Is Ted Lasso (2020) woke?

ARCHIVED SOURCE url: https://screenrant.com/ted-lasso-season-3-episode-7-recap-story-reveals/ canonical: https://screenrant.com/ted-lasso-season-3-episode-7-recap-story-reveals captured_utc: 2026-11-04T03:38:37.912Z http_status: 200 method: direct extractor: scrut-extract-2 truncated: false --- By Cooper Hood Published Apr 26, 2023, 4:00 AM EDT Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release. He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes , coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years. account Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Ted Lasso season 3, episode 7! Ted Lasso season 3, episode 7 continues to push the show's main characters and their stories forward with a focus on various relationships. The final season of Apple TV+'s award-winning comedy series has kept a handful of characters at the center of its multiple storylines. So far, Ted Lasso season 3 has explored Keeley's romantic life after Roy's breakup, Rebecca's search for love after psychic predictions, and the budding friendship between Roy and Jamie. There has also been a concentrated effort to explore Nate's love life, tease Ted getting back together with his wife, and reveal that both Colin and Trent are gay. Picking up sometime after the events of Ted Lasso season 3, episode 6 , the seventh episode of the final season is all about diving deeper into the show's many relationships. This includes putting more of a spotlight on Keeley and Jack's romance, while even Nate's pursuits of Jade become a focal point. Romances are not the only type of relationships that Ted Lasso season 3, episode 7 explores. The connection between Sam and his father, Jamie and the AFC Richmond team, and more are all explored. Here is a full Ted Lasso season 3, episode 7 recap featuring the biggest reveals and developments. Keeley and Jack's romance takes an intriguing turn in Ted Lasso season 3, episode 7 based on how Jodi Balfour's character wants to express her affection for Juno Temple's. Their relationship goes public as a sign of Jack's commitment to Keeley. As exciting as the development is for Keeley, there is also a sense that she is overwhelmed by Jack's love language. She showers Keeley with gifts on a daily basis, ranging from first-edition books to bouquets of flowers. It leads to the two needing to have a conversation about Jack's actions, as Keeley feels that she needs to be able to surprise Jack too. One of the more intriguing aspects of this storyline is how Rebecca reacts to it. She claims that Jack is "love-bombing" Keeley with gifts and is worried that her friend is going to overlook some red flags because of the extravagant presents. Rebecca's concerns about Jack do not stem from her jealousy that Keeley is spending more time with her girlfriend but instead the result of AFC Richmond's owner's experiences. She remembers how Rupert used to shower her with gifts early in their relationship, leading her to ignore signs of who he really is. It's possible Jack is not as sweet as Keeley believes. Sam Obisanya is at the center of another of Ted Lasso season 3, episode 7's storylines. This includes the vandalization of his restaurant after he gets into a political fight on Twitter with the UK Home Secretary, Brinda Barot. After she declares that refugees are not welcome in England, Sam tweets at Brinda voicing his disappointment and hoping for Britain to be better. She retaliates by subtweeting him about being a mediocre soccer player and then tells him to "shut up and dribble." The latter is directly inspired by an incident in 2018 where Fox News' Laura Ingraham told LeBron James the same thing when he criticized Donald Trump's presidency. This is not the first time that Sam has stood up for what he believes politically, as he boycotted Dubai Air due to its effects on Nigeria. While that decision brought positive change with AFC Richmond switching to Bantr as its main sponsor, Sam's political tweets create enemies for him. The result is his popular restaurant being vandalized with windows broken, signs destroyed, "Shut up and dribble" painted on a wall, and more. The only good news for Sam is that his AFC Richmond teammates have his back and attempt to surprise him by taking the night to fix up the restaurant. Ted Lasso season 3, episode 7 continues Nate's redemption storyline by showing how he is changing his attitude away from soccer. The redemptive arc for the character has been expected ever since he made a villainous turn in the season 2 finale. The third season has shown that Rupert's manipulative personality is often the cause of Nate's worst behaviors, even if they give him confidence. Ted Lasso season 3, episode 7 reveals that Nate is changing for the better by finding new ways to gain confidence in himself. This can be seen in the sequence where he originally wants to ask Jade out on a date. The scene shows Nate go to the bathroom when the exchange with Jade does not go as planned. He stops and looks at himself in the mirror, which has become a recurring moment for Nate in the last two seasons. Nate typically gets mad at himself and spits at his image to give him confidence. It appears he is on the precipice of doing so again, but Nate makes a different choice. He takes a moment to pause and think and come up with the best way to ask Jade out on a date. It is a sign that Nate's self-hate is diminished and he is changing for the better. Another big development in Ted Lasso season 3, episode 7 is the arrival of Sam Obisanya's dad. Played by Nonso Anozie ( Sweet Tooth , Cinderella ), it marks the first physical appearance by the actor in the role, even though Anozie voiced Ola Obisanya in two episodes in season 2. The visit from Sam's dad comes at the perfect time as he can console Sam about what happened with the restaurant, which Ola does not know is named after him. However, another part of Sam's dad's visit includes him meeting Rebecca. This makes for a rather awkward moment when Ola insinuates he knows about Sam and Rebecca's romance. Sam's father teasing he knows about Rebecca's romance with his son comes at an awkward spot for the AFC Richmond owner. For starters, she does not want her prior romantic relationship with Sam to become public knowledge. More importantly, Rebecca is also in a spot where she is still questioning if Sam could be connected to her psychic's predictions. Even after Rebecca's magical night with Matteo Van De Grijn's unnamed character , meeting Sam's father during his visit and his mentioning that Sam has told him a lot about her could leave Rebecca to wonder if their romance is not over. The other big reveal in Ted Lasso season 3, episode 7 comes with Jamie's story and the role he plays in Total Football. Ted begins to implement the new Total Football formation that AFC Richmond will use for the rest of the season. This begins with players trading places during practice to learn other positions they will play, but Jamie is the lone person left in their original role. After struggling through practice and the first half of their game against Arsenal, Jamie comes to a major realization. He cannot be the team's main striker if Total Football is going to work, so he proposes a change to the formation. Instead of Jamie being the ultimate benefactor of the Total Football formation, he suggests that he needs to move back to midfield and be the facilitator. This allows him to be the player that connects the entire formation and makes all the moving parts work as needed. It is a sacrificial moment for Jamie as he elects to lose out on better stats in order to help the team reach its full potential with Total Football. Even though AFC Richmond still loses the game, Ted Lasso season 3, episode 7 is another example of how much Jamie has grown since the show's beginning.

