With Ted Lasso enjoying a better run than ever on Apple TV+ during its third season, will the hit series return for Season 4?
Ted Lasso remains one of the most popular shows in the streaming game, especially after its first two seasons won 11 Emmys while earning an incredible 40 nominations across varying categories.
But as Season 3 wraps up, many fans have come to a soft expectation that this junior run may be the last of the series altogether.
Ted Lasso Season 4 Still in Play for Apple TV+?
Season 3 of Ted Lasso continues to set records for viewership for Apple TV+, with its premiere episode reaching about 870,000 viewers during its live-plus-four-day window (the episode's debut date and four days after).
This number was a 60% increase from the Season 2 premiere in Summer 2021 and well above the pilot from 2020.
But the question is whether those record-breaking numbers will be enough to set Season 4 of Ted Lasso in motion for Apple.
Speaking with Deadline in September 2022 after the 2022 Emmys, where the show won four awards, star Jason Sudeikis explained that there are "more factors than [himself]" when it comes to bringing Ted Lasso back for Season 4.
Calling the response to the show "overwhelming" while praising the entire team involved with bringing everything together, Sudeikis made it clear that he "couldn’t say yes or no" at the time for a potential new season of stories:
"I don’t know, it’s up to more factors than myself. The response has been overwhelming. We have a tremendous group of writers, actors, people in production and post-production, all of those thrown in the jambalaya of possibility. I couldn’t say yes or no. I know this part of the show is what it’s supposed to be. I apologize for not giving you a direct answer because that’s more helpful for headlines. If I knew, I wouldn’t tell you."
Roy Kent actor Brett Goldstein noted in July 2022 that the show was planned out as a three-season arc, even joking that "everyone dies" at the end of the current season:
"We are writing it like that. It was planned as three. Spoiler alert: Everyone dies."
Puck News' Matthew Belloni reported on the negotiations for Season 4 between Warner Bros., Apple, and the Ted Lasso team, noting that the hope was for Sudeikis to take an extended break and reflect on his success before coming back for one more season.
Now, while the chances of that happening aren't high, nothing is going to be set in stone until after Season 3 comes to a close on May 31. Should there be a Season 4, there's a possibility that it could come after a long break, even maybe diminishing Sudeikis' role in the series.
However, the report also noted that renegotiations before Season 2 were incredibly heated between all parties involved, with a sense that the supporting cast didn't reap benefits that many would expect considering how big the show has become.
What Could Apple Bring to Ted Lasso Season 4?
Considering how Season 3 of Ted Lasso continues to be one of Apple's top-performing shows, there's no question that a fourth season would work for all parties involved as Ted's journey in the UK continues.
There are even a number of plot points from Season 3 and prior that could continue to be explored in a new set of episodes.
Ted's own mental health continues to drive his journey as he looks inward and ponders why he's still halfway around the world giving his life to a sport he never previously coached, all while not wanting to let his new employers and family down.
As for supporting characters, Roy Kent and Keely Jones' on-again/off-again relationship still drives the story forward from an emotional standpoint.
The fire is also still burning as bright as ever between Richmond owner Rebecca Welton and her ex-husband, West Ham owner Rupert Mannion, as their teams continue to fight for supremacy in the Premier League.
This doesn't even take into account numerous other subplots like Colin Hughes coming out, Sam Obisanya's restaurant endeavor, or Coach Beard's wild side quests through England, all of which have captivated fans.
It's safe to say that Ted Lasso may always have a place in fans' hearts, and their TV-watching schedules, with the only question now being whether Apple, Sudeikis, and the crew will move forward
But with Brett Goldstein now in the MCU after Thor: Love and Thunder and Keeley Jones actress Juno Temple set for a role in Venom 3, that aforementioned break could be needed in order to bring the team all back together again.
The final two episodes of Ted Lasso Season 3 will arrive on Apple TV+ on Tuesday, May 23 and Tuesday, May 30.
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