Ted Lasso Just Did a Christmas Episode and I Cried Twice (Because I Watched It Twice)
“To the family Higgins!”
When I neared the end of The Television Project: 100 Favorite Shows, the show people would mention to me or ask about the most was Ted Lasso. One friend questioned, with surprise, “It made your top five?,” when he noticed that it had not yet been listed with only five shows remaining. Another asked, “Did you not watch it yet? It would definitely make a top one hundred for me.”
But, sadly, Ted Lasso debuted last August and I didn’t begin watching it until last October. The deadline to make that countdown was May 2020. There have been many great shows and seasons that have debuted since then, but none leave me with as much remorse for my self-imposed deadline as Ted Lasso does. Every Friday, I’m reminded that The Television Project might need a follow-up solely to ensure that the lovable lads from Richmond receive their due among the echelons of television, which they have already quickly approached.
The starkest reminder of that came out last weekend when Ted Lasso aired “Carol of the Bells” on Apple TV+.
Now, there’s spoilers for Ted Lasso ahead, but based on my title for this article, I’d be surprised if you clicked on this without already watching the series. Essentially, “Carol of the Bells” revolved around three concurrent storylines: the Richmond players (sans Jamie Tartt) spending Christmas Day with the family Higgins, Ted and Rebecca providing Christmas gifts to families who didn’t have them, and Roy and Keeley trying to find a dentist to help cure Phoebe’s medically “rancid” breath.
As I mentioned with the season finale recap of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, I’m not here to recap the episode of Ted Lasso. Yes, there were hilarious moments (“I think you might be dying,” Roy wheezes when he smells his niece’s breath), moments of foreshadowing (we’re definitely going to dig deeper into what’s ailing Ted), and immaculate needle drops (“Fairytale of New York,” “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” two of my favorite holiday songs ever). I just wanted to talk about conflict a little bit.
There’s some conflict when Ted cannot spend FaceTime holidays with his son across the pond. There’s definitely a conflict when Phoebe feels bullied by Bernard, who points out her breath by giving her mouthwash and toothpaste as a Secret Santa gift. But that storyline at Higgins House? It’s literally just the team showing up to the home, sharing traditions and meals, and playing games with the children.
Growing up, I was always taught that every story must have a conflict. Hell, I’ve even taught that to other people. And while this episode of Ted Lasso was not devoid of conflict (none of them ever have been), it was still more than content to luxuriate in the warm embrace of a found “home for the holidays.” The series has gorgeously recognized that time spent with the characters is more than enough to carry the series, even if only for one sub-plot of one installment.
Much has been said and written about how Ted Lasso’s beacon of optimism, growth, hope, belief, and mental health was the most necessary balm when it debuted in the heart of a global pandemic and unparalleled strife across all civilizations. I’m not here to belabour that. We all know it. And I’m also not here to dig into the opposite side of that, which somehow found Scrooges and Grinches, pre-epiphanies, who were surprised that a saccharine show’s Christmas episode wasn’t jaded or cynical.
I’m just here to say I really loved this episode. I loved that it was set at Christmas and I loved that it came out in August so we can all watch it again at Christmas (if you haven’t already watched it twice, as I did in a twelve-hour period). I loved that I cried during it (I haven’t cried at a television episode since… the season two finale of HSM: TM: TS — leave me alone!). I loved that it’s unquestionably joining the ranks of “Christmas Party,” “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas,” “The One with the Holiday Armadillo,” and so many more. I loved that Santa Claus exists. I love that I’m always going to have such nostalgic, fond memories of this episode and that I felt them almost immediately anyway.
I don’t know. I don’t really have anything more insightful to say beyond this stream of consciousness. The episode’s just really speaking to me right now and I wanted to share that love for those who also loved it and those who may be contemplating joining the Diamond Dogs. There’s no thesis to this little brief article thing. But if a story doesn’t have to have conflict, maybe an article doesn’t have to have a thesis.