ARCHIVED SOURCE url: https://collider.com/ted-lasso-season-3-lgbtq-racism-sexism/ canonical: https://collider.com/ted-lasso-season-3-lgbtq-racism-sexism captured_utc: 2026-11-04T03:38:37.542Z http_status: 200 method: direct extractor: scrut-extract-2 truncated: false --- By Cori Chapman Published May 12, 2023, 7:00 AM EDT account Like previous seasons, Ted Lasso has continued the inclusion of serious issues in the third season. In the past, the series has done well in raising awareness about certain situations. But, because Season 3 is so cluttered with plot lines , these conflicts have weak resolutions — if any resolution at all. Sam ( Toheeb Jimoh ), Colin ( Billy Harris ), and Keeley ( Juno Temple ) all experience conflicts that are really relevant in today’s social climate but have not had a satisfying conclusion. Sam Obisanya is one of AFC Richmond’s immigrant players . Being from Nigeria, his character allows for important issues to come to the forefront to raise awareness among Ted Lasso viewers. For example, in a previous season, Sam protested DubaiAir (the team’s sponsor) because of the company’s association with the pollution of his home country. In response, the whole team protests, and the sponsor is eventually changed. In Season 3, though, he publicly posts his disapproval of immigration laws supported by a political official. This leads to virtual harassment from others who also vandalize Ola’s, his restaurant. Not only is the vandalism a direct attack on Toheeb Jimoh's character but for immigrants in general. Ola’s brings Nigerian immigrants the taste of home while also sharing their culture with anyone residing in London. This issue is contained into one episode and has no resolution aside from the team fixing up the restaurant. Immigration policies are a huge political issue across the world and immigrants are often harassed because of disagreements. This specific topic needs more discussion throughout the season if Ted Lasso wants to make this a serious issue. Sam has had more of a spotlight in Seasons 1 and 2, so Season 3 decided to shift more focus to someone who has never had that spotlight: Colin. The series reveals early on in the final season that Colin has been hiding his sexuality from his team and the world in general. Until now, viewers saw Colin the way he presented himself to others, so it is refreshing to see the real him. But, because of other plots, Colin’s sexuality has often been sidelined and then shoehorned in whenever remotely relevant. There have been wholesome moments related to the queer story arc , like the bonding between him and Trent Crimm, who is also revealed to be gay. But, nearing the end of the season, Colin seems no closer to coming out than he did at the beginning. Instead of feeling comfortable enough to come out on his own, Isaac instead snatches his phone inappropriately and discovers his secret. This approach ruins the wholesomeness of it all because it becomes more of a forced coming-out story . It is a shame that Colin has had the chance to bond with Trent, but not with Keeley Jones who is in charge of the team’s PR. Keeley is openly bisexual and begins a relationship with a woman named Jack ( Jodi Balfour ) after her breakup with Roy Kent ( Brett Goldstein ). She could have been a great support to him both personally and professionally and in return he could have returned the favor when conflict arose in her relationship. Jack exposed power dynamics in her relationship with Keeley as both her boss and of someone with much greater wealth. For example, she love-bombed Keeley by showering her with expensive gifts and taking away her voice by speaking for her. As if Jack was not already on thin ice for Keeley and Ted Lasso fans as a whole, she then degrades Keeley for being a sexual woman following an explicit video of hers being leaked to the public. Instead of being a supportive girlfriend, she urges Keeley to apologize to the public and express regret for even making such a video. While at first Jack’s approach to the situation is to preserve her and Keeley’s social image, she berates Keeley for making the video in the first place and ends the relationship over the lack of regret, openly shaming Keeley. With this being Keeley’s only queer relationship in the series, it is upsetting that it is portrayed as her worst on-screen romance. Even the once arrogant Jamie Tartt ( Phil Dunster ) had room for growth to become a better partner than Jack. Also, as a woman, Jack should have a better understanding than Roy and Jamie of the stigma around women’s sexuality. The other issue is that aside from Jack’s push for an apology, no action is taken to respond to the leaks. Keeley discusses not regretting the making of the video throughout the episode, but she does not offer a response to publicly state these sentiments. Instead, she says nothing and is mostly met with apologies. If anything, this plot seems like more of a segue back to the rekindling of her relationship with Jamie Tartt . At the end of the episode, he reveals that he was hacked and therefore responsible for the leaked video, and then the scene ends with them embracing. This does not exactly represent women’s empowerment and instead, the focus is again on the support of the team rather than diving into the topic of feminine sexuality. On top of that, the only dialogue we have about the leak is among the men in the locker room, making the discussion about everybody but Keeley . Including these storylines in Ted Lasso at all is commendable , but the execution leaves more to be desired. These topics are of great importance and are not specific to one country. The series takes place in London and therefore focuses on politics within the United Kingdom, but the same issues are ever-present in daily political discussions in the United States as well. This is the case all around the world. Immigration policy is a hot-button topic and discussions often sway toward othering entire groups of people. Like the topic of immigration, sexuality and sex-positivity discussions also work to other women and the LGBTQ+ community. Throughout history, being gay was illegal as late as the 20th century and the HIV/AIDS crisis exacerbated the stigma around homosexuality. Like female sexuality, Ted Lasso does not reveal this stigma enough to show why Colin is so scared. Overall, these story arcs still create important discussions worldwide, but their portrayal does not provoke empathy from the audience.

ARCHIVED SOURCE url: https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/ted-lasso-season-3-finally-brings-colins-story-to-richmond/ canonical: https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/ted-lasso-season-3-finally-brings-colins-story-to-richmond captured_utc: 2026-11-04T03:38:31.931Z http_status: 200 method: direct extractor: scrut-extract-2 truncated: false --- The third ( and potentially final ) season of Ted Lasso finally brought an LGBTQ+ story to the forefront of the series, with the reveal that Richmond player Colin Hughes is gay . Colin has been in the closet, not telling any of his teammates, but a couple of people close to him at Richmond have found out over the course of the season. First, it was Trent Crimm, who has been something of a mentor to Colin. Then, in last week’s episode, it was Colin’s good friend Isaac, who didn’t seem to have as positive of a reaction. Now, in this week’s new episode of Ted Lasso , Colin his given the opportunity to confront Isaac and the rest of the team. WARNING: This article contains spoilers from the latest episode of Ted Lasso… For the first part of the new Ted Lasso episode, “La Locker Room Aux Folles,” Isaac gives Colin the cold shoulder. He won’t speak to him at all, even when Colin tries to start a conversation. Things between them escalate and roll over into a match, with their communication issues causing Richmond to go down a goal just before halftime. On the way into the locker room, an obnoxious fan yells a homophobic slur, setting Isaac off and causing him to fight the fan in the stands. Isaac is ejected and the rest of the team is wondering what could’ve happened. They initially wonder if it was because Isaac is gay, but Colin takes the opportunity to come out to his teammates. Unsurprisingly, everyone in the locker room supports him and is glad he’s comfortable enough to share that with them. Even Ted jumps in with a shaky analogy that ultimately expresses that they all care about Colin. The only part of the equation that isn’t resolved right away is Isaac. That happens near the end of the episode, when the captain shows up to Colin’s house. He explains that he was angry because Colin kept something that big from him for so long. Colin explains that he was just worried to talk to anyone about it, and that it had no effect on his friendship with Isaac. The episode unsurprisingly ends with the duo hanging out as good friends. Colin’s coming out at halftime of the match helped him unlock another part of his game in the second half, helping Richmond come back and win the match.

