Why The Team Psychologist Doesn’t Like Ted Lasso In Season 2

Ted Lasso season 1 showed the eponymous football coach win over nearly everyone he met with his honest kindness and optimism, but that doesn’t seem to be working on Dr. Sharon, AFC Richmond’s new team therapist. Throughout the Ted Lasso season 2 premiere, Sharon repeatedly gives Ted the cold shoulder, creating a bit of a rift between the two. That may partially be due to Ted’s overall distrust of therapists, but there could be more going on with Sharon’s apparent dislike of him.

At the beginning of Ted Lasso season 1, the odds were thoroughly stacked against Jason Sudeikis’ Ted, with AFC Richmond’s owner Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) rooting for his failure, and most of the team convinced he was incompetent. Over time, however, Ted won each and every one of those characters over, even earning the respect of some of the team’s most caustic fans. But in season 2, it looks like Ted’s charm doesn’t work on everybody.

Dr. Sharon is called in to help star player Dani Rojas regain his confidence after accidently killing the team mascot with a stray kick. Ted is skeptical due to his past negative experiences with therapists, but he agrees to bring her on if it might help Dani. Suddenly, the whole team is going in and out of Sharon’s office for advice, with each player leaving stunned, seemingly improved, and praising her abilities. Despite all that, however, she remains cold towards Ted.

There are a few possible explanations. First, it’s possible that Dr. Sharon simply isn’t a warm or extroverted person, and that she only becomes more emotionally available in her sessions. It’s also possible that, as an accredited medical professional, she looks down on Ted’s less scientific approach to player encouragement and mental wellbeing. His repeated adages and allegories might frustrate her as someone who uses hard science and proven medical practice to help people improve themselves.

It’s also possible that, as a sports psychologist, Dr. Sharon has had many bad interactions with coaches. Ted Lasso deals pretty directly with the more toxic parts of traditional sports culture, and it’s likely that many of the previous coaches who Sharon has worked with didn’t appreciate her work, treated her poorly, or simply weren’t good people. The stereotypes around professional sports coaches aren’t exactly stellar, so it would make sense for her to have her guard up around Ted at first, even with his reputation. Still, if the show has demonstrated one thing so far, it’s that Ted can win anybody over, and that group will likely include Dr. Sharon as well later in Ted Lasso season 2.

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Rick Stevenson
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Rick Stevenson is a writer, editor and performer based in Brooklyn, NY. He’s written on TV, film and games for over six years, in addition to assorted stints in bookselling, carpentry, and TV production. Rick studied writing at the College of William & Mary and Oxford University, and can report with some authority that they are both old. He lives and dies for Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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