Ted Lasso has been out in the world for five years now, and while I’d heard all the high praise for the comedy series, I’ll be honest, I just didn’t think I’d gel with it because I’m not necessarily a football or Jason Sudiekis person. Thank goodness my partner threw it on during a random evening. It took a few episodes for it to sell me, but it really wasn’t long before our binge became an evening ritual for us that brought hours of joy, laughs and even tears. Now that I’ve finished it, I can sincerely say it’s one of my favorite comedies I’ve ever watched, and a lot of that has to do with how it discusses mental health.
This show is so darn lovable, and I found myself on the edge of my seat for not only every football game, but every character development that happened along the way. But, the aspect of the series that really meant the most to me was Brett Goldstein’s Roy Kent – from beginning to end, and I need to dive into why, as I join the fandom in simultaneously looking forward to returning in Season 4 (yes, with Brett Goldstein back), and having concerns about how it could top the first three seasons. Let’s get into it:
I Love How Ted Lasso Depicts Mental Health
I’m someone who deals with having an anxiety disorder on a daily basis, and depression on special occasions, and I’m all for movies and TV shows making me feel seen, but a hilarious comedy series achieving that is pretty special. So many depictions of mental health come with the weight of how hard and difficult it is, and it can bring up a lot of challenging feelings when a piece of media decides to discuss anxiety or depression. But, whenever Ted Lasso approached these topics, I felt like I was receiving a big hug.
I felt like the show was looking me in the eye, and telling me it was OK, rather than it feeling like “Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M. was suddenly playing in the background of my life. It’s also one of those rare shows I’m just so happy exists. It’s a show essentially about an entire team of male players living in England who learn how to process their emotions better, and that feels like both the most random (and best) place for these discussions to be had on a TV show.
But, Watching Roy Kent’s Journey Was The Highlight Of The Series For Me
The real kicker (yes, pun intended) that blew me away is the writing for Goldstein’s Roy Kent, who starts as the team captain for AFC Richmond before retiring and later becoming the new manager by the end of the series. He’s the kind of character that grew on me slowly, and before I knew it, was making impressions of his gruff voice saying “Oi” in my daily life, and becoming very invested in his arc.
Don’t get me wrong, Ted Lasso has an amazing mental health arc. Just thinking about how his time with the team allowed him to heal from his wounds regarding his father’s suicide, and go back to his young son less afraid of the demons he’d held onto before? Just thinking about it makes me want to happy cry. But, while Ted feels like a unicorn of a human to me, I’ve known a lot of Roy Kent-types in my life, and to some degree my inner monologue can be Roy Kent-esque. It's so satisfying to see a show not only poke fun at him constantly, but give him the room to grow and evolve like an actual human, in a positive, but authentic way.
Roy Kent's Story Ends With A Great Message About Perfectionism I'll Be Taking With Me
This brings me to the finale of Ted Lasso, and what was so meaningful about it for me. After many episodes of Roy kind of roughing it alone, the scene where he asks to join the Diamond Dogs felt like a jolt of sunshine to my chest. He discloses his desire to change and become “someone better,” but hitting a personal wall with it. This leads to a discussion between the Diamond Dogs about whether people can change and the pursuit of perfection. Then, Leslie Higgins sweeps in with this golden nugget of Ted Lasso advice:
Human beings are never going to be perfect, Roy. The best we can do is to keep asking for help and accepting it when you can. And if you keep on doing that, you'll always be moving towards better.
What I like best about the scene is how much of a pay off it was from the rest of Roy’s arc. We see him deal with his inner demons throughout the show, but most of the time it’s not really been fully explained by him. We have a feeling about what’s holding him back by this point, but seeing him actually ask for help is the best development for his character. Plus, he’s getting to a point where he wants to alter his patterns, but he hasn’t figured it out himself.
I think it’s so relatable to often not turn to help until you’ve exhausted all the options you can think of – that often leaves us in a place of cyclical pain and suffering. Seeing the light click on for Roy meant so much, especially because we had three seasons of backstory with the character.
I Appreciate How Ted Lasso's Ending Wraps Up Roy Kent's Mental Health Journey
The end of Ted Lasso leads to Roy not only becoming the new manager of AFC Richmond, but hiring on a head of mental health for the club, and he is seen having his own appointment. Season 1 Roy wouldn’t have been caught dead in a therapy session, which goes to show that change is attainable. But, what I also love is that we don’t leave Roy with every answer to his questions. He clearly loved and wanted to be with Keeley, but that happy ending didn’t materialize.
As I've learned, and will keep learning, mental health and self acceptance is an ongoing journey, not a quick fix. I love that Ted Lasso ended with Roy being human, not perfect – simply “moving towards better.”
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