The fate of Ted Lasso rests in the hands of one person
By Joel Lefevre
Ted Lasso brought us many laughs and heartwarming moments for three seasons. The show about an American college football coach hired to manage an English Premier League soccer club was an instant hit for sports and non-sports fans alike. When the last season concluded in 2023, it seemed like the end of the line for the popular Apple TV+ series; however, Ted Lasso may have some more stories yet to be told.
What is the Premise of the Show?
Before being picked up as a series on Apple TV, Ted Lasso had numerous comical segments during various NBC Sports telecasts The segments were well received, and Apple decided to turn it into a show co-created by Bill Lawrence, Joe Kelly and its two main stars, Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt. Sudeikis and Hunt were the primary focus of the show, playing Coach Lasso and Beard, respectively.
They are two are longtime friends and coaching colleagues that club owner Rebecca Welton hires to coach the fictional Premier League club AFC Richmond. Welton hired them because they know nothing about the game in the hope that the club would crash and burn, purely in revenge against her ex-husband Rupert Mannion, his childhood club, and who used to own the team. In three seasons, Lasso and Beard not only make Rebecca “believe” one of the many popular words in the show, but they bring a team and town together for an unforgettable journey. Along the way, they made millions of people fall in love with the series and its characters.
Where the Show left off?
For a show that has only had three seasons, a lot has happened. Spoiler alert to anyone who plans to watch the show in the future as you’re about to read some specifics about where it’s left off.
After Richmond won their final Premier League fixture against Rupert’s new club, West Ham, the former Richmond owner was exposed for his behaviours and is no longer the Hammers owner. Though Richmond wound up second to Manchester City, Lasso returns to Kansas City to be with his son Henry and coach his team. Lasso’s assistant and former captain Roy Kent is named the new Richmond head coach, with Beard remaining at the club as he marries Jane, while “Wonder Kid” Nathan Shelley is seemingly back to his role as an assistant coach. However, it doesn’t officially mention that at the end.
The final moment of season three see’s Lasso’s son Henry missing a chance in his soccer game and getting upset. Ted talks to him, and Henry is reminded of a saying his dad famously said while in charge of Richmond: “Be a goldfish”
What did the critics say about the Show?
In a short time, the show earned tremendous praise from fans and critics virtually across the board.
Rotten Tomatoes gave it an approval rating of 92% for season one, up to 98 in the second season and down slightly to 88 in its final season. Kirsten Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly wrote, “There’s nothing groundbreaking about the way Ted Lasso’s story beats play out, but the show—a mix of workplace antics, sentimental sports inspo, and soapy romance—is undeniably winning.”
Speaking of winning, it took home various awards during its run. It earned 138 total nominations at numerous award shows and won 34. Their most noteworthy was Jason Sudeikis winning back-to-back Golden Globes for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2021 and 2022. The former Saturday Night Live (SNL) alumnus also won an Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, with Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent) winning Best Supporting Actor, while Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca Welton) won Best Supporting Actress. The show also took home the Emmy for Best Comedy Series twice.
Could we see a Fourth Season?
No doubt millions of fans would want to see a fourth installment of Ted Lasso. However, the decision is seemingly in the hands of one person.
In a new interview, co-creator Bill Lawrence had this to say about the show’s potential continuation.
“Whatever Jason (Sudeikis) feels like doing and whatever his decision is, we’re all down with it,” Lawrence told . “Not only is he the star, he’s the head writer, and he’s also the dude whose life just has to be completely overhauled and moved to a foreign country with young children.” Lawrence went on to say: “It’s a big deal. So, as a fan, if someone’s like, ‘Oh, it’s gonna happen again,’ I’ll go nuts. As a partner, I’m down for whatever he wants to do.”
In June of this year, Warner Bros. TV boss Channing Dungey discussed the possibility of another season or a spinoff.
“I think Jason Sudeikis is open to the idea, but I think he wants to have the right idea, which I appreciate it,” Dungey said. “We at Warner Bros appreciate, Apple appreciates, because it’s the sort of thing where you don’t want to go do more, just for the sake of more, you want to go do more, because you actually have something to say, you have a story that you want to tell. We’ll see what happens.”
Before the potential return of Ted Lasso, Sudeikis will be a part of the third movie in the Angry Birds franchise, voicing the role of Red. The film’s release date has yet to be announced.