What Ted Lasso Says About Us

Ted Lasso is the rarest of TV shows. A comedy about our declining mental health. Intermittently funny and poignant, making me roar with laughter one moment and sending tears streaming down my cheeks the next. But that’s not what makes it so unique.

No, it’s special because it’s so audacious. Risking true audacity is rare in the entertainment industry, or any industry. This is a show that does not mask its intent. First, to get us laughing at what we’ve allowed ourselves to become. Foremost, to challenge us to be better people. Doing that without alienating the audience is high art.

If you’ve seen Ted Lasso, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, it’s not too late to see for yourself. Watching the 34 episodes from all three seasons requires a subscription to the Apple TV+ streaming service, but it’s a small price to pay for revelation.

The show’s over, the finale aired some weeks ago. Maybe there will be spinoffs, maybe not. Either way, memory of Ted Lasso’s brilliance will fade with time.…