it’ll all be wonderful once more, I sure hope it, I just gotta to get my right now feelings out of my chest, okay?

So, I’ve been unsatisfied with this season in general for a while, but this is just going to be about Ted and T/R: for the past couple days I’ve been chatting with people a lot trying to figure out what the actual problem with them is, because it’s not just that I haven’t been enjoying it on the show, it’s that I haven’t been able to access them in my own head, not even to daydream, and yesterday I think I finally got it.

At first I thought the problem was the distance, you know, no scenes together, nothing to jolt the imagination, and that’s definitely part of it, but I realized that, at the moment, it’s not just that. The problem, the real problem, is Ted. I just don’t really like him right now, and I know that sounds harsh, but I don’t know what else to say!!

My favorite thing about Ted was the fact that he was nurturing. I know we all say he is such a Dad™️ (and he is), but for real, what he actually is, is motherly. I know that sounds nuts, but even if nobody consciously thinks this, that is how he is interpreted; it’s in the fic, it’s in the art, it’s in the meta, but I’m not gonna get into explaining my reasoning there, cause my point is just that I love that about him!

Straight male characters can be providers and protectors (and Ted is that too, to an extent), but only very rarely are they nurturers, very rarely are they primarily home and hearth (right now the only other popular example I can think of is Peeta Mellark, and sooo many people did not like him for exactly those traits!), so it was interesting and exciting to me that Ted had these characteristics! And I say had because we haven’t seen that from him, as in, we haven’t seen him take care of others in a significant way, in forever.

Mind you, he was isolated for most of s2 as well, but we had a very clear reason for it then, but now? He’s had a couple good coaching moments this season, one good speech, he’s still a leader and a point of reference, but he hasn’t been nurturing (not even with his actual literal son lately).

This’s been the problem with him to me. I feel like this Ted lacks the very thing that made me love him, and who (I thought) he was, was an essential part of me shipping him and Rebecca, because the thing she needed most was that care.

The fact that I thought that he was so hungry to give, while she was so starved is the very thing that was appealing about them, but he hasn’t cared for her since I couldn’t even say when (funeral?), and what’s worse, it’s not just her, it’s everyone. He’s been completely on his own, so I haven’t even been able to imagine him that way anymore, which means I have no recent point of reference to extrapolate from in order to make up my silly little scenarios, so you can see how frustrated I am! (Feels important at this stage to say, to those who don’t know me, that I’m quite attached to canon, I need a foothold to picture things).

The other thing that makes this worse is that Rebecca has remained consistent. She still cares about him. She checks in, she worries, she asks after him, she’s eager to help him and does. She is still pulling her weight, but Ted is nearly a blank. He said “Our run-ins” and then all he did was criticize her about the Rupert stuff, and don’t get me wrong!! I’m not stupid, I know he was right and that her resentment and obsession would only bring her down, I’m glad he held her accountable in that way, but I wish he would’ve also had her back at the same time instead of just offering the moral lesson.

Also, I ship them, obviously, but none of this is even inherently romantic, I just wish they were important to each other again, which I’m sure even people who believe they’re only friends and platonic soulmates would agree with. And if I can’t have that, I’d at least like to have Ted feel like himself.

Anyway, I hope this makes sense, pleeeease don’t be mean to me, and again, maybe the last 3 will make me change my mind completely, I definitely would like to enjoy the final stretch.

[gerapitico]

So many people are talking about how disappointed they are in the season. I came out with the opposite feeling, and here's some reasons why: (cut because I wrote . . . 9 paragraphs on my phone about this . . . That's a lot huh)

Claire: So many people hate the presence of Claire this season and the lack of resolution. But I think it's no coincidence that the Faks spend the first half of the season establishing haunting and then make Carmy label Claire as his haunting (one of many). She haunts the story because everyone in the show expects something from her and Carmy, and they aren't getting it.

No forward progress: the first and second season deal with moving forward, at a break neck pace, regardless of the consequences. This season shows the consequences. No one grows, because The Bear, with Carmy's non-negotiables at the head, doesn't allow for growth. Everyone is stuck in the past, and some get to move through that, and others get even more stuck.

Vignettes and disconnect: the main through line is about pursuing excellence according to Carmy at The Bear. But there are a full 3 episodes fully out of step of that plot (potentially 5 if you include the last two episodes). 2 are out of time as well, with Tomorrow showing Carmy's education in kitchens, and Napkins showing how Tina ended up at The Beef. And Ice Chips is all about motherhood and breaking cycles of abuse. It's a season of disconnect, and you can take that many ways. A lot of people are talking it as bad writing, and as the showrunners fumbling the ball. I think managing a season with emotional beats and consistent themes in a non-linear narrative is so incredibly hard, and they hit so many amazing beats.

POC: I cannot speak to this, but the arguments I've seen are some of the only criticism I've agreed with in the season.

SydCarmy: yall, I've had my heart broken by ships far to many times to look at this reaction as anything more than pearl clutching. I saw how people reacted with Ted Lasso. I was here for the last season of Supernatural. So yes, I think their dynamic is cute. I also think they both have chemistry with other people, and that this season shows that they cannot work in the situation they are in now. People have complained about them losing their ASL sign, but neither of them are apologizing for anything to each other this season, so when would they even use it? Carmy used it a little at the end of last season, but Syd had totally stopped, and now so had he. Sydney is incapable of making a life changing decision (which oof, been there) and Carmy literally cannot think externally to himself. They are SO bad for each other even as friends right now, and they don't feel like end game. I know I do this too, but despite having platonic friends in my real life who I'm super close to, when I see it in fiction, I immediately see romance. And I'm working on that, because you know what I want here so so bad in season 4? Sydney and Carmen to have identities apart from each other, that can combine in a relationship (honestly I'd prefer platonic at this point) where they call each other out and support each other in healthy ways. Neither are there right now (though Sydney is WAY closer).

In all:

Some people are giving bad reviews, and I came away loving it. I hoped when I looked at the tags, I would find people excited, talking about the first episode and how it put them in a frantic trance, or how poignant it was seeing Donna sitting with the Faks while her grand daughter was born. Or maybe how with all the extreme close-ups this season, you still feel distant from the characters, because they refuse to communicate (a thing I also do and know a bunch of people that do!!!!)

A show is not a failure of storytelling if the characters don't change or develop. Sometimes the story is about being stuck, and not having a way out. Sometimes it's about the people in your life having huge, life changing events (death in the family, birth of a child, wedding of a co-parent) and being completely unable to be a part of it. And sometimes a story is messy and disconnected and cruel. Sometimes there aren't happy endings, and people do things you don't expect. That's life.

I haven't felt connect to a show in this kind of way in a long time. I got emotional from something that was said or done, or even a shot on screen, in every episode. And it was cathartic, watching a funeral where the kid didn't cry, seeing a panic attack at a party, and seeing a mother and daughter bond over something I will probably never bond with my mother over.

And there are other things I could mention, or talk about at length, but it won't change anything. It won't change people disliking the season, or dismissing it. It won't change the awe I had at chefs taking about their trade, or pea pods being cleaned, or the cinematography of the only title sequence they did all season. It won't change my want for the story to continue. But at least I got my thoughts out, so it's not stuck in me, like the apologies stuck in Carmen's throat, or the decision stuck in Sydney's head.