The Ted Lasso writers love their references and allusions to all kinds of cultural touchstones, whether it be brief mentions of Freddie Mercury to draw Elton John parallels, or copying an entire romance plot from one of Jane Austen’s finest novels. But as the hit series draws to a conclusion, plenty of eagle-eyed fans are realizing the entire thing might have just been a retelling of the 1939 iconic film The Wizard of Oz, especially as the most recent episode was chock full of references to the Julie Garland movie.
Aside from the occasionally comparable aesthetics and references to not being “in Kansas anymore,” (always bound to come up in a fish-out-of-water comedy about a man from Kansas), there are plenty of deeper links between the drama comedy and legendary film.
First and foremost, some context. One of the show’s creators, Bill Lawrence, has already displayed his love for Oz in a previous show: Scrubs. In an Oz-themed episode of the medical comedy series, the main characters have plots that align with Dorothy, the lion, the tin man, and the scarecrow, and there are also a fair few other references thrown in (patients being named after people who played a part in the making of the film and one of the characters listening to a song by the band Toto on their way into work are just two of them).
But that was just a single-episode homage. What we’re saying, and what we think the evidence points to, is that Ted Lasso effectively is Dorothy Gale — beyond his penchant for red sneakers, his clothes that match Dorothy’s famous gingham pattern dress, and other slipped-in references (like the fact that in episode one of season 2, Rebecca offers Ted a vodka tonic from a tray, which is the drink mentioned in Elton John’s song about Oz, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”).
First and foremost, Ted, despite running away from Kansas, is keen to return as he misses his family, Michelle and Henry. Beard is obviously Toto, thanks to his fierce loyalty but tendency to be distracted by things. As we saw in the penultimate episode of the series, Beard and Ted’s backstory goes pretty deep, so the idea he is a lovable and devoted sidekick like the dog is to Dorothy isn’t exactly a stretch.
The lion in Oz could be taken up by two Ted Lasso characters: Rebecca and Nate. One of the things we learned about Rebecca last season was that she considers lions “powerful and majestic,” and in a sense, she appears to be that for most of the show, too. While she runs her business like a lion, in her romantic and personal life she appears to be a coward of the worst kind, always seeking help from Keeley and Ted.
Nate as the lion also works pretty well, and in the grand scheme of things probably makes more sense. In his first interaction with Ted and Coach Beard he shouts at them to get off the pitch, but the second he understands they’re his new bosses he becomes meek. Throughout the first season, Ted gives Nate the courage he needs to share his thoughts and inspire the team, but this soon becomes bullying behavior, before culminating in somewhat of a redemption arc, which will sound familiar to anyone who knows the lion’s story in Oz.
Roy Kent as the tin man is another pretty clear parallel, especially with regard to the first season and his body breaking down after years of top-level sport (specifically his left knee). At the beginning of the series (and now, to be honest) Roy is hardly the most verbose, much like the tin man being unable to speak. However, after months of gentle nudging (and helped along by Keeley, who has her own Oz parallels) Roy develops what some would call a heart. Again, it’s all very familiar.
On Keeley, there’s almost no doubt she’s Glinda the Good Witch. Kind-hearted, smart, and affable, she’s a source of advice and love throughout the show, whether it’s business or love-life related.
Now, for the scarecrow. And who else could it be but Jamie Tartt? Like the character from Oz, Jamie doesn’t appear to be the brightest, but we see he’s always interested in learning about things, but just doesn’t have the experience that others do. Jamie, for all his misunderstanding words and inability to take on some social cues, is actually quite intelligent when given the opportunity, while also growing throughout the series emotionally. Now, he’s even one of the smart members of the squad, as evidenced by his correction of someone regarding the phrase primadonna during this season. With that said, some believe that Beard represents the Scarecrow, as his thirst for knowledge makes him quite like the character.
This might be a bit of a cop-out, but the Wizard appears to be Ted too, but only when he’s playing the role of coach. A man who ended up in Oz after being transported from America, the wizard has to project power to maintain his control, but equally, his real power lies in his ability to bring the best out of others with the tools they already have. Ted is no genius tactician like the wizard is no powerful ruler, but both know how to make something more than the sum of its parts.
Plus, in relation to the other character parallels, Coach Lasso as the wizard makes sense. He helps Rebecca and Nate to gain their courage, he gives Roy the ability to open up, and he helps Jamie to realize he isn’t dumb, but just needs more time.
As is clear to see, the parallels go well beyond a few homages, and there has to be a reason that the showrunners made Ted hail from Kansas of all places. As the third and likely final season of Ted Lasso wraps up, we may finally see him heading home.