At the heart of Ted Lasso’s upcoming third season is a huge cause for concern. Yes, fantasy football team AFC Richmond is done knocking on the door of the Premier League, having just stepped up the big table. But this appears to be just the beginning of an even bigger headache.
The final reveal for the new season came in the form of a new trailer for Ted Lasso’s third season, which you can watch below. Everyone from Ted to Team Richmond to even Nate is in shaky territory in most of the trailers. From a worried Ted back in the field to the ongoing drama with Roy and Kelly, nothing seems as hopeful as it used to be.
So, after I’ve watched this trailer about a dozen times, I’ve reduced my prompts for the new season—topics I think we should get some clues and answers to early on—down to five questions.
Here’s what worries me – in the best way – about Ted Lasso’s third season.
1. Where does Ted Lasso go?
My biggest frustration with The Mandalorian season 3 premiere episode was that the series felt aimless and thematically flat. Ted Lasso didn’t have a problem with those issues, but this Mando episode just got me thinking about the best way to present shows when they know where to go. And since we know the Ted Lasso stories will end after this season, I have faith they know where to go.
On why this matters, just take a word for Craig Mazin (The Last of Us, Chernobyl), who said collider (Opens in a new tab) “I write to the ends. The endings are everything to me. I don’t know how to write, if I don’t know how to end. Also, if a show doesn’t have an ending, that means there is nothing in the ending that is meaningful.”
And while the obvious destination is some sort of Premier League championship game, you don’t have to be a football geek to know that’s the last thing Ted is worried about. It was always about people. And the folks at AFC Richmond, and those associated with them, always have their fair share of drama.
In short: I’m very curious about what Ted Laso wants this year. Especially since it’s well known that Ted Lasso’s third season is the final season, at least for the main story (spin-offs are still possible).
2. What’s going on with Roy Kent and Kelly?
The last time we saw lovebirds Kelly Jones (Juno Temple) and Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), things didn’t look so good. It’s not for their careers to care about you: Kelly starts her own PR business, and Roy discovers he enjoys working coaching classes in Richmond.
But all the relationship drama and love triangle situation with Jimmy Tartt (Phil Dunster) is certainly not over yet. And this shot below from the Season 3 trailer, preceded by Jimmy entering, made me need to know the ex-couple’s current situation in Richmond.
And even though I thought they were great for each other (well, more on Jamie below), I just need to get a better understanding Why A breakup appears to be on the horizon. It feels like we still don’t understand some of their inner drama, which is something Season 3 will hopefully explain.
3. Could Ted Lasso Make Us Feel Bad For Nate?
Nathan “Nate” Shelley (Nick Muhammad) probably seemed unexpectedly evil to some, so his betrayal of Ted’s trust — telling the press about his lasso’s panic attacks that forced him to quit the game — was one of his most shocking heel turns (that of Moments when good becomes bad) in recent memory.
But this series has always done a good job of showing how Nate’s inferiority complex builds up. Now, with Robert Mannion (Anthony Head) at West Ham United, and enduring a full villainous makeover, it seems the ‘great’ Nate was built to hate.
But since the aforementioned Ted Lasso season 3 spin-off has already premiered, Nate seems to have something I would call soul salesman’s remorse. And he’s even got a window table that he’d like to eat with his parents. But none of it seems good enough.
This, however, is not enough to make us relate to the guy, or feel bad for him. And I’m very curious to know what kind of redemption story (and I bet it would be one) Nate had.
4. Is Jimmy Tart ready to drive?
After a string of emotional moments in Season 2, which arguably culminated in his hapless father having sex with himself in Richmond’s locker room, Jimmy Tart might just be ready to drive. In the trailer for the new season, we saw him as the captain.
No, not in driving Richmond to victory, but embracing the love within the team, turning Sam Obisanya’s (Toheeb Jimoh) “I love you guys so much” into a collective chant.
While this season will certainly see Roy do more in the training position, it looks like Jamie could take on the role as the heart and soul of Richmond. While he’s already experienced being a selfless gamer, there’s more room for him to grow.
5. Is Richmond going for the cup or surviving?
Premier League teams that have recently escaped relegation usually have one goal: to maintain their high ranking. It is not hard to imagine why, the transition from the children’s table to the adult table means increased competition, and it is not clear that Richmond will be able to play with the big children.
However, Ted Lasso is a TV series, and it’s likely in its final season. Of course, the big feel-good finale will see the team somehow be a true Cinderella story and make it to the season finale and win.
But as you can see in the trailer, Richmond doesn’t seem to be doing well on the field. That’s why I’m curious how early episodes define the expectations of landlord Rebecca and the Richmond faithful at the tavern, who can be fiercely demanding.
I? I just want a great TV. You don’t need a championship (or award) to do this. Just ask David Simon of The Wire.