The following article contains spoilers for Ted Lasso.
At first glance, Ted Lasso is all about optimism as that is perhaps the single trait that defines the talkative coach, however, besides being the ultimate Cinderella story in English football, the show’s second season outlines the type of plans its writers had for AFC Richmond all along.
Contrary to Ted Lasso’s first season which lacked any real villains, besides Rupert Mannion’s sporadic appearances, this Championship run ends with Rebecca’s ex-husband forming an unlikely alliance with Nate the Great. While Richmond was relegated in season one, most of the cast was on their way up as -personally speaking- many ended up in a far better place than they were at the start, however, this time the fight for Premier League promotion and Dr. Fieldstone’s work lay the ground from a far darker Apple TV show.
Ted Lasso’s second season undoubtedly dives into deeper layers for most of the cast, with a special focus on the mental health of those that take part in the sport, each through their unique perspective, but while most characters find their way out of their core issues, the same does not happen for Nate. The self-proclaimed wonder kid is the biggest metaphor for Ted Lasso’s transformation into a show infused with more drama, rather than just a simple feel-good comedy, even having enough material to verge Ted Lasso into the horror genre with just the right editing.
Nate’s metamorphosis, both physical and in character is no accident as actor Nick Mohammed has recently discussed, the former kit man always had a certain darkness to him that really starts to show when he’s inexplicably mean to the young man who takes over his previous job, Will Kitman (insert favorite Ted Lasso remark here). The way the actor puts it, this calculative side of Nate is first seen in season one's “For the Children” episode, where Nate seems more interested in the power dynamics between Rupert, Rebecca, and Ted that play out in front of him, rather than just enjoying the party.
However, even if it’d be fairly easy for a comedy show like Ted Lasso to conjure up an antagonist like Nate out of nowhere, that's really not the case. When Ted has his first panic attack in Liverpool, the show gives viewers a tease of what’s to come in season two, a new chapter where the mental health of the Richmond staff and its players takes the forefront in the quest to find the winning formula instead of football tactics.
Dr. Fieldstone’s character was an impressive signing for Richmond, even more so than Jamie Tartt’s return to the frontline or Roy Kent joining the coaching staff because it’s through her that viewers finally get to pierce Ted Lasso’s dad joke armor. Every player at Richmond benefits from Dr. Fieldstone’s work, but Ted’s reluctance to accept her aid almost up until the very end is possibly the biggest payoff the show has to offer because this is when the audience finally learns what makes Ted tick, plus why and how his father's suicide still haunts him.
Unlike Jamie, who’s only continued to grow up since he took back the number 9 shirt, Nate is among the few people at Richmond to refuses Dr. Fieldstone’s help, outright dismissing her role with an “I’m not crazy” line at one moment. The scene could not be more telling as Nate’s fallout with Ted, though partly Ted’s fault due to a bit of neglect on his end, mirrors his relationship with his own father whose lack of approval may be at the root of his lack of confidence and why he sees the world the way he does.
Nate is often belittled by everyone at Richmond when the show starts, until his newly gained position of power gives him the attention and recognition he always craved for, but sadly personal character issues that are never addressed are what cause him to become resentful and vindictive instead of aspiring to be more like Ted. Nate’s final outburst to Ted could be seen like a metaphor for his relationship with his father, as he shouts to Ted he’s felt ignored since his promotion except for the odd use of his tactics here and there, with the caveat of him feeling Ted would only use them if he could then blame him when they backfired.
For anyone who’s been paying attention, this is not the Ted Lasso style given that the coach’s managing philosophy always puts team morale first and has never once sold out a single individual, not even Nate after learning of his betrayal. When Nate’s move on Keeley is quickly dismissed by Roy, that becomes the tipping point for him as no amount of perfectly tailored suits can make up for the lack of respect people give him, much like his father who’s also become aware of his son’s newfound ego.
Ted Lasso touches upon many of the problems modern athletes encounter today like unwanted media attention or normal people’s relationship with social media (recently reminded with many memes about Facebook's recent outage), which is yet another trigger for Nate’s unstable behavior. Nevertheless, the season highlight could very well be Ted Lasso himself addressing mental health awareness (Psychonauts 2 style) in his final press conference after achieving promotion back to the Premier League.
For those unfamiliar with world soccer news, mental health awareness has been a topic that has gained ground in the sport in recent years due to several players taking their own lives after battling depression, most notably the likes of Gary Speed, Robert Enke, and, most recently, Santiago García. Even last year, Atalanta attacker Josip Iličić hit the news when he pulled out of a crucial Champions League tie for his team after stating publicly that the pandemic depressed him severely due to it triggering memories of his childhood during the Balkan Wars, yet another reminder that these almighty athletes are just as susceptible to having mental health problems as everyone else.
When season three rolls around and AFC Richmond's budget squad is back in Premier League, production values for Ted Lasso will probably be even higher as the show has secured a partnership with the English Premiership that will grant usage of team and league iconography. Let’s hope that the writing follows through and it stays on par season two to continue unwrapping the complexity that these characters can have, all while staying just as funny, entertaining, and inviting everyone to believe.