Ted Lasso

Season 3 is more of a return to form, the small-screen equivalent of a hot cup of tea and a big, soft blanket, as well as a successful hat-trick for Apple TV+.

[Lasso] asks anyone who'll listen, "Am I a mess?" Maybe he is, but who else could engage a room of fellow coaches in an earnest discussion of Julie Andrews' merits? Ted Lasso is my kind of mess. [27 Mar - 9 Apr 2023, p.4]

So is Ted Lasso still good? Does Season 3 live up to the hype? It’s early, but the answer seems to be yes, thankfully.

While there are a few moments when “Ted Lasso” seems to be repeating certain themes and gags, the first four episodes maintain the Lasso standard of excellence in all phases of the game, from the superb performances to the crisp writing to the steady stream of pop culture references.

It remains reliably the same: funny, heartwarming, occasionally deep and full of romantic comedy references. That's not a bug, it's a feature, and an accomplishment just to maintain its unique tone, top-notch performances and bold physical comedy that coalesces into a tight and effervescent series.

There’s a lot more to mine from a sports story than we’re used to seeing, and Season 3 seems completely determined to develop that idea to fruition.

While the season takes time (and some close listening) to take off, it’s in play by episode two and ripe with possibilities for spin-off series, should “Ted Lasso” end its run after this season.

More than enough feelgood comic content to warrant another series (some felt that series two slumped and was too drawn out, and there are rumours that this will be the last). The characters here are so well drawn that it could now almost exist without Ted.

There's still plenty to love in this show even as one questions whether the first four installments merit their runtimes of nearly 50 minutes apiece.

It cuts the sweetness with just enough vinegary exchanges to prevent the whole from becoming sickening. It keeps the main man just the right side of folksy rather than village idiot, and knowing that every tiny glimpse into Coach Beard’s hinterland is worth the price of admission alone.

Are there too many storylines? Probably. But if you’re still watching Ted Lasso in season three, you likely have too much affection for its lovable band of misfits to want anyone cut from the squad.

It is embarking on a 12-episode run and four installments do not make a season, but the indications are that the third year will be another charm.

A fresh start was needed to remind us of its charms without overdoing the sentimentality, and even though it can never go back to being a true underdog, there is enough here to have you rooting for Ted’s final chapter.

Ted Lasso no longer seems embarrassed by its darker emotional arcs nor quite as burdened by its reputation as a feel-good fantasy.

Based on the four episodes made available for review, season three is more of a throwback to Ted Lasso’s original formula of silly plus tender, multiplied by wickedly smart. It’s only in comparison to the show’s previous highs that these episodes feel somewhat earthbound.

Hiccups in Season 3’s rollout don’t damper its spirit. ... And Ted, in all his glorious mess, holds it all together.

All these performers know their characters completely by this point in the arc of “Ted Lasso,” giving the show a more laid-back, easy feeling than the start of the first and second seasons. There’s more of a sense that we’re dropping in on familiar faces, which gives the comedy a comfortable rhythm but also sometimes leads to a lack of urgency.

The lack of laughs really stands out — especially given the genre — but the series has always been more than “just” a comedy, and the first episode delivers the show’s patented heart in spades. A rocky start! But we believe.

What the early episodes of the season—we’ve seen four—mostly deliver is its version of that hug. It really is giving fans what they want, even if that means that the story arcs are frustratingly repetitive.

If you're looking for a show that's confident in its rhythm, with familiar characters who won't steer too far off the well-worn path, then you'll surely find a lot to love in this third season of Ted Lasso. If you're looking for the show to adapt and shift gears, you'll be sorely disappointed.

Ted Lasso doesn’t have anything left to prove, other than perhaps demonstrating that it can finish as well as it started. However the show goes about getting there, the one certainty seems to be that its namesake will be smiling and rattling off odd analogies all the way to the final gun.