Ted Lasso went from being one of the biggest shows on television to receiving polarizing views for its third and what was supposed to be final season. But three years later, the sports comedy drama has returned for a fourth season.
It’s more of the Ted (Jason Sudeikis) we love with a refreshed focus: this time, he’s back in England coaching Richmond’s new women’s team. The season has all the elements that made Ted Lasso so beloved in the first place, with heartfelt moments that will make you laugh, cry, and often do both at the same time. If you’re a fan of the series, it’s worth a watch.
This review is based on Ted Lasso, Season 3, Episodes 1-6.
Ted Has a New Team With Different Challenges
Ted is back and while he’s doing the same job, it’s a completely different ballgame this time around for specific reasons: no one, it seems, cares about women’s sports. Through the first three seasons, Ted was coaching a flailing men’s English football team. They had plenty of talent and lots of potential. And most importantly, they had loyal fans even if they weren’t doing well. But each of players got in their own way. Ted came in like a rocket as a star American football coach. Despite not knowing anything about English football, he helped them conquer their demons and work cohesively as a team.
Yes, he has these same challenges this time around, but the women’s team doesn’t get much attention and their fans are few and far between. The ladies are often at each other’s throats, and they’re training in less-than-ideal conditions. Ted is also working alongside the surly, intense interim coach Alice (Tanya Reynolds). She’s like this season’s Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), a perfect set-up for this season’s potential redemption arc.
The season shines the spotlight on unfair biases in women’s sports in the same way Seasons 1 through 3 focused on the overlooked issue of mental health in men’s sports. But it injects the same flavour, approaching this topic with subtle commentary. It gets its point across without slamming you in the face with preachy moments. There’s a new cast of likable, and even some unlikeable, characters as well who make their way into Ted’s orbit.
How Ted Ends Up Back in England
The launching point of the story isn’t entirely believable as a connection to how Season 3 ended. Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), Keeley (Juno Temple), and Leslie (Jeremy Swift) travel to Kansas in hopes of convincing Ted to come back to England and coach the new women’s team. They need an ace in the hole to get things done, and that’s Ted. He’s reluctant, however, because he’s content where he is spending time with his son Henry (Grant Feely). Plus, Episode 1 gives us some hilarious fish-out-of-water moments with the trio navigating all Kansas has to offer, from fabulous though loud fashion to educational museums and of course, indulgent barbecue.
It’s Ted’s mother Dottie (Becky Ann Baker) who convinces him that he should pursue what he loves and go back to coaching instead of his comfortable but unchallenging grocery store job. His ex-wife Michelle (Andrea Anders) is oddly receptive to the idea of relocating her entire life to England, as is Henry. It seems like wishful thinking in any family dynamic, much less a divorced situation. But the move is the catalyst that allows the story to be told. The writers clearly had a tough time figuring out how to get Ted back to England while ensuring he stayed true to his priority of being a present father. This is fiction, after all, folks, so let’s just go with it.
This time, however, the story isn’t about this jovial man with infectious positivity garnering odd looks. Ted is known across the pond now: he’s a local hero. However, some fans initially look down on him for coaching women’s football, as if it’s a demotion, a travesty to his talents. Ted is, as usual unfazed by the remarks, laser focused on doing the job to the best of his ability despite all the negative noise. Ted has always been a feminine soul at heart, so it makes sense that he is in the ladies’ corner as much as he was the men.
More Of What We Love
The attention shifts to the new women on the team, including one familiar face along with an entirely new cast. They have their moments to shine, but in many ways, the women on the team are background to bigger stories for the main characters we know and love. This includes not only Ted but also Rebecca, who is navigating a new relationship, Keeley, who is desperate to make something of the women’s team, Alice and her tough nut to crack mentality, and of course Ted and his personal journey.
As the season progresses, there’s less focus on the game and more on everything around it. But you also start to remember why Ted Lasso was (and is) one of most feel-good shows on television. Episode 6 is a highlight you won’t want to miss. The setting and story is a throwback to one of the most popular episodes of previous seasons.
While Ted Lasso continues to deliver social commentary with subtlety, the season also tells stories about love, loss, and loyalty in a relatable and genuine way. Even when the stories are sad, it uplifts your spirits. Things don’t always turn out the way you want them to and not everyone’s journey is smooth. Even those you think have it all together, like Ted, are far from being free of burdens. And those who are fighting their own internal struggles let this manifest in ways that they might not realize. It’s likely that many fans watching the show might recognize some of these traits in themselves.
Ted remains at the centre of the show, and this season dives more into his clever ability to deflect conversations about himself. Ironically, he uses playful analogies and morally conscious stories to make others aware of themselves and situations in a way he refuses to acknowledge for himself. There’s a lot to unpack about Ted based on what we know from his low points in seasons one through three, and Season 4 peels back even more. But it’s done in a thoughtful way.
Ted Lasso Fails to Fix What Wasn’t Broken Anyway
The main detail worth noting about Ted Lasso Season 4 is that the show is doing the same thing it always has. This has led some to call it recycled and tired, implying it has overstayed its welcome. But had the show shifted gears completely, it would have been called too much a departure from what made the story and tone resonate with viewers in the first place. We asked for more of Ted Lasso, and we got more of Ted Lasso.
The season of this beloved show does precisely what it does best, which is tell a feel-good story about a coach helping a flailing team by working his way through the issues hurting their game outside of it. That is The Richmond Way, after all. Ted is always about helping players shed themselves of what’s holding them back, offering encouragement, and instilling the confidence they need to want to win. What more can you expect from a coach who mounted a poster with the word “believe” above the locker room door?
Whether Ted is coaching men, women, or dog races, he’s always going to be himself. And the story is always going to be about the underdog. This time, it’s also about family, being there for people when they need it, trusting your instincts, and believing in yourself.
Ted has always believed in every player on the Richmond team, but what we learn in Season 4 is that he didn’t always believe in himself. This season is about Ted’s journey as much as it is about the team. That’s a nice change because we get to see more beyond the surface smile that bursts through that signature mustache.
The initial tone is that of a feminist season centered on “girl power.” And while that certainly continues throughout, the show also grows to become much more. The fact that it makes you laugh heartily along the way is icing on the cake. Or rather, on the butter shortbread cookies.