After a three-year hiatus, Apple TV’s hit sports comedy-drama “Ted Lasso” returned for a fourth season on Aug. 5. The ten-episode run was crowned and concluded with the final episode airing on Oct. 7. Though the series has never shied away from addressing the barriers faced by women in professional and athletic settings, season 4 places female characters at the forefront.
The series begins when Kansan college football coach Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) is hired to coach Association Football Club (AFC) Richmond’s Greyhounds, a fictional soccer club struggling in the British Premier League. In the first three seasons, Lasso coaches the at-first disorganized and combative men’s team in a classic underdog story, applying radical kindness and changing the team from within. Thus, the soccer-focused narrative of “Ted Lasso” is ultimately a device through which genuine sociological and psychological themes are explored, characterizing it as a show about sports that isn’t really about sports.
Known for its relentless optimism and humanistic approach to moments of cultural and professional conflict, the series was in a state of uncertainty following the conclusion of its third season in May 2023. Indeed, with the 12th episode “So Long, Farewell,” the characters’ respective arcs were pleasingly tied up. The writers did however reserve room for potential expansion: a proposal for an AFC Richmond women’s team. Finally, three years later, we see the Lady Greyhounds realized in the freshly completed fourth season.
The series’ return episode “Home” follows AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), her best friend and Chief Marketing Officer Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) and companion/Director of Operations Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift) as they touch down in Kansas City, Kan. in a mission to bring Ted back to London to coach the women’s team.
A jarring shift from the series’ exclusive London setting, this season hits the comedic ground running. Once again embracing the topic of cultural difference, the sight of the three distinctly British characters milling about the decidedly Midwestern suburbs is immediately comical — a dynamic encapsulated by Rebecca’s newfound fondness for Kansas City barbecue, subsequently staining her immaculate clothes with sauce. Evidently, the show’s writers continue to reconcile cultural differences through characters who aren’t afraid to laugh at themselves. Suffice it to say, the endearing trio’s mission to bring Ted back to London is a success.
However, the writers confront setbacks head-on — a quality shown in the past seasons by how frequently the men’s team lost their matches. With the women’s team, Ted hardly lands at Heathrow Airport before running into friction, mainly in the form of the new assistant coach Alice Chilton (Tanya Reynolds). Indignant at being rejected for the head coach position for the women’s team, Alice is further irritated by Ted’s stubborn positivity, earnest curiosity and “punny” sense of humor. While Ted’s joking generally falls flat with Londoners, fans of the show may also recognize from past seasons that difficult characters — and difficult people — are not enemies. Indeed, the season commits to developing Alice’s character beyond both her initial contempt for Ted and her harsh attitude when coaching.
A noteworthy moment in her arc comes in the season’s sixth episode “Don’t Jump Around Much Anymore,” after Ted, tenderly but firmly, suspends Alice, suggesting she reflect on her harsh approach. Alice reluctantly prepares for a New Year’s party with the Lady Greyhounds, pushed to attend by her girlfriend (Rebekah Murrell) despite feeling unwelcome. Alice’s suddenly timid disposition throughout the episode exposes her insecurity, showing — in classic “Ted Lasso” fashion — the humanity beneath even the most brash personalities. But this instance is especially poignant, as it is one of the few glimpses of Alice’s life outside of coaching that viewers get. At home with her partner, we see a vulnerable, sincere and ultimately more human Alice, reminding the audience that we are so much more than our work.
Yet, with Alice and its rich cast of new characters, the series does not simply rinse and repeat a formula of character growth. Indeed, Alice’s arc is explicitly defined by her experience as a female coach in women’s sports. From the tension that arises from being denied the head coach position — despite being the only woman on the coaching staff for a women’s team — the show measuredly divulges that there is more to Alice’s challenging disposition. Writers prompt the audience to question: what is the relationship between her severe coaching and the desire to be taken seriously — for all of women’s sports to be taken seriously?
This commitment to highlighting the setbacks faced by professional women is also demonstrated in this season’s approach to themes of maternity and motherhood. The season’s third episode, “Richmond’s Got Talent,” opens with an earsplitting voice screeching the f-word, followed by the words “I can’t believe I’m pregnant.” A striker for the Lady Greyhounds (Annie McGrath) must quit for the rest of the season, catalyzing the coaches’ open tryouts for the team. One of the candidates whom they ultimately choose is Lizzie (Faye Marsay), a talented single mother who, with no other choice, brings her younger son with her. Her two sons appear in several episodes, asserting that motherhood and a sports career are not mutually exclusive.
Of course, writers also acknowledge the challenging circumstances of trying to fully show up as both a mother and a professional athlete — but decidedly from a place of understanding, not judgment. When Lizzie is later callously told by her ex-partner (Simon Lipkin) “I’m not the one that decided to try and be an athlete after having two kids,” she is forced to bring her sons with her to the final match of the season. As her rowdy sons storm into the locker room, Lizzie is met with empathy when June (Remi Shorunke-Samuel), the equipment manager, immediately jumps in to help occupy the boys. The scene speaks powerfully to what happens when a team is defined not by critical evaluation, but by curiosity and humility.
Admittedly, the quick delivery of witty pop culture references and clever one-liners can be disorienting; viewers may find themselves rewinding scenes to catch all of the dialogue. This is perhaps the consequence of the series’ comfort with its fanbase. After its established three-season run, this fast — sometimes hasty — pacing can create a tone of familiarity with the audience.
The completion of the fourth season of “Ted Lasso” has confirmed that the series’ return was artistically purposeful. Addressing the rich material of women’ sports in the process, “Ted Lasso” continues to affirm simple truths about love, compassion and humanity. Instances of tension and discomfort among the characters culminate in straightforward revelations throughout the show such as “don’t disappear when you feel inadequate” and “being messy just means being alive,” maintaining that vulnerability is an indicator of strength, not weakness. Through these moments, the series retains its potent ability to make one chuckle with passing mirth and well up with tears of connection within the same scene.
Perhaps its return indicates an ongoing — even growing — need for optimism, for a perspective that believes in the capacity of kindness. Indeed, a perspective that believes in the simple, real humanity of its audience.
Sean Watanabe is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the fall 2026 quarter. He can be reached at seanlw@uci.edu.
Edited by Corinna Chin
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