Ted and Ben

I am absolutely not the first person to write this. But I’ll join the chorus. Ted Lasso (on Apple TV+) is an awesome television show.

I’ve watched Season One three times, and now with Season Two getting started, I thought I’d share a tiny, probably inconsequential secret that links me, perhaps, with Ted.

When I wrote False Assurances, I included six “Easter Eggs.” These were little pop culture references that amused me, and that worked themselves quietly and subtly into the text. At the end of the book, I included a short passage to tell readers that those half-dozen treats were buried within the preceding few hundred pages. So far, only a handful of readers have reached out with guesses, some correct, and some not so much. No one, to my knowledge, has found all six.

Well, here’s one, and I am tickled that it is also shared by Ted Lasso: a reference to the 1985 film starring Chevy Chase, Fletch.

The Fletch reference on Ted Lasso is in Season One, Episode Eight (“The Diamond Dogs”). In False Assurances, it’s at the beginning of Chapter 36.

So that’s cool, I think. But what I also love about Ted Lasso is, of course, the main character. I see a lot of similarities between Ted Lasso and Ben Porter. They’re both relatable, they’re both humble, and they are both underestimated. It’s a compelling mix. We could use more of Ted and Ben: my kind of heroes.

If you’re watching Ted, enjoy the show. And if you find the five other Easter Eggs in False Assurances, please let me know!