I have a confession: Last night I sat at my computer for a good 20 minutes trying to think of something to say about the series finale of Succession. I had nothing, though, so I just got back to work instead.
That isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy the Succession finale. I greatly anticipated it and was on the edge of my seat throughout it. But that’s as far as my thoughts about it go. It was a unique, entertaining show, and now it’s over.
The Ted Lasso finale, however, charmed me from start to finish and left me thinking ever since finishing it last night with Megan. The entire final season covered a lot of material, and I loved seeing how far the characters have come (and glimpses into their future). It’s such a good-hearted show–a stark contrast in many ways to Succession–that it somehow pulls off seasons that would otherwise cause cringes (like the Sound of Music scene and the Believe banner scene).
I also say that with the admission that I didn’t entirely buy into Ted’s motivation for leaving the team. As Ted himself says, “Success is not about the wins and losses. It’s about helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves on and off the field.” I get that Ted misses his son, and perhaps he was done escaping his collapsed marriage. In that way, I like that he still found a way to coach back in Kansas City. But as the show reminds us, everyone is a work in progress, and it just feels odd to me that Ted would leave behind a whole team of people whom he wants to help be the best versions of themselves–people he treats as his sons–for his one kid in KC. I think Rebecca is right–ask the kid if he wants to move to London for a few years so Ted can continue the good work with everyone.
I’m happy to be wrong about this, and I’m really not saying that Ted should put the team above his actual son. It just seemed to me like he had more reasons to stay than to go.
Anyway, this brings me to my favorite of many great lines in the finale (delivered by a variety of people, not just Ted). It’s Ted’s note scrawled on the draft of “The Lasso Way”. Ted writes, “It isn’t about me. It never was.”
I love that. It’s a philosophy I embraced when I launched my first game on Kickstarter back in 2012, realizing that it’s about them (the backers), not me. Self-care is very important, but the most meaningful things I’ve done in my life aren’t about me. They’re not about self-improvement or recognition or credit or optics–they’re about serving other people and trying to add value to them. It isn’t about me. Thank you, Ted–sometimes the things we believe the most are those for which we need reminders.
You can see other great Ted quotes here. What’s your favorite? Do you have any thoughts about the finale of either of these shows?
I’ve absolutely loved Ted Lasso and it came out at a time back in 2020/21 when the world was struggling with the pandemic and needed a feel good show to keep their spirits up. Ted Lasso definitely did this, while also touching on subjects that resonated with so many people – depression/panic attacks, sexuality etc, and being able to humanize these topics and still bring humour into these storyline’s. I loved how the show wasn’t all about Ted, with so many other characters and their stories. I thought the finale was excellent, and I did love the Sound of Music sequence – definitely another unique moment from this series. I’m hoping that this won’t be the end of Ted Lasso, as I think that over time he may also start to miss the life, players and the club he has left behind – and may venture back for another season – i definitely think the finale has left many options open for the continuation of the characters storyline’s – we can only hope……
In terms of Ted Lasso’s sayings – there are too many to remember/mention… so I’ll just sign off with a diamond dogs woof and a Roy Kent grunt !!!
I hope you’re right, Stuart! I’d love to see more stories from these characters.
I don’t have much to say about Ted Lasso, except that the entire series has been absolute brilliance. I know a lot of people that liked season 1, and who think that season 2 and season 3 were going downward. I don’t agree with that (and luckily a lot of people together with me). I’m an absolute fan of “slow tv” and of tv shows that take their time to tell a story and to develop characters and storylines, and that is exactly what Ted Lasso has been doing.
The episode in Amsterdam was particularly fun to watch for me and my kids because of all the Dutch and the local references, but we enjoyed every second of the show. Soccer is extremely important to many over here. I’m not one of those people—I don’t enjoy watching a real soccer match at all. But this show had me on the edge of my seat, cheering and supporting for a fictional soccer team. What an achievement.
I think the show has ended and I’m sorry to see it go, but it ended on a high note.
I loved the Amsterdam episode too, along with the “slow TV” approach to all three seasons (though I feel like a LOT happened in the last season, which I’m also fine with).