Everything about the Ted Lasso Season 3 finale felt so, well, final. Ted (Jason Sudeikis) is finally leaving the UK, traveling westward back to his home in Kansas with his son and wife. Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) tinkers with selling the team. Trent Crimm (James Lance) publishes his book. “Father and Son” by Cat Stevens plays while a montage of these concluding moments tie up the season—a song that was practically written for a series finale’s closing moments.
Several events—Sudeikis announcing that this was “the end of the story” that he wanted to tell; the official Ted Lasso Twitter page sharing some in-character thoughts in a very conclusive manner—have led us to believe that Ted Lasso would be ending with Season 3. But Apple TV+ has not revealed the fate of its beloved football series.
One thing is clear, though, after watching the supersized season finale, “So Long, Farewell”: Sudeikis wants out. After 34 episodes that have bounced the series out of sitcom and into drama, the lead star and co-creator has penned himself a swan song. Serving as the showrunner this season, Sudeikis created an arc for Ted that had only one ending: Ted on a plane back to America, to be with his son.
AFC Richmond, though, will continue kicking balls into nets and singing cheery musical songs to uplift team morale. Though Rebecca threatens to sell the team if Ted leaves, he convinces her to stay on—there are plenty of other folks who could do his job for him. Of course, Rebecca settles on Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) to become coach; he’s been practicing his leadership skills throughout Season 3. Hell, he’s even a Diamond Dog now.
There are still so many players we’ve learned next to nothing about as well. It’s been fun to learn more about Colin (Billy Harris) through his coming out story this season, just as it was fun seeing Sam (Toheeb Jimoh) blossom into a vocal activist in Season 2. But there are so many folks I’d love to see get more screen time—how about Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernádez)? Or his rival, goalie Van Damme (Moe Jeudy-Lamour)? Then, of course, there’s Will the Kit Man (Charlie Hiscock) and Higgins (Jeremy Swift), who aren’t players but equally live in the locker room.
Ted Lasso will leave no plot holes—as far as I know—if Season 3 is the last one. Sure, ending here would be well and good; however, there are so many stories left to tell, even if Sudeikis has flown the coop. The Jamie (Phil Dunster)/Roy/Keeley (Juno Temple) love triangle still isn’t solved. Rebecca’s love story is just getting started. Nothing leads me to believe that the Ted Lasso story will end after Season 3, Episode 12.
But Ted Lasso can’t be called “Ted Lasso'' without the American doofus himself. After watching this finale, it’s clear that Apple TV+ has to work out whether the show will continue with a follow-up (Roy Kent seems too on-the-nose; perhaps The Richmond Way, the title of Trent’s book) or a spinoff. Several members of the Ted Lasso team already gave us their ideas for spinoffs—and those all sound pretty exciting.
Another possible idea: In the finale, Keeley hands Rebecca a pitch deck for the future of AFC Richmond, which includes a new idea: How about a Richmond Women’s Team? I have so many questions. Who would coach? Would this include old characters, or introduce us to an entirely new cast? And, most importantly: Would Phoebe (Elodie Blomfield) play on the team, eventually?
A spinoff about any of the show’s characters would also be a riveting way to continue such a fun show. Again, give me anything about Dani Rojas or Van Damme and I’m hooked. More about Jamie and Roy’s bromance would also be a delight. I trust the Ted Lasso team to come up with a new concept.
That said—with the audience and awards power Ted Lasso has, I wouldn’t be shocked if we get both a sequel and a spinoff. But considering the disjointed, hour-long episodes we were gifted (if you can call it that) this season, Ted Lasso has some restructuring to do, no matter what happens. Keep it to the sitcom half-hour, boys. The formula from the first season worked—no need to keep messing with it.
Ted’s final moments on the show were touching, if not a little too similar to Sudeikis’ personal life. We see Ted reuniting with ex-wife Michelle (Andrea Anders)—is she a stand-in for Olivia Wilde? Before Ted’s return, Michelle and her new BF—her marriage counselor with Ted, gross—spend their last few minutes on the show together watching Richmond take down West Ham. This is all speculation, but the new BF’s snide comments about Ted and Richmond sound an awful lot like what Harry Styles might’ve said to his former girlfriend Wilde, while watching Ted Lasso sweep the Emmys.
It’s a weird ending for Ted, to say the least. This whole show has been about finding a new home after his divorce—which wraps up in under five minutes in that final montage. Ted now coaches his son Henry’s soccer team, the real place for newbie coaches to get their wings.
But to end Ted Lasso here would be a huge discredit to the show and the lovely characters we’ve come to adore. Ted Lasso Season 3 had its ups and many, many downs, but it definitely doesn’t feel like the end. Ending on a milquetoast swan song for Ted would be going against his own words: It’s never been about him. It’s always been about Richmond. Let’s crack open the rest of the team and see what stories are left to tell.
