Ted Lasso Season 3 Review

Ted Lasso (2020-)

Season 3 - 12 episodes (2023)
Watch Ted Lasso on Apple TV+
Created by: Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Bill Lawrence
Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Nick Mohammed, Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Phil Dunster
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
American college football coach Ted Lasso heads to London to manage AFC Richmond, a struggling English Premier League football team.

This season the team is promoted to the Premier League.

Verdict
This is such a wholesome show, and I completely enjoy it. This season is longer than the previous, with a broader focus and more character arcs. It could be shorter and more focused, but even those side plots remain mostly heartwarming. The final season wants to give all the character a bow, and I'm not opposed to that. This season lacks the big moments of previous seasons. That's because so many of those moments happen off screen. It's an odd decision to skip every big announcement or moment and cut to the after. This season does end well. While this season was planned to be the series conclusion, another is in the works. As much as I like the characters and show, we don't need another season. This season is a perfect cap to the series.
Watch It.

Review
This series was planned for only three seasons from the start, and it does end well, but season four is now in development. It's not a surprise with a show this popular, but it does seem like a mistake.

Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) is such a great character. It's difficult to separate my affinity for the character and how I feel about this season. Many reviews complain about the story structure. This season often feels scattered with more than a few sub-plot adventures, but my biggest complaint is that so many important moments happen off screen. So many scenes that should be big moments are skipped, and that's with a longer season. The moments we should see, like Ted announcing his retirement or Nathan's (Nick Mohammed) revelation, happen off screen and scenes like a potential international league instead fill that space. In that sub-plot the penultimate scene happens off screen. That's not even a sub-plot that builds for very long. Maybe that's all an effort to give each character their final moment. The international league does provide that for Rebecca.

Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt play Ted Lasso, Roy Kent, Willis Beard

This is a show that had such a strong first season that it's difficult to match in any form. That season also generated an affinity that carries through every season. This season isn't as Ted focused, and I wish it was. Ted should be more of a driving force this season. All the characters are so likable, and I get why the show wants to spend time with them, especially in the final season.

Nick Mohammed plays Nate Shelley

After getting promoted at the end of season three, AFC Richmond is predicted to be last in the standings. Meanwhile Nate (Nick Mohammed) struggles with his confidence as the head coach of West Ham United. He disparages Ted and Richmond, but Ted does a great interview in response as only Ted could do. Nathan wants to talk to Ted, but nerves prevent him from taking that first step.

Richmond manages to land a great player by challenging him to improve a low ranked team rather than choosing the best. Zava's (Maximilian Osinski) tenure with Richmond is short lived. The duration made me wonder why it was a sub plot at all.

Roy (Brett Goldstein) and Jamie (Phil Dunster) becomes friends which is a shock when you compare this season to their first season relationship. Jamie has made a lot of progress during the series, and this growth between them is so nice.

This season has a lot of Keely (Juno Temple). Her arc isn't bad, but I was always more interested in Ted and the team.

This season ends well, tying all the loose ends up nicely. The first season was great, and it made such a great impression that I'll always root for Ted regardless of the quality of the show.