ARCHIVED SOURCE url: https://tvline.com/2021/08/06/ted-lasso-recap-season-2-episode-3-sam-obisanya-dubai-air-nigeria-protest/ canonical: https://tvline.com/2021/08/06/ted-lasso-recap-season-2-episode-3-sam-obisanya-dubai-air-nigeria-protest captured_utc: 2026-11-04T03:38:31.665Z http_status: 200 method: direct extractor: scrut-extract-2 truncated: false --- AFC Richmond takes a knee (so to speak) during Friday's Ted Lasso , as the players band together in support of rising star Sam Obisanya. [pmc_inline_gallery] At the start of "Do the Right-est Thing," Sam is elated to be the face of Richmond's chief sponsor, Dubai Air. But as soon as his father brings to light the crimes carried out by Dubai Air's parent company Cerithium Oil — a mega conglomerate that has been destroying Sam's homeland of Nigeria with countless oil spills, and bribing government officials to look the other way — Sam is determined to get out of the deal. Rebecca assures him that she'll take care of it, but it's easier said than done. Cerithium CEO Richard Cole, who just so happens to be an old friend of Rupert's, wants Rebecca to sack Sam before this goes any further. But being the "boss ass bitch" that she is, Rebecca fires off an email — with the help of her trusty, 13-year-old sidekick, Sassy's daughter Nora — telling Richard that she will not be getting rid of Sam any time soon. Episode 3 also focuses on Jamie's halfhearted attempts to get back in his teammates' good graces. Before the Lust Conquers All alum has a chance to buy the players' affection by gifting them each their own PlayStation 5, Ted "breaks glass" and unleashes Led Tasso, his cartoonishly evil alter ego. In doing so, Led—err, Ted , hopes to turn the team against him rather than Jamie — and to his credit, it does help some, affording Jamie an opportunity to speak out against the coach's Jekyll-and-Hyde act, on behalf of his fellow footballers. It's still not enough, though. The two storylines converge ahead of Richmond's latest match. In the locker room, Sam takes a good, hard look in the mirror and realizes he can't keep playing with Dubai Air's logo adorned to his chest. He picks up a roll of athletic tape and covers it. His fellow Nigerian players follow suit, but the others do not — not until Jamie stands up and asks Isaac to throw him the tape. "We're a team, ain't we?" Jamie says to Sam. "Gotta wear the same kit." And once Jamie does it, so does everyone else on the team. Out on the pitch, Richmond's players remove their jackets to reveal their modded uniforms, creating an instant media frenzy. Richard rings Rebecca, but she sends him to voicemail. Again, like a "boss ass bitch." Later at a press conference, Ted is asked if he knew what was going to transpire out on the pitch. He did not. But he tells the press that what Sam did out there was courageous. Being an affluent white male, Ted has never needed to show that kind of courage — "because honestly, when bad things happen to people like me, you people have a tendency to write about it without being asked," the coach remarks. "Sam had to go and get y'all's attention." Rather than answer any more questions, he turns the mic over to the player responsible for the brouhaha. Sam relishes the opportunity, but refuses to answer any questions about the game his team just lost. "I'm here to ask the Nigerian government to put an end to decades of environmental destruction by Cerithium Oil — destruction that the Powers That Be have turned a blind eye to for far too long," he says, openly accusing his home country's government of corruption. On the walk back to the locker room, Ted applauds Sam's efforts, and tells the up-and-coming footballer that "doing the right thing is never the wrong thing." Coach then opens the door to reveal the entire team gathered to toast Sam, as well as an end to their eight-game tie streak. What did you think of Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 3?

ARCHIVED SOURCE url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Obisanya canonical: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Obisanya captured_utc: 2026-11-04T03:38:27.010Z http_status: 200 method: direct extractor: scrut-extract-2 truncated: false --- Samuel Obisanya is a fictional character from the television series Ted Lasso performed by Toheeb Jimoh . He is a Nigerian footballer who played as a right-back and midfielder for A.F.C. Richmond and currently plays for Manchester United F.C. He is known for his technical ability, ball control, and attacking play. Sam was originally written as a Ghanaian. The production later changed his nationality to Nigerian after Jimoh was cast. Jimoh received praise for his portrayal of Obisanya, including a Screen Actors Guild Award (as part of an ensemble) and Celebration of Black Cinema and Television Award . He was also nominated for an Emmy and a Hollywood Critics Association TV Award . Sam Obisanya is a Nigerian footballer born to Ola Obisanya. [ 1 ] He began his professional career in Nigeria before moving to England to continue playing. [ 2 ] He joined A.F.C. Richmond from a club in the Nigerian Football League . [ 3 ] [ 4 ] Sam arrived at Richmond just before the beginning of the show's first season. At age 21, he was the youngest player in the squad and initially played as a defender . Under coach Ted Lasso , Sam gradually became more confident and developed a stronger role within the team, this despite him being picked on by teammate Jamie Tartt . [ 3 ] In " Biscuits ", Ted learned Sam was homesick and arranged a birthday celebration for him before Richmond's match against Crystal Palace; Sam then performed notably well in the match. Jamie, however, continued to pick on Sam, until team captain Roy Kent stepped in. [ 5 ] Sam reappeared in " Two Aces ", where he took part in Richmond's attempt to lift a supposed curse surrounding the team's treatment room. [ 6 ] [ 7 ] In " Tan Lines ", Sam was hurt during a match, but Roy encouraged him to carry on. Later in the match, Roy passed the ball to Sam rather than shooting himself, allowing Sam to score the winning goal, the team's first win of the season. [ 8 ] [ 9 ] Following Richmond's relegation from the Premier League , {{Cite web |title=3 Takeaways from AFC Richmond v Manchester City |url=https://afcrichmond.com/2020/10/08/3-takeaways-from-afc-richmond-v-manchester-city/ |access-date=2026-08-27 |website=AFC Richmond |language=en}}</ref>"}},"i":0}}]}'> [ a ] Sam became more prominent in the squad as Lasso helped him transition from defender to midfielder . Sam's performances improved in this new position as he became more involved in the team's play. [ 11 ] Sam earned his first hat-trick for Richmond during a Championship match. Immediately after, wealthy Ghanaian business man Edwin Akufo offered to buy Sam’s contract for an African team. [ 12 ] [ 13 ] In the episode " Midnight Train to Royston ", Akufo revealed plans to buy Raja Casablanca , a team made up of some of Africa's best footballers. He gave Sam three days to think about this offer, and while Sam was tempted by the proposal, he chose to stay with Richmond. [ 3 ] Sam's relationship with Rebecca Welton was one of season two’s central relationships. [ 14 ] [ 15 ] Sam and Rebecca started unknowingly communicating with each other on the anonymous dating