Ted Lasso has been one of the biggest hits for Apple TV. After three powerful seasons, Ted (Jason Sudeikis) bid farewell to Richmond, and it seemed the show was bidding farewell. That third season finale came in March of 2023—more than three years ago. And it certainly felt like a finale, or at least the ending of the original story. Now, Ted Lasso is back for season 4.
Ted Lasso season 4, which just premiered on Wednesday, Aug. 5, picks up years later and finds Ted and everyone else in a new place. The question is whether the show can capture the magic and find a new, compelling chapter to tell. The season premiere, “Home,” is about setting the table for what’s to come.
Ted’s new life
As we pick up, Ted has settled into a routine in Kansas City. He is working as the assistant manager at a grocery store, continuing to pour into the lives of his co-workers like he did with his players. But it’s a life that affords him a chance to be there for his family, particularly his now teenage son, Henry (Grant Feely).
There is a sense of loss that still resides in Ted. He goes to his son’s games and invests in his success, being there to support Michelle (Andrea Anders) as a co-parent, but it’s clear he misses being on the sidelines. Still, he remains resolved to be there for his family, the reason he resigned at the end of season 3. But soon, there comes a challenge to that resolve.
Visitors from across the pond
Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), Keeley (Juno Temple), and Higgins (Jeremy Swift) have arrived in Kansas City. They are there to scout the women’s team, as Richmond is adding a women’s team of its own. Higgins is worried about the cost and the potential for failure, but they’re committed and want to scout an American team. Heading to Kansas City is also a great chance to catch up with Ted.
They find themselves at a barbecue place, which becomes an instant hit for Rebecca despite the fact she gets it all over her shirt. As their visit continues, Rebecca continues to seek out barbecue and even manages to load some up to bring home. But finding barbecue isn’t their only goal. They have a proposition for Ted. They want him to return to coach the new women’s team.
Obviously, Ted is flattered, but he can’t leave home. He tells them no, and yet Rebecca remains hopeful. The trio head to watch Henry’s game, and Ted accompanies them to see the women’s team. All the while, it’s clear the wheels are turning, and yet something is holding him back.
One of the best things about Ted Lasso was always the way the show appreciated local culture. That continues in this premiere through the eyes of the visitors. Higgins wants to visit the jazz museum and instead ends up in the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. It’s a chance to honor players that sometimes are overlooked and is a fun opportunity for Swift to use his comedy stylings.
Rebecca and Keeley, meanwhile, head to go shopping. They find a new look and a new style for Rebecca, which provides some time for bonding. It’s these little character beats that I might have missed the most.
Ted’s dilemma
Meanwhile, Ted continues to think on the offer. Michelle, knowing he got an offer, pushes him about whether he’s going to pursue it. He declines, but she tells him it might be good for him. Then Ted heads to his family home to help his mother (Becky Ann Baker) as she’s getting ready to sell the house. He finds some stuff from his father and reminisces about what it was like to visit his father at his job.
Ted’s mom uses that opening to push him about his own job and potential offer. Ted reminds her she was the one that told him he needed to come home, and now she’s urging him to leave again. She tells Ted that he’ll figure it out.
As he heads home, we finally see in the room in his house that he’d almost entered and let close throughout the episode. It’s a shrine where he goes to remember his time at Richmond. It’s still close to his heart. It’s still where his heart is. He sends a text to Michelle about taking the job and what it might mean for Henry. He gets the response he hoped for, then a response that it is actually Henry on his mother’s phone. Still, it’s set that Ted is going back to Richmond for a brand-new adventure.
I’m torn here. I thought the Ted Lasso season 3 finale was a perfect ending for the series. It felt like a finale. It was a deep, emotional crescendo, and it was perfect. That made me a bit weary of coming back for another season. And yet, as soon as we were in it and in the midst of Ted and his relentless form of optimism, I was all in. This show will be different, and the cast will be different, but it still feels like Ted Lasso, and I’m all in.
Ted Lasso streams Wednesdays on Apple TV. Check back next week as we recap season 4.
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