Ted Lasso on Today's Toxic Positivity - Season 2 Ending Explained 

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Ted’s positivity was toxic to himself, yes. But perhaps if someone being genuinely nice to you causes you to “go dark side,” that has everything to do with your own character and far less to do with the person who’s literally just. Been kind to you.

I have a hard time with the idea that it was Ted's fault that Nate went rogue. Ted had his own mental health that he needed to work on in season 2, and Nate is an adult who is responsible for his own actions. I don't like the idea that if you work on yourself and your wellbeing that takes your attention away from other people who may "need" you. (Also ripping the believe sign was a punch to the gut that I have a hard time forgiving Nate for.)

It was heartbreaking how Nate just misinterprets everything around him like when Nate said that Ted didn't have the picture of the two of them together on his desk when in fact Ted has it in his home next to a picture of his son.

I think many people ( probably myself included) don’t realize how incredibly nuanced this show’s writing actually is.

I'm glad that the show addresses that there is no such thing as happy all the time. Sometimes things are horrible and you need to address them. I think this show also brings into attention how much toxic parenting can affect someone in the long run. All that negativity is taught to us from such an early age that it hits deeper than anything else and can be hard to work through.

I genuinely don’t understand people who thought Season Two was a step down from Season One. The sheer complexity of the character writing in the second outing is far more ambitious and intricate.

Nate is a grown ass man. His problems are his problems. He was completely out of line all season. No one else to blame but himself.

Nate needed a lot of therapy, the inability to think he's enough and being called exactly the things he's afraid of being called drove him crazy. It's sad, he was so good for Richmond 😔

9:01 I feel like Nate didn't work his way up tho. Kit managers aren't normally able to become assistant coaches. Nate got his job, yes because Ted was incompetent and needed the help of someone that actually knew football, but also mainly because Ted saw potential in him and gave him what was a once in a lifetime chance.

I also thought there was a parallel created between Ted feeling like his father abandoned him when his father was suffering from mental health issues / depression and Nate feeling like Ted abandoned him when Ted was struggling with mental health / anxiety issues. You can hate what is happening to Nate’s character all you want but I think the descent into madness has a purpose.

I loved season 2. While Nate's arc is frustrating to watch, it was very well done and Nick Mohammed was fantastic. In his rant to Ted, it's clear that he doesn't believe himself when he says that it 'didn't fall into his lap.' He knows it did, and it's killing him.

I think it's true that being cheerful has to be balanced by being real, but I also don't think that Ted let Nate down. Rewatching the season, he's just as supportive as in the first season, he's always trying to support everyone, but it's not enough for Nate, because Ted can't save him no matter what he does. No one can. I think there's a certain level of insecurity that is just ego, because it's a demand that the only focus be on Nate's feelings literally all the time. It's not Ted's responsibility to fix Nate, but he still tried. He didn't fail him. He was just never going to be able to save him on his own. Ted hasn't had an easy life, he just works really hard to try and be a good person. I'm sure that makes Nate angry too, because he knows he's using past hardship as an excuse to behave badly. Even Jamie puts in the work, accepts help, becomes better. Ted has a lot of flaws, but he always tries to help people, and I don't think he wronged Nate.

Nate had every opportunity for a huge swath of time to use his words and talk to Ted about his feelings but was instead spineless to the point of /forcing/ Ted to make him stand up for himself. He sexually harrassed Keeley and betrayed his mentor in the span of 24 hours and takes absolutely no responsibility for his actions. I don’t have a ton of empathy for insecure men who would be just as much of a bully as their own once they get the platform to.

I knew Nate was going to leave and turn his back on Richmond as soon as he started treating Will (his replacement I believe) like crap. He knew how bad it felt to be treated as less than and yet he still did it to someone else.

i loved how we saw Ted losing it along the way, while his players were also changing to be better. He was always quirky, but his facade starts to crumble, and no one is there for him, as he's done for others. He struggles with mental health, and can't find something to shrug it off. I have so many thoughts for this show, but one thing I know for sure: No one expected to cry this much with a "comedy" show.

