Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Season 3 of Ted Lasso.The Season 3 finale ofTed Lassogave us one interaction that truly sums up the show as a whole. When Trent Crimm (James Lance) handed over a proof of the book he’s been working on all season to Ted (Jason Sudeikis), the camera purposely showed us its title:The Ted Lasso Way. This drew a response from Ted in which he said it wasn’t about him, but that it “was always about the team.” To that point, the fate of this series (which still has yet to be revealed but, for what it’s worth, Episode 12 was referred to as a season finale and not a series finale) doesn’t live or die with Ted. Perhaps if Season 4 gets produced, it’ll be part of a new series or theTed Lassotitle gets reworked. Nonetheless, this show wasalways bigger than one person.
That being said, the Season 3 finale was all about Ted, and rightfully so. There were some other big storylines that were spotlighted, but the majority of this episode was a sendoff for Sudeikis’ character. Heading into this episode, it was made pretty clear that the cliffhanger from Episode 11 was setting up Ted telling Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) thathe would be leaving AFC Richmondto return to the States to be with his family. This is exactly what happened — as, early on, we learn of Ted’s decision and from that point forward over the ensuing hour, it’s all about getting Ted a proper farewell.
RELATED:Is ‘Ted Lasso’ Ending With Season 3 or Not?
The Roy-Jamie-Keeley Love Triangle Gets Even More Complicated
Before we dive into Ted’s fate, one of the biggest plot points not just through Season 3 but throughout the series has beenthe love triangle between Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), and Keeley Jones (Juno Temple). This episode really takes a stab at offering up a final verdict. Roy and Jamie finally share a beer together before Roy breaks to Jamie that he and Keeley are starting things back up. This leads to a discussion of whether it’s that serious or not and if it’s even exclusive or not, which results in the two men resorting to fisticuffs. As it always should be, the decision to be made doesn’t fall to Roy or Jamie, but rests on Keeley’s shoulders.
The show leads us to a moment we’ve all waited for in which the two men ask Keeley to decide right then and there. She aptly points out that this is her decision and not theirs. We don’t hear her response, but we can assume it didn’t go well for either Roy or Jamie as she kicks them out of her house, likely feeling as though they value her more as a trophy instead of as a person. Ultimately,Ted LassoSeason 3 doesn’t give us a resolution to this love triangle. Roy and Keeley have reconnected in a previous episode, though not fully committing to a relationship again, andthe leaked videofrom earlier in the season was meant for Jamie. Outside of that, the triangle has become more complicated than ever before. If we see these characters again, this will probably continue to be an ongoing storyline.
Rebecca Sells 49% of AFC Richmond — to the Fans
A new development in the Season 3 finale follows Rebecca pondering her decision to sell off a portion of the club, even going as far as to consider selling it all when Higgins (Jeremy Swift) says she could get about $2 billion for AFC Richmond. Rebecca reminds both him and Keeley that the only reason she took over in the first place (going all the way back to Season 1) was to get back at her ex-husband Rupert (Anthony Head). Now that she feels satisfied with her team’s success, which sees Richmond win its final game over Rupert’s team West Ham andfinish second in the Premier Leaguebehind Manchester, there isn’t much left for her to do.
Rebecca is also briefly impacted by Ted’s decision to leave, which serves as a reminder that these two are forever linked after the risk she took in the first place when hiring him. If Ted goes, so too does Rebecca. It results in a touching exchange as she attempts to bargain with him to stay as the two sat in the empty Nelson Road stadium. Ted is set in his ways and not even Rebecca can convince him. In the final moments of the episode, Rebecca decides to sell off a portion of the team, 49% of it, to remain the majority owner while also making extra money that can benefit the club moving forward. Some of those shares go to the fans, as we see some of them holding papers that recognize them as 1% shareholders (this is comparable tothe NFL’s Green Bay Packers).
Ted Lasso Has a New Job… Sort Of
Ted goes through his own farewell tour in the Season 3 finale, beginning with the players performing their own version ofThe Sound of Music’s “So Long, Farewell” to him at practice. There are many moments throughout the episode where Ted is reminded of the impact he has left on this club. His lasting moment is getting the final win for Richmond after allowingNate (Nick Mohammed)to call one of his game-winning plays in a brilliant callback to past seasons. Afterward, Ted heads to the airport, has one more goodbye with Rebecca, and returns to his home and family in the States.
Before Season 3 wraps up, we get to see Ted in his new role. Aside from returning to his full-time father duties, Ted’s back to being a coach — this time, he’s doing so for Henry’s (Gus Turner) junior league. Ted may not have realized back in Season 1 just how important soccer would become for him, but we see at this moment that even after leaving England, he is continuing on in his role back home. Ted looks completely at peace coaching Henry and the other children, even dialing up some plays from his Richmond days. He looks on to see his ex-wife Michelle (Andrea Anders) happily watching on from the sidelines, showing us that Ted truly is back where he belongs.
‘Ted Lasso’Wraps Up Some Odds and Ends
Outside the three big plot points of Episode 12, there were a few other subtle scenes and moments that put a bow on some other characters ofTed Lasso.Colin (Billy Harris) celebrates publicly on the field with his partnerafter Richmond’s win in a touching moment. Sam (Toheeb Jimoh) finally gets his shot to represent Nigeria as we see in a fleeting shot reminiscent of the team photo he kept in his locker.Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt)ends up marrying Jane (Phoebe Walsh) after he was seconds from leaving on the plane with Ted. He realized he couldn’t leave because he’s in love with Jane, to which Ted tells him to go and get her.
As for Roy, one of the final scenes shows us his fate. While we don’t know the current status of his and Keeley’s relationship, we do know that he was hired as the next head coach of Richmond. Rebecca introduces him in his new role at a press conference before he takes the vacant seat in Ted’s office. If this story continues, it will be very interesting to see Roy head the Richmond ship. There haven’t been many characters (outside of Jamie) that haveundergone such a large transformation from Season 1 to where Season 3 endsthan Roy. Early in this episode, we see Roy questioning the Diamond Dogs about whether he’s changed as a person or not, and while he initially doesn’t believe so, everyone reminds him of how far he’s come. This move to be the next coach solidifies the character arc he went through.
All three seasons ofTed Lassoare available to stream on Apple TV+.
