Spoilers follow for Ted Lasso seasons 1 and 2.
Sadly, it seems that Ted Lasso season 3 will be the final entry in the series. Well, potentially the last part of the mainline TV show's three-season arc anyway.
That's right, the critically acclaimed Apple TV Plus soccer comedy show might be gearing up to bow out on a high. And who could blame the cast and crew if they did. Ted Lasso has been a roaring success for everyone involved and, given how brilliant it is, it might be best for the TV series to end after season 3 so it doesn't outstay its welcome.
If Ted Lasso season 3 isn't the final entry in the series, though, you won't hear us complaining. We thought its second season was superb, building on the foundations that season 1 had expertly laid to deliver a more amusing and heart-wrenching follow-up.
So what do we know about the third season of Ted Lasso so far? Well, according to a couple of its main cast members, season 3 is slated to start filming very soon. And, if that wasn't enough, another of the show's stars has been teasing what to expect from their character next time out. And, for the first time in Ted Lasso, official Premier League kits and club logos will be on display after Apple secured a deal with the English Premier League. Intriguing updates all round, then!
That's not all, however. Below, we've compiled every piece of information we can find on Ted Lasso season 3. That includes its potential release date, returning cast members, story threads that need to be resolved, the show's future and more.
Full spoilers follow for seasons 1 and 2 of Ted Lasso so, if you're yet to catch up on the series, turn back now.
Ted Lasso season 3 release date
Ted Lasso season 3 release date: 2022?
There’s no official release date yet. Speaking to Deadline, however, co-creator Bill Lawrence revealed that he’d like Ted Lasso season 3 to stick to the show’s annual summer release. Providing that there are no issues with filming or post-production, season 3 could debut in late summer 2022.
Work has already begun on season 3’s scripts, too. Appearing on an episode of Ellen in October 2021, co-creator and lead actor Jason Sudeikis confirmed that the show’s writers had spent three weeks working on scripts so far. At this point, then, the writing team should have a clearer idea about what season 3's story will entail.
As for when filming could begin, Nick Mohammed, who plays Nathan Shelley, had suggested that principal photography may begin in January (per Collider), which mirrors when season 2 production kicked off. But, according to Hannah Waddingham, who portrays AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton, principal photography on Ted Lasso season 3 will start on Valentine's Day, aka February 14 (per Collider).
That's a date that appears to have been verified by two other sources. According to a listing on the Production Weekly website (hat-tip to Reddit for spotting this), Ted Lasso's third season will begin shooting on February 14. And, if a recent photograph on Brendan Hunt's Instagram page is to believed – the actor plays Coach Beard – the show's cast and crew may be beginning to gather in the UK ahead of filming the show's next season:
If the show's third season starts filming next month, it's likely that it won't arrive much before August or September 2022 at the earliest. Not only will the cast and crew have to get every piece of footage in the can, but there's bound to be a lengthy post-production phase for season 3, too. So don't expect it to arrive until the autumn (or Fall, for US readers).
Once we learn more about Ted Lasso season 3's official release date, we'll update this section.
Ted Lasso season 3 cast
Ted Lasso season 3 cast: who is returning?
We expect all of Ted Lasso’s main stars to return:
- Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso
- Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton
- Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard
- Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent
- Juno Temple as Keeley Jones
- Nick Mohammed as Nate Shelley
- Jeremy Swift as Leslie Higgins
- Phil Dunster as Jamie Tartt
- Toheeb Jimoh as Sam Obisanya
- Cristo Fernandez as Dani Rojas
Prominent members of Ted Lasso’s supporting cast are also likely to return. That should include Kola Bokinni as Isaac McAdoo, David Elsendoorn as Jan Maas, Annette Badland as pub landlord Mae and Anthony Head as West Ham United's new owner Rupert Mannion.
Lawrence has also confirmed that James Lance’s Trent Crimm and Sarah Niles’ sports psychologist Sharon will feature in season 3. Speaking to Deadline, Lawrence teased: “I can tell you both of them have significant roles next year.”
