The namesake of the television show "Ted Lasso" on Apple TV+ is depicted as an American in over his head when he suddenly moves from the U.S. to the U.K. to coach AFC Richmond. Ted Lasso’s prior coaching experience consisted of American football, but he does not know much about the rules of international football or soccer. This running joke of Lasso’s inexperience is carried into the pressroom, where he is bombarded with questions by reporters. Trent Crimm of The Independent becomes a standout representative of an otherwise crowded field of journalists. The initial depiction of Crimm is that of a hard-hitting seeker of truth, and he asks the most thought-provoking questions to challenge Lasso. Over seasons one and two, Crimm transitions from an adversarial figure into a friendly supporter of Lasso. To mark this transition, Crimm makes a decision that transforms his character completely at the end of season two. In this paper, I use content analysis to explore the character arc of Crimm and his evolving friendship with Lasso. The paper will discuss three overarching themes of Crimm’s depiction of journalists in popular culture and the implications of Crimm’s unexpected turn in season two.

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