Ted Lasso Returns: A Fresh Spark for Richmond's Women's Team
Three years after the series finale, Apple TV's 'Ted Lasso' returns for a fourth season, and this time the beloved coach is leading a women's soccer team. While the show may not recapture its early magic, the new direction offers a welcome and warm return to Richmond.
A New Challenge for Ted Lasso
Season 4 opens with Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) back in Kansas City, working as an assistant manager at a supermarket. Though he is reunited with his son Henry and maintains a friendly co-parenting relationship with his ex-wife, Ted is restless. He misses coaching. When Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), Keeley (Juno Temple), and Higgins (Jeremy Swift) fly in to offer him a job coaching the club's new women's team, he does not hesitate to return.
The new team is not a simple replacement for the old Richmond crew. The women have their own distinct personalities, cliques, and tensions. Ted quickly learns that coaching a women's team requires a different approach. He cannot simply wander into the locker room whenever he wants. This small detail immediately establishes the new team as its own world.
Addressing Real Issues in Women's Sports
The women's team allows 'Ted Lasso' to explore new themes. The show tackles the significant disparities between men's and women's sports through storylines about funding, facilities, and fan interest. Rebecca must decide how much to invest in the women's team, and what that decision says about her self-image as a feminist. This sometimes brings her into conflict with Keeley, adding nuance to one of the show's strongest friendships and working partnerships.
Among the new cast members, Tanya Reynolds stands out as Alice Chilton, the assistant coach. Alice is determined to prove herself and her prickliness contrasts well with Ted's sunny optimism and Beard's dry moodiness.
A Welcome Return to Form
While the fourth season may not have been strictly necessary, it avoids becoming a mere nostalgia lap. 'Ted Lasso' has always been a hangout comedy, and its appeal lies in watching Ted and Beard banter, Rebecca and Keeley work together, and Roy growl at everyone. Season 4 is a warm and funny return to the comfort food that made the show so popular.
The season is not perfect. Some cringe-inducing material remains, particularly Beard's on-again-off-again relationship with Jane. There is also greater emphasis on romance, including Rebecca's relationship with her Dutch boyfriend and the ongoing will-they-won't-they between Keeley and Roy. However, five episodes in, the season has similar vibes to the first season, almost like a reboot.
In a harsh world, it is good to spend time with a group of warm, funny friends doing their best to help each other succeed. 'Ted Lasso' season 4 streams weekly on Apple TV.
Photo: Tom's Guide