I think Roy forgiving Nate right away is a sign that he doesn’t view him as a threat and Nate wants to feel significant

Amazing how many dudes were flabbergasted that such a sweet, "nice guy" like Nate could be such a douche with a nasty other side when he wasn't getting the attention he felt he was due. Woman everyone shrugged their shoulders and said, 'yup, sounds about right.'

**Warning S1 & S2 spoilers in this comment** By the end of S2 Nate is a grown ass man who is *choosing* to act like a jerk despite Ted giving him a well-deserved leg up in the beginning (by the time he comes to Richmond in S1). Ted may serve as a sort of artificial father-figure for his players and those he interacts with, but it is not his responsibility to constantly be 'doing the work' for others - that inherently prevents them from actively growing. Instead he simply offers them kindness and opportunities to rise to the occasion. One could argue that Ted showed the same consideration for Nate that he did for Jamie, and Jamie does actively begin to embrace his own potential with his help (and Roy's). In that way, I found it ridiculous that Nate is adopting some kind of child-like victimization in his emotional tirade at the end of S2. I don't see Nate's behavior as a fault/failure of Ted's optimism, but rather I felt it almost more of a commentary on perceived reality and expectation after experiencing something that you have been sorely lacking and craving in your life (in this case it's support and approval). Nate is with Ted every day and could have chosen to speak with him at any point if he felt he truly wasn't being heard or understood. I mean look at all the characters in the show that have: Keely, Rebecca, Roy, Jamie, Sam, even the new guy Will, etc. While I understand that Nate has a foundation based in resentment and insecurity, and has had to actively work that much more for everything he has earned both as a man of color and someone who suffers from insecurity, as adults we all have the opportunity to *choose* with every day and moment to be kind and whether we choose "light". Of course there is always a negative to binary positivity and the show does a wonderful job exploring this subtly, but in a world where we are arguably actively lacking kindness almost entirely as a global society, Ted Lasso exists as a kind of beacon for us all - characters and audiences alike. Nate actively choosing to reject that kindness and light in S2 as a means to reach "success" and ultimately blaming Ted in his own anger and guilt only illuminate his immaturity and his *choice* to value ego over everything else.

You should do a video on the '20-years-later' sequel. We're getting a flood of them and I think it can be seen a few ways: A chance to breath life and add depth to simple stories we've internalized as a culture, or an admittance that Hollywood is too scared to take even the slightest risk.

The best explanation to Nate's change of behaviour I read was when Nate was at the bottom, people in "Power" were all mean and cruel, so that was his definition of success and power. That powerful people are mean to those below them. And the people at the bottom have to be quiet. So when Nate got a little bit of power, he started acting like his superiors acted towards him when he was at the bottom

Just a note on the Nate and Jose Mourinho parallels: Mourinho was a limited player who got a foothold as an interpreter for the universally well-liked, amiable English coach Bobby Robson when Robson moved to Barcelona. Robson took a shine to him and Mourinho found a pathway into coaching as Robson promoted him to assistant. Mourinho always had a mischievous side to his character which curdled into something more sour and darker when he was overlooked for the Barcelona job. Mourinho’s carried an almost obsessive anti-Barcelona, and anti-expansive, entertaining football as embodied by Barcelona, animus ever since.

When Nate confronts Ted at the end, the acting is superb because we can tell that as soon as his words leave his mouth he realizes how unfair and untrue they are, he realizes he has misplaced his anger. You can see it all over his face, Ted sees it too, but Nate is arrogant and proud, he will not take it back, he won’t apologize and he will go down and burn bridges rather than admit he is wrong, at least at this point in the story.

There is honestly great parallels between Ted from Ted Lasso and Joy from Inside Out

I don’t think Nates anger was actually directed at Ted. I feel like his anger stems from the relationship Nate has with his father. You see it with the window seat episode, he wants his father to see and acknowledge him. Ted saw Nates potential and gave him an opportunity to utilize it. What did Higgins say to Keeley about moving on from Rebecca (and I’m paraphrasing here) but a great mentor wants you to go and succeed and do all the things. Ted gave him that chance and instead of continuing to strive in the position and branch out he turned all that into hate instead of confronting his father

Could you imagine, someone telling you that your positivity is the cause to all of THEIR problems

I actually really like Nate, he relatable as a human being, I think he’s fantastically written character, the best in the show, because as the video says we know he’s brilliant. He has a rich background, as an overlooked minority that added to his lower self steem and a overly critical parent made him and insecure person everywhere he went. I hope the show makes him justice and whatever end we get, we get to see a refined Nate. Nick Mohammed is also very good as an actor, the performance ads a lot to what we see are Nate inner/true feelings instead of just a dialogue. I’m very looking forward a season 3 and his character arc.

