#theodore lasso: work in progmess

[leupagus]

One of the many, many things I loved about "Big Week" was this: the first person Ted asks out on a date is Sassy. There's been a whole lot of drivel from fandom about how Sassy is awful for sleeping with Ted even at times when he's feeling sad, as if it's manipulative or unethical — which is such a goddamn 9th-grader view of how sex among actual adults work — but this episode shows very clearly that Ted is an eager, not to say instigating, participant in their sex-nanigans.

And thanks in part to Sassy, Ted's finally, FINALLY starting to think about dating. In the second season, he makes a comment about "wouldn't it be great if I found my soulmate on Bantr?" but as far as canon has shown, he never even made an account. But I think Michelle having a boyfriend has prompted Ted to look around in earnest. Not, I think, out of a "I'll show her" mentality (a trap that far too many divorced men fall into), but because he's actually thinking about what he wants the rest of his life to look like, now that Michelle will not be sharing it.

I don't think Ted is necessarily thinking about sharing a life with Sassy, either. We know Ted is a romantic, and he likely wouldn't ask anyone out just for shits and giggles; but he's also been friends with serial dater Beard for decades, and has been around soccer and football players to boot. He understands the concept of casual dating, and it's very possible that he would've been fine with casually dating Sassy.

But he's also ready to go further with her if that's what ends up happening; he likes her enormously, finds her funny, appreciates her for who she is. And she likes him too! So I don't think it can be ignored that, when Ted first starts thinking "who would be a good match for me," he thinks of Sassy.