Bill's Focus

The worst and the best

Recently we watched the two most popular streaming shows currently on TV. Two award winning depictions of 21st Century life – and values.

We started with an episode of “Succession”. Somewhat reluctantly. It’s a painful thing to watch. But maybe, just maybe, one of the characters will display something other than avarice, contempt, jealousy or “payback” behavior for a life of withheld love and all around psychological abuse. Maybe.

The writing in Succession is clever and quick paced. The standard set from the beginning was to deliver quippy obscene dialog – all in word salad style. No real sentences. Sometimes it’s really funny. Often, it’s pathetic. And just as you begin to develop some sympathy for a character, that person will do something more awful than the person before them. Succession portrays the offspring and the corporate puppets as desperately trying to seek the shelter (approval) of the lead Media Oligarch also known as Dad. It’s brilliant. It’s disgusting. Succession is almost as bad as the real life it imitates. We watched to the end with curiosity – how can this family war be resolved?

We followed Succession, this monstrous display of human betrayal, with a completely opposite show. We watched, with a tear or two, the series finale of “Ted Lasso”. If I was searching for a show to reinforce my faith in people, this was it in spades. Each character evolves through the series. People are portrayed as unique individuals who grow before your eyes. Most of them (not the evil guy, aptly named Rupert) want to grow as humans. And they do!

”Succession” gives us the world of the uber rich and the disposables (the rest of us). “Ted Lasso” gives us a world where diversity is displayed as beautiful. Where the kid who cleans the locker room is part of the team. Where the phrase “Football is Life” takes on multiple levels of meaning. Where the loss of a game is not the end of the world. And how the players (and coaches) grow from that loss is a thing of beauty to watch.

We watched what I describe as a bit of TV from Hell and followed it with what I believe is an antidote to the poison in our culture. “Ted Lasso” celebrates diversity. It includes. It finds the best in people and builds on it. “Ted” teaches us to have those long treasured values of humility, loyalty, compassion and empathy – all the while showing us how to grow. “Ted” is on my “top ten list” of best shows ever created.

We suffered through the last episodes of “Succession” with the perspective and hope that maybe it will disgust enough viewers. That some will cease being entertained by the real life assholes they are symbols of. “Succession” is like ripping off the bandages on a burn victim. “Ted Lasso” is food and water for the soul.

Below is a great interview with Jason Sudeikis who plays Ted Lasso. The Lasso character was actually “rewritten” as the horrors of MAGA were being launched. What’s not to love?

BTW, Apple TV is a bargain. It seems to be leading with the type of creativity that we used to expect from HBO. Or, you could just binge on Ted Lasso for a month. It will be the best $7 you ever spent.