app Bantr. [ 2 ] [ 16 ] The two learned they were communicating with each other when they met in person; they went to dinner together, then Sam brought Rebecca home, where they kissed. [ 17 ] Later, after losing to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final, Rebecca messaged Sam asking if he was free. The two continued messaging, then decided to start a secret relationship. [ 18 ] Sam's relationship with his father, Ola Obisanya, also had a significant influence on him in season two. [ 19 ] [ 1 ] In " Do the Right-est Thing ", Sam was offered the opportunity to appear in an advertising campaign for Dubai Air , one of Richmond's sponsors. However, after learning from his father about the environmental damage in Nigeria caused by Cerithium Oil , [ 20 ] Sam withdrew from the campaign and during his next match, he covered the sponsor's logo on his jersey; he also spoke publicly about the relationship between the Nigerian government and Cerithium Oil. [ 21 ] The controversy resulted in Dubai Air ending its sponsorship of Richmond, [ 22 ] [ 23 ] and following this, Sam became more active on issues important to him and his home country. [ 24 ] [ 25 ] In addition to playing for Richmond, Sam opened a Nigerian restaurant in London named Ola's, after his father. [ 26 ] The restaurant became a source of pride and a way for Sam to stay rooted in his heritage. This, however, was tested when Sam became involved in a Twitter feud with UK Home Secretary Brinda Barotover. Sam tweeted that he would rather be a mediocre player than a world-class bigot, and he received backlash in response. The situation escalated when Ola's was trashed by anti-immigration protesters, who defaced the restaurant with Barot's words and messages telling Sam to return to Africa. Sam's teammates later helped Sam at the restaurant. [ 27 ] [ 28 ] In October 2026, Obisanya made a brief appearance at the final match of AFC Richmond Women's inaugural season, attending alongside several former teammates from the men's first team. During the match, Obisanya was seen speaking with Roy Kent, confirming that he had completed a transfer to Manchester United . [ 29 ] Sam was originally written as Ghanaian . The production later changed his nationality to Nigerian after Toheeb Jimoh was cast. [ 30 ] Jimoh auditioned for the role using the birthday cake scene, in which Sam rejects a toy soldier [ 31 ] [ 4 ] because of its association with imperialism . [ 32 ] After Jimoh was cast, casting director Theo Park said the production was looking for an actor who could give Sam warmth and positive energy, and that about a dozen actors were considered for the role. [ 33 ] [ 34 ] Jimoh's background informed his portrayal of Sam. Born in London to Nigerian parents, Jimoh moved to Nigeria as a toddler, then moved back to London at age seven. According to Jimoh, this experience helped him relate to Sam's experience as a young Nigerian living abroad. [ 35 ] [ 36 ] Jimoh also stated that Sam's relationship with his father, specifically Sam's father's influence as a role model who shaped his values, confidence, and understanding of masculinity, was informed by his relationship with his father. [ 37 ] Jimoh played football while growing up and said that playing a Nigerian character and a footballer had been ambitions of his, making this role particularly appealing to him. [ 32 ] Jimoh’s portrayal of Sam was also influenced by his knowledge of Nigerian culture. [ 38 ] Jimoh's portrayal developed alongside Sam's growing prominence in the series. In the first season, Sam is reserved, adjusting to life in England while trying to find his place at Richmond, while in the second season, Sam became one of the team's leaders. Jimoh described the change as maturing from a homesick player into someone confident enough to stand by his convictions and challenge others. Of particular note was the storyline involving Sam and club sponsor Dubai Air; writer Ashley Nicole Black said this storyline was developed around the question of how young athletes can use their public platform to speak about issues they believe in. [ 37 ] [ 39 ] On the culture website Africa Is a Country , Harvard University lecturer Lilly Havstad highlighted Sam's Nigerian identity and his storylines concerning race, football, and Africa's place within the fictional professional game; she also noted that relatively little critical discussion had focused on him compared with the show's other major characters. [ 3 ] Salon , however, was more critical of Sam's development, arguing that although he was portrayed as thoughtful, gentle, and emotionally intelligent, little about his inner life, motivations, or personal development beyond his relationships and interests were revealed. [ 40 ] In a review of the second season, Lucy Mangan of The Guardian highlighted Sam's storylines involving the Black Lives Matter movement and the controversy surrounding Richmond's sponsor, describing them as being handled movingly and unforced. Mangan also wrote that the series gave its supporting characters, including Sam, greater depth in the second season. [ 41 ] Josh Spiegel of What's on TV similarly singled out Sam as one of the strongest parts of the second season, describing him as the show's "secret best part." [ 42 ] British GQ later described Sam as the "moral beating heart" of the series, citing his kindness and development as a midfielder, [ 35 ] and after the show's third season, Collider wrote that Sam was the only character worthy of a spin-off . [ 26 ] Sam's storyline in the second-season episode " Do the Right-est Thing ", in which he opposes Richmond's sponsor Dubai Air, was particularly well received, with critics praising the character's development, the handling of the subject matter, and Jimoh's restrained performance. [ 41 ] [ 43 ] The storyline, however, also drew criticism: writing for Winnipeg Free Press , reviewer Alison Gillmor argued that while Sam's confrontation with the sponsor raised the issue of economic imperialism in Nigeria, the conflict was resolved too easily. [ 44 ] Sam's relationship with Rebecca received a more mixed review. In an opinion piece for The Washington Post , Alyssa Rosenberg described Sam as "endearing and seductive" but also questioned aspects of his relationship with Rebecca, including their age difference and Rebecca's position as the one who signs Sam's paychecks. [ 45 ] Scholar Rukmini Pande, writing in the Journal of Popular Television in 2024, analyzed Sam's story in relation to race and English football. Pande wrote that the show Ted Lasso dealt with racism by focusing on what individuals do rather than looking at bigger problems in institutions. She pointed out that Sam's inner life received less attention than those of white characters on the show, and also that Sam's good portrayal can become a form of tokenism and a "post-racial" view of race. [ 46 ] Sam Obinsaya appeared in the 2023 video game FIFA 23 by EA Sports as a playable character for A.F.C. Richmond. [ 53 ]

