5 ways Ted Lasso can continue without, well, Ted Lasso

After an underwhelming third season, here's how the Apple TV Plus phenom—or its spinoff?—could thrive sans star Jason Sudeikis

By Saloni Gajjar | June 1, 2023 | 8:21pm

TV Features Ted Lasso

5 ways Ted Lasso can continue without, well, Ted Lasso

Juno Temple, Haddah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, and Brendan Hunt in Ted Lasso Photo: Apple TV+

Ted Lasso’s third season was discombobulating. In 12 protracted episodes, the Apple TV+ comedy lost sight of what once made it charming. The drawn-out plots, unnatural character choices, and confusing pace limited the show’s impact. Ted Lasso’s trademark warmth became borderline insufferable by the time the unnecessarily lengthy finale arrived, because that warmth often felt forced instead of nuanced. Season three had a few bright spots like Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), but in hindsight, Ted Lasso’s third season mostly just inched toward series co-creator and Jason Sudeikis’ exit.

The season finale, “So Long, Farewell,” is a 74-minute roundabout way for Ted to bid adieu to the team he called home for three years. Coach Lasso’s departure was understandably emotional—he got a surprise performance and a sweet airport goodbye (not unlike The Office, huh?)—but also inevitable. As Ted reminds Trent in his note, this was never about him. Is that true? We don’t think so. Ted Lasso weirdly tried to tell the audience that the show wasn’t about its titular character. However, that missive of kindness and asking for help falls flat by the end because none of it is earned, especially as the episode tries to ambiguously and poorly pass off a flash forward as Ted’s dream. It’s all real, though.

The narrative choice to leave things up in the air in “So Long, Farewell” indicates that Ted Lasso might return in some form. Is it a fourth season? Is it a Richmond-centric spinoff with a different title? It’s hard to say. The bigger question is: Should it even return without its lead? TV shows have survived main stars exiting to varying degrees. Despite a talented ensemble, Ted Lasso has run its course based on the underwhelming season. But it’s a huge hit and an awards magnet, so Apple TV+ is keeping everyone on the edge of their seat.

“So Long, Farewell” provided a conclusion, but even without Sudeikis—and with hopefully much more Bill Lawrence—Ted Lasso has the scope of returning to form. Ted, the character, was out of focus a whole bunch for this reason. There’s a way to keep it going successfully, even though it doesn’t have to. Here are a few ways Ted Lasso (or whatever the next Lassoverse show is) could do just that.

1. Let Roy Kent have his grunt-filled turn as the Richmond manager

Once it became clear that Nate would find his way back to Richmond after ditching them for West Ham, a popular theory was that Ted would hand him the Richmond reigns before leaving for Kansas. While Nate does return to Richmond, he’s stuck with kit man duties, a totally realistic twist. Instead, Rebecca passes the baton to Roy, who takes charge as the new Richmond A.F.C. coach and ropes in Nate (duh!) and Beard to work with him. Crucially, there’s a scene of Roy sitting down with Dr. Sharon (Sarah Niles), who works full-time as the team’s mental health therapist now. It’s a sign he’s working on himself. After watching him seriously fumble the bag in season three by breaking up with and then getting territorial over Keeley (Juno Temple), and asking her who she took the nude photos for, it would be nice to see how Roy grows. Based on his training sessions with Jamie, he’s fit to lead the team. So maybe he’s perfecting “The ~~Lasso~~ Richmond Way” in his own right, and that would be rewarding to witness. Plus: more Phoebe (Elodie Blomfield)!

2. Put Rebecca in a worthy rom-com for a change

Look, Ted Lasso has dangled multiple romances for Rebecca over three seasons, and yet none are worthy of Hannah freaking Waddingham. , John (Patrick Baladi), and the boat-loving Dutch dude. And in the heads of lots of shippers, even Ted, fans lost the plot with “TedBecca” when they fell for the baiting. In a season three episode, Rupert (Anthony Head) also kisses her, and she thankfully rebuffs him as a sign of growth.Rebecca spends so much time craving a family and true love. By the end of Ted Lasso, she bumps into the Dutch Man Whose Name We Still Don’t Know (make of that what you will; we’ll chalk it up to thoughtlessness) outside the airport, and boom, they’re suddenly in a full-fledged relationship, attending Higgins’ cook-out. Talk about being robbed of a decent storyline. If Ted Lasso wants to fix this, they should make Waddingham the goddamn star. Let her run the show, complete with a rom-com and a Richmond storyline that’s deserving for someone of her caliber.

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3. Focus on Rebecca and Keeley’s entertaining business partnership

Speaking of Rebecca as a leader, she invests in Keeley’s PR firm after Jack (Jodi Balfour) leaves KJPR stranded in a ditch. So, Rebecca and Keeley aren’t just BFFs and mentor-mentee. They’re now business partners as well. In the “So Long, Farewell” jump, Keeley approaches her friend with a binder that pitches a women’s football team for A.F.C. Richmond. Honestly, we’d love to see it.It’s an intriguing gateway for Ted Lasso to introduce and explore a different version of the sport, complete with new players, actors, and a locker room to stick a BELIEVE poster in. This could be the refresh TL needs with Temple and Waddingham together—they seemed to have the most fun paired up—with the other cast member dropping in when it makes sense. Focusing on them could be the boost this comedy desperately needs if it finds its way back on our screen again. This way, we’ll learn more about what KJPR and

4. Salvage the mess of the Keeley-Roy-Jamie situation

Ted Lasso giveth with a spectacular Roy and Jamie friendship; Ted Lasso taketh with a meandering love triangle. Let’s refresh our memory: Roy and Keeley break up. Roy suffers in silence. Jamie continues to have feelings for Keeley. Keeley, at one point, muses over Jamie’s evolution. Keeley falls for and dates Jack. Jack later ghosts Keeley. Roy apologizes with a letter. Roy and Keeley hook up off-screen, but don’t get together. Roy confesses his feelings. We don’t get to see Keeley answer. Roy and Jamie butt heads over Keeley. They approach her to choose; she rightfully kicks them out. The end. Tell us that didn’t drive you absolutely crazy. Ted Lasso ruined without cause a relationship they spent two seasons building and provided no resolution. In our heads, they’re a successful throuple because that’s at least what they (and we) deserve. But if there’s a season four, perhaps the show could spend more time fleshing out these haphazard, poorly treated plot-lines.