During the brutal surge of 2020, as the world grappled with a sweeping epidemic, millions found a surprising escape in a television series. Ted Lasso, available on Apple TV+, follows a Kansas football coach who takes over a casual football team in England.
Comedian Jason Sudeikis, renowned from late night television, embodied the coach in a series of NBC Sports ads promoting Premier League games. Lasso arrives as Tottenham’s new manager at the time, yet his grasp of the sport is minimal. The character is marked by curiosity rather than swagger. The creators and Sudeikis themselves noted that modern television had been rich with confident antiheroes, from Don Draper to Tony Soprano to Walter White. If there were a comparable figure, it might be a cautious, hopeful force trying not to drown in cynicism.
Season 2 introduces Lasso with unstoppable optimism, quirky aphorisms, and a growing willingness to reveal personal pain. Viewers and Emmy voters alike embraced him as a kind of life coach. The third season begins tomorrow, Wednesday the 15th, and many wonder whether the story can truly last. Will the ending feel earned if the arc closes here, as Sudeikis has hinted?
People who love, and people who apologize
In the episode set pieces, the writing team pushes the show into melancholy territory. The hero’s panic attacks and his openness to psychologist Sharon, played by Sarah Niles, deepen the emotional texture. When asked about the evolving tone in the third season, Brett Goldstein, known for his role as Roy Kent and his work as a writer and producer, explains that continuity remains key. The balance will stay funny, but it will also be heavier and sadder. Brendan Hunt, who directs and writes and portrays Coach Beard, puts it plainly: there are people who love each other, there are people who apologize, there are people who kick the ball. Everything the show has done is present, just expressed differently.
Fans see AFC Richmond as a bright, hopeful club that has just earned promotion to the Premier League, yet many predict a tough battle to avoid relegation. The locker room is a mix of resolve and tension, as Dutch defender Jan Maas notes that relegation is a common fate for many large clubs after a single season in the top flight.
The season also follows the fallout from the betrayal of assistant coach Nate, who switches allegiance to a rival team. The actor portraying Nate faces a delicate balancing act, given how much the cast has become a family over the years. The portrayal carries a thread of remorse as the plot unfolds.
Women on both sides of the camera
Ted Lasso places women at the center as writers and directors help shape the series. Script duties are handled by writers such as Leann Bowen and Jane Becker, while directing credits go to MJ Delaney and Erica Dunton. The show’s creators and performers emphasize a feminist undercurrent in the writers’ room and in front of the camera. Rebecca Welton, the club owner played by Hannah Waddingham, describes how the female perspective informs the storytelling and the characters, from Keeley to Rebecca’s family dynamics.
Rebecca’s storyline intersects with West Ham’s challenge and the personal layers surrounding Nate’s betrayal, including the impact on the club’s ownership and leadership. Waddingham notes that Rebecca grows more assertive this season, and the coach continues to rely on empathy to guide his players through confidence crises.
Moments of sincerity, apologies, and strategic adjustments recur, sometimes punctuated by product placements that Apple weaves into the plot. The show uses these touches to highlight modern family life, even as a football world unfolds around them.
Other football-flavored series
Club de Ravens (Netflix) explores a Spanish-language drama-comedy about two brothers trying to take over a football club in Mexico. The series follows Salvador Iglesias Jr. and Isabel as they navigate ambition and tradition on a path toward a brighter future for their team. Netflix’s catalog also features other regional takes on the sport, each with its own cultural flavor.
Home Area (a Nordic series) draws inspiration from real-life coaching stories in Europe. It follows a pioneering female coach and a club’s ascent into the top division, offering a fresh lens on leadership and gender in football. The cast and production emphasize authenticity and dramatic momentum in a league landscape shaped by competition and ambition.
Gentlemen’s Game (Netflix) traces the origin stories of football’s early era in England. The series highlights the rise of modern football through the eyes of influential figures, balancing historical texture with character-driven drama.