Although Apple TV's hit comedy Ted Lasso came to an end with season 3, the same goodness and heartwarming content that made it a success isn't entirely gone from television, as a darker and grittier version of the series, The Bear, has already been streaming for a year. Ted Lasso is a comedy-drama following an American football coach who travels to England to coach a struggling soccer team, while The Bear follows a professional chef who takes over his deceased brother's failing restaurant. Despite the vastly different concepts, both shows balance between humor and drama, and cover similar important themes.
Over the course of three seasons, Ted Lasso made waves for its intensely sweet and heartwarming content. Although the series can often be comical and silly, it always returns to its roots of showing how teamwork can make any failure feel like a win. As the series came to its official end in May 2023, it seemed unlikely that another show could recreate the warm, happy feelings that Ted Lasso could. However, as FX's The Bear debuts its second season, it seems that there won't be any lack of touching television in the foreseeable future.
The Bear Shares Similar Themes With Ted Lasso (But Is Much Heavier)
Although The Bear and Ted Lasso seem entirely different in of story, setting, and tone, the shows share the same themes. Both Ted and Carmy are responsible for groups that have notoriously failed at what they are supposed to be good at. By ing the groups, the men bring a new atmosphere that changes things for the better. Essentially, AFC Richmond and The Beef must learn that teamwork is not just important, but necessary. If the team and the restaurant can understand each other on a human level, trust each other, and master their skills, then they will be unstoppable and also better humans in the long run.
While The Bear and Ted Lasso share themes, the former takes everything in a much darker direction. Ted Lasso often took on serious topics, however the characters were inevitably led back to the light with very little violence, aggression, or abrasiveness. Meanwhile, The Bear uses all of those things and more, instilling a constant sense of chaos. A great example of this difference is Ted and Carmy's mental health conditions. Both men suffer from anxiety, yet the shows handle these scenarios in vastly different ways. Whereas Ted shuts down quietly, Carmy explodes, hurting himself and others in the process.
The Bear Can Beat Ted Lasso In One Crucial Way
Now that Ted Lasso has reached its end, The Bear can learn from the series' mistakes. First and foremost, Ted Lasso remained strong until the third and final season. Where the first two seasons were quick-witted and fast-paced, end ofThe Bear season 2.
With The Bear most likely receiving a season 3, and maybe even more, expectations are high for the series to keep giving what it gave in the past two seasons. Hopefully, the show won't fall off the map like Ted Lasso did, and more than that, will fill the gap that Ted Lasso leaves. Both series are important because of how unapologetically hopeful they are, and though The Bear is harsher, it still offers a dose of happiness that is incredibly important to see on television today.