Nate’s moral downfall has been apparent since season 1 though - there’s a tweet from Nick Mohammed (the actor) that details hints of his assholeness throughout the show, such as how his pre-game speech contains belittlement of the players, or how his first lines of the entire show are him exercising power by yelling at Ted and Beard to get off the pitch before he knew they were coaches

Ted's press conference about discussing and dealing with mental health in athletics, came not long after Simone Biles opted out of that Olympic competition, so the timing of that subject couldn't have been any better. Anyway, Nate's storyline was really well done, and the best thing about Season 2. I was less high on the Sam/Rebecca romance though.

I still haven't stopped thinking about this show. I even wonder if Nate's surname, Shelley, and his mother's name (who is credited as Maria Shelley) is a nod to the gothic author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley. Nate was not born a monster, a monster was created inside of him. I fully expect Nate to have a redemption arc in Season 3. And I actually think that he might even have a heavy hand in even helping to give a redemption arc to Rupert. Nate will learn that Rupert's love and attention is conditional; he will wildly praise him when he succeeds, but when he fails, well...I predict that there will be a scene that mirrors the one in the Season 2 finale when Ted is honest to the team about his struggles with anxiety and all the team told him that they have his back, but when Nate admits the anxiety that he feels because of the pressure that he is under to Rupert and his team, they will all turn their backs to him. Rupert is a character who we enjoy seeing humiliated, but I think that Nate will become a 'heroic' character again through being the one to help Rupert grow. Like how Jamie grew from being a 'selfish little prick' who was obsessed with chasing fame and glory, to becoming a team player who gives up a penalty kick opportunity that would lead to a moment of glory to Dani Rojas so that he could help his teammate overcome the accident with Earl.

It is just so easy to be swiped to the dark side when your self-esteem is not high enough.

Who noticed how Nate’s hair got whiter with each episode ?

That was amazing analysis. The message this show sends about fathers and the impact they have on these characters is so poignant. Jamie's dad turned him into a bully. Ted's dad turned him into someone with toxic positivity. Nate's dad made him feel inadequate and turned him into a bully to prove himself. Really the message is that men shouldn't be holding their feelings in.

Whoever wrote this show has a DEEP understanding of "Kansas Nice" and as a Kansan, I love it its SO spot on 😭😭😂😂

You miss a huge detail: Nate thinks Ted doesn’t care because of the picture. Little does he know, that picture is the only picture in Ted’s apartment other than the one of his son. The show purposefully showed us that detail to prove that Nate’s rage is misplaced, inspired from ignorance.

Everyone else: “I fucking hate Nate as a character” Me: “Nate is so well written as a character “

Nate the Great became Nate the Ingrate. By the end of the season, I couldn't stand the sight of him. Also the gradual graying of his hair was a unique physical representation of his downfall.

This is one of the most intelligent, thoughtful movie/show synopses I've ever heard. Can you please upload the video a few more times; I don't feel like I've hit the "like" button enough times.

I've been talking about toxic positivity and this show for awhile and this will be a good thing to link people to. I love how the show is deconstructing these aspects, being like sure Ted's way SEEMS good at first, but second season is like 'is it tho'

Finally we are discussing toxic positivity. I had a friend who was like that and she told me I was too negative and blocked me. I was a victim of sexual assault and I was facing racism so me being “ too negative” was my TRAUMA.

Nate is not brilliant. He was lucky a few times but he couldn't handle if things didn't go the way he thought they would. Essential for the job.

For those that know of Jung's concept of The Shadow, season 2 of Ted Lasso was even more of a treat. Plenty of Jungian/Freudian psychology throughout the father themes as well, but The Shadow shows up with Ted and Nate throughout the season.

Why you make me cry??? Seriously, this is a therapeutic video. Thank you.