ARCHIVED SOURCE url: https://subjectmedia.org/2023/05/11/ted-lasso-s3e9-la-locker-room-aux-folles/ canonical: https://subjectmedia.org/2023/05/11/ted-lasso-s3e9-la-locker-room-aux-folles captured_utc: 2026-11-04T03:38:26.820Z http_status: 200 method: direct extractor: scrut-extract-2 truncated: false --- &#8220;Roy Kent is the voice of reason. What a world!&#8221; It&#8217;s another very special Ted Lasso ™ and I&#8217;m here for it. First off, as unique as this show&#8217;s format is, the show is a student of the history of television. Ted Lasso loves to pay hommage to the vast past of the small screen. And we&#8217;ll keep the French spelling of hommage since midfielder Richard Montlaur has been the butt of half the jokes of the last two episodes. More importantly, senitmentality done right is Ted Lasso &#8216;s calling card. The show is unabashedly corny. If you&#8217;re not down with that, well, you probably are not still watching as we hit the stretch run of season three. This particular episode centers around Hughes&#8217; struggle with whether he&#8217;s ready to come out to his teammates. However, his timeline is a bit more rushed after Isaac McAdoo inadvertantly saw pictures after grabbing his phone to delete nudes he thought would be women. It was a bit disheartening at the beginning of the episode to see McAdoo&#8217;s attitude towards Hughes after his discovery. It was even more baffling given it happened smack dab in the middle of his well-meaning, if overly violent, progressive stance about treating women with respect after Keeley Jones was the target of revenge porn. For all his gruff exterior, Richmond&#8217;s captain seems to have a kind, if zealous soul. Most importantly, he&#8217;s shown a respect for other people&#8217;s life choices. However, Isaac refuses to even acknowledge Colin&#8217;s attempts at any conversation. When leading the pre-game pep routine, McAdoo even blanches and swiftly repositions himself when their hands touch. Is McAdoo a bad friend and/or a homophobe? It&#8217;s not looking good. However, what&#8217;s absolutely clear is he&#8217;s being an absolute wanker of a captain for AFC Richmond. And his sloppy rage (and Hughes&#8217; confusion) spill onto the field for their match against Brighton & Hove Albion. Or as Coach Ted rightfully calls them &#8220;the law firm of football teams.&#8221; Richmond are now on a roll and highly favored. However, they are off in the first half. And when Hughes&#8217; misfire leads to a Brighton goal, McAdoo goes ham on his friend. It all comes to a head as the team walks off the field, down 1-nil. An obnoxious chav of a fan is hurling stock insults at his favorite team for the absolute crime of&#8230; underperforming? I&#8217;m a huge sports fan, but I&#8217;ll never get some of the white hot anger fans direct at their beloved teams and players. Sorry, Chris Powell, I meant &#8220;yellow hot.&#8221; The toxic fan cycles through his rolodex of shoutable insults until he gets to that one. The &#8220;F&#8221; word. And, no, Jamie, the other &#8220;F&#8221; word. The one that would be the spark to set off the dynamite that was Isaac&#8217;s knowledge of Colin&#8217;s secret. And in a flash of fisticuffs, McAdoo hops into the stands and we begin to see that Isaac&#8217;s reticence was not what it might have seemed to be. His apparent rejection of Hughes was not because of any homophobia. We&#8217;ll find out later that it was Isaac who was feeling a bit rejected. However, after Isaac is red carded and ejected from the game, the coaches and his teammates are lost as to why and question their purported captain. McAdoo launches into a righteous rage, essentially saying that footballers, especially gay ones, are going through enough and should not have to deal with slurs from supposed supporters. Of course, as enlightened as the Richmond locker room can be at times, it&#8217;s not enlightened enough to not jump to the easiest of conclusions. Isaac McAdoo is furious because he himself is gay, they presume. While no one seems remotely put out, it&#8217;s still a lazy assumption. Colin, realizing his friend had stood up for him on the pitch, knows what he must do. We don&#8217;t see Colin coming out, as after he stands up and says &#8220;Isaac&#8217;s not gay,&#8221; we cut to Roy Kent comforting McAdoo, then back to post-speech Colin as his players accept him, saying he doesn&#8217;t care. That leads Coach Ted to do what he do and launch into a speech about why they should actually care. It&#8217;s a sweet and valid point. Unfortunately, his clumsy comparison of Denver Broncos fandom to living as a gay man in a still intolerant world slightly undercuts it. Whatever the case, it&#8217;s the second funniest use of that American football team in TV comedy. That said, I don&#8217;t want to gloss over Roy Kent&#8217;s growth in this episode. It&#8217;s subtle but immense. One could say Roy Kent&#8217;s heart grew two and a half sizes this day. But I won&#8217;t. Roy Kent is called out by Rebecca for blowing off her request to sub in for Ted in a presser. It&#8217;s probably partially a matchmaking move by the Richmond owner in lieu of Keeley&#8217;s being in the dumps post-dumping by Jack. Oh, fuck Jack, btw. I never cared much for Jack, but when she slut shamed Keeley for her private sexual video, she was dead to me. Keelent 4 Life! Or Keelartt maybe. Or she can find a better woman than Jack if that&#8217;s her choice. But fuck Jack. Where were we? Oh right, Roy Kent. He earns a gold badge for empathy as he gently comforts Isaac, then kills it at the press conference. In between coming up with fitting, if often cutting names for the press pool, he tells a story from his past about his dealings with anger and about how we never truly know what is driving a person. Roy Kent comes off terrible for his actions in his tale, but it has the effect of pulling Isaac straight out from his position under the bus. It&#8217;s truly sweet and sets up the saccharine, but honestly heartfelt and effective make-up between Isaac and Colin. As this is all going on, Nate Shelley is continuing to crush his redemption arc. Rupert catches Jade delivering food and kisses to his Wonder Kid&#8217;s office. It&#8217;s always impossible to tell what the slithery Rebecca ex, West Ham owner, and worst father figure is up to. Having said that, it&#8217;s safe to say his motives are rarely benevolent. He focuses his smarmy charm on Jade who is polite, but clearly unamused. In fairness, though, Jade&#8217;s default is resting quiet disdain face. Rupert&#8217;s machinations vex Nate more when Snidely Bitchlash invites him to a &#8220;boys&#8217; night out.&#8221; He&#8217;s honored to be invited at first, and is cool enough to be open with Jade, and she supportive of him. They truly are a lovely couple. Who would have guessed?! (I did, me&#8230; I did). Nate is stunned, however, when Rupert is chatting up two leggy women and asks the barkeep for his private room. If it&#8217;s a weird, creepy trap set by Rupert, Nate comes supercorrect. It&#8217;s hardly a tiny move of courage for Nate to muster up the strength to stand up to his controlling boss. Nate makes the right choice, bows out, and chooses Jade over random sex with models, as well as the plans of his mercurial boss. Between revelations, powerful speeches, massive character growth, and so many lessons learned about how to be a good person on 2023 Earth, we have it. It&#8217;s Ted Lasso &#8216;s latest very special episode. It&#8217;s also one of the good-natured, yet often dark program&#8217;s most satisfying to date.

