How Ted Lasso‘s Rebecca Changes the Narrative on the Stereotypical “Boss Bitch” Trope

She’s standing tall and stoically, altering the atmosphere of the new office. While she’s at it, she casually fires a misogynistic football coach, who doesn’t hesitate to throw envious words her way. But she’s gotten used to it. She is, after all, a powerful woman in a masculine world.

Ted Lasso does not begin as one might expect. Instead of introducing the titular character, the creators devote over three minutes of the series’ start to another: Rebecca Welton, AFC Richmond’s new owner, who is also a sophisticated, recently divorced woman. The new boss of the British soccer club, superbly portrayed by Hannah Waddingham, incites particularly complex, initially antagonistic emotions. She attempts to destroy the club from the get-go as it is a cherished passion of her ex-husband. What better way to accomplish this than to hire the person who is the least qualified for the job?

But the creators of Ted Lasso thoroughly surprise viewers by giving Rebecca a role that breaks the stereotype of the Boss Bitch trope. With the second season of Apple TV+ original, Rebecca evolves and learns to open her mind and heart to new experiences. But how exactly does this well-written character deviate from the stereotypical and toxic metaphor that we’ve seen in films and television for years?

The greatest element of Rebecca’s character is that she catches the audience off-guard as the series advances. When we are introduced to the club’s owner in the first season, we automatically assume that she will continue her mission of driving the football team to ruin by hiring an American coach—the ever-kind Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis). The reason for being suspicious about Rebecca is quite simple, and even if we are aware of this phenomenon, we can still fall into its trap. It comes from years and years of films and TV shows exhibiting the same patriarchal, stereotypical depiction of women in positions of power. She usually doesn’t have a personal life, often “living and breathing” her professional work. The female character of the Boss Bitch trope possesses no qualms about achieving her goals, even if it means hurting people in the process. But here the writers have bestowed upon us a new version of this rather worn-out and old-fashioned idea.

Rebecca Welton is constantly evolving and changing due to her environment and the people around her. As the first season concludes and the second begins, the audience gets to see more of her other features, not just the “working side,” as is often the case with this particular trope. The newly single woman reveals herself to be a tender person who is very supportive and uplifting, and that is most visible through the lens of her relationships with Keeley and Ted.

Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) is Rebecca’s true confidante, her ride-or-die best friend. They grow even closer in Season 2 when Keeley takes over the Public Relations department, supporting each other during difficult times. The pair is also an excellent example of breaking damaging stereotypes about female friendships on television; Ted Lasso presents a new perspective through Rebecca and Keeley’s beautiful connection, rather than pitting them against each other as is more often the case between female characters. Another key to transformation is learning from one’s mistakes, and thanks to the former model, Rebecca recognizes her previous errors and wishes to correct them all—including coming clean to Ted about the real reason she hired him in the first place. The coach’s gentle attitude and forgiving nature then show Rebecca that there are people in this world who are good, and who deserve good things in life.