Ted Lasso content. Here for it

I remember when I learned that toxic positivity was a thing. I didn't even need it explained, I was already so aware of it and knew what it was, given it's term. That was one of the best days for my mental health recuperation EVER!

I'm so proud of this channel!!! I feel like I been watching for years, only to realize today that you're over 1 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS! Talk about amazing, consistent, insightful videos. Keep up the great work!

This video was perfect - loved the whitening of his hair. The metaphor that he is trying so hard to get away from the nickname wonder KID, by looking older/wiser. Perfect writing

Tis showis a true gem. So much is shown here. It such a realistic depiction of over positivity toxicity,, heartbreak and trauma and their epercussions in many forms but also the healing power of therapy and self care or the vicious effects of ego. Brilliant cast brilliant writing.

Well this tore me up a little, actually. Thank you for this analysis. What a show.

In a weird way, Ted Lasso reminds me of Chester Bennington from Linkin Park, who died by suicide in 2017. Chester seemed to have both a dark and a light side. He had a tough life and definitely channeled that into his music, but he was also kind and funny -- at least that's how he presented himself to the world, I don't know if he was always like that in his private life. Chester always struck me as someone who actively chose to treat people well because he didn't want anyone else to feel like he felt. I think that's also the case for Lasso. And I also think Chester could be kind to everybody else but himself, which might be why in the end he lost his battle to depression. I think that's also the case for Lasso -- but hopefully he'll have a happier ending! I do appreciate people who strive to be kind. Back in the late 2000s and 2010s, the trend was anti-heroes and dark and brooding, which I was never able to get on board with. It's easier to give in to cynicism and mysanthropy than it is to hold on to hope and kindness (I speak from experience). In the words of Diana Prince, a.k.a. Wonder Woman, it's not about deserve, it's about what you believe. So I like people who try to see the best in others. But then again, you need to include yourself in your scope.

This take is so dark that it takes away all the positive outcomes a well-intentioned human being can take from such a so brilliant and heartfelt series! I believe that the brilliant take in this video could be presented in a better way, spreading love and hope, and avoiding any toxic idea like what so called "toxic masculinity" and its irrelevant connection with "toxic positivity"!

This was an amazing exploration. It gave me everything I needed after watching the last season of Ted lasso. I love you guys!

Beautiful video! I like that it really analyses the characters and actions and not just says what happened in season 2

I wish I could tell you how many tells you how many times this channel me made open up and cry. But I want you tell please keep going because it’s making me be a better person thank you 😊

Thank you for this. This was my exact takeaway and you were able to take all of my thoughts about season 2 and form it into words and a beautiful video.

I wasn’t too sure about the notion of “toxic positivity” until this essay but I went in with an open mind. Y’all did a great job here. Bravo!

I don't think toxic positivity is the issue here. Ted Lasso is an extremely positive but that doesn't mean he does not have regular emotions or hurdles like other humans do. Ted is not suppressing these negative emotions using this toxic positivity but more like he doesn't know how to deal with these. The only avenue that one would use is therapy but one of his problems - his failed marriage, was due to therapy (that is Ted's belief). So it is less about positivity solving everything and more about Ted learning that just because someone is paid to do something, doesn't mean they don't care. Therapists just like Coaches are people and they can care while they get paid. Now coming to Nate. Nate has a bunch of insecurities stemming from his father and always wanting to impress him. Nate believes that Ted will be his surrogate father and give him that attention but that is unrealistic. Trying to impress a father figure and Ted supporting that is not what Nate needs. Nate needs therapy and acceptance of himself and needs to stand up for himself. Nate needs to stop adhering to his father's toxic high standards and perpetuating that cycle on other players. Ted was busy with his own problems so there is some hate that he wasn't THERE for Nate. But even if the was, Ted can't fix this. This is deeper than coaching. This needs therapy. I am not sure if Ted would realize that or suggest therapy to Nate. The coaching team has different skills. Ted is morale, Roy is context since he was a player, Beard does something (insight? listens?) and Nate is technical. I would say Beard should have done more and told Ted or suggested therapy to Nate but again that is too much on any person to solve another person's deep seated personality issues. Ted's optimism has limits on what it can solve. I wish Nate got time with Sharon during this show because he is the one who needed therapy the most. I believe Season 3 can go one of 2 ways. Either Nate is the villain who gets defeated by the end of the season when the team wins the championship or.. what I'd love is for Nate to have a redemption arc. Similar to Jaime's redemption arc and return to the team. Nate coaches the other team and either fails horribly or they win but it feel hollow while he sees Ted's team is a cohesive unit even during failure. Basically something makes Nate come back to either Ted or the team. Then Nate gets therapy (maybe Sharon has a cameo in Season 3), accepts himself and stands up to his father. Perhaps even joins the team so they win their championship by end of Season 3. I really hope they have a redemption arc for Nate but even if they don't, sometimes people are in pain and their problems don't get fixed and that is how is it. It is very sad but that is the tragic life of a villain.

