TED LASSO…one of television’s most positive, uplifting, and fun-loving series is back for Season 4. And somehow, the writers have managed to keep the heart of the show intact while giving us an entirely new team to root for.
We pick up in Kansas City — Kansas or Missouri? That’s a running joke the writers happily take advantage of — where Ted Lasso, played once again by Jason Sudeikis, is working as a grocery store cashier. He’s present in his son’s life and, on the surface, seems happy. But there’s an emptiness there. Something is missing.
That changes when Keely (Juno Temple), Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), and Higgins (Jeremy Swift) pay him a visit. They have a proposition: return to Richmond. But this time, Ted wouldn’t be coaching the beloved men’s team. He would be coaching a brand-new women’s team.
And that becomes the crux of Season 4.
The writers lean into the inequities of women’s sports, but in true Ted Lasso fashion, they tackle those issues with humor, compassion, honesty, and plenty of heart. We are introduced to the new Lady Greyhounds, including Coach Chilton, played by Tanya Reynolds; Katie Quinn, the goalie played by Jude Mack, who refuses to wear gloves; and a pair of twins who bring their own particular brand of humor to the team.
As we watch these women develop both on and off the field, we begin to know them the way we came to know the characters we loved in the first three seasons. They have their own personalities, insecurities, rivalries, friendships, and dreams, and watching those relationships take shape is one of the season’s greatest pleasures.
And, of course, Season 4 brings back what has always made Ted Lasso special: the heart.
Ted is still learning lessons, and he’s still teaching them — not only to his players, but to everyone around him. That warmth is the thread that stitches all four seasons together. It’s what makes us care about these characters and become invested in their journeys.
With women at the center of this season, we get a whole new perspective — one that feels authentic and relatable for women and, perhaps more importantly, one that gives men an opportunity to better understand some of the challenges women face in sports and beyond.
I am loving every minute of Season 4. And perhaps that’s why my recent visit to Richmond in London became unexpectedly emotional. I stood inside the pub where Mae and her crew watched the matches and sat on the bench beside the iconic red telephone booths where so many conversations took place. Suddenly, the fictional world I had spent three seasons loving felt remarkably real.
That’s the magic of Ted Lasso. It makes you laugh, it makes you think, and every once in a while, it catches you right in the heart.
Don’t miss Season 4. Come for the laughs, stay for the lessons, and give yourself the chance to feel connected, hopeful, and uplifted all over again.
