Colin Hutton
Here’s how important “Ted Lasso” is to Apple: CEO Tim Cook was one of hundreds gathered in Westwood last week for the show’s Season 3 premiere. Such events normally quiet down a bit by the time a series reaches its third season. But not “Ted Lasso,” which filled the 1,400-capacity Regency Village Theater followed by a party that drew 700 RSVPs — and yes, Cook was there too, holding court at Brentwood’s Tony Baltaire eatery.
“Ted Lasso” is a show that is still at the pinnacle of pop culture. That’s why, as the Emmy award-winning comedy returns to Apple TV+ on March 15, everyone’s fate is on their minds, including star Jason Sudeikis.
For months, almost everyone involved hinted that “Lasso” would taper off after these episodes. In a Variety podcast last July star Brett Goldstein carefully dissected his words. “It’s written as if we’re going to come to a conclusion in the story we’ve told,” he said at the time. “And that’s how it was always planned. That doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t continue. But it’s kind of the end of this story in three acts.”
Further speculation was reports that production was more challenging this time around, with Season 3 scripts undergoing major rewrites given the expectations surrounding it. Sudeikis also took on more responsibility, taking on full showrunner duties. Speak against VarietySudeikis downplayed those concerns.
“The rewrites were the same as we’ve always done,” he says. “The endeavor lasted at least as long as it did because of how dense the stories are. … And so while we’re flattered by the curiosity of ‘Is this the last season’, the fact is that content-wise, if you just look at running time, this season has a season 4 in it.
Now that most of that work is over, insiders at Apple TV+ and Warner Bros. TV (which produces) is more optimistic that Sudeikis could bring the show back in some form, even if that means a quasi-spinoff where Sudeikis, as Ted, only appears briefly. “Lasso” is too valuable to the streamer and studio – and remains an award winner – not to let it go just yet.
“It’s gotten to the point where if you made a poster of everyone in ‘Ted Lasso,’ it would be fucking huge,” says writer and star Goldstein (aka “Roy Kent”). “You could do a spin-off of any character.”
Sudeikis has been careful with his words, teasing that this could be the end without saying it outright. When Variety asked some of the other “Ted Lasso” cast members for their thoughts on the show’s future or spin-offs, some planted their tongues firmly on the cheek.
Goldstein says he would play Roy Kent forever. “I like playing Roy Kent. I pitched an idea for Season 4 to Jason that he’s considering,” he says with a straight face. “The problem is that in Season 3, five of the main characters die, so my plan for Season 4 is that Ted comes back as a ghost, and it’s called “Ghost Ted.” He haunts the halls, but he’s just trying to inspire. Some people don’t believe in ghosts, and that’s the journey the team takes to eventually become ghosts. believe…Jason says he’s just thinking about it.’
When asked if he sees spin-off potential for other characters in the series, writer and star Brendan Hunt (“Coach Beard”) also answers wisely. “Tina Feyhound – as an animated crime-fighting series in which Tina Feyhound protects all London’s hedgehogs from all evil wood pigeons.
“My main plan is not to see their faces in person for at least a year,” Hunt adds to his fellow “Ted Lasso” cast and crew, discussing plans to continue working together after Season 3. “They are all very attractive people who are very nice to be around. They are all very good at ordering meals in restaurants.”
Toheeb Jimoh, who plays Sam, says he’s interested in continuing his character’s story.
“Whether that happens or not, I think wherever I go in my career, there’s always going to be a little bit of Sam Obisanya with me, and it’s going to be a really hard character to say goodbye to,” he says.
Juno Temple, who plays Keeley, says she still doesn’t know if the show is over – “I don’t think anyone knows yet.” But if so, she believes the perfect ending for her character (who broke up with Roy at the end of Season 2) is to “be happy on her own, doing what she does before she finds the best partner for whom whatever it may be.”
And then there’s Nick Mohammed, whose character Nate has grown from the underdog viewers craved to be the villain out to steal Ted Lasso’s thunder. Mohammed hints that a happy ending may not yet be in the offing for his role.
“The cute answer would be Nate realizes he’s been a bit of a jerk, and that his actions towards Ted and AFC Richmond were groundless and inappropriate and he apologizes,” he says. “He is welcomed with open arms at the club. He decides to deal with the toxic relationship he has with his father, which explains a lot of his deep insecurities. And actually his father is very receptive to that and it clicked again, and then is he happy And I don’t know, find a partner and get married, have children, everything is great and Ted is the best man, something like that That would be my fairytale.
“Suffice it to say it turns out not to be,” he adds,
At the premiere of “Ted Lasso,” the press was instructed not to ask for a Season 4, as publicists stressed that no decision has been made yet. “It’s always going to be dictated by the stories,” Sudeikis says of whether fans hoping for another season should “believe,” in Ted’s words.