Ted Lasso Season 3 Premiere Review: ‘It’s Just Poopy, Let It Flow’
*SPOILERS AHEAD* The first episode of Ted Lasso‘s season three dropped delightfully earlier than expected Tuesday night (March 14). Picking up where we left off, things seem to be falling…
*SPOILERS AHEAD* The first episode of Ted Lasso's season three dropped delightfully earlier than expected Tuesday night (March 14). Picking up where we left off, things seem to be falling apart on and off the pitch for the Greyhounds. But that doesn't stop any of our favorite characters from trying.
Ted (Jason Sudeikis) spent time with his son Henry (Gus Turner) for six weeks, as promised. It's apparent that Ted is still in love with his ex-wife, Michelle (Andrea Anders). Happily, Ted has a support system, including Dr. Fieldstone (Sarah Niles).
Ted wonders why he's still coaching AFC Richmond and feels guilty about being so far away from his son. This is a constant cycle that the coach is stuck in. But, we are all rooting for Ted to pull through. Not only for himself but for everyone that leans on him, too. After all, Ted Lasso doesn't quit things, and "Doubt can only be removed by action."
While Ted juggles his personal issues, the team is getting pummeled left and right. From articles judging where they stand, to the opinions of pundits, everyone is feeling the ridicule and stress. Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) is especially feeling the pressure. She's obsessed with her ex-husband Rupert (Anthony Head). As of last season, he is her main competition since he bought West Ham United. Consumed by understandably wanting to win against her repulsive ex, Rebecca wants nothing more than to feel Ted Lasso fighting in her corner.
You can't talk about West Ham without mentioning their new coach, Nate Shelley (Nick Mohammed). Coach Shelley is as resentful as ever and consumed by what others think of him online -- especially being called "Wonder Kid." With Nate's "tactical super-brain" leading Rupert's team, we can't tell just yet if his insecurity will make him a serious threat to Richmond. Rupert, a master manipulator, is encouraging Nate's worst impulses. Nate is coming in hot this season, belittling his players at practice and throwing public insults at his old boss, Ted.
Keeley's (Juno Temple) PR firm seems to have consumed her now that it's taken off. So much so, that her relationship with Roy (Brett Goldstein) was on the back burner. The couple, who have dated for a year, are both going through major career changes, but they've always made time for each other. There was never a lack of love between Keeley and Roy, although Jamie (Phil Dunster) did profess his love for her at the end of the second season, which may pose a problem moving forward.
As we all know Ted loves his metaphors, so what better way to show his team to ignore all the s---, than to literally put them in the middle of it? Or rather, It? Refrencing the Stephen King classic, he takes the team down to the sewers for a pungent pep talk. He reminds the team that they will be just fine as long as they stay connected and lean on each other's strengths and wisdom. As Jamie delightfully puts it in his distinctive accent, "It's just poopy. Let it flow." And just like that, Team Lasso is all on board.
As the coaches of Richmond and West Ham hold press conferences at their respective club offices, reporters instigate the tension between the two. A new reporter for the Independent, Marcus Adebayo (Marcus Onilude), has replaced Trent Crimm (James Lance) after he was fired. Asking the hard-hitting questions as reporters from the Independent do, Marcus asks Ted to give his opinion on "Nate the Great." Sticking true to his character, even in these moments, Ted uses his great sense of humor to lighten up the mood and keep it classy. He even addresses his panic attacks, which he hilariously compares to having "more psychotic episodes than Twin Peaks."
The season opener left us feeling inspired to never give up, no matter how hard life gets. Even if your former assistant coach works for another team, is there really any reason why they can't be friends? Or if life gets so busy, can you make the time for the ones you love? For every character's struggles, where there is a will, there is a way.
The first episode of Ted Lasso's season three is now streaming on AppleTV+, with new episodes dropping weekly.
‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3 Character Guide
The highly-anticipated trip back to England's Premier League takes place season three this Wednesday night (March 15) with everyone’s favorite corny football coach, Ted Lasso.
Per the season two finale, everyone knows of Ted's (Jason Sudeikis) panic attacks. He was seen leaving a game, in progress, on the Soccer Special show. However, Ted has the club's full support after the news of his panic attack hits. He focuses on the season's final match, which would determine Richmond's promotion into the Premier League.
Keeley (Juno Temple) learns Bantr's VC wants to finance her own PR firm. She broke the news to her best friend, who mentored her to get to this point, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham). While the two celebrate Keeley's bittersweet end to her employment, they discover Rupert (Anthony Head) has bought West Ham United. Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) worries they will drift apart as she takes on this new adventure, leaving him behind.
During the final match that determines Richmond's relegation, Nate (Nick Mohammed) tries to abandon his false 9 play. But the players want to stick through with it, believing in his coaching. This leads to tension between Ted and Nate. He feels that Ted once paid so much attention to him until he was promoted to coach. No matter what Nate did, he didn't feel his efforts we recognized, so he leaves the team.
Ted runs into Trent Crimm, from The Independent, who was fired as a reporter after revealing his anonymous source (Nate) when running Ted's panic attack story. Fast forward to two months later, and we see the smug Rupert greeting the newest member of his West Ham coaching staff: Nate.