i love this series so much. ted lasso has such a special place in my heart

You should do one about the evolution of Emily Gilmore from Gilmore Girls. How she went from being perfect to letting go and finding herself in the reboot!!

Damn nate really did a number this season

ngl this video made me shed a tear :') The characters in this show are so complex yet deep down, they're all so relatable. I could see a lot of my own insecurities in Nate. no matter how much they show made people hate him, he's just a hurt person hurting others. I hope he gets redemption

I kind of wish Rupert would hire Dr. Sharon in season 3 so Nate could work through his issues. He's an insecure, petty little man but not beyond salvation. That probably won't happen, though.

It’s been a long time since a show has been this rewatchable…

Best commentary was bc he can’t trust himself he doesn’t trust anyone. I literally have experienced this

I really enjoy your channel’s takes! That was enjoyable perspective on ted’s situation

The thing is Ted deals with his conflicts with others very directly while being avoidant of the conflicts within himself while Nate has always been avoidant of conflicts with positions of authority. When Ted is trying to resolve his self avoidance, he's distracted from Nate's issues, meanwhile Nate holds everything in until he lashes out.

Love this! Can you do a video on the black female therapist?

Would love to see a video on Roy and Keeley’s relationship, it has a bittersweet taste to it this entire season for some reason.

Nate could be the Merchant of Venice...with that "lesson" on mercy and such, but actually deserving more of a re-evaluation.

i think a lot of nate's anger stems from the fact that he doesn't get the approval from his father and that episode where nate gets all of the praise for his coaching. his father tells him to not get caught up in it and humility is the answer to success. i think what will happen in season 3 is that richmond will succeed and overcome obstacles while nate completely loses it.

As much as I want Nate to return, I kind of hope Season 3 is about Nate getting worse. Like he goes undefeated and gets an ego larger than anything before. I then hope we get to see his life outside of work with this increased ego. Sometimes people become Nate and success does follow, which is why Nate can be compared to a irl coach. This show has been nothing but fantastic in representing real core issues people go through and I can't wait for Season 3.

Can you do a video on the Mistress and what motivates her to go with married men, how she and the wife are victims of the Patriarchy and Internalized Misogyny, and why both the Wife and Mistress may be paired with dysfunctional or mediocre men who don't do their lion's share of the emotional labor. Speaking of mistresses I am close to finishing American Crime Story Impeachment and I am so reminded of how much the nineties really hated on any ounce of body fat on women (so hard for our D.C. Joan Holloway) but while real women were being told to embrace Heroin Chic and the aerobicized beauty of the 1980s, animated women especially mothers were being drawn as super curvaceous (especially around the hips, behind, and thighs). We need to talk about that

May not be actual psychology, but Ted is an Enneagram 7 to the core (positive, enthusiastic, curious, open to new experiences) who like all 7s avoids sadness and emotional turmoil. Nate is an unhealthy Enneagram 3 (craves attention & acknowledgement, hardworking, driven). They are both, like many of the characters on Ted Lasso, ‘real people’, which makes this show so good.

Is there a link to the podcast? Can’t seem to find it on Apple or Spotify.

Toxic positivity was definitely a thing in my household growing up, so with all the sentiments circling around Ted Lasso, I stayed far away from the show. Seeing that this toxic side of positivity is a driver of the show itself and is critiqued as it goes on, I'm now excited to watch it! This was a super insightful essay, awesome job Take crew!

