Apple TV’s “Ted Lasso” was renewed for a second season on July 23. Fans were anticipating excellence, as season one set the bar extremely high. Some people were unsure that the show could return to the level it got to in season one, but oh boy were they wrong.

Ted Lasso stemmed from advertisement beginnings in 2013. These advertisements became such a hit, so Apple decided to use some of the same actors from the ads and create the show. The one clear issue was that soccer is not nearly as popular in America as it is in the rest of the world. Therefore, trying to mix an American show with soccer seemed difficult to pull off. How could a primarily American audience take interest in soccer? By combining it with the most popular sport in America, football.

Ted Lasso ends up getting hired to coach soccer in one of the best leagues in the world, the English Premier League (EPL). Lasso was a football coach who had no previous experience or knowledge whatsoever about soccer. He did however have knowledge of how to coach, and valuable life lessons he teaches to his players. And most importantly, Ted is loved by all his staff and players, which goes a long way in trusting him. “Ted Lasso is one of the most likable characters in any show I have ever seen. His charisma and overall positive energy lift the team up around him,” freshman Abe Tare said.

Ted hires Nate as an Assistant Manager, but Nate and Ted are polar opposites. Ted is outgoing and chatty, Nate is introverted and quiet. But, Nate has one thing Ted does not, which is knowledge of soccer. Nate makes a lot of the tactical adjustments that help the team and gains confidence through this, which develops his character significantly in season two. 

In season one, team owner Rebecca Welton hired Ted in hopes to sink the team drastically to get back at her ex-husband. That didn’t go well for her, and now she is all in supporting the team. “In season one I was not a fan of her, but now Rebecca is my favorite character. She is a strong fierce woman, which adds a lot to the show. She is one of the highlights of this season,” junior Jaidyn Heller said.

Star players Roy Kent and Jamie Tartt also play huge roles in season two. Their hatred for each other adds an extra element of spice to the series. Roy is an old, blue-collar, hard-working team captain, whereas Jamie is a young up-and-coming player who is talented, but cocky and arrogant, two things Roy does not tolerate. Jamie leaves AFC Richmond in season one, but in season two he is back. He is hated by all of his teammates for his arrogant actions in season one, so he really tries to gain back the trust of his teammates by showing them he has changed as a person. 

All these components and major character development make season two of Ted Lasso a joy to watch. It has already been announced that the show is renewed for season three. “I wasn’t sure if season two would be able to top season one, but it sure did. I can’t wait for season three to come out,” junior Shelby Parsons said.