Other guest stars may be brought back into the fold but, right now, we aren’t sure who will reprise their roles. One potentially amusing cast addition would be Anthony Hopkins. Speaking as part of Mythic Quest’s season 3 and 4 renewal, which you can see in the tweet below, Hopkins revealed that he’d like to join Sudeikis and company. But, he joked, only if he could be Keeley’s new boyfriend. We think Roy would have something to say about that.
Hi. Ron here. We have an announcement! @AppleTVPlus @mythic_quest @TedLasso #MythicQuest pic.twitter.com/lOM3jYFw78October 21, 2021
We’ll let you know once we have confirmation of who’s returning, as well as any new cast members (Richmond are bound to make some new signings, right?).
Ted Lasso season 3 story
Ted Lasso season 3 plot: what will it be about?
There are two major storylines that season 3 needs to deliver a fitting ending to.
The first concerns AFC Richmond’s Premier League return. After they secured promotion on the final day of last term, Richmond are back in the big time, but it won’t be easy to try and secure an unprecedented Leicester City-level title triumph.
19 other clubs stand in their way, of course, including Manchester City. It was the Citizens who relegated Richmond in their final top-flight match in season 1, and it was also City who thrashed them 5-0 in season 2’s FA Cup semi-final. So we’re hoping that Richmond will finally get one over one of their biggest rivals in Ted Lasso season 3.
But City won’t be the only rival that Ted and his players have to contend with in the show’s third outing. In the season 2 finale, viewers were furious to learn that Nate, Ted’s former prodigy, had joined West Ham to become their new manager. His appointment comes in the aftermath of Rebecca’s former husband, Rupert Mannion, becoming the Hammers’ new owner.
So season 3 is gearing up to pit the master versus his apprentice at some point. Taking to Twitter after season 2’s last episode, Nate actor Nick Mohammed posted an intriguing 12-point document that reveals why Nate came to resent Ted and opted to join West Ham. It’s a fascinating insight into Nate’s character arc throughout season 2, so it’s worth checking out:
Me again! CONTAINS SPOILERS so maybe don't read until you've watched the season finale, but here are a few thoughts on Nate and responses to your tweets! X #TedLasso PS Also, huge shoutout to the magnificent @joekellyjk47 who cowrote this episode with Jason ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/Z1Rvuok422October 8, 2021
Hopefully, one of Ted Lasso season 3’s episodes will deliver a titanic clash between Richmond and West Ham, which would put Ted and Nate at odds on the pitch. As much as we can’t wait to see if Richmond will beat Manchester City, we’re also very eager to see Ted and Nate clash, from a tactical standpoint, from the dugout.
Regardless, Mohammed is about to divulge the direction of Nate’s season 3 arc. “I know where things are heading,” he told Collider. “But I obviously can’t give anything away about season 3. They’re writing season 3 right now, so everything is still up for grabs. Obviously, I can imagine the fans of the show would love to see the circle complete and it become a redemption arc, but who knows?”
Since chatting with Collider, Mohammed has opened up on whether Nate will be redeemed or not. Speaking to the BBC, Mohammed said: "I'm effectively the villain in it now, which is a funny place to find myself. The thing with Ted Lasso is the audience are possibly expecting a redemption arc for Nate, and I'd like to see one I think because that would be nice. But equally I could well imagine the writers thinking: 'no, we're going to turn it on its head', because that's what they did in season two, playing against everyone's expectations, so he might be the one character they don't redeem."
In another interview (this time with Variety), Mohammed elaborated further on Nate's potential path back to the light in season 3, saying: “He tears up a lot, he stares at himself in the mirror a lot. I think that that is him looking at himself thinking, ‘What the f*** are you doing?’ And if he’s thinking that, then maybe he’ll see that he’s not doing the right thing and come back to the good side.”
Away from the pitch, Ted Lasso season 3 will also need to wrap up smaller story threads. For one, audiences need some closure on Rebecca and Sam’s on-off relationship. The pair were no longer dating by the season 2 finale, but we imagine this isn’t the end of their romantic dalliance.
Speaking of relationship issues, it appears that Roy and Keeley may be hitting a rough patch, too. Keeley rejected Roy’s efforts to take her on a much-needed vacation in season 2 episode 12 – electing to stay in the UK and work on her newly-formed PR firm. It’s unclear what the future holds for this pair but, given that they haven’t officially broken up, we imagine that they’ll make amends and maybe tie the knot.
