Apple TV’s Stick Season 2 Officially Beats Ted Lasso at Its Own Game

Owen Wilson’s Stick has pulled off the kind of comeback that would make any underdog proud. Season 2 debuted on Apple TV on November 4, 2026, with a perfect 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, outperforming every rated season of Apple’s beloved sports comedy Ted Lasso.

The achievement is especially striking considering Stick Season 1 earned 81%. Its follow-up has improved that score by 19 percentage points, suggesting creator Jason Keller has finally found the show’s sweet spot. By comparison, Ted Lasso opened with 92%, rose to 98% in Season 2, and slipped to 80% in Season 3. While Jason Sudeikis’ football comedy remains the more decorated series, Stick has achieved something it never quite managed: a perfect early critical score.

Stick Season 2 Finally Finds Its Swing

Credit: Apple TV

The first season introduced Pryce Cahill (Wilson), a disgraced former professional golfer who pins his hopes on coaching troubled teenage prodigy Santi Wheeler (Peter Dager). Their unlikely partnership delivered plenty of warmth, but the story sometimes felt like a familiar collection of sports-drama clichés. Season 2 makes a smarter play by giving both characters separate ambitions. Santi begins pursuing professional golf, confronting the pressure that comes with being labeled a future star. Pryce, meanwhile, receives an unexpected invitation to resurrect his own career.

His former rival Clark Ross (Timothy Olyphant) encourages him to attempt an extraordinary feat: becoming the oldest golfer ever to win a major championship. The premise gives Wilson more room to explore Pryce’s lingering regrets rather than simply dispensing advice to his young protégé. Rhea Seehorn joins the cast as Amanda, Pryce’s former romantic partner and a gifted swing coach. Her presence introduces a welcome complication: she understands that his greatest obstacle is not necessarily his golf technique.

Speaking to Extra, Seehorn explained that Amanda recognizes how Pryce’s struggles shift from physical limitations to emotional and psychological habits:

That insight gets to the heart of the show’s improvement. Pryce is no longer merely helping someone else succeed; he must confront the possibility that he has spent decades hiding from his own potential. In FandomWire review, the season earned 7/10 for strengthening its ensemble chemistry and emotional sincerity. Richard Roeper was similarly impressed, writing for RogerEbert that the second season avoids the sophomore slump and elevates its predecessor.

Where Ted Lasso Lost Its Edge, Stick Improves

Credit:- Apple TV

Both series follow emotionally wounded coaches who build unconventional families around struggling athletes. Their optimism provides an antidote to television’s increasingly cynical antiheroes. Yet Ted Lasso arguably became a victim of its own success. Season 1 thrived on a deceptively simple premise: an American football coach with no soccer experience attempts to win over a skeptical English club through kindness.

As the series expanded, its storytelling grew more sprawling. Season 3 devoted considerable attention to romantic complications, workplace relationships, and individual character arcs that sometimes pulled focus away from AFC Richmond. Its Rotten Tomatoes decline from Season 2’s 98% to Season 3’s 80% reflects a more divided critical response, although it would be inaccurate to suggest the series universally lost favor after its debut. Stick appears to be taking the opposite route. Instead of continually widening its narrative, Season 2 returns attention to its central characters and gives their personal failures greater dramatic weight.

The difference is particularly evident in Pryce’s comeback. His pursuit of a major championship provides a concrete sporting objective while allowing the writers to explore aging, insecurity, and second chances. Owen Wilson himself acknowledged how improbable the premise sounds. He informed Extra:

That tension between an absurd dream and a painfully human desire to matter again gives Stick its strongest material. Has Stick finally surpassed Ted Lasso, or does Richmond still rule the field? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow FandomWire for more television reviews, streaming news, and entertainment updates.

Stick Season 2 premiered with two installments on November 4, with new episodes arriving Wednesdays through December 30.