In our household, Apple TV+ has been the streaming service we find ourselves watching in spurts. In fact, it’s relatively low price point (around five bucks a month) with an abundance of free trial offers out in Internet land, makes it perfect to start and stop and restart. It offers a much smaller array of choices than its competitors, but in some cases, the network manages to capture the quality over quantity prize.
At a get-together a few weeks ago, a friend raved about the service’s comedy Ted Lasso. She said that it was the sort of humor that my other half and I would appreciate. So, we decided to give it a try. Unbeknownst to us, during this very same timeframe, the show picked up a record haul of Emmy nominees for a debut entry. Yet, we weren’t consciously trying to be part of the bandwagon, I promise. Over the past year, we have become fans of our city’s new professional soccer team, attending several games in person. So, the timing seemed relevant for us.
The series stars Saturday Night Live veteran Jason Sudeikis as Lasso, an up-and-coming American football coach who accepts an unlikely offer to cross the Atlantic and coach a professional British soccer (aka football) team. The unassuming and likable–perhaps even to a fault–Lasso has no clue that the team’s new owner Rebecca Welton, who won the team in a bitter divorce settlement, hatched the deal as part of a grand revenge plot. Played brilliantly by Hannah Waddingham, Rebecca reasons that, since her cheating ex-husband loves his soccer franchise, AFC Richmond, more than anything else in life, he deserves to witness a painful dumpster fire of incompetence and failure.
Ted Lasso hails from America’s Heartland and offers up frequent folksy expressions, but he defies one-dimensional stereotypes. He possesses an enviable knowledge of popular culture, history, business, and a host of other topics. He has his fish out of water moments, loathing the taste of hot tea, which he dismisses as “brown water.” Yet, he remains open to learning from his adopted country and the diverse roster of players and coaches.
Lasso practices redeeming virtues of kindness and empathy, offering homemade pastries and pleasantries to his very un-chatty boss Weldon. He also makes a point to organize birthday and holiday celebrations for his team members. Yet, he isn’t above getting caught up in the emotions of the moment, admitting to heartbreak and loneliness. In one particular episode, he confesses his love for British romantic comedies, which seems fitting, as I think the show evokes the charming vibe found in Love Actually and similar movies.
Ted Lasso is now in the midst of its second season. (Unlike Netflix, Apple TV+ typically releases new episodes a week at a time, requiring a serious delay of gratification. I like the direction in which the show seems headed.
The Morning Show
The television drama about television hit the airwaves in 2019, featuring the solid star power of Jennifer Anniston, Steve Carell, and Reese Witherspoon. Season two was delayed by the pandemic and premieres September 17th.
Season one began as the hugely successful pair of morning news anchors (Alex Levy played by Anniston and Mitch Kessler played by Carell) faces the crisis of a major sexual harassment allegation against Kessler. The ramifications of possible cover-ups and enabling behaviors rock the cast and crew. Along the way, regional reporter Bradley Jackon (played by Witherspoon) finds herself plucked from obscurity to occupy the co-anchor spot vacated by the fired Kessler.
The Morning Show features compelling performances all around. The program also tackles timely questions about the dark side of celebrity and the toxic nature of today’s noisy media landscape. I look forward to seeing how things take shape in the new season.
Defending Jacob
This addictive legal thriller, based on a bestselling novel by William Landay, stars the always delightful Chris Evans as a Boston-area prosecutor and Michelle Dockery (Best known as Lady Mary Crowley on Downton Abbey) as his psychologist wife. The couple’s world turns upside down when their teenage son stands accused of murdering a classmate.
The plot twists and turns left me on the edge of my seat. The storyline navigates the bounds of parental loyalty. Are there limits to how far loving parents should go in defending their children? Does love remain unconditional in the face of nagging doubt? The series appears slated to remain a one-off miniseries, though the notion of a second season does sound enticing.
CODA
This little gem of a movie won raves on the independent film festival circuit. It’s now playing on select cinema screens, but Apple drew from its deep pockets to purchase the streaming rights. The cast, including Oscar winner Marlee Matlin, was hired with the requirement that deaf actors and actresses play all the hearing-impaired roles.
The term CODA refers to a hearing child raised by deaf adults. My other half is proficient in American Sign Language and has spent time working in the deaf culture. So watching the film with him was extra enlightening.
Set in Coastal New England, the story centers on Ruby, a hearing teen girl with deaf parents and a deaf older brother. The family operates a fishing boat and depends on Ruby for their business communication with the hearing world. Ruby’s main extra-curricular activity turns out to be choral singing. This development becomes increasingly problematic, as Ruby’s family feels shut out of a world they can’t fully experience.
Okay, I must confess that this general trajectory is a fairly standard plot element–kids following dreams that differ from parental expectations. Yet, the sincerity and attention to nuance keep things fresh. Yes, this is a tale that tugs at the heart strings, but the process to get there respects diversity in a way that breaks new ground.
Coloring Outside the Lines 