From Ted’s perspective, it’ll be interesting to see if his panic attacks remain. Sports psychologist Sharon had helped him to get to grips with them by the end of season 2, but we suspect that they’ll continue to plague him. If Sharon has as big a role as Lawrence has teased, could she return to offer more counselling sessions to Ted? It’s plausible.
Not only that, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Ted offered Trent Crimm a role at the club. In the season 2 finale, Trent revealed that The Independent had fired him for revealing the identity of his source (i.e. Nate) who leaked Ted’s panic attacks. Ted could use Trent’s expertise in a media capacity, so why not hire him? It would mean that all of the series’ main characters are under one roof (Nate aside), which would be a somewhat fitting way to bring the curtain down on the show.
Regardless of where season 3 takes the show’s overall story, Lawrence promises that viewers could have worked out many of the series’ surprises from the beginning. So much so, in fact, that nothing in Ted Lasso season 3 should come as a shock when it does happen.
“There will be lots of surprises,” he told Deadline. “But anyone who says, oh, where Nate ends up in the finale is a big surprise…we felt like we were setting that up from the very first episode of last year. The clues are there. Jason and I are huge non-spoiler people, but yeah, I think some of the writing is already on the wall, hopefully.”
One thing we do know that we'll see, however, is officially licensed Premier League kits and club logos in Ted Lasso's next outing. According to sports publication The Athletic, Apple has agreed a £500,000 (around $682,000) deal with English top flight executives to use of kits, club badges and even the Premier League trophy in season 3. Could we see AFC Richmond lift the title in a fairy tale-style ending for the series? That would be extremely cool and emotional if they did.
Ted Lasso season 3 trailer
Ted Lasso season 3 trailer: is there one?
No. Shooting hasn’t begun yet, so it’ll be a while before we get a teaser. Once one is released, we’ll update this page.
Ted Lasso season 3 final entry
Ted Lasso season 3: is this the final season?
Right now, it would appear so. Sudeikis and Lawrence have previously spoken about Ted Lasso being a trilogy of sorts – i.e. a series that comprises three seasons. So we should prepare ourselves that this will be the series’ final season.
That's a point that co-writer Brett Goldstein added further weight to in a chat with Mr. Porter, saying: "We had a three-season arc planned. We are writing the end of that story. Whether there'll be more after that, we'll see, I genuinely don't know. But I do know that the story that we were telling over three years will be complete."
Still, never say never on future instalments. Lawrence has teased the prospect of returning for more if Ted Lasso’s story warrants it, and told Deadline that there may be a way of stretching the show’s overarching narrative out for another two seasons.
“What’s tough to process for me as a writer who is used to writing network comedy is, this was the end of the season, but the midway point of the show,” Lawrence said. “When we first pitched this particular story, we said this series was only going to be three seasons. And I would probably stay clean and say that even if Ted Lasso goes on, the story the writing staff has been telling had a beginning, middle and end for the first three seasons. And then it might veer off from that.”
The ‘veering off’ aspect , which Lawrence alludes to, may be an entirely new tale told in the Ted Lasso universe. Speaking to THR, Lawrence said: “When we started, we plotted out everybody’s beginning, middle and end of a three-season arc. This story is going to be over next year, regardless, even if the show finds another story to tell and goes on.”
Sudeikis, though, was more reluctant to discuss the show’s future after season 3. “I feel like a real coach when I have to tell folks you can’t look at season 4 when we're in the middle of season 3," he told Entertainment Tonight. "We can’t worry about the championships when we're in the first round of playoffs, you know?”
Hopefully, then, we do get a fourth season or even a couple of one-off specials. And, honestly, we’d be down for that. We’re not ready to say goodbye to any of Ted Lasso’s characters yet, even though the show should go out on a high if season 3 is to be its last hurrah.
If it does stick around for longer, though, we could certainly use more of the show’s wonderful positivity. In the vein of the show’s iconic single-word phrase – “Believe” – we’re keeping faith that Ted Lasso will continue after season 3. Whether we're right or not, though, is yet to be determined.
- These are the best Apple TV Plus shows you need to watch
No comments:
Post a Comment