When shots from a TV show or movie get turned into viral GIFs, you know you have made an impact on pop culture. From the Charlie Day meme where he’s standing in front of an investigation wall to The Office GIF of Michael telling everyone to stay calm, moments like these have become common ways for people to illustrate points in humorous ways. Along with all its Emmys and love from fans, Ted Lasso has also received the GIF treatment, and the director of the pilot told CinemaBlend why getting a GIF of Jason Sudeikis sent to him was “one of the highlights” of his career.
While you can find A+ GIFs that feature just about anyone from Ted Lasso’s cast, its lead, Jason Sudeikis has some pretty iconic ones. Notably, a popular GIF and meme to emerge from the show came from its pilot when Ted walked into the locker room for the first time, and he told Beard “It smells like potential.”
After the show aired, the cinematic moment created by the episode’s director Tom Marshall was meme-ed. So, one night, when he and some friends were going out, they sent him this sequence from the Apple TV+ hit, and he was baffled to realize that it was his shot. Explaining the sweet story, the director told me:
There was a bit of one of my Ted Lasso [episodes] that became a GIF. And then someone sent me that GIF, not knowing I made the show. Sort of, he was excited for a night out we were going on, and he sent this GIF of Jason smiling and stuff. And I was like ‘You know I made that.’ That was one of the highlights of my career.
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It’s no secret how beloved Ted Lasso is, and considering its status as one of Apple TV+’s best shows, it’s not shocking that so many are using GIFs from the show in their day-to-day messages. I know I’ve done it. However, the serendipity of getting this sent to you from a friend, and you directed the shot is truly incredible. If I were Marshall, this would also be a career highlight. Talk about a fun way to realize you’ve made it.
Before speaking about Ted Lasso, Marshall and I had been chatting about his most recent gig, which was directing episodes 3 and 4 of Upload's third season. He explained to me that he loves working memes and references to his favorite directors and movies into episodes he’s leading. So, having a shot he made from the Apple TV+ show’s iconic pilot sent to him outside of work was extra special.
Elaborating on the shot in question, which is a perfect moment to GIF, Tom Marshall said:
There's a moment where Ted sees the dressing room for the first time. And it's a wide shot of the dressing room with a bit of a jib movement on it, and the camera tracks around Jason, and he just does an amazing Hollywood sort of smile. And it was that, you know, [my friend] sent me that, not knowing I made that. And I was like, ‘Yeah, I've made it.’ People are sending me GIFs of my own stuff.
Not only is this among the many heartwarming moments in Ted Lasso, it’s also one of the major turning points in the series. When Ted walks into the locker room for the first time you can see the sparkle in his eye, and he looks more ready than ever to take on the challenge of coaching AFC Richmond. From that point to the end of Ted Lasso’s third season, we see him tap into that potential as he helps his team find success. So, there’s a lot of meaning packed into that shot, and as Tom Marshall told me, having it sent to him in a GIF from a friend was really special.
While the future of Ted Lasso is unknown, its first three seasons tell a full story that started with the “smell of potential.” You can go back and stream Tom Marshall’s episode, and the entire series, with an Apple TV+ subscription. And if you are looking to catch up on the director’s most recent work and find new GIF potential, you can stream his two episodes of Upload on Friday, October 27 with an Amazon Prime subscription.
