Like many of you, I took in what is believed to be the final episode of Ted Lasso. More on that in a moment, but first I must forewarn you, this piece does include a few mild spoilers.
From the outset of this Apple TV+ presentation, we learn that Ted is a misfit as a head coach of a fictional Premier League futbol club, AFC Richmond. Lasso’s futbol acumen is vastly underwhelming and his understanding of the beautiful game is far short of that of his contemporaries. Yet he manages to not just get by, but to also be successful despite the odds stacked against him, because he harbors a rare blend of humility and compassion. He believes in the innate and indomitable will that lives in us all.
Lasso has an uncanny ability to not only see the good in all of those around him, but also to inspire them to tap into that good, bring it to the surface be the best possible versions of themselves for the rest of the world to see. That said, even Ted struggles at times when overcome with doubts of his own about the man in the mirror. And it’s during these episodes – episodes that make sense when we’ve come full circle as the season’s end draws near, when the show loses us a bit. But in typical Lasso fashion, he pulls it together, rallies and reins us in. We believe — again. And once again, the series soars.
“So Long, Farewell”, the final episode’s title, at least for me, wipes the slate clean as to whether or not we’ll see Ted again. I don’t see it happening. His story is told and the lessons we’ve learned along the way, from Ted, about Ted, AFC Richmond, all those associated with the club and probably even ourselves, will all resonate.
As the episode closes, the scene plays to the poignant song penned by Cat Stevens, Father and Son. It’s a song that captures a heart-to-heart conversation between a father and his son during which the father struggles to understand why his boy can’t live a life just like him. Meanwhile, the son cannot resist the urge to go out and forge his own life, to paint the canvas of his own future.
In some ways, Ted, a father of a young boy, assumes the role of the son in Cat Stevens’ song. He leaves his hometown of Wichita, Kansas and heads to London with a paintbrush of his own, only to return to his son three years later, fully aware of his place in the world. The rest of the cast achieves closure, each seemingly reaching a happy ending to their respective and sometimes troubled journeys. The closure brings new beginnings for each of the primary supporting characters and perhaps, those fresh starts will become the launching pad for potential Ted Lasso spin-offs.
Time will tell, but for Ted, his work outside of Wichita is done.
During the Season 3 episodes, Trent Grimm, a Premier League beat reporter from The Independent, chronicles AFC Richmond’s full season, the goal being to write a book about his observations which he’s titled, “The Lasso Way”. He delivers the rough draft of the book to Ted and Coach Beard to get their thoughts on the effort. Ted leaves behind his draft with this simple note:
“One small suggestion, I’d change the title. It’s not about me. It never was.”
I’m reminded of a scene from Shawshank Redemption, which by the way was briefly discussed in this Ted Lasso finale, when the coaching staff and head of football operations, Leslie Higgins, discuss “perfection”. During the scene from Shawshank, “Reds”, played by Morgan Freeman, laments the departure from the prison, via escape, of his best friend, Andy Dufresne:
“Sometimes it makes me sad though– Andy being gone. I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more gray and empty that they’re gone. I guess I just miss my friend.”
Ted Lasso became our friend. The lessons he taught should become our constant companion. This wonderful show represents a triumph of the human spirit fueled by determination, kindness and the willingness to see the world through the eyes of others in order to achieve a better life for all.
And in the end, Ted Lasso does exactly that!
He lassoed our hearts and made us believe.
