Plot: What’s it about?
Believe.
I tend to be a stubborn individual. Ever wondered why there are no ads on this site? Didn’t want ’em. Didn’t need ’em. And people stopped trying to tell me what to do and how to run this site. Did I win? Or did I cheat myself out of potentially thousands of dollars? I guess I’ll never know. Another aspect to this comes with television shows and movies. I don’t have a lot of time to do this on my “off time” as my stack of discs never seems to get any smaller. I mention this because when Ted Lasso debuted back in 2020, right in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, it seemed like it was what the world needed. My family got involved and wanted my wife and I to watch it, but I figured that I’d just let the show run its course before binging it after the third (and final) season. And so I did. All I knew, going into the series, was that it starred Jason Sudeikis as a coach from. Wichita, KS – a place where I used to live. Oh and it takes place in England. Fish out of water? You bet.
I remember watching the first episode and thinking to myself “This is an awful lot like Major League.” Both have female owners of teams that try and put together a team so bad – though their reasons vary, I still stand by my assessment. But, more to the point, the series focuses on a college football coach from Kansas, Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) who’s recruited to run a soccer club in England. He’s perpetually optimistic which comes off as fake, though we quickly realize that it’s genuine. With sidekick and assistant coach (Brendan Hunt) in tow, these two Yanks try to figure out the best way to learn a sport in which they have no experience. Along for the ride is the club’s owner, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) and her assistant (Jeremy Swift). We quickly get to know the cast of characters (players) as well with grumpy Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) leading the way along with arrogant star Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) as well as the team’s kit man (Nick Mohammed).
As the series progresses, we know there’s more to Ted than meets the eye. He may or may not be having marital issues with his wife back home and when the team starts to warm up to Ted and his indelible charisma, things begin to take shape. Of course there are ups and downs, we meet Rebecca’s ex-husband, Rupert (Anthony Head) and quickly figure out that she can (and did) do better. And as is the case with most television series – the first season is far and away the best. There’s more to the show, of course, but trying to summarize 34 episodes in a few paragraphs is darn near impossible. Suffice it to say that if you’re a fan and, for some reason, have cancelled your AppleTV subscription, this one’s for you.
Video: How’s it look?
Having previously watched the series via Apple TV in 4K, it was a bit of a letdown when I saw it on Blu-ray. Having said that, here we are just a year later and, lo and behold – we’ve got a 4K version! The episodes look bold, bright, vivid and sharp and the 2.00:1 HEVC 4K image handles them all with relative ease. We get some sights of London as well as plenty of green on the soccer field (or “football” if you so prefer), Ted’s signature mustache looks oh so good in 1080p. On the whole, it’s on par with what we’d expect and that’s never a bad thing. In essence, there are three different ways to watch this: streaming 4K via Apple TV, Blu-ray and the king of them all – 4K on physical media. BELIEVE!
Audio: How’s it sound?
The included DTS HD Master Audio track isn’t one that’ll shake the room or wake the neighbors and it’s on par with what most television shows have to offer. The series is mainly dialogue-driven with Sudeikis’ Texas’ish twang on full display. There are a few episodes that make more use of the surrounds than others, the crowds in the stands while watching the game, some music in a club and so forth. It’s a fine-sounding mix that gets the message across, plain and simple.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Here’s hoping you like the show, because other than a “Believe” poster that’s folded into the case, this is void of any and all supplements.
The Bottom Line
It’s hard not to like at least some aspects of Ted Lasso (sorry, I can’t bring myself to type “The Richmond Way” even though I just did). The cast works flawlessly and with most of the 34 episodes, it’s hard not to feel better than when you started. Or maybe that’s just me. If you’ve been waiting for the end all/be all of what Ted Lasso will look like in “true” 4K – your wait is over.
