7 Ted Lasso moments that broke our hearts

Ted Lasso is one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful comedy dramas in today's time. Because of its premise and acting, it won several accolades, including 20 Primetime Emmy Awards nominations in its first season, and won the Outstanding Comedy Series award in 2021.

The show is about an American college football coach, Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis), who is unexpectedly hired to coach A.F.C. Richmond, an English Premier League soccer team. He is hired by the team's owner, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), who gained ownership of the team from her ex-husband, Rupert Mannion, through a divorce settlement.

She hired Lasso in hopes of weakening the team and hurting Rupert, who cares about the club above everything else. Everyone is apprehensive about Ted at first, but his charm, humorous personality, and warmth eventually win everyone over. Ted Lasso is known for its comedic moments, mostly featuring Sudekis, but sometimes there are moments on the show that just break your heart.

7 Ted Lasso moments that broke our hearts

Jason Sudeikis is known for being an exceptionally funny guy, as seen in SNL and countless movies like We're the Millers, but Ted Lasso is a change of pace for him. He, along with Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, and Juno Temple, gives fans some rib-tickling moments.

But since it's a comedy-drama, lurking behind the shadows are some grim moments that make you run for that tissue box. Here are 7 moments in Ted Lasso that broke everyone's hearts.

7) Sam and Rebecca's breakup

Sam and Rebecca were an unconventional couple, but they had immense mutual respect, and somehow that became a catalyst for their breakup. When Rebecca realizes that she cannot expect Sam to give up his dreams, she decides to back off from the relationship, and Sam agrees without protest.

She tells him, "You're extraordinary," and he replies, "And you make me feel it." This is a mutual breakup with utmost respect at its finest. An emotionally intelligent moment. They wanted to be together but grew apart with only kindness for one another in their hearts, a rare scene for reel and real breakups.

6) Nate's Betrayal

Nathan Shelly, or Nate, was a sweet, awkward underdog whom everyone rooted for in Ted Lasso Season 1 and then watched become a villain by the end of Season 2. That moment was so brutal that none of the fans could take it. It was hard to see him tear the 'Believe' sign in half, publicly humiliate Ted, and then join West Ham.

It wasn't just a betrayal; it was watching a good man lose his way and walk towards his downfall. Nate thought that Ted abandoned him, but what he didn't know was that Ted trusted him a lot, believed in him, and supported him. Poor Ted didn't even lash out; his heartbreak was quiet and crushing from the inside.

5) Ted talking about his divorce

When it came to showing maturity and depth, Ted was a man of metaphors. He would always come up with wisdom-prone metaphors that would make everyone around him think, including the audience. But in Ted Lasso Season 1, Episode 5, he cannot think of any clever metaphors when he realizes that his marriage is crumbling.

After trying hard to save his marriage Ted realizes that it's time to let Michelle go. Watching him mourn his marriage silently in Coach Beard's arms after signing the divorce papers was devastating to see as a viewer. When he says, "I promised myself I would never quit anything in my life" with a cracked voice, every Ted Lasso fan felt his pain through the screen.

This was the first time that viewers saw a human side of Ted without all the jokes and his flamboyant personality. This moment taught everyone that sometimes strength comes from surrendering.

4) Roy's retirement

Roy's retirement was a moment that brought everyone to tears; even the foul-mouthed beast was moved. When he got injured during Richmond's final match and started walking off the pitch, the standing ovation and thunderous applause from the fans sprouted a pookie inside him, even if it was only for a second.

It was at that moment he knew that it was time to hang up the boots. It wasn't just the end of a career; it was the end of a dream, a personality, and a journey built through hard work and pain. When he sat next to Keeley and said, "I'm not a footballer anymore," something broke inside everyone that day.

3) Rebecca's confession

Rebecca's plan ever since she got the team in her divorce was to sabotage it every chance she got. The reason was that she wanted to hurt her ex-husband, Rupert, because he loved the team more than anything else. The divorce devastated her, and she wanted him to feel the same way.

So she deliberately hired Ted, who was an American football coach, as the head coach of A.F.C. Richmond. But as the series goes on, her love for the team and admiration for Ted triumph over her hate for Rupert. So, she decided to confess everything to Ted and was expecting a justified angry reaction from him.

But to her and everyone's surprise, he forgives her. There was no outlandish burst of anger, no spitting any venom, and no dramatic exits. A simple act of kindness from Ted crumbled Rebecca's facade, and maybe it was at that moment that she started to heal.

2) Ted's goodbye

When Ted decided to go back home to his son, it was a gut punch fans felt for real. But at the same time, fans were happy to see him put himself first. As he said his goodbye to Coach Beard, his team, and his home, it was a reminder of why goodbyes are hard.

But seeing him reunite with Henry, who was waiting for him with his hopeful eyes and awkward smile, more than made up for the heartbreak. The entire montage is an emotional rollercoaster: watching Roy become the manager, Rebecca sell Richmond, and Beard fake his death to avoid saying goodbye was something you would expect in this show.

1) Ted's panic attack

Throughout the series, Ted is seen as an embodiment of positivity, and this high-octane optimism seems invincible. But when viewers see the curtains being pulled back to reveal the deep pain Ted has been hiding, it is a profound moment.

Watching him struggle to breathe in a karaoke bar as Rebecca sings 'Let it Go' was the moment fans realized that Ted Lasso wasn't just a comedy show; it was a show about a man trying to stay strong while dying inside.

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Ted Lasso broke the hearts of their fans many times through its tenderness. The show is a beautiful example of bravery being in vulnerability. The bravest thing to do in life is not being strong all the time; instead, it is being vulnerable and growing day by day.