What started as a YouTube video almost ten years ago became one of the best comedies of 2020 and an Emmy nominated show on Apple TV+ - that's how much of a hit the first season of Ted Lasso was.
No one saw a show about an English Premier League soccer team with its wacky American football coach working as well as it did, but Ted Lasso was successful enough to earn a second season. This show has many compelling characters and storylines to continue building on, and fans are eager to see how some of these plot points fill out when season two drops.
Roy Kent's Retirement
Roy Kent was the veteran presence in the AFC Richmond locker room that took a lot of convincing to buy into what Ted Lasso was selling. With his buy-in, the rest of the team began to follow suit. However, at the end of season one, Roy walks off the field for seemingly the last time, leaving it all out on the field.
After being a soccer player his whole life, there is no clear path for what is next for Roy Kent. He could enjoy retirement by just walking away from the game altogether, or maybe join Ted's coaching staff to continue to pass on his years of wisdom to the younger players.
Jamie Tartt's Character Growth
Ted's biggest challenge as a coach was attempting to reign in his brash star player, Jamie Tartt. Jamie always felt he was bigger than Ted Lasso, and even bigger than Richmond, putting his personal stats above the team. Ted finally gets through to him, but Rebecca sends him back to Manchester City to sabotage the team.
In the final game to seal Richmond's fate, instead of attempting the winning goal himself, Jamie does what Ted always told him, and makes an extra pass to win the game and show teamwork. Though Jamie is no longer a member of Richmond, the intention is clear that Jamie is a player who is doing some serious character growth.
Roy & Keeley's Relationship
A relationship that fans definitely didn't see coming was between the stoic soccer star Roy Kent and the bubbly model turned PR assistant Keeley Jones. Roy typically struggles with expressing himself, but eventually, he can show Keeley how much he cares for her.
With Roy having so much free time after retiring, and Keeley gaining more responsibilities in her role working with Rebecca at Richmond, it will be interesting to see how that new dynamic plays into their relationship.
Nate's Promotion
Television is full of true underdog stories, but very few have led to a payoff as strong as the story of Nate the Great. Nate worked his way up from disrespected kit-manager to trusted playmaker and assistant coach for Richmond all within one season.
Ted doesn't have quite the grasp on the game of soccer yet, so he puts his trust in Nate to make sure that he doesn't make too much of a fool out of himself in front of the players. Nate's mind for the game is strong, so seeing him continue to rise through the ranks at Richmond will be an enjoyable ride.
Ted's Personal Life
On the exterior, Ted Lasso has that infectious personality that, while at times can get on people's nerves, can bring positivity to anyone. Throughout the season, it is shown that Ted is dealing with a lot of difficulties that have come from taking the job overseas.
Ted left his wife and son behind in America while he went to pursue this opportunity, and part of the reason was due to his wife wanting to take a break. When they come to visit, Ted officially signs his divorce papers and he doesn't handle it well, causing a panic attack. After an encounter with Rebecca's friend Flo, seeing how Ted moves on will be a plot point of interest.
The Richmond Roster
AFC Richmond was already a disheveled team before Ted Lasso came in, what with their long history of losing and change in the ownership group. And even with Ted changing the culture, the team still still performed pretty poorly at times.
Next season will only be more difficult after Jamie Tartt's return to Manchester City and Roy Kent's retirement. Seeing who amongst the remaining roster steps up will be of interest to all Richmond fans. New team captain Isacc, talented right-back Sam, and energetic striker Danny Rojas are just a few names for fans to watch out for.
Rebecca Being A Good Owner
If one character would be considered the main antagonist of the show, Rebecca Welton fit the bill for that role in season one. The new majority owner of AFC Richmond, Rebecca goes into the season wanting to do nothing more than tank the team that her ex-husband cares so much for.
After hiring Ted originally to lead the sinking ship, she grows fond of him and cares for him. Her change of heart leads to her re-engaging in the team and now wanting them to succeed. That change was too late to prevent the relegation, but going into next season it will be interesting to see what she looks like as a competent owner.
Rebecca & Ted Teaming Up
When Rebecca first hired Ted, her reasoning was solely to hire the worst choice she could think of to make sure Richmond had a miserable season. Considering all the roadblocks she put in his way, Ted had an admirable first season, but his biggest accomplishment was winning Rebecca over.
Ted went out of his way numerous times to stick up for Rebecca, even when she didn't deserve it. Now with Ted and Rebecca not only on the same page but as friends as well, there is no telling how successful their partnership can be.
Richmond Fans Dealing With Relegation
Ever since his arrival, Ted has dealt with a ton of backlash from the AFC Richmond fans. From the fans in the stands to the fans in the pub, very few people were willing to give Ted a chance as the coach.
Those same fans just went through a very tumultuous season where the star player left, the captain retired, and the team was relegated out of the Premier League. There is even more ammunition for the fans to hate Ted, and how they use that going into the next season will be something to watch out for.
The Team's Climb Back
In the season finale, when Richmond heads into their final game of the season with relegation on the line, it would have been hard to find anyone that thought they would lose. Yet that is exactly what they did, as Manchester City scored with very little time on the clock thanks to the stellar pass by Jamie Tartt.
Relegation is a tough blow for any team in the Premier League, and working your way back into can be an arduous task. Fans are more than excited to see if and how Ted Lasso leads AFC Richmond back from obscurity.