Editor’s note: If you haven’t seen Ted Lasso (rated TV-MA) or any recent Marvel shows and movies, consider this a spoiler warning. ?

Compared to last winter, Winter 2022 is arguably kinda lacking in the entertainment department. For all its flaws, last year delivered some gems in the form of Marvel shows, starting with the perfection that is “WandaVision.” So, in the absence of some beloved MCU characters, my husband and I recently stumbled upon the life and times of AFC Richmond Coach Ted Lasso. Let the binging begin, friends!

But first, a recap: around this time last year, we were engrossed in all things “WandaVision”, week after week. It was exciting to wonder what Wanda would do next to Westview, and with all of its twists and turns, man, did her show deliver.

Once that ended — and we discovered that it indeed “was Agatha all along” — we were rewarded with “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier,” which is a great continuation to, and expansion of, the Captain America story. To quote Kenny Bania, Sam and Bucky together are always “gold, Jerry, gold!”

Then came “Loki.” An entire show about the God of Mischief? Yes, please! It’s super fun and wildly entertaining. I mean, there’s gator Loki, you guys — need I say more?

After Loki left us wondering what in the multiverse is going on here, buddy, we got “What If…?” Since we’ll take anything involving Captain Carter, all day, every day, we found that series most enjoyable as well.

Finally, late last year we were gifted “Hawkeye,” and I have to say, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I’m a bit biased because whenever I see Barton, part of me still screams, “It shoulda been you — not Nat!” But, he’s cool, I guess. Plus, that Yelena scene was just stand-up-from-the-couch fantastic (I’m talking about that Blip scene!).

That brings us to Winter 2022. Without new Marvel shows gracing Disney+ these days, we found ourselves app-hopping on our TV last weekend in search of a show that we both liked, and that’s when we were greeted by none other than one Mr. Ted Lasso on Apple TV. Why, oh why, did it take us this long to watch this show? It’s hilarious, thought-provoking, AND about futbol — high school-me, who ran home from the bus stop to catch Real Madrid games, would not believe it.

Since we’re late to the Lasso party, I won’t bore anyone with details about the show, but you can find a nice synopsis here. Suffice it to say, the story, the characters, the writing, and the dancing are excellent; that’s right, there’s dancing — namely, Jason Sudeikis whips out his SNL dance (you know the one, from Kenan’s “What’s Up With That?”), in the first episode, no less.

We binge watched nearly the entire two seasons last weekend. Ted’s lack of soccer (or “football”) knowledge is just the tip of this funny iceberg of a show. His friendship with Coach is inspiring, while his relentless positivity — and all that lies underneath — is engaging. Not to mention his baking prowess, which prompted our YouTube search for his “Biscuits with the Boss” cookie recipe.

Speaking of YouTube, stay tuned for another article on which YouTubers helped get us through the pandemic-provoked lockdown. They include a California-based makeup guru and her now-fiancé, as well as some Disney parks enthusiasts

But I digress; so, I’ll wrap this up with a few words that Ted shared with a slightly defeated Sam Obisanya that really resonated with me and display the heart of this show: “You know what the happiest animal on Earth is? It’s a goldfish. You know why? … Got a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish, Sam.”

We’re excited to see what lies ahead for the team as it rejoins the Premier League in season three — while we wear our Richmond jerseys at home, of course (my husband’s great at finding the coolest merch). Until then, I’ll leave you with the wise words of Richmond star Dani Rojas: “Fútbol is life!”

Photo credit: Cori