ARCHIVED SOURCE url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Lasso canonical: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Lasso captured_utc: 2026-11-04T03:38:25.174Z http_status: 200 method: direct extractor: scrut-extract-2 truncated: false --- Ted Lasso ( l æ s oʊ / LASS -oh ) is an American sports comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Sudeikis , Bill Lawrence , Brendan Hunt , and Joe Kelly. It is based on a character Sudeikis portrayed in a series of promotional media for NBC Sports 's coverage of England's football Premier League . The show follows Ted Lasso , an American college football coach who is hired to coach an English football team, A.F.C. Richmond , whose owner secretly hopes his inexperience will lead it to failure; instead, Lasso's folksy, optimistic leadership proves unexpectedly successful. The first season of ten episodes premiered on Apple TV+ on August 14, 2020, with the first three episodes releasing immediately. A second season of twelve episodes followed on July 23, 2021, with the third season released on March 15, 2023, which was intended to be the final season. It was announced in March 2025 that the series had been renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on August 5, 2026. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The series has received critical acclaim, with particular praise for its performances (notably Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham , Phil Dunster , Brett Goldstein , Nick Mohammed , and Juno Temple ), humor, writing, themes, and uplifting tone. Among other accolades , its first season was nominated for 20 Primetime Emmy Awards , becoming the most nominated first-season comedy in Emmy history. Sudeikis, Waddingham, and Goldstein won for their performances, and the series won the 2021 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series . Sudeikis also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series . The series repeated all three of those award wins the next year. Ted Lasso, an American college football coach, is unexpectedly recruited to coach a fictional English Premier League soccer team, A.F.C. Richmond , despite having no experience coaching soccer . The team's owner, Rebecca Welton, gained ownership of the team in a divorce from her unfaithful ex-husband, Rupert. She has hired Lasso, secretly hoping he will cause the team's downfall and devastate Rupert, who cared more about AFC Richmond than anything else. However, Ted's charm, personality, and humor begin to win over Rebecca, the team, and those who had been skeptical about his appointment. Many sports and television entertainment personalities appeared on the show, often appearing as themselves in cameo roles throughout the series: Jason Sudeikis originally portrayed the title character in 2013 as part of a series of television commercials for NBC Sports promoting their coverage of the Premier League , in which Lasso is depicted as the new head coach of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. [ 18 ] [ 19 ] In about 2015, Sudeikis's then-girlfriend Olivia Wilde suggested that he revisit the character, perhaps in a story in which Lasso found his career direction change. Whereas the original Lasso was more broadly comic and, as Sudeikis described him, "belligerent", he decided to make Lasso more sympathetic for the television series, explaining his reason for doing so in a May 2023 interview with The Guardian : [ 20 ] [ 21 ] It was the culture we were living in. I'm not terribly active online and it even affected me. Then you have Donald Trump coming down the escalator . I was like, "OK, this is silly," and then what he unlocked in people ... I hated how people weren't listening to one another. Things became very binary and I don't think that's the way the world works. And, as a new parent – we had our son Otis in 2014 – it was like, "Boy, I don't want to add to this." Yeah, I just didn't want to portray it. The series was commissioned in October 2019 by Apple TV+ , with Sudeikis reprising the role. [ 18 ] Television producer and Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence was brought in to work on a television series based around the character in 2017. [ 22 ] The series is co-owned by Warner Bros. Television , where Lawrence's production company Doozer is based, and which controls linear distribution rights to the series, and NBC subsidiary Universal Television , which is a "passive partner". [ 23 ] On August 19, 2020, Apple TV+ renewed the series for a 10-episode second season. [ 24 ] It was later confirmed that the second season had been expanded to 12 episodes. [ 25 ] On October 28, 2020, the series was renewed for a third season. [ 26 ] On an episode of the Scrubs rewatch podcast Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach + Donald , Lawrence indicated that Ted Lasso would likely be a "three-season show" due to Sudeikis's limited availability beyond the third season, and that the story had a planned resolution within those three seasons. [ 27 ] In June 2022, Brett Goldstein also commented that the series would end after three seasons—"We are writing it like that." [ 28 ] In March 2023, Sudeikis said that the third season "is the end of this story that we wanted to tell", and that there are possibilities for spin-offs. [ 29 ] In an interview published in August 2023, Declan Lowney , who directed multiple episodes of the series, reiterated that the third season was "the end for now " and that it would be "two or three years [from filming the season] before anything happens — if anything happens". [ 30 ] In October 2021, Apple TV+ reached a licensing deal with the Premier League worth as much as £500,000 (around $682,000) for the series to feature the league's logos, kits , and trophy starting from the third season. [ 31 ] On March 6, 2022, a day before filming for season 3 began, Nike, Inc. posted on its official Twitter account a photo of its trademark Swoosh logo incorporated onto an AFC Richmond kit, implying that the show's production had reached a deal with the company to act as the fictional club's "official" kit manufacturer on future episodes. [ 32 ] Some sources have noted the many similarities between the character of Ted Lasso and Terry Smith , an American football head coach who became the first American to be the manager/head coach of a professional English soccer club. [ 33 ] [ 34 ] [ 35 ] [ 36 ] AppleMagazine.com (which is not affiliated with Apple Inc. ) writes that the series "was actually inspired by the story of Terry Smith, an American gridiron football coach who took over the English association football team Chester City and subsequently installed himself as the first-team coach". [ 37 ] In June 2024, Warner Bros. Television CEO Channing Dungey talked about the possibility of Ted Lasso returning for a fourth season. [ 38 ] In August 2024, cast members Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, and Jeremy Swift signed contracts for a possible fourth season. [ 39 ] In March 2025, the series was officially greenlit for a fourth season and that it was in the early stages of production. [ 40 ] [ 41 ] Juno Temple and Brendan Hunt were later confirmed to be returning as well. [ 42 ] Actors in the series Brett Goldstein and Brendan Hunt also joined the writing team along with Sudeikis as the second and third members of the main cast to do so. [ 43 ] While Hunt and Sudeikis were part of both the cast and writing team from the start, Goldstein was initially a writer and story editor. It was only after a video audition of some Roy Kent scenes was sent to the showrunner, Bill Lawrence , that Goldstein was added to the cast. [ 44 ] The episodes "Carol of the Bells" and "Beard After Hours" were developed when the second season was expanded by two episodes, fitting in to the continuity of the second season without