When Ted Lasso premiered in the summer of 2020, it caught the attention of some viewers before ultimately blowing up into the phenomenon that it has since become in the fall and winter of that same year. Arriving at a time when viewers felt like they needed it most, Coach Lasso’s (Jason Sudeikis) warm and cozy outlook, as well as his vulnerabilities, made it easy for viewers to fall in love with him.
The same could be said for his employer and eventual friend, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), who hired him with false pretenses, desiring for the American football coach to flounder upon tackling soccer coaching duties at A.F.C. Richmond. Despite the quirky scenario that unfolded, it was the genuine encouragement and hope that Ted gave the team, both on and off the pitch, that roped in fans.
But are those lines loosening four seasons in? In this case, I’d argue no; if anything, they’re tightening back up after a brief loosening in Season 3. After Ted moved to England to help A.F.C. Richmond, it was determined he was going to save them from relegation and make the men’s team as strong as possible. By the time Season 3 had rolled around, it felt like a lot of the arc had been completed, leaving the characters to operate in occasionally confusing ways.
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Ultimately, by the end of Season 3, Ted’s return to Kansas seemed inevitable and could have been the capper to the story, but returning for Season 4, there’s an automatic resetting of dynamics. Instead of Ted traveling to England to take on a new job and distance himself from family tensions, his former work family travels to Kansas to recruit him to coach their women’s team.
As we kick off the latest chapter, Ted’s returning to England with his son Henry (Grant Feely) and his ex-wife Michelle (Andrea Anders), putting primary focus on the uphill battle he’ll face to make Richmond’s Lady Greyhounds a success in a world where women’s sports are often overlooked and undervalued.
Sure, there’s familiarity ahead, but that’s what makes Ted Lasso such a TV comfort, especially after three years off the air. If anything, Season 4 makes you lean in. We’re being introduced to a whole new crew of players and a new coach, Alice (Tanya Reynolds), who delivers enough uniqueness to set this chapter apart from previous seasons.
While Ted Lasso may have started as a fish-out-of-water comedy, Season 4 begins to put the audience in Ted’s position, forcing us to be the fish out of water as we receive these characters and stories in a way not previously presented. How we receive those stories is a matter of how easily fans can adapt to change. In this instance, change is what makes Ted Lasso Season 4 worth watching.
But what do you think? Let us know your thoughts on the new season in the comments section below, and stay tuned for more on the Apple TV series as the latest episodes unfold.
Ted Lasso, Season 4, New Episodes, Wednesdays, Apple TV