I love that you mentioned Jose Mourinho. Football has so many interesting people to analyze.

Brilliant analysis!

Rewatching the season, Coach Beard was very quick to catch onto Nate's antics.

I'm so glad that Man U saw the light and chucked Jose Marinio very quickly....I can definitely see the parallels between him and Nate. That being said, my father is VERY similar to Nate's father and withheld praise all the time. It caused me to spend a lot of energy masking my pain like Ted and Nate do during the series. Fortunately, I now have an amazing therapist that is helping me follow the path of Luke instead of Anakin. I hope that Nate is able to find some peace and healing in Season 3. He deserves that for himself.

This was a great breakdown of an amazing show

Nate is such a well written, tragic and unfortunately real character. The self loathing that fuels him through hating who he was is a real thing especially in the UK. Turning on good people because you're jealous of their love from others or some themselves is something I personally experienced and if you don't check it can ruin your relationships and leads to very destructive behavior. Where I grew up, I saw it very frequently especially with men.

The way Jose Mourinho is pronounced at 10:53 really hurts my soul

Nate is suffering from something called supporting character syndrome, he could sense that he would never truly be as important or as noteworthy as Ted Lasso or any of the other tall beautiful characters, Roy didn't see him as a threat the same way he saw confident attractive Jamie as a threat, he is now become the villain in order to be in the same level.

This show is so good, there’s so much to all the characters

I felt so helpless watching Nate in season 2. But I don't think Ted paying more attention would have helped, really. Not only because Ted *needs* to be focusing on his own mental health, for his own good and others', but because the roots are so much deeper. I kept wishing Nate would go speak to Doc, but I knew he wouldn't. The False 9 was such a case in point... First he was angry because he assumed Ted would take credit for it. Then when Ted naturally kept calling it "Nate's False 9", Nate said that was so Ted could shift the blame when the team inevitably couldn't do it. Ted was damned if he did, damned if he didn't - because it was never about him. It was about Nate. And everything has become about Nate to Nate at this point. It's so, so sad and I hope we see him find some genuine self love and growth in the next season, though I don't see narratively how that would work :(

fair play to yous on the football research. this channel never disappoints

As someone who's very much against toxic positivity AND a huge fan of Ted Lasso (the show and the person), I enjoyed this and found it insightful. What caused me to be taken in by the show was Ted's genuine kindness and decency, even though his positivity and optimism are over the top. When he forgave Rebecca, I think I teared up a little. But the show does an excellent job of showing how Ted's positive attitude eats away at him. I'm curious to find out if Nate will find a healthier way to deal with his lack of self-esteem. But not everyone changes, and he seems to be on a one-way path. I'm looking forward to finding out what's in store for us next season.

I wonder if Nate's dad will pop in season 3, I feel like he's the person who will save him from the dark side. They get to a have a 1 on 1 conversation where Nate get's to pour all his emotions and frustrations out.

Tell me you didn’t watch the show without telling me you didn’t watch the show

Often the most positive people are the saddest or are often going through or have gone through the darkest experiences

What do you hate in other people? That's either what you hate about yourself or what you think threatens your ideals.

Ted's positivity was his coping mechanism for how his life had radically changed. Nate's problem was his need for constant validation. Above all else I'd say Nate despises himself for existing so long as a repressed person.

i feel like the relationship between ted and nate wasn’t effected by toxic positivity. nates an adult who let power get to his head he’s unable to deal with praise since he was bullied and had a distance father. teds issues needed to be deal with his issues nate was so unsympathetic after he learned about teds panic attacks and still acts like ted did something to him.

Nate isn’t Ted’s child. He shouldn’t need parenting. I’m curious to see how season 3 explains Nate’s transformation and offers redemption.

I need to to rewatch this season now 🥲

I was waiting for Nate's greying hair to be mentioned and it did not disappoint.

I just absolutely love Roy Kent in this series.

I’ve always called toxic positivity pathological optimism.

I’m glad to have this explanation because I have never seen a Star Wars movie, so I certainly didn’t see the comparison. After loving the first season so much, the second season really puzzled me. Nate’s and Jamie’s turns seemed really quick to me. It will be interesting to see Season 3.

Man, brilliant character writing. Gotta love it.