Ted Lasso S2 E2: It’s good to share your feelings

Episode 2 of Ted Lasso’s second season picked up some serious steam in its final minutes while offering an interesting comparison between two bitter rivals.

So, without any more wasted words…

(SPOILERS AHEAD)

Biggest takeaway: Roy and Jamie are similar in one way but different in another

Anyone who watched Season 1 of Ted Lasso knows that Roy Kent and Jamie Tartt don’t like each other. As a matter of fact, they hate each other. One is a grizzled football legend who plays for the team. The other is a self-centered wanna-be superstar who plays for himself.

Yet early into Episode 2 of Season 2, we see that the two opposites are actually in a similar place in their lives. Both have reached a roadblock that’s left them searching for what to do next. Roy is the classic retired athlete trying to find life after football. Jamie is looking for another chance in football after burning every bridge he’s ever walked on.

But buried within that similarity is a key difference (confusing back and forth with the similarities/differences, I know. Last time), at least through most of the episode.

Jamie is at least putting himself out there to find that next opportunity. He goes to his agent. He goes to Keeley. He goes to Ted. He’s putting himself in vulnerable positions to try and discover his next chapter, whereas Roy seems content to simply grumble in place. He doesn’t do the analyst gig at first because it seems stupid, and he’s afraid of failure.

Weirdly enough, it was while this difference was playing out that I actually found Jamie to be a more likable character than Roy. Yes, one is clearly a better person, but there’s something to be said for Jamie actually putting in the work compared to the person who refuses to do so.

Of course, that difference disappears by the end of the episode. Roy appears on TV, thereby opening himself up to the kind of vulnerability he showcased during his retirement speech — which he absolutely hated.

And wouldn’t you know? He actually enjoyed it, and everyone loved him, offering a great lesson in the leaps we must take to get where we want in life.