affecting storylines of the previously written episodes. [ 45 ] [ 46 ] In March 2025, Sudeikis said that scripts for a fourth season were being written and that "Ted's coaching a women's team." [ 40 ] [ 47 ] Theo Park is the series casting director. [ 48 ] Nick Mohammed, who portrays Nate Shelley, originally auditioned for the role of Leslie Higgins, which in the end went to Jeremy Swift . [ 48 ] Park pushed for Phil Dunster to play the role of Jamie Tartt, even though the character was originally to be from Latin America and portrayed by Cristo Fernández . [ 48 ] The character Sam Obisanya was originally going to have been of Ghanaian heritage, but the character was changed after Toheeb Jimoh 's casting. [ 49 ] In March 2021, Sarah Niles was cast as Dr. Sharon Fieldstone, a sports psychologist for AFC Richmond in a main capacity for the second season. [ 50 ] About Niles' casting, Park said that "It was really important with that role that [Niles] had a real sense of security and almost completely unflappable." [ 48 ] Kiki May portrayed Nora, Sassy's teenaged daughter, in a recurring capacity during the second season. [ 13 ] Casting for season three was set to begin near the end of 2021. [ 48 ] Jodi Balfour was cast as Jack, a venture capitalist, in a recurring capacity for the third season in April 2022. [ 12 ] New cast members for the fourth season include Tanya Reynolds , Jude Mack, Faye Marsay , Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey, Abbie Hern and Grant Feely, who plays Ted's son, Henry, taking over the role from Gus Turner. [ 51 ] Production began on the second season in January 2021. [ 52 ] In March 2021, Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham were spotted filming outside a pub in London . [ 53 ] Filming wrapped for the second season on June 4, 2021. [ 54 ] Filming for the third season was set to take place between January and June 2022. [ 48 ] Most of the pub and street scenes have been shot in the actual London Borough of Richmond . AFC Richmond's training field and complex in which Rebecca's office is based is filmed at the SkyEX Community Stadium which is the home ground of Hayes & Yeading United F.C. who are a semi-professional club playing in England's seventh level of competitive football, whereas Nelson Road, the home stadium of Richmond, is actually Selhurst Park , a real-life Premier League stadium used by London club Crystal Palace F.C. Exterior shots of Craven Cottage , the home stadium of Fulham F.C. were used in season 1 to pass off as fellow Premier League ground Goodison Park when AFC Richmond played away at Everton . Wembley Stadium was used in season 2 to portray the FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City . [ 55 ] The show incorporates many real-life members of the British football and television entertainment community. This also includes using a number of genuine television shows which feature the actual presenters, sets and theme songs, including the Sky Sports programme Soccer Saturday . The daytime ITV show This Morning also features in season 2. [ 56 ] For the second season, assistant director Sophie Worger hired former professional player Kasali Casal to manage the football choreography. Casal enlisted a team of former professional players to play for the opposition teams facing AFC Richmond during game scenes, these included former Premier League and England internationals Lee Hendrie and Jay Bothroyd , as well as former Liverpool player Jermaine Pennant and Wolverhampton Wanderers defender George Elokobi . [ 17 ] Filming for the third season began on March 7, 2022. [ 57 ] The series filmed on location in Amsterdam for the third season. [ 58 ] With the emergence of Nate becoming West Ham United 's head coach during season 3, the club's London Stadium was used for filming. [ 59 ] Stamford Bridge , the home of Chelsea , was used for filming in the third season episode " 4–5–1 ". The appearance sparked controversy amongst Chelsea supporters after the show's editing team modified a memorial banner for the late Chelsea player Ray Wilkins that was paid for by the club's supporters. The banner which reads "They don't make them like Ray anymore" was changed to read "Roy" to tie in with the storyline of Richmond coach Roy Kent returning to his old club. Owner Todd Boehly released a statement apologizing to fans and to Wilkins' family, claiming the deal with Apple was agreed before he had purchased the club. [ 60 ] During the third season, further Premier League stadiums including Manchester United 's Old Trafford and Burnley 's Turf Moor were briefly filmed for on-field action, while Dutch Eredivisie side AFC Ajax 's Johan Cruyff Arena was used for on and off the field scenes at the beginning of the episode " Sunflowers ". [ 61 ] [ 62 ] Later episodes in Season 3 also filmed at Arsenal 's Emirates Stadium and Manchester City 's City of Manchester Stadium . [ 63 ] Production on season four began in July 2025, with some filming locations being scouted in Blue Springs, Missouri and other locations in the Kansas City metropolitan area . [ 64 ] Filming began on July 21, with a photo of the main cast seated at Gates , a Kansas City barbecue restaurant. [ 65 ] Other locations included scenes filmed at CPKC Stadium during a Kansas City Current match, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum , and Country Club Plaza . [ 66 ] Filming shifted back to London later in summer 2025. [ 51 ] [ 67 ] In March 2021, Bill Lawrence revealed that official Ted Lasso merchandise would be for sale ahead of the season two premiere. [ 68 ] The merchandise, including football jerseys, became available in June 2021. [ 69 ] In 2023, to coincide with the release of season 3, Nike released a full range of AFC Richmond merchandise including jerseys, hoodies, tracksuits, and practice shirts. [ 70 ] The first season of 10 episodes premiered on Apple TV+ on August 14, 2020. The first three episodes were released at once, followed by weekly installments of the remaining seven. [ 71 ] A second season of 12 episodes premiered July 23, 2021. [ 24 ] [ 25 ] [ 72 ] In October 2020, it was renewed for a third season of 12 episodes, [ 26 ] which premiered March 15, 2023. [ 73 ] [ 74 ] In March 2025, it was announced that the series was renewed for a fourth season, which was set to premiere in summer 2026. [ 11 ] [ 40 ] [ 41 ] In April 2026, it was announced the fourth season would premiere on August 5, 2026. [ 2 ] Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 92% based on 74 reviews, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Warm and winsome, if not particularly hilarious, Ted Lasso fleshes out its promo premise with unrelenting optimism and a charming turn from Jason Sudeikis." [ 75 ] Metacritic gave the first season a weighted average score of 71 out of 100 based on 21 reviews. [ 76 ] Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the series an A− and wrote, "There's nothing groundbreaking about the way Ted Lasso ' s story beats play out, but the show—a mix of workplace antics, sentimental sports inspo, and soapy romance—is undeniably winning." [ 83 ] Reviewing the series for Rolling Stone , Alan Sepinwall described the series as "extremely likable throughout, but it's more a hypothetical comedy than an actual one. There are long stretches where Juno Temple is the only actor even trying to sell what few jokes are in the scripts." and gave a rating of three out of five. [ 84 ] Writing for The Guardian , Benjamin Lee gave it two out of five, describing it as "a show that isn't unwatchably bad but isn't really much of anything", and suggesting that some of its humor was "rooted in some questionable and uneasy stereotypes". [ 85 ] As the season went on, critical appreciation increased. After the eighth episode, Caroline Framke of Variety published a review with the headline "For Your Reconsideration: Ted Lasso". She went on to say, "Above all odds, Ted Lasso chipped away at my skepticism until there was none left—just like the character himself does to everyone he meets", adding, "At a time when just about everything feels catastrophic, there's something undeniably satisfying about spending some time with good people who are just trying to be the best they can, on and off the field." [ 86 ] Keri Lumm of Paste said, after the airing of the penultimate episode, " Ted Lasso is the wholesome American hero we need", going on to say "... the landscape of television has felt kind of gloomy, so imagine my surprise when I turned on the TV to Ted Lasso and felt a swelling of a now unfamiliar emotion—hope". [ 87 ] And after the finale aired, Lea Palmieri from Decider said: "Every step of the way, Ted Lasso proves to be comforting and entertaining and somehow both a distraction and a reminder that kindness is out there, not just on this fictional show, not just across the pond, but deep in the heart of America too." [ 88 ] The second season was met with critical acclaim. Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 98% based on 125 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "As comforting as a buttery biscuit from a friend, Ted Lasso ' s sophomore season is a feel-good triumph that plays into the show's strengths while giving its supporting team more time on the pitch." [ 77 ] Metacritic gave the second season a weighted average score of 85 out of 100 based on 35 reviews. [ 78 ] On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 81% based on 207 reviews, with an average rating of 7.45/10. The website's critics consensus reads, " Ted Lasso ' s third and possibly final season takes time to find its footing, but patient viewers who believe will find that they appreciate Coach as much as ever." [ 79 ] Metacritic gave the third season a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 based on 31 reviews. [ 80 ] Reception for the third season became progressively more mixed as it went on, with reviewers criticizing the extended episode runtimes, pacing, and characterization. A joint review published in Vulture described the third season as "bumbling", "tedious" and "discombobulated" compared to the first two, noting "a last-gap [ sic ] quality to these episodes and a hastiness to the storytelling that makes the show's internal world feel inexplicably small." The reviewers noted a decline across the season's various character arcs, which were said to "range from merely muddled to downright inexplicable", with particular criticism directed at Keeley and Nate's subplots. [ 89 ] David Sims of The Atlantic felt the series had "devolv[ed] into ham-fisted, novelistic nonsense" in its pivot from its sitcom roots to a "prestige drama" in the third season. Sims lamented the hourlong episode runtimes, which he described as "a pure example of the excesses that can flourish on streaming television", and characterized the season overall as unfocused and lacking in conflict. [ 90 ] Like Sims, Linda Holmes of NPR identified the season's separation of the cast as its primary weakness, suggesting that the series should "refocus on relationships" rather than give each character their own storyline. [ 91 ] Jack King of GQ conversely felt the series had "markedly improved" in the third season, but found Sudeikis's "saccharine" lead character to be the "least interesting" part of the series. [ 92 ] On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 90% based on 159, reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads, " Ted Lasso marks its anticipated return with a fourth season that is equal parts recycled and refreshing, proving that the tried and true formula can still withstand new challenges thrown its way." [ 81 ] Metacritic gave the season a weighted average score of 62 out of 100 based on 30 reviews. [ 82 ] The first season received 20 nominations at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards , becoming the most nominated freshman comedy in Emmy Award history at that time. [ 93 ] It won 7 awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series and acting awards for Jason Sudeikis , Brett Goldstein and Hannah Waddingham ; while Brendan Hunt , Nick Mohammed , Jeremy Swift and Juno Temple received nominations. [ 94 ] Sudeikis also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series for 2020 and 2021. [ 95 ] [ 96 ] [ 97 ] [ 98 ] The series won in the categories for Outstanding New Program , Outstanding Achievement in Comedy and Program of the Year at the 37th TCA Awards and also won for best Comedy Series and New Series at the 73rd Writers Guild of America Awards . [ 99 ] [ 100 ] The second season received 20 nominations at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards . [ 101 ] It won four awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, acting awards for Sudeikis and Goldstein, and a directing award for MJ Delaney . Several actors received nominations, including Toheeb Jimoh , Mohammed, Temple, Waddingham, Sarah Niles , James Lance , Sam Richardson and Harriet Walter . [ 102 ] The third season received 21 nominations at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards . It was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, Sudeikis for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Phil Dunster and Goldstein for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, Temple and Waddingham for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Becky Ann Baker , Sarah Niles and Harriet Walter for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, and the finale episode was nominated for both outstanding writing and directing. [ 103 ] At the 75th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards , Sam Richardson won for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. [ 104 ] Following the debut of the third season, the cast of Ted Lasso were invited by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden to the White House to promote mental health and well-being, a theme that was featured in storylines during the second and third seasons of the show. [ 105 ] Ted Lasso became the most watched television series on Apple TV+ . [ 106 ] The first-season premiere episode became Apple TV+'s most watched premiere [ 107 ] and it ranked 89th overall among other television series or shows measured across streaming platforms from November 1, 2019, to July 18, 2021. [ 106 ] According to TV analytics provider TVision, Ted Lasso has been viewed by panel members 8.4 times as much as the average Apple TV+ original series or shows TVision has measured since Apple TV+ launched in November 2019. [ 107 ] Over the second-season premiere weekend, Apple TV+ expanded its number of new viewers by 50% week over week. [ 106 ] Apple also announced the second season of Ted Lasso "increased its viewership by six times over season one". [ 106 ] In 2021, the final episode of the second season ranked ninth place among all SVOD programs and fifth place in the SVOD originals category with 507 million minutes (MM) viewed. [ 108 ] The fourth season premiere received 296.6 million minutes viewed on its release date which was the biggest launch for an Apple TV series. [ 109 ] In December 2021, Apple TV+ released Ted Lasso: The Missing Christmas Mustache , a four-minute claymation special. [ 110 ] In September 2022, it was announced that AFC Richmond and Nelson Road would appear in the video game FIFA 23 . The team would be available in multiple online and offline modes, with players also able to select Ted Lasso to manage any team in the game, as well as have someone else manage the team. [ 111 ] [ 112 ] Ted Lasso: The Richmond Way , a box-set containing seasons 1–3, was released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 30, 2024. [ 113 ] The same set was also released on 4K Blu-ray on December 2, 2025. [ 114 ]