Per the official description of the new season, “the newly-promoted AFC Richmond faces ridicule as media predictions widely peg them to finish last in the Premier League and Nate, now hailed as the ‘wonder kid,’ has gone to work for Rupert at West Ham United. In the wake of Nate’s contentious departure from Richmond, Roy Kent steps up as assistant coach, alongside Beard. Meanwhile, Ted deals with pressures at work, he continues to wrestle with his own personal issues back home, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) is focused on defeating Rupert, and Keeley navigates being the boss of her own PR agency. Things seem to be falling apart both on and off the pitch, but Team Lasso is set to give it their best shot anyway.”
Ted Lasso returns to AppleTV+ at midnight. The subsequent episodes will drop weekly thereafter with a total of 12 episodes for the season. As we previously reported, this third season will most likely be the final for the beloved comedy series. However, there have been reports of spin-offs after the third season. Watch the trailer below:
Take a look below at our character guide:
Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso
AppleTV+The former Kansas college football coach didn't bat an eye when he took on the role as AFC Richmond's head coach. Ted was never intimidated by Rebecca and practically forced their relationship despite her fighting it. The same went for the footballers, who had no respect for him as a football coach. Locals hated him, too, calling him "wanker" at the sight of him. Even in the press room, no one believed that Ted could turn the team around. However, Ted never gave up and stayed true to his mentorship as a coach, despite battling panic attacks caused by his divorce.
Jeremy Swift as Leslie Higgins
AppleTV+Higgins is the sweetest Director of Communications at AFC Richmond, but don't push him to the edge -- he can stand up to the fiercest of them, like his boss, Rebecca Welton. Higgins is a married father of five children.
Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton
Rebecca is the elegantly sexy, yet intimidating owner of AFC Richmond. She inherited the club after her divorce from Rupert Mannion. She originally wanted to sabotage the club in order to get back at her ex. But Rebecca realized she shouldn't live her life that way.
Toheeb Jimoh as Sam Obisanya
Sam was the newest addition to the team at the beginning of the series, playing for the Nigerian Football League prior to joining Richmond. The optimistic footballer unknowingly matches with Rebecca on the dating app, Bantr, in the second season. Though Rebecca was against it at first, the two share a kiss at the end of their date. After dating briefly, Rebecca calls it quits after her father dies.
Cristo Fernández as Dani Rojas
"Football is life!" Dani joined the team in season one and scared the coaches when he was injured due to being in the "cursed" treatment room. After the team does a bonding ritual in which they burn their prized, meaningful possessions, the curse is lifted and Dani appears on the field fully recovered. The raven-haired "golden retriever" gets traumatized after he accidentally kills the team's mascot dog. His game is off and his mantra becomes "football is death," until he speaks with the team's psychologist to work through it. During the final match, Danny overcomes his slump and makes the penalty kick in.
Phil Dunster as Jamie Tartt
AppleTV+Jamie has become one of the most beloved characters of the show due to his complete transformation. In season one, he was this arrogant, selfish footballer who could care less about his fellow teammates. Through Ted's guidance and his ex-girlfriend Keeley's support, Jamie has fully understood the errors of his ways.
Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent
Our favorite foul-mouthed footballer with anger issues came a long way from season one. Instead of letting his emotions control him, Roy is able to become a reasonable man and open himself up to grow and get into a relationship with Keeley. After realizing his career as a professional footballer is over, Roy is offered a coaching position for Richmond.
Juno Temple as Keeley Jones
Keeley was once Jamie's underappreciated girlfriend at the start of the season. After Rebecca makes her realize she is worth much more than that, the women begin to form a bond that turns into a beautiful friendship. After leaving Jamie, Keeley continued to do his PR work and Rebecca catches wind of this. She offers Keeley a job to handle the rest of the players' sponsorship opportunities and by the end of season two, starts her own PR firm. She's also in a relationship with Roy Kent.
Nick Mohammed as Nate Shelley
AppleTV+Nate was once invisible as a kit man before Ted showed up and respected him as a person, unlike the Richmond team, who used to bully him relentlessly under Jamie's orders. From the start, Ted respected Nate's insight about the team, as he knew nothing of the sport and the British lingo. In return, Ted uplifts Nate to become a confident man to the point that he becomes a coach and "The Wonder Kid." After becoming too full of himself, Nate becomes frustrated when Ted doesn't give him enough credit. This leads him to resent his mentor to the point of betraying him in more ways then one when he leaks Ted's panic attack to 'The Independent's Trent Crimm and later leaving the team to manage Rupert's West Ham United.
Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard
AppleTV+Coach Beard is Ted's quirky longtime coach assistant and best friend. Though he seems to be a very reserved person, we learn that there is more to him than his love of chess and his tumultuous relationship with Jane.
Becky Ann Baker as Ted's Mom
Lars Niki/Getty Images for BAMTed Lasso once said: "I love meeting people's moms. It's like reading an instruction manual as to why they're nuts." The timing of the arrival of his mother will surely tie in with Ted's therapy sessions.
Jodi Balfour as Jack
Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesBalfour joins the cast in season three as a "charming venture capitalist." Who will she be charming, we wonder?
Maximilian Osinski as Zava
Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesZava is a new addition to season three. He is a top-class footballer and total diva, whose move to the Premier League sends shockwaves through Richmond and its player dynamics.
