The following is a spoiler-free review of the first four episodes of ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3.
It’s crazy to think that it has been nearly 18 months since we last saw television’s favorite goofball soccer coach but, as they say, good work takes time, and the final season of Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso is here to prove that. As sad as it may be to see series star and c0-creator Jason Sudeikis confirm the show is ending this year, it’s an admirable decision that allows the series to say goodbye on its own terms. The first four episodes tease a perfect farewell from the characters we have grown fond of over the last three years.
Season 3 picks up the plot at the beginning of a new football season after AFC Richmond beat Brentford FC in the Season 2 finale and have now been newly promoted. Now, Ted (Sudeikis) and his close-knit team must face the cruel sports media as every news outlet predicts them to finish in last place in the Premier League. They also need to deal with Nate (Nick Mohammed), the ally turned rival who betrayed the team and went to work for Rupert (Anthony Head) at West Ham United.
Being the butt of a joke also puts a lot of pressure on the club’s owner, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), who is now obsessively adamant about beating her ex-husband on the pitch. We also get a slice of what’s going on with Keeley (Juno Temple) as she runs her own PR agency, while her boyfriend Roy (Brett Goldstein) steps up as an assistant coach and becomes a crucial member of the team on the sidelines.
After two widely beloved and celebrated seasons, the expectations for Ted Lasso are extremely high. That said, the writers instantly remind us why we fell in love with it in the first place, though it has been so long that it might take a minute for some to adjust back to the slightly cringey and awkward humor again. Those silly puns we grew accustomed to from Ted squeak a little at first, but the writing finds its footing rather quickly.
Once it does, the season completely hooks you in with its big heart. The best quality of Ted Lasso has always been its infinite and contagious positivity — a feel-good charm that never seems to wear off — and Season 3 continuously aspires to turn every adversity into an uplifting and inspiring moment, though that’s not to say the series doesn’t pay serious attention to personal hardships and failures the same way it did before. In fact, beyond being an upbeat and light comedy about soccer, Ted Lasso is a crucial avenue in advocating for mental health.
Throughout its journey, the show has offered insightful observation and highlighted sensitive topics like anxiety, male vulnerability, divorce, relationship struggles, and toxic masculinity. The final season, perhaps more than ever, heavily leans in on complex feelings and underlines the importance of mental well-being through therapy and honesty. It embraces character flaws in the face of embarrassment and hatred and, through its titular character, still refuses to give in to those basic impulses (anger, contempt, or envy) that so often get the better of us. This isn’t a new approach, rather the reiteration of kindness, empathy, and understanding the show has prevailed in so successfully ever since the start. By now, this aspect has become the backbone of its narrative, and it seems the creators and writers have perfected it.
This time, the plot even forays into LGBTQ territory with one of the characters, which feels timely and considerate, especially in such a manly sport as soccer. That might sound like something the creators would do to please the fans or draw in a larger audience, but it is so carefully and smoothly integrated into the narrative that it doesn’t feel that way for a second. If something naturally fits the plot, the writers find a way to include it without forcing it down our throats. There aren’t a lot of crowd-pleasing TV shows lately that can do this just as potently and efficiently as Ted Lasso.
Based on the first four episodes, Season 3 truly feels like a culmination of what the show has been trying to do since the beginning: tell a story about an annoyingly positive and kind-hearted man whose impact on others is palpable and influential. By now, there’s only a handful of characters left who still oppose Ted’s generally optimistic and hopeful worldview, and judging by how things are going, he’ll likely “convert” them with his kindness, too, before the season ends. Compassion and empathy have the power to rebuild connections that were destroyed by hatred and jealousy. If anything, that’s what Ted Lasso has taught us in the past three years — and it still does so for one last time.
The third season of Ted Lasso will premiere globally on March 15, courtesy of Apple TV+.