‘Ted Lasso’ Recap: ‘Goodbye, Earl’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season two premiere of ‘Ted Lasso’.
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There are quite a few stereotypes that surround professional sports. For instance, a great deal of people hold the notion that most athletes are dumb as rocks, and that their physical and emotional skill set is tied only to the game that they love. That assumption is woefully incorrect; for athletes are, in fact, intelligent human beings that are incredibly well-trained on making split second decisions, decisions that can change the course of a match in a matter of seconds. They're also equipped with a full range of emotions; they hurt and struggle with doubts and insecurities and fears just like the rest of us. That range of emotion is what's important to spotlight today, largely because shattering sports related stereotypes served as the focal point of the season two premiere of Ted Lasso on Apple TV.

‘Goodbye, Earl’ accomplished this by way of Dani Rojas' journey. For dear Dani found himself involved in quite the unfortunate mishap during a game, wherein he accidentally put down the AFC Richmond mascot, Earl, with his patented and powerful penalty kick, and well, Dani just wasn't the same after that. Dani's gentle soul struggled with causing harm to a gentle animal, which, in turn, immediately hurt his game. Dani was so impacted by this stunning turn of events that not even the inexorable and lovable Ted Lasso could get through to him with his words of wisdom and optimism, which motivated the team to bring in a sports psychologist named Sharon.

Sharon took the time to sit down with Dani and several members of the team to help Dani process his pain and worries. Sharon's skilled guidance helped bring Dani out of his funk and remind him that, "football is life," after all. Therapy was quite the stunning and amazing angle to inject into this particular tale. The thought of macho sports players indulging in therapy isn't something we think about all that often, but it beautifully reinforces the fact that players are as human as they come, have their ups and downs, and need a helping hand just like the rest of us. The Ted Lasso series deserves a round of applause for pointing this out because it really does help to remove the stigma that sports players are unfeeling and mindless. What was equally as amazing about this particular plot twist is that it's clearly going to go deeper on machismo related stereotypes in the weeks to come.

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Ted actually struggled a bit with Sharon coming into his clubhouse and helping his players. It was obvious, through Jason Sudeikis' sublime and nuanced performance, that Ted is used to being the fixer; the guy that everyone comes to when they're in need so he can offer up some beautiful advice and relish in the satisfaction of helping others. Potentially being robbed of the "fixer" role put Ted on edge in a manner that we've never seen before. What makes this aspect of the story so significant and earth-shattering trope-wise is the fact that this sets up an important journey for Ted. A journey that will most likely teach him that it doesn't fall upon one man's shoulders to save the day, and that it's healthy to encourage people to get help from multiple sources. It will be quite interesting to see if Ted is capable of learning that lesson.

Yet, while it was fascinating to watch this series deconstruct some long-standing professional sports stereotypes, we would be remiss to not discuss Roy Kent's journey in this episode. Roy's story offered some fascinating insight on a subject that we don't discuss much in professional sports: What comes next for the athletes that finally walk away from what they love? We think only of their legacy on the field (or pitch), but we should take a little time to worry or ponder about them once they leave their sport. Why? Because walking away from decades of chasing one thing and being buried in routine can't be an easy transition. This was evidenced by the fact that Roy spent a great deal of this tale searching hard to determine what he wants out of life now that football is behind him. This was a beautifully poignant and important segment, one that sets up an interesting journey for Roy in the weeks to come.
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If anything, this was a perfect season premiere when all is said and done. It did a wonderful job of seamlessly immersing us back into Ted's optimistic world, all while upping the storytelling ante by informing us that different challenges await the good people of AFC Richmond in this year's journey. These challenges will be intimate and powerful in nature, but the journey through them will also be relatable—and that sense of connection is what we love the most about this series, alongside the laughs, of which there were plenty of in this particular premiere. But what matters most, is that Ted Lasso is back on the air, and its endless optimism and appreciation of humanity is still the right fit at the right time. It's going to be a true delight to escape into the best parts of the human condition every Friday when we tune in to see the world through Ted's colorful eyes. Until next time!

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Roy Kent. He's here. He's there. He'll drink a rosé anywhere.