I Forgive You From Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso is a hit show for the right reasons. It is honest, well-acted and tells a great story. On it’s surface it is a fish out of water comedy about an American football coach coming to England to lead a professional soccer team. He knows nothing about soccer or England. The title character, played by Jason Sudeikis, seems buffoonish but his folksy style and wisdom helps the players and others to grow and become their best selves.  

He ends up having a positive effect on the new owner, Rebecca Welton, superbly played by Hannah Waddington who hires Ted to coach. She acquires the team as part of her divorce settlement from her husband Rupert, after she discovers his many extramarital affairs. The press has a field day with their dissolution which is splashed all over the London tabloids. Owning the squad holds no interest to her but she enjoys knowing she controls what was his prized possession. 

As Ted becomes an effective leader and a loyal confidant, Rabecca starts to feel remorse at bringing him onboard to have him fail. She chose him because he knew nothing about the sport and expected the team to be last in the league and a failure that would hurt Rupert’s ego. 

But Rabecca begins to feel guilty for her actions to destroy the team and Ted’s career and decides to talk to him and confess. 

She enters his office after team practice and stands before his desk, trembling as she says, “Ted, I’m a fucking bitch.” She explains that “I wanted you to fail, and I sabotaged you every chance I had.” 

After she finishes her confession, she looks expectantly at a silent Ted. The camera focuses on his face as we see a range of emotions displayed: shock, then disgust and anger and finally a stern look of resolution. He stands and says to her, “Divorce is hard.” He speaks with empathy because he is going through his own divorce and ends with, “It makes folks do crazy things”.  Ending with, “I forgive you.” 

The camera shifts to Rebecca’s face which shows streaming tears and then a look of confusion at his response, saying, “What? Why?” 

He repeats, “I forgive you.” She carries on as if she hasn’t heard him saying something about “If you want to quit or call the press I completely understand.”  He slowly moves around his desk and approaches her, extending his hand to offer a handshake. She pulls him into a bear hug, expressing her relief and joy at having told him the truth and be given grace instead of being berated and screamed at by Ted.  

His forgiveness came from a place of compassion as he is learning to be compassionate with himself for the pain he had suffered in his own divorce. As he explains in a later episode, it is important to be curious and not judgmental. If we refrain from judging others it opens a bigger world where people can be understood and cared about when we see them as a reflection of our own struggles. Ted Lasso is an archetypal character. He represents the parts of us that can learn from loss and pain and become better people.  

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