Apple Show Repeats Past Mistakes

Well before the Ted Lasso Season 3 finale dropped in 2023, the idea of a Season 4 was in the air. Speaking to Consequence back in 2022, star/executive producer Brendan Hunt confirmed that the story could continue after the show’s original three-season arc was completed, and as the prophecy foretold, slowly but surely Apple TV managed to drag back (some of) the original cast for the next chapter.

The new season focuses on Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) returning to England to coach for AFC Richmond. This time, though, he’s coaching the relatively new women’s team. The Lady Greyhounds are weighed down by many of the issues facing women’s sports today, from a lack of resources compared to the men’s team to the general public assumption that women’s sports aren’t important. However, despite the shaky financial future of the endeavor, Ted’s specific brand of optimism endures, and may well lead his new team to victory.

The world today may feel very different than it did in 2023, but Ted Lasso remains in many ways tonally identical to what came before, aided and abetted by the returning characters. Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) still happily manages the Richmond organization with the help of loyal Higgins (Jeremy Swift), and remains best friends with Keeley (Juno Temple), who has adopted the women’s team as her primary focus. The men’s team itself largely remains off-screen in the first five episodes, so no familiar faces pop up there, but Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) is around as their coach, as is Ted’s BFF Coach Beard (Hunt).

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Another consistency: The show’s episodes are also nearly as long as they were in Season 3, stretching out comfortably into the 45-47 minute range. By comparison, Law and Order: SVU episodes clock in at 41-42 minutes these days, which means it takes Ted longer to solve a squad issue than it does for Olivia Benson to solve a sex crime.

Not only do the runtimes stretch out, but the season opens not in England but in Kansas City, with a full episode spent catching up with Ted as his former Richmond colleagues convince him to return to London. The show does make great use of the opportunity to turn the tables on the Brits and douse them in some culture shock, leading to Rebecca developing a love-hate relationship with KC BBQ. However, it’s a drawn-out introduction built on the premise that we don’t already know what Ted’s decision will ultimately be — of course he’s going back.

Once there, he throws himself into understanding the nuances of women’s soccer, assisted by less-than-perky assistant coach Alice, played by Tanya Reynolds. Reynolds is one of those performers who’s proven to be a true chameleon while also delivering distinctive characters in projects like Sex Education and Emma. — in short, a top-tier character actress. Her commitment to Alice’s surly demeanor is absolute, though it’s unclear how the show intends to evolve her at this stage in the season.

Faye Marsay, recently seen working for the Rebellion in Andor and investigating a horrible crime in Adolescence, also stars as one of Richmond’s new star players, but her character is largely defined by being a mum. In fact, most of the team is defined by quick shorthand and/or their relationship to others: the lesbian couple, the sisters, the law student, the slightly deranged goalie who refuses to wear gloves. (Okay, the goalie’s name is Boots, she is played by Jude Mack, and she might be my favorite new character on the show.) As it did in introducing the original men’s team, the show has the potential to explore these new players in greater detail, but so far the show hasn’t found much opportunity to do so. (Despite those runtimes.)

The season also features some awkward shenanigans around Keeley and Roy’s relationship, which we learn has remained in a holding pattern for the past three years. The choices made to keep that tension in a “will they or won’t they” area only prove frustrating — anyone who remembers the disastrous Sports Night “dating plan” will find themselves pulling out their hair here.

When Ted Lasso premiered in August 2020, there was no question that its sunny optimism was exactly what people needed at that time. Yet the first season was filled with friction points, from Rebecca’s determination to ruin the team (just like in Major League!) to the battles between the massive egos in the locker room.

Soon enough, though, much of that conflict melted away for a story about good people doing their best together. A nice show about nice people, unfortunately, doesn’t have a lot of narrative momentum, especially when most episodes conclude with relatively simple solutions to the problems that occur.

This was a problem that emerged in the third season and continues in Season 4, meaning that these new episodes feature plenty of high points but definitely feel overly familiar as opposed to fresh — more of the same, without enough evolution on the past. Coach Lasso would be the first to encourage one of his players to try something new, challenge themselves. Hopefully the back half of the season takes that same advice.

Ted Lasso Season 4 premieres August 5th on Apple TV. New episodes debut weekly.